LANGUAGE LEARNING TIPS FOR ALL LANGUAGES




                              FREE ENGLISH LESSONS ARE NEVER FREE!

English has become one of the most prominent languages in the world. It is widely used in most  international organizations  around the world. In fields such as science, commerce, education the use of a common language like English is always beneficial. The English language has gradually gained global dominance in a variety of areas like business, education, literature, and science . This is what attracts more and more people to learn the English language. English is also the language of career advancement and enhanced income opportunities.

English language learning classes are thriving everywhere. The advent of the Internet era has changed the way people chose to learn  languages. The current generation would rather have the convenience and flexibility of learning a language from the comfort of their homes. Many  English courses are available online. Some even offer Free English courses online. Such Free online English courses sound very tempting. Of course, there is nothing wrong in that. Everybody likes a freebie. But are they really worth your time and money or are they just a marketing gimmick simply to lure you to their site?

Most of these  “free language” sites use the word free to lure unsuspecting people. People often fall for such gimmicks only to realize that there is a catch. They usually end up buying the training material, CDs or DVDs to learn the language. Do such CDs actually help you to learn a language fluently? Such attempts to learn a language with the “help” of untested Internet materials and no teacher are futile. How does a student without the help of an experienced online teacher know at what level to begin language learning? Does the student buy DVD 1 or DVD 2. Without a teacher to evaluate a students language level the student will in most cases buy the wrong DVD or tape.In addition what does a student learn when there is no teacher to correct a mistaken pronunciation.Free language lessons are not interactive so they promote language mistakes and mis-pronunciation.

Spending 30 hours trying to learn a language from a CD may not be really helpful. CD English and free English is much like a school with no classes –the appearance of learning without the reality of learning .Learning a language without a teacher’s guidance can be quite a difficult task.  The skills  of an experienced teacher can help you save time and money in the long run. Hence an online course that is paid for would actually be a wiser and more appropriate choice. One needs to learn the finer nuances of the language. Teachers are trained to help you grasp basic fundamentals, pronunciations as well as guide you when you go wrong. Online courses allow the teachers to hear and evaluate the students’ progress and chose the right language level accordingly. This prevents the student from wasting time and money at the wrong level.

In an effort to save money people might opt for the free language courses but this may not ensure that you learn the language correctly. It would be better to learn from language experts who will determine your correct language level, assist you in correct pronunciation, respect your choice of topics and who also  will in the long run  save you time and money.                

Here are some tips which may help you to master the English Language! Speak without Fear The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear.  They worry that they won’t say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don’t talk at all.  Don’t do this.  The fastest way to learn anything is to do it – again and again until you get it right.  Like anything, learning English requires practice.  Don’t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.  Use all of your Resources Even if you study English at a language school it doesn’t mean you can’t learn outside of class.  Using as many different sources, methods and tools as possible, will allow you to learn faster.  There are many different ways you can improve your English, so don’t limit yourself to only one or two.  The internet is a fantastic resource for virtually anything, but for the language learner it's perfect.  Surround Yourself with English The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it.  Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English language radio broadcasts, watch English news, movies and television.  Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely it is that you will begin “thinking in English.” . Listen to Native Speakers as Much as Possible There are some good English teachers that have had to learn English as a second language before they could teach it.  However, there are several  reasons why many of the best schools prefer to hire native English speakers. One of the reasons is that native speakers have a natural flow to their speech that students of English should try to imitate.  The closer ESL / EFL students can get to this rhythm or flow, the more convincing and comfortable they will become.  Watch English Films and Television This is not only a fun way to learn but it is also very effective.  By watching English films (especially those with English subtitles) you can expand your vocabulary and hear the flow of speech from the actors.  If you listen to the news you can also hear different accents.  Listen to English Music Music can be a very effective method of learning English.  In fact, it is often used as a way of improving comprehension.  The best way to learn though, is to get the lyrics (words) to the songs you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings.  There are several good internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice your listening and reading at the same time.  And if you like to sing, fine. Study As Often As Possible! Only by studying things like grammar and vocabulary and doing exercises, can you really improve your knowledge of any language.  Do Exercises and Take Tests Many people think that exercises and tests aren't much fun.  However, by completing exercises and taking tests you can really improve your English. One of the best reasons for doing lots of exercises and tests is that they give you a benchmark to compare your future results with.  Often, it is by comparing your score on a test you took yesterday with one you took a month or six months ago that you realize just how much you have learned.  If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are progressing. Start now by doing some of the many exercises and tests on this site, and return in a few days to see what you've learned. Keep doing this and you really will make some progress with English. Record Yourself Nobody likes to hear their own voice on tape but like tests, it is good to compare your tapes from time to time.  You may be so impressed with the progress you are making that you may not mind the sound of your voice as much. Listen to English By this, we mean, speak on the phone or listen to radio broadcasts, audiobooks or CDs in English. This is different than watching the television or films because you can’t see the person that is speaking to you.  Many learners of English say that speaking on the phone is one of the most difficult things that they do and the only way to improve is to practice.        an article from  www.world-english.org     Author Cristine

                                                                     

More Language learning tips

This section contains a collection of advice, suggestions, tips and techniques for learning languages..

Many of these tips, perhaps with some minor modifications, also apply to learning others skills, such as music.

Why should I learn a language?

There are many reasons to learn a foreign language, from working in another country to discovering your roots, through intellectual curiosity, romance, travel, and secret communication.

Which language should I learn?

Once you have decided to learn a language, you may not be quite sure which language to choose. To some extent, your choice depends on your reasons for learning a language. For example, if you'd like to communicate with as many people as possible, learning such languages as Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian or Arabic would enable you to do so.

What materials and tools do I need to study a language?

There's a wide range of materials and tools available to help you with your language studies, including language courses, dictionaries, grammar books, phrasebooks, online lessons, mp3 players and electronic translators.

How can I find time to study a language?

Finding time to study a language can be quite a challenge. You may think that you don't really have enough of it, but it's surprising how many spare moments you have during a typical day, and how they can add up to a useful amount of study time.

What's the best way to study?

After choosing a language, you can start thinking about how you're going to study it. For popular languages like French and Spanish, there's a wealth of materials available. For lesser-studied languages, the choice can be more limited. If courses are available in your area, it might help you to attend them, or you may prefer to study on your own, or to have individual lessons.

Learning pronunciation

Learning the pronunciation of a language is a very important part of your studies. It doesn't matter so much if you just want to read and/or write the language, but if you want to speak a language well, as I'm sure you do, pay particular attention to the pronunciation and review it regularly.

Learning vocabulary

Building up your vocabulary in a foreign language can take many years. Learning words in context from written and spoken material is probably the most effective way to do this. You could also try learning words in a more systematic way - perhaps a certain number of words every day.

Learning grammar

Familiarity with the grammar of a language enables you to understand it, and also to construct your own phrases and sentences. It's not essential to know all the grammatical terminology or to understand why words change, as long as you're able to apply to relevant changes when necessary.

Learning alphabets and other writing systems

If the language you're learning is written with a different alphabet or other type of writing system, learning it is well worth the effort. Some alphabets, such as Cyrillic and Greek, can be learnt without too difficulty. Others, such as Devanagari and Thai, are a more challenging.

Learning Chinese characters

If you're learning one of the languages that use Chinese characters, such as Chinese, Japanese or Korean, you're faced with quite a challenge. However, there are some techniques you can use to help you learn all those funny little pictures and symbols.

Frequently asked questions about learning languages

On this page you can find answers to some of the questions I get asked most frequently about languages, such as "Are some languages more difficult to learn than others?" and "Which is harder to learn, Chinese or Japanese?".

Foreign phrases

This section contains an ever-growing collection of useful phrases in many different languages, with audio files for many of them. The phrases are arrange by phrase and by language.

Careers using languages

What kind of jobs and careers are available to students of languages? This page provides some information about interpreting, translating, teaching, and other language-related jobs, and also links to sites with further information and vacancies.

My own experiences of learning languages

I've been interested in language and languages for as long as I can remember. The first language I studied was French, which I started learning at the age of eleven in 1981. Since then I have acquired fluency, or at least a fairly good conversational ability in seven foreign languages, and a basic knowledge of more than ten others. I've experimented with a variety of language learning techniques and courses, and continue to do so.  

An article from www.omniglot.com