Lingualogue Blog

Happy New Year to everyone and I wish you all a happy and fulfilling 2010. 

Breaking into a new year always gives many people hope that the coming year will be better than the last, and that their lives will change for the better. This is why many people make new year’s resolutions–a chance to change things that are unwanted; to do things differently; to start afresh. Many resolutions are things that we know we should have been doing all along but never quite got around to starting, and new year seems such an obvious starting point.

The only problem is there is usually a reason why we didn’t do it earlier, and so many resolutions are doomed to failure–often barely days into the new year.

I’ve done all the usual resolutions in the past–losing weight, quitting smoking (I actually ended up doing it last May), cutting down on the booze,  getting fit etc. and none of them has ever lasted beyond January. This year my resolution was simply to be more diligent with this blog and ensure I post at least once per week. Of course, as this is the 9th already I guess you could say I fell before I left the gate, but considering the new year’s holiday and everything that accompanies it, I think I am allowed some slack. So let’s hope from here on in I can keep to the resolution (please don’t write to me if I mess it up).

If you don’t have a resolution already (maybe you are a healthy person who doesn’t smoke or drink and already exercises like a whippet (or a fat alcoholic who doesn’t give a shit)) then maybe you could start your new year off with the resolve to learn a language. While the smell of change is in the air and the promise of new beginnings, there is possibly no better time to begin the journey of learning a new language. It is a sure fire way of changing your life, and may even send it in an entirely new direction (for example you may end up writing a language blog in 30 ° C heat instead of 6 feet of snow ). You certainly have nothing to lose learning a language other than possibly about half an hour of your time per day, but have an enormous amount to gain.

Of course there is the inevitable chance that you will lose interest after about 2 weeks and forget all about it, but that is a chance you take whenever you start something new. The good thing about new year is that you have the excited exuberance of someone who sees a brand new start and a brand new you, and also of course you are certain to remember the day you started, and this if anything might guiltily persuade you to last beyond a week.

If you are looking for good reasons why you might want to learn a language then please visit my website at lingualogue.com/second-language-benefits

So what are you waiting for? Just grab that proverbial bull by its sharp ends, pick a language and learn it. It really is as simple as that.

I apologise for being a little lax with the blogs this month, but I have been on holiday and have found it difficult to keep on top of things. Hopefully I will get things back on track shortly, but for today I will simply post a small observation. Granted, this observation has nothing to do with languages as such, but is based on a different culture, which I guess falls very slightly within the hazy lines of this blog. Well it does now anyway.

In Thailand many people visit fortune tellers to discover what awaits them in their lives. You would be hard pushed not to find someone who has at least visited a monk and asked for a brief outline of his own destiny. Many people visit fortune tellers often; some as often as every month.

Now while I do not personally believe in fortune telling of any description, I know many people that do, and I have no problem with the belief  that someone can predict the future through cards, the palm of your hand, tea leaves, or pig entrails. Really I don’t. What I do have a problem with, well more of an exasperated confusion,  is the frequency with which one visits a fortune teller.

I have asked this question of many people and never received an acceptable answer: Does the fortune teller (or different fortune tellers) tell you the same future each time you go, or does he tell you different each time?

To me this question is hugely important. If he gives the same future each time then there can surely be no point going to see a fortune teller each month. If he / they give different versions of the future then why is this? Does the future change as you take different paths or make different decisions? Again if this is the case then surely a fortune teller is redundant as the future is not fixed.

I guess the only purpose of seeing a different fortune teller is to get a second opinion if you did not  like what the first one told you. I am sure you can keep going  until you find one that you do like.

Okay I must admit some people do visit fortune tellers with specific questions about business  or relationships that they want answering, but the majority of Thai people that I have met just want to find out if they will be rich and how many kids they will have. Now surely one time is enough for that.

Of course the problem with the specific questions is that you run the risk of creating self-fulfilling prophecies, and hence the fortune teller will undoubtedly be right. But that is for a different blog

Excuse the slight tangent from the usual today, but as they say “variety is the spice of life”.  But variety that has been predicted already must not be very spicy at all.

I found a fantastic article that I just had to share on here about the importance of learning to use language properly. The article was actually in reply  to a question posed by a reader on a careers  site dedicated to helping people find jobs. The article mirrors many of my opinions clearly in how too many people these days hide behind the technologies available (such as spell checkers) and argue that knowing how to use a language properly is unimportant these days. They will invariably argue that  ‘it is what  you say not how you say it that is important in business today’ but although there are certainly growing numbers of people who cannot spell or use grammar correctly in the world today, these people tend not to dominate the business world. If you don’t want other people to think you are ignorant or uneducated, then just a little care on spelling or grammar can give you that little push ahead of the apathetic rest.

That said, I can’t really do the article justice, so I suggest you read it as the author puts his point across excellently and with obvious passion. It is plain the author does not sit on the fence on this one. NWjobs

There are a million and one different language courses out there for a hundred and one different languages; some are a lot better than others, but with quality often comes a heftier price tag.

The top of the range language products (as reviewed on the Lingualogue

website…excuse the plug) are undoubtedly worth the seemingly exorbitant charge, as the work and time that has gone into producing these titles is plainly obvious…and they work.

It doesn’t help knowing the price is justified, however, if you just can’t afford it, and let’s face it $300 is no small chunk of change. Although sometimes I may suggest that making a painful initial outlay for language learning courses is likely to give you extra incentive to finish the course rather than lose interest after 5 minutes, obviously one man’s painful initial outlay is another man’s bankruptcy and starvation.

There is of course a solution, and a legal one at that. A solution that has been around for years, a solution that was probably made more use of by your granny than any of us. This solution is of course the library, that archaic institution of mouldy books and even mustier bookshelves. This is probably how most people remember libraries from their school days–a place to find antiquated historical references, the entire collection of ELO,  and old Stephen King novels–certainly not any modern language learning courses.

Libraries however have changed, not just a little, but a huge paradigm shift. Of course I am sure you will still find reference books, and Stephen King books, and may even be able to pick up the ELO collection (if you really wanted) but libraries today have lurched into the technological age with great enthusiasm (well most at least).  It’s all computers and online material now, and yet they still have many things available to borrow without charge. One of those things, invariably, is language learning suites. At many libraries these days you can pick up copies of the top of the range language learning courses such as Rosetta Stone and TellMeMore. Some even have the excellent Fluenz. Many languages are available and all to borrow for the globally appreciated price of nowt, zilch, nada…absolutely nothing.

If you have a library near you and you are looking to learn a language, I suggest you get yourself down there straight away, get yourself a library card (remember those) and check out what they have available to help you learn that language.

Just remember, just because you haven’t splashed out an inordinate amount of cash for the privilege of learning the language, doesn’t mean you have to give up at the first hurdle.

Get yourself a library card and start learning.

Independent Travel

Most people who have been abroad or at least come into contact with a ‘foreigner’ will agree that travelling to a foreign country is a good way to learn a language–providing of course that the language is spoken in the destination of choice. I would go one step further, putting my neck on an admittedly not very risky block, and say that it is an excellent way to learn a language. This of course comes rolled with an obligatory caveat: One – it is only as effective as you make it, and two – it is only truly effective if you go alone.

The first is fairly self-explanatory and states the starkly obvious point that if you don’t try, you won’t learn anything. The second, however, could be a touch more contentious. Bear with me for a moment though, I will try my best to explain.

Going on holiday to most people is an ideal way to relax and get away from the hum drum daily routines of  work,  and share some undisturbed, stress free,  quality time with family or friends.  I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment (well I wrote it) and look forward to my time at the beach as much as the next man. This is great for relaxation, but it won’t help you learn a language.

The problem with travelling with friends or family is familiarity (well duh I hear you cry).  The vast majority of people stick to what they know when it is available, and while spending all of your vacation time with a loved one may do wonders for your relationship, it will play havoc with your language learning. Sure you will probably pick up the everyday  phrases and may even get taught how to order a beer, or ask for the bill, but you are unlikely to spend a lot of time chatting to people who don’t speak much English, and this is where the best language lessons are found. It is possible to glean a few sentences from the amiable bell boy, or the gregarious motorbike rental girl, but the fact is they  probably just as likely want to practice their English, and the language return will be minimal. In a group you are just not going to meet the right people.

The trick is to travel alone. Of course it has its drawbacks and can be slightly more dangerous if you approach it naively, but it is infinitely better for your language learning, and a whole lot more rewarding to boot. The key to it is a distinct lack of familiarity…anywhere. Sure this is disconcerting to begin with and if any first timer tells you he is not nervous he is a big fat liar (I certainly was…nervous that is). This lack of familiarity gives you the freedom to meet new people, strike up new friendships, and spend hours on end conversing with people with whom you have no mutual understanding whatsoever.  This is a lot more fun than it sounds I promise, and is a total immersion of both language and culture that you will never find anywhere else–not in a language course, not on the internet, and not even on holiday with your family. Sure you may need to brush up on the grammar when you get home, but this fumbling about with cobbled together sentences to make your self understood will give you a foundation of the language, a confidence, and a love for the language and culture of the country, that will never leave you.

If you feel that backpacking or travelling around the world all on your tod sounds  a little too ‘new age’ for your liking, there are plenty of companies  these days, like Cactus Languages, that will arrange a holiday and everything that goes with it for you, making the whole ‘holiday alone’ thing a little less daunting. They also include daily language lessons, which are a great way to get the grammar straight while you are there instead of waiting until you get home. The same point still applies though: If you spend the money, the time, and the effort to book a language learning holiday in a foreign country, don’t team up with the first English speaking guy that you bump into. Sure it’s tempting, and a hell of a lot easier. You may even strike up a valuable friendship. But you will most certainly miss out on those valuable and unforgettable language learning experiences.

After all, isn’t that why you are there?

I came across a language learning blog (well actually two) the other day that posed the question of whether making mistakes in language learning is useful or detrimental. The first of these discussions was on Antimoon.com and the author was very adamant that making mistakes is an unnecessary, even a detrimental aspect of language learning. I can see his point: He argues that a language is not like a new business where trial and error is a necessary part of the learning process, instead languages are tried and tested and regularly used. Therefore he says that there is no reason to make mistakes; with enough studying and careful practice you can formulate sentences devoid of errors and therefore not develop any bad habits.

This is true. I agree with the basic sentiment that being able to not make mistakes would be fantastic. However I also think it would be a very dull way to learn a language. Languages are difficult enough and many people lose interest rather quickly because of the difficulty; one of the fun parts of language learning, however, is using it. Chatting with shopkeepers, friends, taxi drivers, whoever.

I certainly wish I didn’t make mistakes, but if that meant I had to sit at home studying the language for a year  before I even got out there to practice my sentences, i think I would go mad. Of course I would still have to take time to practice speaking the ‘theory’ I had learned at home. Theory and practice are two very different fish.

Another website I found echoed the sentiment of Antimoon– Spanish-only.com, but this one had a comments section. I felt I had to post. I do have to commend the author of the site (Ramses) however–he replied the next day. Very quick.

My reply to his views was as follows:

An interesting post Ramses and I actually read this one after reading the Antimoon version. I do however disagree with both of you. Perhaps if fluency is your only goal and you don’t mind waiting an inordinate amount of time to achieve it, then the slowly-slowly approach might work. I would say though that I would consider it a rather sterile and boring way to learn a language: Language learning should be fun, and for it to be fun you need to use it. Sitting at home learning grammar rules and vocabulary is enough to send most people running for the hills.

I don’t believe you should fear mistakes. Sure you should try and reduce them, and definitely learn to correct them when made, but I do not believe that once made they become more difficult to eradicate. If you are a person that is constantly learning and not too proud to realise you are wrong, then consciously recognised holes in grammar and vocabulary can be filled at a later date. Without conversation, however, these holes are rarely found.
I agree that unintelligible output should be avoided wherever possible, but a few mistakes here and there lay good groundwork for becoming a more confident and fluent speaker. After all, children make mistakes all the time and they turn out alright.

As to the reference to immigrants whose English skills remain below par after many years. I would contend that this has nothing to do with making mistakes with native speakers and not being corrected, but more to do with limited contact with native speakers while living in a community of fellow expatriates and primarily speaking their native tongue. I see plenty of immigrants who have integrated fully and speak fluent English, which is certainly comparable to the average native speaker.

Thanks for your time. I did like reading your posts.

Check out his reply at the link above for Spanish-only.

When I was at school in England (which is a few more years ago than I would care to admit) I was taught French. Now I have to admit I didn’t really want to learn French, nobody asked me to learn French, and I personally didn’t see the benefit of learning French in the first place. But they taught me nonetheless.

If I remember correctly, I first started studying basic French in the last few years of primary school (grade 4 or 5?).  It seemed like an enormous chore and even through high school I never had a particularly rosy feeling about French class (even though I was fairly good at it).

What I don’t fully understand is why we started so late.  Now many people may argue that grade 4 is not exactly late, and that a 9/10 year old should be able to learn a foreign language with ease. Now it is probably true that at 9 years old I did a much better job at taking it all in than I do at my current age (35) but it is also true that I would have done an even better job had I started the French osmosis at an earlier age.

Studies show that children have an innate ability to learn a language from the moment they are born (possibly even earlier), and can learn at a startling rate with ease. They will soak up the vocabulary and automatically figure out grammar rules with no need for specific instruction. This ability, however,  switches off at around the ages of 10 – 12 when language learning becomes increasingly difficult and grammar rules must be learned and remembered rather than instinctively constructed.

My question therefore, is why do we (or did we) begin teaching new languages to children with only a year or two left before their learning abilities begin to wane. What’s wrong with starting to learn French (or Chinese, or Spanish, which are probably more appropriate today) in grade 1 (or even earlier by parents)? Get them early. For one  the students will have at least five years of learning at their peak capacity and should be able to get an excellent grounding in whatever language they are learning; and two, if taught well, students could learn to enjoy the language and appreciate the benefits of being able to speak a second language.

I am pretty sure if I had been taught earlier I would still be able to hold basic conversations in French rather than retaining inane phrases like ‘I live in a big town in the centre of England’. I still have never found a use for it.

One of the first things many people do when they embark on a language learning journey is to find out how to swear. We’ve all done it I’m sure, especially when we were younger. I remember flicking through a French dictionary at school looking for words which were  considered even mildly crude or funny.  No word was safe: Knickers and breasts were more than fair game, and guaranteed to raise a chuckle out of the room in French class. This is all just good juvenile harmless fun, and seeing as I never saw myself even using the French I was learning at school it didn’t seem a problem.  To be honest I can’t even remember the French word for boobs (although derriere strangely sticks in the mind).

So what is the problem? Well with this– absolutely nothing. The problems begin when people think it is extraordinarily funny to learn more grown up words, curse words if you will. I have met people who are going on holiday, or travelling, and consider it a humerous idea to learn curse words and slang expletives of the native language.  Somehow they believe that it will endear them to the locals who will think it funny that a foreigner learned their most taboo of language, and of course  they can use it to the taxi driver who overcharges them the price of a small  lollipop.

It is never a good idea to learn curse words in a new foreign language until you have a good grasp of the language already and have many years experience within the culture of the country.  You see it is very difficult to gauge how offensive a swear word will be to a local person and you may think what you are saying is mild and funny, until the recipient turns around with a scowl and a machete. For example, in Indonesia it is very offensive to call someone a dog;  in Thailand you can offend someone with a simple  ‘buffalo’, and get beaten up with an innocuous  ‘water monitor’. These are not exactly terms that would offend in English, and that is the point:  Until you know the language and the culture, steer clear of learning curse words. It may get you in more trouble than you expect.