Listening is the Black Sheep of Language Learning Skills Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 30, 2018 in For Learners, Learning + Usage Tips
When learning a language, there’s one skill that’s more neglected than the others. It’s underestimated both in terms of its complexity and its utility. It’s less glamorous than speaking, and more difficult to master than reading. Listening, unfortunately, is the black sheep of language learning. A recently-posted discussion thread on Quora began with the question…
Learn Latin with Transparent Language Online Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 16, 2018 in For Learners, Learning Material Updates
If Latin is a dead language, why is it still so useful in modern life? In an educational system that prioritizes STEM and hard skills, where spoken languages can be swapped out for coding languages, it can be hard to drum up interest in Latin. But the so-called “dead language” complements nearly any skill set…
Designing Language Technology That is “Worth It” for Educators Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 2, 2018 in Class Management Updates, For Educators, Lesson Authoring Updates
Educators’ confidence in digital tools is increasing, but legitimate concerns remain. Not all ed tech is designed or implemented equally, so how can language teachers find the right tools to meet their needs—and the needs of their students? A 2015 report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation found a shift in the perception of…
Should all foreign language instruction be proficiency-based? Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 25, 2018 in Archived Posts
We write often about language proficiency on this blog, from the different scales used to measure proficiency, to how you can assess your own proficiency level, and even how vocabulary size relates to proficiency level. A language proficiency scale provides a very useful, standardized measurement of one’s abilities. Proficiency, however, is not just a measure…
How and Why to Self-Assess Your Language Skills Posted by paultucker on Jun 4, 2018 in For Learners, Learning + Usage Tips
How well do you really know your second language? Thanks to self-assessment tools, you might be able to test yourself to find out. In today’s increasingly global economy, there is a growing awareness that multilingualism is a valuable skill. That’s why those of us who may have learned a second or third language earlier in…
There is no “cut-off age” for learning a language Posted by Transparent Language on May 14, 2018 in Archived Posts
There are many myths surrounding language learning: some people are “gifted” with a language-learning gene, raising children bilingual will impair their English skills, and there’s no need to learn a language anyway because everyone speaks English. While those myths have been repeatedly debunked in recent years, there is one misconception that persists: a cut-off age…
Measuring the cost of learning languages Posted by Transparent Language on May 7, 2018 in Archived Posts
How much does it cost to learn a language? With the demand for language skills sharply increasing, there may be a more pressing question: how much is it costing us not to learn languages? An opinion piece in the Economist casually states that language learning has become so affordable that “the cost of learning a language…