Learning Polish on your own - advantages and disadvantages

Due to lack of time, financial resources or the need to stay at home, some people decide to learn a foreign language on their own. However, this way of learning requires a lot of determination, regularity and inventiveness. This form of learning can be a good idea for people who are just taking their first steps and just want to get acquainted with the new language. You will find out whether the language you want to learn is at all suitable for you.

However, if your goal is to become fluent or master the language to a degree that would allow you to communicate fluently or pass certificates, it is worth considering learning under the supervision of a teacher. Learning a foreign language on your own means that if you don't understand something or you have doubts, you don't have the opportunity to ask someone for advice. The teacher's role in learning a language is also to choose the right materials and conduct the learning in such a way that you gradually work on more advanced aspects of the language. Self-taught people are condemned to wandering, searching and learning by trial and error. Unfortunately, self-taught language learning can sometimes clip our wings or build bad habits.

Learning vocabulary

Learning vocabulary is usually the first step in learning a foreign language and one of the most disliked. Perhaps because it is associated with writing down hundreds of words, which we then have to memorize. If we do it on our own it makes us even more bored and can cause discouragement to further learning. It is worthwhile, therefore, to help in the learning process with a portal with interactive tasks. Without a doubt they increase user's involvement and make learning vocabulary more interesting. Learning with a teacher and many methods of contact with other people will increase your enthusiasm for further learning.

Reading and listening

Research shows that it is also important to regularly read and listen in a foreign language. It allows us to get used to the structure of sentences, reinforce the already known vocabulary and learn new words. In order to expand your vocabulary and have frequent exposure to the language, it is worthwhile to read foreign newspapers, books or articles on the Internet. Many people add variety to their language learning by watching movies and TV series or listening to the radio. In this case, however, you should be careful. In order for this form of language learning to be effective, you need to be very focused on the forms of expression, putting aside a little bit of the pleasure of watching. The teacher has an invaluable role in the learning of reading and listening. It is the teacher who will quickly point out and explain the pronunciation mistakes we make. 

Writing and grammar

If you want to learn a foreign language on your own, it is also worth developing writing skills. In the era of better and better online translators it may seem that the ability to write correctly in a foreign language is no longer necessary. However, this is not true. Online translators are still full of grammatical and stylistic errors. In learning writing and correct grammar, the role of the teacher is undeniable. It is the teacher who will explain the rules and exceptions that occur in the grammar of a foreign language. It is the teacher who will catch all the mistakes and point them out right away. He/she will also make sure that we don't make them again.

Whichever method you choose to learn a foreign language, always remember to be systematic and don't give up at the first sign of fatigue. Learn a foreign language, because each of the methods of learning will allow you to discover new possibilities in yourself and in the world. 

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