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Interesting Technique-Have You Tried It?

 Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies Post Reply
Jenniferenny
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United States
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9 posts - 9 votes
Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Hindi, Sign Language

 
 Message 1 of 8
20 March 2012 at 11:13am | IP Logged 
Recently, I heard of a new technique to advance rapidly in language learning.

The suggestion was to do a PHYSICAL activity while focusing on your target language -even
if the activity was as simple as snapping your fingers or tapping your foot while
learning new vocabulary.

The reasoning was that when your amazing brain is 'busy' with another activity, it
doesn't try to auto-correct to the native speech/language pattern.

Is this something that is commonly done among the multi-lingual???


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Ari
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Speaks: Swedish*, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese
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 Message 2 of 8
20 March 2012 at 12:34pm | IP Logged 
Maybe that's part of the reason for the success of the Language Hunters.

EDIT: Also, Professor Arguelles insists that brisk walking is an important part of his shadowing technique that is all too often neglected.

Edited by Ari on 20 March 2012 at 12:35pm

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dandt
Senior Member
Australia
regarderetlire.wordp
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 Message 3 of 8
06 April 2012 at 7:18am | IP Logged 
I'm hardly an expert on language learning but in my ordinary studies for uni I memorise best on a treadmill. Any
physical activity helps me, but treadmill is easiest because i can prop up my book on the top of it.
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Gatsby42
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United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name
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 Message 4 of 8
10 April 2012 at 5:48am | IP Logged 
While at the gym I've begun to replace my usual podcasts and audiobooks with Pimsleur
and Michel Thomas.

The results have been varied. If you're doing heavy cardio, you can give what you're
listening to heavy focus, but won't really be able to repeat what you're hearing. At
least when I do cardio, I'm breathing too heavy to speak.

Meanwhile, while lifting weights, I tend to lose focus on certain sections because I'm
focusing more on the activity.

I also opt to softly mouth Spanish phrases over saying them aloud and fully enunciated,
which brings it's own problems as well.

Overall, the only kind of exercise that may be suited towards language learning are the
brisk walks that have been mentioned above. While I was in Macedonia a couple years
back, I swear some of the best conversations I had were during long walks.

I remember reading a study once that said that we study better if we shift to new environments over the course of a study. It's almost as if any type of stagnation makes
our learning slower, which is why shifting your angle or moving to another room can
give you a boost while studying. If we apply that same concept to walking, which will
provide you with a wealth of various stimulation, one could see how it'd be great for
language learning.
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lindseylbb
Bilingual Triglot
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 Message 5 of 8
10 April 2012 at 6:46am | IP Logged 
I did listen pimsleur when I walk home , I think it helped. If I just siti and listen, I have a great chance to fall asleep.

But there are two things .
1. the environment where you exercise is always not that quiet , and you have the physical sounds made by your body which is much louder thank usual, both contribute to your turning up your players, and that hurts your hearing .
2.I was told to focus on my body when exercise, for multiple benefits and more importantly, not to hurt myself. Wouldn't you hurt yourself not paying full attention to weight lift?And the whole think nothing and relax yourself, focus on your body, built up connection thing .

Brisk walk is fine . The others ?Im not sure.
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Einarr
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United Kingdom
einarrslanguagelog.w
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Speaks: English, Bulgarian*, French, Russian
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 Message 6 of 8
14 April 2012 at 3:15pm | IP Logged 
In my case, when I'm working out at my place, I usually play a movie in my target language, let's say Russian, and use English or French subtitles, but never Bulgarian (which is my native language). The point is to both exercise my listening comprehension of Russian and use English/French as a supportive act, which on the other hand helps making a nice connection between these two languages, that are different than my native one. I definitely will not use subtitles in Bulgarian, for being either poorly translated (sometimes even due to insufficiency of words in Bulgarian to describe the proper term in the language of the movie the subtitles can be off) and just because I consider it as if I'm spoiling myself like that.
Apart from that, whenever I go out (because I usually walk a lot) I always read something in my target language on my phone, like news,articles,even the forum.:P Recently, when I'm doing that, I try to combine reading a bit Russian with a bit French, just for the sake of it. Together with that I listen to my player, on which right now I've uploaded listening comprehension in Danish, so I can listen to in as well in between the songs. Now that I mention songs, it's very very helpful listening and of course translating songs in your target language.   
So basically I think that I'm even more concentrated while studying and involving myself into a physical activity, walking/working out etc.
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Jenniferenny
Newbie
United States
Joined 4563 days ago

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Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Hindi, Sign Language

 
 Message 7 of 8
15 April 2012 at 7:39am | IP Logged 
Yes, Elinarr, I find your method helpful, too.
When my eyes cross at Hindi, I'll sing a song in Spanish or otherwise focus on a language
other than my target language or my native language.

1 person has voted this message useful



eggcluck
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China
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Speaks: English*
Studies: Mandarin, Japanese

 
 Message 8 of 8
15 April 2012 at 8:10am | IP Logged 
It has been around for a while, so long I feel even the dusty chair polshiers have a name for it.

I think it comes down several things,

1, Neural pathways - linking an item with an action is one extra pathway. forgetting happens when the pathways to that item are broken or when the impulse can not make the jump across the gap. More pathways formed, decreases the chances of this happening.

2, The action itself stimulates the cardiovascular system with results in a greater of supply of blood to the brain, thus resulting in more oxygen finding its way there. It is also fairly known that mental fatigue occurs by the chemcial balance of various minerals in the brain cells being unbalanced thorugh the day. Though any so called techinques to reset the balance aside from sleep to my eye appear to be nothing more than the usual new age quackery.


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