Focus Language School

PART FIVE

STUDYING (5-15 minutes)

Studying is Preparation.

When you study, you prepare yourself to speak better, understand more, pronounce clearly, converse effortlessly.

There are no rules here. Whatever seems useful to you is fertile ground.

THE PROCESS

The pillars for effective study are…

Organization and Understanding.

The primary purpose of study is to understand.

You gather the words, grammar patterns and expressions that you want to learn in a systematic or spontaneous way.

You can read, listen and write to understand.

Studying always ties in to Memorization.

WHAT TO STUDY

Here are some of the most useful things to study.

VOCABULARY

Learning new words is arguably the most useful thing you can do.

Find the words you need and put them on flash cards in full sentence form.

There are internet lists and books containing any vocabulary you may want to learn.

This study must be turned into memorization or it is not useful.

PRACTICAL EXPRESSIONS

(are really part of memorization)

Knowing how to function in the new language – shopping, meeting people, traveling – is extremely useful. All stock expressions – Hi! Good bye! Where is the airport? – can be turned into flash cards and memorized.

GRAMMAR

Learning how to use the language and learning how to say what you want are important goals.

• Knowing how to make basic (and eventually complex) sentences
• Knowing how to use the present, future and past tenses.
• Key grammar words (see blog post on grammar)

All this is to be transferred to full sentence flash cards as soon as possible.

Some people learn grammar by studying it.

Others learn it in context by seeing how it works.

There is no one better way to learn. It is personal style.

Try both.

Somehow, it must all end up on your flash cards.

Knowing where things to put usually useful very is.

PRONUNCIATION

When you begin this journey, it is really worth your while to learn how to correctly pronounce your new language. It is the greatest source of confidence or insecurity.

Pronouncing well insures rapport with native speakers. “She is one of us!”

Some people study pronunciation.

Others learn it unconsciously simply by listening and repeating.

It is once again a matter of style.

DUOLINGO

Duolingo is a wonderful and automatic way to learn how to use your new language. It teaches you basic words and grammar patterns. It chooses the most important things to learn and is relentless in teaching them to you. It demands that you remember. It teaches you how to understand, speak, read and write.

It is not all you need to become a fluent speaker, but it is very useful in helping you learn and remember the basics. It keeps you learning.

It is easy to use and free www.duolingo.com. I suggest you try it out.

There are many other programs and systems available. Explore them too.

No rules!

WRITING AND PRACTICE EXERCISES

It is quite useful to do written and oral exercises to practice what you are learning.

Particularly when studying grammar, you want to make sure that you are learning the patterns correctly.

Studying is all about understanding patterns and knowing how to put them together.

Writing also helps fixing info into your memory.

There are countless workbooks that help you practice grammar. Try them out if that approach appeals to you.

I believe that doing systematic exercises helps you develop competence and self-confidence. (If doing so appeals to you.)

STUDYING ALWAYS MOVES TO MEMORIZATION

Always!

Take whatever you study and make memorization flash cards.

THE BASICS

I plan to add a list of top words and grammar patterns to learn in any language to this basic 100-day challenge. Modify or add to it. Each language has unique elements.

1. CONCLUSION

You are ready to start.

1. Commit to 100 continuous days

Or

2. Commit to 5 days a week
3. Cover each of the five areas every day, even if for a few minutes.
4. Keep going and get the results
5. Enjoy your journey.

1. CONTACT ME

jps@focuslanguage.com

1. RESOURCES

Vocabulary

https://www.businessinsider.com/zipfs-law-and-the-most-common-words-in-english-2013-10

https://blog.fluent-forever.com/base-vocabulary-list/

https://www.fluentin3months.com/most-common-300-words/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-44569277

Here are four more ways to keep up your morale and motivation as you learn your new language.

6. Connect with the Culture and the People

Find meaningful ways to get involved with your “new country”!

Study the history, watch videos of the cities and the landscapes.

You tube videos are a fantastic ways to peek into and feel involved with a specific group. (Spanish Yoga, French hiking, German cars etc.)

You can also join groups that interest you on Facebook or Instagram. This will automatically teach you a lot of words and connect you to real people.

Find organizations and forums that excite you in the new language. Become a member.

Go to restaurants and markets and try out your skills (even if it scares you.)

7. Celebrate your Success and Progress

Every day (or at least every week), acknowledge and celebrate how you are improving. Be honest but supportive of what you have accomplished.

Gratitude is important. Never being good enough saps your morale and motivation.

Make a list of the things you can now do which were impossible when you started out.

There is always room for improvement but realistic self-acceptance keeps you happy and progressing.

Be nice to yourself.

8. Create a Great Routine

When you are ready to study, you should have a great routine already in place.

Always have at least ten activities you could engage in with the foreign language. In some other posts I have made suggestions on how to develop your own program.

You want to cover the main bases: developing good pronunciation, reading and oral comprehension, practicing speaking, developing vocab and grammar.

The activities are simply the tools. Emphasize the ones you enjoy.

If you enjoy your routine, you will stick to it.

If you think you have a gap somewhere, research satisfying ways of filling it.

9. Focus on Medium-Range Goals.

“I am going to improve my pronunciation in the next month” is a fantastic goal.

“I will practice simple speaking for 10 minutes in January and February.”

“I will study 45 minutes 6 days a week for 6 weeks.”

“I will watch a movie every weekend this month.”

These are all realistic and achievable goals. They will automatically help you develop your knowledge.

Anything which you can achieve in 3 to 10 weeks will help you move forward in a significant way.

Make sure that it is something you can achieve.

It can be a “means goal”: “I will use my flash cards for 20 minutes every day for a month.”

It can be an “end goal”: “I will memorize 45 new words every week this month.”

So there you have it: Nine Ways to make sure you keep your morale high and your motivation strong. Pick the ones you enjoy and create new ones as you go along.

Enjoy your new language!

There are simple ways to keep your morale and motivation up while you are learning a new language.

1. Set clear progressive goals.
2. Keep exploring new materials
3. Practice in a way that satisfies you
4. Be realistic in your expectations
5. At the same time dream big with your plans
6. Find a way to connect with the culture
7. Find a legitimate way to celebrate your progress and success
8.  Create a great routine
9. Focus on the Medium Range

1. Make Clear Realistic Goals

Decide up front why you are learning this language. What do you specifically want to achieve?

Do you want to enjoy relationships? Travel in the Country? Do business? Watch movies?

It is important to know what your success would look, feel  and sound like.

Decide what you want to be able to do. Pronounce beautifully? Understand what people say? Be able to express yourself? Read fluently?

2. Explore New Materials

Enjoy the tools that you already have, but keep looking for new videos, podcasts, tools, books, methods and opportunities.

This keeps the language fresh and exciting. You keep refining your approach this way. You know what you enjoy and what works for you. Keep finding more of it.

3. Practice In a Way You Enjoy.

Regardless of your motivation and goals, always practice in a way that gives you satisfaction. Tactically speaking – when you are in the field – select tasks that you enjoy and which allow you to feel that you are meaningfully progressing.

Notice the comments you make to yourself.

This is very much like doing physical exercise.

“This is fun!” v/s “I hate this.”

“Hey, my pronunciation is improving!” “I have no idea how to say this.”

“I understand more.” “I’m lost here.”

“I am more comfortable speaking now.”

“I really need to understand how to use the past tense.” “This is confusing.”

There are endless ways to skin the proverbial cat: find the ones you love!

4. Be Realistic in Your Expectations.

“I will master Cantonese in three weeks” is probably not realistic.

“I will be able to take trains and order in restaurants within three weeks” is.

Your time availability will be a clear guide as to what you can achieve: two hours a week v/s 8 hours a day!

You can go online, if you like, and find out how others have succeeded; how long it took them; what they achieved.

Have realistic expectations and be ready to adjust them.

5. Dream Big

Be realistic with your time-frame and your goals. Simultaneously imagine the Big Goal. Let it be something which is exciting and meaningful to you. Fantasize as to what will happen.

It is possible. The question is simply “how”. Then get back to your drawing board and realistically determine what will get you there.

(To be continued)

Motivation is a key element when you learn a language.

How do you keep yourself focused until you reach your desired fluency?

Obstacles, distraction, discouragement are like the winter storms that stop you as you move toward your goal.

Motivation is the fire that keeps you going through you language-learning journey.

How do you build a powerful fire that will light up the night and keep you warm and safe throughout?

1. Excitement

2. Happiness

3. Variety

4. Clarity of purpose

It sounds like the recipe for a successful relationship!

Learning a language is a relationship. Make sure that it is well-suited to you. Make sure that you look forward to all the interactions. Make sure that you are clear-headed and ready to deal with any difficulty.

1. Excitement

Find a language you love! That first spark of excitement is vital. It allows you to take the time to organize, to create space in your schedule. It allows you to fantasize how much fun it will be to explore and to know more.

2. Happiness

No matter how exciting a relationship at the beginning, it must keep you happy throughout. Make sure that the routine you create with your new language, the activities you partake in, the materials you use keep you happy.

3. Variety

Find many different activities and tools. Vary what you do. Let your spontaneity guide you. Decide in the moment what you want to do.

4. Clarity of purpose

Do you want to read novels? Talk to your friends? Conduct business? Travel abroad? Know where you want to end up.

Define at the very beginning what you want to do with the new language. Imagine where and how you will do so. Specifically imagine what you will be able to do when you have reached your goal.

These four aspects will ensure that your relationship with your new language will be a successful one.

The key to organizing your language study is to create a wide list of enjoyable and productive activities.

Cover all the bases: reading comprehension, oral comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, memorization, speaking practice, pronunciation.

Cover each of the bases at least 4 or 5 times a month.

If you do so, your knowledge of the foreign language will automatically and organically grow.

It does not matter which activities you engage in as long as they are:

1. productive

2. enjoyable

3. consistent through time

You can do a Google or Bing search for any of the activities which attract you.

For example: Spanish student podcast, French dual-text novels, German pronunciation exercises, Italian yoga videos etc.

Find a number (3-10) activities for each of the categories. You are not committed to any individual one. Only do what inspires you. Explore, switch, modify.

1. Reading comprehension

Novels, biographies, non-fiction books, short stories, websites, newspaper articles, comics, anime, children’s books, dual-text books, Lingq

2. Oral comprehension

Movies, podcasts, videos, language learning series, newscasts, Youtube videos, Yabla

3. Vocabulary

Anything you read, listen to or study

4. Grammar

Classic books, in-context learning, podcast series

5. Memorization

Flash cards, Anki, Mnemosyne, any electronic falsh card system

6. Speaking practice

Scenarios, spontaneous, grammar

7. Pronunciation

Reading out loud, shadowing exercise, classic exercises, anything you listen to, recording yourself for analysis.

Keep at it. Make sure that you get joy from whatever you do. Cover all the bases through time. Keep exploring and finding new activities and tools. You will grow and learn.

One of the most natural way to become fluent in a new language is to read. This is how I developed my fluency in English as a newly-arrived High School student. I used this method later with several other languages.

How do you organize yourself to sky-rocket your knowledge while enjoying yourself? Read!

There are 9 principles which will help a lot.

1. Read something which is somewhat appropriate for your level. You need to understand at least the basic gist of what is being said. Otherwise, you might become frustrated.  (I once tried to read “The Lord of The Rings” in Mandarin Chinese. It was so tough and time-consuming that I decided to stop. An hour or two per paragraph was not worth my time .)

2. Go for the basic meaning. To develop comprehension, it is far better to partially understand (40-60%) 1,000 sentences than to perfectly understand 75. This is a key point. Keep moving!

3. Use Google Translate to clarify and verify. Read a paragraph or two. If you understood – mostly – move on. If you are not sure, copy/paste, translate and see what you had missed. This saves you so much time! If you are using a paper book, have the English version available or use a dual-text edition. Do the same thing. This will keep it fun. This is far more efficient than using a dictionary.

4. Only take notes on things that are really important to you. Or, take no notes at all.

5. Learn grammar and vocab on the fly! If you keep reading a novel, the same words and constructions will keep popping up. You will “get” so much from context and repetition.

6. If you often get stuck on a particular point of grammar, research it enough that you understand how it works. (Or just extrapolate how it works from the translation – mostly –  and move on.)

7. Only read stories, articles and books which are truly interesting to you. Never force yourself. Let pleasure and excitement guide you.

8. If you can, re-read the chapters you have gone through. It will confirm and reinforce what you did.

9. If your head starts to smoke, take a break. Keep it fun! Always. Something challenging or very difficult can be fun, but make sure you don’t connect stress or obligation to your reading. Keep it light.

These are some useful principles to help guide you through your reading of the new language. Have fun with it. Your best friend here is Mostly.

Great pronunciation has many advantages for a language learner.

1. It instantly creates rapport
2. It makes you easy to understand
3. It helps you understand others more easily
4. You enjoy speaking the language much more

Here are 20 ways to improve your pronunciation. Use the ones you like in any order. Explore. Create new ones.

INITIALLY DEVELOPING GOOD PRONUNCIATION

1. Get an overview of the whole system.
2. Get the rules of pronunciation
3. What sounds are mostly the same as in your own language?
4. What are sounds that do not exist in your language?
5. Find Youtube videos of people demonstrating the sound system
6. Learn how to read the new language comfortably
7. Listen to many recordings or watch videos neutrally. Do not analyze. Receive the sounds of the language as if you were listening to a song you like. (So! You’d better like the sound of the language you are learning.)
8. Become curious. What do you hear, what do you see? What grabs your attention, pleases you, displeases you?

Once you have a basic feel AND/OR understanding of the pronunciation, you are ready to practice.

PRACTICING PRONUNCIATION SKILLS.

(Do some or all of the following as it suits you.)

1. Listen to the language passively. Put on the radio while you are doing the dishes! The more you hear, the better. Soak your brain!
2. Listen to the language. For short periods of time, concentrate as you listen. What do you hear? What are odd or interesting things you notice?
3. Open your brain, open your ears. Imagine that you are alone in the Amazon jungle at night. How would you listen?
4. Watch native speakers and see how they move their mouths: jaws, lips, tongue. Are they tight, loose, clear, mushy, hard, soft?
5. Repeat, repeat and rinse. Spend as much time as you can imitating the words and music of the new language. Whenever you hear, repeat if you can.
6. Practice the shadowing exercise. As you listen to a native recording, repeat everything you hear as well as you can. Keep going; don’t stop! Imitate the sounds, the music, the intonation. If you miss something let it go. Imitate, shadow! Do not concern yourself with the meaning at all. This is for sound. This exercise opens your ears.
7. Read out loud. Take your time. Read slowly and comfortably. Read something you somewhat understand and enjoy (if you can).
8. Read and focus on individual sounds
9. Read and focus on individual words
10. Read and focus on the flow of your sentences.
11. Practice speaking. Simple practice conversations allow you to get comfortable with the feel of the language in your mouth. Speak slowly, stay relaxed, breathe and pronounce words as clearly as you can. Don’t worry about being perfect. Feel good.
12. HAVE FUN WITH THE SOUNDS OF THE LANGUAGE.

If you keep listening to and practicing the pronunciation of a foreign language you are learning, you will gradually become better and better at it.

Here are 10 great ways to approach learning a foreign language. Use any or all of them to increase your efficiency.

Experiment with these approaches and adjust them as needed.

1. PRONUNCIATION

Pay massive attention to pronunciation of a new language. Learn how to read it as well as imitate native speakers.

Listen to the sounds. Listen to the flow. Listen to the music of the language.

Keep it fun.

2. FOCUS AND ATTENTION FOR MEMORIZATION

In order to memorize and remember new words and expressions, maximally focus your attention. Stay relaxed, keep your mind clear, and deeply focus on the new material.

3. SELF-TESTING FOR MEMORIZATION

Keep self-testing yourself. This is a vital way of keeping new material active. Every time you self-test, you strengthen your memory.

4. ENJOY YOUR OWN EXCELLENCE

Enjoy your own excellence. Be self-competitive. Enjoy the fact that you are challenging yourself and staying disciplined.

5. PRACTICAL GRAMMAR

Get grammar understanding as you go along and as needed. At some point you ask: “How do the verbs work?” “How do you make things plural?” If you enjoy grammar, go deeper. Otherwise, let your curiosity and need drive you as required.

6. IMAGINARY CONVERSATIONS

Imagine that you are having conversations with friendly native speakers. Practice, rehearse like an actor learning lines. Get comfortable. Stay playful.

7. PLAYING WITH NATIVES

If possible, playfully engage with natives. Do so when ordering food, or being in a store or at a social event. Make a simple fun connection and move on. It is enough to say hello and smile. You have just had a meaningful interaction in a new language.

8. MOVIES AND VIDEOS

Constantly watch movies and videos. Hear the language, the accent, the music. Feel the culture.

9. EXPLORE WEBSITES

Websites – containing things YOU are interested in – are a great place to expose yourself to the written and spoken language.

10. WORK AND HAVE FUN

Keep working daily if you can. Make sure you are having fun as much as possible. If you are bored, confused or stressed, take a break. Find out what you need to get back on track.

These simple recommendations can keep you on track. Enjoy your new language.

SELF-TESTING

Self-testing is the third key to efficient memorization of a new language.

Once you have created a clear image and association for a new word, the best way to hold it in memory is through frequent self-testing.

Write it, hear it, say it. Keep testing yourself.

FLASH CARDS

Flash cards are enormously useful: physical or electronic ones.

Always write complete sentences containing the word you want to remember.

It is much easier to remember something in context.

What is aragonite?

1. a mineral consisting of calcium carbonate, typically occurring in white seashells and as colorless prisms in deposits in hot springs.

(How did we say “rainbow” in Hindi, and what was the French swan doing?)

THE MAGICAL ASSOCIATION TOOL

Clear and vivid associations are the key to remembering new words.

When you want to memorize something, the second step (after Focus) is ASSOCIATION.

We remember something we can relate to. If I give you the following numbers 22 45 71 90 11 14, you will not probably not remember them. If I tell you they are the password to a Swiss bank account in your name, your motivation will wildly increase.

The following technique is powerful. It is one of the most useful memorization tools available to you. It may seem trivial, but don’t let its simplicity fool you: it will make you a far more effective learner.

WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

When you look at a new word you want to remember, always ask these two questions.

Let’s say you want o remember the word “pingh” in Hindi. It means rainbow. Without association, you will probably forget it instantly. Your brain doesn’t care. Your pleasure drive is not triggered. Boring!

What does it sound like (and look like)? Ping pong? Ping golf clubs? Pinging a website?

1. Take the word you are learning (PINGH) and what it means in English.

2. Connect it with its meaning (RAINBOW) through an image or a story.

Imagine two ping pong players (or golfers). Each time one hits the ball, the ball makes an incredible, huge rainbow as it moves through the air.

Whether you care about this word or not, you now have a solid association that will help you remember it.

Make your image/story vivid, huge, crazy sexy, dramatic, colorful; in other words memorable.

This can be done in 5 seconds and will massively improve your memory potential for this word.

Sometimes there will be nothing that comes to mind. Checking a dictionary might give you some ideas.

The most important part of the word is the beginning. Make sure your association uses the first syllable.

Here are some more funny examples which show you how to do this process.

“Ringard” means “cheesy” in French. Imagine that a large bell rings every time the comic actor Jim carrey takes a step wearing a huge green and orange tie around his neck. Also, imagine him walking on a street made of cheese.

“Smierc” (accents missing) means death in Polish. It looks a bit like the word “smear” in English. The dead man is smeared all over the sidewalk!

“Cygne” is “swan” in French. There goes a swan. He stares at you and communicates using sign language.

THE KEY

Do this quickly, with a sense of humor. Use your imagination (or the dictionary). It can be done very quickly and will insure much better memorization