July 31, 2009
When you’re studying a language, it’s not unusual to lose sight of who’s responsible for your success. This is especially true when you’re attending a language learning class, where the instructor is easy fodder for blaming when things don’t go your way.
I’ve known people who have taken language lessons for years, yet continue to have little to show for it. When asked about why their advancement seems slow, they pass off the blame elsewhere, pointing at their incompetent teacher, the poor quality of their language learning software or the lack of opportunities to practice speaking.
Why It’s Wrong
Allowing someone or something else to be responsible to your success is a bad idea. Why? Because it’s irrelevant.
Say you were training ten new employees in the office and two of them just don’t get it. When asked what was the problem, they put the blame at you, saying you didn’t have enough teaching skills to be able to properly impart the skill to them. Is it really your fault?
Truth is, they had more to lose not understanding the lessons compared to you. As such, the pressure was on them to adapt and figure out what you were teaching. If they didn’t take the initiative to ask you or put in extra study time, it’s their loss.
Taking Responsibility
At the end of the day, you are the only one responsible for your success. Everyone and everything else are there to help you succeed (and a good teacher may be such a blessing), but actually making it happen all hinges on you.
July 30, 2009
Want to know where you stand in your language learning? According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), there are six levels of language learning proficiency that everyone who undertakes the process end up going through.
While it won’t exactly improve your speaking and writing abilities, it’s a great way to see how far along you are in the process. Consequently, it may help you adjust your studies, alerting you to the fact that you may need to take extra lessons or change your language training software.
Level 0: No Proficiency
This is the level you start with and is one we can easily get out of. Memorize a few simple phrases from your language learning software, practice them and take them to heart – you should be past it soon.
Level 1: Elementary Proficiency
At this level, you can say pleasantries, ask for directions and order meals, among other simple general-purpose tasks. Many language learners reach this level and stop. Your pronunciations will likely be horrible.
Level 2: Limited Proficiency
Here, you begin to get a working grasp of the new language. You can capably handle yourself in basic social situations as well as a few work-related interactions. Your pronunciations are now understandable if you speak slowly, but your accent still sounds funny.
Level 3: Professional Proficiency
At this stage, you now have a large vocabulary of words down pat. As such, you can sit through a conversation with a native speaker and not have trouble making out what they’re saying. You will likely still speak with an accent, but it will no longer be an issue – you will be understood.
Level 4: Full Proficiency
Full proficiency means having the ability to use a language correctly in almost any setting imaginable. At this level, you can get a well-paying job as an interpreter, as you can communicate with relative ease. Your grammar and pronunciation is impeccable.
Level 5: Native Proficiency
To achieve skills comparable to native speakers, not only will you need to know the language inside and out. More importantly, you need to have a sense of the culture and the history of the source country, allowing you to incorporate all the nuances and idioms only life-long speakers are often privy to.
July 29, 2009
For intermediate language learners, the next step to success is usually not as obvious. You’ll need to learn to speak the language poorly. Yes, poorly. Let me explain.
While you may have focused much of your early studies on grammar and structure, advancing beyond the first phase of language learning means developing your full abilities as a speaker. That means moving from the focus on grammatical correctness to developing the confidence to use the language on a regular basis.
And that’s where a lot of language learners slip up.
To effectively master a language as quickly as possible, you need to do three things, in addition to following the lessons in your language learning software: immerse yourself into as much input as possible, apply it in real-world conversations and get a deeper sense of the background of its native speakers. Both the first and third items can be done by the same diligent study that you apply to working on your language software; the second, however, can only be done by stepping out into the world and applying everything you’ve learned so far.
The only way to achieve flawless speech is by continually engaging in interactions, regardless of how poorly you may be able to communicate. This real-world application is the only thing that can really offer you direct feedback as to your current level of ability, showing you errors and letting you correct them in real time.
July 28, 2009
A thesaurus is a great tool for improving both your English speaking and writing skills. If you’ve been looking for an easy way to take your mastery of the English language to the next level, it’s one of the simplest, most effective tools to employ.
At its core, a thesaurus is a collection of synonyms. Basically, it’s a book of words that are grouped according to their similar (synonyms) and opposite (antonyms) meanings. If there’s a word that you come across with that you don’t understand, a thesaurus can take the place of a dictionary, implying the definition by way of association with words that may be more familiar to you.
When Writing
When you’re writing, a thesaurus is downright indispensable. It’s the easiest way to find the “right” word for almost every writing situation. Not only does it group words according to meaning, but the best ones usually arrange them, depending on their implications as well, allowing the writer to express ideas with the proper emotions.
For Foreign Language Learners
Despite its usefulness, a thesaurus isn’t readily available for many foreign languages. However, some language learning software do come with with its own thesaurus, allowing it to be a very useful when the time comes that you’re composing papers in the new vernacular.
July 27, 2009
As a language learner, there are various equipment you can arm yourself with in order to help make your studies easier. While none of them will be mandatory, they can play varying importance in your overall development.
The Usual Stuff. First, there’s the usual set of study tools, such as phrasebooks, audio courses and language learning software. You probably know about them pretty well already – we’ve discussed them in great detail here.
A Voice Recorder. I highly recommend all language learning students to use a voice recorder to aid in their language learning. You can buy a dedicated gadget for this or use the built-in facilities in your existing gadgets (many cell phones and music players already have them). With one, you can record yourself speaking in the language, play it back for review and find areas in which you can improve.
Language-Learning Journal. Keeping a diary of your progress is one of the most useful things you can do for your your overall training. It’s possibly the single best way to keep a recorded account of your overall development, offering something you can easily look back on to review later.
A Pocket Dictionary Or, Better Yet, A Mobile Software Alternative. When you’re still in the process of learning a language, it pays to have a dictionary that you can look up every now and then. We highly recommend getting a pocket dictionary, preferably the dual language type, so you can look up words that suddenly come to mind or for simply refreshing your vocabulary study on the spot.
July 25, 2009
Neuro-Lingustic Programming, popularly known as NLP, is increasingly being used in many learning situations, including those involving the study of languages. Because of its ability to tailor and pattern the instruction depending on a student’s particular modalities and personal learning structures, many are hailing it as a potentially powerful platform that will have a huge impact well into the future.
Classroom Settings
NLP can be especially powerful in classroom settings. Teachers who are well-trained in the methods can use direct feedback from the students as a way to adjust everything, from their speech to their presentation to the submodalities they are appealing to. They can create conscious distractions to engage the subconscious learning mechanisms, as well as design group exercises that can take advantage of NLP’s advanced teachings.
Solo Learning
Even self-learners are beginning to benefit from NLP’s concepts, which are now increasingly applied to many language learning materials. In fact, many of my favorite new language training software and CDs are based off NLP principles, which include the use of hypnotic pattern language for delivering lessons, teaching modeling skills and various other concepts that takes learning to a whole new level. Furthermore, NLP’s ability to “trigger” old memories and skills can be put to good use, as a well-done presentation can link this old programming to the new learning the student is trying to accrue.
To put it simply, I am impressed with the way NLP has made its way into learning, in general, and the area of language training, in particular. If you’re still struggling with language learning and need to find a better way of managing things, you should definitely look into NLP-based products as an alternative.
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