SmileTalk

Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts

Saturday, 13 September 2014

Reviewing Pimsleur

I've just finished my first week of 'Pimsleur's Japanese' a very expensive Japanese course that people speak highly of and here is my review.

Positive

Confidence Boost

It does give you an immediate confidence boost as you quickly learn words and at the end of each half hour lesson are able to understand the conversation from the start. Each lesson makes you use words you learnt in a previous lesson which helps cement them in your memory.

Listening Comprehension

It really helps understanding actual conversation at normal talking speed, they don't slow it for you so you are forced to focus.

Fun Repetition

It's very much all about repetition. However, it is delivered ina manner that makes it fun.

Quick

You progress very quickly.

Negative

Not Quite Portable

It advertises itself as something you can take anywhere and do while doing anything but I say no absolutely not. Every lesson has you speaking allowed which isn't something you can do unless you're alone without looking like you've gone cookoo. Secondly, each lesson requires focus. I couldn't even draw and do the course at the same time because it divided my attention and made words harder to learn. I made a habit of going to bed half an hour early and doing the lesson there.

No Written Work

With a language like Japanese that has three alphabets, I'm sure you can understand why not having any lessons on writing hurts.

Limited

It doesn't really cover every situation and I know it can't but I really wish I'd learnt how to ask where the bathroom is in the first lesson. Also, I'm not American but it is assumed you are in the course.

Verdict?

It would be entirely possible to rig this up yourself using smiletalk but for the sake of ease having it all preplanned is nice. I recommend practicing this in bed as part of a learning japanese diet. Crunch a few kanji before, learn your alphabets and experiment writing the sentences you learnt in pimsleur.

Saturday, 16 August 2014

An Important Note on Immersion Learning

Many people herald that immersion learning is the absolute best way to learn a language, but I say all things in moderation. Our brains will always take the easiest road to understanding something and so when you are totally immerged in a language you're brain will be looking out for words in its native tongue. The trouble with this is that your brain switches back into your native tongue when it finds it and this is not good for your learning. What can also happen is that you become overwhelmed and stressed out by being plunged into a new culture and language constantly and need escape.

These are the two cons of immersion learning but with artificial immersion you can avoid them. Artificial immersion is used by people who usually cannot afford to travel to their destination to learn and instead create that sort of environment from themselves. It is a very handy technique that you can utilize from the comfort of your own home with very little effort.

First you'll need a space that you can fill with things covered in your target language, magazines, books, posters, online radio in that language, videos and whatever you can lay your hands on. Remove anything in your native tongue or throw a sheet over it so you can't see it. Now discipline yourself to spend an hour in there each day in the morning. I say morning because if you put it off than it will be harder to do it.

That's all it takes to have a little artificial immersion in your home!

Thursday, 7 August 2014

Learning About Learning

So you've decided to pick up a second language. That's great! But it's a big undertaking and learning how to learn can be half the battle! This is going to be a simple list of things you should read up on to maximize your learning potential.

How Your Brain Learns Things

Some people think that the brain is like a library and the things you learn are simply filed away. This is not quite how it works the brain uses connections to learn things. The more connections you have to something, no matter how strange and obscure the better.

Types of Learner

Not all brains learn the same way, you need to determine what type of learner you are. Perhaps reading out of books is how you learn or perhaps you need someone to read to you.

Flash Cards Are Important

Flash cards or flash card programs are easy tools to use when learning anything. You can download free apps on your phone (try memrise) that you can use anywhere just to refresh yourself. Doing this regularly helps you learn words.

The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword

Writing is a powerful tool to help the memory, it forces you're brain to concentrate in ways that typing and reading cannot.

Artificial Immersion

One of the advantages of having smiletalk but when learning a language you need to set aside an hour a day where you immerse yourself in your target language. There are online radios where you can listen to your target language but be sure to try and read and write some too. During this time allow no English articles to clutter your space as it hinders learning.

Timing is Everything

Try and aim your learning sessions for a comfortable time in the morning, preferably just after breakfast where you are less likely to be disturbed or distracted.

Time Without Effort Equals Nothing

Only have short sessions of learning, longer than an hour at a time will lead to a dip in concentration and a hatred of the subject you are trying to learn. Spread your learning throughout the day and as long as you get your main session in the morning than don't pressure yourself.

Love Learning

If you don't love what you are trying to learn than it will always be a struggle. Learn to love the culture your target language comes from!

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Some Free Language Learning Hacks

So you want to learn Japanese but you can't get a hold of any textbooks, you are just too broke or nowhere near you sells them. Your only means to learn Japanese is the internet but oh my goodness it's so confusing, where do I even start? How do I measure my progress? Am I going to have to buy those really expensive Genki Japan books that everyone is talking about?!

No.

Japan Characters - Food (Photo credit: Teratoiid)

This is the internet generation and trust me you don't need a book to help you learn when you have the media.

Every day you are bombarded by thousands of advertisements trying to sell you something, pictures of scantily clad woman brandishing bottles of perfume and promising that for just $69 you too could be this beautiful. Adverts are designed to get their message across clearly and quickly to a wide audience and usually have visual aids. This makes them the perfect tool to practice you're Japanese or any language you are learning on.

It doesn't just stop their though listen to Japanese music, get a hold of some lyrics and scratch out some of the Japanese words. Learn the meanings of the one you scratched out, if it's a verb learn all of the parts to it. Do this with a few songs especially if you can find common words in them. Next listen to the song and write down the words you scratched out and their meaning. If you get it right why not treat yourself to some gorgeous plum wine? Keep this up until you learn the whole song and don't forget to sing along to those lyrics. I must admit I get up and do a jig every time I hear Gackt's song Vanilla. Find the music you like and use it as your springboard into the language. Submerge yourself in the Japanese language, watch Japanese commercials on Youtube (it's actually incredibly entertaining and freaky).