Learning any language like French, Italian or Japanese can be a challenging task. People spend hundreds of dollars on software programs, taking courses and some find it necessary to travel to foreign countries to learn the language. Some of these methods are more effective than others, however here is an important method you can utilize to drastically improve your overall perskill with regards to picking up and utilizing another language
DO IT WITHOUT THINKING
The human brain can compute millions of computations in very short periods of time. When you drive your car your brain sees a stop sign and your mind automatically begins taking steps to bring the car to a stop. You let up on the accelerator and begin to depress the brake. However if you see another car approach the stop sign, you may make the decision to speed up a little to make it before the other car does….because you don’t want to wait the extra few seconds. All this takes place unconsciously for some of us, for others they need to focus perhaps even speak aloud to themselves the process. The net result brings everyone to a stop. For some it’s easy whereas for others it is a bit laborious. The difference is that some people perform these steps unconsciously where for others the process is very conscious. There are others who fall somewhere in between. Language is like that too. People who do well picking up other languages do so because they allow it to happen unconsciously.
The problem people have with learning a language is that they do a mental translation each time they speak. The steps are as follows:
1. They think what they want to say
2. They construct a sentence in English
3. They translate each word
4. A sometimes missed step – they structure the alternate language sentence in the correct syntax. That is because languages seldom use the same syntax as English
5. They finally verbalize the foreign language sentence
The problem as one can see is that the mind has to process a lot of information and execute a number of time consuming steps. You can effectively get rid of three steps and in the process you can make the words come out more naturally and more accurately. Whether you use the extra steps or you don’t your brain will train itself to think that way. We will look at ways to reduce the steps and get you on your way to improving your other language skills.
THINK IN THE OTHER LANGUAGE
The method for reducing the extra steps we consciously select to use when speaking in a different language is very simple. First, we must stop subvocalizing in English. That is think in the other language. You already know the words already it’s just taking you time to translate. If you don’t know the right word you will get stuck…which brings up the second step that is to carry around a translation dictionary. The third step is to practice thinking in the other language. Spend no less than 10 to 15 minutes at a time thinking in the other language. Do not let yourself revert back to thinking in English. The last step is to do exercises thinking in the other language and occasionally vocalize (speak out) certain sentences. This will allow your brain to get used to your new way of thinking.
The steps (and exercises) for eliminating redundant steps in learning a language therefore are as follows:
STEP 1: Each day take 15 minutes to practice thinking in the different language
STEP 2: Do not allow yourself to subvocalize anything in English during this exercise
STEP 3: Allow your mind to wander freely the way you would do normally this is normal
STEP 4: If you have problems with the vocabulary ensure you have a good translation dictionary you can reference….although it is still better to try to think around the stuff you don’t know. You can consult the dictionary immediately following the exercise.
STEP 5: After a week of doing this exercise you should notice a drastic improvement in being able to think in the other language. The next step is to practice thinking and occasionally talking aloud in the other language.
You should continue expanding your vocabulary and learning the syntax, verb conjugations, etc. However, when you are ready to take it to the next step you can make a substantial difference by thinking in the other language.
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