Archive for December, 2009

Japanese Language Accelerated Learning Techniques

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Japanese is anything but an easy language to learn, regardless of one’s mother tongue. Still, it is one of the most popular foreign language choices in America and Europe, for two main reasons: the economical importance of Japan and the numerous businesses contracted between Japan and these areas and the fascination for Japanese culture that mainly formed up through modern Western media. Regardless of which reason you want to learn it for, the Japanese language cannot be learnt easily unless you know how it works.

Japanese is spoken by over 130 million people all over the world, obviously most of them being in Japan’s mainland. The Japanese language’s grammar is usually very complex to foreigners because it uses a specific speaker-listener status vocabulary that is unlike anything English or other western languages can offer. Another showstopper when learning japanese is its writing style, which uses a combination of three alphabets: Chinese characters (also known as Kanji) and two syllabic scripts known as Katakana and Hiragana. In addition, modern Japan uses the Latin alphabet for more and more purposes, which makes it slightly easier for English speakers to grasp this new language than say, a hundred years ago.

Many Japanese learning courses and books start off slowly, in a gradually increasing order of steps. Although this is the correct way to go with any language learning process, it takes a lot of time and you might simply not have that available time to invest in it. For this reason, there are a series of accelerated learning techniques that skip through some of the basics and try to accumulate these fundamentals over more advanced chapters, naturally. Take note that although this is definitely a faster way to learn Japanese, there’s a good chance that someone that takes the “stepwise”, slower technique will almost always speak and write better and more correctly.

One of the most common Japanese language accelerated learning techniques is to plunge you head first into some easier texts, as soon as you know the basic alphabet, then provide a translation in English (or your mother tongue) of the same text. This obviously skips a lot of steps such as basic grammatical structure, pronunciation of words, punctuation and so forth. However, this accelerated learning technique has the advantage of building up your vocabulary quickly. Doing several of these translated reading exercises per day, you will soon get some of the grammar and spelling foundations that you’ve skipped in the first place, up and running.

The next step in most Japanese language accelerated learning techniques is to play a tape followed by a translated text. After you’ve built on your Japanese reading and understanding skills, the audio technique is the logical step forward. This will correct any pronunciation problems and will also have a positive effect on your vocabulary gain. There are several sources offering Japanese language accelerated learning techniques, including books and courses. You can find some very useful sources online, on sites dealing with Japanese language learning, Japanese language translations and tests.

Michael Gabrikow
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/japanese-language-accelerated-learning-techniques-70805.html

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Easy Language Learning

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Is learning a foreign language ever easy ? Yes. If you are five and move to another country ……

But what about for the rest of us who are no longer five, and need to be polite when travelling for business or for pleasure ? I think that the answer is yes, language learning can be easy provided you don’t want or need to learn too much.

The key to successful language learning in my mind is not to set the goalposts too high. It is rather like running. Even if you run twice a week, you don’t necessarily want to be able to run a marathon, or have any intention of running a marathon or maybe you never could run a marathon. You might just want to maintain a level of fitness. I think the same can be said for language learning. I find languages fascinating and enjoy dabbling with them, but that doesn’t mean I feel duty-bound to get good (or maybe I can’t anyway). I’m a programmer and have no particular aptitude for foreign language learning, but I like to learn a few words here, a few words there type of thing.

Let’s get back to the goalposts. If you decide to learn ten words in a foreign language before visiting the country, you know that you will manage to do this. Learning a foreign language for your purposes has now been redefined to learning ten words. Conversely if you decide to attain conversational fluency, unless you are an exceptionally talented individual you will fall far short of your goal, and quite probably give up in disgust.

I think that there is far to much emphasis on this completer-finisher thing with regard to languages. For the majority of us, language learning should be easy and fun. Of course, I’m not saying that there isn’t a place for becoming fluent in other languages, I’m just saying that for most of us it isn’t practical or necessary.

I like travelling but I don’t have the time or aptitude to learn too much of any particular foreign language. So I learn, or dabble and enjoy it. I set goals that work for me and are usually to learn about hundred words whenever I visit a new country. I’ll learn the words you need to be polite, the numbers, greetings and a few general phrases. Doing this always results in a better holiday and I enjoy it.

It is also far easier to start learning a foreign language than to finish. In other words the better you are the slower it can be to improve, because you are becoming stuck with grammar, making sentences, learning less common words etc. If you are only trying to learn a few foreign words and phrases you will enjoy a faster rate of progress, have more fun, and don’t have to spend to much time on any given language.

Minority languages are particular candidates for this approach, because often you don’t need to use them to communicate and they are by their very nature not widely used.

A good example is Catalan which is spoken in the north-east of Spain by about 10 million people, almost all of whom are bilingual (also speaking Spanish). There is no need to learn Catalan to travel around this area of Spain, if you already speak Spanish, but it shows respect for the local culture and it is interesting.

The intention of learning only a few hundred words in a language, and then stopping, isn’t the usual approach to language learning, but it can be a very rewarding and entertaining activity. Linguata helps.

Frank Middleton
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/easy-language-learning-53530.html

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Why Learn French In France?

Monday, December 21st, 2009

In our multi-lingual society, the importance of language learning has never been so great. The English teaching system has often received criticism of the way it approaches the subject of languages. Very few people would describe themselves as proficient or fluent after studying for many years whilst at school. Learning French in France provides a completely different experience to the one that is experienced by most through the English education system. Firstly, a focus is put on developing a base – a core upon which your language learning can build. Secondly, the mere fact that you are immersed and surrounded by the language and the culture helps to facilitate the development and conceptual understanding of the French language. In addition to this, the French seem to concentrate also on developing a persons understanding of the French language, and by knowing why something is as it is, the student is less likely to forget what they have learned. There are numerous options available to deal with how to go about learning French in France. Some people decide to learn through their own organisation; others choose to use an organisation which will source out the necessary resources for them, registering them onto a course and providing accommodation. The key is to ensure that you attend a good quality language school, which prides itself on the level of its teachings and practice. The difference this can make is phenomenal. Many centres provide French Language Courses for foreign students. Apprendre (http://www.apprendre.co.uk/), is one example of an organisation which arranges and helps to facilitate your learning in France. The use of such organisations helps to break down the traditional barriers, thus providing a platform for you to learn. learning french is definitely now becoming an attractive option for many people. It’s increasing importance both in business and commerce, and as an official legal language of the European Union has further the importance of the case for good language teaching. Will Hopkins http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/why-learn-french-in-france-110116.html

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Building Up Your Vocabulary In A Foreign Language

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

You can’t say you have a solid grasp on a foreign language unless you have a solid vocabulary to back your claims up. Grammar, spelling and pronunciation mistakes might slip every once in a while, but if you’re reading a text or listening to a conversation and can’t understand a third of the words used there, what’s the point? There are several techniques that are used in building up your vocabulary in a foreign language and we’ll try to cover some of the most common, which you can practice without spending too much or looking too far for them.

Reading new texts and their translation

A lot of language learning books rely on this technique to get the student’s vocabulary up and running from the first lessons. The students are given a rough text in the foreign language (the difficulty level of the test is dependant on the level the student is considered to having reached so far) containing some new, more complex words with each sentence. Below the text, an exact translation is given, with contextual annotations if it’s the case. After the translation, the words that are being considered as “new” are usually given a definition of and if they are used in a specific context in the above mentioned text, this is also mentioned.

Picking words out of the context

Oftentimes, you’ll be reading a text or listening to someone speak in a foreign language that you know and spot a word that you don’t understand. Focusing on the context in which it is told however, will often give you a clue about what it means. If this doesn’t happen and you’re totally in the dark about what that particular word means (oftentimes convoluting the entire context too) you can look it up in a dictionary.

Visiting the native speakers

Nothing will boost your vocabulary faster and better than a visit to a native speaking country of the particular language you want to expand in. Even a one-week trip will teach you more new words than an entire course in that language, not to mention spending a few months out there with the natives. This obviously perfects your grammar, spelling and pronunciation of words together with your vocabulary, which can only be beneficial. The only problem might be the costs such a trip would take and the amount of free time you will need for it.

This said, feel free to skim the Internet for any sources that can help you expand your vocabulary in a particular foreign language. After all, you can’t simply take the dictionary and start learning new words by heart; you need to learn them naturally, out of their context. Even if you learn one new word per day this way, in the long run you’ll surely feel the difference.

Michael Gabrikow
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/building-up-your-vocabulary-in-a-foreign-language-61784.html

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Why Learn German?

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Ist means is, while Gut means good.

Milch is milk and Kaffee is coffee.

Here’s another one. Bett is bed and Braun is brown.

Do these words have almost the same spelling? Yes they do. Although different in pronunciation, the German and English languages came from the same language lineage. There are words which have translation from German to English and some words have not even been translated at all. These words are still used today by English speaking people around the world.

This just proves that the idea of learning the German language is possible. Even the idea of memorizing the complete language can happen no matter what age you are right now. You read it right; you can learn the German language anytime. Children are not the only ones who can learn and memorize a completely strange language. Although it may not be entirely too easy for adults to learn compared to children, the brain works completely the same.

Online sources for learning different languages are popular nowadays but you don’t want to spend your money on inaccurate software learning programs issued today by many language-learning websites. Before you join the club of learning german enthusiasts, get as many information as you can regarding the software program.

Another reason why learning German is easy it’s because in memorization, different methods can be used. You can use a CD to learn German lessons while you jog or cook dinner. You may also watch German movies and listen to the dialogue and take down notes of the words you don’t understand. But of course, in learning your main lessons, you can memorize the words easily by linking the words together in one image or situation.

A man rises up early every morning. His dog wakes him up everyday and to return the favor, he gives his dog spinach bone as he tells the dog to “spin it” to give the dog an idea that the treat is for him. Did you spot the words? In the example given above, we used the word spinach from the English language and linked it within the same situation to the German word Spinat by putting in the phrase “spin it” for easier recognition. Go ahead, try another one, pick a word and picture them in one idea. You’ll see how easy for you to remember it.

Learn other German words by visiting the site http://learn-german-program.com.

Shareen Aguilar
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/why-learn-german-76773.html

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Studying a Foreign Language Online

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Studying a (new) foreign language is a time consuming process and with the fast paced lives we’re living in today, time is not a commodity we can often spare. A lot more popular in the past, local language centers are losing more and more students due to the sheer waste of time it takes to go to and come from the actual center as well as the preset hours in which the courses take place. Fortunately, the Internet has an alternative to this that can save you a lot of time and will allow you to study the language of choice whenever you want and how much you want.

Free online language courses

Free online language courses can be found on hundreds if not thousands of sites that deal with foreign language teaching and their quality may vary from extremely poor to high quality ones. It’s up to you to see how these language courses fare, but then again there’s no harm in trying more than one, since, after all, they’re free.

Online educational games

Online educational games can also be found in abundance and their main advantage over other language learning methods is that they provide a relaxing, fun study environment which in most cases will be more efficient. The downside is that a learning process based on online educational games will take much more time than with conventional methods, but, as stated earlier, the information you get through games will stay in your memory longer and it will be easier to access and use.

Media and foreign websites

Over the last few years, the Internet has become a great platform for all sorts of media elements and you will need to use this to your advantage when studying for your new foreign language. For example, streaming or downloading audio or video files in the particular tongue you’re studying can be extremely helpful in building your vocabulary as well as getting used to the pronunciation of words and characters.

Similarly, reading through websites written in the foreign language you’re studying (assuming you already have a basic ground to work upon, otherwise you won’t be able to understand what you’re reading) is also a good method of assimilating vocabulary, spelling and grammar rules.

Video conference lessons

Although this is a newer concept to the language learning world, live Internet video teaching is becoming more and more popular. Studying with a teacher that’s miles away, through your Internet connection is quite a new milestone in the above-mentioned field. Although video conference lessons might be a bit costly, they do allow you to benefit from the same advantages that a local language center would offer you, but you will able to benefit them from the safety of your home and from the comfort of your favorite chair.

As you can see, the Internet offers a great variety of language learning methods, but it’s up to you to choose which ones will suit you best and which ones you have the time/money for. Check out a few sites offering online language learning services and only take a decision after a solid think-out.

Michael Gabrikow
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/studying-a-foreign-language-online-98192.html

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Is Learning Japanese Really That Difficult?

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

The answer to this question is “Yes”, Japanese is one of the most difficult languages to learn and to master. Regardless of what you’ve heard, regardless of what you’ve read and regardless of how many “Learn Japanese in 10 days” book titles you’ve seen at the library, the Japanese language is extremely hard to handle for most of the Western world using Anglo-Saxon or Latin lexicons. The Japanese alphabet (which is a combination of 4 different alphabets and scripts), the Japanese grammar, high pitched Japanese pronunciation of words and the distinct speaker – listener status that is specific to the Japanese language are all factors that can guarantee you’ll have a harder time learning this language than say, German, French, Spanish or any other language that at least shares some common attributes with English.

But then again, if you’ve set off to learn Japanese, you’re either very ambitious, or you’re forced to learn it because you’re moving to Japan, visiting Japan, your business needs to handle contracts with Japanese firms or any other similar reason, so you can’t let the detail of the language being “hard” to stop you. After all, you’re part of a select group of foreigners learning japanese. Why I’m calling you “select” is that studies show that only around 2.5 million people learn Japanese in institutions (1.5 million being South Korean and Chinese, with only 300,000 Australians, 150,000 Americans and 200,000 Europeans) and another million studying it on their own. Although we’re talking about millions of people, the numbers are still low compared to other languages such as English, French, Spanish or German, which are being studied by hundreds of millions at a time.

Depending on your language learning skills, on the quality of your teachers, courses, books and the amount of time you spend on learning Japanese, it could take you between 2 and 4 years to say that you’ve mastered it. Visiting Japan or staying there for a longer period of times obviously helps a lot and makes your task easier, as is with most languages. Also, if you’re studying Japanese for a business purpose, you’ll have to handle specific terms which most general Japanese courses don’t cover. For these, you either need specialized courses or you need to fill in the gaps by reading on the subject.

Whenever you think you’re ready, you can try taking the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) or JETRO (Japanese External Trade Organization), offered by the Japanese government. These tests are paid and they are quite hard for even an intermediate Japanese student, so they’re not worth wasting your time unless you’re 100% confident on your Japanese language skills. If compared, you can say that the JLPT is similar to any other high level language certificate such as the English CAE (Cambridge Advanced English) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the French DALF (Diplome Approfondi de Langue Francaise) and DL (Diplome de Langue) or the German GDS (Groses Deutsches Sprachdiplom).

Michael Gabrikow
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/is-learning-japanese-really-that-difficult-68630.html

Posted in learning japanese | 10 Comments »