You Can Learn a Language Today!

February 6th, 2010 | by admin |

“I have a tin ear. I have never been any good at languages.”

You throw the dictionary on your deck chair in despair, wondering how you are going to order tropical drinks on your next vacation to Mexico. Don’t worry – the waiter speaks English.

But you still wanted to learn a language because you always thought it would be fun to communicate with someone in a language other than English. You believe that you can’t because:

1. You never learned it as a child and you have heard that only children can learn languages well.

2. Your Spanish teacher threw an eraser at you and called you “tonto” in front of the class.

3. You can’t even remember all the words to your favorite song, never mind whole strings of words in a new language!

Don’t worry! There’s hope yet!

Current research shows that adults learn languages just fine. Children do pick up a more authentic accent, but adults can get everything needed to express themselves in a new language. Besides, that cute little accent will make you sexier and more exotic!

So go online and buy yourself that C.D. program you heard advertized. Listen to the drills in your car back and forth to work. When you come home, watch a movie in the language you are trying to learn – without the subtitles – so you can get the hang of how it all sounds in real life. And finally, make a friend or buddy who speaks the language you are trying to learn. Maybe you can teach them English or trade something else they need. It’s fun and free! In the end, nothing can stop you from learning the language of your dreams!

So go ahead, do it and when you do, take your new language skills to a place around the corner or around the world. You’ll be glad that you did!

Maryann Woods-Murphy
http://www.articlesbase.com/languages-articles/you-can-learn-a-language-today-216073.html

  1. 11 Responses to “You Can Learn a Language Today!”

  2. By Sushi on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    What is the best/most useful language to learn today?
    I want to learn a new language but im not sure which one. French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Hindi are the ones im thinking about. Which do you think would be the best in the world today?

  3. By Belie on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    Are you in the United States and plan to always be there?
    Then Spanish.
    Are you planning on entering a business or technological career?
    Then Chinese or Japanese.
    Are you planning on going to France or do you live [or want to live] in Quebec, Canada?
    Then French.
    Do you like languages you probably won’t use all that often but damned if it won’t make you stick out in a crowd?
    Then Hindi.
    References :

  4. By itswhatumakeit on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    Spanish!
    References :

  5. By chaaimaninja =] on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    probably chinese because they "are going to be the next economic superpower" idk what that means but thats what someone told me. =]
    References :

  6. By kawaiihime on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    chinese and japanese are good if you plan on going into a business field. spanish is good if you plan to do something else that’s within the states.
    References :

  7. By Anna B on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    Most useful – Spanish
    Most pretty and beautiful – French (and its faily easy)

    Japanese was incredibly hard for me due to the different alphabet on top of the other laguage and ahhhhhh just thinkin about that class again is making me wanna hide! lol
    References :

  8. By miss.karaa elizabeth. on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    They say China is growing so fast and populating soo large that everything in the world is soon going to be connected to it somehow. So if your thinking about something along those lines i would say Chinese. BUT if your just doing to learn a new language for fun i’d say Spanish !
    References :

  9. By 2cre8tive on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    Well, Spanish is spoken a lot so you could really use that. If you are American, well, you don’t see many people going around speaking Chinese and Japanese, but they’re still cool. I would pick Spanish or French. Have you considered Latin? It is a dead language (not spoken anymore) but very many of the words in English and in other languages like Spanish are rooted from Latin so it can really help with learning other languages, increasing your vocabulary, and critical thinking skills.
    References :

  10. By behappee08 on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    Chinese & Spanish are the most useful languages.
    But French is nice (:

    References :

  11. By Robert S on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    The best option is Chinese Language as it spoken by people of a country having largest population. Also it is largely used in corporate sectors as well as socially. http://www.chinesesphere.com/corporation.php
    References :

  12. By chy5398p on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply

    Basically, none of all languages is easy or difficult, and, most importantly, there is no difference between what is useful and what is not. The most important thing you need to remember while learning any foreign language is you learn and apply with confidence (maintain your morale), determination (keep up with your good fight against all odds), and patience (control yourself even during a difficult time). Learn to make mistakes; you can’t improve yourself without making mistakes first. Also, practice frequently with full consistency and you will overcome any obstacles, large or small, in life. Don’t worry yourself if you are a slow learner; everyone learns in different speed and style and learning a new language takes time. So know yourself first in how you learn and how you can utilize your skills to maximize your learning potential.

    For more information on how you can learn a new language, try the webpage Language Learning Tips from Omniglot (an excellent informational website related to the topics on languages that is run by Simon Ager, an Englishman with tremendous interest in foreign languages). You are going to love Simon Ager and his website after you read those information if you haven’t visited his website before.

    Language Learning Tips from Omniglot
    http://www.omniglot.com/language/index.htm

    Omniglot Homepage
    http://www.omniglot.com/

    Also, if you want to know about how you learn, I recommend you to understand theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner. You will be surprised by how much you haven’t known about your secret self.

    Theory of multiple intelligences (from Wikipedia)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences

    There are also plenty of websites where you can get yourself tested on your preferred learning method for free. Just use your favorite search engine and type “Theory of multiple intelligences” or, alternatively, “multiple intelligences”. The search engine will do your work quickly and easily.

    Many people have also asked another common question on learning a foreign language: “How many languages one should strive to learn?” The answer is extremely simple. The sky is the limit! The more languages you learn, the better you can communicate with others, particularly in international traveling and employment. (In other words, “The more, the merrier!”)

    Most importantly, you must be proficient in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in each language to be considered as fluent. If you are not proficient in at least one of the four categories of a particular language, then you are not fluent in the particular language, even though you can only speak another language without flaws. Imagine you are lost and you try to find a place to stay in Russia. The address you have is in English but the street names are in Russian. It is really horrendous when you can’t read Russian, especially when you are stranded in the middle of the winter night (it is really cold like ice, brrrr!). So, therefore, learn to read and write just as you learn to speak and listen, even if it is difficult.

    Also, master every aspect of the language you are learning, including pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and expression. Get it wrong and expect something unusual to happen. Finally, keep practicing with consistency. It will make you better in using another language while practicing, whether you are at home, work, or traveling.

    Some languages have phonetic alphabet that is not found in most languages, which makes most people having difficulty in mastering some of those languages without knowing the exact pronunciation first. If you have that difficulty in pronunciation, I suggest you use IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) as a guide for correct pronunciation. For those of you who don’t know what is IPA, it is a set of alphabet where each letter represent only one sound for consonants and vowels and other symbols as changes in the way a consonant or a vowel is pronounced. It is traditionally used by most linguists around the world as the most standard form of phonetic alphabet and now used in many foreign language textbooks where the foreign languages do not use Latin alphabet (including Russian, Greek, Hebrew, and Japanese). If you can find it, I encourage you to buy it, or at least borrow it. Alternatively, go to Wikipedia or Omniglot (you can use any search engine to find it) and find the language you are learning; many languages now have pronunciation guide in IPA. Just look for the pronounced words closed by two square brackets like these [ ] on most webpages, including Omniglot, or two slashes like these / / on many webpages of Wikipedia but not in Omniglot.

    Finally, if you really want to know the most common languages in the world, here are the links you can click on:

    (1) List of languages by number of native speakers, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_spoken_languages

    (2) Except from English and Chinese, what are the other two most common/dominant language in the world?, Yahoo! Answers, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqFyVVloE9aDNZDOQYSqkKfty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20081010025248AA9JIEe&show=7#profile-info-LN07HZLsaa

    Anyway, I hope this answer helps you with your question. Happy learning!
    References :
    (1) Omniglot, http://www.omniglot.com/index.htm
    (2) How many languages do you think one should strive to learn?, Yahoo! Answers, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ag7qrbHQELNnVsHS6LhZfhzty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20081013174535AAjvmY1&show=7#profile-info-WSc1Uk2iaa
    (3) International Phonetic Alphabet, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPA

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