How to Read Your Way to Foreign Language Fluency in 30 Days or Less

The Four Basic English Language Skills

As any well-versed English or other foreign language teacher knows there are four basic skills to most foreign languages. These are reading, writing, listening and speaking. You might note that I just said “most foreign languages”. Why? Because, believe it or not, there are some languages which do not have a well-defined written form, or NO written form at all. There are in fact, a number of languages which have a purely “oral or spoken” tradition. In such cases, there is no literature to speak of. There may well be a strong tradition of story-telling however, frequently accomplished through skilled historians / story-tellers called “Griots”.

Literacy in English and Other Foreign Languages

Most foreign languages by far, do contain an alphabet or characters which allow the foreign language to be written. The written character forms may be unique and highly different from the Roman alphabet used in the English language, therefore initially incomprehensible to foreign language learners at first, but that will be acquired over time with intensive study and not a modicum of patience on the part of the foreign language learner. Consider Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Eastern European languages, for examples of other alphabet and spoken language character sets.

Reading is Fundamental

Since reading is a fundamental English or foreign language basic skill, you can, should and will certainly use it to tackle most foreign languages. Actually, if you want to ramp up your English or other foreign language vocabulary, pronunciation, reading comprehension and foreign language fluency in record time – we’ll say substantial improvement in one month, 30 days or even less - then you could literally read your way to increased foreign language skills easily in that amount of time. I’ll almost guarantee it if you’re truly persistent.

Use Reading to Improve Foreign Language Skills Fast

Since I live and teach English as a foreign language in Colombia, we’ll use Spanish as our initial example. Most other foreign languages can be improved using the same or similar techniques, as long as they have a well-defined written form and available literature online which you can access freely and easily. If you do need any help, you might try contracting a tutor for a couple of weeks or so to guide you through pronunciation, word formation, some basic grammar aspects and connected speech elements in your target foreign language. Use a portable tape or digital recorder to capture the sounds and pronunciation modeling from your tutor for later and on-going use. One seemingly small, but significant key point I’d like to insert here is this:

A Key Foreign Language Speech Pattern Modeling Point

If you’re a man, try to get a male tutor for your pronunciation and speech practice. If you’re a woman however, then try to get a female foreign language tutor of speech model. Men and women have some very distinctive and noticeable differences in the native language speech patterns, usage and connected speech elements. It has been my experience that ultimately it will make a difference in the way you sound and in the way you use the foreign language. No, I’m not a male chauvinist you-know-what by any means, I’m a university foreign languages professor – trust me on this, it matters. As an example of what I’m referring to, just turn on a newscast or two and listen to both a male and a female newscaster. Then compare what you hear and you should immediately see what I mean.

In part two of this article post we get into the precise details of what you’ll need to do in order to effectively read your way to foreign language fluency in 30 days or less. See you then.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public 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.

How the Bejing China Olympics Impact My EFL Learners

Olympic Medals in Colombia

By the way, did you watch any of the Past month’s Bejing, China Olympic events? I did and so did the vast majority of my English as a Foreign Language learners. They paid special attention, as did most Colombians, to the silver medal in weightlifting won by Diego Fernando Salazar and the bronze medal in women’s wrestling won by Jackeline Renteria (pictured in red). Colombia’s only gold medal ever was won in Sydney in 2000 in women’s weightlifting by Maria Isabel Urrutia who is now a congresswoman and sports advocate. Doubtless your learners would talk enthusiastically about the medals and events in which your particular country fared well, or not, as the case may be.

Which Olympic events did you get to watch? Although I didn’t get to see much of the games and events, I did get opportunities to briefly check out men’s and women’s beach volleyball seeing both win the gold for the USA. I caught Baltimore's Michael Phelps swimming to three of his eight gold medals. (I grew up in Baltimore) The javelin throw, women’s high jump and pole vaulting also got brief coverage views from me. The events which most interested me I completely missed due to lack of local coverage here in Colombia or the time at which the events were aired locally. What about you? Did you get to see most of what you wanted to?

What are Your Favorite Olympic Events?

What are your and your learners’ favorite Olympic sporting events? Why not list and describe them, especially if they’re not too “mainstream events where you happen to live and teach? My EFL learners haven’t a clue about most winter and ice or snow-based events, since there’s virtually no snow in Colombia. The events gave ample opportunity to delve into lesser-know or less popular sporting events yet raising learner awareness of what’s practiced and popular – besides soccer – in other countries. Actually myself, I like baseball, basketball, gymnastics and ballroom dancing (but that’s not an Olympic event, yet). Are there any particular sports that you don’t like? Most of my EFL learners said Golf, but that’s hardly a surprise here. The sport is developing to a degree since there are several up and coming Colombian golfers on the international circuit.

Sorely Missed Olympic Events

Some sorely-missed Olympic events included men’s basketball - I didn’t get to see a single game! Fencing, wrestling, most of the prime track and field events – I didn’t see the men’s and women’s relay teams fiasco that made front page sports news even here. Archery, diving and the classic Olympic marathon also escaped me, unfortunately.

Why do you think that Olympics coverage doesn’t feature most flashbacks and interviews with previous record holders and former greats still living but retired or no longer competing? What ever happened to Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis, among many others? Did they do that and I missed it because there was no coverage of that here?

Get Your EFL Learners Involved

Have your EFL or foreign language learners research facts, records and statistics. Allow them to report biographies and sporting event details or even demonstrations. Detail events and describe sporting events with which many of your earners may be unfamiliar. Have them explain why they think China won so many gold medals, little Jamaica won 11 medals but Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama only one medal each while other countries may not have won any at all. Have them talk about your country’s performance and how it might be improved or changed. You can and should use any sporting or cultural event to stimulate English language learning among your students, giving them spontaneous discourse outlets for extemporaneous speech. That’s one of the many ways the Bejing, China Olympics impacted my English as a foreign language learners during this semester.

How about yours?



Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public 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.

Part 2 Dynamic English as a Foreign Language Activities Your Learners Won't Refuse

More For Those Bored, Uninterested, Reluctant Foreign Language Learners
As we said earlier, once again faced with the necessity of circumventing the problems of having bored, uninterested and reluctant English as a foreign language learners in your EFL or other foreign language learning class room. We noted before that motivation of language learners – especially those who may be in your foreign language class involuntarily, can become a major obstacle to your teaching success if you allow class conditions to degenerate. You can however, win them over using these additional dynamic EFL activity types your foreign language learners simply won’t refuse.

• Using Realia as EFL Learning Aids

If you don’t have a stash of realia in your class room for use with your English or foreign language learners you’re either very inexperienced, pidgeon-holed in traditional methods or are mired in some other conditions I won’t go into here. “What kind of realia”, you ask? Why my dear almost anything and everything can be convertwed into didactic use with some imagination. Cute little stuffed animals, inflatable plastic or rubber balls, board games and pieces, small clothing items which can do double duty as drama props, tableware, throw pillows, along with gizmos and gadgets of all kinds make excellents realia and props for in-class room applications.

• Reciting Poetry, Rhymes and Raps

Did you know that the underlying purpose of many riddles, rhymes, raps and tongue-twisters is to permit extensive practice in the pronunciation of consonants, vowels, diphthongs and tripthongs in English? Even the learners can “excer`pt” passages from raps and popular songs for pronunciation practice. While you’re at it, if you’re not a native speaker of the foreign language you’re teaching, could YOU use a bit of extended pronunciation practice yourself? Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul. It’ll be our secret, okay?

• Surfing the Internet in English

Do your learners – whatever their ages and profile might be – like to play video or computer games? Using the internet as an English or foreign language learning tool is now par for the course with scores of foreign languages. Don’t fight your computer-literate foreign language learners – join them. Let them show you their computer skills while learning and practicing their English, Spanish, French or Arabic. Both you – and they – will be glad you did.

• Telling Short Stories, Fables and Tales

Get yourself a nice, fat book of nursery rhymes, fairy tales and children’s stories, then let your imagination run rampant with ways to apply them for building your English language learners’ communicative skills. Dramatize them, re-write them, tell them with a “modern” twist or two. Practice pronunciation with them or allow them to be set to a rhythm or music. Have fun and watch your English language learners practice and grow their language skills as if by magic. They won’t even have to wear the ruby slippers either.

Start your new scholastic year off right, and continue it in style by using these eight dynamic English as a foreign language activity types your foreign language learners simply won’t refuse to get and keep them motivated and having fun in class. By the way, you’re allowed to enjoy yourself too.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public 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.

Dynamic English as a Foreign Language Activities Your Learners Won`t Refuse

For Bored, Uninterested, Reluctant EFL Learners

As you begin yet another scholastic year or higher education semester, you’re once again faced with the necessity of circumventing the problems of having bored, uninterested and reluctant English as a foreign language learners among the sea of faces in your EFL class room. Motivating foreign language learners – especially those who may not voluntarily want to be in class can become a major obstacle to your success if you allow conditions to degenerate. Don’t let that happen. Fight back and win over those learners using these eight dynamic EFL activity types your learners simply won’t refuse.

• English Language Learning Games

All of your English language learners ju8st love to play games. How do I know? Because that’s true virtually everywhere worldwide, that’s how. Any game you know can be converted and played in English or whatever the target language you’re teaching is. From Tic-Tac-Toe (noughts and crosses) or “Tricky”, to checkers, Monopoly, Sorry and a seemingly unending slew of other TPR and board games, playing them in English can be an almost effortless way to motivate and reach even the most reluctant learners.

• Using Music in the EFL Classroom

English and foreign language learners love music in a wide variety of types and formats. So use music throughout class room activities and as an activity in itself. Time activities with popular songs, lip-sunc, demeonstrate vocabulry and lexical elements in context. Dramatize songs as a TPR activity or discuss cultural elements, even ask your language learners for their ideas and input for related activites. Don’t flounder like a fish out of water, do something. Get recordings and musical selections from your learners too.

• Performing Dramas and Comedy

There’s a little ham in all of us, so use that quality to stimulate your EFL learners while in English or other foreign language classes. Your “dramas” can be as simple as two-party enacted dialogues or as complex as fully-staged productions lasting two or more acts. The key is to elicit the interests of your learners then build on those interests using the media of drama.

• Watching Movies and Videos
If you’re not too keen on using full-length features in your foreign language class room, no problem. Just use selected, dramatic clips from the movies to engage your learners in the scenes and settings. Survey their favorite actors, actresses and entertainers – then use that info to make insider-informed decisions on what to prepare. Movies and scene clips can be great for dialogue practice, illustration vocabulary, grammar and other lexical elements in context.

We’ll continue this theme with even more dynamic EFL or other foreign language learning activities your learners won’t refuse in part two of this article post. So see you then.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public 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.

Using English as a Foreign Language Skills Coupling for Virtually Immediate Improvement

Foreign Language Skills Coupling

“Teacher, can you please repeat?” It was now the third time that my university English level learners requested a repeat playing of the listening exam section. It consisted of a twenty three second conversation set in a restaurant, but my learners shrieked and moaned at its apparent “difficulty”. This was even despite the fact that the selected listening was from two English language levels below their current one.

Language Skills are Inter-Related

The four basic language skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking are inter-related even though they are not necessarily equal. For example, if you want to speak better, then practice more listening. If you want to improve your listening comprehension, then practice reading aloud. If you, or your learners, would like to write better prose in English, read more and more in English. And if you want your reading comprehension skills to develop to a much higher level, then improving your writing will help to do the trick.

Both individual and integrated practice of each of the four basic language skills will aid in developing overall English or other foreign language communicative abilities. Reading aloud, for instance, improves speaking and pronunciation in addition to listening comprehension. It also promotes internalization of language elements from short term into long term memory.

Language Skills Development by Coupling

Improvement of inter-related language skills is not equal, however. When your reading improves, so will your writing, but not as much as your reading does. Then if you focused on writing, your reading comprehension would also improve, but likely not as much as your writing would.

A Quick Activities List

So for some really fast English language skills improvement, try some of these activities for starters:

• Reading texts, poems and stories aloud
• Practice pronunciation using spoken riddles, rhymes, fairy tales and stories
• Mimic speakers on the television, newscasts, narratives and speeches
• Write down a speech or other oral discourse as a dictation-type activity
• Try saying tongue twisters, quirky quotes and short jokes on a regular basis

Oral Recitation Practice Activities

For speaking and listening skills development, reading aloud is such an effective method that I now incorporate it into all of my English as a foreign language courses regardless of the EFL learners` level. This single, seemingly simple activity impacts not only speech, but pronunciation, fluency and vocabulary too. As you vocalize the reading or text content, your listening skills become more finely attuned as well. With the possible exception of say, a radically different foreign, regional or other accent being suddenly thrown at you, you’ll generally understand other speakers, native or not, far better after even a limited amount of practice in reading English texts aloud.



Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public 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.

The Internet and Content-Based Spanish as a Foreign Language Learning Sites

A Useful and Versatile Foreign Language Learning Tool

If you’re a foreign language teacher or foreign language learner, you should take advantage of one of the most useful and versatile language learning methods available – the Internet. While using the internet for English as a foreign language learning is not exactly news anymore, using the internet as a foreign language learning tool has yet to be fully explored even among institutes and those whose progress in foreign language acquisition has been stalled. Two highly useful approaches that can be successfully applied to the learning of almost any foreign language are content-based instruction and task-based learning.

Learning Spanish Online Using CBI and TBL

As an example, suppose you want to learn or improve your Spanish using the internet. Using Content-Based Instruction and Task-Based Learning you might go onto websites in Spanish in order to learn by using the foreign language to acquire knowledge in cultural or Spanish-language-related areas like foods, travel, geography, music, folk lore, dance and other Spanish-speaking-country-based aspects. Here are some practical websites you could surf for ideas to boost your Spanish language skills while steeping yourself in related language elements. The sites are in Spanish but are not Spanish language teaching sites, instead the focus is on teaching and learning other themes which are taught and practiced in Spanish. Since they are principally web sites for native Spanish speakers, you’ll be getting authentic language throughout while your foreign language communicative skills take off like the space shuttle.

SENA Virtual (http://www.senavirtual.edu.co)

SENA or the Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje in Colombia offers quite a number of free online courses. These are great for learning and practicing the Spanish language in an authentic context while developing knowledge and skills in other areas too. I’ve actually gone through a couple of the cooking courses offered online here too – with excellent results, I might add. It’s an interesting, delicious introduction into the varied cultures of Colombia. Check out one of the cooking videos I produced during the SENA Colombian Foods cooking course in Spanish for “Arroz Llanero” online at YouTube.
Emagister.Com (http://www.emagister.com/)

This adult education site also features free online courses in Spanish. The areas of specialization here include Business Administration, internet, marketing and sales, and human rights, as well as finance, accounting and technical science and mathematics course offerings.

Mailxmail.com (http://www.mailxmail.com/)

This website boasts more than 1242 free online courses in Spanish. So whatever else interests you, you can very likely practice your Spanish language reading, writing and comprehension skills using authentic language. More than 270 internet and computer courses are offered including topics in Power Point, MS Word, Excel, Photo Shop, MS Office, Linux, Java, Flash and programming language tutorials. Another 390 plus courses are business administration and information based to help to hone your Spanish language and business operation skills. This could offer some great insight if you’re living and working in any one of the world’s 21 Spanish-speaking countries.

AulaFacil.com (http://www.aulafacil.com/)

At this likewise excellent web site for a flurry of free online courses in the Spanish language, the extensive lineup is headed by courses in Cooking, crafts, pets, painting and drawing in addition to several self-help course offerings. I found some of the cooking courses online here to be especially interesting too. After all, you do still EAT, don’t you? (Yeah, I thought so!) Well then, one great way into a foreign culture is through its foods.

coEduca.com (http://www.coeduca.com/)

Another good site with a Spanish ton of free online courses for those willing to take the plunge in ramping up their Spanish language skills to new and greater heights. The course theme areas vary from Arts and Culture to Science and Technology through Economics and Business in addition to Computer Sciences and Tourism and Gastronomy.

So your Spanish language acquisition can not only be intersting and fun but lively and delicious to boot. Who said that foreign language learning has to be boring, tedious or dull? In the words of Shaggy, “It wasn’t me”!





Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public 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.

Part 2 More Critical Points in English Language and Foreign Language Testing and Evaluation

Testing, Evaluation and Assessment in EFL and Foreign Language Classes
We’ll continue to look at some critical points which need to be considered along with the English as a foreign or second language testing, evaluation and assessment processes. Generally, similar conditions and aspects apply to the teaching and learning of other foreign languages as well. So, we’ll discuss some additional points here in the second part of this two-part article post.

4. Allow a Sufficient Amount of Time

As an English as a foreign language or other foreign language teacher, have you ever taken the time to sit down and actually DO one of your own exams? If not, how do you determine the length of time required to complete an exam? Of course, your EFL learners likely will take much longer than you will to complete an exam, but you do need at least some benchmark to establish time parameters. Say double or triple your time of completion for your foreign language learners and you’ll be somewhere in the ball park.

5. Explain Exam and Test-taking Parameters Clearly

“Oh, my English language learners know what to do”, you say? Tell them the rules anyway. Watch their faces. When you see the “lights go on” in some of their faces you’ll realize the need for this. This also aids you in “putting your foot down” when something goes awry. You can then say with authority, “I told you about that before the exam”. If the language class must turn off cellular phones, MP3, MP4, iPod or other electronic devices, refrain from going into purses, bags, or abide by other specific regulations, be sure they know in advance of the test-taking period and again immediately before the exam begins. This has saved my bacon moiré than once over the years, and it will yours too, when done regularly.

6. ENFORCE Your Parameters and Test-taking Regulations or Parameters

You’d think that your English as a foreign language learners would then blithely adhere to your correct parameters when taking tests, evaluations or assessments of their foreign language knowledge and communicative skills. Oh, but if that only were true. Unfortunately, you know and I know that there will always be the “jokers”, the “Clowns”, the inept and the ever-present “unmotivated”, “disinterested” or “unprepared” who will seemingly do their absolute utmost to deride even your best efforts. Fore-warned is almost always fore-armed.

Your Feedback is Encouraged

As always, your feedback, questions, comments, insights and suggestions are encouraged. What works – or doesn’t, for you and your English as a foreign language learners, along with any interesting experiences you might have can be posted.



Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public 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.