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/Tag:Language acquisition

The Secret Holiday Upgrade – Speak the Language

July 22nd, 2011|Tags: |

SECRET TO A FREE HOLIDAY UPGRADE – EVEN IF YOU’RE BOOKED - SPEAK THE LANGUAGE Learn the language for a better holiday Holiday season is nearly upon us – kids have just weeks to go before the Summer break and if you’re like me, you are now frantically scrabbling around for a last minute deal. If you are not like me (ie you are organised), your holiday has been booked for months – I must try this. HOLIDAY UPGRADE Whichever camp you fall into, there is a simple and remarkable effective way to [...]

The importance of games in language learning

May 17th, 2011|Tags: , , , , , , |

Language Games prove their value KLOO's Race to Madrid to learn Spanish A well designed game can simulate real life. Monopoly simulates the property market while flight simulators let pilots play at flying a plane before they are let loose on a real one. There are even war games. Countries don't want to gain experience of war by going to war - so they simulate it. Simulation is a fancy word for "make believe" (as my children call it). It's an elaborate game. Turning language into a game I have worked with games [...]

Unleash the hidden warrior – Best Games bring out the Best in You

April 1st, 2011|Tags: |

Good Games improve your performance. Best Games motivate you to do better Lurking inside us is a hidden warrior. He's the guy or gal who doesn't like to be beat. Kids let him out all the time. Have you ever seen kids playing? They will compete at anything: "How many times can you say the alphabet in one breath? First one to touch the car door wins! I bet I can throw this stone farther than you?" As we get older we like to think that we leave the competitive streak behind and we become [...]

5 Easy Ways to learn a Foreign Language at Home – Part 5

January 6th, 2011|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Better than magic – the best way to learn a second language Learning a language as if by magic? I remember as an eight year old, asking my mother if I could take a rug into the garden. With her permission, I laid it out in the middle of the lawn and closed my eyes. Concentrating hard, and with firm conviction, I uttered the special magic words to make my carpet fly. It did not move. The problem was clear: I was using the wrong words. I resolutely stuck to my task, using [...]

5 Easy Ways to learn a Foreign Language at Home – Part 4

December 21st, 2010|Tags: , , , , |

How to save time and money learning a foreign language Buying the right language product is like buying a diamond - you need to know what to look for. I recently walked into a jewellery shop to buy a ring for my wife. As the door swung shut behind me and I realised I was the only customer – trapped between rows of twinkling gems and several very gimlet eyed sales people. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. It is not so much the high cost of some very small things [...]

5 Easy Ways to learn a Foreign Language at Home – Part 3

November 29th, 2010|Tags: , , , |

The bird brain approach to learning a foreign language Stress of finding language resources? Researchers - with far too much time on their hands - recently assessed the pressure that men are under when they go shopping. They wired them up to sensors and were astonished to find that when shopping, many men are under the same stress as a fighter pilot going into battle. This would be hilarious, except I have a strong suspicion that I am one of these panic stricken men. At Christmas time, I can be seen darting around department [...]

5 Easy Ways to learn a Foreign Language at Home – Part 2

November 23rd, 2010|Tags: |

What can hammering in a nail with a screwdriver teach us about language? Use the right resources to learn a language Have you ever tried to bang a nail in with the handle of a screwdriver. I have. While building a playhouse for my daughter at the bottom of the garden, I realised I had left the hammer in the garage. "What the hell", I thought, "I'll bang it in with the handle of the screwdriver." There were two outcomes. Firstly, I hurt my hand and, secondly, the nail did not budge. In [...]

Monolingualism can seriously damage your career propsects

November 3rd, 2010|Tags: |

Or bilingualism can seriously improve your career prospects! Who needs a second language? The English are bad (and maybe a little lazy) when it comes to learning a second language. What is the point when so many people abroad have taken the trouble to learn our language?  And let’s face it, modern languages are not the easiest of subjects at school. Children see foreign language as tough and often choose to drop it as a subject at secondary school.  Since 2004 the number of children taking languages in the UK has dropped by [...]

Foreign Language Resource No. 5: Make it Generative, Mr Spock

October 28th, 2010|Tags: , , , |

Putting foreign words in sentences helps them stick! Use foreign words as building blocks to make sentences The final part to my learning a foreign language tips is to make it "generative!". It sounds technical but essentially it means that you should use words as building blocks to create sentences rather than learn them as discreet words that don't connect. Many language learning systems encourage you learn words by rote or in blocks. This leads to a horrible phenomenon called Systematic Forgetting. You may have experienced it. You can remember the words for [...]

Foreign Language Resource No. 3: Make Learning Fun

October 13th, 2010|Tags: , , , |

Fun Foreign Language Resources make the difference Have fun together and learn together A time for honesty. Learning a foreign language can be difficult and, well, tedious. You shouldn't say it - but for many people it is. Learning vocabulary by rote has to be one of the world's most mind numbing activities - right up there with ironing shirts. Technical grammar can make your brain hurt. By the time you get to conjugations you are screaming "is this absolutely necessary!". Luckily, the answer is no! This is not necessary! If you are experiencing all [...]

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