July 30, 2010
It’s hard enough learning the words and phrases of a second language. When looking to converse fluidly with native speakers, though, it’s important to fix your accent to match theirs as closely as you can.
Can you speak a foreign language while maintaining a thick accent? Sure. When you listen to someone with a thick European accent speaking English, for instance, it’s not uncommon to find them difficult to understand. Chances are, you need to get used to their accent before you’re able to pick up on what they’re saying. The same thing is bound to happen when you speak a foreign vernacular with your specific stress and articulation.
Because of this, improving your accent to match the native manner can bring plenty of benefits, especially when you’re looking to interact with first language speakers. What are the things you can do to improve the way you speak?
- Memorize words using the native accent. That way, you won’t have to relearn the pronunciations again.
- Choose language software that uses the native accent for teaching. As with the above, learning with a different accent will end up with you likely learning the wrong pronunciations. Always better to learn the correct way of speaking the first time.
- Watch movies and listen to speech recordings with native speakers in them. That should help you become more familiar using them the same way that native speakers do.
July 29, 2010
We’re not brain experts around here and won’t pretend to be. However, there have been researches done on the impact of engaging both left and right sides of the brain for language learning. For the most part, their conclusions have been similar: doing so aids language acquisition in a positive way.
Learning words and phrases by repeating it to yourself is a good example of left brain use. While it is a valid way of learning, wouldn’t adding some right brain stimulation, along with the words, add to your understanding?
Some people advocate some creative stimulation while memorizing words to help with the process. This includes things like playing non-distracting music in the background, physical activity such as acting out the words and using colorful images. Doing so is supposed to keep both sides of the brain engaged during your language study sessions, allowing for a more complete understanding of the modules in your language learning program.
How? Because while your left brain works to commit words and phrases to your memory, the right side aids it by firing up contextual connections that will further cement retention. Very few languages lend themselves well to rote learning, after all – activating the right brain helps you transcend that without much extra effort.
Some of the better language software out there do even better, incorporating both left and right brain stimulation within their lessons. This way, you don’t need to do any additional work on your end – the software does all the work all on its own.
Engaging The Left And Right Sides Of The Brain For Language Learning
July 28, 2010
Some people enjoy compartmentalizing. I know that’s the first thing I looked for when I started learning my first foreign language. It’s just easier for me to work when I’ve got a clear (even just a partially clear) idea of the “categories” of things I will need to learn.
Chances are, these are the same things you’ll be working on for your own language learning.
- Vocabulary. You need a stock of memorized words and phrases that you can whip out for regular use. All language learning programs, as far as we’ve seen) come with sections on vocabulary, as well as most books about the topic.
- Grammar. Every language has its own rules on grammar and sentence construction. If you want to gain decent facility on the language, you’ll need to understand the basic rules (subjects, verb forms) at the least. Otherwise, there’s no way you can concoct sentences all by yourself.
- Pronunciation. You can memorize words all you want, but if you can’t pronounce them correctly, no native speaker can understand you. Plus, you can’t understand what they’re saying either.
- Idioms and other expressions. Even if you understand a good deal of the language, being unfamiliar with native idioms and other expressions can lead to a lot of confusion once you’re interacting with native speakers. Chances are, you’ll read into their words literally, essentially diluting their meaning.
For the most part, these are the general things you’ll need to deal with when studying a new language. They’re usually part of most well-planned language lessons, so be prepared to deal with them in your studies.
July 27, 2010
Expressing your thoughts in English is hard enough. Doing it in a second language is even harder. For those of you learning to write in French, here are some ideas to help you along.
Getting Started
Some language software have writing modules included. Use them to help you. Most of the time, they’re excellent beginner resources.
Anyone looking to learn to write in any language should work to write as much as they can. The same holds true when learning to compose words in French. Use as basic a construction as you can manage if you must – just write as often as your time will allow.
Similarly, writing skills tend to advance with your reading level. Partaking in more French-language material should definitely be in your list of things to do.
During Writing
As much as possible, learn to think in French when you’re writing in French. Translating your thoughts from English to French just doesn’t work very well. It also delays your development in the language. It’s better to make do with what you can using your caveman-level French than to go for a translation.
Some General Tips For Good French Writing
- Avoid general words, such as tres or choses.
- Always maintain the subject/verb agreement. It’s even more important in French where gender plays a big part in the language.
- Your adjectives should agree with your nouns, both in gender and number.
- Avoid the passive voice. As with good English writers, French writers also avoid this structure.
- Use transitional words to add depth to your sentences.
July 26, 2010
When studying a foreign language with a language training software, corresponding with native speakers and fellow learners online is one of the most rewarding activities you can partake in. Both instant messages and emails will likely be among your most frequent mediums for conversation, so we recommend making the best of them.
For emails, in particular, be sure to follow normal conventions, as you would if you were communicating with English speakers. Courtesy and efficiency tend to run the same way regardless of language, so follow standard conventions. Doing so helps you develop a good email habit in the language – one that may come in handy when you decide to use it for business purposes.
- Always sign your emails.
- Always add appropriate titles when emailing superiors and individuals you don’t know well.
- Always have a subject. Yep, non-English speakers aren’t psychics either. So always put a title on the subject to let them know what the email is about.
- Make sure that only concerned individuals are included in the recipients list. Again, there’s no cultural divide – letting other people see your private discussions with someone else is just downright frowned upon.
- Avoid typing in all caps. It carries the same SCREAMING connotation in most languages that use the Roman alphabet as English, so steer clear of the practice.
- Use proper punctuation and capitalization conventions in the language. Despite the informal reputation of email, it’s still best read without the formless delivery found in IM and text messages.
July 23, 2010
When you’re at an advanced phase of language learning, your needs are likely not the same as someone starting out. As such, different approaches, strategies and learning materials might prove better for you at this stage of your development.
Many advanced language learners are independent enough in the language to be able to work on their own. That’s why we recommend home study language programs over classroom lessons and tutoring. Provided you have sufficient amount of contact with native speakers (for practice), learning on your own is probably a better option for numerous reasons:
- It’s more cost-effective. An advanced language software is cheap, compared to the cost of a class or private tutoring. We believe they can both deliver similar results, so opting for the more expensive option doesn’t net you any real benefits.
- It’s a better fit. Private tutoring tend to cuddle students. It’s not something an advanced second language speaker needs. Independence and flexibility will probably serve you better, allowing you some amount of creativity in the way you expand your knowledge in the vernacular.
We’re not discounting the value of tutoring. Far from it. Our position is, simply, that advanced language learning requires less supervision and more self-dependence. A self-learning program for next-level students is the best option for just that.
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