Learning a new Language
Learning a new language is a personal endeavor. It has several components and ingredients, one of which is: motivation, a time commitment, a learning format, an act of the will and a lot of practice. Anyone at any age has this amazing opportunity, that's one of the great thing about it.
I'm sure we've all heard throughout our "childhood years " and by the way, they were our best years ever, that: "you can't teach an old parrot to talk ." Well, actually, that's wrong ! Totally wrong ! Believe me! Personally, I had the highest pleasure to learn new languages after my teenage years. In my case, I always used multiple ways of picking up new words in another language. Consider the vast and fresh choices that we always have around us, for one: let's use our inquisitive skills by reading everything available within our sight. "
" While Traveling " It can happen on the road traveling through a different country and reading the traffic signs on the highways, on the streets. Reading car bumper stickers in a different language & this way we can learn new words, thus increasing our vocabulary.
As a 10 year old child growing up, I still remember, when I started to learn English, how I used to read the wrappers in English inside the "Joe Bazooka"bublle gums. Wow! I learned many new expressions and words that way. It was fun, nothing like classroom learning, you see; it was a creative activity. Sometime, I'd even read those wrappers in bed! That's just one example of one way I used to learn English. "Cartoons" was and still is, definitely a great exposure to any target language one wants to learn. Get in front of a TV and spend sometime listening to a language and find out fast that something begins to happen; slowly you start to hear certain words more often, and then, you begin to pick some meaning, as usual, meaning should take place " in context " because it's such an easier way to remember what words mean, and there in lies great part of the culture.
Then, of course, you need to reinforce the language learning through extensive reading of magazines, newspapers, watching movies, the news and talking to other speakers of the language, above all, native speakers.
"Culture " As related to language, plays a big role in its meaning. Every region tends to have "special and specific ways "to ascribe to words. "Meaning " is subject to many aspects of a culture. It can be: the prevailing history of a particular region, its beliefs and traditions, etc.
Pay close attention to cultural patterns, while learning the language, so that you could learn both at the same time: Language & Culture while Traveling.
Written & Published by: Mario Alexandre, Orlando, FL email: malex500@hotmail.com
I'm sure we've all heard throughout our "childhood years " and by the way, they were our best years ever, that: "you can't teach an old parrot to talk ." Well, actually, that's wrong ! Totally wrong ! Believe me! Personally, I had the highest pleasure to learn new languages after my teenage years. In my case, I always used multiple ways of picking up new words in another language. Consider the vast and fresh choices that we always have around us, for one: let's use our inquisitive skills by reading everything available within our sight. "
" While Traveling " It can happen on the road traveling through a different country and reading the traffic signs on the highways, on the streets. Reading car bumper stickers in a different language & this way we can learn new words, thus increasing our vocabulary.
As a 10 year old child growing up, I still remember, when I started to learn English, how I used to read the wrappers in English inside the "Joe Bazooka"bublle gums. Wow! I learned many new expressions and words that way. It was fun, nothing like classroom learning, you see; it was a creative activity. Sometime, I'd even read those wrappers in bed! That's just one example of one way I used to learn English. "Cartoons" was and still is, definitely a great exposure to any target language one wants to learn. Get in front of a TV and spend sometime listening to a language and find out fast that something begins to happen; slowly you start to hear certain words more often, and then, you begin to pick some meaning, as usual, meaning should take place " in context " because it's such an easier way to remember what words mean, and there in lies great part of the culture.
Then, of course, you need to reinforce the language learning through extensive reading of magazines, newspapers, watching movies, the news and talking to other speakers of the language, above all, native speakers.
"Culture " As related to language, plays a big role in its meaning. Every region tends to have "special and specific ways "to ascribe to words. "Meaning " is subject to many aspects of a culture. It can be: the prevailing history of a particular region, its beliefs and traditions, etc.
Pay close attention to cultural patterns, while learning the language, so that you could learn both at the same time: Language & Culture while Traveling.
Written & Published by: Mario Alexandre, Orlando, FL email: malex500@hotmail.com
Comments