Mexican Living: Todays Obsession
I would like to talk about one of my many obsessions: learning Spanish. I have been thinking about this lately mostly because I am under the impression that, though I've lived in Mexico for two years, my Spanish sucks in a major way. Both Mexicans and Gringos tell me that my Spanish is good and that I speak like a native. Ha! Little do they know the truth. I can say almost anything I need to in most situations. I can go to our general practitioner, Doctora Bello, and tell her what ails me. And, because she will consciously speak to me slowly, like speaking to a two-year-old child, I can understand her instructions on how to cure the third eye that grew in the middle of my forehead overnight. My problem with Spanish is that, though I can ask or say almost anything, when a native speaker talks back to me, all I hear is something like the sound a machine gun when it goes off. I hear sounds but nothing that sounds like human speech. I can hear the rhythm but it is unintelligible most of the time. This can be embarrassing, to say the least. Can you imagine how I function as an expat in this society? Here is the real kicker: My wife, who has trouble with accent and vocabulary, can understand the machine gun Spanish. It is amazing! I am so jealous! She understands far more than I can possibly hope to. I haven't the foggiest notion how she does it. I study day and night and memorize thousands of Spanish words. She doesn't and her fluency outshines mine any time of the day. What is the deal here? I've found that I am not alone. Many "older" expats in Mexico have the very same struggle. Though they've studied their hearts out, it is the "listening and comprehending" part of the language that is giving them the most fits. The first discovery I made is there are some presuppositions that we "older" learners need to dump and dump quickly. · there is no decline in the ability to learn as people get older; · except for minor considerations such as hearing and vision loss, the age of the adult learner is not a major factor in language acquisition; · the context in which adults learn is the major influence on their ability to acquire the new language. [1] Older foreign language learners can be excellent students in gaining a second language. It is a senseless stereotype that they cannot learn a foreign language. The difficulties in an older person learning a foreign language can be overcome in adjusting the learning environment and by choosing the right methodology. The biggest obstacle in learning a second language for an older student is an emotional one-doubt. Doubt in the mind of the student is what convinces an older language learner that he or she cannot learn a foreign language and learn it well. Motivation, what I've written in earlier columns, can affect the entire outcome of language learning. In a study done in 1979, researchers Krashen, Long and Scarcella discovered,
"Studies comparing the rate of second language acquisition in children and adults have shown that although children may have an advantage in achieving native-like fluency in the long run, adults actually learn languages more quickly than children in the early stages." [2] A study in 1981 by Ostwald and Williams revealed, "Studies on aging have demonstrated that learning ability does not decline with age. If older people remain healthy, their intellectual abilities and skills do not decline (Ostwald and Williams, 1981). Adults learn differently from children, but no age-related differences in learning ability have been demonstrated for adults of different ages. [3] "More recent research in neurology has demonstrated that, while language learning is different in childhood and adulthood because of developmental differences in the brain, "in important respects adults have superior language learning capabilities" (Walsh and Diller, 1978)." [4] Conclusion: I am without excuse. I have to stay in there swinging the linguistic bat until I hit that home run. Are you with me? [1] The Older Language Learner, by Mary Schleppegrell (http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/87-9dig.htm) [2] Ibid [3] Ibid [4] Ibid Doug Bower is a freelance writer and book author. His most recent writing credits include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Transitions Abroad. He lives with his wife in Guanajuato, Mexico.
His new book, Mexican Living: Blogging it from a Third World Country, can be seen at http://www.lulu.com/content/126241
Related News
Talking doll pulled from store shelves. Vulgar language upsets Moms! - The Spoof (satire)
Kerry Condemns "Hate-Filled" Language At McCain-Palin Rallies - CBS News
RE: Problem lies not with the language - Newmobilecomputing.com
NOTEBOOK: Early start on Spanich language - Newsday
NOTEBOOK: Early start on Spanich languageNewsday, NY -7 hours agoKindergartners in Hauppauge public schools began learning a second language last month through an initiative that aims to expand foreign language learning ... |
RE[3]: Problem lies not with the language - Newmobilecomputing.com
RE[3]: Problem lies not with the languageNewmobilecomputing.com -7 hours agoI find most of today's complainers, who applaud about one and cry over another language's strengths and weaknesses, not really worthy of spending much time ... |
In Missouri secretary of state race, Carnahan meets a new GOP face - Kansas City Star
RE[2]: Problem lies not with the language - Newmobilecomputing.com
RE[2]: Problem lies not with the languageNewmobilecomputing.com -7 hours agoI think that it's a matter of how you think about programming. There is a type of person that finds C natural, and another type of person that finds C++ ... |
A pioneer in teaching Russian to high schoolers - Baltimore Sun
A pioneer in teaching Russian to high schoolersBaltimore Sun, United States -9 hours agoEarlier this week, I wrote about the death of Joseph Glus, 84, a longtime Charles Village resident who was hired as the first Russian-language teacher by ... |
Infuriating phrases jar language - NEWS.com.au
Infuriating phrases jar languageNEWS.com.au, Australia -36 minutes agoBy Angela Saurine NEXT time you are at the pub and hear a glass smash, try to resist the urge to call out "taxi!" If you want to catch up with a work ... |
National Post Editorial Board: Language skills count - National Post
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Whats In A Word? More Than You Realize
What's in a word?
Apparently more than we might want.
Learning a Foreign Language: Why Should you Learn Words You Never Use in Your Mother Tongue?
Imagine a child sitting in front of a desk, his head in his hands, and mumbling various lists of words over and over. Does this child remind you of your own experience? If yes, I bet that "list of words" does not sound appealing to you. You are almost ready to swear that they do not work. Before you mortgage your part of paradise, it may be wise to make sure you are right.
Aphasia: The Cruelest Language Barrier
Imagine the following scenario: You wake up one morning and instead of speaking English, everyone around you--including your family and friends--is speaking Hungarian. This is a problem because you don't speak Hungarian and you don't have a clue what they're saying. You become frustrated. The people around you become frustrated, too, but instead of switching back to English, they speak Hungarian more loudly.
Show Me the Bunny: Language Acquisition
Some children are really funny about experimenting with speech. Nonetheless, the first intelligible words bring such a feeling of elation to a parent. Come on, Sweetie. Show Mumma the bunny. Without saying a word, my little girl points to a plush rabbit.
Teaching English in Greece - What Do You Need to Know?
The employment situation can be quite uncertain for newcomers to Greece and therefore many people choose to try teaching English as a foreign language, on a full or part-time basis. It can bring in a good income whether it is your preferred career choice, or you wish to do it short-term until another career choice pans out.
Qualifications and Experience
There are many language schools or frontistiria in Athens and all over Greece, to which you could apply for work. In order to get a job in one of these schools, it is still not strictly necessary to have a formal teaching qualification such as TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). Often all that is required is a university degree (in any subject) from a UK or US university. That said, if you are uncertain about your ability to teach English and want to ensure that you start off in this line of work with the necessary skills, a course would be useful. It would provide you with some teaching theory, knowledge of English grammar (let's face it, many of us have never formally studied English grammar in any great depth, even though we speak and write English everyday) and give you some valuable experience of teaching in a classroom, since this is included in most courses. When applying for jobs, you will find vacancies that specify that previous teaching experience is required and others for which no experience is necessary.
It does not matter if you do not speak a lot of Greek. Native English speakers are often valued for other reasons such as having what is seen as a "proper" accent. Many people also swear by the approach of not speaking your students' language, so that they hear only English being spoken for the duration of the lesson. You will find ways to make yourself understood. In my experience of language teaching, it can even be counter-productive if your students know that you speak their language well, because they may be too easily tempted to speak to you in Greek when they find it hard going.
Finding work
Teaching English as a foreign language jobs are widely advertised in newspapers and on the Internet all year round and most often from August to October. As well as applying before in Greece, you can also go to door-to-door around the frontistiria with your CV, again in the August to October period. If you are visiting them in person, it is not recommended that you spend time doing this any earlier than August because the schools often do not consider their recruitment needs much before the beginning of the academic year.
Pay and working conditions
Pay and conditions offered by language schools will vary enormously, so it is important to check these out in detail first before accepting a contract. If time is on your side, it may be worth speaking to several schools rather than taking the first job you are offered. Also, if you work in a frontistirio it is quite likely that you will be working mainly in the afternoons and evenings, since this is when children and adults are free to take their lessons.
Making some extra money
Many people who teach English as a foreign language in a school, also do private English on the side and this can become a lucrative activity in itself. Working in a language school for a few months is a good way to meet students and advertise the fact that you do private English lessons, on a one-to-one basis. It can be difficult to get the first few, but then through word of mouth, you'll get more if you do a good job ? that great social network of mums and dads on the school run can work wonders! The University of Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) exam system seems to be the most widely known and respected in Greece, many people who want to be taught privately are preparing to sit a Cambridge exam or some other type of test. It is worth familiarising yourself with the system ? there is an enormous amount of free information on the Internet, including lesson plans, tips, exam practice etc. The exams which are most commonly sat by students are the "First Certificate in English" (which many people still refer to by its old name: "Lower"), "Certificate of Proficiency in English" (known as "Proficiency"), and "Certificate in Advanced English" (commonly referred to as "Advanced"). More information is available from the Cambridge ESOL web site (www.cambridgeesol.org).
What private students will want from you varies a great deal. Some may just want a conversation class, others may just be starting on the Cambridge examinations path and there will be some who are already at a very high level and may need detailed coaching on specific grammar points or on vocabulary for a particular purpose e.g. business English. And given these differences, the amount of preparation required on your part and the fee per hour you are able to charge will probably vary too. I will finish with a word on advertising. My experience has been that I have paid out money for two newspaper ads, which got back zero replies! What has worked well for me is local advertising - you need to use your imagination. I put a card in local shops and a small notice in the back window of my car and you can see people reading it at every traffic light! Just beware of getting calls on your mobile phone while you're driving - not good! As I said before, word of mouth should kick in too once you have your first couple of lessons.
Teaching English in Mexico: A Decent Living?
What's more disappointing than a person who makes a promise he can't keep? A person who makes a promise that is a lie. Many promises to make a "decent living" teaching English in Mexico are just that-a lie.
Learning French in Paris
Nothing can be more frustrating than to be in France and not been able to speak their language. For, I remember the days when I was among people chanting around in a language totally alien to me, and me, trying to bring a smile in my face while shaking my head from north to south doing as if I am getting everything what they are speaking about, and waiting impatiently for my French wife to do the translation - and I can't deny, that that was not the most comfortable period of my life.
Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery (Part 1)
What? Kanji can be learned quickly? This seems an impossible dream to many students of Japanese who come from a non-kanji language culture. Even hiragana and katakana seem impossibly hard to the average beginner, so remembering kanji, with all their intricate strokes and multiple readings, can appear to be beyond the abilities of the human mind.
Learning a Foreign Language: the Ventriloquists Lesson
The main feature you have to master, in order to call yourself a ventriloquist, is to speak without moving your lips. It is not that difficult. There is a trick, of course. The sounds M, B and P
make your lips move, as make the sounds V and F but in a lesser way. So, in order to be a ventriloquist, you should ban any word with m, b or p inside and avoid to pronounce f-v words. If your name is Mabel or Patrick, choose a stage name!
Mexican Living: Todays Obsession
I would like to talk about one of my many obsessions: learning Spanish. I have been thinking about this lately mostly because I am under the impression that, though I've lived in Mexico for two years, my Spanish sucks in a major way.
Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery (Part 2)
In Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery Part 1, we looked at mnemonic methods devised by James Heisig and Kenneth Henshall to speed-up kanji acquisition. We saw how their techniques activate the imagination by assigning different meanings individual elements of each kanji. But perhaps these methods do not work so well for you. If you are more of a visual learner, what are your options for rapid kanji assimilation?
Learning a Foreign Language: the Psychological Factor
When it comes about learning a foreign language, many people wonder if they will be able to memorize enough vocabulary. But this question never occurs about their mother tongue. And yet, it was a foreign language; nevertheless, among all the questions that new parents ask, no doctor has ever heard: "Will my baby be able to learn my language?"
Be honest. Do you know all the words of your mother tongue? The answer is: "no". New words, and new ways of using old words, appear every day. Twenty years ago, who would have been able to understand such a sentence: "Click here to download your digital book"? Nobody. You never stop acquiring new vocabulary and you never know how long you will be needing it. Do you still use "tomagotchi"?
Uncommon Facts / Rules of English Language
English is an international language. It has so many grammar rules and each rule with many exceptions. Usually, we write English without paying much attention to these rules and exceptions. But, its good to know as much as grammar as possible especially the exceptions. In this article, I am mentioning some of these unusual facts and rules of English language.
Teaching Reading to English Language Learners
There is an increasing amount of English language learners represented in our schools for whom a unique approach to developing literacy is necessary. The development of literacy by English language learners (ELLs) includes all of the challenges implicit for English speaking children literacy attainments, and is additionally compounded by a diversity of linguistic, cognitive and academic variables.
Learn Korean: Part 2 - Social Status in Culture
Part 1 of this series covered the language and language families in general for the Asian languages. Part 2 will cover the social conduct that is seen throughout Asian countries.
Online IELTS Preparation - Why Does It Make Sense?
Because IELTS is a difficult test. While most agree that IELTS is a reasonable test, it is generally regarded as one of the most challenging tests of its type.
Second Language Competence Beneficial but often Misunderstood
Second language learning has associated with it many types of benefits. Among them include: social, economic, intellectual and linguistic. Children who engage in second language learning typically outperform their peers in the area of vocabulary development as well as intellectual development. As important as learning a second language is, learners can be viewed as experiencing difficulties with language development when in reality they are displaying linguistic differences.
GROUSE ... GROUSE ... GROUSE!!!
I realize that we here in the United States consider ourselves at the top rung of the educational ladder, if only for the fact that so many foreign language
students are breaking their necks to come here to both study and live English.
English Has Come A Long, Long Way...
I often wonder what would happen if Shakespeare were to be transported in a time machine to our world today. What would he think? How would he react?
How To Learn Spanish Quickly and Easily
Spanish is a very useful language to learn as it is the world's second most popular language.
|
