Learn To Speak English And Have Fun And HAve Fun At The Same Time!
There’s no doubt that the best way to become fluent in a foreign language is to spend as much time as possible living amongst those who speak that language. But conversely, if living amongst them becomes uncomfortable, that can severely impact the quality of the learning. So it’s a delicate balance.
Many people prefer to go on shorter language study vacations than actually living in the country where the language is spoken. And quite often, it’s actually the simple things that give people the opportunity to develop their language skills. For example, using public transport or buying something from the shop.
One of the reasons for this is because when someone is presented with a study course, or left to choose which parts of the language they study, they fail to tackle the really difficult parts (for a variety of reasons). But when the focus is simply on getting something done (such as catching a bus or buying some food) they have no choice in the matter and no way of avoiding learning the necessary words and vocabulary in order to complete the task. If you are going to go abroad for a language course you might as well learn as much as possible!
Yet another reason is because the language learner is not simply going through a book and reciting what is in front of them. The learner will have to do their best to be understood, and an unrelated conversation may even develop. It’s so mcu easier for someone to give up on a tricky challenge when they only have to close the book to get away from the problem. But if it involves giving up and getting off a bus, or leaving a shop frustrated and empty-handed then the student is mucn more likely to find a way to complete the task – and therefore learn the language. Embarassment can be an effective deterrent for failure.
While on a language course, the student is likely to spend a lot of time surrounded by natural speakers of the country’s native tongue. This has a lot of benefits, some obvious and some not so obvious. It’s possible to pick up ideas and and understanding subconsciously just by being in their presence. This type of learning can greatly improve the student’s ability to master the little nuances of the language, such as intonation and emphasis on certain words.
An excellent way to encourage the mind to develop all of the skills required to master a new language is distraction. For example, imagine spending day after day consciously trying to learn a language. Once the task becomes boring or tedious, the mind has a tendency to rebel in order to remove the perceived ‘pain’ felt by continuing with the task. Trying to learn a new language, like the English language for example, should be enjoyable, not a chore.
A great way to use this technique also has many other benefits. If the whole language course is constructed in a way where serious study sessions are interspersed with fun and relaxing activities, not only will they have a more enjoyable vacation, but they will also become less bored during the difficult study periods. The activities can also be set up so that during this time, the learner is exposed to the language they are learning and is also required to converse in the language as well.
Particularly if the student is young, this also provides the perfect opportunity to get them involved in character building activities that require and develop teamwork, communication skills, courage, leadership, listening to and acting on instructions whilst using initiative as well – and many other crucial abilities that will help them throughout their life. The end result is that the learner will probably feel like they have been intensively studying constantly, but in fact they will have picked up new language skills throughout all of the different experiences – perfect! Lots of English language course participants will be pleased to hear this – you learn much more when you’re having lots of fun!
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