Author Archives: gabriele monti

5 Tips for Learning French Grammar

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If you are reading this article, you probably have an interest in learning French and learning French Grammar! Here are some useful tips provided by Alpine French School to help you along the way….

French flag

1. Start from the beginning

When you start learning French, the grammar can seem extremely difficult. Maybe you think you don’t understand grammar in your own language? Well this is a good place to start! Learn the basics of grammar in your own language so you understand how a language works: what is a verb? A noun? A pronoun? French is a very grammatical language so the more you understand about grammar to start with, the easier the journey will seem! When you start learning French grammar, also start with the basics. Learn the present tense of each verb and the basic elements of sentence structure before trying to add in more complicated tenses or to make advanced expressions; as they say “don’t run before you can walk”!

2. Stick with it

It may at times seem like you’re not progressing or that every sentence that comes out of your mouth contains a grammatical mistake, but stick with it! Every time you realise you have made an error, your brain is subconsciously learning from that mistake and you are more likely to say that phrase correctly in the future. Every time you have a bad day or a bad lesson when trying to speak French, you are learning!

3. Little and often

It is better to study for 5 minutes every day, than several hours once a month! There are many little tricks and tools in the modern world to make this easier: there are numerous language learning apps where you can play games while waiting for a train, learn a new word while having your lunch, look up the conjugation of a verb you want to use…..

4. Get a good grammar reference book

A great investment from the start is a good grammar book. You should get one that starts from the beginning with clear explanations and an easy way to find answers to the questions you may have along the way. Don’t worry about the more advanced pages to start with, you might put yourself off. Just start at the beginning and work your way through. Many books now come with an exercise book for you to do practice exercises for each grammar point to ensure that you have properly understood.

5. Get a good teacher!

It is only normal that you will have questions along the way and some things are much more easily explained face to face. All teachers are different, you can find a
French native speaker who teaches only in French or a teacher who speaks your own language to explain grammar points. The main thing to look for though is someone who you enjoy studying with, who can answer your questions with good and clear explanations and someone with whom you feel that your French will progress. That, after all, is the aim!

MUSIC AND LANGUAGES: A BEAUTIFUL DUET OF LEARNING

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We hear them, we read them – we write stories and symphonies using them. They both enrich our lives in countless ways. Music and languages serve as essential modes of communication and wonderful expressions of creativity.

Some researchers contend that humans first started creating music 500,000 years ago, yet speech and language were only developed 200,000 years ago. Evolutionary evidence, as interpreted by leading researchers such as Robin Dunbar from Oxford University, indicates that speech as a form of communication may have evolved from our development and use of music.

piano practice

learning music might help with languages

Perhaps this explains why our music and language neural networks have significant overlap and why people who have studied one of these may find it easier to learn the other (http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/feb/27/musicians-better-language-learners). Consider these similarities:

  • Both music and language can be spoken, listened, written, and read.
  • Both have rhythm, flow, tempo, pauses, and the chance to convey emotions.
  • Collaboration/Interaction: Interacting in groups with music and language learning enhances your learning experience.
  • Singers have an additional connection; the more languages you speak, the more songs you can sing.
  • You can start learning a language with small words and short sentences, then graduate to more complex speaking and reading abilities. You begin learning a musical instrument by playing just a few notes, then progress to playing larger phrases of notes and more complex rhythms.

A Beautiful Duet.

With all these similarities, can we conclude that studying one of these skills can help us in learning the other?

Consider this important step in learning a language, which is figuring out where one word ends and the next one begins. As a French language “hobbyist,” this is huge for me. Dave Munger conducted two experiments with speaking and singing specific foreign words to see how quickly and accurately the participants could detect and parse the words. Since fluent speakers don’t generally pause between words, it can be a daunting task. Munger found that the sung words were detected significantly faster with more accuracy. While, they’re not saying that music study is a requirement for learning a foreign language, the extra aural information that music provides does seem to help with in learning a language (http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2008/06/19/does-music-help-us-learn-langu).

We should also be reminded that the sense of achievement when you play a musical instrument or speak another language in public for the first time is unparalleled. I’m a music teacher – not a scientist – but I’ve seen many children and adults become transformed individuals because they learned Spanish, Italian, Chinese – or music. Better job prospects, social lives, and major shots of self-confidence – who wouldn’t want that?

Author Bio:
Terry Smith (www.applegatemusicstudio.com) teaches piano and voice privately in the Phoenix, Arizona, USA area and teaches piano online anywhere. He uses the innovative Simply Music piano curriculum. He also serves as music director at a local church and directs music for local theater.

Top 5 Twitter Language Learning Accounts

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While you may be comfortable spending thousands of dollars taking in-country language courses, there are even better and easier options thanks to the internet. Provided you have an internet connection, a computer or a mobile device, learning would be pretty easy.

Twitter

There’s nothing as motivating as browsing an up-to-date Twitter account that allows you to learn languages as easy as A, B, C. To anyone eager to learn languages, these Twitter accounts will give you insights as all of them tweet about languages with the accounts having language teachers, translators or interpreters. Below is a list of the top 5 Twitter language learning accounts you surely want to follow.

English Tips for You @EnglishTips4U

English Tips for You offer you an even better and fast way of learning English for free. Being active since September 2010, Indonesia’s first ever Twitter learning portal allows you the chance to learn the English language for free. With more than a thousand videos and photos, you’ll surely have a wide variety of information to help you easily learn English.

The best part, English Tips for You is always up-to-date so of course you’ll have the latest information the moment you click the ‘Follow’ button. Moreover, the account offers you new unique words every day on the ‘Word of the Day’ segment.

Dictionary.com @dictionarycom

@dictionarycom is Dictionary.com’s official Twitter feed where you get updated with new words and the latest word trends. What’s more, this learning language account feeds your mind with the latest quotes from world-renowned figures that’ll surely add some motivation to your life. Dictionary.com’s Twitter account additionally provides you with fascinating information about English words.

Judy Jenner @language_news

Being an entrepreneurial linguist, translator and certified court interpreter, Judy Jenner offers you the latest in language news in the @language_news Twitter account. Judy Jenner provides you an interactive platform with more than eight thousand language enthusiasts following the tweets closely.

As an author raised in Mexico City, Judy Jenner ensures you get the latest language news with keen concentration on language translation staying active since 2008.

Cath Cellier-Smart @Smart_Translate

With over fifteen thousand up-to-date tweets and more than four thousand followers, @Smart_Translate is your learning language account to follow especially because Cath Celleir-Smart is a well-vast French to English translator.

To any English enthusiast @Smart_Translate provides you interesting links to English Language articles sure to increase your knowledge of English. This language learning account offers you the latest information on language translation.

German should be fun @LearnXDGerman

You probably thought learning languages was all about reading articles, right? German should be fun, creates a different twist away from just reading articles. The learning-based Twitter account provides you an opportunity to learn how to speak the German language with more than three hundred funny audio clips that you can download for free.

The Twitter account boasts of more than forty-two thousand followers since its signup in 2011. Get the latest German tweets from @LearnXDGerman with their English translations just five minutes later.

Wrapping Up

Twitter is easily available and pretty easy to use. Therefore, you’d gain a lot following these Language Leaning accounts.

5 Sites to Help You Become an Expert in Language Learning

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Are you looking for a site where you can become an expert in language learning? Here are 5 websites offering services that will sharpen your brain and learn a new language.

Learn

how to learn a languages using the web – source

Babbel

Babbel has put together a language program that will help you learn different languages including: German, Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish, Portuguese and much more. It offers online language courses through its website and an app.

You will go through a sequence of courses containing different lessons. Every lesson takes 10-15 minutes and includes:

· A dialogue

· New vocabulary words

· Grammar instruction

· Review of what is learned

Why Babbel?

· User experience- Like a software, it has an attractive design, it’s intuitive with no bugs

· Content- A team of experienced language teachers offer real-world requirements of language learners

· Explanations- The site has good grammatical explanations

· Pacing- Lessons are taught at a pretty pace

· Review Manager- This feature contains a lot of vocabulary words you need when learning

Livemocha

Livemocha is the world’s leading language learning community with more than 5 million registered users in 200 countries.

What makes it good?

It has good features of social networks due to a large number of registered users. Therefore, it offers a large base of potential language partners and tutors. Users of this reciprocity-based system get corrections from native speakers

There are many languages to learn. LiveMocha currently provides learning in 35 languages. Some of the languages are Catalan, Brazilian, Arabic, Bulgarian, French, Greek, Hindi, Hebrew and more.

The site offers a lot of free content including 3 free units, each with 5 or more lesson per unit. There are also a broad range of speaking, listening, writing and reading activities.

Guardian.com/education/languages

This language section contains the recent news and updates about languages. You will get profound articles on language news and analysis on universities, colleges, schools and other learning institutions. The information on this section offers tips to students who want to learn a new language and helps them on how to get started.

Telegraph

You should read this site because it offers education and student advice. Moreover, it offers exam and revision techniques that help students in their education life. You will get expert advice on UCAS, GCSEs, University clearing and A Levels. This online source is a reputable and authoritative website with content you can fully rely on.

Lifehacker

When you visit this link you will learn how to learn a language in 90 days. You will also understand the benefits of being a bilingual such as meeting different people, different emotions, and different cultures. Other benefits include several cognitive benefits such as reduce cognitive biases, Alzheimer’s boost brainpower, boost concentration and reduce distractions.

You will also learn how most people make mistakes about language learning. In addition, the article has gives basic strategy of quick language learning. This includes: having right resources, getting a private tutor, find friends or joining an online language community. Finally, the article offers a 90-day plan for learning a new language.

Language Lessons Giveaway.

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We are currently looking for lifestyle, travel or business bloggers to try our services. The giveaway is limited to London central areas and Spanish or Italian languages only. Please fill the form below to participates. You can take one free lesson with our qualified teacher at home, office or public space in exchange of a honest review.

Eva Italian teacher in Italy (La Spezia)

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teacher2

I worked in two different schools with very different student profiles. One is called AIDEA and it’s an association for adult’s education; there I was teaching Italian to foreign adults. The other one was a secondary school called 2 Giugno, in which I was a cultural mediator with immigrant teenagers. I use a communicative teaching style, with an inductive method. I always focus on all the four abilities composing a language (writing, speaking, reading and listening), giving for each one the same time and effort. I teach all the different typologies of Italian Language, without pretending to follow just the high standard norm which is practically not spoken at all in the daily life. I teach focusing my work in the student’s profile and need. I’m friendly and dynamic, quick to pick up new skills and eager to learn from others. I also have lots of ideas and enthusiasm. I always change practices of teaching in order to not bore my students. I love to involve them in the Culture’s discover of Italy while they are learning the language. I adapt and always use the European criteria, taken from the Common European Framework of Reference for Language, to judge both my student’s results and my own work.

Suzanne Spanish and French teacher in Essex

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teacher2

I am an Open University student undertaking a degree part-time in Spanish and French. I am currently coming to the end of my 3rd year and have 3 more years to go. I have recently completed a week at Residential School in Spain which I found incredibly interesting and enjoying. I would say that this took my Spanish to another level and I am looking forward to completing a similar activity in France next year for the 4th year of my degree.The nature of this degree means that I can adjust my study time as and when it suits me. I have a daughter so I tend to study in the day time when she is at school or in the evenings when she is in bed.
I have experience of teaching Spanish and French to children age between 5-7 years on a Language Club basis at the Infant School where my daughter is a pupil. My style of teaching is to use games and songs to encourage learning with plenty of hands on activities. Many of the teaching resources I have made myself or I adapt games like Twister, Noughts and Crosses and I spy to promote a language learning aspect. I also base my lessons around the yearly calendar and theme them accordingly so for example when it was Halloween and Christmas, we learnt about the various ways that these customs are celebrated in France and Spain which the children really enjoyed.
I am a strong believer in children learning languages at the earliest possible age as it will not only provide them with a good grounding for future education but also with a good springboard for whatever jobs they may choose.
Languages fascinate me and I can also speak a little Italian and a few words of Maltese. I would like to learn more Italian and also Chinese and possibly some Polish.

Lorena Experienced Italian Teacher in Birmingham

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teacher2

I worked as an English teacher in a primary school in Milan for one year. After moving to the UK, I had the opportunity to work as a language assistant at the University of Birmingham. I organized a “Translation Workshop” from English into Italian for first and second year universitity students. Recently, I started teaching Italian via Skype and this activity is proving to be quite rewarding. I find particularly interesting to follow each student one by one and to plan fully personalised lessons. Having been a language student myself (I have a First Class Honours Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages), I had the opportunity to get in touch with many different teaching methods. Besides, I know that the most powerful incentive for students to learn is curiosity and amusement. I always plan my lessons keeping this in mind.

Marta Native Spanish Teacher – West London

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teacher2

I am a qualified teacher that loves innovation and new methodologies. Currently, I am working as a language assistant in London where I am learning how to implement new techniques, activities and games. In short, a new whole approach to teaching that has enriched my profile as a teacher. I have learnt how the British system works and the importance of preparing appropriately the external exams such as GCSE or A-Levels. Among my duties, I am responsible for planning and delivery lessons every week as well as the design and correction of exams. Likewise, I have been preparing students for the GCSE and A level exams analising their weak spots and designing activities to help them improve. I am truly enjoying the experience since I have grown as a teacher learning how dynamic lessons and connecting with students help their learning process. The fact that I am out going and thanks to my adaptation skills, I have been able to adjust to a new education system as well as to establish a good teacher- student relationship taking into account the different cultural background of the students and making the most of it. I love sharing my enthusiasm for new cultures and helping people discover other cultures. Apart from this year experience, since 2009, I have been doing private tutoring and I feel that language and culture should go together. In addition, it is usually a fun and a dynamic methodology that engages students what has worked for me. Motivated students tend to work harder and have a much faster development. Getting to know your students and incorporating their interest into their lesson makes learning a language easier and students enjoy themselves while learning. I am really in favour of a student-centered pedagogy that prioritizes the students’ needs and learning process.

Karelys Experienced Spanish Teacher

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teacher2

I am a journalist (Spanish native speaker) with solid experience teaching Spanish language at different levels (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced)
I worked for the Brazil-Venezuela Cultural Institute (Embassy of Brazil ) and private companies.
My teaching style is flexible, applying multiple-intelligence approach, emphasising communication and the practical uses of language. My approach is more topic based, but without ignoring the rules of language.

Spanish Teacher
-Begginer, Intermediate and Advanced levels
-Writing courses
-Conversation lessons for executives
-Preparation for exam DELE (Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language) The official accreditation of the degree of fluency of the Spanish Language, issued and recognised by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain.

Soy periodista con maestría en Historia de América Latina, trabajé como profesora de español en el Instituto Cultural Brasil- Venezuela (perteneciente a la Embajada de Brasil en Venezuela) y , a su vez, he preparado alumnos para el examen DELE. De ser posible me gustaría reunirme personalmente con usted sobre mi experiencia profesional y así poder conversar sobre mi aporte a Spanish Connection