It is possible to learn a new language as you drive. There’s no doubt about it. Avid language learner wants to get the most out of their time and put that time to the best possible use. Doing so while driving could be an excellent way to accomplish this goal.
Learning a new language while driving is a great idea. Why? Because the weekly classes and your textbook are not enough if you want to be fluent in any language. Your target language should become a part of your daily routine. We mean you should see it, hear it every day, and include it in your daily activities.
What to Expect When Learning a Language While Driving
Listening is the primary method of learning a new language while driving. Why?
Because we care about your safety on the road. It is incredibly unsafe to engage in any activity that requires you to take your eyes from the road. Because of this, you won’t be able to learn a new language while driving. Remember, while driving, you cannot:
- Use the language learning app
- Read Books
- Take notes
- Speak to your language buddy (not even on-call)
- Understand Grammar
Learning a language while driving requires only two activities: listening and speaking.
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How to Learn a Language While You’re Driving: Five Steps
Learning a language while driving has several advantages, as you now know. It’s evident that, when driving, you’ll only be thinking about…
Learning to listen and speak.
You already know when the best time is to learn a new language in the backseat of a car. Here are the five stages of learning a new language while driving:
Step 1: Choose your learning resource beforehand
Don’t wait until the last minute to choose your following listening resource when you’re in your automobile for learning. Plan to ensure that you are ready to travel at a moment’s notice. Setting out a day to organize and save the audio files you’ll need for the week is one option. Will you put your Portuguese skills to the test when you commute? Then, on Sunday, go over your audio recordings and decide which ones you’ll utilize during the week.
Step 2: Prepare Yourself Before You Begin Your Journey
Before you get behind the wheel; you’ll be able to read whatever you hear on the radio, printed page, or written version. Reading the transcription shouldn’t wait till you’re driving; if you must read while driving, do not do so in your car or at your place of employment. Get an idea of what the audio will be about, look up new words in the dictionary, or take notes on phrases the audio contains by listening to the preview.
If you haven’t already done so, I recommend copying the audio files to a USB flash drive so that you can play them instead of your phone. My phone had often died when I was listening to English audio, and I’ve had to figure out how to restart listening after hanging up the phone. That could be a problem. When you connect a device to your car’s audio system, the music begins playing as soon as you do so.
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Step 3: Play the audio and repeat it on loop
Take advantage of the fact that you don’t have to use your hands while driving by listening to the audio. It’s a good idea to put the audio on repeat and listen to it several times. Make sure you don’t only listen to the audio once because it’s not entertaining to do so for a two-hour drive.
Learning new words and expanding your vocabulary are made more accessible by repetition. This gives you a chance to focus on pronunciation in your chosen language.
Step 4: Shadow the Audio
Shadowing means mimicking the actions of a parrot, repeating what you’ve heard in the audio. It would help if you repeated what you heard as many times as possible. Nothing is off-limits when we use the term “everything.” Copy and emphasize the speaker’s pronunciation, using the same intonation and phrasing as heard in the audio.
While following the story, why not yell it out loud? The more motivated you are when learning a new language, the more likely you will retain it. Experts in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), use this to help concepts stick in your brain: they link them to high energy and good emotions. You can also do this in your target language. If you find others staring at you, take it easy. Smile at them and move on.
Step 5: Shut down the audio player and end the process
An easy technique to gauge your progress is to pause your car’s music player and converse with yourself in your target language about what you just heard. Do not hesitate to ask yourself questions about the audiobook, podcast episode, or interview you recently listened to. Now you know how to pick up new words and phrases in a foreign language while driving. Using some of the things you’ve just read, you’ll be able to benefit greatly—the merits and cons of learning a new language while driving has been discussed in this blog.
The only way to keep this from turning into a dangerous pastime is to be willing to only participate in listening and speaking.
