HOW NOT TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE ?

sladeetal

October 31, 2007 at 07:11 AM posted in General Discussion

Who of us wouldn't just love to learn a new language? In fact, every human being is driven to search for meaning. Passive observation is just not enough; it is the interactivity that is so essential. "Tell me, and I forget. Show me, and I remember. Let me do, and I understand," says the ancient Chinese proverb. It's one thing to show your child a picture of the ocean, and say "ocean," and quite another thing to let her splash in an ocean and say, "The ocean is water." You can continue this exercise in more sophisticated ways as your child grows. If your 8-year-old, for example, is enjoying a TV program about airplanes, why not take him to an airport and ask a pilot to show you a cockpit?

Research in the area of memory indicates that a person only retains, long-term: 10% of what they read, but 90% of what they do and say! Findings suggest that "the brain develops on a 'use it or lose it' principle." So, the best time to master a skill associated with a system is just when a new system is coming on line in your brain. Language is the perfect example. It's very easy for a 2 year old to learn any new language. So, What idiot decreed that foreign-language shouldn't begin until high school?

For years, many teachers have found that their "Holy Grail" has been attention. But evidence suggests that the brain's ability to stay attentive for extended periods of time is not only rare but difficult. The brain needs downtime! If you don't give it to them they'll just tune out anyway. So, Why don't students remember what they were taught? This usually occurs because the information served no useful purpose in their lives and their brains dropped it. Or probably because they didn't learn in the first place! To contact me please go to sladeetal@hotmail.com or you can visit my website at http://www.luomapinyin.com

So what do you think? When should we begin learning a new language?

AuntySue

November 01, 2007 at 08:16 AM

spam

Abuse of our study area for a thinly disguised snake-oil style marketing hype link is the height of disrespect. We are each paying a lot of money to preserve a study place that is free of all advertising, so to insert some here by stealth feels like someone is stealing from all of our pockets.

Normally I respond to this kind of thing by publishing a full scathing review of every flaw in the spammer's product. For example, imperfections in English usage by one who claims to be a teacher and translator, or weaknesses in the pedagogical principles or payment demands, and so on, are pretty easy to find aplenty at most sites.

In this case, though, I really can't be bothered. There's nothing that any of us would be interested in anyway, and a relationship established on the foundation of sly manipulation cannot ever lead to sales, or even curiosity, at least not here for us it doesn't.

This guy made a big mistake in underestimating our integrity. Ignore him and let him go away and burn his spam fingers elsewhere, or maybe pay for his advertising himself like most people do.

Let's get back to our study and community in the more genuine threads. This one is of no consequence.

goulnik

October 31, 2007 at 05:08 PM

I find it borderline bad taste to advertise here in that way. If Man2Toe hadn't responded I wouldn't have, this is getting far too much visibility, I with this message could self-destroy :-(

man2toe

October 31, 2007 at 04:32 PM

Interesting.

I agree that language acquisition should start very early, how about as early as in the womb?

As to the high school language departments; in the USA at least, should be dropped until a vibrant preschool and elementary program is fully developed.

Thanks for sharing your insights sladeetal.