Learn Foreign Language Center

chy5398p says:

Learning Spanish

Simply speaking, there are few correlations in learning a foreign language and your occupation or education background. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language, which can be divided into theoretical and applied linguistics. Theoretical linguistics is the branch of linguistics that is most concerned with developing models of linguistic knowledge, consisting of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, lexis, semantics (lexical semantics, statistical semantics, structural semantics, prototype semantics), pragmatics, and systemic functional linguistics. Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of study that identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real life problems. Some of the academic fields related to applied linguistics are education, linguistics, psychology, anthropology, and sociology. Its branches include language acquisition, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, generative linguistics, cognitive linguistics, computational linguistics, descriptive linguistics, historical linguistics (comparative linguistics, etymology), stylistics (prescription), and corpus linguistics.

If you are planning to be a linguist or study in linguistic major, learning a foreign language is an option; however, if you prefer to do so, linguistics will more or less enhance your capability in learning another language. Similarly, even if you don’t have concepts in linguistics when learning another language, at least you need fundamental concepts of linguistics to understand how you can learn more effectively in foreign language as well as your native language.

When you learn a foreign language, the most important thing you need to remember while learning it is you learn and apply with confidence (maintain your morale), determination (keep up with your good fight against all odds), and patience (control yourself even during a difficult time). Learn to make mistakes; you can’t improve yourself without making mistakes first. Practice frequently with full consistency and you will overcome any obstacles, large or small, in life. Don’t worry if you are a slow learner; everyone learns in different speed and style and learning a new language takes time. So know yourself first in how you learn and how you can utilize your skills to maximize your learning potential. Remember to maintain your interest in the language you are learning. Also, always manage to use your native language and second language(s) equally in respect to your schedule so you will retain you native language and second language(s) easily.

For more information on how you can learn a new language, try the webpage Language Learning Tips from Omniglot (www.omniglot.com, an excellent informational website on languages run by Simon Ager, an Englishman with tremendous interest in foreign languages). You will like Simon Ager and his website after you read those information if you haven’t visited his website before.

Language Learning Tips from Omniglot

Also, if you want to know about how you learn, I recommend you to understand theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner. You will be surprised by how much you haven’t known about your secret self.

Theory of multiple intelligences (from Wikipedia)

There are also plenty of websites where you can get yourself tested on your preferred learning method for free. Just use your favorite search engine and type “Theory of multiple intelligences” or “multiple intelligences” and it will do the searching quickly and easily.

Most importantly, you must be proficient in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in each language to be considered as fluent. If you are not proficient in at least one of the four categories of a particular language, then you are not fluent in the particular language, even though you can only speak another language without flaws. Imagine you are lost and you try to find a place to stay in Russia. The address you have is in English but the street names are in Russian. It is really horrendous when you can’t read Russian, especially when you are stranded in the middle of the frigid, winter night (brrrr!). So, therefore, learn to read and write just as you learn to speak and listen, even if it is difficult.

Also, master every aspect of the language you are learning, including pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and expression. Get it wrong and expect something unusual to happen. Finally, keep practicing with consistency. It will make you better in using another language while practicing, whether you are at home, work, or traveling.

Some languages have phonetic alphabet that is not found in most languages, which makes most people having difficulty in mastering some of those languages without knowing the exact pronunciation first. If you have that difficulty in pronunciation, I suggest you use IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) as a guide for correct pronunciation. For those of you who don’t know what is IPA, it is a set of alphabet where each letter represent only one sound for consonants and vowels and other symbols as changes in the way a consonant or a vowel is pronounced. It is traditionally used by most linguists around the world as the most standard form of phonetic alphabet and now used in many foreign language textbooks where the foreign languages do not use Latin alphabet (including Russian, Greek, Hebrew, and Japanese). If you can find it, I encourage you to buy it, or at least borrow it. Alternatively, go to Wikipedia or Omniglot (you can use any search engine to find it) and find the language you are learning; many languages now have pronunciation guide in IPA. Just look for the pronounced words closed by two square brackets like these [ ] on most webpages, including Omniglot, or two slashes like these / / on many webpages of Wikipedia but not in Omniglot.

Good luck and happy learning!