Articles on Learning | Topics: learning, learn, study, studying
by Glenn Quinn
If your high school was anything like mine, you probably didn't learn much in foreign language class. Oh sure, at the time you could probably say a few words in French, Spanish, or German, but all of those words are probably long gone. Language learning, you see, is a pretty difficult thing to accomplish when you're not in an environment with native speakers. If you don't have to rely on your new language, you simply won't. You'll forget it as soon as you pass the tests and retain nothing beyond a year or two.
My experience as a teacher of English as a second language has really helped me to understand this better than most people do. I have been helping foreign students learn spoken English for years, so I have a pretty good idea of how it works. Basically, if you want to learn spoken English – or learn to speak any language for that matter – you really need to be in a nation that speaks it. This approach is called immersion, and it is all the rage among language learning classes.
| Bit of History |
But [Jonas] quickly understood that a disciple was not necessarily someone who wishes to learn something. More often, on the contrary, one became a disciple for the unselfish pleasure of teaching one’s master.
| —Albert Camus (1913–1960) |
|
|
While it is true that some of the better language learning classes try to create an artificial environment of immersion without being located in an actual place where the language is spoken, they are still a poor substitute for actually getting to experience immersion. Learning spoken English is best done in Britain, America, Canada, or one of the many other English-speaking countries. No matter how hard you work to learn spoken English, if you are studying it somewhere else, you are at a disadvantage.
This is why I am always so enraged when I see programs advertised that claim to help people learn spoken English at home on the computer. You simply cannot learn English speech without at least one conversational partner. Computers are good at many things, and even make valuable teaching resources. One thing they are not good at, however, is holding up a conversations. In order to do that, you need an actual human being to speak with you. Although you might be able to learn written English on your own, you won't be able to pick up the nuances of language without some help. You will still speak in your native language, think in your native language, and interact with people in your native language. In order to really gain fluency in another language, you have to be able to think in it on a day-to-day basis.
|
We strive to provide
only relevant articles on our website. If
there is a specific topic about learning that you would like us to cover, please contact us here.
Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Learn Spoken English" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by SloanSemester.org. |
Online Class
By Ophelia York
For many of us, once we graduate from high school, we're done. Or at least that's what we think at the time....
Public Schools
By Queen Zimmerman
With all of the grief the public schools get, some of them actually do pretty well. I am the product of a public school education, and I feel there's no shame in that....
Power up Education Through Video Conferencing
By Young Bryant
As the cost of video capture, display technology, and high speed Internet connectivity has been commonly made available at an affordable cost, special videoconferencing has emerged. This genre of videoconferencing was based on simple systems of web cameras, personal computers, software compression and broadband connection....
Part Time College
By Hector V. Allison
Although most high school graduates dream of going to college full time to pursue their degree, it isn’t feasible for all of them. Some kids have to work as well to put themselves through school and some even need to rely on a full time job....
Ranking Graduate Schools
By Evans
Ranking graduate schools can be kind of tricky. With undergraduate schools, it is easy....
|
