The Best Way to Learn a Foreign Language Is the Opposite of the Usual Way This article is by Katharine B. Nielson, the chief education officer at Voxy, a language-learning company based in New York City. The renowned Mexican author Carlos Fuentes once remarked that America’s monolingualism is a great paradox: We’re the dominant world power, yet also the world’s most linguistically isolated one. The numbers appear to bear this out. Roughly 17% of U.S. citizens can speak more than one language, compared with 54% of Europeans. Stanford Professor Russell A. Berman, former president of the Modern Language Association, has warned that the U.S. is quickly becoming a nation of “second language illiterates.” If we can’t communicate with the rest of the world, our businesses lose opportunities, and our citizens lose jobs to global graduates who have the language skills we lack. Often the solution is presented as one of resources—if we simply divert more time and money to language instruction, we can finally cure the U.S. of its seemingly permanent dependence on English. However, the problem runs far deeper than resources; it's that as a nation we still don't know how to teach language effectively. The curriculum for nearly every introductory language class revolves around grammatical concepts, and we spend far too much time on the rules of language. As a result, students are forced to suffer through grammar-focused instruction that makes them adept at conjugating verbs but leaves them mute when they are pressed to have a conversation. What they need instead is the chance to use language the way it was intended, as a tool for communication, not as a complex set of rules to master. Europeans have seen the writing on the wall, and in recent years a popular language teaching methodology has grown up in many countries called "content and language integrated learning." The idea: Use foreign languages to teach nonlanguage subjects. Early research indicates that this is effective at fostering an environment that leads to impressive language learning. Drawing on a similar approach, in 2006, U.S. Customs and Border Protection did away with the grammar-based Spanish course required of its agents-in-training and replaced it with a curriculum centered on teaching specific, job-related tasks in Spanish. The resulting improvements were dramatic. Not only did the agents get the language skills they needed to perform their jobs more effectively, but even though the new course did not follow a grammar-based syllabus, their grammar was better too. These results just add to the growing body of research indicating that if we want to improve outcomes, we should fundamentally reevaluate how we teach foreign languages in our schools. We might start by rethinking the concept of language classes altogether. For instance, instead of having isolated courses called “Spanish” or “Arabic,” we should disperse language instruction across the curriculum. One way to achieve this and at the same time make language learning more engaging, would be to send younger students to specialty classes, such as music, art, or gym, taught in a foreign language. Then when they reached high school, they would be in a position to benefit from additional specialty or elective courses that used foreign languages to teach anything from drama to home economics, allowing us to do away with the outdated, segregated model of language instruction that still dominates secondary education while still preparing interested students for advanced study of literature and culture. At the same time, doing so would open up opportunities for schools with large populations of students whose first language is not English. Instead of treating them as an expensive problem to solve, we could take advantage of their native language expertise in specialty classes and electives, turning them into a valuable part of our solution. Helping Americans move beyond English should be a top priority, but we won’t see the outcomes we need until we abandon approaches that don’t work. By deemphasizing the focus on language itself, we may actually improve our acquisition of it, because when we stop trying to teach people about what they are saying and just start expecting them to say it, we will see far better results. Live Q&A: What is the best way to learn a language? Since its launch in 2012 the Duolingo app has gained 50 million users. Its success has led it to become one of the names synonymous with the tech revolution in language learning, and not without good reason. In a recent interview for the series, its creator, Luis von Ahn, said: “There’s an independent study that shows that if you use Duolingo for 34 hours you learn the same as you would in one university semester of language learning.” So does this mean that the days of poring over verb tables and memorising vocabulary lists are well and truly over? Not necessarily. Aside from the obvious fact that acquiring a new app doesn’t simply equate to mastery of another language, it may not be an approach that works for everyone. Tech solutions to learning a language like Duolingo clearly have some advantages: they allow you to fit your learning around your lifestyle, and in many cases are cheaper than formal lessons. But, as Alan Haburchak shared during our online learning challenge, one month of trying to learn Spanish using only his smartphone left him crying out for some verb tables. Duolingo’s naturalistic approach is reminiscent of how we learn our mother tongue as children; you are encouraged to absorb grammar by context and association rather than memorising rules. This technique, however, left him rich in vocabulary but unable to make real progress without a real understanding of the patterns and structures that held the language together. Clearly there is no one-size-fits-all method: people learn in different ways at different paces, and the most effective way may involve not one but a mixture of different techniques. So how do you go about finding out which approach best reflects your individual learning style? Once you’ve found one that works, how do you stick with it? And how do you stay positive and motivated through the mistakes and frustrations that are a familiar part of the learning process? If you are thinking about learning another language, or have already started, join us on Friday at 1pm to get advice from our expert panel. You can follow the debate on @gdnlanglearn or on the hashtag #languagesdebate. What is the Best Way to Learn a Language? From VOA Learning English this is As It Is. I’m Anna Matteo in Washington. Today on, As It Is, we will hear about something our listeners do every day they hear, read or watch VOA Learning English -- learning a second language. We will hear whether being surrounded by a foreign language, or immersed in it, is the best way to learn a language. Or are traditional lectures with grammar rules and vocabulary lists the best way to learn to speak like a native speaker. Steve Ember has more on that topic. What is the best way to learn a new language? A small study of foreign language learning in adults compared two methods. One is known as the explicit or classroom method. This is the kind of traditional classroom teaching where students are taught a lot of information about grammar rules. The other method is known as the implicit or immersion method. The idea here is to learn much the way children do when they learn a native language. That is, by being with native speakers and absorbing the language that surrounds them, generally without a lot of explanation. Teachers may combine these two methods into what Professor Michael Ullman calls immersion-style classroom teaching. But is that necessarily a better way to learn a language? Mr. Ullman was the senior investigator for the new study. He is a professor of neuroscience at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington. He says he was surprised to find that combining the two methods might not help the brain in processing the new language. MICHAEL ULLMAN: "You know, if my life were on the line, and I had to learn a language, what would I do? I'm not sure. One possibility would be that, to start with explicit and then go to immersion, right? Start with classroom and then go to immersion. But there is this possibility that classroom could hurt later immersion. That's what, you know, one possibility of interpreting our data." The twenty-one adults in the experiment learned Brocanto2, a thirteen-word language created for the study. The words and grammar rules relate to a computer game similar to chess that the learners played. For example, "Blom neimo lu neep li praz" means "The square blom-piece switches with the neeppiece." The researchers tested the people three to six months after they had learned the language, to see how well they could remember it. The study found that those who had learned it with the immersion method had brain waves similar to those of native speakers of a language when speaking that language. Professor Ullman says those who trained with the classroom method also became more native-like in their brain processing. But only the immersion group showed full native-like processing of the grammar. Still, he says teachers should be careful how they use the results of his study. MICHAEL ULLMAN: "You know I would not make any curriculum changes based on this. Nevertheless, it is suggestive, and I think it warrants further research to see whether in fact what kind of training might in fact be best not just for reaching the native brain bases but also for, you know, maximum proficiency in different aspects of language, like grammar, you know, syntax and lexicon. So I think further research is warranted. And it may be, for example, that a combination of classroom and immersion might be best. But we don't know that." I'm Steve Ember. And I’m Anna Matteo. So which way of learning a language is working best for you? Do you think immersion is the best way to learn a language? Or do you believe the traditional lecture model is good enough? Let us know in our comment section! And find us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for more Learning English stories. According to the above-mentioned article there are two main methods for learning foreign languages. Different methods have different characteristics that allow a lot of people to use them for learning process. Classical method, which includes learning complete grammatical rules, pronunciation, examples of writing and other different grammatical structures, can be used by students for a long-term educational process in universities, schools and etc. Having good knowledge of grammatical rules and other rules students may use the base for studying at universities in different countries. Motivation of students plays the most important role within the method . Those students learned because they wanted to. They can be strongly motivated for a learning process during necessary time. Most of students have studied a foreign language by this method before they finished their schooling. There is another method known as implicit or immersion method which provides a sudden dipping in a language environment. According to this method students must learn a language during speaking. I think so is depend of person, because for example i studied a lot course and my english i so bad but when i try inmmersión for short period i feeling that i advance more than a class. So in my personal experience i think so first you know that method work better with you and go ahead. The Best Way to Learn a Language From traveling to textbooks and speaking to software, there are more ways to learn a language than ever before. With all of the options out there, it's also more difficult to chose the best method for you than ever before. So what's the best way to learn a language? There are five basic approaches to learning a language. Let's take a look at these five different approaches and the methods they entail, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each approach: 1. The Immersion Approach True to its name, the immersion approach plunges you into a foreign language and culture. It involves traveling to a foreign country, spending an extended period of time there, and living your day-to-day life in the language. An often-mentioned alternative to the travel immersion approach is the personal immersion approach, when you learn a language by dating or becoming close friends with someone who speaks that language. The Advantages For those who don't like formal study, have some time and money to spare, want to learn a language in its natural environment and are outgoing and ambitious, this is the language learning method for you! Immersion forces language learners to use the language on a daily basis, helps them connect with native speakers, and teaches them valuable cultural knowledge. The Disadvantages For those of us with less time and money on our hands, learning a language by immersion isn't the best option. This method is expensive, time-consuming, and not to mention stressful. The initial communication barriers and culture shock can be very stressful and even frightening, and many long-term stays in foreign countries involve lots of headachecausing paperwork. 2. The Translation Approach Anyone who studied a language before 1900 or has studied an extinct language (like Latin) has used this approach. In the translation approach, language learners find a book in their target language and use a bilingual dictionary to translate between the language they are learning and their native language. The Advantages If reading Latin or understanding written Egyptian Hieroglyphics is your goal, the translation approach is the one for you. This language learning approach is very useful to study real texts written in languages that aren't commonly spoken. It's also a very cost-effective way to learn. The Disadvantages If actually communicating is you goal, then the translation approach is not for you. It is a very difficult and tedious way to learn a language, and it doesn't teach speaking, listening, or writing. The accuracy of your dictionary is crucial, and there are very few ways to check your progress. 3. The Grammar-Based Approach The grammar-based approach is the language learning method typically used in most textbooks and "teach yourself" language books. These books usually are divided into several chapters that contain a small amount of vocabulary followed by a large dose of grammar rules, and students incorporate the vocabulary into the grammar throughout the chapter. The emphasis is placed on learning the grammatical rules of the language and being able to read and write in that language. The Advantages Learning the grammatical rules of a language makes it easier to integrate and correctly use new vocabulary. For learners who like to know the rules of a language and want to be able to write well in a language, this is a great and cost-effective method. The Disadvantages Once again, students learning a language with the grammar-based method do not get many opportunities to actually speak or listen to their target language. Students must memorize a lot of grammar rules, which can be very frustrating and--as we all know--boring. In addition, the vocabulary learned is often not the most practical vocabulary, so students may not be able to use their knowledge right away. This can be frustrating and lead to a lack of motivation. 4. The Communicative Approach The communicative approach is used by almost every modern language school today. If you've learned a language in a classroom, odds are that you're familiar with this method. The communicative approach involves a teacher who gives lessons to a small group of students. Lessons are usually divided into reading, writing, listening or speaking activities to help students learn a language quickly. The Advantages Students who learn a language with the communicative approach are given a well-rounded education. If the class is planned and taught well, students can learn quickly and have the benefit of live, face-to-face interactions with their teacher and other students in their target language. The Disadvantages Language classes can be very expensive, and it's difficult to predict their quality. The teacher can often make-or-break the students' language learning success. Classes are usually designed with a generic student in mind, and students who learn more slowly or more quickly are not give the extra help they need or are not challenged enough. In addition, it's difficult to make progress after a certain level, so more advanced students make much slower progress. 5. The Vocabulary-Based Approach Most language-learning software and applications (like Rosetta Stone, Babbel, and Busuu) use a vocabulary-based approach. In this approach, students learn a language by associating words in the language they are learning with pictures of the objects they represent. Traditional grammar rules are not taught, but are naturally learned by students as they progress. The Advantages Students can learn vocabulary very quickly with this method because of the use of repetition and images. Students can save travel time and money by using this method instead of a traditional class, and can progress at their own rate. The Disadvantages While students do learn lots of vocabulary, the vocabulary that is taught is often not useful for travelers or people who want to learn a language and be able to communicate quickly. Since grammar is not directly taught, students risk sounding a bit like Tarzan when they try to speak ("I Tarzan, you Jane..."). Finding a good program that also helps students with practical grammar, speaking, and writing can be expensive, and a lot of language learning software neglects these areas. The Verdict So what is the best way to learn a language? The answer: All of them. Every method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and every method has a slightly different focus. In order to chose the best language learning method, students must decide what they want. If used alone, a single method like the vocabulary-based approach or the communicative approach can be very effective for most people to learn a language, but each method also has its drawbacks. The key to language learning success is incorporating as many different methods as possible. If we take into consideration the two most common excuses not to learn a language (time and money), then one of the best options is to learn a language using an affordable language learning software program that incorporates as many aspects of all five of these methods as possible. What would that program be like? The best language learning software program would include interactive lessons while teaching vocabulary and grammar, allow students to speak and listen, provide students with language learning tips, offer reinforcement testing and motivational incentives, and let students progress at their own pace. This may sound like a lot to ask for, but new programs like Rocket Languages can provide language learners with all of these features and more. It's easier than ever to learn a language and find great language learning resources. So what are you waiting for? Go for it!
