Learning a foreign language is a challenging and rewarding journey. Sometimes it can feel a little bit lonely, so why not get together with your friends to make the journey more interesting? Today I’m sharing 7 ways I’ve used to learn Albanian with friends.
Host an Albanian Movie Night
Why not practice your Albanian skills by hosting an Albanian movie night for your friends? If you’re still a beginner at speaking Albanian then start by watching movies in English with Albanian subtitles, or look at getting a hold of a children’s movie like Shrek or Madagascar that has been dubbed in Albanian. Or if you’re more advanced, then why not dig up one of the old movies from the communist days and learn more about how life was pictured and imagined both inside and outside of the country. After the movie you can all share what you’ve understood about the story.
Remember Pen Pals? Make it the modern equivalent
Connecting with native speakers is key to learning the language, however it may take a while (particularly if you’re studying alone) to get to a point where you can hold a conversation with someone, and initially reading and writing may come easier to you than listening and speaking – this really depends on each individual person.
So if you aren’t comfortable speaking in person much yet (or you just can’t really say more than 3 sentences) then why not practice writing online in various forums or on reddit? Find someone that is wanting to practice their written English so you can practice your Albanian in return – and who knows you may turn out to be friends for the long run!
Cook Albanian Meals Together
If movies are not your thing, then why not host an Albanian themed cooking night. There are many traditional Albaniain dishes for which you can find the recipes online (or maybe a close friend has a secret family recipe they can share). You could try your hand at making byrek, or even tavë kosi and practice your Albanian vocabulary all at the same time.
Do Albanian Language Challenges Together
While we as humans often take the easy way out, sometimes we like a challenge – so why not invent fun and regular language challenges either for yourself, or together with your friends?
Challenge each other to learn a certain number of words in a week, or to perform an activity like ordering something in a restaurant without the waiter needing to question everything you just said. Or maybe you will go through an entire day only speaking in Albanian?
It’s a playful way to keep your language skills sharp and stay motivated.
Book 1:1 Lessons to Learn Albanian with Friends
Learning is more fun when you do it together, so why not book 1:1 lessons with your friend(s)? At Real Albanian we actually offer a discount on small group lessons so that you can learn Albanian with friends – you all save money on the lessons and you can practice your homework together afterwards.
Keep A Boring Journal in Albanian
Often we don’t have a reason to write in Albanian, and when we speak it’s often in short bursts. Plus we are under pressure to perform because the lady at the byrek place is probably not going to wait 15 minutes for you to prepare what you want to tell her in your head.
So we tend to get a little stuck and we’re often not really pushing ourselves.
A great way to take the pressure off and have a reason to write and learn new ways of expressing yourself that no one has to EVER see is to start writing a diary in Albanian. You can even do this in a group where each person takes turns taking the journal through their boring everyday experiences.
You can write about everyday things, look up new vocabulary and practice it regularly and slowly you’ll see that you’ll begin to write more and more complex sentences. Reflecting on your progress and discoveries can be both insightful and motivating.
Organise an Albanian Language Karaoke Night
Who doesn’t like a bit of fun…? Why not organise (or simply attend) a karaoke night that’s entirely in Albanian.
Chances are that if you’ve spent some time sitting in various bars you’ve heard the same 10 songs about 100 times now, and you’re familiar with the beat every song seems to follow, so it’s time to practice your skills at karaoke!
Learning a language doesn’t have to be boring and stiff – and the more interesting you make it, the more likely you are to stick to your plans and the better you will get!