mfl games – Page 4 – Language Seed

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Can language learning methods be fun AND effective?

Can language learning methods be fun AND effective?

Andrew 2016-12-13T15:21:18+00:00 July 29th, 2013|Tags: Language acquisition|

Short answer: Yes Let's face it, language learning can be hard. To be competent you need to learn strange words; comprehend grammar, as well as learn the skills to speak, listen and read. It can be overwhelming - and for many people it is. The terminology of language, I think, is most off-putting: definitive articles, first person plural, pluperfect, the gerund, imperfect subjunctive! If I am honest I still have to stop and think whenever confronted with such terms. If that's not enough to scare away a budding new learner, I don't know what is. [...]

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The Best Way to Learn a Language – a lesson from Benjamin Franklin!

The Best Way to Learn a Language – a lesson from Benjamin Franklin!

Andrew 2017-03-14T16:16:59+00:00 May 30th, 2013|

Benjamin Franklin said Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin 1767 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) How true! Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, gives a telling insight into how we learn. So many of life's skills are best learned by being involved. Think about learning an instrument, driving a car, playing chess, learning to cook......these can only be learned by getting involved. Imagine learning to play the guitar without actually picking one up, or how to drive from [...]

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Smart Learning: The 5 Pillars of Language Learning

Smart Learning: The 5 Pillars of Language Learning

Andrew 2017-03-14T18:01:22+00:00 May 11th, 2013|Tags: Language acquisition|

There are important principles to learning a language. These principles are proven and will jet propel the rate at which you pick up a language. Conversely, if you don't use them, language learning becomes a hard slog to Moscow in Winter.

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Make the last 10 minutes of a language lesson go with a bang

Make the last 10 minutes of a language lesson go with a bang

Andrew 2017-04-11T17:17:02+00:00 May 7th, 2013|Tags: MFL Teachers, teach French, Teach Spanish|

Teachers keep them wanting more with KLOO! Turn language into a game and keep students wanting more Language is not the easiest of subjects. Some young people find it very difficult. I know I did when I was studying for my O'Levels. But recently I was recalling how my old Latin teacher, Mr MacDonald, used to always allow a bit of fun at the end of class after maybe 45 minutes of hard grammar and translation work. He would create quizzes and allow us to write our own sentences on the blackboard for other students to [...]

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The F Word in Language Learning – FUN

Andrew 2013-04-12T10:46:54+00:00 April 12th, 2013|Tags: Language acquisition|

The FUN way to learn a language Learning a language abroad becomes is a necessity The most powerful way to learn a language is through necessity. Drop yourself into a foreign country and you'll soon find out how to exchange simple pleasantries, order food, give directions and learn the basics of daily living. Because you have to. The mind becomes extremely efficient and determined when it becomes a matter of eating - or not! The fun way is also the best way However, when language learning is not a necessity, like for most of us, it becomes a [...]

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Brighten Up Spanish Lessons with Language Fun

Andrew 2013-03-02T18:24:54+00:00 March 2nd, 2013|

How to spice up language lessons with MFL Games Sprinkle a little fun into lessons for language learning to grow Even now, after being immersed in language for some time, I look at how language is communicated and wonder at how difficult it all seems. Nouns, adjectives, verbs, agreement, tenses, person, form, gender, negatives, subjunctive, conditional....Oh my! When we started learning languages as an infant it was fun, even a favourite lesson. We sang songs, played games and were never troubled by a gerund. But then, at about the age of eight, Spanish lessons [...]

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Foreign Language Games in the world’s biggest Toy Fair

Andrew 2013-01-31T20:53:19+00:00 January 31st, 2013|

I firstly ask them to make a sentence, as long as possible, with their seven cards - and explain that it's really easy, even if you're an absolute beginner....and then 10 seconds later, they do it. Their reaction? Genuine surprise and delight.

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Brighten up French Lessons with some language fun

Andrew 2013-01-20T11:56:47+00:00 January 20th, 2013|

It's an old fashioned board and card game - and this generation of smart phone carrying students adore it. Watch what happens as they start playing. The keenness of even unenthusiastic language learners to make sentences, learn words and win the Race to Paris often has teachers taken aback.

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My Top 3 Language Learning Resources

Andrew 2013-01-14T20:39:08+00:00 January 14th, 2013|

I have written before in this blog of the perils of learning from poor materials. Bad language resources will slow you down, demotivate you and even lead many aspiring learners to give up - in the false belief that they don't have the innate talent to learn a language. They do. We all do.

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