August 31, 2009
Is there a right way to use a particular language? Just like the English language, I’m sure opinion on that varies. The simple truth is that language is a complicated matter. What’s right and acceptable today could have easily been less than agreeable ten years ago.
If you’ve been using more than one material while studying a language (like a language learning software and an audio course, for instance), there’s a good chance you’ll stumble upon some incongruities with how they’ll instruct you to use the vernacular. This is especially true when some of the resources you are using are specialized to a particular field, such as business or travel.
Accuracy is often an issue for many learners. The reality, though, is that it’s not that big of a deal. Being accurate is rarely a trait you expect from language students – it’s something you develop over years of training and use.
Mispronunciations will likely be your earliest transgressions. This will be followed by misuse of certain words, poor sentence construction and incoherent statements. Don’t worry, anyone who’s started from zero and worked their way up the skills in a particular language have gone through them and so will you.
One area to look out for is that tricky patch of a language, which involves the formal way of writing, the way the educated classes use it and the manner in which it is employed in the street. Each of those three things can be different. As such, learning how to compose sentences with the correct grammatical structure doesn’t necessarily mean you will sound like you know what you’re doing when you’re speaking with a local.
The lesson is, you’ll always be doing something wrong while you’re in the process of language learning. Worrying about right and wrong ways to do things is just not in your best interest. The only constant in language learning is that those who study and practice will eventually make the grade.
August 30, 2009
How important are other people in your language learning? While we’ve always maintained the positive benefits of an autonomous tool like a language learning software, it’s important to note that it doesn’t mean we’re advocating abandoning people entirely. In fact, it’s the other way around – language learning software provides you with the lessons, but it’s ultimately people that lend you the experience. Both, after all, are necessary if you wish to succeed in language learning.
Which particular individuals play a part in your overall learning success?
Teachers. If you’re taking formal classes or receiving private tutoring, you’ll naturally be interacting with your language learning teachers. Naturally, these people will have more facility at the new language than you. As such, you can pick their mind well beyond the daily lessons, all to your benefit.
Students. Other language learning students are great resources for anyone trying to get a grasp of a language. Even if you prefer to study on your own with a language software, meeting other students allow you to exchange tips and bounce around ideas that can take your studies to the next level.
Friends and Family. You’ll be surprised how much gains you can make in language learning with a strong support group behind you. Imagine being able to practice new phrases that you learned during normal conversations (even if they don’t completely understand it) without anyone taking offense.
Native Speakers And Second-Language Speakers. If you can find speakers of the target language in your area and arrange so you can spend time with them, your language studies will soar like never before. As good as our methods of instruction are today, nothing beats the value of experience – being out in the field, learning with those who can speak the tongue.
August 28, 2009
It’s not easy composing business documents when English isn’t your primary language. More than stringing together sentences to get your point across, you frequently need to deliver the message in a right tone – lest risk being misunderstood.
If you’re an ESL writer and need to foster better written communication, always consider the tone with which you write. The following ideas, along with everything you’ve learned from your language learning software, should prove a good start.
Show confidence. In many cultures, confidence is construed as arrogance. For many native English speakers, this just isn’t so. As such, don’t be afraid to confidently deliver your message. If you have a point, state it. Don’t apologize or make excuses for anything you say. Show confidence in your ideas and your readers will follow.
Show courtesy. In English writing, you temper the confidence with courtesy. If you’re polite and mannerly, you can deliver you statements full of conviction without putting your readers on the defensive.
Use emphasis appropriately. If a particular statement or idea needs to be emphasized, place it in a short sentence. The longer it goes, the less the impact that your statement carries. If you need to expound, you can use following sentences to explain it further.
Use non-discriminatory language. As you may not be endowed with a large vocabulary yet, this may prove a bit tricky. Use the thesaurus feature of your language software to find alternatives to words that either show or imply gender when a neutral one is better. Similarly, you’ll need to avoid terms that can be considered demeaning, statements that stereotype individuals and information that slot people because they fit in a certain demographic.
August 27, 2009
As with the English language, French includes description words, otherwise known as adjectives. Like with various parts of speech, both languages share similarities in the use of adjectives, while being very different in others.
Your language learning software can probably cover this in greater detail. If you want to get an overview, though, the following list should walk you through the major differences.
Masculine and Feminine. Like many facets of the French language, adjectives frequently have masculine and feminine forms. This is a big departure from the English language, where adjectives are usually gender-free. In English, in fact, even words normally associated with one gender can be used to describe the other (e.g. “a manly girl” and “a pretty boy”).
Different Singular and Plural Forms. Unlike English where adjectives don’t have singular and plural forms, it’s a trait common in the French vernacular. Pronunciation usually have similarities, but spelling is often widely different.
Adjective Placement. In French, adjectives usually come after the noun. That’s in direct contrast with English where adjectives almost always precedes the subject (e.g “a tall and slim girl”), except on occasion (e.g. “a girl taller than me”).
Comparatives And Superlatives. There are no suffixes in French to easily present comparative and superlative forms of an adjective. In English, this is easily done by adding -er and -est to description words. Instead, comparison usually has to be integrated into the statement itself.
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