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fluentlanguage · 7 years

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5 Ways to Inspire Your Partner to Learn Your Language (Without Ruining The Relationship)

It’s easy to fall in love, even without words. But sadly, learning a language doesn’t become easier even if you’re in love. Just like good relationships, learning a language is a long-term game. It takes compromise, commitment, and a bit of hard work.

The easiest way to communicate as a couple is to stay in the language you were using when you met. Most couples settle on a common “official language”. For me and my partner, it’s English. English is my everyday language, and I don’t have the habit of switching into German with my partner. As for him, he didn’t come out of school with remarkable knowledge or confidence when it comes to foreign languages.

Most of the time, our life together works just fine. But I do wonder:

“Do we have to move to Germany before my husband has the opportunity to become a German speaker?”

“How can I walk the line between forcing him to pick up my language, and encouraging him to discover the culture of my home country?”

“How can I help him learn German without becoming his teacher?”

We are facing that classic native English dilemma: If everyone else speaks English already, where’s the urgency and pressure to learn another language?

Love is a Deep Motivator

No matter where your partner is from, you’re likely to spend a lifetime trying to figure out what exactly goes on in their head. As Carol Madfouh puts it in this lovely article on language learning for love:

“For us and any other couple from a mixed marriage you are having to work that wee bit harder the whole time to understand the mentality (…) I’m never quite certain whether I am pissed off with him because he’s Tunisian, because he’s French, because he’s a man… or whether just because he’s old!”

If you are the partner who is learning a new language for love, I want to thank you and congratulate you. I know it’s not easy, but you’re doing something amazing. Your desire for a deeper connection has a lot of value. It serves as your Vision Goal, the consistent motivation that keeps you committed to the problem.

Tips for Sharing Your Language With Your Partner

If you are the partner who wishes you could share more of your own language and culture in your relationship, I’m with you. It can be tough to walk the line between sharing your language and nagging someone to learn it.

Here are the things you can try for keeping your sweetheart motivated without putting too much pressure on them.

1) Talk to Third Parties

Every language learner knows that it feels bad to understand nothing, especially when you care about the person who is speaking to you. Introducing your native language into the household becomes a lot easier when there’s a third party around. Adding bilingualism to the home is common when you have a child (try Bilingual Avenue for more tips). But even if you don’t have kids, it helps to have your partner hear simple dialogues in another language.

If you are an expat yourself, your sweetheart likely won’t hear a lot of your native language outside the home. But what about your own circle of friends? Try and see if you can invite a fellow native speaker around the home, giving you more occasion to throw in a few words of vocabulary now and then.

At the Polyglot Gathering in Bratislava, one fellow expat wife told me she switched to talking to her pet in another language. What a great idea! This way you can keep your native language active in the home without putting the pressure on way high.

2) Let Them Know What To Expect

One of the trickiest parts of switching into your native language with your partner is that you can never be sure what mood they are in. They may respond with curiosity and enthusiasm one day, only to roll their eyes and ask to be left alone the next. So it’s helpful to make your non-English moments a little more predictable.

Try setting up an English-free zone in your house, where your partner knows they will be able to practice. I can’t decide if I would suggest the bedroom for this, or tell you to avoid that at all costs..

Have a regular date night with your native language where you spend time experiencing something new like a restaurant, dance lesson, or language meet up

Set language times or days, so you know that both of you have agreed to switch languages once a week

3) Treat Language as an In-Joke

In an animated discussion on language learning, Idahosa Ness from the Mimic Method shared that a past girlfriend and he would speak her native language to each other as a sign of closeness. Learning the language came more easily to him as he felt he was in on a private joke with his sweetheart.

Just like nicknames, sharing a second language can make any couple feel more deeply connected. If you want to build your own private language together, try starting with a few loving phrases, or learning the words related to something you love to do together.

4) Share Your Background Without The Language Barrier

If your partner lacks confidence when it comes to learning your native language, you can still offer many fun ways of engaging with your background. Bring in foods or music from home, or discuss the politics of your home country. As long as the topic is interesting to your partner, it will serve as an inspiration for both of you to connect to each other’s cultures.

Sharing traditions of your home country is what makes you special as a couple. It can also create memories that last for life. At my wedding in Germany, my husband asked for us to act out the German tradition of sawing a log together as the couple. My parents happily obliged…with a pretty blunt saw! The experience of my neighbour running in to “rescue the couple” with his chainsaw won’t be forgotten any time soon.

5) Learn a third language together

The biggest problem with teaching your native language to your sweetheart is that it can create a power imbalance. You don’t want them to feel like the stupid one, right? Some couples have reported that learning a third language together became a great leveller and hobby. Go for something that you both consider relatively neutral and easy, such as Esperanto. This way, it’s their chance to flex those study muscles without feeling any pressure.

Respect Your Partner’s Learning Style

Allow your partner to determine the pace and learning style that they prefer. Even if you are a polyglot who swears by using Anki cards, their own preference might be for starting out in an adult class at the local college. Keep them accountable to their own goals, but never to demand unreasonable efforts. It may help to discuss their language learning goals together and to keep easy accountability through something like the Language Habit Toolkit. Like a good tutor, your job is to inspire motivation and excitement and to refrain from judgement.

Have you ever been in a relationship with someone from a different country? How did you go about language learning? Tell me more in the comments below. I’m excited to hear those stories.

#love #learning with a partner #informal learning #relationships #learning at home

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her-culture · 7 years

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A Letter to the Man who Told me not to Speak Spanish in Public

Dear Sir,

After experiencing a moment of disbelieving paralysis, replaced by sadness, followed by frustration, and a great dose of wrath towards you and especially myself for not addressing you in the moment, all I feel now is pity. I honestly pity the depth of your ignorance.

When my colleague and I were walking towards the subway entrance in the heart of the Financial District, we were bonding over our favorite musicians in Spanish, minding our own business--with no intention to offend or bother you and your two white, male friends...because naturally, a racist xenophobe like you would only surround himself with people who look like him.

You see, sometimes only words in certain languages can most accurately describe and enliven the topic at hand. In our case, since my colleague and I were talking about Latin musicians, we had to authentically honor our roots, and therefore speak in our native tongue. Perhaps your monolingual, narrow mind inhibits you from seeing the limitations of having to rely on a single language to precisely communicate all your thoughts and feelings. That is the beauty of being bilingual, or trilingual, or even a polyglot: because we think in different languages, our minds are equipped to function rather quickly, transitioning from topic to topic smoothly. In fact, bilingualism can improve an individual’s ability to focus and perform mental tasks. Studies have found that bilingual children outperform children who speak only one language in problem-solving skills and creative thinking.

It baffles me that you condemn such an admirable skill in a pair of young women. Perhaps I should be flattered. Maybe your offense at my speaking Spanish on bustling New York City streets is an indication of envy or appreciation towards my motor skills, and those of my fellow immigrants; of the blessing it is to be exposed to, and embrace, two different cultures; of knowing a world beyond the boundaries of the United States; of having a history far richer than what is described in a single nation’s history textbook. And most importantly, of having a multi-layered--I dare say, more receptive-- perspective on life.

When you began to speak out loud in the direction of my friend and me--exerting your white, male privilege--I immediately blocked you out. I refused to listen to what you had to say. And that was my biggest mistake. As soon as I saw your mouth and arms open wide, I forced myself to ignore you completely, which is why the second half of your statement took me a second too long to register-- a second too long to put you in your place.

You yelled out, “I’m sorry but that is unacceptable!”

Identifying as a woman, my brain immediately began to imagine sexist, misogynist comments that were going to complete your statement: “‘it’s unacceptable’ for two beautiful women in skirts to be walking alone unaccompanied by a man;” a comment construed by men as “kind” and “innocent,” and not for what it truly is: cat-calling, or even more accurately, harassment. Women face street harassment all the time, even on a daily basis. A study conducted in 2014 found that sixty-five percent of all women have experienced street harassment. I myself have experienced verbal street harassment quite a few times, by much older men. It is not flattering. No matter how carefully men choose “pleasant” vocabulary or measure their tone of voice to be sweet, women walking on the street, attempting to get to their destination, are not objects for the male gaze--for male visual pleasure and conversational enjoyment. We just want to get to where we need to be, unbothered.

How miserable is it that because I assumed you were a misogynist (which you still probably are because you, a man, thought you had the power to tell me, a woman, what to do), I immediately feared for my safety, and chose to initially ignore the xenophobic comment that shortly followed your fantastic opening statement? That in itself is so problematic! I did not answer back to you and instead chose to ignore you because I feared retaliation. It was three of you against just two of us. I did not know if you would try to grab me, or follow me, or worse. Twenty-three percent of women have been sexually touched, twenty percent have been followed, and nine percent have been forced to do something sexual. Some women, like myself, are too scared to react.

My fear of a very real problem that women face impeded me from being able to react in a timely manner to the larger, more transparent issue at hand. After yelling “I’m sorry but that is unacceptable!” You yelled: “No permiso!” [no permission], laughing in a terrible Spanish accent. At that point, time stood still. My colleague and I stared at each other, open-mouthed, processing what had happened. Had we just been recipients of hate speech? Had that really happened to us, in New York City, in 2017? I suppose in retrospect, with Trump as president, I should not have been as surprised; but I was, because part of me wanted to hope that the world isn’t infested with so much evil. It was my disbelief that disabled me from reacting. In this situation, I was not scared. I was disappointed. The vision of the United States as a beacon of “liberty and justice for all” became all the more mythical. You corroborated what I already knew: the irony and inaccessibility of US ideals. And despite me being the type of woman who likes to be right, in that moment, I wanted to be proved wrong.

One of your companions yelled out, loud enough so my friend and I could hear even though the three of you had created some distance, and continued along your xenophobic, merry way: “Did you just speak Mexican?”

“No, that’s Spanish!” you replied.

Just like English is still English in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, Spanish is still Spanish in Spain and the Hispanophone world. You may be ignorant, but your friend cannot be that ignorant...can he? I know he said “Mexican” to deepen your bigoted blow because Mexico is often conflated with all of Latin America; and Mexico is perceived to be the brunt of Latin America by egregious anti-Mexican sentiments. I pity your friend, who sacrificed his intellect in the name of racist martyrdom.

The irony of your “this is ‘America’ [the term “America” includes Canada, the US, and Latin America so let’s stop the semantic appropriation] so you should only speak in English” message is that you spoke in broken Spanish to us. You clearly said “no permiso,” thereby acknowledging the importance of knowing a second language to effectively communicate your desires, however prejudice. In implying I should not speak in Spanish, you attempted to speak to us in Spanish. You defeated the whole purpose of your hate speech, buddy!

I am angry at myself for not responding to you before letting you three get away. I’m angry that I was fine with staying silent when I assumed you were a cat-caller. (I need to work on that!) I’m angry that all I could do was convince myself that that had not happened. I’m angry I could not collect my thoughts fast enough to engage in dialogue with you over your sad perspective on diversity/ pluralism/ cultural hybridization. I’m angry my multilingual mind could not function quickly when I needed it most--because all my brain was sending me were curse words, and that would have only worsened Latinx stereotypes. I am angry at you for making me get angry at myself.

But I also want to thank you. Because of this incident, I have had time to reflect and share my experience with others. I hope no one else is made to feel ashamed of their history, their heritage, their culture, their language. I hope no one else is forced to be silenced or discouraged from manifesting their identity. I hope no one else is made to feel lesser because of their immigration history and/or immigration status. If someone does experience something akin to what my friend and I endured at the hand of your twisted humor, I hope they handle it better than I did. I hope they have the courage, strength and wisdom to react appropriately, and challenge the perpetrator's bigot ideology in the moment. I hope they leave the situation even prouder of being who they are. I certainly have, so gracias. You inadvertently made me prouder of my Latinidad, my Colombian heritage, my immigrant identity, my womanness.

I want to remind you that this nation does not have an official, national language. I want to remind you that the English language is influenced by other languages. I want to remind you that even if you are not an immigrant, you have a history of immigration in your ancestry. I want to remind you that this nation runs on immigrants. it is people like my colleague and me who make this country great--a country that has always been great (though it has a lot to improve) because of the direct result of immigration. De nada.

Sincerely,

A proud, Spanish-speaking immigrant

#spanish #public #open letter

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airoasis · 5 years

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How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-to-learn-any-language-easily-matthew-youlden-tedxclapham-2/

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

Translator: Hoa Pham Reviewer: Denise RQ learning a language can suppose a little bit like rocket science, something out of this world and out of attain for the great majority of us. This is not a notion, however, simply held by using many English monolinguals on our island. It is usually shared by a lot of our linguistic cousins additional afield, say, in the U.S. Or Australia. Let’s be honest: on the subject of learning languages or speaking them, we’re the form of people that likes to think we’re fluent in a large number of various languages such as Geordie, Kiwi, Cockney, or what about Canadian? Do not get me unsuitable. I am very, very pleased with my Mancunian heritage, however i wouldn’t suggest it is a separate language simply but. In any case, we don’t need subtitles once we are observing Coronation road, now do we? Although i can see you two pronouncing, "I do." (Laughter) yet, regardless of this, if you happen to had been to go the Channel, or say, if you are feeling moderately extra adventurous, pass the Severn Estuary into Wales, there you might to find that talking one more language or being bilingual is with ease a fact.But, there and additional afield, many are still convinced of the fact this is a lengthy, difficult, moderately painful, and dare I say, daunting task. In this room of one hundred folks, i’d wager that at least 15 different languages are spoken apart from English. Actually, the final census of 2011 revealed that a stunning 22% of Londoners – that’s 22%, one in 4, practically – speak yet another language at dwelling apart from English. I actually, while a Mancunian, speak approximately 20 languages, and of those, around half I converse fluently. And the question I get asked via persons probably the most is, "Why?" (Laughter) good, the answer, for me as a minimum, is as an alternative easy. I am convinced studying languages, any language per Se, is surely convenient. And that i wish to exhibit you how. As a linguist, a polyglot, and a lecturer, i know what it entails to be trained and learn a language.And probably the most greatest barriers we’re confronted when finding out are myths. And i definitely think that we need to debunk them. In an effort to consider these extra simply, I came up with the nice and friendly sounding acronym D.I.E. (Laughter) which funnily sufficient, should you write it out no longer pronounce, if you happen to write it out, it’s one of the most words for ‘the’ in German. Fable quantity one: learning a language is conveniently too tricky. I will by no means be equipped to communicate another language relatively just like the language I used to be born with. Technically, you’re now not born with a language. Anyone right here could have ended up, with say, eastern as our first language. We had been effectively surrounded or immersed in the language in general from an extraordinarily early age. There are individuals, however, available in the market – many of them, in fact – who began to be taught a language, the 2nd or might be even the 0.33, so much afterward in life. And guess what? They’re now wholly fluent in this language or these other languages even perhaps extra so than in their so-called mother tongue.Why is this? Since there is not any cutoff date in which you have got to have learned a different language. Consider about how many people who say, "Ugh! My kids are doing French in college. I relatively want them to turn out to be fluent. However I can’t, no means, it can be impossible. I must’ve conveniently paid extra attention once I was once at tuition." good, reviews expose that while youngsters most of the time are so much faster at selecting up a brand new language than folks older than them, it’s truely us – that you could just breathe as a sign of relief – it’s us, the adults, who’re extra powerful at studying them. Why is that this? Because now we have the expertise of learning. We know methods to gain knowledge of already. Myth number two: languages are with no trouble beside the point. I don’t have to learn a further language in any respect.And as we hear, and regrettably hear rather lots – I was once going to do in a cockney accent, but I won’t do it at all. I will spare myself the embarrassment of doing that – languages … Every body speaks English, anyway. Good, besides the obvious advantages of talking another language – for illustration, monetary advantages and mental advantages, i.E., better pay, extra job possibilities, maintaining us mentally match, and truly serving to to stave off neurological diseases similar to Alzheimer’s- there are real hidden gemstones we will realize once we converse yet another language. How about getting an upgrade in your hotel room, as was once lately the case with my uncle before going to Turkey on holiday? He asked me if I would send him over just a few phrases and greetings in the language that he might try out in the inn.Turns up, caught over this suitcase, throws out a few sentences in Turkish, and bam!, he’s given an improve on his resort room instantly. (Laughter) You would now not normally get an upgrade on your resort room. I are not able to promise you this. Nevertheless, i will be able to promise that you maybe simply perhaps, through an additional language, will meet the love of your existence. We all keep in mind Jamie from Love clearly finding out Portuguese for Aurlia. And correctly, virtually one in ten Brits is married to any individual who used to be born overseas. Moreover, the Guardian stated on research showing that individuals who are able to converse two languages or extra better adapt or are higher equipped at dealing with issues, that they’re better at multitasking and prioritizing tasks. That is obviously a so much sought-after ability in our day and age when anybody appeared to be glued to our telephones. I wonder how many humans now who’re looking at this shall be glued to their telephones, and how many are clearly going to bilingual? Myth number three: you must be an expat and be in a situation where the language is constantly spoken, even to simply get a snatch of the language.There is no damage in without difficulty packing up and moving to a village within the center of nowhere, nevertheless it’s no longer really vital. Now the satisfactory unknown: my brother and that i – i’ll depart you to make a decision who’s who; he is clearly my twin brother – my brother and that i at the same time being headquartered in Berlin, Germany, determined to undertake the undertaking of learning Turkish in simply seven days. We decided to undertake the challenge of studying Turkish in simply seven days in an effort to show what you are able to do with the aid of effectively putting your intellect to it. I am no longer saying we all need to be going available in the market and studying a language in every week nor that it is simply possible to be trained absolutely the whole thing there’s in this sort of quick house of time. I will guarantee you, it isn’t. Perfection isn’t the intention right here.The purpose, nonetheless, is to get as good as we very likely can in a detailed language, within the shortest time viable. This means to the dismay of university teachers all for the period of the globe, "Take shortcuts." The first-rate factor about these shortcuts is we can observe them to any language that we would like to be taught. And furthermore, they’re so simple, you perhaps left thinking at the finish, "Why did not I think of that?" So let’s take a look at these shortcuts. Quantity one: analyze the similarities, focal point on equivalent factors. As audio system of English, we already comprehend so much about different languages, given the fact that our language itself, almost, is a Germanic language with the wealth of influences and vocabulary from a multitude of specific languages as numerous as Latin, Hebrew, or Hindi. Doing this will likely help strengthen patterns in the language and in addition will aid us to guess the that means and formation of phrases and things that we don’t yet know. As you see on this slide, for example, we are able to see how closely associated English is to fellow different Germanic languages and even to languages that are, in this case, Romance languages, however that English is a Germanic language basically.Shortcut quantity two: hold it easy. In the beginning sight, you could consider you are studying a language that doesn’t have that so much in common with our possess, however through focusing on easy factors, we will be able to learn it so much speedily on the grounds that each language has convenient elements to it. Some languages simplest have two or three tenses. For example, you grow to be saying ‘I had,’ in this one form, for ‘I had,’i’ve had,’ and ‘I had had,’ and ‘i’m’ also can be ‘I might be’ and ‘i would be.’ In different circumstances, if we seem at, for example, German, we’ve a case of developed vocabulary that is derived from a couple of simple words or verbs.On this case, we’ve the verb ‘sprechen’ which is ‘to speak,’ which has now long gone on and lent itself to turn out to be ‘besprechen’ – to discuss, ‘entsprechen’ – to correspond, ‘versprechen’ and ‘absprechen,’ and many others, and so on. Shortcut quantity three: hold it imperative. Especially at the commencing of our process, we have got to ensure that it’s valuable to us. Not all people is learning German with a view to talk about business with colleagues in Berlin. Consider about this. As speakers of English, we have no idea every single phrase within the Oxford English Dictionary. So why will have to we worry about remembering every single phrase we come upon within the new language? We readily have got to make it critical to our own exact challenge right now. When it comes to learning a language, maybe the most important aspect is time. And by using time, i do not mean years upon years of unending studying as some men and women still prefer to feel. How long does it take to gain knowledge of a language? How about if I were to inform you that half-hour per day are a first-rate and effective begin? Thirty minutes – these are minutes all of us have.Be ten within the morning, ten in the afternoon, ten in the night, or half-hour in conveniently one go to be able to work, to tuition, to tuition, out in the evening, assembly friends, while we are on the train or bus. We all have all these minutes that we are able to commit to gain knowledge of. Moreover, by finding out for smaller intervals and general intervals, we will not suppose so overwhelmed via the language. And even better, studying for average periods signifies that it is more effective, considering chances are that if you’re studying for once a week or once a fortnight, by the time you next come to gain knowledge of, you’ll have already got forgotten what you initially realized. The purpose hence is to fit language studying into our day-to-day routines and now not the opposite direction around. And by means of doing this, there’s no motive why after with ease one month, you are not able to get through in your new language. These energetic forms of studying, we have got to compliment them with what i might like to refer to as passive varieties of learning.Having breakfast: change the radio on and listen to a station within the language, turn out to be accustomed to the tune of the language. The song is not going to handiest help you get used to the sounds, to the intonation, and to the rhythm however the words you can hear will also help you companion them; given that you know the songs, and you can be competent to partner them with these songs, hence expanding our vocabulary. Had a tough day? Deal with yourself to a television series or a movie within the language, and put subtitles on, in English, and then, others can join and watch with you as good. We all know how all people seems to be going crazy about this Scandinavian television crime series on the second – a few of which had been dubbed into English; hold it long-established. By way of doing this, this may get you off to a quality begin to move on and to definitely grasp your language. There are three rules, i love to consult them as the golden principles of language finding out, that each and every and all people of us should be doing when going about learning a language. The primary rule is – stay up for it – the primary rule is live the language, speak it, learn it, write it, dream in it, sing it even; sing to your self.My brother and i once we began studying Greek, we decided to put in writing songs in the language. Do not fear, i am not about to embarrass my brother, and that i certainly is not going to be singing for you all this morning. That said, with a purpose to grasp the language, you ought to make it yours, possess the language. So why no longer put your mobilephone or pc in the language you’re studying? Number two: make mistakes. Sure, you heard me adequately. Make as many as you need.Why? On account that we be taught by means of making errors. It can be really the only manner we are able to get matters proper. As children, we’re even anticipated to make them. However as adults, we are frightened seeing that they make us consider susceptible. Admitting from the beginning we have no idea most likely the whole lot there may be to know about this new language will not preclude us from studying it. Additionally, it will really give us the freedom to go on and to grasp it. So go forth and make as many mistakes as you like. The last rule, and this is the most important one, and this is important: make it enjoyable.Grammar ideas aren’t consistently enjoyable. I mean, i like grammar, however I comprehend that not every person is so hooked in to it; now not certain why, though. But consider, some thing you are able to do in English, you are able to do in another language, so make it enjoyable. And actually, by way of making it enjoyable, by making the system wonderful, you’re serving to your self keep motivated. And the more stimulated you might be, the better your probabilities are of succeeding. So exit and let your ingenious juices waft. The great factor as well is why not try and get persons, other humans, concerned? Say, colleagues, acquaintances, and turn it into a small, pleasant competitors. Truely, studies show if you happen to get a pleasant competitors going, that your probabilities of succeeding are significantly better, and they increase your performance. Languages are mostly perceived to be the first-rate unknown. We prefer to consider of them as anything unfamiliar, and but, we know a lot about them due to the fact all human languages have their possess ordinary but attractive approaches of expressing suggestions, ideas, and fact, despite the fact that we’re not mindful of it in the beginning.Via now delving into the unknown and realizing the acquainted, we will be able to be able to grasp probably the most pleasurable, profitable, and effective abilities we possess as humans: human conversation. And who would face up to trying to be trained a language with these linguistic pearls? The first one could be, as you say in French, (French) Ayez Les dents longues, (English) which is ‘be bold.’ It actually manner, nonetheless, ‘have lengthy enamel.’ (Laughter) Mine are not that long. I might prefer to want you all in Italian (Italian) In bocca al lupo, (English) which is ‘just right good fortune,’ but actually way ‘into the mouth of the wolf.’ (Laughter) And eventually, as we are saying in Ukrainian, (Ukrainian) Skilky mov ty znayesh – stilky raziv ty lyudyna, (English) because of this "The extra languages you already know, the more humans you might be." revel in finding out a new language.(Applause) .

#education #english #humanities #language #learning #Social Interaction #TEDxTalks #United Kingdom

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batterymonster2021 · 5 years

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How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-to-learn-any-language-easily-matthew-youlden-tedxclapham-2/

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

#education #english #humanities #language #learning #Social Interaction #TEDxTalks #United Kingdom

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airoasis · 5 years

Text

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-to-learn-any-language-easily-matthew-youlden-tedxclapham/

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

Translator: Hoa Pham Reviewer: Denise RQ studying a language can consider a little like rocket science, anything out of this world and out of attain for the big majority of us. This isn’t a belief, nonetheless, simply held by means of many English monolinguals on our island. It’s also shared through many of our linguistic cousins additional afield, say, in the united states or Australia. Let’s be sincere: with regards to finding out languages or speakme them, we are the kind of individuals that likes to consider we’re fluent in a mess of various languages corresponding to Geordie, Kiwi, Cockney, or what about Canadian? Do not get me unsuitable. I’m very, very happy with my Mancunian heritage, but i wouldn’t advocate it is a separate language simply yet. In the end, we are not looking for subtitles when we are observing Coronation avenue, now can we? Even though i will see you two saying, "I do." (Laughter) but, despite this, should you had been to move the Channel, or say, if you’re feeling reasonably extra adventurous, pass the Severn Estuary into Wales, there you may find that talking one more language or being bilingual is comfortably a reality.Yet, there and further afield, many are nonetheless convinced of the actual fact this can be a long, difficult, relatively painful, and dare I say, daunting task. On this room of one hundred men and women, i’d guess that at least 15 other languages are spoken apart from English. Actually, the final census of 2011 published that a dazzling 22% of Londoners – that is 22%, one in 4, virtually – converse yet another language at house aside from English. I actually, while a Mancunian, speak approximately 20 languages, and of these, around half of I communicate fluently. And the question I get requested by persons probably the most is, "Why?" (Laughter) well, the answer, for me at the least, is as a substitute easy.I’m convinced learning languages, any language per Se, is genuinely easy. And i want to show you how. As a linguist, a polyglot, and a lecturer, i do know what it entails to be trained and gain knowledge of a language. And one of the largest obstacles we’re confronted when finding out are myths. And i sincerely suppose that we have got to debunk them. With a view to bear in mind these extra easily, I got here up with the high-quality and friendly sounding acronym D.I.E. (Laughter) which funnily adequate, in the event you write it out not pronounce, if you happen to write it out, it can be one of the crucial words for ‘the’ in German. Fantasy number one: studying a language is with no trouble too complicated. I’ll on no account be competent to converse yet another language relatively like the language I used to be born with. Technically, you are no longer born with a language. Every body right here could have ended up, with say, eastern as our first language. We have been comfortably surrounded or immersed within the language quite often from an awfully early age. There are persons, nonetheless, in the market – lots of them, correctly – who started to be taught a language, the 2d or maybe even the 1/3, so much later on in existence.And bet what? They may be now totally fluent in this language or these different languages even perhaps extra so than of their so-referred to as mother tongue. Why is that this? Seeing that there is no cutoff date by which you have got to have discovered an extra language. Consider about how many men and women you know who say, "Ugh! My kids are doing French in institution. I quite want them to end up fluent. But I cannot, no manner, it is not possible. I will have to’ve with no trouble paid more attention after I was at tuition." well, studies reveal that while children more commonly are so much turbo at deciding on up a new language than humans older than them, it is simply us – that you may simply breathe as a sign of relief – it is us, the adults, who’re more effective at finding out them. Why is this? Since now we have the experience of learning. We know the way to be taught already. Fantasy number two: languages are comfortably irrelevant. I don’t have to study a further language in any respect. And as we hear, and alas hear particularly so much – I was once going to do in a cockney accent, however I won’t do it in any respect.I will spare myself the embarrassment of doing that – languages … Every person speaks English, anyway. Good, apart from the apparent advantages of speakme one other language – for example, economic benefits and mental advantages, i.E., higher pay, more job opportunities, retaining us mentally match, and sincerely helping to stave off neurological diseases corresponding to Alzheimer’s- there are real hidden gem stones we are able to realize when we communicate one more language. How about getting an improve on your lodge room, as was once recently the case with my uncle earlier than going to Turkey on excursion? He asked me if I could send him over a few phrases and greetings in the language that he would try out in the inn. Turns up, caught over this suitcase, throws out a number of sentences in Turkish, and bam!, he is given an upgrade on his hotel room instantaneously. (Laughter) You would now not consistently get an upgrade to your motel room.I cannot promise you this. Nonetheless, i can promise that you simply possibly just might be, via an additional language, will meet the love of your life. All of us bear in mind Jamie from Love actually learning Portuguese for Aurlia. And in fact, practically one in ten Brits is married to any person who was once born abroad. Additionally, the Guardian stated on research showing that folks who’re equipped to converse two languages or extra better adapt or are better equipped at dealing with problems, that they are higher at multitasking and prioritizing duties. This is surely a so much sought-after talent in our day and age when each person gave the impression to be glued to our telephones. I ponder what number of people now who’re watching this will likely be glued to their telephones, and how many are simply going to bilingual? Myth number three: you have got to be an expat and be in a situation where the language is always spoken, even to simply get a take hold of of the language. There isn’t any harm in quite simply packing up and relocating to a village within the core of nowhere, however it’s not actually imperative.Now the quality unknown: my brother and that i – i’ll go away you to decide who’s who; he’s surely my twin brother – my brother and i even as being centered in Berlin, Germany, made up our minds to undertake the mission of studying Turkish in just seven days. We decided to undertake the project of finding out Turkish in simply seven days with the intention to exhibit what you are able to do with the aid of easily hanging your intellect to it. I am not pronouncing we all need to be going available in the market and finding out a language in a week nor that it is virtually viable to gain knowledge of definitely the whole thing there’s in any such brief space of time. I will guarantee you, it isn’t. Perfection is not the goal here. The intention, however, is to get as just right as we almost certainly can in a distinct language, within the shortest time feasible. This means to the dismay of college academics all throughout the globe, "Take shortcuts." The satisfactory thing about these shortcuts is we can apply them to any language that we would like to be trained. And additionally, they’re so simple, you maybe left thinking on the finish, "Why didn’t I suppose of that?" So let’s take a look at these shortcuts.Number one: analyze the similarities, focal point on identical elements. As speakers of English, we already comprehend so much about other languages, given the truth that our language itself, practically, is a Germanic language with the wealth of influences and vocabulary from a multitude of unique languages as numerous as Latin, Hebrew, or Hindi. Doing this may increasingly support boost patterns within the language and in addition will aid us to wager the meaning and formation of phrases and matters that we do not but be aware of. As you see in this slide, for instance, we will see how closely associated English is to fellow other Germanic languages and even to languages which can be, in this case, Romance languages, besides the fact that children that English is a Germanic language pretty much. Shortcut quantity two: maintain it easy. At first sight, you could suppose you’re studying a language that doesn’t have that a lot in usual with our own, but by way of specializing in easy elements, we can be able to be trained it a lot swiftly due to the fact that every language has effortless elements to it. Some languages handiest have two or three tenses.For illustration, you grow to be saying ‘I had,’ in this one kind, for ‘I had,’i’ve had,’ and ‘I had had,’ and ‘i’m’ also can also be ‘I will probably be’ and ‘i’d be.’ In other circumstances, if we look at, for illustration, German, we have a case of developed vocabulary that is derived from just a few simple words or verbs. On this case, we have now the verb ‘sprechen’ which is ‘to speak,’ which has now gone on and lent itself to turn out to be ‘besprechen’ – to discuss, ‘entsprechen’ – to correspond, ‘versprechen’ and ‘absprechen,’ and so forth, etc.Shortcut quantity three: keep it principal. In particular on the beginning of our process, we ought to ensure that it can be vital to us. No longer all people is learning German with a purpose to speak about business with colleagues in Berlin. Suppose about this. As speakers of English, we don’t know each single phrase within the Oxford English Dictionary. So why should we worry about remembering each single phrase we encounter in the new language? We readily have to make it crucial to our possess special crisis right now. In the case of finding out a language, possibly the most imperative aspect is time.And with the aid of time, i don’t imply years upon years of endless learning as some humans still wish to feel. How lengthy does it take to learn a language? How about if I were to tell you that 30 minutes per day are a high-quality and effective begin? Thirty minutes – these are minutes we all have. Be ten within the morning, ten in the afternoon, ten in the evening, or half-hour in with ease one go in an effort to work, to university, to institution, out in the night, meeting pals, at the same time we are on the instruct or bus.All of us have all these minutes that we will decide to learn. Furthermore, via studying for smaller periods and typical intervals, we won’t think so overwhelmed via the language. And even higher, finding out for ordinary durations means that it’s extra powerful, since probabilities are that if you are learning for as soon as every week or as soon as a fortnight, by the time you subsequent come to be taught, you can have already got forgotten what you initially discovered. The purpose as a result is to suit language studying into our daily routines and now not the other way round. And by way of doing this, there isn’t any motive why after with ease one month, you can’t get with the aid of for your new language. These active varieties of studying, we need to praise them with what i would like to consult as passive varieties of studying. Having breakfast: swap the radio on and hearken to a station within the language, end up accustomed to the song of the language. The music is not going to handiest support you get used to the sounds, to the intonation, and to the rhythm however the phrases you’ll hear may also help you accomplice them; due to the fact the songs, and you’ll be competent to accomplice them with these songs, hence increasing our vocabulary.Had a hard day? Deal with yourself to a tv series or a film in the language, and put subtitles on, in English, after which, others can become a member of and watch with you as good. Everyone knows how every person appears to be going loopy about this Scandinavian television crime series at the moment – some of which had been dubbed into English; maintain it customary. Via doing this, this will get you off to a pleasant start to move on and to truly master your language. There are three rules, i love to consult them as the golden principles of language finding out, that each and everybody of us must be doing when going about studying a language.The primary rule is – watch for it – the primary rule is live the language, speak it, learn it, write it, dream in it, sing it even; sing to yourself. My brother and that i after we started finding out Greek, we decided to jot down songs in the language. Do not worry, i am now not about to embarrass my brother, and that i most likely will not be singing for you all this morning. That stated, in an effort to grasp the language, you have to make it yours, possess the language. So why no longer put your telephone or laptop within the language you’re finding out? Number two: make mistakes. Yes, you heard me accurately. Make as many as you need. Why? On account that we learn by making errors. It can be definitely the one way we can get matters proper. As youngsters, we’re even anticipated to make them. However as adults, we’re apprehensive on the grounds that they make us feel inclined. Admitting from the starting we do not know certainly the whole thing there may be to find out about this new language is not going to prevent us from finding out it. Moreover, it’s going to clearly supply us the liberty to head on and to grasp it. So go forth and make as many errors as you like.The final rule, and that is the essential one, and that is essential: make it fun. Grammar rules aren’t continuously enjoyable. I imply, i love grammar, but I appreciate that not every person is so it; now not definite why, although. But do not forget, anything you are able to do in English, you can do in any other language, so make it enjoyable. And simply, via making it enjoyable, by way of making the approach interesting, you’re helping yourself stay influenced. And the extra influenced you’re, the better your chances are of succeeding. So go out and let your creative juices flow. The nice thing as good is why not try and get people, other folks, concerned? Say, colleagues, associates, and switch it right into a small, friendly competitors. Honestly, stories exhibit if you happen to get a pleasant competition going, that your chances of succeeding are significantly better, and they increase your efficiency. Languages are on the whole perceived to be the exceptional unknown. We prefer to suppose of them as some thing unfamiliar, and yet, we know so much about them because all human languages have their possess unusual yet attractive ways of expressing ideas, ideas, and truth, even though we’re no longer conscious of it to start with.By way of now delving into the unknown and realizing the familiar, we will be able to grasp one of the vital pleasurable, moneymaking, and effective knowledge we possess as humans: human verbal exchange. And who might face up to looking to study a language with these linguistic pearls? The first one can be, as you say in French, (French) Ayez Les dents longues, (English) which is ‘be formidable.’ It literally manner, however, ‘have long enamel.’ (Laughter) Mine are not that lengthy. I’d like to wish you all in Italian (Italian) In bocca al lupo, (English) which is ‘just right success,’ however literally means ‘into the mouth of the wolf.’ (Laughter) And subsequently, as we say in Ukrainian, (Ukrainian) Skilky mov ty znayesh – stilky raziv ty lyudyna, (English) which means "The extra languages you already know, the more people you are." revel in studying a new language.(Applause) .

#education #english #humanities #language #learning #Social Interaction #TEDxTalks #United Kingdom

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batterymonster2021 · 5 years

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How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-to-learn-any-language-easily-matthew-youlden-tedxclapham/

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

#education #english #humanities #language #learning #Social Interaction #TEDxTalks #United Kingdom

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batterymonster2021 · 5 years

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How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-to-learn-any-language-easily-matthew-youlden-tedxclapham/

How to learn any language easily | Matthew Youlden | TEDxClapham

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