Despite what the marketers at Simon & Schuster say in their advertising and at the end of every Pimsleur recording, there is no way you can learn a language by simply listening to a new 30 minute lesson every day. You can gain some confidence with a few useful phrases for vacation or business travel, perhaps. But it takes quite a bit more to learn a language. Nevertheless, the Pimsleur recordings are a valuable rallying point.
I just bought and read Dr. Pimsleur's posthumously-published "How to Learn a Foreign Language", now available as an e-book. It's short -- he may have intended to make it longer but he died before it was completed. Be that as it may, it contains some very useful advice that's in alignment with my own philosophy about language learning. On the topic of whether language learning is easy:
"... learning a language is a serious commitment, and if one's aim is to speak it comfortably ..., this is likely to take the equivalent of six months of full-time study."
He goes on to say that to become fluent, one would need significantly more effort including time spent immersed in the target language. However, he points out that not everyone wants full fluency. For people who might be dismayed at the idea of making a serious time commitment, he notes:
"They should reflect on the fact that one year from today they will be one year older whether they undertake this learning task or not. The only question is whether, on that day, they are going to be well along toward mastering the language that they have dreamed of knowing, or whether it will still be only a dream."
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Positive and Negative
I haven't posted in a while, but I have been working on Greek daily! In my personal experience, I think that familiarity with other languages really helps with learning. I know Spanish (low intermediate) and German (high intermediate) and have some shallow experience with other languages as well (Latin, Italian, French ...)
Positive: I'm already familiar with some grammar points that would be new to me as an English speaker. For example, in Greek the subject pronoun can generally be left out because that information is included with the verb ending. That is, katalavaino (καταλαβαίνω), not ego katalavaino (εγώ καταλαβαίνω) unless there is a need to emphasize the pronoun explicitly. That is familiar from Spanish.
Both Greek and German have masculine, feminine and neuter nouns (with adjective endings to match) and I can remember that "girl" and "child" are neuter in Greek because that's also true in German. Greek, consistently, also treats "boy" as neuter. And a quick check with Google Translate shows that, like German, Greek treats baby animals as neuter (kitten, puppy, duckling, calf, foal, lamb, etc.).
I also absorb some words quickly thanks to knowledge from other languages. For example, the Greek word for "beans" is fasolia (φασόλια), which is similar to the Italian fagioli. I don't know much Italian, but I do know how to make "pasta fazool"!
Negative: I am struggling with some words because in my mind they're already connected to the opposite meaning. In informal German and archaic English, "nay" means "no". In Greek, nai (ναί) means "yes". While I have thoroughly learned this as a rational fact, it's not 100% at the language-speaking level. I can use the correct word when needed, but I still sense a slight hesitation. This effect also bleeds into my absorption of the word for "no". I also have a problem with the word for "there" (εκεί) because it's similar to the Spanish word for "here" (aquí).
As a teacher, I can use this experience to help my English learners, especially those who speak Romance languages. Highlighting similarities between our languages really does help with vocabulary learning. Drilling has a place, especially with stubborn words. And I see firsthand why wait time (giving a learner a second or two of extra time to formulate their response) can be helpful at first. But I can also see reducing wait time with language that should be familiar in order to discourage mental "translation"!
Positive: I'm already familiar with some grammar points that would be new to me as an English speaker. For example, in Greek the subject pronoun can generally be left out because that information is included with the verb ending. That is, katalavaino (καταλαβαίνω), not ego katalavaino (εγώ καταλαβαίνω) unless there is a need to emphasize the pronoun explicitly. That is familiar from Spanish.
Both Greek and German have masculine, feminine and neuter nouns (with adjective endings to match) and I can remember that "girl" and "child" are neuter in Greek because that's also true in German. Greek, consistently, also treats "boy" as neuter. And a quick check with Google Translate shows that, like German, Greek treats baby animals as neuter (kitten, puppy, duckling, calf, foal, lamb, etc.).
I also absorb some words quickly thanks to knowledge from other languages. For example, the Greek word for "beans" is fasolia (φασόλια), which is similar to the Italian fagioli. I don't know much Italian, but I do know how to make "pasta fazool"!
Negative: I am struggling with some words because in my mind they're already connected to the opposite meaning. In informal German and archaic English, "nay" means "no". In Greek, nai (ναί) means "yes". While I have thoroughly learned this as a rational fact, it's not 100% at the language-speaking level. I can use the correct word when needed, but I still sense a slight hesitation. This effect also bleeds into my absorption of the word for "no". I also have a problem with the word for "there" (εκεί) because it's similar to the Spanish word for "here" (aquí).
As a teacher, I can use this experience to help my English learners, especially those who speak Romance languages. Highlighting similarities between our languages really does help with vocabulary learning. Drilling has a place, especially with stubborn words. And I see firsthand why wait time (giving a learner a second or two of extra time to formulate their response) can be helpful at first. But I can also see reducing wait time with language that should be familiar in order to discourage mental "translation"!
Monday, May 25, 2015
Review
A good part of each Pimsleur lesson is devoted to review. In addition to reviewing the main points of the previous lesson, they often bring up a bit of language from an earlier lesson. ("Do you remember how to greet someone?") Cleverly, they will do this when we're right in the thick of learning something new. It takes the mind off of the subject at hand for a moment, so when we return to drilling I have to work harder to remember the just-learned forms. I think it's very effective. I'm given to understand that the review of older material follows the principles of spaced repetition, designed to strengthen long-term memory.
That said, I would like even more review of older material. Some things I'm doing:
Quizlet flashcards. The effort of making the flashcards is review in itself. It's also learning because, since there is no text, I don't know how to spell anything. I usually make flashcards after I've listened to a lesson at least 4 times. I mostly make sentences, attempting to make variations on the forms presented in the lesson. Sometimes I add a few new vocabulary words on my own. For example, they taught "Would you like a little wine?" and "Would you like a little beer?" I have added water, coffee, cream and sugar.
Audio flashcards. I would like to review the main language points of each lesson without having to go through the whole 30 minutes. So I excerpted many of the questions into individual audio snippets of 8-15 seconds in length. I can put these into various playlists and play them in random order on my PC, tablet, or phone whenever I want to. So far, it's adding up to about 5 minutes per lesson.
I may also use memrise because it also uses spaced repetition. It sends email reminders to you when it's time to study and it brings up older material for review periodically. I have used it a little with English learners, but haven't had a chance to try it myself (yet).
That said, I would like even more review of older material. Some things I'm doing:
Quizlet flashcards. The effort of making the flashcards is review in itself. It's also learning because, since there is no text, I don't know how to spell anything. I usually make flashcards after I've listened to a lesson at least 4 times. I mostly make sentences, attempting to make variations on the forms presented in the lesson. Sometimes I add a few new vocabulary words on my own. For example, they taught "Would you like a little wine?" and "Would you like a little beer?" I have added water, coffee, cream and sugar.
Audio flashcards. I would like to review the main language points of each lesson without having to go through the whole 30 minutes. So I excerpted many of the questions into individual audio snippets of 8-15 seconds in length. I can put these into various playlists and play them in random order on my PC, tablet, or phone whenever I want to. So far, it's adding up to about 5 minutes per lesson.
I may also use memrise because it also uses spaced repetition. It sends email reminders to you when it's time to study and it brings up older material for review periodically. I have used it a little with English learners, but haven't had a chance to try it myself (yet).
Drawbacks
Working with CDs has some drawbacks, of course. They're linear, they can't listen or give feedback, they dictate the program without regard to my needs, and they don't offer context. But that's OK, they're just one tool among many.
On the positive side, they offer good examples of pronunciation, they never get tired, and they're available 24-7!
On the positive side, they offer good examples of pronunciation, they never get tired, and they're available 24-7!
Monday, May 18, 2015
Babbling and Blurting
I'm always fascinated by babies. They sit in their little carrier and gaze around them with such intensity. As their family and others swirl around talking, they're taking it in. At some stage they begin to babble, practicing language sounds. That's followed eventually by word-like sounds (to great fanfare from their loved ones). And after something like two years, they begin to talk.
I don't have the skill to pursue any kind of meaningful conversation in Greek yet (greetings and other rote pleasantries don't count). But that's OK. I can be a language-baby for a while. Since I'm an adult with language experience (native language, German, Spanish and tidbits of others), I've begun sound-babbling and word-blurting right off the bat.
When I'm visiting with my Greek friends, we have a lot of real catching up to do so we speak exclusively in English. But when I think of some Greek that seems to fit the context of our conversation, I toss it into the mix. It's often badly mangled but I do get feedback, which is crucial. And when they sometimes talk to each other in Greek, I hang on every word. I guess that could be a little annoying. Especially since I blurt out any word I recognize like some kind of deranged parrot! Well, let's hope the baby stage doesn't last too long ...
I don't have the skill to pursue any kind of meaningful conversation in Greek yet (greetings and other rote pleasantries don't count). But that's OK. I can be a language-baby for a while. Since I'm an adult with language experience (native language, German, Spanish and tidbits of others), I've begun sound-babbling and word-blurting right off the bat.
When I'm visiting with my Greek friends, we have a lot of real catching up to do so we speak exclusively in English. But when I think of some Greek that seems to fit the context of our conversation, I toss it into the mix. It's often badly mangled but I do get feedback, which is crucial. And when they sometimes talk to each other in Greek, I hang on every word. I guess that could be a little annoying. Especially since I blurt out any word I recognize like some kind of deranged parrot! Well, let's hope the baby stage doesn't last too long ...
Let's go!
A couple of months ago, I decided to embark on a new project: to learn a bit of conversational Greek. I think it will give me some insights into the process of language learning, which may help me as an ESL teacher of adults.
My intention is to keep posts short and informal and to focus on my personal experience and reactions, for whatever that's worth. Since I've already started studying, I have a mental backlog of observations. Here we go!
My intention is to keep posts short and informal and to focus on my personal experience and reactions, for whatever that's worth. Since I've already started studying, I have a mental backlog of observations. Here we go!
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