May 24, 2009
Working on your reading skills in a second language? If you like reading news, why not use an online news aggregator to help improve your comprehension skills in the new vernacular?
Experts say that in order to read an English language newspaper with full comprehension, you need to have a fluent mastery of at least 4,000 words in the vernacular. Basing on that, it’s not too far-fetched to imagine newspapers in other languages requiring the same amount of skill before you can competently understand them.
Here’s the good thing, though. Reading newspapers at a language you’re not yet very good in can help you become more competent in it. After all, the more words and sentence constructs you are exposed to, the wider your familiarity grows. It is actually a very good aid to formal lessons, regardless of whether you’re attending classes or studying on your own with a language learning software.
Online news aggregators are some of the best ways to practice reading skills, because of both the breadth of the news items they offer, as well as the customization options you get with them. Large aggregators like Google News have ties with newspapers in most every national language the world over, including some written in regional languages. As such, you have a bevy of choices whatever language you’re trying to familiarize with.
You can choose among dozens of newspapers in French, for instance, along with customizing which sections you want to read. If you don’t want to bother with headlines and just be delivered the sports pages, you can easily customize it, saving you a lot of time as well as only giving items that are most significant to you.
If you’re trying to master the business vocabulary in Italian, for instance, then choose to receive business and finance news in the language. Next month, when you move on to science and technology vocabulary, then choose the appropriate newspaper sections to be delivered. It’s much easier (not to mention, more informative) than running through a dictionary or a list.
May 23, 2009
We’ve said it many times before: the best way to master vocabulary is to study it in context. Rote memorization, after all, is highly susceptible to memory loss unless you can quickly integrate the learned material into the fabric of your regular thinking.
This is, typically, agreed on by almost any language teacher you ask. However, it doesn’t mean that the method of straight-up memorizing cannot benefit you. While no longer fashionable, the traditional style of picking up vocabulary still carries a lot of weight.
In many ways, studying vocabulary in context is difficult to do. Teachers often have to take extra time in order to prepare lessons in a manner that can facilitate this. If you’re studying on your own, you’ll need to find just the right material that teaches vocabulary in this way, regardless of whether your preferred format are books, audio or language learning software.
If you’re studying a language that’s not very popular and without the same wealth of materials as more popular ones (like English and Chinese) do, you’ll usually have a tough time finding vocabulary material that caters to your needs in this exact manner. An alternative is to try language learning by traditional memorizing, supplemented by spaced repetition.
With spaced repetition, the idea is that memory loss will be considerably stymied when an item is revisited at regular intervals. That means, instead of memorizing a list in one sitting, you schedule various parts of the day when you’ll go over it again. Basically, the more you memorize the same vocabulary items, the greater the chances you will actually retain it.
May 22, 2009
A lot of people eschew language translation software for the potentially critical errors they can create. Since a machine translator will likely never have the same breadth and depth of thought as a live human being, it’s a perfectly understandable cautionary measure – although it’s one that can cost you financially.
Language translation software, while more prone to failings than their human counterparts, is also infinitely cheaper. A single one-time investment in software gets you a translation system that can serve you for as long as you want. Contrast that with hiring a professional every time you need a sentence translated in English and you can imagine the wide gap in expenditures.
There are ways to use translation software that puts your organization in less of a risk by minimizing the errors in their results.
1. Avoid using software for critical business documents. If getting the translation 100% correct is a make or break proposition (meaning your business will suffer tremendously if you get it wrong), avoid using automated translators. In fact,avoid translators entirely and hire a professional interpreter, who will not only translate what is written but try to draw the emotions and motivations behind them as well.
2. Use software for simple translations. One word translations are zero risk with software, so are most short phrases and sentences.
3. Use software to write first drafts. If you have a full-time translator in your office, you can have them use the software to write the first draft of translations. It can save them a lot of time. With the draft done, they can then proofread and go over items that don’t sound right in the context of the rest of the document – chances are, those have been incorrectly translated.
May 21, 2009
“If writing had secrets, then writers’ sons would all be writers.” – Lu Xun
Are there really “secrets” to writing, as all those books and articles continually promise? Or is developing English writing skills just a function of experience?
While there are particular skills and techniques that can help you turn out better copy, they’re not secret. In fact, they’re freely available from here and other sites that frequently discuss language training.
To become a better English writer, there are three things you need to do:
1. Read widely
2. Write often
3. Improve on one area at a time
That’s it and none of those things are secret. If you become a wide reader, you can see further and deeper into topics. You gain familiarity with a greater amount of vocabulary, along with specific writing styles and ways of expression. Most of the time, you end inheriting many of the traits of the materials you peruse, developing both the quality of your thoughts and your artistic temperament.
When you write often, you train your mind to work through the craft, the same way runners train their bodies by putting themselves through the pace. Just as you developing singing talent partaking in the activity, you train your writing instincts by engaging in it.
If you write enough times, it’s not unusual to improve naturally. However, making the conscious decision to see gains in a particular area usually serves to speed up the process. As such, be open to criticism, learn from them and always strive to improve a facet of your overall ability. Similarly, don’t shy away from using tools, such as language software, to help you on your path.
May 20, 2009
While it may seem like an exercise in memorizing, spelling proficiency, especially in English, is largely a function of learning the patterns in which letters occur in the vernacular. Instead of something you can sit down and memorize in one straight cramming session, spelling is a skill that you develop increasingly over time.
In acquiring a strong grasp of spelling ability in any language, whether English, French or some other, being a wide reader of materials in the vernacular helps. Spelling skills are usually tied in directly with reading ability. The better your reading comprehension gets, the more proficient of a speller you usually become. Simply put, the greater variety of words you encounter, the more extensive your familiarity with the spelling requirements of that particular language becomes.
Similarly, extensive writing using unfamiliar words can facilitate the same gains. Language software tools for translation, spellcheck and grammar correction are usually your best ally when trying to develop spelling ability. Since spelling skills are developmental, having a good software constantly available to assist you during your writing efforts will help you “connect the dots” when it comes to mastering letter patterns in any language. Just make sure to set the software to alert you to errors, instead of automatically correcting, so you can see what you’re doing wrong and adjust accordingly.
Spelling isn’t a difficult skill to develop. However, it does take consistent effort on your part – both reading, writing and employing the proper tools – to effectively integrate it into your skillset.
May 19, 2009
Whether you’re an American company that use English as your main vernacular or a foreign organization who needs to communicate with the rest of the world, a good grasp of the English language will affect your bottom line. Regardless of your feelings about it, English remains as the international language of business. As such, making sure that your business is well-equipped to communicate in it can create massive improvements in your year-end numbers.
1. Good English can increase sales. All businesses need a regular influx of new customers to remain competitive. If your marketing strategy includes producing English materials in any shape or form, your pitch will need to be written well enough to be able to persuade. The better your writing is, the stronger the connection you can potentially foster with your prospects, eventually leading to higher sales.
2. Good English boosts your business’ credibility. Businesses will need to always put their best foot forward in order to maintain their credibility. When you foster clear communication with your customers and the industry at large, it enhances your image in a way that will leave an indelible impression on people. It announces that you pay attention even to the littlest detail and you strive for excellence in all facets of your business.
Any organization that needs to use English, whether for internal or external purposes, should take the time to equip their employees with the necessary skill to communicate with it at a professional level. That means providing them with opportunities to train (e.g. grammar classes, language learning software) as well as equipping them with necessary tools (e.g. grammar checkers) to help them achieve proficiency.
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