Interesting and fun lessons

Hi How's it going?Do you enjoy learning Languages?
昨日中国人の友達に会った。彼女はサンフランシスコに来て１年以上経つが英語が上手く話せない事に悩んでいた。銀行でアルバイトしている時、言葉の面で困る事が多いと言う。母語で話すのは簡単なのに、なぜ外国語だと上手く話せないのか？単純な疑問だが、多くの人が感じているもどかしさだと思う。彼女に毎日１時間以上英語を聞くといいとアドバイスしたが、好きな音楽を１時間聞くのと、英語を１時間聞くのでは分けが違う。
分からない単語やフレーズがたくさん出てきたらナーバスになるし、何度も面白くない教材を聞いているのも苦痛になってくる。
では、いかに楽しみながら英語を聞くかがポイントになる。
（以下にAJがBlogで紹介しているのを抜粋しました。）
自分が楽しめる教材を見つける事、昨日のThe Linguistのスティーブコフンのように、効果的な学習方法を知っている事が重要だと思う。
私の大学の恩師（フランス語の先生）も９カ国語を操る。先生は言語マニュアなので、そのメソドは普通の人に応用できないが．．．、その情熱には頭が下がる。
言語はパッション（情熱）だ！と教わった。Language is passion. 语言是热情。靠你的热情！：）

私の夢は、将来リゾート語学学校を創ってみたいと目論んでいる。
リゾート地で、リラックスして英語を学び、学んだ英語を使って、ダイビングやキャンプ等のアウトドアを楽しむのだ。想像しただけで楽しい。Tree houseを創る事も夢見ている。
候補地はタイ(Thailand) 。　；）　

語学学習を楽しもう！　
そして、学んだ言葉を使って、何かをしよう！
DO something through other languages. It makes you have more fun and enjoy your life.
人生がより楽しくなるはず！　Enjoy your life! 享受人生的乐趣。

Effortless English Blog の文章を見ながら、ポドキャストを聞こう！

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The Power of Narrow Reading and Listening

Dr. Stephen Krashen is the top language learning expert in the world. He just published a new paper with Dr. Clara Lee Brown titled, "What is Academic Language Proficiency?"

In the article, Drs. Krashen and Brown discuss the best strategies for learning "academic English". Academic English is basically Advanced English. Its the English you need to succeed in universities and professional jobs.

Academic English is the next step after fluency.

So, how do you learn academic fluency? What does the research show?

1. Narrow Reading and Listening
"The narrow reading strategy is to read texts by one author, which helps ensure comprehension and natural repetition of vocabulary and grammar." (Krashen, 2004b).

Many students believe that they must listen to MANY different speakers and read many different authors. But, in fact, this is a less successful method. Picking just one speaker or writer is much better. Why?

Because speakers and writers naturally repeat many words and phrases. Each speaker has their favorite set of phrases. In speech, they naturally use these many times. By focusing on just one speaker, you will automatically get a lot of repetition of new vocabulary and grammar.

In other words, you will learn English deeply. If you want to learn academic English, you should listen to a speaker who discusses advanced topics. For example, in my level 3. lessons, you hear me discuss many academic-level topics related to culture, politics, human rights, and relationships.

By listening to all of the lessons, you naturally get a lot of repetition of common academic words, phrases, and grammar. You learn these deeply, but you don't need to try to memorize them. You learn deeply and automatically. You learn them effortlessly.


2. Don't Study Word Lists or Grammar Rules
We acquire language and develop literacy by understanding messages, not by consciously learning about language and not by deliberate memorization of rules of grammar and vocabulary (Krashen, 1981, 2003).

This is a very important point. To learn Academic Level English, you do not study grammar rules.... and you do not memorize vocabulary lists. As Dr. Krashen says, these strategies are failures. They are not successful.

To learn Academic Level English, you must listen to and read a lot of academic English-- and you must understand it. This seems simple, right?

The important point is that you MUST understand what you hear and read. How do you do that if the English is difficult? First, you can use interesting and fun lessons that help you understand more difficult articles and speeches.

Second, you can start with easy speeches and books, then slowly find more difficult ones. For example, you start listening to easy audiobooks for children. You pick one writer-speaker and listen to all of their books.

Soon, these will seem easy, so you find some books and audiobooks that are a little more difficult. You keep repeating this process, and within a year, you are reading adult novels.... and listening to adult audiobooks.

Finally, you choose academic level books, magazines, and audiobooks that interest you, and you listen to them everyday.

By following these methods, you will learn Academic English. You will understand Advanced vocabulary and grammar. You will correctly use advanced vocabulary and grammar.

And you will never again study grammar rules and vocabulary lists!