Labyrinth of language learning

Yes, singing. I reckon it is one of the keys to language learning. When I was about 15 I decided to learn some Welsh; my Dad was from a Welsh mining town called Blaenavon. I learnt the entire Welsh national anthem and to this day can sing it from memory, even though my knowledge of Welsh is far less advanced. In a similar way, my daughter, who is learning Spanish, can sing the whole of "Valiente" from memory. She has only a few words of Spanish so far. So why is singing so useful when it comes to language learning? 1. It's easy to listen over and over again and just join in when there are words you can discern. You don't have to understand them all. 2. It is an easy-entry way of picking up the pronunciation, rhyme and rhythm of a language. 3. Singing helps you memorise the words - far better than a list. Just as a tune can get 'stuck in your head', so can the words. 4. It doesn't feel like study; you can just listen and join in to relax ...

It might seem out of character to be talking about syntax on a blog in which I have advocated getting on with using the language, even if you don't know the rules ... yet. I have indeed repeatedly urged you not to spend your time with your noses in textbooks. You need to be pushing forward with your own self-study and trying things out at the earliest opportunity. But that doesn't mean that I don't see the need for grammar and syntax. Let me give you some simple definitions of both those terms. Grammar is about things like verb endings. Syntax is about arranging words in a sentence. You could say grammar is about selecting the right-shaped bricks and syntax is about making them into a wall . So, syntax is about how to arrange words in a sentence, which is made up of one or more clauses. Let me quickly explain what a clause is. A clause is part of a sentence, often marked off by a comma. "She is good at languages, therefore she enjoys travelling," would...

If anyone is not familiar with the saying in the title of this blog post, the full version is, "Where angels fear to tread fools rush in." It alludes to someone doing something hastily, not thinking about the consequences. What I actually want to say is that the right approach to language learning is precisely that: to rush in. This goes directly against the approach which starts a language learner off slowly learning the alphabet, progressing to learning some basic words and by the third of fourth lesson starting to learn very basic sentences, saying things you would never say in real life like, "The dog is red," or, "The house is there." I am suggesting you get on with learning, even before you might have had a chance to find out some basic things like how many letters are in the alphabet or how you pronounce all the sounds. And there is a theory of language learning that states that you should always be one step ahead of your theoretical knowledge,...

Most readers will be familiar with the expression, "Flogging a dead horse" (see picture below). If you don't know this expression, it means to make an effort when no result is possible; the saying imagines someone beating a dead horse, hoping that it might get up again. A futile exercise, as you can imagine. That may be the way you feel about your past language learning. Maybe there is a language which you learnt many years ago. And, whenever you are reminded of that language, you despair of reviving it. Let me encourage you. As a Christian I believe in miracles (that's another story), but reviving a 'forgotten' language is no miracle; it is entirely realistic and let me give you some tips on how to do it. Firstly, and please dwell on this point, you have not forgotten German or Russian or whichever language you have neglected for years. It's there is your head. You can remember bits and pieces - the numbers, the word for bread, My name is - and f...

So, just today I had one of those moments when I said something and they didn't get it . 'They' being speakers of my foreign language - actually, my best one (Russian). It was a video conference and there must have been a dozen of them. So why didn't they 'get' it? Why did I fail to get my point across? And how can my experience today help you and me with language learning? My first mistake was the order in which I provided information . Rather than saying what I wanted to say straightaway, I started with something less important, a qualification, and that distracted my hearers. If it's not your native language, say the main thing straightaway, don't get sidetracked . Secondly, I waffled, cluttering up my sentences with long words and phrases, again creating 'noise' which hindered my listeners from getting what I was on about. I need to learn to keep it simple . Thirdly, there was a key word I couldn't quite find in the moment. I wan...

When people learn foreign languages, they tend to reach a certain level and then plateau, i.e. stop learning and developing. I am sure you are familiar with speakers of English (or of your native language) who can't pronounce particular words or sounds, who use the same wrong word every time or who say things the way they would sound in their own native language. A dear Belgian gentleman and friend of our family once said, "I am not visible," to mean, "I am not presentable." Russian teachers of English stubbornly insist on calling school homework 'home tasks' (домашние задания). My Italian aunt, when travelling as a passenger in the car, used to urge the driver to "take over" the vehicle in front. When I moved to Russia I referred to a planning meeting ('planiorka') as a floorplan ('planirovka'). Native speakers of German will say things like, "Are you coming with?" (Kommst du mit?) When castigating bad behaviour,...

For those of you who are not familiar with the word 'stickler' , it means a pedantic person who wants things to be right. For example, you could say, "He is a stickler for punctuality."  The 'stickler' is very useful, perhaps even essential, when it comes to langauge learning. So, what is a 'stickler' and how might they help you to learn a language?  Well, one of the best ways of learning a language is just to get on with using it. You can compose sentences, expressing whatever is on your mind in your foreign language. You could even compose a whole article or talk. And then send that text or speech to someone who knows the language, preferably a native speaker, and who is willing to correct your mistakes. This is your 'stickler'. What happens next is that your 'stickler' corrects what you are saying. If there are mistakes, they can point them out. If there are oddities, they can tell you how to say it differently. Often slightly...