Learning a Foreign Language: Why Should you Learn Words You Never Use in Your Mother Tongue?
Imagine a child sitting in front of a desk, his head in his hands, and mumbling various lists of words over and over. Does this child remind you of your own experience? If yes, I bet that "list of words" does not sound appealing to you. You are almost ready to swear that they do not work. Before you mortgage your part of paradise, it may be wise to make sure you are right.
You can open a dictionary and begin to learn it by heart (a dictionary is no more than a list of words). There are many illustrated dictionaries that offer you the same resources as plenty of websites do by displaying colorful pictures with captions. You know that these tools exist because you have already tried to enrich your vocabulary that way. The scope of the task curbed your enthusiam.
Though, it is not a bad way to learn vocabulary, it is even the best way for one person: the author of the list.
Why?
You are unique. Your memory is unique, not only because your memories are yours, and only yours, but also because the way you store them is yours and only yours. For a large part, memory is about association of ideas and the associations you make depend on your experience.
Let's study an example to make it clear. Ask anyone to give you a word in relation with the common word "horse". You will get mare, race, chivalry or Trojan, etc, depending on the person who answers.
He who answered "mare" might go on with stable, foal and even cow and other farm animals; he who said "race" would probably go on with racecourse and tote. Obviously, their experiences of life are quite different. "Chivalry" would lead to King Arthur, coat of mail and tournament while "Trojan" would meet Homer, odyssey, god and goddess.
If you are a linguist, it is very likely that you associate horse to horseback, horsehair, horseman and horseplay and think that your list is easy to remember. On the contrary, if you are not interested in the Middle-Age History, the "chivalry" list will slip your mind.
The more personal the links between the words, the easier the way to learn them. That is why a list works at its best for its author. The connections between the words pre-exist in the author's head.
So, pave your way, prepare your own list!
Gabrielle Guichard
A French teacher who can be reached on GabrielleGuichard.com and listened to on FrenchPodcasting.com
MORE RESOURCES:
 Telegraph.co.uk | Language learning for babies starts in the womb Examiner.com A new study published on the November 5th online edition of Current Biology reveals that newborns' cries already carry the mark of their parents language. ... Babies Cry in Accents Heard in the Womb Health Buzz: Newborn's Cries Mimic Mom's Language and Other Health News Babies are found to cry in their mother tongue |
 Washington Post | NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in ... Lifesite ... afternoon are hailing the House's decision to allow a voting opportunity on pro-life, Hyde-amendment language in the health bill as a major victory. ... Health bill ready for floor; abortion language revised Could Abortion Amendment Derail Health Care Bill? House Leaders Move to Ensure Passage of Health Bill |
Demand high for skilled American Sign Language interpreters Salt Lake Tribune "It's changed our lives," said MJ Bienvenu, an expert on American Sign Language (ASL) and a professor at Gallaudet University. With the video technology ... |
The Classroom - History Of: Wrestling Language Part 3 LordsofPain.net Well folks, that wraps up our look at the History Of: Wrestling Language. I have learned a lot researching this series and, hopefully, you have too. ... |
Bilingual applicants needed for census jobs Chicago Tribune About 36 percent of the city's population speaks a language other than English, according to estimates from the Census Bureau's three-year American ... |
Schools consider foreign language program revamp Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland School Board on Monday will discuss revamping the district's foreign language program — by starting French or Spanish ... |
New England's 7th Spanish-language paper begins publishing Boston Globe El Tiempo de Boston is New England's seventh Spanish-language weekly paper. New England is home to 900000 Hispanics, including 437000 in Massachusetts, ... New Hispanic paper launched in Boston |
Central African countries to open language research branch in Bujumbura Xinhua 7 (Xinhua) -- Central African countries will open a branch of traditional language research in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, according to an official ... |
On Language Cadillac Thrives as a Figure of Speech New York Times The Cadillac division of General Motors has seen better days, with woeful sales figures even compared with those of other brands in the ... |
Language unites people: Learn it DesMoinesRegister.com Most of us learned this great nation of ours was formed by people representing differing religions, nationalities and languages. The one unifying element of ... Learn English for cohesiveness |
How Ronzoni Italian Foods Helped My Dad Learn English
My dad likes to say, he was made in Italy, but born in Brooklyn New York. You see his parents left Palermo, Sicily in February 1955 and sailed by boat to America.
7 Words Americans Should Stop Using Until Further Investigation
Relationship: Here is a word that is used to qualify, justify and honey coat just about every nefarious, sleazy or reprehensible union between almost anybody and anything. Recently on an edition of the Jerry Springer show a guest was about to be interviewed who was getting it on with a very close relative.
Learn Italian for Free
Italian is one of the most widespread languages in the world, and speaking it can give you a tremendous sense of accomplishment, an edge in your career, and even a stronger bond with your ancestors if you are of Italian descent. There are many ways you can learn Italian, including textbooks, tapes, CDs, software, group classes or private lessons, but there are also ways you can begin or continue your studies of the Italian language entirely for FREE!1.
Teaching English in Greece - What Do You Need to Know?
The employment situation can be quite uncertain for newcomers to Greece and therefore many people choose to try teaching English as a foreign language, on a full or part-time basis. It can bring in a good income whether it is your preferred career choice, or you wish to do it short-term until another career choice pans out.
Uncommon Facts / Rules of English Language
English is an international language. It has so many grammar rules and each rule with many exceptions.
Learning a Foreign Language: the Ventriloquists Lesson
The main feature you have to master, in order to call yourself a ventriloquist, is to speak without moving your lips. It is not that difficult.
Preschool Spanish
Why an EarlyAGE 2nd Language?Research indicates that from ages 1 through 8 is the best time to introduce a new language to a child. If the 2nd language is introduced early in life children will learn it faster and retain it longer.
Teaching Reading to English Language Learners
There is an increasing amount of English language learners represented in our schools for whom a unique approach to developing literacy is necessary. The development of literacy by English language learners (ELLs) includes all of the challenges implicit for English speaking children literacy attainments, and is additionally compounded by a diversity of linguistic, cognitive and academic variables.
Learning a Foreign Language: Learn from the Blind
In a previous article, you read that to establih your own lists was the best way to learn vocabulary as fast as possible. Let's study what an effective list looks like.
Learning a Foreign Language: Why Should you Learn Words You Never Use in Your Mother Tongue?
Imagine a child sitting in front of a desk, his head in his hands, and mumbling various lists of words over and over. Does this child remind you of your own experience? If yes, I bet that "list of words" does not sound appealing to you.
Speaking Spanish To Increase Mind Power
Our "mind power" is largely in the way we use our words, and limited by our vocabulary. Words, and the concepts they express, are different in each language, and there are differing common expressions.
Teaching English in Mexico: A Decent Living?
What's more disappointing than a person who makes a promise he can't keep? A person who makes a promise that is a lie. Many promises to make a "decent living" teaching English in Mexico are just that-a lie.
Bridging the Language Gap Using Bilingual Picture Books
There are more than 39 million Hispanics live in the United States making it the fifth largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world. It is estimated that within five years, only Mexico will have more Spanish-speakers than the U.
Online IELTS Preparation - Why Does It Make Sense?
Because IELTS is a difficult test. While most agree that IELTS is a reasonable test, it is generally regarded as one of the most challenging tests of its type.
Learn Italian in Italy
You can combine your love of the Italian language with an unforgettable experience in the country where the language is spoken by studying Italian in Italy! Hands-down, the best way to learn a foreign language is to live, work, or study in a native speaking environment. Studying Italian in Italy is the best possible experience you can have to learn the language.
How To Learn Spanish Quickly and Easily
Spanish is a very useful language to learn as it is the world's second most popular language.Outside of the popular coastal tourist resorts a basic knowledge of Spanish is invaluable.
Show Me the Bunny: Language Acquisition
Some children are really funny about experimenting with speech. Nonetheless, the first intelligible words bring such a feeling of elation to a parent.
Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery (Part 2)
In Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery Part 1, we looked at mnemonic methods devised by James Heisig and Kenneth Henshall to speed-up kanji acquisition. We saw how their techniques activate the imagination by assigning different meanings individual elements of each kanji.
Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery (Part 1)
What? Kanji can be learned quickly? This seems an impossible dream to many students of Japanese who come from a non-kanji language culture. Even hiragana and katakana seem impossibly hard to the average beginner, so remembering kanji, with all their intricate strokes and multiple readings, can appear to be beyond the abilities of the human mind.
Learning a Foreign Language: the Psychological Factor
When it comes about learning a foreign language, many people wonder if they will be able to memorize enough vocabulary. But this question never occurs about their mother tongue.
