Lucas Ardelean, a language enthusiast and ESL teacher, shares his story about how he almost gave up on learning his first language through immersion, and what helped him finally have a successful learning experience. He shares mistakes he made, gives advice on how to learn a new language, and provides some helpful resources. Thank you, Lucas!
Language Learners Triangle
- Time in the language
- Comprehensible input
- Motivation
Develop a learning lifestyle
Turn every aspect of life into a language and culture learning exercise.
- Sing in the language
- Talk to yourself.
- Read everything.
- Write new words down.
- Speak in the language at every opportunity.
- Have Intentional conversations to practice new words and grammar.
- Take time to rest.
- Find media at your level: TV, movies, YouTube, Podcasts, magazines, books,
Approaching a language
- Determine why you should learn
- How will you do it? Make a plan and set goals.
- Find a good language coach.
- Start to become familiar with the target culture and language.
- Be committed for the long haul
- Experiment with methods.
- Have fun
Books
- Lanier, Sarah. Foreign to Familiar. Hagerstown: McDougal, 2000.
- Storti, Craig. The Art of Crossing Cultures. Boston: Intercultural Press, 2001.
- Thomson’s academic writing on GPA can be found here.
Apps
Some Definitions
- Coach - a foreigner or local who helps you and the nurturer in the task.
- Comprehensible input - Content that a learner can understand the essence of but not does necessarily mean that they will understand the grammar or even all the words.
- G.P.A. - Growing Participatory Approach (GPA) as developed by Greg Thomson
- Nurturer – language helper or teacher
- Production – speaking the language.
Music by Canuto Ngui "Nfumayong" from Equatorial Guinea.
my books | free Scripture prayer apps | music |Hebrew | academic articles | facebook
