How Sports Can Help You Learn a Foreign Language

Learning a foreign language is something that opens up many wonderful opportunities in the rest of your life. Being able to speak more than one language could mean earning $7,000 more each year, according to some studies.  

Yet, what if the thought of learning all those new words and troublesome grammatical rules seems too boring? Could adding some sporting fun to your studies make it more interesting?  The truth is that this can turn a dull task into something far more exciting. 

Watch Games on TV

Perhaps the simplest way to pick up new words these days is by watching television. If you can pick up a foreign language feed on your television or change the language settings, then this is great. Otherwise, you will find plenty of videos and live TV streams online to choose from.

Following the action in a foreign tongue can be really difficult to do at first. Sports commentaries tend to include a lot of technical words and very specific phrases in any language. Thankfully, there is also usually a fair degree of repetition in the terms used.

You will soon see that this is a very enjoyable way of learning new phrases. Even better, it is a way of getting a glimpse into the culture behind the language too. Every time that you watch a game you will learn something new and interesting. 

Follow Foreign Sports Blogs or Forums

It can be a lot easier to understand written words rather than trying to follow a commentary team in full flow. This is why following a blog or reading forum posts can be so rewarding.

People all over the planet love sports and are keen to discuss it online. Therefore, it shouldn’t take you too long to find some sites that you enjoy reading. If the website covers a sport you enjoy then it will be even easier to spend time going through it. 

Let’s say that you want to read about the latest Super Bowl in Spanish or get the French view on the NHL season, this is easily done. Alternatively, you could read the Champions League results in English before getting to grips with the same details in your second language. 

Plus, if you enjoy betting on sports, learning a new language will open you lot more of possibilities, as you can witness by BestAppBet and their reviews on betting sites

Travel Abroad for Big Events

It is well known that cultural immersion is the best and fastest way to learn a new language. There is simply no substitute for being in a place where the language is spoken by everyone around you. This is definitely a sink or swim situation that helps students to think on their feet at all times.

What better way is there of doing this than by going to a big sporting event? You could learn Spanish words at a vibrant Boca Juniors vs River Plate soccer match in Buenos Aires or improve your French at the next French Open tennis tournament in Paris. Right now, the Champions’ League group stages just started and you might want to book a trip abroad to watch your favourite soccer team playing in Europe.

Every country around the planet has numerous sporting events that you will love. This provides the perfect setting for making new friends and feeling genuinely involved in the local culture.

Of course, it can be difficult to keep a cool head and memorize new words in a frenzied atmosphere like this. Therefore, it is a good idea to try and learn as many sport-related words as possible before you go there. You can then concentrate on trying to understand what is being said and possibly even join in with some singing or chanting.

Don’t let language studies become a huge bore. It is very easy to inject some fun into this subject that makes it one of the most enjoyable parts of your life.      

   

What Next?

Recent Articles