by Antonio Graceffo
When I started my Vietnamese intensive course, a lot of non-linguistists I talked to said that the Chinese students would have an advantage because they already speak a tonal language. It is true that some westerns could be completely stumped by tones, and just not get the language at all. But, a person who already speaks a tonal language does not have an advantage over a westerner or a Korean or Japanese who is intelligent, motivated and who is trying to learn tones.
by John Fotheringham
As a language learning addict, I follow lots (and I mean lots) of polyglot blogs and podcasts. It is always interesting to see what has worked (and what hasn’t worked) for successful language learners. While most agree on the vast majority of language learning DOs and DON’Ts, there is one area that always seems to cause heated debate: input (i.e. listening and reading) versus language output (i.e. speaking and writing). Here’s where I throw down on the issue…
by Joseph Gustav
More and more, it is becoming extremely beneficial to know a foreign language in today’s tough job market. Any kind of edge helps now more than ever in this economy, and one of the most sought-after and respected skills that can give you the upper hand is knowing a foreign language.
by John Fotheringham
You often hear people say that certain words are “difficult”, but I don’t think this word applies to languages. Instead, I suggest you use the word “unfamiliar” instead. Read on to see why…
by John Fotheringham
Most adults fail to learn a foreign language no matter how many years they sit in a classroom or live where the language is spoken because they spend nearly all of their study time learning “about” their target language instead of the language itself. This is the critical difference between “studying” and “learning”.
by John Fotheringham
Stever Robbins (a.k.a. The Get-it-done Guy), author of The Get-it-Done Guy’s 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More, has featured my language learning tips in the June 7, 2010 episode of his popular productivity podcast!
