OK. Everyone knows that quote by Woody Allen or whoever about showing up. You know, 70% of winning is showing up. Well, Woody Allen, that daughter-dating scoundrel, lied to you. The truth is 70% of winning is showing up is a bunch of bull!
“Effectiveness is doing the things that get you closer to your goals. Efficiency is performing a given task (whether important or not) in the most economical manner possible. Being efficient without regard to effectiveness is the default mode of the universe.”
In recent years, grammar mavens and traditional language educators have been up in arms against a perceived attack on “the righteous study of grammar”. These defensive claims always perplex me considering that nearly all language classes still spend the vast majority of class hours teaching and testing grammar rules…
The first thing I’d like to say about mind mapping is how upset I am for not knowing about it sooner! Why wasn’t it taught to me in elementary school, junior high, high school, or even university? Why did I labor through so many classes, books and professional challenges without this amazing tool?
The term “Multiple Intelligences” was first coined by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner. His theory is spelled out in the 1983 book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. In the book, Gardner posits that humans possess many varied types of intelligence, not just one. This stands in stark contrast to IQ and standardized testing, both of which look at intelligence as a one-dimensional concept: you either have it or you don’t. While Gardners’s work is still somewhat controversial, I think it is a helpful way to frame intelligence and useful tool for choosing effective language learning methods and materials for oneself.
Michael Heim (1943-2012) was a highly respected professor of Slavic languages at UCLA. He spoke 10 languages (though he claimed that the number is hard to tie down due to the slippery political nature of language-dialect distinctions). Heim believed that effective language learning must begin (and progress) with a specific purpose in mind; he never learned a language just for the heck of it.
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Howdy language lovers! I’m John Fotheringham, an author, linguist, vagabond, entrepreneur, and full-time silly goose. I have been learning and teaching languages for over a decade and have seen first-hand what works and what doesn’t. The Language Mastery site, podcast, and guides provide adult learners the tips, tools, and tech needed to create fun, engaging, immersive environments no matter where in the world one happens to live.