General language learning

Most economically valuable languages to learn
Conventional wisdom says if you are are looking for the most economically valuable language to learn, learn Spanish. Why? Spanish is gaining momentum and the line between the English and Spanish world in the Americas is blurred.
However, the most economically valuable languages to learn is not Spanish at least from an [...]

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Tags: language, learn, most economically valuable languages to learn, Polish, russian, Ukrainian

Language books
I have taught many students over the years and I never really had a student learn from language books, alone. That is buy a book and start with page 1 and finish the book and speak the language. It can work, in theory, but you have to be very discipline. I have one student [...]

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Why taking language classes do not work
Language classes can work but more times than not, do not teach the student the language. Why? Most people sign up with high expectations, some people even go away to immersion camps, these are all good, but often do not yield results. The reason is simple. Diffusion of responsibility. [...]

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Tags: How to learn a language, language, language classes

Translation method to learn
The translation method, about a hundred years ago, was the method of language learning in vogue which died out with the introduction of the direct method for teaching languages. Arrogant language experts sub the translation method as an artifact from the last paradigm shift. But the reality is a modified translation [...]

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Tags: How to learn a language, learn a language, Techniques for language learning, translation, translation method

CYA The importance of a proper knowledge of abbreviations
Once I (Mirek) was serving as an interpreter during a meeting, rather important to the company that employed me. It was a middle level conference, there were three bosses on our side and three on American/English side.
In fact all important topics were already agreed and signed, documents printed, [...]

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Tags: CYA, language, lost in translation, translation

People do not learn languages because they have wrong expectations. Wrong expectations about 1) how a language is learned. 2) how much time is required to learn a language 3) about their only natural abilities to learn a language.
The expectation is that they just can just pick up a language. They have heard many stories of [...]

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Tags: How to learn a language, language, languages, learn, learn a language, learning, study

Techies that learn languages
One thing that I noticed when I have been teaching languages is IT or tech guys have unusual language learning abilities. Unusual in a strange, but good sense. Let me explain. Since I have been teaching English in Poland, I noticed that the IT guys have a very rich vocabulary. They [...]

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Tags: IT, language, learn, learning, tech, techies

Language software speech comparison technology
Many language learning software programs have something that a user can compare their speech to a native speakers speech. This is based on tone, pitch, pronunciation etc. In theory this sounds great. However, in my experience I have never got one of these devices to work properly. And I write software [...]

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Tags: language software, languages, learn, software, speech comparision, technology

TV is often said to a great way to learn a foreign language
Parents often put children trying to learn a foreign language in front of the TV. However, because TV images are not concrete it is known that this does not always help children learn a foreign language. However, the same can be said [...]

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Tags: children, flashcards, foreign-language, learning, TV

How to feel or invoke an emotional response with a word in a foreign language
One the the problems with speaking and hearing a foreign language is you do not feel the words like your own.  If someone says ’I love you’ it does not have the same impact perhaps.  You might accidentally say a bad word and [...]

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Tags: emotional response, feel, foreign-language, learn, learning, words