Language Learning – Blog

An important part of learning French is learning the French sayings. Some of the sayings or phrases are certainly more important than others, but taking the time to learn them will help you flow better as you speak. You will sound more natural. You don’t want to be spitting out useless, random words like “red car” and “monkeys”. I’m not saying that those things are useless, but you probably won’t find much use for them when speaking unless you drive a red Mazda Miada and have a pet monkey. The odds aren’t great. Learn French sayings like how are you in French instead of that other monkey business. You should strive to be conversational no matter what language you’re learning. People will be much more likely to warm up to you if you are warm and friendly with them in your speech. Browse around the French portion of this website and learn as much as you can for free if you haven’t done so already.

Learn French french phrases, french sayings, how are you in french

Do you want to learn how to say how are you in Italian and other Italian greetings but don’t want to spend any money? You will probably be able to find out how it’s spelled in Italian, but you won’t necessarily know how to say it. If you can learn how to say a phrase or word from a native speaker, you should take advantage of that opportunity. The great thing is that you can learn Italian greetings like hello in Italian for free on this website. You can learn and practice with free flash cards with audio from native speakers. You can review what you’ve learned with the new, addictive review game called the Lingo Dingo on the same page. So, you don’t have to spend any money to learn some simple Italian greetings. This website is full of words, phrases, and verbs in 8 languages including French to English and Spanish to English. I don’t think I mentioned that it’s all free yet. Well, it is. Browse around as much as you want for free and enjoy the free-ness (that’s a new word I just made up) of this website.

Learn Italian greetings, hello in italian, how are you in italian

Tip #5 to Learn a Foreign Language

1. The More Senses You Use, the More Effective the Learning

• Repeat Aloud – Repeating aloud actually helps stimulate the part of the brain that controls motor skills (like speaking) and helps develop the part of the brain as related to the new language (known as “Broca’s Area” in the science world). This means that you will be more effective at the moment of conversation if you’ve practiced saying the foreign language words you learn aloud. 
• Type or Write the Words – As you type or write the words you learn, you are using the sense of touch to kinesthetically learn the words at a higher brain level. This also helps with future recall. Also, as you walk around your home or office, try to say the name of objects you see.
• Sight – Look at Words and Relate them to pictures – (See Key #2 on Visualization)
• Listen to the New Foreign Language Words – As you hear new words, you are using yet another sense to implant them into your long-term memory. You can also train your ear to hear differences in the words you learn as compared to the same sounds in your own native language. This is a key part of developing great pronunciation skills – the ability to hear the difference between sounds in your native language as compared to those in the foreign language. (For more on pronunciation, see #4) It is important to find a foreign language course that has both moving pictures in some type of software (as mentioned in the previous point) as well as audios CDs so you can practice hearing the language and learn at a higher level.

Explore our free lessons to learn a language  online! Be sure and share them with others in Facebook and on Twitter.

Until later my language-learning friends!

Dave Clark – Director of Visual Link Languages

Language learning tips

Tip #4 of Learning a Foreign Language:

Foreign Language Pronunciation – As an adult, your mouth and brain have been programmed to pronounce words according to your native language. When you start learning a foreign language, you tend to pronounce the new words based on your native language. In other words, you will have an accent and sound like a foreigner – it is possible that you may not even be understood. So what should you do? The key to great native pronunciation in a foreign language is to learn, see and hear how natives pronounce it, and then form habits of pronouncing the new sounds correctly. Having native pronunciation is all about forming correct habits from the beginning. If you start learning a foreign language with incorrect pronunciation, you will form habits that are difficult to break and may even stay with you for the rest of your life if you don’t initially form correct pronunciation habits. Have you ever heard foreigners who have lived in your country for 20-30 years and still have an accent? It’s because when they first learned your language, they didn’t take the time to form correct pronunciation habits, and as a result they continue saying certain sounds incorrectly. When you learn a new foreign language, it is very important to dedicate enough time to forming habits of correct pronunciation. If this is done, almost anyone can attain close-to-native speech – it just takes time and effort. If your goal is to have native or near-native speech, it is recommended that you take 15 minutes per day, three to five times a week with the sounds that are most challenging in the foreign language. Every foreign language usually has about 12 sounds that take extra work to master. Once you form a habit of correct pronunciation with these sounds, you are set for life!

Language learning tips pronunciation

Tip #3 of Learning a Foreign Language:

Repetition (Do I really have to?) – According to the experts, in order for new foreign language words to cement themselves into your long-term memory, they must be repeated around 50 times in a meaningful way. Some courses tout “no repetition” – it’s a great thought, but words simply can’t get into your long-term memory without repetition. This presents a problem because you don’t want a repetitive, boring and tedious course to teach you; however, you do have to repeat words enough so they can have a chance to lodge themselves into your memory for later recall. The answer to this dilemma is simple. What you need is a way to repeat words and concepts in a fun way without realizing that you are repeating them. If your foreign language course doesn’t do that, you may experience “language-learning burnout” and never accomplish your goal. You should look for a course that repeats words in a meaningful way but also keeps your attention and is fun. This will help you successfully reach your goal of learning a foreign language.

Take Care my friends – we’ll see you back next week for Tip #4!

Language learning tips

Tip #2 of Learning a Foreign Language:

Visualization – As humans, we link the words we use to pictures; for example, if I said the word “shoes” you would maybe think of your favorite pair of shoes or possibly the ones you have on. When you learn new foreign language words, it’s important to link them with pictures so they can start penetrating your long-term memory. If you link the new words you learn to pictures, instead of having to translate from English to the foreign language, you can instantly recall what you’ve learned as your mind links the picture to the word you need to use. Repetition, the next key, along with pictures, helps words to be retained in your long-term memory better, faster and longer. Also, if the pictures you use with this technique have some type of motion or movement and represent something out of the ordinary, you will learn and retain new words longer and faster. This cuts down on your study time and makes it possible to learn more words in a shorter period of time. Remember – visualize words with action, emotion and connect them with something out of the ordinary.

Take Care my friends – we’ll see you back next week for Tip #3!

Language learning tips

Tip #1 of Learning a Foreign Language:

1. How to Study – When learning foreign language, avoid cramming which simply does not work. Your brain needs frequent sessions – approximately 3-5 per week that last between twenty and forty five minutes each. If too much is learned at once, your brain may start going into “language-learning overload”. With this in mind, it’s great to set a goal of the number of times per week you will study and a consistent study time for each session. For example, you may choose to study Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. during your lunch hour, or you might want to study 1/2 hour each evening before going to bed. That’s what I like doing best.

Take Care my friends – we’ll see you back next week for Tip #2!

Language learning tips

Libraries are dealing with huge budget decreases. This has led to layoffs, a decrease in services, and shorter library hours. Perhaps this is a time for libraries and librarians to offer more online services. We have created a very large website where people can learn English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, German, and Russian for free. We are trying to reach out to libraries and librarians so they can be aware of this free resource. Please help us reach out to them so library patrons can take advantage of this free website:  Visual Link Languages

A few librarians and libraries who have a large following include:
@ALA_PLA
@LibraryJournal
@LibrarySecrets
@Librarian

Who are some more of the big influencers in the library community?

Libraries influencers

Budget cuts are affecting libraries in a big way in this economy. Many library employees and even librarians have lost their jobs. A large number of libraries are offering more services online in order to save money. Libraries offer free resources to everyone in a community, regardless of income or race. Everyone has an equal opportunity to become educated. Here at Visual Link Languages™, we realize the important impact a library can have on a community. We want to help libraries cut costs without cutting jobs.

We understand the importance of free resources libraries can offer, especially in this day and age. We are trying to reach out to libraries and librarians to offer them a free resource for their patrons. As a resource on a library website, they could list the free website for Visual Link Languages as a resource for anyone to learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and English for free. Please help us get the word out to libraries.

Libraries free library resources

Have you ever asked someone: “How long does it take to learn a new language?” If you have asked more than one person, it is likely you have received a different answer each time. If all the answers were the same, it’s probably because you were told that “it depends”. Of course, when you consider learning a new language, there are various factors to consider.

What resources do I have? We believe there is no substitution for complete immersion in a language. If you can move to a different country and be completely immersed, do it. Since that is not possible for everyone, Visual Link Language™ has created a method called Immersion 2.0. You use your native language and a moving image to learn a new word or phrase, then you are immersed in the new language using only the moving image.

What level of fluency am I aiming for? Some people simply want to learn enough to get by or have a little fun. Others want to gain a level of fluency which will allow them to feel comfortable in any situation. If you know what you want to accomplish with your new language, you will have a better idea of what level of fluency you’ll obtain. Simply remember that it will take time and work, but it will be worth it.

What is my primary (first) language? If English is your native language, perhaps Dutch may be the easiest language for you to learn. English has similarities with many different languages. Chinese may be on the difficult end, but there are thousands of people who will tell you it is possible. Spanish and French are very popular languages being learned by native English speakers.

How much time will I dedicate to this? As previously mentioned, with our Visual Link Spanish™ course you can become fluent in basic conversational Spanish in just 3 months. Again, if you can become completely immersed in the language, that is great. If that’s not an option, you should set aside time (we say at least 30 minutes) each day to learn your new language. It will not do you much good to cram, because as you probably learned in school, you don’t really remember anything after the test.

What’s my attitude? Perhaps the biggest factor of all is attitude. Some may argue that time is the biggest factor, but realize that if you really want to do something, you can usually make it happen. You’ve heard it before, but STAY POSITIVE. Remember that you will make mistakes, but keep practicing. Laugh at yourself. Remember what your goal is and why you are striving for that goal.

When all is said and done, it really does depend on various factors. Just remember that if you really want to learn a language, you can. The sky is the limit for how many languages you can learn. Have fun with it and work hard!

Learn a Language How long does it take