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Talk Simulator: More Fluent Conversation | ||
Tags: Speaking | Learning Technique/Method | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies |  | |
| pfn123 Senior Member Australia Joined 5075 days ago 171 posts - 291 votes  Speaks: English* | Message 1 of 15 20 April 2011 at 4:21am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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TALK SIMULATOR
For pilots to get better at flying, they use a flight simulator. So, to get better at speaking foreign languages, why not use a talk simulator? I had an idea on how I could improve my ability to speak languages fluently. I'm sure I'm not the first to do this, but I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else on the forum. I hope it helps. This is how the 'Talk Simulator' works. WHAT TO DO: 1. Get an audio recording of the language your learning (recordings of the dialogues from your textbook are best) 2. Using a programme (like WavePad), cut out open-ended questions from the audio, and save the clip as its own file. 3. Play all the clips in Windows Media Player, or some other player, set to 'random' (so you don't know what's coming). After each question, pause, and answer as quickly, fluently, and with as much information as you can. 4. Do this for each lesson as you go through your textbook. Archive questions when you feel fluent; revise as necessary, expanding answers as your ability to use more advanced grammar and sentence structures increases. SOME OBSERVATIONS The questions should be open-ended. By this I mean, questions that call for you to give information, rather than just a 'yes-or-no' answer. But, it's up to you. Add whatever helps you. It's useful to include some set expressions, such as 'hullo' and 'how do you do', as these call for a response, and are very basic. It's also useful to include such phrases as 'I'm sorry, please say it again', Please speak more loudly', 'Please speak more slowly', and so on. Although the questions stay the same, the answer will change as you become better at the language. For example, let's take the the question 'Do you know Mr. Smith?' (Q: Question; A: your answer) After one week's study: Q: Do you know Mr. Smith? A: No, I'm sorry. After one month's study: Q: Do you know Mr. Smith? A: Mr. Smith? No, I'm sorry, I don't know Mr. Smith. Who is he? After several month's study: Q: Do you know Mr. Smith? A: Mr. Smith? No, I'm sorry, I don't know Mr. Smith. But I do know Mrs. Smith, because she works in my office. However, I haven't met her husband. Do you know him? What's he like? (etc.) I hope this helps. Let me how it goes :D Edited by pfn123 on 20 April 2011 at 4:23am 6 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
 newyorkeric Diglot Moderator Singapore Joined 6371 days ago 1598 posts - 2174 votes Speaks: English*, Italian Studies: Mandarin, Malay Personal Language Map | Message 2 of 15 20 April 2011 at 6:24am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Seems like a lot of work. If you like drills, couldn't you use something like FSI?
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| pfn123 Senior Member Australia Joined 5075 days ago 171 posts - 291 votes Speaks: English* | Message 3 of 15 20 April 2011 at 7:59am | IP Logged | ||||||||
I've just started using this technique, and I haven't found it takes long at all to set up. Using WavePad, I can go through a lesson and have the audio files made in a mtter of minutes. Because with WavePad I can see sounds/silences, it makes it very easy to edit and manipulate. Also, you don't need to convert the entire dialogue into seperate files, just the relavent questions. (Or have some one record them for you, or do it yourself, whatever works). But all in all, no I haven't found it at all time consuming to make. But to use, ah, well... practice makes perfect :D Drills are good, and the exercises in textbooks too. the 'talk simulator' doesn't replace drills, but rather, it supplements them. Drills are very structed, requiring a certain answer. I find they lack spontaneity. I like this method because it's spontaneous, and so is good practice for real-life conversation. It makes you think on your feet, and recall words and structures as you would in a conversation--and, you can do it all by yourself anytime you want. (But remember, play on 'random') 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 6003 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 4 of 15 20 April 2011 at 9:45am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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A flight simulator provides feedback -- this is one of the most important parts of training.
What you describe sounds like a way to practice for the introductions section of a speaking exam. It would be good for preparing your answers and getting used to saying them, but for language in general it's a bit limited. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| pfn123 Senior Member Australia Joined 5075 days ago 171 posts - 291 votes Speaks: English* | Message 5 of 15 20 April 2011 at 11:14am | IP Logged | ||||||||
It also provides an opportunity to practise flying without having to leave the hanger--it was this aspect of a simulator that I was refering to; the ability to 'simulate' conversation before having a real conversation (or when unable to, or as extra practice, etc.)
Yes, if you like. You could use it to prepare for examinations.
All methods of study are limited. This is limited by how wide and varied a library of clips you build. After applying this method to lesson after lesson of your learning materials, you will accumulate a large collection of questions. The growing number of items, played randomly, goes some way to removing the predictability of regular textbook studies. It promotes recall and fluency. Also, progression is important. Like the example in the first post, as your knowledge of the language expands, so too should your responses, and so too should the speed and ease with which you respond This is not a substitute for other types of study, and definitely not a substitue for real conversation. But it is a helpful tool to have. It improves ability to think and function in the language, and when used diligently, in conjunction with other materials and methods, readies the learner for real conversation. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Splog Diglot Senior Member Czech Republic anthonylauder.c Joined 5661 days ago 1062 posts - 3263 votes Speaks: English*, Czech Studies: Mandarin | Message 6 of 15 24 April 2011 at 11:32am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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The title describes this as training for fluent conversations. Fluent conversations
flow: Fred: Hi, I'm Fred. What's your name? Dave: My name's Dave. What are you doing here in Prague, Fred? Fred: Well, Dave, I am on a stag night. How about you, do you live here? Dave: No, like you, I am just visiting. Is it a great city isn't it? Fred: It sure is ... etc Whereas your method is not providing training for fluent conversations. It is providing training for automaticity, wherein you respond automatically, with well rehearsed responses, to questions you have heard many times. The result is that your answers will be automatic, but will not have a conversational style to them, since you cannot use cues that keep the conversation flowing naturally. Conversational cues are not only natural, they are essential. Without these cues, the other speaker will often mistake your response as the end of the conversation. For example, in the following simulation of how I imagine your system would work, you will be unlikely to include in your responses the conversational cues in parenthesis: System: What is your name? You: Hi, I am Dave. (What is your name?) System: How old are you? You: I am 27 (how about you?) System: What is your favourite sandwich? You: Ham and cheese. (What do you like to eat?) These drills are very similar to many textbook and language course drills: that is, isolated sentence pairs, with no conversational flow. This type of drilling explains in part why many people pass language exams, but cannot hold a simple conversation. In summary, you training method sounds very promising for drilling automaticity, but not for conversational fluency. Edited by Splog on 24 April 2011 at 11:45am 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| pfn123 Senior Member Australia Joined 5075 days ago 171 posts - 291 votes Speaks: English* | Message 7 of 15 24 April 2011 at 12:27pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Sorry you feel that way. But when you put it like that, ALL conversation, all linguistic interaction, is 'automaticity'; you are applying words you have already learnt to structures you have already learnt. The difference is 1. Variety. Just doing the drills in a chapter of your textbook lacks variety. With this method, you can include previous material as well as current, and you play the questions randomly, so you don't know what's comming, making you think quickly. 2. Creativity. If you just give simple answers, then it will be very flat indeed. The idea is that these are 'prompts'. It's up to you to supply as much information as you can. Savour the challenge and leave the audio paused for as long as you can string together meaningful sentences based upon the question. The question starts the conversation, but you take both roles, and go for it! So, this is definitely not a method for anyone who lacks creativity or a desire to communicate. If you read my earlier posts in this thread, you will see that I have said this method of study does not replace conversation, just as a flight simulator does not replace an aeroplane for actually getting you places. Doesn't mean it's not helpful for making you more fluent in your recall and responses. If, however, you don't like the method, that's fine, feel free to use it, not use it, adapt it, whatever. I just offer it as a tool to the members of this forum, in the hope that it will help them with their studies. 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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