Nataly Kelly: Adventures in Hyperpolyglottery: Inside the Mind of Extreme Language Learners. Admit it. At one point or another, the words "Learn a new language," have appeared on your list of New Year's Resolutions. Like most resolutions made with the best of intentions, this one frequently fizzles out well before the year comes to an end. But speaking multiple languages is not uncommon -- it's the normal state for many human beings all over the world. So why is it so hard for people to achieve such a simple goal?
As it turns out, learning languages is easier -- and more pleasurable -- for some folks than for others. In fact, there is a group of individuals who find the process so enjoyable that they take it to another level entirely. Who are these people, and why on earth do they learn so many languages? Nataly Kelly (NK): Why did you write this book? NK: What exactly is a hyperpolyglot? NK: How fluent does one have to be in each language to be considered a hyperpolyglot? NK: Are hyperpolyglots physiologically different from other people? Culture, Not Biology, Shapes Human Language : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture. There's no language gene. There's no innate language organ or module in the human brain dedicated to the production of grammatical language. There are no meaningful human universals when it comes to how people construct sentences to communicate with each other.
Across the languages of the world (estimated to number 6,000-8,000), nouns, verbs, and objects are arranged in sentences in different ways as people express their thoughts. The powerful force behind this variability is culture. So goes the argument in Language: The Cultural Tool, the new book I'm reading by Daniel Everett. The Pirahã are hunter-gatherers who live along the Maici River in Brazil's Amazon region. Everett first showed up among the Pirahãs as a missionary associated with the Summer Institute for Linguistics (SIL), with the goal of converting the natives to Christianity by translating the Bible into the local language. The Pirahãs would not say "Bring me the fish that Mary caught. " So why does all this matter? Culture, Not Biology, Shapes Human Language : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture.
The wrong and right way to learn a foreign language - The Answer Sheet. This was written by linguist Stephen Krashen, professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, is an educational researcher and activist. He has written hundreds of articles and books in the fields of second language acquisition, bilingual education, and reading.
By Stephen Krashen In a recent issue of the Washington Post Express, Andrew Eil, a staffer who works at the U.S. State Department on international climate change, recommends that foreign language students start with “boot camp:” Study grammar very hard, drill vocabulary every day, and force yourself to talk. This regimen, he claims, put him in a position to develop high levels of competence in several languages; he now speaks Russian and French fluently and can converse in Mandarin and Kazakh. Most of us who have taken foreign languages classes that emphasize heavy grammar instruction and memorizing vocabulary would disagree with his recommendations, and so does the research. Grammar Vocabulary Forced speech Sources:
The Practice Of Not Knowing: A Third Method Of Foreign Language Learning. When learning a new language there are those things we need to know, those things we need to practice and a million other things we don’t know. 1. Knowledge Is (Passive) Power Knowing something usually doesn’t take a lot of effort. Either I know, or I don’t. It’s the process of committing something to memory which is the difficult part. Let’s isolate this moment of knowing for a second, that instant after we have committed something to memory, before the (often) inevitable happens and we forget. If I know that the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, for example, then this information is stored somewhere in my cerebral cortex. In other words, the actual knowing is completely passive. Put more bluntly, knowing isolated parts of a language doesn’t equate with knowing a language. 2. Let’s face it, we’re not all equal. For example, when I was working as a language teacher for children and young adults, one of my assignments was to determine individual weaknesses and “patch up” holes. 3.
How to Successfully Learn a New Language This Year. Learn Chinese. Chinese Pronunciation Pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese: Setting the Record Straight is a response to the glut of bad information on the harder points of the pronunciation of Mandarin. Chinese Grammar Hurdles Chinese grammar poses learners with special challenges at each level. Learn what to expect here. Mandarin Chinese Tone Pair Drills Exercises developed by John Pasden specifically designed to target problems with the pronunciation of tone combinations. Online Resources for Learning Chinese A convenient list of links for various resources for learning Chinese. The Process of Learning Tones If you've decided to learn to speak Chinese and you're anything like me, this is what you can expect. The 5 Stages to Learning Chinese I have been aniticipating a future in applied linguistics for some time, so I have been very cognizant of the learning processes of myself and others.
Chinese Textbook Reviews Recommendations on books for learning Chinese based on personal experience. Chinese Vocabulary Lists. The Hobbit in Chinese, Pinyin, and English. Learn Chinese Website. Jordan: The Chinese Language(s) An Overview for Beginners Note: This essay should tell you more than you need or want to know about the Chinese language in general. For the pronunciation of Romanized Mandarin, see the "Pronunciation Guide" on this web site. (Link) Outline 1. Dialects2. Phonology3. Related files on this web site Guide to Pronouncing Mandarin in Romanized Transcription (link) More Than You Want To Know About Chinese Tone (Link) More Than You Want To Know About Simplified Characters (link) 1.
Mandarin. The most widespread Chinese language, known as "Mandarin" or Guānhuà 官話, is spoken in north, central, and west China. Cantonese or Guǎngdōnghuà 廣東話, sometimes also referred to as the Yuè 粵 dialects, spoken in Guǎngdōng province. Overseas Chinese normally speak dialects of Hokkien (Mǐnnán) or Cantonese. The English name "Mandarin" comes from the Portuguese. Return to top. 2. The usual unit of phonological analysis in Chinese is the syllable, which is also the unit recognized by the writing system. 3. 3a. 4. 5. MYLO: a new way to learn languages. Chinese Tutor - Learn Chinese Fast! Duolingo. Hacking Chinese - 揭密中文 | Everything you need to know about studying Chinese but no-one will tell you.
Are There Easy Languages and Hard Languages? Are There Easy Languages and Hard Languages? G’day all! I know I don’t ask this question often enough but… How’s your own language learning going? Hopefully you’re staying committed and putting in some serious hours to get the successful outcome you deserve! I’ve now been here in Korea for over 7 months and I’ve gotta say I’m starting to get pretty worn out and in need of a real holiday. I was considering taking time out of my insane schedule to head down to the Philippines for a 1-2 week Tagalog challenge but at this stage I reckon a few days break from any kind of learning and laying on a beach with a fishing rod might be what I really need!
This has been a really intense time and I’ve sacrificed a lot of luxuries to hit my fluency mark in Korean up to this point (as I alluded to in this video, spending time exclusively with natives for many months is tougher than you might think). One thing is for sure though – I refuse to leave this place until I can say mission accomplished with Korean. Reading: The Witch Doctor of Language Acquisition. Author: Robert A. Robles ‘What is the best thing I can do to master the language I’m learning?’
‘What do you recommend if I need to increase my vocabulary base?’ ‘How can I learn idioms and stop sounding like a language student?’ These are just a few of the questions I’ve fielded as a language instructor in over fifteen years in the classroom. Interesting questions, all of them. It’s not surprising that people of all ages strive to improve on the knowledge they have acquired when studying a second—or third, or fourth—foreign language. And keep doing it for the next six or seven years… At least. How come language learners feel bewildered at the fact that learning a foreign language—and mastering it—will usually take years?
Let’s see. First: learning a language produces better results when studying goes hand in hand with becoming familiarized with the culture inherently intertwined with it. Meanwhile, here’s a quirky example for the above: look at the Spanish expression “Mátalas callando.” Fluent in 3 months – Language Hacking and Travel Tips — Unconventional language hacking tips from Benny the Irish polyglot; travelling the world to learn languages to fluency and beyond! What is the fastest way to learn a foreign language?