Something that is currently being debated in several circles is just how an additional language is added to one’s arsenal. There is of course the more traditional idea that we learn a language through dedication, study and hard work. And there is the fanciful idea that we simply acquire a language. Like many things in this world, I think it’s a little bit of both hidden away in that huge grey area. The idea that things are black or white is simply unrealistic in the real world.
The current trend among many learners that blog about their process is leaning toward the natural method and pure language acquisition that is on par with first language acquisition. Simply being exposed to the language and the fruits of the forest will follow. Fluency will leap into your lap like that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Click here to read more.. »
In the first Self-Study Materials overview we covered the big names of Assimil, Linguaphone, FSI, etc. This time we’ll go over a few of the other big names; the big names that many of our readers will be more familiar with – Teach Yourself, Colloquial, Hugo and Living Language. Click here to read more.. »
Nothing too technical here… this is just a short post about how to trick yourself into learning. I’m sure you’ve heard countless times before how you should learn in context… but it can be a little vague at times right? So… in laymans terms.. the mythical in context beast is one that pretty much means “try to live in your language”
By that I mean your target language should become part of your everyday life and routine. And what are some ways to do this? Watch tv, read a book, listen to the radio, go to the local market, etc.. One of my favourites though is cooking… and this is where the digesting part comes in. Click here to read more.. »
The Zone of Proximal Development is a concept that was introduced by Lev Vygotsky and is still one of the foundations for educational development together with Piagetian theory. I’m personally a big fan of the Zone of Proximal Development and it’s little brother, scaffolding. Whether this is teacher-initiated or self-guided scaffolding it doesn’t matter… finding your own zone or the zone for your students is integral.
Much as Krashen’s Input Hypotheses focuses on comprehensible input, the Zone of Proximal Development has this same notion at it’s core. Click here to read more.. »
I think I’m safe in assuming that actively studying vocabulary isn’t very popular for most people. It’s something that is often tedious and associated with rote memorisation. This doesn’t have to be the case as there are a few other popular methods out there. Your best bet is to fiddle around and find out what works best for you.
For some, rote memorisation is the most effective. For others, they use a mnemonics, space-repetition software (SRS), word lists, continuous and extensive reading, watching TV with a notebook… the list is endless. This article will mostly look at SRS / flashcards and word lists as continuous and extensive reading needs it’s own place. Click here to read more.. »
