A recent research paper: "Daily Online Testing in Large Classes" [published on journals.plos.org] shows that taking frequent short tests - or quizzes - can significantly boost learning.
This appears to be true for subjects such as math and science, which combine rote memorization with thinking skills. It certainly can also be true for language learning, which requires the mind to absorb complex material gradually, and in steps that build on each other.
Typically in a school environment, quizzes were and still are used after students have learned their material, both to test their knowledge and give them feedback. In our new, digital trial-and-error culture, quizzing and learning often happen simultaneously.
Every Game is a Quiz
In order to advance in a game, you have to provide correct answers and are told immediately when you're wrong. This kind of immediate and regular feed-back on detail - pronunciation, vocabulary, spelling, grammar points, sentence structure, etc. - is exactly what you want when you're learning a language.
Games Engage the Whole Brain
Language learning tends to be a left-brain activity, but by involving several senses, you'll be engaging both sides of the brain. One way to do this is by playing video games that involve sounds, colors, movement, and various types of interactive play.
It's well-established that multi-sensory learning helps create the kind of associations that deepen your language memory.
Games Help to Maintain Focus
By tapping into the rush of pleasurable feeling you get from achieving small successes and mastering challenges, games help you focus on each step and encourage you to stay with the language - as described in this blog bost: Games and your brain: how to use gamification to stop procrastinating.
Accumulating points and badges gives you a sense of progress and motivates you to go on. Also, games can add humor to your learning (as text, images, sounds, etc.) and with it provide an extra level of fun and entertainment.
With Games You Can Practice All Four Skills Interactively
Digital games are versatile and can be structured to help you practice all four skills: listening, writing, reading, speaking - either individually or in combination. There are games to listen and repeat, others to record your voice, or write in the correct answer. Others still for constructing sentences, or identifying idioms.
Digital games allow for as much repetition as you want. If a game is hard, you can do it several times, if it's easy, you breeze through and continue with the next.
Games Can Teach You How to Learn
If you use games for language learning on a regular basis, you're also forming good learning habits. A language is acquired gradually and step by step, so trying to cram a lot of learning into a short time doesn't work for most.
Regular quizzing with games teaches you how to pace yourself and shows you the value of frequent recall and repetition.
The sudden, huge popularity of the gamified site Duolingo has put language learning with games in the spotlight. Other sites that consist entirely of language games, such as Digitaldialects, Mindsnacks, etc., and our Gamesforlanguage, are also getting increased attention.
In turn, social networks and communities for language learning - such as Busuu, Livemocha, Mangolanguages - have started adding games to their programs.
Last but not least, educational communities such as edWeb.net have groups where educators share new games, including language games. For anyone learning a language, this is all good quizzing fun.
In an earlier blog post Heidelberg & Mark Twain, I speculated why Mark Twain had liked the name “Heidelberg,” the city where he stayed with his family for several months in 1878.
This topic had offered itself, as our German 1 traveler during his visit to Heidelberg learns the English translation of the city's name and its relevance to Mark Twain.
Twain's love-hate relationship with The Awful German Language, published as an Appendix to his “A Tramp Abroad,” makes for amusing reading for anyone grappling with the German language – and is especially hilarious to a native German speaker as he looks at German though Twain's eyes!
A Few of His Observations
"Declining a noun" may be the crabgrass on the lawn of many who are learning German. Twain uses “rain” as an example and has some funny explanations for when “der Regen” (nominative) changes to “den Regen” (accusative), “dem Regen” (dative), or “des Regens” (genitive).
If you add adjectives, it gets even worse and Twain is at his satirical best when he notes:
“When a German gets his hands on an adjective, he declines it, and keeps on declining it until the common sense is all declined out of it. It is as bad as Latin." He says, for instance:
Singular
Nominative -- Mein guter Freund, my good friend. Genitive -- Meines guten Freundes, of my good friend. Dative -- Meinem guten Freund, to my good friend. Accusative -- Meinen guten Freund, my good friend.
PLURAL
Nominative -- Meine guten Freunde, my good friends. Genitive -- Meiner guten Freunde, of my good friends. Dative -- Meinen guten Freunden, to my good friends. Accusative -- Meine guten Freunde, my good friends
"Now let the candidate for the asylum try to memorize those variations, and see how soon he will be elected.”
Twain also notes, correctly, that “the same sound, SIE, means YOU, and it means SHE, and it means HER, and it means IT, and it means THEY, and it means THEM.”
Ah, yes, the only way to discover the right meaning is to understand the context in which they are used.
There are a lot more funny and perceptive passages about the German way to create word-monsters, assign genders, separate verbs, etc. (Note also that there are some spelling and grammar changes that have occurred since 1876 e.g. to let, lease, hire is now spelled “vermieten” - not “vermiethen.”)
If you are learning German, his essay - as well as his 4th of July speech at the Banquet of the Anglo-American Club of Students - might amuse you.
And perhaps it also encourages you to keep practicing. Even though German has its tricky moments, it definitely can be learned!
You Want to Learn German Fast and Playfully?
With our German 1 and 2 courses you'll learn practice German for FREE - with stories of a young man traveling through Germany and - its sequel - solving a "Blüten"-mystery in Berlin.
"The Story" and easy games will let you forget that you are actually learning German!
Bio: Peter Rettig is the co-founder of Gamesforlanguage.com. He is a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact or below.
You may have heard this French song: Et si tu n'existais pas before and always wondered what the lyrics really meant. Here is your chance to learn them and brush up on your French negations and conditionals!
For anyone who likes music, songs are a versatile and surprisingly effective tool for language learning. Songs support your language learning in many ways. They help you to:
• build your vocabulary and provide context for words and phrases • improve pronunciation • boost your memory • internalize grammar structures • distinguish word boundaries (see also our blog post Gibberish or language learning)
Si tu n'existais pas (If you didn't exist)
This 1976 song by the American born, French singer-songwriter Joe Dassin has become hugely popular and is one of my favorites. Dassin (1938 - 1980) was a talented polyglot and recorded songs in Spanish, Russian, German, Greek, Italian, as well as in French and English (many of which you can find on YouTube).
Below are the French lyrics, and you can find another English translation here.
The Lyrics of "Si tu n'existais pas"
Et si tu n'existais pas, Dis-moi pourquoi j'existerais. Pour traîner dans un monde sans toi, Sans espoir et sans regrets.
Et si tu n'existais pas, J'essaierais d'inventer l'amour, Comme un peintre qui voit sous ses doigts Naître les couleurs du jour. Et qui n'en revient pas.
Et si tu n'existais pas, Dis-moi pour qui j'existerais. Des passantes endormies dans mes bras Que je n'aimerais jamais.
Et si tu n'existais pas, Je ne serais qu'un point de plus Dans ce monde qui vient et qui va, Je me sentirais perdu, J'aurais besoin de toi.
Et si tu n'existais pas, Dis-moi comment j'existerais. Je pourrais faire semblant d'être moi, Mais je ne serais pas vrai.
Et si tu n'existais pas, Je crois que je l'aurais trouvé, Le secret de la vie, le pourquoi, Simplement pour te créer Et pour te regarder.
French Nouns in the Song
In Dassin's song there are 14 nouns, here listed in the form they appear:
• un monde (a world) • sans espoir (without hope) • sans regrets (without regret) • l'amour (love) • un peintre (a painter) • ses doigts (his fingers) • les couleurs (the colors) • du jour (of the day) • des passantes (passers-by) • mes bras (my arms) • un point (a point, dot) • le secret (the secret) • de la vie (of life) • le pourquoi (the why)
Negative Structures
It's well worth internalizing the various forms of French negation, three of which appear in the song:
• Si tu n'existais pas (ne ... pas - not) • Que je n'aimerais jamais. (ne ... jamais - never) • Je ne serais qu'un point de plus. (ne ... que - only)
The Conditional "if-then" Structure
This structure is the backbone of the song. Of the 20 different verbs, 8 are used in the conditional tense. Memorizing the lyrics and singing them is a great way to internalize one of the common "if-then" (conditional) structures:
The "if-clause" (which comes up 6 times) is in the imperfect tense:
• si tu n'existais pas - if you didn't exist
The "then-claus" is in the conditional tense:
• dis-moi pourquoi j'existerais (*exister) - tell me why would I exist • j'essaierais d'inventer l'amour (*essayer) - I would try to invent love • je ne serais qu'un point de plus (*être) - I would only be one more dot • je me sentirais perdu (*se sentir) - I would feel lost • j'aurais besoin de toi (*avoir besoin) - I would need you • je pourrais faire semblant d'être moi (*pouvoir) - I could pretend to be me • je crois que je l'aurais trouvé (*trouver) - I think I would have found it
Just imagine, when you are memorizing the lyrics and singing along, you're practicing the language. How much fun is that!
And why stop here? Edith Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien" (see our previous post) is another great French song to add to your language learning repertoire.
I recently came across Sidney's post Learning through song made easy, which suggests four steps to improve both your listening and speaking (maybe even singing!) skills. It's fun AND effective and it not only works for Italian, but for French and other languages as well!
A recent article (January 12, 2014) in the Boston Globe, “The Breaking point for New Year's resolution,” reported some bad news and some good news.
“CAUSE FOR PESSIMISM: A survey suggests that nearly half of people ultimately give up on their resolutions; and nearly half (43%) of those who quit do so by the two week mark.
CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM: 76% of people who keep their resolutions through February 1 keep going.”
We know that most adults learn a foreign language only when they need to or have a personal reason to do so.
Therefore, it's not surprising that learning a new language is not one of the Globe's Top 10 Resolutions for 2014. (However, it could be part of #3: Improve Financial Conditions, #8: Improve Family Relationships, #9: Travel More, or #10: Become Better Educated.)
This blog post completes our December '13 and January '14 series of ways to stay motivated when learning a new language, all three based on the Zenhabits.net blog “The Ultimate Guide to Motivation – How to Achieve Any Goal,” and its “20 Ways to Sustain Motivation When You Are Struggling.”
Here are the last five (5) more ways to get you at least to February 1.
5 Practical Motivation Tips
1. Get a coach or take a class – Studying just by yourself can be hard, and for some, a class environment with both peer pressure and peer support will be the way to go. For others, a coach or tutor not only provides added motivation, but also accelerates the learning progress. While learning with a tutor can run into money, you might know a friend who will provide coaching or counseling for free.
2. Never skip two days in a row - This rule takes into account our natural tendency to miss days now and then. We are not perfect. Obviously, a skipped day here and there happens to all of us. But if you avoid skipping extra days, you'll quickly notice how much faster you progress, which in turn, encourages you to go on. (To get you started: At GamesforLanguage, learning is FREE.)
3. Use visualization – Visualize what it would mean for you to know the language you are learning. Think about a successful business meeting, a conversation with a foreign friend, chatting with locals in a foreign city – whatever the reason was that motivated you to learn a new language in the first place. Imagine that you can understand and speak it. Now here’s the next key: do it every day. For at least a few minutes each day. This is the only way to keep that motivation going over a long period of time.
4. Be aware of your urges to quit, and overcome them – With self-teaching language programs, it's mostly about finding excuses not to take out the book, not to listen to the audio, not to open the app/language program on you ipad or laptop. Zenhabits notes and recommends: "We all have urges to stop, but they are mostly unconscious. ... A good exercise is to go through the day with a little piece of paper and put a tally mark for each time you get an urge.”
Then have a plan for when those urges hit, and plan for it beforehand, and write down your plan, because once those urges hit, you will not feel like coming up with a plan. Your plan may include tricks for re-starting your enthusiasm, fun things to do (see below), or a visualization of the goal that matters to you.
5. Find pleasure again - No one can stick to something for long if they find it unpleasant, and are only rewarded after months of toil. Learning a new language can be a grind unless you can make it fun and interesting: Find a course you can truly enjoy, and once you have mastered some basics, find easy reading materials, stories, newspaper articles that really interest you, watch foreign movies, etc.
Maybe learning a new foreign language is one of your resolutions for 2014. If so, then you may find one or two of these “ways to stay motivated when you are struggling” helpful.
And, if you find some other ways, please let us and our readers know: Keeping motivated is certainly one of the key elements for successfully learning a new foreign language as an adult.
As we were developing our Gamesforlanguage program we were intent on making playing and learning intuitive: No instructions to read, just hit "play" and start learning by clicking on arrows, moving targets, words, phrases, icons, etc.
However, we found out early on that not everybody would discover the "Home" and "Menu" icons in the top right hand corner and we added a simple screen to clarify.
Generations X, Y & others
A recent email from a user who had recommended Gamesforlanguage to her mother made us realize that our program may actually not be intuitive for everybody.
Clearly, generations X, Y and beyond, who have grown up with PCs, MACs, and now with mobile devices and touch screens, don't want to read instructions: They simply click, try, and learn.
On the other hand, many middle-aged or older adults often need simple hints or encouragements to try out icons, links, etc. Their fear of "doing something wrong" prevents them from experimenting and using the trial and error approach that our digitally native young generations have become so good at.
Game Flow vs. Instructions
We do not want to interrupt the game flow by adding more instruction screens but now have a How to play and learn link.
Most recently, our welcome email to newly registered users also includes a few simple instruction reminders, which the less game- or computer-savvy learners may appreciate – and which those in-the-know may not need to read. We continue to learn from our users and welcome any feedback in regard to game flow vs. instructions trade-offs.
Are language games just for kids? The short answer is "no" and there are plenty of reasons.
Kids love to play, in fact most, if not all their learning in the early years occurs during play. So it's not surprising that educational games - especially those on tablets and smart phones - are pouring into the marketplace.
These games combine playing with targeted learning and include educational topics from geography, math, spelling, science, to native and foreign languages. Much research is being done about how children learn with structured games. A good resource for that is the Mind/Shift blog on www.kqed.org about Games and Video Games.
Kids and Language Games
There are numerous audio, video, and other “toy based” games and apps, which children play in their native language. With these, they enhance word recognition, pronunciation, spelling, and writing, etc.
And they play native or even foreign language games not because they want to improve their communication with their parents, siblings, and peers, but simply because such games are fun.
Why Language Games Work for Kids
Kids' language games teach basic vocabulary, often with funny pictures, cute sound effects, and "rewards" for getting it right. They feature droll or adorable characters, catchy music, bright colors, and require the young player to swipe, click, or move a word or image in order to progress.
Adults and Brain Games
Games and play are not just for kids, though. Adults also learn well with games. A well-established segment is the field of Brain Training. Lumosity has surged to becoming the dominant online presence, but there are plenty of other brain games available as well.
A few years ago Nintendo DS developed a series of Brain Age Games. There's also research being done in the area of cognitive improvement, especially related to the effect of video games on the brains of older adults. (see our blog post on language learning and memory)
Adults and Foreign Language Games
In 2007 Nintendo DS started a series of language games (My Spanish Coach, My Japanese Coach, My French Coach, etc.) But these did not seem to catch on.
Around the same time, Craig Gibson launched Digital Dialects, a website with simple, animated games for 30+ languages. Mindsnacks with its language learning games appeared in 2010 and added gamification (rewards, badges, etc.) and humor to its games.
When in 2012, Duolingo, then a gamified "crowd-sourced text-translation platform" (Wikipedia) took the Internet by storm, it became clear that language learning games for adults are here to stay.
Why Language Games Work for Adults
In contrast to children, adults typically do have a specific plan or need for the language they are learning (be it for work, travel, friendship, personal satisfaction, etc.). Moreover, adults not only have to develop the discipline and learning habits to keep going in the midst of their many other commitments and time constraints, but they also have to find ways to stay motivated.
Games can therefore be an effective addition to any language learning program, especially because they are interactive and fun.
Because of their interactive nature, games are very versatile. They can easily combine humor and serious learning. (Think of the Duolingo Owl, or the Rhinos of the Mindsnacks games.)
Plus, games are nonlinear and dynamic, features which help in the acquisition of language as a complex tool for communication. When learners make a mistake or need to figure out a grammar point, they can easily replay a segment and get immediate feedback.
Games can also interweave a story line - which provides context - with vocabulary and grammar practice, while keeping the learner interactively engaged (a main feature of Gamesforlanguage).
Moreover, by involving multiple senses - visual, auditory, and touch - games stimulate association and sharpen memory. Last but not least, games are relaxing because they are fun and entertaining.
As language games for adults become more numerous and go mainstream, they join the "learning revolution," which Markus Witte (Founder and CEO of the language learning site Babbel) talks about in a recent blog post: The Learning Revolution: It’s Not About Education in Wired Magazine.
In his words: "A new trend is initiated by a whole new breed of learning technology start-ups that set out to make learning easier for everybody." Why not jump on this trend and play a few language games?!
A New Year is often the time when we make a fresh start and set new goals. If learning a new language is one of your goals for 2014, then preparing for the potential struggles ahead may help you achieve this goal - and maybe others as well. (And even, when the path to reach the top is obvious, staying motivated is key...)
In January 2013, I read on Zenhabits.net the blog post “The Ultimate Guide to Motivation – How to Achieve Any Goal,” and applied its “8 Ways to Motivate Yourself From the Beginning” to our blog post 8 Zenhabits for Language Learning.
I also really liked Zenhabit's “20 Ways to Sustain Motivation When You Are Struggling” and, in a recent blog post, adapted the first eight ways to language learning.
Seven More Ways to Motivate Yourself
(Sentences in quotes are taken directly from the just mentioned Zenhabit blog.)
1. Find like-minded friends. Online communities for the language you are learning are great avenues to connect with like-minded learners. Even better, if you can find a partner with whom you can practice. My wife and I - we both want to improve our Spanish - have made it a habit of reviewing some Spanish vocabulary and grammar every day at the end of lunch.
2. Build on your successes."Every little step along the way is a success — celebrate the fact that you even started! " That's why we believe that a game-based approach to language learning is so effective: Games let you experience your successes though scores, points, medals, etc. Start with just a few words, phrases, sentences a day. The next day, recalling what you learned the day before will feel good, and you can slowly increase your progress and feelings of success. "Celebrate every little milestone. Then take that successful feeling and build on it, with another baby step."
3. Just get through the low points. It's easy to lose motivation, especially when some of the grammar points make no sense at the beginning and none of the words or phrases seem to want to stick. But hang in there. "Just stick it out and wait for that motivation to come back. In the meantime, read about your goal, ask for help, and do some of the other things listed here until your motivation comes back."
4. Get help. "It’s hard to accomplish something alone." But there are plenty of resources out there today, both free and for-pay online language programs, CDs/DVDs, classes, tutors, and online communities or forums you can join.
5. Chart your progress. Many online language programs indeed help you chart your progress with scores, number of words learned, goals to be reached, etc. You can add your own progress chart of hours/days studied: "This can be as simple as marking an X on your calendar, or creating a simple spreadsheet."
6. Reward yourself often. As you are celebrating your successes (see above) you should also reward yourself for achieving certain milestones. "It helps to write down appropriate rewards for each step, so that you can look forward to those rewards." These could be watching a foreign movie after having completed a portion of the course, downloading some great foreign songs iTunes, buying a CD, or foreign audio book. Or you could go for the ultimate reward: When you have achieved your overall language goal, plan a trip to the foreign country to practice your new language.
7. Go for mini-goals. Language courses typically are organized by lessons and levels. Set yourself some achievable mini-goals of 5 or 10 minutes a day, every other day. You don't have to do a full lesson every time. Just get into the habit with mini-goals, especially at the beginning. Once you feel good about achieving those, you can always set yourself more challenging ones.
Clearly, many of the ways to stay motivated are connected and support each other. There is no single “trick” to keep you motivated at all times. There are just many little ways that - when done together - will nudge you to reach your language goal.
A recent research paper: "Daily Online Testing in Large Classes" [published on journals.plos.org] shows that taking frequent short tests - or quizzes - can significantly boost learning.
A New Year is often the time when we make a fresh start and set new goals. If learning a new language is one of your goals for 2014, then preparing for the potential struggles ahead may help you achieve this goal - and maybe others as well. (And even, when the path to reach the top is obvious, staying motivated is key...)