REACTIVATING YOUR INNATE-LANGUAGE LEARNING ABILITY
REACTIVATING YOUR INNATE-LANGUAGE LEARNING ABILITY
Are you an adult trying to learn a new language? Is your high school student struggling in his or her language class? Here are five things you can do in order to make the process of learning a language easier:
1) After learning a set of new vocabulary try practicing what you have learned. Use the vocabulary in a meaningful way. For example if you learned how to greet, don't just memorize the words, find someone who is willing to role play a greeting with you.
2) Record yourself role playing or better yet; you can video the scene. You can ask your teacher to check the recording or video for correction. Positive reinforcement and feedback is very important.
3) Check on line for groups who may meet for conversation. In my hometown, there are three different groups that meet every two weeks. The goal is for you to recreate the same scenario that enabled you to learn your first language . Children learned their first language quite naturally through interactions around them. Parents and siblings helped young children with their emerging language skills through positive correction and feedback. The more opportunities you have to engage in real life conversions, the better your chances of mastering the language.
4) Put an ad in your local newspaper asking for native speakers of the language you want to learn. Inquire about the possibilities of meeting with them in a library for an hour so you can practice speaking. Many people are willing to charge a minimal fee for this service. As a native speaker of French I have three students that I work with . This can be a very fun way to meet with native speakers in your area. The library is a great place to meet, you can call a week or two in advanced to reserve a room.
5) Sponsor an international student for a year. Imagine how rewarding it could be for you to sponsor a person who grew up speaking the language you want to learn. This would be the ultimate way to recreate an immersion scenario. Your brain would thank you dearly , after all we are wired to learn language through immersion.
It is very true children learned their first language naturally, as adults you can reactivate that innate ability by following the suggestions mentioned above.