We normally think of efficiency, brain enhancing substances, extraordinary software and stream-lined cutting edge methods when we think of improving our learning capabilities. There is an entirely different aspect of learning which I have encountered in my long career as a student and a language learner: Love, Beauty and Nature. We are so efficient, having become multi-tasking masters and super-focused planners. We may be doing more, but are we actually becoming more accomplished? Are we more fulfilled and happy? I believe the answer is we… Continue reading
Archive for the ‘Language Schools Chicago’ Category
The Importance of Love, Beauty and Nature in the Learning Process
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Appreciating your own work
Saturday, February 6th, 2010
Learning a language is a time-consuming project. It can seem that there is always a new verb form to learn, a new vocabulary word we need to know. It is therefore important to appreciate what you have already done, the parts of the language you have already acquired. Our subconscious learning machine builds on its own success. It is important to let it know it is accomplishing its task satisfactorily. Self-criticism can often lead to discouragement. When you are learning, you know that it will take you… Continue reading
Language and Climate in European Languages
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Focus Language School has been in operation in Phoenix, Arizona for almost thirty years: the land of desert and eternal sun. Winters are idyllic and summers make you curious about the fires of hell. We have just opened our Chicago area office – in February – and the contrast is striking. In the white beauty of the Illinois winter, you are reminded of wind and ice as forces of nature instead of the relentlessness of the Arizona Summer sun. How does climate and weather help shape languages? The following ideas are intuitive impressions and not the result of a scientific… Continue reading
Focus Language School in Chicago
Friday, January 1st, 2010
Focus Language has come to Chicago, one of the great American cities. We are excited to be opening a school here. There are very active, well-developed cultural venues: one of the largest Chinatown in the US, a powerful East Indian community, and so many others. Learning a language involves immersing yourself in the culture, breathing it in, living and dreaming it. Chicago is a tremendous resource to our students both local and coming form out-of town. We are now offering online classes. It is a fantastic way to learn a language very conveniently. Short, frequent, inexpensive classes make it… Continue reading
Mother Nature to the Rescue
Friday, December 18th, 2009
If you have read some of the posts I wrote about improving your comprehension through listening intensively, you are ready for the next step. To do nothing. That’s correct. Nothing at all. You actually need to listen to recordings daily for a while until your internal language machine takes over. Have you ever used voice recognition software? (Dragon Speaking Naturally, for example). You actually have to train the software to recognize your own unique voice. Until it does, it cannot type out what you speak.
This is exactly what you are doing here. You need to hear French or Chinese… Continue reading
Developing a Good Study Focus
Friday, December 18th, 2009
What is a good study focus? There are several possibilities, based on your specific language goals and personality.
The Personality component
As a student, are you systematic? intuitive/spontaneous? casual? driven? solitary? social? Realize that you need to adjust any scheduling suggestions to your way of learning and doing things.
Language Goals
1. Developing a deep and thorough knowledge of the language.
You want to master the language. You are committed for the duration. To achieve this goal, you need to develop your capacity in the 5 areas of language learning systematically. Assuming a 5-day study schedule, you want to work… Continue reading
THE EIGHT KEYS TO LANGUAGE LEARNING
Friday, December 18th, 2009
When you are serious about learning a language, there are many things you can do to insure that you progress efficiently. This post outlines the most important ones.
1. Clearly understand what you need to learn to progress fast. You need an accurate “map” of the language you will be exploring. This is a clear outline of the skills, content and time elements involved in learning a particular language.
2. Learn how to learn most efficiently. There are specific principles and techniques which facilitate this. You take the various elements of your map and you learn how to master each… Continue reading
Having Fun Learning a Language
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Learning a Language can be hard work. Persistence gives great results. Discipline does too. But there is an element seldom spoken of these days: fun. Everyone extols the virtues of “learning a language the way children do”. Children, above all, want to play and have fun; and they integrate this in any task they undertake. This is what makes them language sponges: they don’t know they’re supposed to suffer.
Enjoyment and fun make learning so much easier, and enjoying yourself is the most effective technique you can use. It will increase the value of everything else you do. Conversely… Continue reading
Breaking Through The Language Barrier part 3
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Learning Facets
If you want to break through the fluency language barrier, you need to understand the interplay of the basic learning elements. There are 5 main ones and 2 supplementary ones.
Main Aspects
Pronunciation
Vocabulary
Grammar
Speaking
Comprehension
Secondary Aspects
Reading
Writing
The main aspects are absolutely vital – all of them. You want to work on each one of them: continuously and systematically. As each one develops, it automatically interacts with all the others and reinforces them. For example, improving your pronunciation will allow you to speak more fluently, memorize vocabulary faster and actually hear… Continue reading
Breaking Through The Language Barrier part 2
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Developing your ability to speak
Developing your ability to speak is easier, because it is more under your control. Increasing your comprehension automatically increases your ability to speak. You will hear the language inside your mind much more clearly. Words will come to you as you need them. But what steps can you actively take to speed up the speaking process?
1. Get yourself ready before you speak. Listen to recordings. Listen to a recording and try to repeat as much as you can without stopping it. Read a text you’re familiar with outloud. All these activities get… Continue reading