How
many times have you heard someone complain they can't speak a foreign language
despite studying it for a long time? It's a common complaint that stems from
the way language learning is approached. After many years of teaching English
as a second language, I am always struck by the number of people who think
language should be learned in the same way as other subjects. Many students
believe they just need to memorize the material and they will magically be able
to use the language. What they don't understand is memorization is only the
first step, and even that is often done the night before the big exam. So if
you want speak a new language, rather than just learn about it, here are a few
pointers.
Review New Material
Quickly
Do
you have trouble remembering what was taught in class? Studies show people can forget up to
50% of new information when it isn't reviewed within 3 to 6
days. Because new vocabulary and grammar structures are introduced in almost
every class, language learners must stay on top of the task. This is especially
true for grammar. Students who wait to study often become confused because new
grammar structures usually require understanding of the previous structures
taught in class. Moreover, they are not practicing and incorporating the
grammar into real communication before the next structure in introduced, so
there will be little acquisition or long-term retention.
Seek Out
Opportunities for Genuine Communication
Do
you use your foreign language regularly? People who seek out opportunities to
speak a new language acquire it more quickly. Even highly motivated,
extroverted language learners can be resistant to the idea of communicating in
the target language due to nervousness. It is important to remember language is
acquired and retained only if it is used for communication. The goal is to be
able to use the vocabulary or grammar without having to think about using it.
Ideally, serious students should try to spend some time in the country where
the language is spoken. If you are not lucky enough to be able to do this, then
join a local language club such as the Alliance
Française or an online club such as the Polyglot Club. The old saying 'practice makes
perfect' is certainly true in language learning.
Practice Often in
Small Amounts
Do
you wait until the night before an exam to study? If so, you are making a big
mistake. Practice often in
small amounts of time rather than sitting down for one long study session.
Studies show that spaced repetition greatly increases recall. This is great
news for busy people who can make miniature flashcards to keep in their pocket
or use an electronic
flashcard program. I suggest cutting a standard index cards into
quarters, punching holes in the corners, and keeping the mini-flashcards on a
key chain. This makes it easy to practice whenever one has a couple of minutes
to spare. Also consider dividing your flashcards into three groups:
Unsuccessful Recalls, Successful Recalls, and Retired Cards
·
Unsuccessful Recalls are reviewed daily until learned. Then they are
moved to the successful recall which is reviewed every two days.
·
Successful Recalls should be reviewed once a week. Anytime a
mistake is made on a Successfully Recalled card, it is moved back to the
unsuccessful pile. When a successfully recalled card continues to be answered
correctly for three weeks, it is moved into the retired deck.
·
Retired Cards are reviewed every three weeks. If you cannot
successfully recall a card, it is moved back into the unsuccessful recall card
deck.
If you want to
further increase your recall, try leveraging your physical senses.
Use Your Senses
Many
language learners fail to understand how their physical senses can assist them
in learning a new language. As a child, you learned new words by connecting
experience with vocabulary. The first time you tasted an orange, you mother
most likely said the word 'orange' to you. At that point, you connected
'orange' to the sight, smell, taste and feel of an orange. From that point
forward, the word orange was connected to your sense memory allowing you to
more easily recall the word without thinking about it. The power of sense memory is
underutilized by most students learning a new language. If you
use your physical senses while repeating the vocabulary, it will forge a
powerful connection in your brain between the item and the word that cannot be
achieved by memorization alone. Also use adjectives to describe the item such
as 'This is a juicy, sweet orange". Often you will realize that you don't
know the adjective which is something you should note in a language diary.
Keep a Language Diary
Keeping
a language diary is a great way to notice the gaps in your language learning.
It will help you to remember new language heard outside the classroom and allow you to ask your teacher
questions. If you cannot say the sentence you want or hear a word
you don't understand, put it in your diary. Additionally, language diaries are
a wonderful way to learn idioms or sayings that don't have literal meanings.
For example, if you hear "in a dead heat", you can learn it means "a
close race" rather than thinking someone died of a heatstroke. Ask your
teacher to review your language diary so you can get feedback and error
correction. If you write vocabulary or phrases on one side of a page and the
definition or translation on the other, then you can use your language diary to
test your knowledge as well.
Test Yourself
Research
shows that testing and
reviewing the results increases learning and reduces forgetting
more than studying alone. There are many language learning websites that offer
free quizzes and tests for most languages such as Spanish, French, German,
Italian, and English. It is important to remember speaking a foreign language
is the same testing yourself, but it works best if you keep a language journal
to document your experiences and mistakes.
Learning a new
language is as challenging as it is fulfilling. If you are willing to put in
extra work outside of class, you will become proficient much more quickly.
People who want the physique of a body builder must work out regularly to
develop their muscles and not solely rely on learning about physical fitness.
Language learning is no different.
References:
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar