Archive for 'Archived Posts'
6 Tips on Learning to Love Screwing Up Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 15, 2014 in Archived Posts
As I argued last week, if you want to learn a language, you’re going to have to learn to love screwing it up. As someone from the comments last time pointed out, you learn by making mistakes! It’s the only way! So learn to be at ease with making a mess of things. But how?…
Why Language Learning is a Daily Commitment Posted by meaghan on Oct 13, 2014 in Archived Posts
Ever heard a product that claims that you can learn a language in 10 days? Ever met someone who actually truly learned a language in 10 days? Coincidence—I think not. The “secret” to language learning is just this: there is no secret! As with most things in life that are difficult to achieve (running a…
7 Ways to Memorize a Language and Still Understand It Posted by meaghan on Oct 8, 2014 in Archived Posts
We published a SlideShare earlier this month discussing “8 Mistakes that Haunt Language Learners”. One of these mistakes is worth a deeper look—the concept of memorizing what needs to be understood. It’s a big problem for anyone who wants to learn a language quickly, but more importantly sustain it over time and use it fluidly…
Screwing Up: Learn to Love It Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 6, 2014 in Archived Posts
Language learning in a foreign country is hard. Not only do you have to wrestle with merciless grammar, call up vocabulary from the dusty depths of your memory, parse figures of speech and slang like in-jokes you aren’t in on, and even possibly learn how to read and write legibly in an entirely new alphabet…
The Buddy System: 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Learn a Language Alone Posted by meaghan on Oct 1, 2014 in Archived Posts
We all remember clutching someone’s hand so we wouldn’t get left behind on a class field trip: the good ole’ buddy system. It’s a simple action, holding someone’s hand, but it provides that extra layer of safety and accountability we all needed at a young age. What about now that we’re a bit older, though?…
8 Mistakes That Haunt Language Learners (and How You Can Avoid Them!) Posted by meaghan on Sep 29, 2014 in Archived Posts
Language learners of all abilities and backgrounds have something in common: they make mistakes—lots and lots of them. Language teachers and experts actually encourage making mistakes, as each false friend you employ and every verb conjugation you mangle is a learning opportunity. Learning by doing (even doing wrong) is powerful. So, keep on makin’ mistakes…
Not Ready to Completely Flip Your Language Classroom? Try the Sideways Classroom Model Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 24, 2014 in Archived Posts
You’ve heard of it by now: the flipped classroom model. To oversimplify a bit, this educational model requires students to listen to traditional lectures (delivered in video format) at home, thereby freeing up classroom time for more interactive learning activities. Here at Transparent Language, we’re big fans of helping teachers flip language classrooms, but this model…