I would have flung a cat, but the tongue is short

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Do you remember the sad eyes of a basset hound? Familiar feeling:"

You and the computer

Nowadays you can find CD programs that are even better for busy but persistent people than traditional forms of education. They will give you flexibility in choosing the pace of learning the material, and allow you to choose the sequence of study yourself. The undoubted advantages include clarity, accessibility, amusement, game moment. And, of course, the price, which is more than affordable in comparison with the services of a tutor. However, the computer will not be able to chat with you about life in a foreign language, to discuss topics that are of particular concern to you. Talking to your car will affect your comprehension of spoken language. And the cool "bells and whistles" are also not always good: after the excitement in the first days, there is a rapid satiety with the multimedia program. If you are one of those who quickly get bored with the system and monotony, then this path is not for you.

You and tv

A friend of mine corrected her spoken English passably by watching the news on satellite TV every day. When she did not understand something, she also watched the Russian-language edition, but gradually the need for this disappeared. In addition to the language, she is now also well versed in politics and economics. The main thing in this approach is consistency, but one cannot do without certain abilities. If of all types of memory you have the best developed auditory, then perhaps this method will suit you.

You and the book

Foreign language teachers constantly talk about the benefits of reading books in the original - this both increases vocabulary and allows you to better understand grammar. However, all the people I interviewed who regularly read foreign literature say that such an effect can be achieved if the text is not only read, but also processed: new words are written out in a notebook, then they learn … But even if you are aware of that that for this painstaking work you have neither the time nor the energy, this does not mean that reading is pointless. Reading books in the original first of all develops a sense of language! If you read a lot, then you speak correctly already on a whim. Here you can advise to take a book in the original and a good translation and read them in parallel (for example, "Lolita" is the only novel by Nabokov, which was translated into Russian by the author himself).

It is also useful to browse bilingual sites in both Russian and English (German, French …). The Internet can also be used for correspondence in a foreign language - make yourself friends in the country of the target language and exchange letters with them by e-mail, asking them to correct the most rude errors. And if there is no time to find such acquaintances, just write down your thoughts during the day in a foreign language - quickly, without the help of dictionaries, textbooks and other aids, it will be like speaking.

You and the tutor

He may be someone you know, but then your classes may simply develop into a discussion of the latest news and gossip. True, there is a way out - you can do it in a foreign language, good conversation practice. But there is another problem - financial payment. It is often inconvenient for acquaintances to ask for an adequate price for their studies, and for you - to pay too little.

A tutor can be your teacher, and this is especially good if your goal is to improve your studies. But if you want to improve your very knowledge of the language, you can still look for variety. Although it all depends on the teacher, of course. Just consider how your classmates will react to such activities, if their opinion is important to you.

You can find the right person by the ad. And here there are some nuances: advertisements on the posts are usually posted by people who do not know modern methods of job search, i.e. elderly teachers. These activities are generally inexpensive; for repetition of grammar - the most suitable, but here it is better to work out oral speech with younger specialists. Their ads are in newspapers and on the Internet. If you found a person through an ad, how do you know if this is a good teacher?

The professional will immediately provide recommendations and document their proficiency in the language. He will prepare a lot of material on his own, specifically for his student, and not use one textbook.

If your tutor uses a tape recorder, videos, periodicals in the language, and the Internet, this is a good teacher. If he forces you to learn new words out of context, interrupts you when you make a mistake during the story, explains the grammar rules before the corresponding language structures were introduced, makes them cram and retell - it is better to look for another teacher.

A special conversation is native speaking tutors. They can teach the nuances of speech, but usually they are not able to explain the grammar rules, since usually people are engaged in such tutoring - not linguists. But if your level of language is, in principle, high enough, and there is no money and time to travel abroad, then this is an option for you. If he is also an interesting conversationalist, then the find is simply priceless. In addition, only such tutors will be able to teach you the basic "tricks" of the language, including parasitic words and profanity. There would be a desire …

However, I know of cases when people studied with a native speaker "from scratch" - often those who want to learn some more or less "exotic" language are forced to do so. For example, a friend of mine needed Hindi for personal purposes, and she found a Hindu girl who agreed to teach it to her. What her friend did not understand in grammar, she looked at in a self-study guide, and the training went quite successfully.

You and others like you. Language classes

For many, it’s just more fun to learn a language in a group. The courses provide not only knowledge of the language, but also new interesting acquaintances. But still, this is not the case where the more people, the better. It's only good to sing in chorus together, but it's better to speak separately. Remember that the occupancy of language groups should not exceed 12 people. In addition, take into account the methodology by which classes are taught in a particular school - not every one will suit you.

But even if you have not firmly decided to study a language at a language school, it’s a sin not to use the service that many courses provide free of charge - language level testing. Sometimes this level, however, is slightly underestimated in order to convince you to go through something again and repeat the forgotten.

You can also use various cultural centers at the embassies, where you can watch films in the language, visit exhibitions, borrow books, fresh magazines and, most importantly, find a company to communicate. After all, only by regularly speaking a foreign language, you will cease to resemble a sad bassette who understands everything in the world, but - alas! - deprived of the elementary opportunity to ask: "Do you speak English?".