What's The Best Way To Learn A Foreign Language? 


The wrong and right way to learn a foreign language                 Source: http://ht.ly/1kC1bM                    


By Valerie Strauss

This was written by linguist Stephen Krashen, professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, is an educational researcher and activist. He has written hundreds of articles and books in the fields of second language acquisition, bilingual education, and reading.

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By Stephen Krashen

In a recent issue of the Washington Post Express, Andrew Eil, a staffer who works at the U.S. State Department on international climate change, recommends that foreign language students start with “boot camp:” Study grammar very hard, drill vocabulary every day, and force yourself to talk. This regimen, he claims, put him in a position to develop high levels of competence in several languages; he now speaks Russian and French fluently and can converse in Mandarin and Kazakh.

Most of us who have taken foreign languages classes that emphasize heavy grammar instruction and memorizing vocabulary would disagree with his recommendations, and so does the research.

The results of studies done over the last few decades by a wide variety of researchers and published in scientific journals support this view: We do not master languages by hard study and memorization, or by producing it. Rather, we acquire language when we understand what people tell us and what we read, when we get “comprehensible input.” As we get comprehensible input through listening and reading, we acquire (or “absorb”) the grammar and vocabulary of the second language.

Studies show repeatedly that intensive grammar study and memorizing vocabulary are of limited value: Students in classes that provide lots of comprehensible input (e.g. methods such as TPRS) consistently do better than students in traditional grammar-based classes on tests that involve real communication and do just as well, and often better, on grammar tests. These students have acquired the grammar and vocabulary of the language naturally, and can use what they have acquired in real communicative situations. They are also more likely to continue foreign language study.

Grammar

The complexity of the grammatical system to be mastered makes it highly unlikely that it can be taught and learned: Linguists have not even described the grammatical system of any language completely and many rules are forbiddingly complex, with numerous exceptions.

Even very complex rules, however, can be acquired (or “absorbed”) through comprehensible input, especially through reading. Here is one of many examples from the research: In one study, English speakers who spoke Spanish as a second language were tested on their ability to use the Spanish subjunctive in conversation. The subjunctive is of interest as it is considered a difficult structure to master. Researchers considered a number of predictors of subjunctive proficiency: amount of formal study of Spanish, amount of formal study of the subjunctive, years of residence in a Spanish-speaking country, and the amount of reading done in Spanish. The only significant predictor was reading in Spanish.

Vocabulary

There is a substantial research literature showing that vocabulary knowledge comes largely from comprehensible input, especially reading, in both first and second languages. Many second language speakers acquire enormous vocabularies, and it is highly doubtful that they did it through vocabulary study: In one study, it was reported that speakers of Spanish as a second language who were avid readers in Spanish had larger Spanish vocabularies than native speakers of Spanish who did not do a lot of reading.

Forced speech

Should language students force themselves to talk, as Eil advises? Research informs us that at beginning stages, highly successful second language acquirers often experience a substantial “silent period,” a time when they produce little or no language. The silent period is nearly universal for children acquiring a second language, and there are entire cultures in which second language acquirers are expected to experience a silent period. Also, successful comprehensible-input based methods do not force students to speak.

Forcing language students to speak before they are ready not only makes them extremely uncomfortable but does nothing for language acquisition. Speaking doesn’t cause language acquisition; rather, the ability to speak is the result of comprehensible input.

Comprehensible input at all stages

Andrew Eil has clearly done well in foreign language acquisition, and he acknowledges the value of the experiences he had during his residence in Russia, Kazakhstan, France and China over several years, from the reading he did, the movies he saw, the many conversations he had with others, and other kinds of “informal, friendly interaction.” In other words, he improved thanks to comprehensible input.

Current research strongly suggests that comprehensible input is the way we acquire language at all stages. The kind of “boot camp” Eil recommends is neither necessary nor desirable.

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Sources:

Comprehensible input: Krashen, S. 2003. Explorations in Language Acquisition and Use. Heinemann.

Effectiveness of comprehensible-input based instruction: Krashen, op. cit.; TPRS studies: Varguez, K. 2009. Traditional and TPR Storytelling instrution in beginning high school Spanish classroom. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 5 (1): 2-11; Watson, B. 2009. A comparison of TPRS and traditional foreign language instruction at the high school level. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 5 (1): 21-24.

Acquisition of Spanish subjunctive: Stokes, J., Krashen, S., and Kartchner, J. 1998. Factors in the acquisition of the present subjunctive in Spanish: The role of reading and study. ITL: Review of Applied Linguistics 121-122:19-25.

Highly successful second language acquirers often experience a substantial “silent period”; Krashen, S. 2000. What does it take to acquire language? ESL Magazine, 3(3), 22-23. (available at http:www. sdkrashen.com)

Cultures in which a silent period is expected: Sorenson, A. 1967. Multilingualism in the northwest Amazon. American Anthropologist, 69 (6), 670-684.

Resources for Language Leaners

Here's an excellent website of resources for language learners:


http://www.everydaylanguagelearner.com/language-learning-resources/getting-started-resource/ .




Some links on the website are Culture Talk: Short videos of native speakers talking about different aspects of their culture, 


Conversation Exchange: Language learners can find conversation partners, pen pals and online chat partners through the Conversation Exchange,

Tonguetide: Tonguetide is a language learner’s social network offering opportunities to share ideas, read blogs, find tutors, classes and to find language partners

and more!

Talking about learning and education

Here's a thought-provoking short film about the Steiner method of education:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mBYu3x9IWo .

You can read more about the Steiner approach on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_education .

How would you describe the way you learned at school? What are the most important qualities schools should foster and develop?

USA says yes to IELTS

"Over 3,000 institutions and programs in the USA accept IELTS scores as proof of English language skills. Over 1.4 million people each year are now using IELTS to open doors throughout the English-speaking world and beyond.

 

For questions or concerns, you may contact IELTS in the USA:

 

IELTS International

825 Colorado Boulevard, Suite 201

Los Angeles, CA 90041

USA

Telephone:             323 255 2771      

Email:ielts@ieltsintl.org             "

http://www.ielts.org/ielts_in_the_usa.aspx

IELTS Speaking Test, Part 1 -- How long should my answers be?

Students preparing for IELTS often wonder how long their answers should be in Part 1 of the Speaking test.

Simple arithmetic will give you a good "rule of thumb" answer. Part 1 of the Speaking test lasts 4 - 5 minutes. The examiner will usually ask questions on three sub topics (Home/Hometown or Work/Study + 2 others). For each sub topic, the examiner may ask up to 4 or 5 questions.

You can see that your answers cannot be very long but they shouldn't be too brief, either. The questions in Part 1 mostly relate to personal, everyday topics to which quite simple and straightforward answers can be given.

Something like, "Yes, I do/No, I don't!" in response to a question such as, "Do you like to travel?" is too short. Some answers may be longer than others but on average, each answer will probably be around 2 or 3 "spoken sentences". An answer like, "I do, absolutely, because ___________________, though sometimes ____________________" should be enough. It's all right if some answers are a longer and some are shorter.

Natural but appropriately used language is important throughout the speaking test. You can show a good level of English in Part 1 with confident handling of the preliminary interview-like Question/Answer situation.

Great Websites for Learning About Other Cultures

Here's a link to a list of great websites for learning about other cultures: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2010/08/11/the-best-sites-for-learning-about-the-worlds-different-cultures/

The list was made by an English language teacher in the USA.

Exploring other cultures is a fascinating way to learn about the world while you improve your English!

Top 10 IELTS Myths

Go to:

http://rliberni.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/ielts-myths/

Read it!

Take a deep breath and then a look in the mirror.

If you are focusing on petty distractions rather than spending your time improving your English, re-think your strategies.

IELTS is a language level test; no more, no less.

How We Read

When we first look at a text, we glance over it quickly to get the main ideas. We do this in daily life to decide if we wish to read the text in more detail. In tests such as the IELTS reading test we do this for the same basic purpose: to find the main ideas.

Here's some very interesting information and graphics showing how our eyes move when we first look at a webpage:

F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content

Summary:
Eyetracking visualizations show that users often read Web pages in an F-shaped pattern: two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/4VFCbm/www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html

If you write a blog or write websites, you'll find this information very useful in helping you understand how to structure your writing to maximise reader attention. The same general principle applies to many other kinds of writing, including the IELTS writing tasks. Make sure your main ideas are clearly summarised!

Australian Culture and Etiquette

"Ita Buttrose has had an extensive career in print, radio and television. She maintains that time changes many things, but good manners never go out of fashion -- the subject of her latest book 'A Guide to Australian Etiquette: for all occasions from weddings to work'."

You can read more about the book here:

http://www.penguin.com.au/products/9780670075478/guide-australian-etiquette-all-occasions-weddings-work

You can listen to Ita Buttrose being interviewed about Australian etiquette and culture on ABC radio at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYvDNLzMvjw

"Quick ways" to gain a foreign langage

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(Photo Illustration: Thomas van Ryzewyk/Getty)

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It was an interest in vampires, long a part of Slavic culture, that fed Bobbi Duncan’s desire to study Russian. This summer, a year after starting to learn the language, the 21-year-old linguistics student at the University of Texas spent five weeks in Russia and, to her delight, found she could communicate with locals, even if she lacked an extensive vocabulary. “One of the things I learned how to do really well is talk around something,” she says, “so even if I don’t have the words for exactly what I want, I can still express myself pretty well.”
The course Duncan took adopted a novel language-teaching approach conceived by the school’s Arabic program four years ago. Traditionally, language teachers spend much of instruction time running through grammar rules and vocabulary. Students in Duncan’s class had to learn that on their own time, however, and classes were used to practise their knowledge. “What we’re doing in class is activate new materials through group work, through presentations, through games, through activities,” says Mahmoud Al-Batal, director of the flagship Arabic program at the university. “It enables students to immerse themselves more in the language, and it makes them take ownership of learning.”
In this global economy, professionals are frequently required to travel abroad, or find themselves assigned to a foreign office or project. Knowing the local language is an asset that can open up career opportunities and new lines of business. But workers rarely have years to perfect a language; they need to pick as much as possible, usually within months. And programs like UT’s are designed to address that.
Carla Hudson Kam, a linguistics professor at the University of British Columbia, says the approach to language learning should depend on how you plan to use the skill. For someone looking to pick up common phrases in a short period, a computer program or an audiobook will suffice.
This method, however, won’t prepare you for holding a conversation. “For adult language learning, the most successful learners do both some immersion and actual study in a classroom,” says Kam. “Either one of those is not going to be as effective as both of them together.” Ideally, you should communicate with different speakers of the language, and if you’re expecting to travel to a particular region, listen to someone speaking in that accent to get accustomed to it, she says.
Some languages are easier to learn than others, depending on how close they are to your native language and the complexity of their grammar and pronunciation, says Robert DeKeyser, a second-language-acquisition professor at the University of Maryland. For native English speakers, learning Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Japanese is the hardest, while Dutch and French tend to be easier.
As the Texas program highlights, it’s interaction that makes all the difference. “If you just memorize a long list of words, it doesn’t stick in your brain,” says Orlando Kelm, associate director of business language education at UT’s Center for International Business Education and Research. “But if there’s some experience you have that becomes real, then suddenly you remember the word for the rest of your life.” He recommends using Livemocha, a social network that connects users with native speakers around the world, or podcasts to supplement work done in the classroom. It’s also much easier to retain words that you really need to use, Kelm adds. And, as basic as it sounds, a good night’s sleep helps your brain consolidate what you’ve learned.
To be successful, people shouldn’t shy away from testing their language skills with others. “You have to be willing to open your mouth and say whatever comes out, and hope you’re going to get the bread you need or the cheese you want to eat,” says Kelm. “If you’re waiting to say it perfectly, you’re going to have a lot harder time.” He suggests memorizing phrases rather than individual words, because literal translation can get in the way.
But even with shortcuts, learning a language takes time. To reach the level where you can converse about routine tasks for a relatively easy language like Spanish can take about 500 hours, while learning Chinese would require closer to 1,000 hours. With such lengthy time frames, some suggest that learning the foreign business culture—proper formalities and customs—may be more practical than studying the language. “If you understand the cultural things that go on in international business, those cultural issues will apply whether you’re in Paris or Shanghai or in Berlin,” Kelm says. “And in a lot of ways, the cultural aspects are more important than foreign language skills because they’re more transferable.”   From http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/39210--quick-ways-to-gain-a-foreign-tongue#.TkR3i7VufOc.twitter   

Why you should go for a brisk walk before revising

The exam season may be over, but here's a simple piece of advice for next semester. Go for a brisk walk before studying and your memory of the material is likely to benefit.

Carlos Salas and his colleagues had dozens of students study 30 nouns, each displayed for 6 seconds. Some of the students went for a ten-minute walk before being presented with the words. They were told to adopt "the walking speed one would use when late to an appointment, but without the anxiety caused by such a scenario". Other students spent the same time sitting quietly looking at pictures of natural landscapes. After the study phase, some of the students went for another ten-minute walk before attempting to recall as many of the words as they could; other students sat quietly for ten minutes before their recall attempt. This meant there were four experimental groups (walk-walk, walk-sit, sit-sit, and sit-walk, depending on how the participants behaved before the study and recall phases).

The key finding is that those students who went for a walk before the study period recalled 25 per cent more words correctly compared with students who sat still before the study period. By contrast, walking versus sitting before the attempt at recall made no difference to the students' performance.

Past research has shown context-dependent effects on memory. For example, if you chew gum while learning, your recall performance will benefit if you also chew gum when attempting to retrieve memories. No evidence for this was found in this study in the sense that the students' performance was no better when their pre-recall activity (walk vs. sit) matched their pre-learning activity, perhaps because the recall test followed too soon after the learning phase, so that the effects of the earlier walk or sitting period were still ongoing.

Another detail of this study is that the researchers asked the students to report their levels of arousal and tension after the periods of sitting or walking. Arousal was higher after walking than sitting, but tension was no different. So increased arousal is a possible physiological mechanism underlying the benefits of a pre-study walk (see earlier Digest item: "Memory performance boosted while walking").

Salas and his team also looked at meta-memory: this is people's insight into their own memory processes. During the study phase, after each word appeared, the participants were asked to indicate their likelihood of recalling it correctly. Students who sat for ten minutes before studying tended to significantly overestimate their later performance. By contrast, the walkers were much more accurate. However, there was no absolute difference in the predictions made by the two groups. In other words, it seems the walkers only had superior meta-memory because walking boosted their performance to match their confidence.

"Overall, these results suggest that individuals can gain a memory advantage from a ten-minute walk before studying," the researchers said. "Given [these] positive results ... and [their] potentially important practical applications, we hope that researchers will continue to explore the relationship between walking, memory, and meta-memory."
_________________________________

Salas, C., Minakata, K., and Kelemen, W. (2011). Walking before study enhances free recall but not judgement-of-learning magnitude. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 23 (4), 507-513 DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2011.532207


http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com

5 Ways to Listen Better

Another of the great TED Talks: http://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better.html

Communication Skills

                                

                                  SHOWING INTEREST  

When we listen to other people, we often want to show them how interested we are in their conversation. We can do this by

1. smiling with our eyes 
2. nodding
3. saying something to encourage the person to continue their story

                                          

One student talks. The other students respond in the 3 ways. Do this while the students are speaking ( don't wait for the other person to stop talking.)

      Ideas :

      1. My weekend

      2. My favourite person

      3.  My worst day ever

      4.  My favourite restaurant

      5.  Who does the housework in your home ?

      6.  My first boyfriend / girlfriend

      7.  My worst day at school

      8.  Something really good that happened to you

      9.  Something really embarrassing that happened to you

      10. My favourite piece of clothing