languages

Learn a language on YouTube
The fact is today there are many resources to learn languages online. You have webages, radio, online TV and even YouTube.  At this juncture it is not a matter of finding resources, but finding resources of value that will help you learn.  It’s a matter of efficiency.
The best way to learn [...]

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Tags: Internet, languages, learn, YouTube

Why musicians learn languages
This is my personal observation from people I know who study both languages and music in Krakow, Poland. Many people will tell you that musicians have a gift for language, I do not believe it, at least not in a significant way. I have taught too many students to think people magically [...]

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Tags: How to learn a language, languages, music, music and languages

When not to start to teach Children languages
The truth is all times and ages are good to start a child with a language. However, the question is do you want them to speak like a native or like a foreigner. I live in Krakow, and many parents say they will start their children young [...]

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Tags: babies, bilingual, children, language-learning, languages

Best game for your brain
I usually write about languages and learning languages but I have for the last 15 years or so been interested in conventional and non conventional ways to improve brain function.  Infact my rebirth in my interest in languages was perhaps the end product of a cumulative process (see my personal story about computer games to rebuild your brain   ) for personal [...]

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Tags: Best game for your brain, chess, improve your brain, languages

Sleep, learning and brainwaves
Sleep optimizes and consolidates learning. In fact there is a correlation between the number of hours a student sleeps and grades. But it is also well establish that the less we sleep the less productive we are the, extremes being insomnia or sleep deprivation. The converse is also true, the more we [...]

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Tags: brainwaves, languages, learning, sleep

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

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

Bilingual babies learn in a different way
What is the difference in learning method? Bilingual babies focus on learning as many words as possible, monolingual babies focus on the small details of the words they learn.
Bilingual babies develop a strategy that they will focus their cognitive energies on associating words with with concrete objects. Two words [...]

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Tags: babies, baby, bilingual, languages, learn, words

Your memory is interrelated to your attitude toward your memory
Do not believe people who say intelligence is a gift, that it is all in the genes. That memory is something you have or you do not. That you can learn a language or not based on your effort but on if you have a gift [...]

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Tags: genes, intelligence, IQ, languages, learn, learning, memory, technique

Language extinction rate
Languages are part of the human database of knowledge and tell us about or cultures and thinking processes. With the extinction of a language, a part of collective human knowledge is lost forever. It is on par with a museum full of ancient treasures being destroyed. National Geographic is studying this problem.
“Languages are [...]

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Tags: extinction, language, language-extinction, languages, National-Geographic