Showing Up is the Key (Guest Post by Khatzumoto of AJATT)
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…
read moreEfficiency vs. Efficacy: The Critical Difference Between Doing Things Right and Doing the Right Things in Language Learning
Efficient. Effective. While the two terms are often used interchangeably, there is actually an important, highly under-appreciated difference between being “efficient” and being “effective.” And this is perhaps more true in foreign language learning than any other endeavor!
read moreWhy Grammar-based Instruction is Bunk
In recent years, grammar mavens and traditional language educators have been up in arms against a perceived attack on ”the righteous study of grammar.” Their basic contention is (as recently stated on a a pro-grammar blog), “Anything students need to know has to be taught, not caught.” These defensive claims always perplex meconsidering that nearly all language classes (whether at high schools, universities or private language schools) still spend the vast majority of class hours teaching and testing grammar rules. If anything, we have been too accepting of grammar-based...
read moreReview of Rosetta Stone language Learning Products
With $210,000,000 in sales last year, Rosetta Stone is far and away the best selling language learning product on the market today. But Rosetta Stone’s sales figures say more about the company’s marketing budget than the quality of their products. A quick look around the web reveals a healthy mix of positive and negative feedback about the product, but there is a big problem with objectivity: the positive reviews tend to be from affiliate sites hoping you click the “Buy” link. Since I don’t sell Rosetta Stone, I figure I can provide an honest, objective review of the...
read moreInterview with Steve Kaufmann, Creator of LingQ.com and Author of “The Way of the Linguist”
With 11 languages under his belt, Steve Kaufmann is an extremely accomplished language learner. His extensive language learning wisdom in shared in his book titled The Way of the Linguist: A Language Learning Odyssey and his online language learning system called LingQ. On top of all this, Steve maintains an informative blog well worth checking out: The Linguist on Language. There he shares his views on language learning and other topics of interest. Many of the articles stir up quite a debate and it is enjoyable to go through the comments to see the vast array of viewpoints. With...
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With thousands dead and millions without running water, electricity, or even homes following the 8.9 earthquake and subsequent tsunamis on March 11, 2011, it is time for the rest of the world to step up and help save Japan.
