Years ago when I wanted to stop smoking, I used a technique that is well-known to psychologists: “Commit publicly” or “Tell your friends about it.”
We've also described this technique in our blog 8 Zenhabits for 2013 Language Learning. (For me, the "commit publicly" technique worked well, as I haven't touched another cigarette since!)
In today's connected world, “telling your friends about it,” is done mostly on Facebook and on other social media.
Indeed, many language sites encourage you to post scores or other achievements on your own Facebook page. We wonder how many language learners are indeed posting their scores for their friends to see and whether it helps them stay motivated.
Recently we have seen an increased interest by parents of homeschoolers in our courses (see also the reviews by homeschool.com and mommymaestra.com). We wonder whether homeschoolers, or for that matter other language learners, are more motivated to learn, if they compete for scores with their friends.
Let us know your experience with "committing publicly" or "telling your friends about it" when starting to learn a new foreign language. Did it motivate you more? Did it keep you going?
There are many different ways of learning a foreign language and each person has to find the one which suits him or her best. Personal tutoring has many benefits.
Using a personal tutor is a great way to getting a running start or accelerating your learning. If you have never considered this method, then here are 5 of the top benefits to think about.
1. Get Personalized Attention
One of the most obvious benefits of getting a personal tutor is that you get all of his/her attention all of the time. This is hugely important in any subject, but especially when it comes to languages. By dealing with your teacher on a one-on-one basis, you can increase your vocabulary and confidence very quickly. The amount of time you spend speaking is a vital part in the learning process and a group situation simply won’t give you the same number of opportunities to practice speaking.
2. Go At Your Own Pace
We all learn at different speeds. When you are in a big classroom, you run the risk of either falling behind the rest of the students or being frustrated at the speed they force you to go at. By using the personal tutoring approach, you can be sure that the pace of the teaching you receive is exactly right for you.
3. Concentrate on Your Weaknesses
No one learns a new language in exactly the same way as anyone else. We all have certain words or grammatical rules which seem to take longer to sink in. A personal tutor, however, can help you overcome your weaknesses by providing you the explanations and tips you need. As your tutor will be talking to you on a regular basis he/she will understand which areas you most need to work on in order to improve.
4. Focus on Your Needs
Another point to bear in mind when deciding how you are going to learn a foreign tongue is that we all have various reasons for learning and therefore not the same needs. You might be planning on moving abroad, need to learn a language for business reasons, or just be looking for an interesting new hobby. Each one of these reasons will lead to different learning needs, and a personal tutor can help you focus on those needs from the start and help you learn exactly what you want.
5. Find the Perfect Tutor
If you are going to get the most from your personal language tutoring then you will need a great tutor. The good news in this respect is that a reputable firm such as Language Trainers will give you access to a range of qualified native speaking teachers. This means that you can find the perfect tutor and learn in the best way possible.
Bio: Ivana Vitali represents Language Trainers. Language Trainers provides individually-tailored language training on a one-on-one or small group basis to busy people who need language skills for business, family and travel needs.
When in a Spanish speaking country, you certainly want the skills to deal with daily, practical situations: ordering in a restaurant, asking directions, greeting friends or strangers, introducing others, purchasing, paying a check, checking into a hotel, etc.
But you'll also want to be able to engage in conversations with locals or with a Spanish speaker you happen to meet anywhere. To do this, you must swallow your anxiety about speaking up and find ways to start, sustain, and eventually end a conversation.
Conversing with strangers can feel a little awkward in any language. A blog post that caught my eye:12 Ways To Make Talking To Strangers Less Awkwardhas some good tips on braving such a challenge. Of course, these tips also work for talking with strangers in a foreign language.
We've adapted them here for conversations with Spanish speakers. A good antidote to "conversation anxiety" is to practice some useful expressions ahead of time. You can start with the list below.
(1) WHEN INITIATING A CONVERSATION
Act confident and comfortable, this will put the other person at ease too. Be sure that you know how to address a stranger correctly to be appropriately polite. Best to use a neutral greeting such as:
“Buenos días,” “Buenas tardes,” “Buenas noches” (Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening) or have a couple of polite phrases ready, such as:
"Perdone ..." (Excuse me …)
"Por favor ..." (Please [can you tell me] ...)
Formal "Usted" - Importantly, you should use the formal "usted" (the polite form of "you") as a starter with older persons, or in formal situations. If by any chance you’re being addressed with the formal “usted”, then you should use “usted” as well. That means, of course, that you also have to learn to distinguish between the appropriate Spanish verb endings. Listen HERE to a Spanish conversation where students talk about using the familiar "tú."
Spanish "How are you?" - By the way, in Spanish, it's fine to use "How are you?" (¿Cómo estás?/¿Cómo está?) as part of a greeting, even if you don’t know the person very well. Spaniards regard such a question as a token of genuine interest. Just make sure you use the appropriate formal/informal verb endings.
"Asking for directions" - Learn to ask for directions or for information; this may very well lead to a longer exchange. Start with a neutral greeting (see above) and follow up with a question, such as:
"¿Sabe dónde/cuándo ...?" (Do you know where/when ...?)
The "here and now" - Comment about the here and now. For example when you're at a café, a restaurant, a museum, in a shop, at a market, etc. Talk about what's around you, what you see; you can even mention the weather.
"¿Un cortado? ¿Qué es eso?" (A "cortado"? What is that?)
"¡Ese es un edificio realmente precioso!" (That's really a beautiful building!)
"¡Hoy hace un tiempo genial!" (Great weather today!)
Starting a conversation with someone in a foreign language may feel a little risky, but it's definitely something you can learn to do. Practicing some of these ice-breaker phrases and expressions ahead of time will be helpful. In our next blog post (see Part 2), we'll guide you on how to sustain and how to close a casual conversation with a Spanish speaker.
In English, you don't need to worry about noun gender. But in languages such as German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, etc. you do.
The Non-logic of it All
There seems to be little logic about the gender of nouns. Take the word for "sun," for example. In German, it's "die Sonne" (feminine), in French, it's masculine: "le soleil," and in Dutch, it's "de zon," a word of common gender, which is a masculine/feminine category.
On the other hand, "house" is neuter in both German and Dutch: "das Haus" and "het huis," but feminine in French: "la maison."
So, how can you learn the articles for all these nouns? Well, you can't get around doing it. But here are three ways you can make this task a little easier and stick better.
1. Auditory Memory
A language is a series of sounds. Even if you're just reading or writing, you're often silently "sounding out" the words in your mind.
Sound is a powerful tool for memorization. Don't memorize "Haus is neuter." Repeat "das Haus" a few times, focusing on the sounds that go together, in this case, "-s with Haus."
Later, when you're trying to remember the gender of "Haus," - the feminine or masculine articles will just not sound right with this word.
Similarly, if you say "la maison" a few times and remember that the "la" article goes with the "ai" sound, using the masculine article will not fit as well.
2. Visual Memory
Unless you only want to hear and speak a language, you'll spend plenty of time reading and writing it. These are excellent ways to get words, phrases, and structures into your visual memory.
Don't just memorize "soleil is masculine." When you write out "le soleil" a few times and remember the “e” in both the “le” and “soleil”, the feminine article will simply not look right with "soleil."
3. General Rules and Exceptions
There are no iron-clad rules about the gender of nouns. But there are general rules you certainly should add to your tools and each language has a few that can supplement your auditory and visual memory. (Following are just a couple of examples, it's by no means an exhaustive list.)
In French, nouns ending in "-e" are feminine, barring a few notable exceptions, such as "le problème."
In Spanish and Italian, nouns ending with “o” are generally masculine, those ending with “a” mostly feminine (with "el problema" [Spanish] and "il problema" [Italian] again one of several exceptions.)
In German, words ending in "-e" are mostly feminine; words that have the diminutive ending "-chen" or "-lein" are always neuter. For example, die Küche (kitchen), die Straße (street); and "das Mädchen" (girl), "das Sträßlein" (little street).
Learn to Trust Yourself
And once you've learned the general rules, you'll be able to apply your auditory and visual memory to the exceptions as well.
With time, you'll learn to trust your auditory and visual memory more and are on your way to building that wonderful, uncanny skill that we all strive for: a real feel for the language.
Let us know about YOUR experiences with visual and auditory memory!
Learning Swedish recently moved to the top of my language "to do" list. We'll be spending some time in Stockholm in the fall and that's excellent motivation for me.
Besides, I've always loved the sound of Swedish, in the Bergman movies, and most recently watching the three Swedish movies based on Stieg Larsson's popular novels, "Män som hatar kvinnor" (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and its two sequels.
So, I signed up for one month to learn Swedish with an online language program. Besides getting a good grasp of Swedish basics, I again experienced the advantages of learning a new foreign language online.
For me, three key aspects drive my language learning: 1. motivation, 2. figuring out how the language works, and 3. building vocabulary.
These three aspects apply to all four language skills: reading, listening comprehension, writing, and speaking. The Swedish online course that I followed did a nice job with all four.
Motivation
This is the engine that drives learning. To truly learn something, you've got to love your subject, and find ways, again and again, to stay crazy about it.
There's a lot of talk about "addictive" programs for learning. I'm not sure that's the answer. You've got to be addicted to the subject - in this case, the language itself. Then, at best, a good program will make learning the language a pleasure.
Figuring Out How the Language Works
Our brain is wired for language and we are definitely capable of figuring out how a language functions. Kids do this all the time. By listening to a language, and reading, writing, and speaking it, we become aware of grammatical patterns.
In addition, some of us like to check with a grammar book, to see if there's a rule that makes things clear. I, for one, don't memorize grammar rules. My favorite grammar books are very thin ones. The one I use for Swedish is a slim booklet called "Essential Swedish grammar."
Building Vocabulary
Some people like to start a language by memorizing lists of words, or even just practicing all the sounds of the alphabet. I find that boring.
I prefer to start with everyday phrases or short sentences, and to add relevant lists a little later. I want to see the spelling, hear the words spoken, say them myself, and even write out some of them.
That way, my language learning brain is fully engaged. Whatever vocabulary I learn has to be part of a context or a setting that is meaningful to me.
So far, I've spent one month learning Swedish. I'm definitely still motivated and yes, I've figured out how the Swedish language works.
The program confirms that I've learned 380 basic words and phrases. That's a good start! In a later blog post, I'll talk about what program I used and how it specifically helped me build the four basic skills.
Very likely you've heard “La Paloma” sung in your native language. It's a very popular song.
In this YouTube video of “La Paloma”, Victoria de los Angeles, one of the great voices of the 20th century, sings the original Spanish lyrics, and the video shows the English translation. (There is also a wonderful Spanish version by Nana Mouskouri here, but without the text, you could listen to later!)
Did you know?
“La Paloma (meaning “the dove”) was composed and written by the Basque /Spanish composer Sebastián Iradier (later Yradier) after he visited Cuba in 1861. (You can read in this Wikipedia entry that the motif of “La Paloma” dates back to an episode that occurred in 492 BC!)
And the many different versions in many of the world's languages and performed by many famous singers are a testimony to its popular appeal across cultures and centuries.
The Original Lyrics
The original Spanish lyrics of the first verse are below. (Note that you will find other Spanish versions as well.)
Cuando salí de la Habana,
¡Válgame dios!
Nadie me ha visto salir
Si no fuí yo.
Y una linda Guachinanga
Allá voy yo,
Que se vino trás de mi,
Que si señor.
Si a tu ventana llega
Una paloma,
Trátala con cariño
Que es mi persona.
Cuéntala tus amores,
Bien de mi vida,
Corónala de flores
Que es cosa mía
Ay chinita que sí ,
ay que darme tu amor
Ay que vente conmigo,
Chinita, a donde vivo yo.
Typical Spanish Constructs
Some of the lyrics of the original version may be difficult for a beginner, but, with the translation provided in the video, you'll be able to decipher the meaning quite easily.
You'll also notice a number of typical Spanish constructions, e.g. valgame, trátala, cuéntala, corónala, darme, in which the object is added to the end of the verb. (You can also start paying attention to the spelling of words like "si" [if] and "sí" [yes])
By watching the YouTube video with its translation several times you can start memorizing the Spanish lyrics and their English meaning. Not only will the song sound even more beautiful now that you understand it, you'll remember the object constructs next time you see them in other contexts.
And when you hear other versions in Spanish (or in other languages) you may also recognize the changes in the lyrics.
Postscript:
(1) We also have posts about French, German, and Italian songs that are fun to listen to – and, when memorized, can remind you of some key aspects of the respective language.
(3) We recently discovered a Spanish language site which uses Spanish songs a their lyrics as part of their program. You won't find "La Paloma" but many contemporary songs on Language Zen. Also read our "Language Zen" - Learning Spanish - A Review
Does your day look really busy, but you would hate missing your language learning fix?
Are you looking to boost one or the other of your new foreign language skills? (Even the Shuttle, left, needed some boosters!)
Learning a foreign language as an adult requires you to find those methods and routines that work best for you and that allow you to apply them - ideally - on a daily basis.
5 ways to create a quick language learning moment
1. READ 3-4 sentences ALOUD - preferably from an ongoing book you've been following. Reading aloud (or even in a whisper) gets you to work on your "mouth mechanics" - the way you need to move your mouth in order to produce the correct sounds. In the meantime, your brain is registering word order and an idiom or two.
2. Type or WRITE out (copy) a few interesting sentences from a book, magazine, Internet site, etc. Writing out a language is very different from reading it. You become much more aware of structure, spelling, endings, etc.
3. Take a useful sentence from a book or story, MEMORIZE it, and then write it out from memory. It can also be a famous saying. The sentence can be as short or long as you wish. Do this with 2 or 3 sentences, checking back to see if what you wrote was correct.
4. Doodle or DRAW 4-5 objects, such as furniture, clothing, fruit, items on your desk. Then write the name of each item in your new language. Maybe you'll have to look up the words. No-one has to see your drawing, unless you're a Picasso. But the act of creating images and labeling them is a great way to engage your brain.
5. LISTEN for a few minutes to your favorite foreign language song and follow the lyrics closely. Music is a compelling way to experience the rhythm and intonation of a language. (We had posted suggestions for French, German, Italian, and Spanish.)
Any of these 5 quick boosts will keep you learning. For steady progress, nothing can beat a regular learning routine, and these brief techniques can keep you going even in busy times.
(Updated: Our site is free for all learners. You can play all Quick Games and Podcasts by just clicking on the link.
To play our courses, you do need to register. That way you can continue where you left off, once you return to the site. We don't run Ads.)
This month, GamesforLanguage ran a 6-Day Trial for any (or all) of our four languages: French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
All our users come to our site “organically,” either through a translation search of the indexed words or phrases of our program, by “word of mouth,” or through other site referrals.
We also sprinkled a few questions among our various games, and here are the results: How would you rate your language Fluency? Beginner: 63% Intermediate: 25% Advanced: 12%
How do you rate “Word Invaders”? (a word-order game) Too Easy: 44% Just right:16% Challenging: 36% Too difficult: 4%
Learning for me with Scene 1 was: Easy: 39% Hard: 3% Right On: 58%
As the “language fluency” question appeared with the first game, it received the most answers. The “Word Invaders” question appeared in the middle, and the final question at the end of the first Scene.
Some users either did not complete the first scene or skipped right to the next Scene after meeting their score goal, other players skipped the first game, all of which makes correlating the answers a little difficult.
We are somewhat surprised by the split in the Word Invader question, but are reassured that the majority felt our Scene 1 was “easy” or “right on.”
Most of the 63% of the users who came to our site in May and who are beginners found it easy to play and learn with our games.
We also realize that very few users are able to commit the time to learn and practice on a daily basis.
The maximum score reached during the six days for one language was 2,355 points in Italian, which brought the player to Scene 4, in Level 2.
We continue to invite feedback on our programs and games.
(Update: We wrote this post before our decision to make GamesforLanguage a free site for all. Our 300 Quick Games in French, Spanish, German, and Italian can be played online just by clicking on the link naming the language. For our 36 lesson travel-story Courses, you need to register. That makes sure you can continue where you left off when you come back to the site.)
Recently I subscribed to an online language course that uses an automatic subscription renewal.
I subscribed for one month to try out a new language and I set a reminder to cancel the subscription a few days before the automatic renewal.
When my reminder alerted me, I started looking and got annoyed when I could not find a place to cancel. I finally found the answer in the FAQs: write an e-mail to sales@company or send a short note via “Feedback” while logged-in to the site.
I was promised a confirmation within 48 hours, which indeed arrived just before the automatic renewal date. This experience was similar to ones I had at other automatic renewal sites: Quite easy to subscribe, but time consuming and often annoying to cancel!
Good for the Company
I have always been wary of automatic renewals, except for certain services, e.g. subscriptions to news, magazines, investment, or other services you need and value on an ongoing basis.
Although I understand full well the benefits of automatic renewals - FOR THE COMPANY - I believe users of an online language learning service should at least be given the option at the start. It should not be made obligatory.
(I love the picture above, which is part of the automatic renewal plan of the rockymountainrider.com monthly magazine.)
Motivation for the Learner?
But maybe automatic renewals are a good thing for a learner. Learning a foreign language as an adult requires ongoing motivation and encouragement.
Could it be that the automatic renewal charge that appears on your monthly credit card or Paypal statement provides another motivational push to log in again and continue learning?
We'd love to hear some comments and opinions on this question: Are obligatory automatic subscription renewals for online language programs a good thing or do they annoy you?
to drive with the top down Literal: to drive with an open roof
jemandem eins aufs Dach geben
to show someone what's what Literal: to give someone a smack on the roof
etwas unter Dach und Fach bringen
to complete something, settle it More literal: to bring something into safety
Die Spatzen pfeifen es von den Dächern.
That's common knowledge. Literal: Sparrows whistle it from the roofs.
Da ist bei ihm gleich Feuer im Dache.
He flies into a passion. Literal: He right away has fire in his roof.
Du hast nicht alles unterm Dach.
You are crazy. Literal: You don't have everything under the roof.
I always wondered whether other cultures and languages have as many idioms using the "roof" as German. We'd be interested in any feedback and would welcome comments to info@gamesforlanguage.com or via our contact page.
A little Grammar:
• Mit offenem Dach fahren: the preposition "mit" always takes the dative case. So "das offene Dach" (the open roof) becomes "mit offenem Dach"
• Jemandem eins aufs Dach geben: the dual preposition "auf" takes the dative here. Note: "aufs Dach" is a contraction of "auf das Dach" (dual preposition "auf" + accusative of neuter noun).
• Etwas unter Dach und Fach bringen: "unter Dach und Fach" is set expression for something that's settled, where "Fach" literally means "a compartment or shelf".
• Die Spatzen pfeifen es von den Dächern: the preposition "von" always takes the dative case. Note: das Dach (singular) - die Dächer (plural), which becomes "von den Dächern" ("von" + dative plural of neuter noun).
• Da ist bei ihm gleich Feuer im Dache: the dual preposition "in" takes the dative here; "in dem" contracts to "im".
• Du hast nicht alles unterm Dach: the dual preposition "unter" takes the dative here; "unter dem" contracts to "unterm".
What are German Dual Prepositions?
German has 9 "dual prepositions": an (on, at); auf (on), hinter behind); neben (beside, next to); in (in, at, to); über (over, above, across, about); unter (below, under, among); vor (in front, before, prior to); zwischen (between, among).
Dual Preposition + Accusative case:
When the preposition answers the question "Wohin?/Wo ... hin?" (Where?/Where to?), i.e. motion/a change of location, you use the "accusative case".
• An den Strand. (I'm going) to the beach • Auf den Tisch. (I put the book) on the table. • Hinters Haus. (He's going to look) behind the house. • Neben den Lastwagen. (I put my car, over there) beside the truck. • Ins Haus. (She's walking) into the house. • Über die Brücke. (He's driving) across the bridge. • Unters Kissen. (I put my book) under the pillow. • Vors Fenster. (Please move my bed) in front of the window.
Dual Prepositions + Dative case:
When the preposition answers the question of location/where something is: "Wo?" (Were?), you use the "dative case".
• Am Strand. (I am) at the beach • Am Tisch. (My book is) on the table. • Hinterm Haus. (Our shed is) behind the house. • Neben dem Lastwagen. (That's my car over there) beside the truck. • Im Haus. (She's) in the house. • Über der Tür. (The picture hangs) above the door. • Unterm Kissen. (My book is) under the pillow. • Vorm Fenster. (My bed is) in front of the window.
Years ago when I wanted to stop smoking, I used a technique that is well-known to psychologists: “Commit publicly” or “Tell your friends about it.” 
There are many different ways of learning a foreign language and each person has to find the one which suits him or her best. Personal tutoring has many benefits.
Does your day look really busy, but you would hate missing your language learning fix? 
(Updated: Our site is free for all learners. You can play all Quick Games and Podcasts by just clicking on the link. 
(Update: We wrote this post before our decision to make GamesforLanguage a free site for all. Our 300 Quick Games in French, Spanish, German, and Italian can be played online just by clicking on the link naming the language. For our 36 lesson travel-story Courses, you need to register. That makes sure you can continue where you left off when you come back to the site.)