Language | Educational Article

How I Used French Classes To Become Bilingual

Monday, March 16th, 2009

by Erik Q. Astrand

Of course, I was taught French during my school days but never took it seriously. As far as I was concerned, it wasn’t important to me and never would be.

Turns out I was wrong about that.

I was sent to France for work; I found myself wishing Id paid attention in my French classes. Its not that easy to find someone in France who speaks English fluently, it turns out. You’d have better luck finding a Finnish speaker in Portugal (well, almost).

Whew, I really felt lost. Nonetheless, I made a silent resolve not to learn the language, since I wasn’t going to be coming back to France.

But on getting back home, my boss told me I would be going back in 3 months. This time I would stay longer. There and then I made a commitment to myself to learn French before the 3 months was up.

Now, I prefer audio books, since I can listen to them when my hands are occupied. I bought a complete French audio class and started listening to them whenever possible: on the train, at home and even while jogging!

It took me a little while to start catching on to what the audio lessons were trying to tell me, but after a couple of weeks it started to click. The thing which really worked for me where the English translations of the spoken passages in French.

Little by little, I started picking up the language. About 6 weeks later I found that I could speak French passably; I even had a brief conversation in French with my boss and managed not to lapse into English at any point. I think I surprised her there!

She asked how Id done it; I explained that Id been using audio books in my effort to learn the language. She was very impressed with my initiative and made me the head of the company delegation for the French trip! She told the rest of the group to pick up the same audio lessons Id used and start studying as I had.

When I made that return trip to France, I had a much better time. I could communicate with people ” and Id learned it all on my own! I didn’t take a single class, I didn’t have to hire a tutor and I didn’t even crack open any French tutorial books!

In just three months, Id managed to learn a good amount of French using these audio lessons. Best of all, I did it by studying in my own free time. I didn’t have to set any special time aside to learn French, I listened to the audio books while I was doing other things.

If I could do this within 3 months, I am certain anyone else can do it too. If there is any language you would love to learn, follow my footsteps and you will be pleasantly surprised what can happen in just 3 months, with the power of audio books.

About the Author:

Feel free to visit the website where I discovered the French course I used to get these results. If you are interested, there are also other language audio lessons on the site. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

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Free And Paid Ways Of Learning German

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

by Adrian Fletcher

It is not always an obvious language to learn if you are keen to become bilingual or speak a new language. Part of the reason for this is that German is not a commonly spoken language outside of Germany and a few countries that neighbor Germany. So unless a person has a specific need to learn it, other languages like Spanish, Mandarin and even French seem to be more attractive. With this said, if you work in a field that may take you to Germany or other countries like Switzerland or Austria then it would be a definite advantage to learn German. Such fields include software development, car manufacturing and banking and finance.

In fact, the northern parts of Switzerland often have software jobs in the financial industries that appeal to Anglophones. In many cases these jobs require English and German from potential candidates. Some accept just English but it goes without saying that you would assimilate better in the job and the general community if you spoke German. Another reason why you may be keen to learn German is because your heritage is German. Many can trace their family back to Germany or other German speaking countries. They may even have distant relatives that they would like to catch up with. Speaking German could facilitate this.

If one of these reasons explains why you want to learn German then your first step is to get a good German program to start your learning. To begin with, you can find a wealth of material on the internet. Much of it is free and pretty good too. Here are some things that might help you learn German.

German Language Games And Other Resources

Language games are good idea if you need to practice your vocabulary. They are primarily focusing on your written abilities but knowing a word can also help your spoken skills too. Traditional games like hangman, crosswords and flash card games a great fun. You can find many on the internet just by searching. Look a bit harder and you can find more complex games that help your comprehension too. These are games that give you puzzles or clue like scenarios to solve.

Further investigation of the internet will bring up multimedia learning tools. Audio is a perfect fit for learning language so look around for free podcasts via the itunes software or a simple search.

If you learn better with video then look at German videos on video sharing sites like youtube. There are thousands of videos on just about any subject you can think of. Some may even come with subtitles if you are new to the language.

Alternatives You Pay For

There are many paid courses that can help you learn German. Apart from the content they provide, a paid course often gives you far more focus and structure than free alternatives. Some of the main courses are Rocket German, Pimsleur, Michel Thomas and Rosetta Stone. They have different methods and concentrate on different skill sets. I’d say Michel Thomas and Pimsleur and primarily concerned with speaking ability. They are pretty good for this, with Pimsleur going into more depth in my opinion. Rosetta Stone uses an immersion system that duplicates they way we learned our native tongue. Rocket German tends to be a combination of the others.

The Michel Thomas course is a rapid learning course whereas the others take longer to use. Rosetta is a software program so you need a computer to use it. Rocket German is a software program and an mp3 course. Rocket, Michel Thomas and Pimsleur can be played using a personal cd player or mp3 players so you can use them whenever the feeling takes you.

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Get reviews of popular courses that help you learn German including is Rosetta Stone a good way to learn German ?

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Learning To Speak Italian - Setting Up A Realistic Goal

Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

by Adrian Fletcher

Learning to speak Italian is beneficial as a self improvement goal. Not only will you become bilingual if you gain fluency in Italian but you will get a new perspective on many aspects of life. For instance, you will understand all the cultural references that your own culture has taken from the Italian culture.

This will make you more interesting in social situations and ultimately more popular. This is something that most people would like a little bit more of. Other than that, there is no doubt that being bilingual can translate to better job prospects and even faster advancement in your chosen career. Even if the language is not directly relevant to your profession, the achievement shows that you have discipline and commitment to a goal and employers like this.

So if you embark on learning to speak Italian what is the first steps you must do ?

The first thing you should do is understand how quickly you want to learn the new language. The immediate answer would be as soon as possible but this has to be considered in the context of your lifestyle and the best way you learn new things.

If you have no responsibilities, like a job, a significant other or a family then things are quite straightforward. I would suggest to immerse yourself in the Italian language. You could fly to Italy and take an intensive course. Then live there for a few months, interact with people and get a job if possible. You’ll be speaking the language well within 6 months to a year.

Unfortunately, most people don’t have this luxury. They have a time sapping job or have to care for their family. They simply don’t have the opportunity to dedicate all their time to learning the language.

This may describe your situation. If so, learning to speak Italian takes getting a routine going that you can stick to with some conviction. Set a time each week when you can concentrate all your attention on Italian.

Get a good program or take a class that brings some formality to the lessons. Build on the initial lessons. As you get more into the working of the language, learning will become easier and you will be able to tune into the lessons quicker.

As you get more experience and exposure to the language, certain exercises will become easier. For instance, once you get to a certain level you can start to watch Italian films or listen to songs or interviews in Italian. Watching a film can be a pleasant and relaxing experience so it won’t feel like a lesson. Listening to songs can be done as you drive the car so you are maximizing the time you have.

About the Author:

Get reviews of popular courses that can help you learn Italian easy including software learn Italian courses.

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Learn A Foreign Language

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

by Jerry Brown

Some basics: Foreign language courses are quite different from other courses so you must never drag your feet about it. Any postponement is deemed as a failure in a foreign language course where you need to devote a minimum of 15 minutes a day for a minimum of 3 hours a week. While you need not put in more than 45 minutes learning the language in one session, try to accommodate all the extra time you have in your hands.

Partition your study into many small sessions. If you are serious about learning the language, attend classes regularly in order to pass. You could review your previous learning like the vocabulary - this would stand in good stead. Give below are some clues which can make your attempt to learn a foreign language as easy as ABC.

Perusing through printed matter: Try to comprehend what is written rather than worrying too much over unknown words. Make it a routine to browse through the chapters of the textbook everyday.

Speaking: Making mistakes is inevitable so listen to your friends in the class and start communicating. Practice speaking out loud on your own, in a group of friends studying the same foreign language and with your pets such as a dog or cat.

Noting it down: Know how to express yourself in writing everyday till it comes a part of you.

Take a dictation of a small portion of the language from a friend and then check it for correctness.

Miscellany: Study the foreign language with a positive frame of mind, have pre-set objectives and goals. Ensure that you have set objectives and are clear about the paths which would take you there. If you need help get it and do not be afraid to ask questions or ask for help for fear of sounding stupid, or being embarrassed. Ask as many questions as you want and always seek help if you stumble as there are nothing to feel shy about. Get audio tapes of the language and listen to them or make you own tapes and listened to yourself in order to perfect your pronunciation. One of the most successful ways to have correct pronunciation is to learn through repeated listening of audio tapes of others or those made by you using the language. Make colored flash cards which help you to grow vocabulary where different colors are used to convey genders and words like nouns, verbs and adjectives, etc. Practice in study groups and become good friends with some of your classmates because they can help you out.

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The writer has more than one interesting site- checkout his Learning Management System site and also his learning management system.

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Learn A Foreign Language

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

by Graham Webb

Some basics: Foreign language courses are quite different from other courses so you must never drag your feet about it. Any postponement is deemed as a failure in a foreign language course where you need to devote a minimum of 15 minutes a day for a minimum of 3 hours a week. While you need not put in more than 45 minutes learning the language in one session, try to accommodate all the extra time you have in your hands.

Distribute your whole study into small units. If you are serious about learning the language, attend classes regularly in order to pass. Recapitulate your previous learning on a regular basis as this is good for you, for instance the vocabulary. Here are some pointers given below which can make the job of learning a foreign language a walk in the park.

Perusing through printed matter: Try to comprehend what is written rather than worrying too much over unknown words. Make it a routine to browse through the chapters of the textbook everyday.

Speaking: Making mistakes is inevitable so listen to your friends in the class and start communicating. Practice speaking out loud on your own, in a group of friends studying the same foreign language and with your pets such as a dog or cat.

Putting pen to paper: Practice your skills on putting down your thoughts on paper till it becomes effortless.

Ask a friend to dictate a passage of the language and then later check it for accuracy.

Some Assorted helps: Develop a Good Attitude, have reasons and goals for studying the foreign language. Know what you are going to get from your studies and how to get them. If you need help get it and do not be afraid to ask questions or ask for help for fear of sounding stupid, or being embarrassed. Ask questions, get help and never feel awkward to ask for assistance. Get audio tapes of the language and listen to them or make you own tapes and listened to yourself in order to perfect your pronunciation. Try making colored flash cards for improving vocabulary where you use different colors for the different genders and categories of words like nouns, verbs, etc. Practice in study groups and become good friends with some of your classmates because they can help you out.

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The more you know the better decisions you can make, like the topic of Learning Management System. Join us Satyananda Course Management System.

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Learn Spanish CD - Audio Spanish Is The Best Way To Learn Spanish

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

by Adrian Fletcher

The figures suggest that around 400 million people see Spanish as their first language throughout the world. This doesn’t count the people that count themselves as bilingual Spanish speakers as is the case with many people in the United states. Indeed, Spanish is effectively the second language of the United States and in some states it is used as frequently as English.

One way to learn Spanish is using an audio course that comes on a CD or Mp3. This article will take a look at how learning Spanish with an audio CD or Mp3 works.

If you have searched around for a Spanish language course, I would say that your first consideration is that it has an audio component to it.

The reasoning behind this is that ultimately we learn a language to talk to people. Whatever context this may be in, be it a social or business setting, we use language to express and receive different points of view.

The other things that you associate with language, like reading and writing are important of course, but they are not essential. Again, you learned to talk your native tongue long before you ever learned to read or write (and certainly before you learned about grammar).

So talking is the most important skill to have. Ironically, it is also the hardest part of learning a language because you have to perfect a number of skills.

So, speaking involves pronouncing words and understanding a flurry of words spoken back at you. These are hard skills to get down, especially when you have to do it quickly to keep a conversation going.

Thus a Spanish audio course facilitates this process without putting you under the pressure of talking to a person (which brings added pressure). This can be done in whatever environment that you feel comfortable in.

For instance, listening to an audio course in the car is a potentially great use of dead time. Rather do something constructive with your time than sitting in grid lock every day.

However, it is debatable whether you can give your full concentration to the course while driving at the same time. Many courses advise against doing this but in my experience you can do it if you have listened to the CD many times and just want to touch up some of your knowledge.

Most audio course range from around 30 to 45 lessons. A lesson will last around 15 - 30 minutes in length. The basic format is you listen and then repeat. you will be asked questions, give and answer and then hear how it should be said. Once you hear the answer you should repeat, trying to perfect the accent. Most will take you from beginner to advanced levels.

By advanced I would say you can ask basic questions and understand the answers. An advanced level in most of these courses means this. It doesn’t mean fluent Spanish. This will take time, and in reality, will only happen when you are comfortable speaking to native Spanish speakers.

In my view, being confident about talking to people is as important as the language skills you have. Once you get to this stage your Spanish language skills will really take off. However, a good Spanish audio course is the first step in this process.

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Get information on how to learn Spanish including reviews of Spanish program.

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Three Basic Jewish Prayers

Friday, January 30th, 2009

by Neal Walters

Deuteronomy 6:4 says “Hear O Israel, the Lord Thy God, the Lord is One.”. Since the following verses speak of reciting these words when you lie down and when you get up, the Hebrew “Shema” prayer is said both morning and evening.

Christians are familiar with the “Shema”, because it is quoted in the Gospel of Mark. A scribe asked Jesus which commandment is greatest of all. Jesus replied “Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.”

Brachot, or blessings, are associated with almost every Jewish event. The sabbath begins Friday evening, when the “bracha” (blessing) is said over the lighting of two (or more candles). This is followed by a short blessing over a cup of wine, and then the bread.

The candle-lighting on Friday evening occurs 18 minutes before sunset. The prayer “Ner Shel Shabbat” is usually said by the lady of the house. This is followed by Kiddush, which includes blessings over the wine and the bread.

The Sabbath is often greeted by the singing of an ancient prayer called “Lecha Dodi”. The title of the song literally means “Come My Beloved”. In this ancient Kabbalistic song, the sabbath is referred to as “a bride”.

The Havdalah service marks the end of Shabbat. It should be performed no earlier than nightfall on Saturday night. Nightfall is the time when three stars can be seen in the sky. It is normally about 45 minutes to an hour after sundown, depending on your latitude.

The short Havdalah service includes three brachot (blessings). The first is over a cup overflowing with wine (or grape juice). The second is over spices, which remind us of the sweet smell of the Sabbath which is now departing till next week. The third is over the fire/light of a special multi-wicked candle-stick.

“Eliyahu HaNavi” is the song that typically concludes the brief Havadalah ceremony. The song title translates as “Elijah the Prophet”. Elijah’s name is involved in the hopes that he will come to usher in the final eternal Shabbat of the Messianic Age.

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Learn more about Sabbath songs and prayers at our Learn Hebrew Prayers web page.

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Best Ways To Learn Italian Quickly

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

by Adrian Fletcher

Depending on the type of business you are in, being bilingual can open many more opportunities to you. The fashion industry is an obvious area where Italian designers have influence. However, importing and exporting to and from Italy might also be a business that you are active in. No doubt being able to speak Italian in these businesses would be a definite advantage. You can learn Italian quickly and begin attracting the Italian speaking community to your business.

If you have your own business, you are sure to realize that it is important to make your business stand out from the pack. The more customers you can talk with, the more customers you will have. Its as simple as that. Greater communication means more business.

On a personal level, Italy and the Italian language have given many significant and lasting cultural and literary achievements to the world. By learning Italian, you can get the real meanings of these works. So learning Italian has it’s benefits, learning Italian quickly has even better merits.

There are a number of places that you can learn Italian quickly. Use your car CD player to take your lessons while you are commuting back and forth to work. Or you could use your CD player while you are walking or jogging to get in some lessons. There are even programs that you can use on your home computer that will teach you Italian easily and quickly.

You might find it difficult to learn how to pronounce words with the right accent when you are using these methods to learn Italian. Without feedback it can be difficult to determine if you are saying the words correctly. If you know someone who speaks fluent Italian, you could ask him or her to check your progress as you learn.

You know, the world gets smaller everyday thanks to the internet. In todays business market, thinking globally and acting locally are practically one and the same. For this reason, we have a greater and greater need to be able to speak a language other than our native tongue. When you take the time to learn a new language and become able to communicate with people of another culture, it helps you to stand out as someone special.

Once you learn Italian quickly you might want to investigate another language that will further your progress. You will be giving yourself a wider array of people that you are able to communicate with and learn from.

Expanding your knowledge will expand your life. When you learn Italian quickly, the number of friends you have will grow. Not only that, it will take on a different dimension and look as you add people from other cultures to your circle of friends. Search the internet to familiarize yourself with the many fine programs that are available to you. You are sure to find a way to learn Italian quickly that will be a real investment in your future, both business and personal.

About the Author:

Looking for a good home study Italian course ? Visit Rocket Italian course where you will find details on three popular Italian courses, including one of the more in depth Rocket Italian reviews on the net.

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A Brief Overview of Three Key Jewish Prayers

Friday, January 9th, 2009

by Neal Walters

Shema Yisrael (often called simply “The Shema”), the Biblical passage from Deuteronomy 6:4, is certainly the best known of all Jewish prayers. It is part of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services. The phrase of course menas “Hear Israel”, and refers to the entire phrase “Hear O Israel, the Lord Thy God, the Lord is One.”.

Jesus himself quotes this verse in the New Testamenet scriptures. He is asked, in the Gospel of Mark, what is the greatest commandment. He replies with the “Shema” - “Hear O Israel, the Lord Thy God, the Lord is One.”

Jewish events are almost always marked by several “brachot” or “blessings”. Since kindling of fire is forbidden on the Sabbath, the week is ended with candle-lighting, and then again the Sabbath is concluded with candle-lighting. The lighting of the fire indicates a separate between the holy and the common (or the secular and the profane).

Officially, the candle-lighting blessing should occur 18 minutes before sunset on Friday. The Torah forbids “kindling a fire” on the Sabbath, so the day is marked by lighting a candle immediately before it begins, and ends with lighting a candle at the Havdalah service (see below).

The Sabbath is often greeted by the singing of an ancient prayer called “Lecha Dodi”. The title of the song literally means “Come My Beloved”. In this ancient Kabbalistic song, the sabbath is referred to as “a bride”.

Many other songs and prayers fill the Sabbath, which is concluded Saturday evening with a brief ceremony called “Havdalah”. It should be performed no earlier than nightfall (when three stars can be seen in the sky) on Saturday night. The word itself comes from the Hebrew word “L’HAVDIL”, meaning to separate or to distinguish.

The short Havdalah service includes three brachot (blessings). The first is over a cup overflowing with wine (or grape juice). The second is over spices, which remind us of the sweet smell of the Sabbath which is now departing till next week. The third is over the fire/light of a special multi-wicked candle-stick.

The brief Havdalah ceremony typically concludes with the song “Eliyahu HaNavi” (Elijah the Prophet). The song goes as follows: “Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah, Elijah, Elijah the Gileadite, Speedily and in our days, Come to us, With the messiah, son of David, With the messiah, son of David.

About the Author:

Learn to say Jewish blessings at our Learn Hebrew Prayers web page.

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Hebrew for Chanukah

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

by Jim Messler

Chanukah 2008 is now here. The gift giving aspect of Chanukah is much more popular in the United States, than in other parts of the world. Or perhaps, you are starting to think about New Year’s resolutions? Learning Hebrew can be either a gift fo Chanukah, or a New Year’s goal.

Unfortunately, an amazing number of people studied Hebrew as a child, but over the years, they have let those Hebrew skills fall by the way side. Sometimes, as they become parents or enter their leisure years, the desire to learn Hebrew returns. In big cities, many of them take courses at the Jewish Community center, but in more remote places, many people turn to the computer to become their Hebrew teacher.

Several products from HebrewResources.com help children and adults to learn Hebrew, either for the first time, or to refresh their prior skills. The series of programs typically begins with “At Home with Hebrew”, their most beginner level program, that teaches a person how to read and write the Hebrew Alef-Bet (alphabet). After learning basic reading skills, the students go on to learn some basic grammar and vocabulary.

The next stage in learing is to learn conversational skills, and this can be accomplished with “Hebrew Kindergarten”. This program assumes a person can read and at least sound-out the letters already. It then teaches the most common vocabulary used at the kindergarten and first grade level of reading. Even adults must learn to walk before they run.

For those more interested in learning traditional liturgy and Hebrew prayers, the ideal gift would be “Songs of the Sabbath” (or in Hebrew “Shirei Ha-Shabbat”). This package includes both an audio-CD with modern tunes to the ancient liturgy, and a software program which teaches many of the more traditional synagogue tunes.

Selecting the right cantor for the job of recording was a challenge. One was finally found with an amazing, but easy-to-follow voice and pronunication. The software let’s you hear each word or line of the prayers, as you desire, at your own pace.

The gift of Hebrew makes the perfect gift for those preparing for Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Perhaps you are planning on a trip to Israel in the coming year? Whether youre a beginner or not, these programs will get you ready for your trip.

Today, it’s amazing how many Christians are also learning the basics of Hebrew. Many find the Bible coming more alive with a simple knowledge of Hebrew and Jewish practices. Many times, the King James Version or modern translations hide some of the simple truths found there.

Some years like this one (2008), Chanukah and Christmas overlap. So consider giving the “gift of Hebrew” for either Holiday. Unlike many toys, it’s a gift that will be remembered for years to come.

About the Author:

Subscribe to Free Hebrew Word of the Day at our Learn Hebrew website. You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.

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Educational Article

Archive for the ‘Language’ Category

How I Used French Classes To Become Bilingual

Free And Paid Ways Of Learning German

Learning To Speak Italian - Setting Up A Realistic Goal

Learn A Foreign Language

Learn A Foreign Language

Learn Spanish CD - Audio Spanish Is The Best Way To Learn Spanish

Three Basic Jewish Prayers

Best Ways To Learn Italian Quickly

A Brief Overview of Three Key Jewish Prayers

Hebrew for Chanukah

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