Title: How to Learn a Foreign LanguageWhat You Really Need To Know
1How to Learn a Foreign LanguageWhat You Really
Need To Know
- Dr. Michael A. Brookshaw
- Department of English and Foreign Languages
- Winston-Salem State University
- June 28, 2007
2Goal
- To provide basic information necessary for a
clear understanding of the true nature of
learning a second language.
3Quote
- A man who does not know a foreign language does
not know his own. - ---Goethe
4Goal of all Foreign Language Study
- To communicate with a native speaker of the
language
5What is Language?
- Language, the principle means used by human
beings to communicate with one another. Language
is primarily spoken, although it can be
transferred to other media, such as writing. - MSN Encarta
6General Language Facts
- Over 6,800 Tongues
- 8 Countries account for more than half of all
languages - There are 832 languages in Papua New Guinea
- India has 15 official languages
- Over 1000 languages are spoken in Africa
7Most Widely Spoken Languages in the World
- 1. Chinese (Mandarin)
1,075,000,000 - 2. English
514,000,000 - 3. Hindustani
1496,000,000 - 4. Spanish
425,000,000 - 5. Russian
275,000,000 - 6. Arabic
256,000,000 - 7. Bengali
215,000,000 - 8. Portuguese
194,000,000 - 9. Malay-Indonesian
176,000,000 - 10. French
129,000,000
8Rationale for Learning Another Language?
- Knowing another language brings opportunities
- Better knowledge of other peoples cultures
- Read and understand more
- Employment advantages
- The World is at Your Fingertips
- You become a Citizen of the World (Globalization)
9General Reasons People Learn a Second Language
- Personal
- Professional
- Social
- Educational
10What do People Generally Speak About?
- Family
- Business
- Personal Care
- Travel
- Food
11What is language really about?
- According to Ricardo Gonzalez it is about
patterns, time expression. He notes - There are 15 ways to express time
- A word must be repeated 15 times to be stored in
long term memory a structure 60 times - The Parts of Language Make the Whole
- Repetition is the Mother of all Learning
12Second Language Acquisition
- An understanding of second language acquisition
can improve the ability of mainstream teachers to
serve the culturally and linguistically diverse
students in their classrooms (Fillmore Snow,
2002 Hamayan, 1990). While significant
professional development is necessary to gain a
full understanding of second language acquisition
theory, some key concepts can be quickly
understood and applied in the classroom. - Current theories of second language acquisition
are based on years of research in a wide variety
of fields, including linguistics, psychology,
sociology, anthropology, and neurolinguistics
(Freeman Freeman, 2001).
13How Languages are Learned
- Learning a Second Language Involves an
Understanding of Second Language Acquisition and
Includes - How the First Language is Learned
- Theoretical Approaches to Second Language
Learning - Factors Affecting Second Language Learning
- Learner Language
- Second Language Teaching and Learning in the
Classroom - Myths and Facts about Language Learning
14Language Learning Myths
- Learning a language is fast and easy.
- Children learn languages better
- Adults are too old to learn a language
- Fluency is easily accomplished
15Why Spanish?
- The historical connection
- 4th largest Spanish Speaking population in U.S.
- 2000 mile border with Mexico
- Current demographic reality
- Continental reality of the Hispanic world
- Dissolving Borders Globalization
16The Spanish Speaking World400,000,000 speakers
- Venezuela, 21,000,000
- Colombia, 35,000,000
- Ecuador, 5,000,000
- Perú, 23,000,000
- Chile, 14,000,000
- Argentina, 34,000,000
- Uruguay,3,000,000
- Bolivia, 7,000,000
- México, 93,000,000
- Guatemala, 10,000,000
- El Salvador, 5,000,000
- Honduras, 5,000,000
- Nicaragua, 4,000,000
17The Spanish Speaking World400,000,000 speakers
(2)
- República Dominicana, 7,000,000
- Puerto Rico, 3,000,000
- Las Filipinas, 3,000,000
- Estados Unidos, 25,000,000
- Costa Rica, 3,000,000
- España, 39,000,000
- Guinea Ecuatorial, 500,000
- Cuba, 11,000,000
- Uruguay, 3,000,000
- Panamá, 2,000,000
- Paraguay, 5,000,000
18The Spanish You Already Know
- Mosquito
- Chocolate
- Banco
- Radio
- Discoteca
- Vitaminas
- presidente
- mamá
- animal
- especial
- constitución
- ángel
19More Spanish You Already Know
- Montana
- Nevada
- Colorado
- Arizona
- Florida
- California
20Spanish in the last 10 years(1)
- Surge in the Spanish population nationally
- Spanish is more of a necessity than a choice
- Spoken by 39 million Hispanics
- Not speaking Spanish can be a handicap
- There is nothing foreign about Spanish anymore
- Spanish dominates all other languages in the
public schools
21Spanish in the last 10 years(2)
- The need in the workplace for Spanish is
tremendous - The president,himself, gives his radio address in
Spanish - Language and culture of Latin America have
flooded the nation - 83 of college students study Spanish
- Demographics demand that you learn Spanish
22Spanish Facts (1)
- The second language of the U.S.
- Hispanics are the largest minority
- The U.S. has the 4th largest Spanish population
in the world. - Hispanics are becoming politically and
economically powerful. - The U.S. is being Hispanized
23Spanish Facts (2)
- The U.S used to be Mexico until 1848
- The U.S. has a intimate history with all things
Spanish. - Hispanic language, art, culture have exploded.
- Our heritage is locked in Spanish
- The U.S. has always had Spanish influence
24What a Good Language Learner Needs to Have for a
Successful Experience
- Basic Understanding of and information about
Language - Positive Attitude about Second Language Learning
Process - A Desire to Communicate with Someone who Speaks a
Language Different from your Own - Commitment to the Language Learning process
- A Basic Language Foundation (words- 1500-2000)
- Appropriate Strategies and Techniques (method)
- Time to Learn and to Practice
- Memory Ability
- Realistic language goals and objectives
25What Can Learning a Second Language do for Me?
- Improve Analyzing Skills
- Enhance creativity
- Increase English Vocabulary
- Change Cultural Attitudes
- Augment Higher Order Thinking Skills
- Enhance Memory
- Improve Writing in English
- Improve Test Taking Abilities
- Enhance the Learning of the Native Language
Culture - Enhance Knowledge of Cultural Diversity
26A view on language learning
- Many of us have the experience of trying to
learn another language and then giving up because
it is too demanding, which translates into not
making the progress we expect. - This is why you have an enormous advantage as
soon as you realize that learning a language is
not straight-forward. This understanding means
that you can actually start to learn it without
being discouraged when your progress is slower
than you want it to be. You can improve because
you are in the position to set yourself realistic
and achievable goals, and you can reach these
precisely because they are realistic. - Learning a language is a long term occupation and
you have to return again and again to words,
expressions and grammar that you have already
learned and then forgotten. It is true that there
are exceptional individuals who soak up new
languages easily as adults, but they are in a
tiny minority. - www.downloadalanguage.com
27The Tongue-Tied AmericanCongressman Paul Simon,
1980
- The United States has fallen far behind other
nations in foreign language skills and this
decline creates certain problems and challenges. - At every port of entry into the United States we
should erect a sign - -WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES-
- WE CANNOT SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE
28John Naisbitt (1982)Megatrends
- Thinking Globally
- For Americans, it is self evident that this is
the time to learn another language--and learn it
well. The size, proximity, and economic promises
of Latin America make Spanish an attractive
choice. To be really successful, you will have
to be trilingual fluent in English, Spanish,
and computer. - --p.78
-
29Review
- Goal Basic Information on Language learning
- Definition of Language
- General Language Facts
- Rationale for Language Learning
- The Nature of Language
- Second Language Acquisition
- Language Myths
- The Reality of the Spanish-Speaking World
- Traits of a Good Language Learner
- Benefits of Learning a Second Language
30Final Quotes
- Education is the most powerful weapon which you
can use to change the world. - -Nelson Mandela
- The illiterate of the 21st century will not be
those who cannot read and write, but those who
cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. - -Alvin Toffler
- We must be the change we wish to see.
- -Gandhi