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November 30, 2010
Don’t want to pay for language learning products? While I can understand the hesitation to spend, there are plenty of good reasons why you should consider paying for your next language material.
- Paying for language materials saves time. Most people underestimate the amount of time they will end up spending while looking for free resources online. Despite the wide amount of free content on the web, finding an organized, complete and structured language course isn’t that easy. Chances are, you’ll just end up wasting your time looking for things that you’ll never find.
- Paid language tools are usually better. The amount of effort that goes into creating a complete and effective language course can’t be underrated. It requires plenty of time, study and work. How much of their valuable personal resources can people who make these free courses really afford to give away? We all have to work for a living, you know.
- Paid language courses are more professional. The fact that you pay for something carries a certain expectation. That’s why paid language software and courses tend to have a more professional quality to them. Stuff freely given away, on the other hand, tends to come with no expectations — freeloaders really can’t be choosers, after all.
November 27, 2010
When learning new vocabulary, should language learners memorize words or phrases? This is one of the first questions I had when I first started learning a second language. Back then, the primary material I had was a book, which preferred to teach individual words.
A couple of years later, I needed to learn the basics of a different language for work purposes. Instead of getting another book, I decided to invest on a second language software, one which focused on learning phrases.
Having had the chance to compare the two approaches, I have to side with learning phrases. Phrases simply have more context than singular words, making them easier to picture and, eventually, remember. Additionally, exposure to phrases also gives you more insights into the different figures of speech in the language, such as tenses, prepositions and more.
Current research findings seem to point in the same direction, as well. According to a recent magazine article, our brain processes new language by chunks — which would be phrases, as opposed to single words.
With that said, there’s nothing wrong with building up a vocabulary by learning words. That’s how I learned during my first brush with a second language, after all. I do prefer learning phrases since it’s a much more efficient and intuitive approach for me, although your own mileage may vary.
November 26, 2010
The dictionary has been one of the longstanding tools of language learners. Today, though, more and more language students are doing their studies without a lexicon in tow. Does the dictionary still have a place in today’s language learning landscape?
Sadly, in my opinion, it’s one of those tools you can probably do without. While the dictionary’s main purpose, to provide a singular reference for a language’s words, remains valid, there’s really no point in keeping one with you.
How many words do you know in English? If you’re like most first-language English speakers, you probably have anywhere from 15,000 to 40,000 words in your arsenal. It’s impressive how many words you actually know. Yet, how many of those words have you really looked up in the dictionary in the last ten or twenty years? Fact is, we tend to learn new words based on context, adjusting how we use them over time depending on the results we get. We just don’t learn them from dictionaries.
Additionally, there are literally dozens of options you can use when you need to discover the meaning of a word. When I need to look up the meaning of a word while I’m using my language study software, I almost always tend to use the built-in dictionary in the program. When I’m not using it and feel the need to look up a word’s meaning, I search on Google and get literally thousands of results.
So, should you still get a dictionary? Only if you want one. Just don’t expect it to be more useful than any of your other language training tools.
November 25, 2010
If you’re going to study a language, you might as well go all out. Half-hearted attempts may get you somewhere, but it’s far from the way to truly effective learning.
Lack of motivation is a common problem among many adult learners. In fact, it’s probably more common than you already suspect. Many of us are simply not motivated to do further studies — we’ve done all that grind before back in elementary, high school, college and graduate school, after all. It’s just a lot more difficult to get yourself to do it now.
That’s why finding a compelling reason to learn a language is such a crucial step for everyone. If you don’t have that motivation to drive you, it’s easy to cruise your way through any language learning program, even one you paid good money out of your pocket for!
It’s also one of the reasons why I prefer language software to classroom settings. Fact is, many students in language classrooms don’t take their studies seriously. When you’re a fellow student who works nine hours a day on top of your classroom responsibilities, it’s easy to be swayed to follow their lead.
With home-based language programs, you’re solely responsible for your own attitude. There’s no one to sway you either way, so if you can find that compelling reason, it’s normally easier to stay on course.
November 23, 2010
Need to add some tweaks to your vocabulary learning? If you aren’t doing these things yet, try adding them to your own language process. Employing them can truly speed up your writing.
- Learn new words in the same context at the same time. While it’s not impossible to memorize isolated units of speech, understanding is usually aided when words are learned in context. Circumstances help enliven a word’s definition, well beyond the confines of its textbook meaning.
- Review correct materials. It’s fine to practice writing notes in the language by yourself. Avoid those same notes when reviewing, though. Chances are, they’re riddled with mistakes. Going over them again can just reinforce he wrong usage.
- When you memorize idiomatic expressions, do so at the first person singular. Most of the time, you’ll need to use idioms in exactly that form, so it makes sense to memorize that way.
No small tweaks, however, can take the place of a good language software when it comes to learning. That’s why we encourage every one to take their time, finding out as much as they can about each title under consideration, before investing in a solution. Believe me, the money you will save and the stress you will spare yourself from are worth it.
November 22, 2010
Some folks take to language learning like a hard chore they need to fulfill. While it’s an acceptable way of studying, most will probably benefit from finding a more positive frame of mind to get their learning done.
In particular, we encourage trying to find joy in your learning activities. A positive, playful attitude towards studying language doesn’t just sound good (in a “new agey” sort of way), it works much better, too.
Imagine yourself sitting down for your 20-minute daily language lesson. You turn on the computer and launch the language software with a disdain on your face that clearly says, “I’d rather be doing something else.” How well do you think the session will go?
Contrast this to sitting down with a cheerful smile, anticipating an enjoyable time learning new words and phrases that will help you come ever close to your language goals. Would anyone really find the scenario above to be more desirable?
Take the time to find out the joyous parts of your language learning. Think about what good things can come to your life once you’ve acquired the skills. Try to find enjoyable things with your language software. Play around with it, allow yourself to goof off every now and again, and make it more fun than it normally is.
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