How not to learn a foreign language?

How not to learn a foreign language?
Oct 28, 2007 08:07
SLADEETAL Points: Join Date: Oct 28, 2007 Status: offline	Who of us wouldn't just love to learn a new language? In fact, every human being is driven to search for meaning. Passive observation is just not enough; it is the interactivity that is so essential. "Tell me, and I forget. Show me, and I remember. Let me do, and I understand," says the ancient Chinese proverb. It's one thing to show your child a picture of the ocean, and say "ocean," and quite another thing to let her splash in an ocean and say, "The ocean is water." You can continue this exercise in more sophisticated ways as your child grows. If your 8-year-old, for example, is enjoying a TV program about airplanes, why not take him to an airport and ask a pilot to show you a cockpit? Research in the area of memory indicates that a person only retains, long-term: 10% of what they read, but 90% of what they do and say! Findings suggest that "the brain develops on a 'use it or lose it' principle." So, the best time to master a skill associated with a system is just when a new system is coming on line in your brain. Language is the perfect example. It's very easy for a 2 year old to learn any new language. So, What idiot decreed that foreign-language shouldn't begin until high school? For years, many teachers have found that their "Holy Grail" has been attention. But evidence suggests that the brain's ability to stay attentive for extended periods of time is not only rare but difficult. The brain needs downtime! If you don't give it to them they'll just tune out anyway. So, Why don't students remember what they were taught? This usually occurs because the information served no useful purpose in their lives and their brains dropped it. Or probably because they didn't learn in the first place! To talk to me please go to hotmail.com\|sladeetal or you can visit my website at http://www.luomapinyin.com

Oct 28, 2007 08:07

SLADEETAL
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Join Date: Oct 28, 2007
Status: offline

Who of us wouldn't just love to learn a new language? In fact, every human being is driven to search for meaning. Passive observation is just not enough; it is the interactivity that is so essential. "Tell me, and I forget. Show me, and I remember. Let me do, and I understand," says the ancient Chinese proverb. It's one thing to show your child a picture of the ocean, and say "ocean," and quite another thing to let her splash in an ocean and say, "The ocean is water." You can continue this exercise in more sophisticated ways as your child grows. If your 8-year-old, for example, is enjoying a TV program about airplanes, why not take him to an airport and ask a pilot to show you a cockpit?

Research in the area of memory indicates that a person only retains, long-term: 10% of what they read, but 90% of what they do and say! Findings suggest that "the brain develops on a 'use it or lose it' principle." So, the best time to master a skill associated with a system is just when a new system is coming on line in your brain. Language is the perfect example. It's very easy for a 2 year old to learn any new language. So, What idiot decreed that foreign-language shouldn't begin until high school?

For years, many teachers have found that their "Holy Grail" has been attention. But evidence suggests that the brain's ability to stay attentive for extended periods of time is not only rare but difficult. The brain needs downtime! If you don't give it to them they'll just tune out anyway. So, Why don't students remember what they were taught? This usually occurs because the information served no useful purpose in their lives and their brains dropped it. Or probably because they didn't learn in the first place! To talk to me please go to hotmail.com|sladeetal or you can visit my website at http://www.luomapinyin.com

Oct 30, 2007 11:28	#1
TOMINOS Points: Join Date: Oct 30, 2007 Status: Offline	children can learn anything when they're young. my kids? i'm gonna give them music lessons, language lessons, whatever they like and can handle..

Oct 30, 2007 12:49

GUEST47941

Education these days is changing to a constructivist model of learning. Which means a teacher should lecture less, and find ways to help students to construct their own understanding of a new subject. The teacher can ask them questions, or set up activities in a way so that the students can discover for themselves many new things and thus remember it better. Rote memorization still has a place but certainly a diminishing place in our schools today.

Oct 31, 2007 23:05	#3
APAULT Points: Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Status: Offline	Guest:: 'Rote memorization still has a place but certainly a diminishing place in our schools today.' I guess you aren't in China then!

Oct 31, 2007 23:39

SLADEETAL
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Join Date: Oct 28, 2007
Status: Offline

I agree, repetition causes neural connections to reactive and increases the likelihood of memory retention. It's also good to employ complex cognition, for example, asking learners to analyze a word, helped them to remember the word. Personal experiences causes longer ativation. Focus and concentration also makes a difference. Elaborate memory encoding with vision, sound and smell, and movement can make it easier to recall. Lastly, learning that engages the emotions creates a stronger activation.

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