Obstacles to Learning English as a Foreign Language

This teacher discusses a number of points which represent obstacles to his English as a foreign language students learning English in Madrid, Spain. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with his points as applied to your English language teaching conditions? What is the same or different in your case?




Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Many ways and many reasons to learn a new language

Many ways and many reasons to learn a new language

By FRANCINE PARNES

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28996894/

There are many reasons to pick up a new language, from personal enrichment to career advancement.

"People recognize that the world is shrinking, and to function as educated, globally competent citizens, we need to learn languages other than English," says Rosemary G. Feal, executive director of the Modern Language Association, in New York.
Foreign language study at U.S. colleges and universities increased 13 percent from 2002 to 2006, with Spanish the most popular, followed by French, then German, according to Feal's association, which reported a significant uptick in Arabic, Chinese and Korean, too.

There are also many ways to go about learning a language, however. You might turn to tapes, books or videos; hire a tutor; take a class; register for an online course; or immerse yourself in an overseas program. Some say a mix of methods may be best. Many language teachers cite Harvard education professor Howard Gardner(pictured above), known for his theory that people have several kinds of intelligence.

"The most successful language teachers use interwoven, overlapping activities that appeal to multiple learning styles," in keeping with Gardner's ideas, says Joel Goldfield, who teaches French at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn. "So I favor language teaching that provides well-organized yet somewhat spontaneous activities and materials that appeal through sight, sound, analytic thinking and body language."

Here are some methods that draw cries of "magnifique" or "Wunderbar" from the experts:

IMMERSION

While immersion comes in many forms, you can't beat personal interaction.
"The best method is to learn face-to-face from native speakers," says Michael Fee, managing director of Lango, which is headquartered in San Francisco and offers Spanish, French and Mandarin classes for kids age 18 months to 9 years old.
"Learning a language is about learning to communicate, and communication isn't just learning new words," he says. "It's responding in context, watching facial muscles to learn how words are pronounced, learning gestures and inflection as well as vocabulary and grammar. CD's, DVD's and other non-human interaction can be a great support, but the foundation has to be real, human interaction."
If you can swing it, head abroad: You'll take in the language 24/7. One of the best approaches "combines an accelerated or immersion structure within the target country," says Goldfield, of Fairfield University. Barring that, an immersion program at school can be a next-best approach, he says.

"The student stays in a simulated foreign environment, typically with a pledge to speak exclusively — or nearly — in the target language."

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

Since few people can free up the time or means to uproot to a foreign country for extended study, says Tom Adams, "the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself through continuous practice." Adams advocates "software that utilizes imagery, repetition, sound, and interaction." As president and CEO of Rosetta Stone in Arlington, Va., he offers a program of language software that is interactive and set up similarly to a video game.

In a matching section, for example, the student has to match the spoken word with the correct image on the screen. In a speaking section, the program says a word, and the student must repeat the word correctly in order to continue. In another section, which simulates a real-world situation, the student is required to ask questions via typing and speaking.

CD's

Audio CD's or downloads are "the single best way to learn a language," says Mark Frobose of Avondale, Ariz., author and founder of Macmillan Audio's foreign language audio line. The series, called "Behind the Wheel," is portable and versatile, says Frobose, who speaks five languages.

"You can learn to speak a language while driving, while shopping or at the gym — anywhere," he says.

His program, which is most popular in Spanish, followed by Italian and French, focuses on "speed immersion," which purports to teach students how to create their own simple sentences in the first half-hour of instruction. An American instructor guides students through the studies in English, while a native speaker gives the authentic pronunciation and accent.

On the Net:

http://www.macmillanaudio.com
http://www.mylanguageguy.com
http://www.rosettastone.com
http://www.berlitz.com
http://www.langokids.com
http://www.jabberu.com

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

http://e-library.net/ Huge directory of ebooks, all sold on the Internet. Includes eBook ratings.
Electronical Books in PDF.

Clever Ways to Entertain Your Brain

(www.HealthNewsDigest.com) - Research shows that teachers typically spend between four to six weeks re-educating students on material they have forgotten over the summer. So how can parents prevent the dreaded summer brain drain when pool parties, play dates, and boogie boarding are all kids are thinking about?

Duane Sider, Director of Learning at Rosetta Stone, the premier language learning company, offers fun, cost-effective tips and tricks on how to keep kids minds active during the lazy days of summer break:

1. Get Lost at the Library – Research has show that reading four or five books over the summer had an impact on fall reading achievement comparable to attending summer school. Stop by reading hour, sign up for a children’s summer book club, or just grab a few books off the shelf to read at home. Added bonus? An air conditioned place to keep kids entertained.

2. Turn Your Home into an International Destination – Immerse your family in a new culture by researching your family’s heritage or a favorite foreign city. Engage kids fully in the adventure by visiting a nearby neighborhood steeped in that culture and helping them learn the local dialect by practicing it at home. Parents and children can learn a language together easily using computer-based language-learning programs such as Rosetta Stone, a completely interactive, immersion-based program for learning new languages on CD or online (best for ages 6 and up).

3. Create Your Own Cooking “Class” – How many pints in a quart? Cinnamon is which country’s major export? From measuring spoons to ingredients, preparing meals is the perfect to time to ask math, geography, and even science questions. Getting them involved in measuring the ingredients and cooking will help them better understand the math and science that goes into their favorite cookies.

4. Transform Your Backyard into a Science Lab – Bugs, animals and trees… Oh My! Your backyard is filled with a plethora of scientific wonders that will keep kids busy for hours. Challenge your children to identify and photograph as many species as they can.

5. Plan an Educational Summer Vacation – In addition to building sandcastles and boogie boarding for days on end, plan a family vacation to an educational or historic site. Explore the Grand Canyon, climb to the top of the Washington Monument, experience the Wright Brothers’ first flight in Kitty Hawk, NC or even venture to another country to experience a different culture and language.

6. Discover the Possibilities in Your Community - Local zoos, museums, and parks provide an economical destination for learning. Plan a group trip with friends and classmates to learn about foreign cultures, history, and animals big and small.

7. Get Up and Exercise Your Body and Mind – Getting the blood flowing always helps cognitive thinking. Therefore encourage games outdoors that require counting, group collaboration, and problem solving. Make sure to have plenty of water and sunscreen on hand.

8. Engage Their Investigative Aptitude: Arm your kids with a notebook, pencil, camera and their inquisitive mind. Have them interview neighbors and do research on your home town. This allows kids to sharpen their thought and question process.

9. Break out the Board Games: Whether it’s Chutes & Ladders, Monopoly, Scrabble or even Blackjack, it turns out these family favorites can also be great tools to reinforce a variety of classroom concepts. Combining education and fun will help create a positive learning experience for everyone and remove some of the stress of day to day living.

10. Logging Your Adventures – Through all these adventures and findings have your child keep a diary or notebook of their summer, or if you’re tech savvy, start a family blog so relatives can read about your child’s experiences. Give them an assignment every week. Write a letter to a relative, a poem, a creative short story or what their favorite exploration was that week.

About the Author

Duane Sider, director of learning for Rosetta Stone, is passionate about changing the way the world views language-learning. In his role, Duane has introduced Rosetta Stone solutions and the joy of the language-learning journey to a variety of audiences through numerous speaking engagements nationwide. Additionally, Duane has authored a number of articles and theory papers on immersion methodology in second-language acquisition. Throughout his career, Duane has traveled, performed and taught extensively throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, promoting international communication and advocating new education technologies. Duane holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Messiah College and a Master of Arts degree in English literature from the University of Virginia. He has written two plays, a collection of poetry and manages a theater company in Virginia.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Pimsleur Language Courses Offers Fast Way To Learn a New Language

Today people travel more than ever to different countries, and many do not have the time to spend taking traditional language classes before they embark on their journey abroad. One new company, Smartsource Products, is offering the solution to this problem - Pimsleur Language courses. These courses offered by Pimsleur Language give you the ability to learn French fast, to learn Spanish fast, or any other language of choice.

Cohoes, New York (PRWEB)

Today people travel more than ever to different countries, and many do not have the time to spend taking traditional language classes before they embark on their journey abroad. One new company, Smartsource Products, is offering the solution to this problem - Pimsleur Language courses. These courses offered by Pimsleur Language give you the ability to learn French fast, to learn Spanish fast, or any other language of choice.

Dr. Paul Pimsleur is the man behind this method of learning a language. The method was created by Pimsleur using a special scientific approach to learning a new language. After spending his entire life both teaching languages and conducting language testing in various levels, he researched the psychology behind learning a new language and came up with an excellent method of learning, now known as Pimsleur's Method of Language Learning.

The lessons in the Pimsleur Language Courses each take about 30 minutes to complete. The reasoning behind this is that research conducted by Dr. Paul Pimsleur found that this time frame was the absolute best for the mind to retain the target language. He found that after the initial 30 minute period the minds ability to retain new acquired language declines. For this, only one lesson is to be completed each day, although repeating that particular language lesson in the same day is recommended if less than 80% accuracy is noted.

The key principles that are behind the Pimsleur learning method include Graduated Interval Recall and the Principle of Anticipation. The Graduated Interval Recall is simply a big name for the fact that students only remember information in certain intervals, which is the reason behind the 30 minute lessons. Then the Principle of Anticipation is based on students anticipating what the right answer will be. This principle is used throughout all the Pimsleur Language courses.

Two other important methods the courses use include the Organic Learning Method as well as Core Vocabulary Acquisition. Of course the main reason that these courses have provided so much success to busy travelers today is because they are designed based on how the mind actually works. Pimsleur courses work to teach a new language in the very same way people learned to speak their first language - by hearing, then speaking and understanding. A new born child doesn't pick up a book to read then speak after.

Those who have begun to use the Pimsleur language courses have reported success. In a testimonial from one customer, Peter Leone had this to say:

"I recently completed Advanced Italian, I am still amazed how I was able to build upon the prior lessons. I recently visited an Italian restaurant and the host started speaking to me in Italian. He said my Italian was flawless including the accent. There is nothing better to do in this economy then to learn a new language and Pimsleur made it simple. I just ordered level IV and I hope there is a level V. With a mom who spoke only Italian to her mom and only English to me I wish I had done this when they were both alive." -- Peter Leone from New Jersey.

Visit www.pimsleur-language.com to learn more.

About Smartsource Products:

Smartsource Products (http://www.pimsleur-language.com) was started to provide people with the ability to learn a new language for fun, for business, or for personal reasons. Because people are traveling far more often than they used to, there is no time to learn a language in the classroom or with a tutor. Smartsource Products offers programs that are based on the way the human mind works and the way we all learned our first language, which is by hearing.

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Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

A Matter of Choice in the Matter of Language

There’s more to learning a language than meets the eye, which is why you need to be careful about the one you choose to attempt to master. If circumstances – like moving to a new country or wanting to impress a member of the opposite sex - dictate your necessity to learn, then there’s no question of choice, but if left to your will, how would you go about choosing the language that’s perfect for you?

If you want the learning process to be as easy as possible, choose a language that:


• Is similar to your mother tongue: It’s a surprising fact, but one that’s true all the same – most languages have the same grammatical structure. Some put the subject ahead of the verb while others do it vice versa. If you choose a language that follows a sentence structure, phonetics and grammar rules similar to your mother tongue, it’s easier to construct sentences in your new tongue when you know the words. Some languages don’t have certain phonemes, so if such languages are your mother tongue, you’re going to have a tough time mastering the missing phonemes in the new language.

• Has adequate learning resources: In the absence of a regular class or a good teacher when learning a new language, you need access to books, lessons, CDs, websites and pamphlets that help you in your effort. You also need to be able to take tests to see how much you’ve learned, so check for online and other resources before you set out on your endeavor.

• Is spoken by people who you interact with regularly: You need to keep practicing the spoken form of the language if you want to attain fluency and retain it, so choose a tongue that people around you speak regularly. It helps the learning process when you’re able to put to practice what you’ve learned.

• Is simple and straightforward: It may be a thrill and a challenge to try and learn languages like Russian, Arabic and Chinese that are extremely difficult, but if it’s your first attempt at learning a new language, it’s better to stick to something simple like Spanish or French.

Whatever your choice, you need to learn the basics in a month or so and become adequately fluent in six months depending on how much time you’re devoting to the cause. It’s a fun process, so enjoy every inch of this educative experience.


This post was contributed by Katie Wilson, who writes about the online universities. She welcomes your feedback at KatieWilson06@gmail.com. After graduating from college she took time off to pursue a writing career. Katie writes for online education sites offering tips, advice, and general information regarding education, learning, and studying.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

What Motivated You to Start Your Blog?

Interview Question Response:

The whole concept started when a less experienced EFL teacher asked me about a problem he was having, I wrote out a detailed answer to his question so he’d have it to refer to later on. Then as more and more teachers began asking similar questions and I thought about posting answers to them online for free. Many questions came up more than once and I could just refer them to the relevant post for further information.

The site got “discovered” somehow online and I now regularly get questions, comments and insights from hundreds ESL and EFL teachers in more than 135 countries worldwide each month according to Google Analytics. I get around 3700 hits a month at that blog site.

I've also posted detailed articles to my site at ezinearticles at http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_M._Lynch. I currently have around 450 articles posted there when have received more than 325,500 page views. I put a few of my Barcelona, Spain post-grad school papers there and they’ve gotten between 12,000 and 18,000 page views EACH. That absolutely stunned me – I’m still curious as to why.

What's on your iPod ?

Sorry, but I don’t currently own an iPod. I DO incorporate the use of a laptop computer into my class room though. It’s to transmit videos, website views, music videos, readings and Power Point presentations to learners. It saves me a HUGE amount of writing on the board sometimes and I can print out articles, tables and other info for learners to photocopy instead of constantly writing notes. I can connect to YouTube (I have my own channel and videos there at: http://www.youtube.com/user/lynchlarrym), for example, and take advantage of thousands of available videos on any topic.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 135 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.