Archive for category Languages
Tips to Learn Language Skills to Perfection
In order to learn language skills that are foreign to you, it is going to take a lot of perseverance and hard work. People have a hard time learning new languages as they get older. However, there are many different options to help someone who is determined to learn another patois.
Books, tapes and DVDs are plentiful with language learning courses, and these can be great learning aids. For someone who is internet savvy, there are many online classes that can be taken on how to learn French or any other dialect.
The convenience of being able to learn in this way can be very helpful for the right person. For true fluency in any language though, you will have to interact with native speakers.
Though this scenario sounds quite depressing, you should not lose hope. To learn language skills to perfection you need to do one more thing besides learning new words and grammar; that magic ingredient is “practice.”
Have you wondered why children catch on to foreign languages in absolutely no time at all? It is because they plunge into the language and speak whatever they know, whenever they can, without being self-conscious of mistakes or wrong accent inflections.
Practice is actually a very powerful tool in your arsenal if you want to learn a foreign language thoroughly. As well, since it is natural to think in their mother tongue, for example English, many people have to mentally translate what they want to say into the language they are learning, only to blotch the dialogue completely. However, at some point in the French learning experience, most will start to think in French and will not be burdened with the necessity to consciously translate from English to French before speaking.
In order to find out if you are truly fluent in a language you are going to need to get out there and start talking to some native speakers. It is said that the true test of fluency in a language is when you are finally able to think in that language. Read the rest of this entry »
ESL Programs: Learning English As a Second Language Made Easier!
Should you say “award” or “reward”? Should you write “advise” or “advice”? If you study English, you know one thing for sure – English can sometimes be confusing! Thanks to good ESL programs around, you get all the help you need to start learning and perfecting your skills.
ESL or English as Second Language online programs are designed to teach students to write and speak the language, guiding them through each lesson. They give you the opportunity to practice your communication skills in many varied ways and in your own space and time.
There is a number of innovative English language software around; Most of these may actually offer the same thing but if you are looking for the best there is, then here are the features you should be looking for:
Video Listening Section
This is step one, where a student is presented a “pre-listening” question that will serve as a guide while watching a dramatized video clip. The clip comes with a transcript and a set of main-idea questions and comprehension questions.
Vocabulary Section
This is where specific words related to the video clip will be discussed in greater detail. Definitions, synonyms and antonyms are included here, which should help students understand the trickier words with greater ease.
Speaking Section
This is where the student can role-play one or both characters in the video by simply reading the transcript or speaking freely from memory. The dramatization in the video clip plays a major role here, as it will serve as the impetus for the use of English in role-playing.
Grammar Section
This section involves taking out a section of the video appropriate to the student’s level of knowledge, while a “Grammar Coach” program focuses on the proper use and placing of words in the extracted video segment. The student will then work with two grammar exercises to apply what was taught.
Task Listening Section
This is where a student simply listens to a set of instructions, advertisements or interviews. The student will then answer a set of questions related to the recording they listened to.
Reading Section
This is like the video listening section, except that the student reads related news articles on the video. This is followed by a comprehension activity to test how well the student understands what he or she just read.
Most other English software – or even English teachers for that matter – focuses on the word-for-word understanding of English. One example of this is the rote memorization of commonly used English words and phrases, which is then followed by the application of said words and phrases. Read the rest of this entry »