learning a second language

Studies have shown that the way you are learning a second language determines whether or not you will actually follow through it. Obviously, if you get bored before you’ve put in the required time and effort, you’re not going to learn much of the language at all. So let’s address the facts that help determine whether you’re going to stick with your goal of learning a second language or not.

First things first, you are going to need positive feedback. That means you need a way to measure your goal of learning a second language. Whether this includes tracking your progress or actually trying to speak the language with someone fluent in it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you have a way to gauge that you’re really learning. Otherwise you may get frustrated and give up long before you get anywhere at all.

Secondly, you need to follow a step-by-step course that progresses from easy to hard. It should also do this slowly. Again, the reason you want to learn a second language in this manner is so you do not get too frustrated.

The problem with early frustration is that it steers people toward giving up. If you don’t see any progress in the early stages, you may not feel like you can accomplish your goal at all. Obviously, if you don’t think your goal is achievable after all, chances are good you’ll give up.

So minimizing the amount of frustration (especially early on) is a big part of learning a foreign language. On another note, you want to make learning a foreign language as interesting as possible.

As I’m sure you’ve experienced, learning from a textbook can be monotonous. Not only is reading from a textbook boring, but your chances of sticking with it are slim to none. Besides, merely learning vocabulary and grammar is not going to prepare you for a real-life conversation in a foreign language.

Interaction is the best way to learn anything. You can’t just passively read, listen or watch as someone explains everything to you. You need to get involved.

By turning learning a new language into a game, you’ll stick with it and actually remember more of what you learn.

You need to actually listen (not just read from a book) and then speak lots of foreign words and phrases. Turn the words into something familiar by associating them with their actual meaning.

You need to practice the new language with fluent speakers, all the while listening to it as it’s properly spoken. Many foreign languages are spoken very quickly, therefore you need to make sure you can keep up with the pace and actually hear it spoken correctly.

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Learning a second language is never easy for the simple reason that it is exactly that — a second language.

Ninety-nine percent of the time and, of course, barring the existence of congenital speech defects, the difficulty of learning a new language is brought on by the learner’s adherence to the conventions and practices of his first language, his native tongue. Conflicts in pronunciation, vocabulary, usage, intonation, manner of expression, even understanding of concepts, therefore arise.

A perfect way to test this fact is to have a simple statement in English read by a Frenchman, an Italian, a Russian, a Japanese, a Portuguese and a German. See how many versions of the same statement in English you get!

The best thing to do in learning a second language, therefore, is to start fresh. Try, even temporarily, to suppress whatever conventions you are used to with your native tongue, and learn from scratch. While this is easier said than done, it is crucial to the process of learning a second language.

You may also apply the following proven techniques:

1. Understand the language’s basic sentence structure. Regardless of what language it is, its basic unit of thought will always be the noun-verb combination we know in English as the sentence. Learn some nouns and verbs to convey your thoughts and you’re on your way, but do not concentrate on learning the rules alone. Remember, to know a language means to be able to speak it.

2. Read, read, read! Reading will help you get acquainted with common terms and expressions used in a specific language. Read simple materials like newspapers and magazine articles that you easily understand which can help you slowly build your vocabulary. Your goal is to be conversant in this language one day so learn new words as you go along. Bear in mind though that, to be effective, your vocabulary must be made up of words you can understand and use and not just words that you recognize and understand but cannot use.

3. Write, write, write! As you acquire more confidence, start writing down your thoughts on paper. Write about things you have read or any experience you may have encountered. The best way to practice your writing skills is to maintain a personal journal of things going on within and around you. This will also hone your skills in narrating and describing events.

4. Learn the art of listening. The best way to acquire skills in correct pronunciation and intonation of a language is to listen to how a native speaker speaks it. It is necessary for anyone who wants to be an expert in any language to develop his listening comprehension.

5. Learn to use the dictionary. Whether you are writing, reading or merely listening, it will serve you well to study the dictionary. This will not only help you widen your vocabulary, it will increase your confidence in choosing the correct words for particular situations.

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More and more software programs, electronic devices, and websites devoted to learning a second language are being developed daily. Why all the excitement? Why would YOU want learning a second language?

1. Job Advancement: Get the Competitive Edge – Many large corporations and government agencies have positions requiring a foreign language. In a country like Canada, which is officially bilingual, someone who knows both French and English will have better employment prospects.

2. Travel: Travel to a foreign country can be exciting – and also very exasperating if you can’t understand the local speech. Many North Americans are somewhat egocentric in this regard, expecting to find English spoken no matter where they are. Although this is sometimes true in larger cities, don’t expect to find English-speakers in small communities.

3. Relatives: The world is a melting pot of cultures and languages. You probably have living relatives in other countries with whom you could communicate more effectively if you took the effort to learn at least a few words.

4. Genealogy Research: Some of your ancestors probably spoke a different language. If you plan to search old genealogical records, you will be more successful with at least a basic understanding of your ancestors’ language(s).

5. Understanding Your Own Language: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, ‘Those who don’t know foreign languages know nothing of their own.’ Learning a second language will give you a much better understanding of English. Your knowledge of English grammar, vocabulary, verb tenses, and sentence construction will improve when you tackle another language.

6. Self-Actualization and Challenge: If you’ve already been everywhere and done everything – perhaps it’s time to tackle something new. What could be more challenging and rewarding than immersing yourself in another language?

7. Opera, Poetry, and Prose Appreciation: Artistic works written in a different language often cannot be fully appreciated when translated into English. This is especially obvious when listening to poetry. If poetry is translated into English with a preserved rhyming scheme, the meaning of the poetry is almost always altered. Being able to listen to the original language – with its subtle tones and nuances – will lend to a greater appreciation of the artist.

8. Culture Appreciation: One can only truly comprehend a foreign culture if the language is also understood. Exactly what is ‘Bratwurst’ or ‘Calvados’? And what about foreign films? Wouldn’t you like to be able to watch something with subtitles – and skip reading them?

9. Invigorate the Brain: Adults benefit from the brain stimulation produced by language training. Seniors who tackle a foreign language show improved brain function over a period of time. Students who learn foreign languages as children score better on academic tests. There is also evidence to suggest that they may be more creative and resourceful when faced with solving complex tasks.

10. Learning Teaches You How to Learn: The self discipline and study habits acquired through successfully learning a second language can be applied to many other aspects of your life.

11. Studying Abroad: What better way to learn about a country’s culture than to study there? This requires an excellent command of the local language.

12. Communicate With Someone Secretly in Public: Imagine chatting in public with a friend about something private, knowing that only your friend understands!

13. Make Online Pen Pals and Friends: The internet is transforming our world into an intimate global village where you can chat via e-mail, forums, live chat sessions, and audio/video feeds.

14. Impress a Date: In closing – male or female – you will make points with your bilingual date by learning a few important words. If your date doesn’t speak a foreign language, he or she will be impressed by the enchanting allure of intimate expressions in one of the ‘romance’ languages.

So, what are you waiting for? Start learning a second language NOW!

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During the modern age, with globalization at its height, learning a second language has become more than a simple feat of high class and intelligence but also a strict requirement in many areas. Whether it’s for professional, social or personal reasons, learning at least one foreign language is a must for anyone that wants to keep his or her head up high in today’s society.

Let’s take a focused look on 5 of the main reasons that should turn you towards learning a second language.

1. Professional Requirement: This is probably the main reason for which one would learn a foreign language. Many professions require the knowledge of at least one or two foreign languages, depending on the field of the job. Most jobs may ask that you know an international language such as English, French, Spanish or German or a business-specific language such as Chinese, Japanese, Russian and so forth. If you’re a native English speaker you may have it a bit easier, since English is the main international language (and one that is present the most often in job descriptions) but knowing a secondary might also prove vital.

2. Social Bonus: Yes, knowing a foreign language (or more) is definitely a social bonus. There’s definitely a steep hill to climb between being presented as someone that doesn’t know any foreign language whatsoever against being presented as a polyglot. Another case when knowing a foreign language can be literally a social blessing is when meeting a foreigner whose language you can speak. They’ll be extremely impressed by your ability to talk with them through their own native tongue, although you’re on home grounds and this fact can single handedly create a great impression around you. If the foreigner happens to be part of a business meeting, this impression can turn to a successful business partnership, bringing you both professional and social satisfactions.

3. Family Communication: It’s often the case where a couple formed out of persons of diverse nationalities understand each other through a commonly known international language such as English. However, they’ll soon want to start learning the other person’s mother tongue, not only for a better communication, but also out of respect for them.

4. Personal Satisfaction: Learning a second language is one of the highest intellectual goals that one could have, on a personal scale. Think about a difficult puzzle, or math problem that takes months if not years of constant studying in order to be solved. The process of solving it may be a hard, arduous one but the yell of joy at the end is well worth it. It’s the same case with learning a foreign language: the learning process is not easy and you’ll have many small issues and problems to tackle along the way. You’ll have to focus on various aspects of the problem, such as spelling, grammar, reading, pronunciation and so forth. If you keep the problem in sight however and if you don’t lose interest in it, the chances of solving it are extremely high and the intellectual fulfillment that you get at the end is incomparable to anything else.

5. Keeping Your Mind Healthy: It’s been scientifically proven that by learning a new language, the process stimulates your brain in such a way that it will make you more keen on understanding and learning other subjects, including “real” disciplines such as math, physics, chemistry and so forth. Learning a second language requires the memorizing and understanding of several thousand new words and concepts, which offers your brain a good training for future occasions where memorizing is a must. After studying a foreign language you’ll have better results with studying for exams, with information assimilation and generally, with keeping your mind healthy and “active” even at older ages.

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