December 23, 2009
Whenever you sit down in class or use your language learning software, it’s important to give the lesson your undivided attention. I know, we’re living in a multi-tasking society, where people accomplish their work while listening to their iPod, checking their text messages and planning a Christmas party at exactly the same time. Still, if you want to maximize your potential in language learning, giving it your full concentration is a necessary undertaking.
How do you benefit from paying better attention?
- Your mind is clearer, as it isn’t burdened by multiple things going on at the same time.
- Your focus is exactly where it needs to be – on your lessons – instead of in a myriad of other things.
- You ‘re able to process all the input in its entirety.
- You get to engage the lessons with your critical mind.
“But if I do that, I’ll never have the time to study!”
If you seriously believe that, then try this: schedule your personal language learning lessons for only 20 minutes per day. That’s it. I don’t care how busy you are – everyone is likely to have 20 minutes to spare. If your language software’s individual lessons go beyond that, then resolve to apportion it accordingly. Even if it takes you two weeks to go through one lesson, that will infinitely be more beneficial than speeding through it without your full attention.
December 22, 2009
Problem-based learning is one of the most important strategies when it comes to acquiring any type of skill. Thrust in such a situation, people are able to integrate abstract concepts and apply them in the real world.
While it may not look like it at first glance, problem-based approaches also work very well in language learning. Over the years, in fact, I’ve found many tools that use this particular strategy to help students acquire specific language abilities.
Check out any of the top language acquisition software and look at the set of exercises they task students to do. More often than not, those are based on a problem solving approach to learning. Using what you’ve learned from the previous lessons, you are provided specific challenges that you can overcome by applying them.
When using this approach, you go beyond taking in concepts and ideas. Instead of simply committing them to memory, you are put in a situation where you have to use them to arrive at a result. Compared to merely sitting down to listen to lectures or read lessons, employing them creatively makes for a more complete learning experience.
You can think of the problem-based strategy as a partial form of immersion. Just like finding yourself amidst a crowd of native speakers, forced to use the language to communicate, this approach puts you in a position where you’ll need to apply what you learned. There’s less pressure involved, of course, but the result could be just as effective.
December 21, 2009
Some of us have grown up with good study habits that inevitably play into our learning efforts as adults. Many, on the other hand, struggle just as much as they did back in elementary school.
If you count yourself among the latter group, you may want to begin working towards developing good study habits. After all, being older doesn’t mean you stop learning. In fact, being mature means taking full responsibility for your further education, making effective study habits more of a necessity than ever.
Plan your language learning. Set a plan for your language studies and list down reasonable goals. Knowing where you want to go is the first step to any successful language acquisition effort.
Test materials before deciding. Investing in a particular learning medium, whether it be adult classes or a language acquisition software, can be a serious investment. Treat it as such. Find out more about any specific format by researching or testing it out before making a commitment.
Schedule your lessons. Don’t just open up your lessons “whenever you feel like it.” That’s one of the worst study habits right there. Draw up a schedule and stick to it – that’s the easiest way to integrate it into your everyday life.
Be creative. Some lessons just won’t sink in – even the smartest people know that. During these times, it’s important to be flexible, finding creative ways to learn.
December 20, 2009
One of the things language learners who eschew traditional classrooms miss are the benefits of collaborative activities. Whether in pairs or in teams, the cooperative exercises that come part and parcel of group-based lectures bring a unique aspect to learning that you just can’t get when working on your own.
What are the advantages of getting involved in team-based lessons?
- Immediate application. Since you will look to use whatever you studied in group activities, working with a team allows you to apply them immediately against actual individuals.
- An encouraging environment. Even when you don’t motivate each other verbally, being around individuals looking to achieve the same results can create an encouraging environment where you manage to feed off the collective energy to propel your individual efforts.
- Instant feedback. Being able to use new lessons on other people provides a system for instant feedback, allowing you to more accurately gauge how well you were able to pick up the day’s lessons.
Now, choosing to get your primary instructions for a language training software doesn’t mean you have to permanently do without those benefits. You can still get the same, although you’ll need to make your own arrangements.
Go online and find communities of learners looking to acquire the same language that you are. While you may find it difficult to beat in-person learning, doing it over distances can be just as beneficial, especially if you’re willing to put in real effort.
December 19, 2009
When you fail to learn a second language as a child, you usually miss out on one of the easiest periods to integrate new vernacular into your stock. That doesn’t mean that it’s next to impossible to acquire a foreign language as an adult, but it usually is more difficult.
Regardless, language learning as an adult isn’t so bad. In fact, if you prepare for the experience, it can be just as beneficial for you.
Adult learners are naturally different from children when it comes to learning. Rather than sitting passively through instruction, grown up students are willing to embrace a more active role in their education. And there lies you greatest strength in language learning.
When you take responsibility for developing your own language skills, you take that usually unpredictable variable of learning into your hands. Instead of merely being a passive participant who listens to lessons and follows instructions, you take the figurative bull by the horn, planning your sessions and evaluating your own progress. It’s not as easy as just sitting through class, but the benefits are far more enriching.
This hands-on approach to learning takes even further shape for students who use a language education software as their primary training medium. Possibly the most flexible language learning platform around, it allows you to set your own pace, scheduling your lessons and practice as you see fit. You can choose to learn faster, slower, in small chunks or in one big session, depending on what you find works best in your case.
Ultimately, this deep involvement with the learning process will benefit you in immense ways, making the whole experience both satisfying and more meaningful. See, it ain’t so bad being an adult language learner, is it?
December 18, 2009
Some people prefer to study from a single material, often believing that the less-complicated route (sticking to one reference) will facilitate a more rewarding effort. Others, however, contend that using multiple sources is always necessary for a more thorough language learning.
Personally, I understand the value in concentrating your efforts on one material. However, you should realize that a single source can only get you so far. In fact, most researches point to the conclusion that using multiple sources when studying increases both retention and understanding.
How do you best use multiple sources for learning?
- Refer to secondary sources when you stumble upon something you either can’t understand or doubt you understood correctly. The supporting sources might have a better way of explaining that particular topic.
- Use secondary materials at times when the primary source is not available. If you use a language learning software as your primary tool, for instance, you can use flash cards or a book for a quick brush-up when you’re on the road.
- Combine lessons you get between multiple sources to create a more complete overall picture.
- Choose secondary sources that are more practical and exercises-based if your primary learning medium (e.g. classes, language software) are geared towards actual lessons. That way, you’re able to get a more rounded experience.
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