December 23, 2010
One question many language learners eventually come across after a couple months of study is whether they should stick to their primary course or use other learning materials as supplement. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t quite cut-and-dry.
Personally, I love to use just one material for learning. Too many ingredients tend to spoil the pot for me. Plus, the amount of choices just leaves me unnecessarily confused. Sticking to one material gives you none of those headaches.
Of course, that solution is only feasible if your language learning software is good enough to support your continued growth. Assuming it is, I’d definitely consider going that route, as it’s simpler and more focused.
When you seek out secondary materials for learning, you must have good reason to do so. Either it helps reinforce what your primary material teaches or it covers an aspect of the language that the one you usually work with doesn’t. Barring those two reasons, it’s probably best to drop any secondary tools as they can end up being a distraction.
All of this advice, of course, goes out the window when you’re a bit advanced on the language learning scale. The more of the language you acquire, the more necessary it usually becomes to branch out and learn from other sources. If you don’t, it’s hard to be challenged enough to continue growing.
November 13, 2010
Studying is a very useful activity for learning. However, it’s only one activity in a multitude of things you can do to improve language acquisition. If you want to improve the results you gain from your language software efforts, it will probably help to mix things up. Testing is one of those things you can immediately integrate into your lessons now.
Testing Reinforces the Results of Studying
At least, that’s the conclusion from some researchers who measured the difference in gains between simply studying and adding testing as a follow-up. According to one study, taking tests not only improved retention for items covered in the test, but for those which weren’t included. Something about the testing just encouraged better integration of the lessons.
Testing as Part of Your Language Training
If you’re using a foreign language program, tests are typically included as part of the system. Often these tests come at the end of each lesson, as an attempt to measure how much of each subject you’ve been able to acquire during the session.
Additionally, most language learning programs have practice suggestions, which encourage you to perform some exercises that integrate your lessons. Doing them are usually as effective as taking tests, since they let you apply the different lessons in practical, hands-on activities.
November 8, 2010
There are plenty of avenues out there for language learning. Despite our praises for software programs, they only represent a part of the vast language learning landscape. How would you know if language software is the right medium for you?
- You need a flexible study schedule. If you are balancing many things and need a medium that can conform to your busy schedule, a language program should fit the bill nicely. While you will still need to work with them regularly, language programs are generally designed to conform to your schedule.
- You do better without people looking over your shoulders. Some people just prefer learning without having someone regularly peering over at what they’re doing. If you’re one of them, you will likely be comfortable training with a language software.
- You’re self-motivated. If you can work without needing an authority figure to help you set goals and keep you on-task, then a language software should be right up your alley.
- You can resist constant distractions. One of the biggest banes of studying from home is it makes you susceptible to all kinds of distractions. If you can be disciplined enough to resist disturbances, then a language software will be very useful to your efforts.
November 5, 2010
Language software makes it easier for busy professionals to get adequate language training without having it meddle with their schedules. While the same requirements of learning apply, there are some variables that tend to matter more than others when it comes to being successful using this medium.
Time management. When you use a language software, managing your time becomes entirely your job. Forget about a teacher setting deadlines and a school making your schedule – you’re doing all that by yourself. Your best recourse is to find a normal study schedule and stick with it, even if that means putting your language learning at a priority over other important activities.
Balancing personal business. Convenience is a major benefit of software-based language studies. Since you can do it at home, in your own time, you can build the whole process around your own needs. However, you’ll need to be able to balance it with the rest of your life, including work, school and family obligations, making sure those other areas don’t end up holding you back.
Effort. In self-paced learning courses, you are solely responsible for your results. You can’t blame anyone else. That means, you get the results commensurate with the effort you give. The harder you work, the better your chances of ending up with something positive.
Study environment. You may not realize this now, but your place of study can have a serious impact in your quality of learning. Find a comfortable and private place in the house where you can work undistracted for the duration of each session.
November 4, 2010
Like many good things, language software have gotten some amount of bad rap over the years. Some of them may be valid. However, majority of them stem from a lack of information about what these learning tools are all about.
Here are some of these common myths about language training programs:
- Software-based language lessons are not as good as classroom instruction. If software-based learning is so inferior to classroom instruction, we would have seen it die off after the first few training materials came out. Instead, more and more people are opting for language training software, instead of classroom instruction. If that’s not a good indication of their comparative effectiveness, I don’t know what is.
- Learning from a language software will make you sound mechanical. Fortunately for you, modern language programs have progressed far from the days of robotic instruction. If someone mentions this as fact, remind them how much technology has advanced over the last ten years.
- Language software is “easier” than classroom training. Don’t expect to cruise through language software lessons. Learning, regardless of the medium, will never work like magic. You’ll have to work your ass off acquiring language just like everybody else who now speaks your target language fluently.
November 3, 2010
One thing I wish more language learners will use for vocabulary learning are computer games. Fact is, with their interactive and engaging nature, a well-designed game can be one of the best materials for vocabulary building.
But why aren’t more people using them? Fact is, they aren’t that easy to find. Sometimes, you’ll get lucky and find a few games included with your language education software. For the most part, though, you’ll have to really do some digging to turn them up. If you can get a language program with vocabulary-learning games in tow (especially those that teach them in a categorized manner), it could very well prove to be an excellent pick.
Do a search on Google for vocabulary games, for instance, and you’ll get thousands of results – almost all of them consisting of word-based games for learning English. It’s fine if you’re an ESL student. When you’re trying to build up your language stock in French, Portuguese or Japanese, though, you’re out of luck.
One of the best ways to find vocabulary games is to ask around language learning communities. Join one and see what other members have already shared. Start a thread for people to share vocabulary games they’ve come across. They’re out there – you just have to know who to ask.
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