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Paul Noble, plagiarisation and so | ||
Tags: Michel Thomas | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| Abdalan Triglot Senior Member Brazil abdalan.wordpress.co Joined 5049 days ago 120 posts - 194 votes  Speaks: Portuguese*, French, English Studies: German | Message 1 of 7 03 February 2011 at 1:03am | IP Logged | ||
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I couldn't avoid compare the courses ministered by Paul Noble with Michel Thomas
approach. I heard he claims he developed them on his own (Noble frequently advertises his IQ is higher than that of Alfred Einstein - [edited] Oh my! Did I say Alfred? Albert! The physicist and humanitarian linked to Relativity: The Special and General Theory. Sorry!). I discovered an interview given one year prior to his "Paul Noble Language Institute". He says that Michel Thomas's French and German courses "changed my life". Besides, a very good text to language learners. Find your language Sheila Prophet in 23/08/2007 (http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/jobs/2007/08/23/find-your- language-115875-19675520/) Flummoxed by French and left glassy-eyed by German, Paul Noble never dreamed he would one day be living a life of luxury in Asia, chatting to businessmen in Mandarin Chinese. The 27-year-old from Kempston in Bedford is proof that having a second language really does open up a world of job opportunities. And after he completes a third year in China, he knows what he will do on his return to Britain. "I want to build my own website and open a language school," says Paul, confidently. "I want to use my experience to show other people that even if they failed at school, they too can learn a language and, like me, use it to build a career and see the world." Yet Paul hated foreign-language lessons when he was at school. "I did German at GCSE level when I was 16 and scraped a C pass, but I had no real understanding of the language," he says. "The lessons concentrated on grammar and used terms such as 'conjugation', which I didn't understand. So when I left I couldn't imagine having a conversation with a German person." Undeterred, Paul had a go at learning French from a textbook while studying history at Manchester University. But he got nowhere and despaired of ever breaking the language barrier. "Then one day I spotted language courses on CD by Michel Thomas, who I'd seen on telly and who achieved amazing results," he says. "I bought the French and German courses and I can honestly say they changed my life. "There is no hard work involved, you simply listen to the CDs and within weeks you start to understand and speak the language." As Paul gained confidence in speaking both languages, he began to rethink his future and decided to work in Germany for a year. "I did a TEFL course - Teaching English as a Foreign Language - and got a job in a college in Dusseldorf teaching English to local businessmen," he says. "It was a fantastic experience and great fun - I could teach the vice presidents of big companies to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star! "When I came back to Britain I did a PGCE, or Post Graduate Certificate in Education. It was a year of very hard work - a lot of it involved full-time teaching in inner London schools and I had to learn how to handle difficult teenagers. But it was worth it." Having that qualification also gave Paul the courage to pursue an even more adventurous plan. He says: "On the internet I saw opportunities to teach English in East Asia so after learning French and German I thought I'd have a go at Chinese. "It was a lot harder because our languages and writing don't have anything in common," he says. "There is also a limited choice of courses. I finally found one in Mandarin that used the same sort of methods as Michel's courses. It taught me enough of the essentials to get by and three months later I was off to the city of Taicheng, in China. I've been there for two years now and it's like living on a different planet. Teachers' salaries are high over there - I have an apartment on the 20th floor of a building, overlooking the city, with satellite TV. It's not easy uprooting so far from home and it takes a while to get over the culture shock. "What I miss most is the English sense of humour. And although the food is fantastic, I have to take my own jar of Marmite. "Still, living in China has been an exciting experience, plus I've had the opportunity to travel to Beijing and Shanghai, which are amazing cities. "After this year, which will be my third, I'm planning to come home, build my own website and open a language school." So what are his tips for learning a new lingo? Paul says: "Choose a language you'll have an opportunity to use, such as Spanish. Find an audio course. Have a set time each day to listen to the course, even it's five minutes on your way to work. "And be realistic. Almost everybody gives up after a few weeks. When that happens, book a cheap flight to the country involved - after a few days there you will come back ready to try again." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 5 REASONS TO LEARN A SECOND LANGUAGE It will be an impressive addition to your CV. It will boost your career opportunities. You'll be able to converse with foreign clients and associates. You'll be able to work abroad and speak the language. You'll be able to understand the language while on holiday. Edited by Abdalan on 03 February 2011 at 11:58am 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Spanky Senior Member Canada Joined 5959 days ago 1021 posts - 1714 votes Studies: French | Message 2 of 7 03 February 2011 at 2:47am | IP Logged | ||
I believe you mean Albert Einstein. Alfred Einstein was a doofus. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| seldnar Senior Member United States Joined 7135 days ago 189 posts - 287 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin, French, Greek | Message 3 of 7 03 February 2011 at 3:18am | IP Logged | ||
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Odd, I never thought Alfred was a doofus. Pretty good
musicologist in my mind. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Spanky Senior Member Canada Joined 5959 days ago 1021 posts - 1714 votes Studies: French | Message 4 of 7 03 February 2011 at 3:25am | IP Logged | ||
No argument there (and I love the photograph from your link - Alfred looks kinda like a smart Mel Brooks). No, I was actually referring to little "Alfie" Einstein, that fellow who used to yell at cows. Complete character. We had to run him out of town eventually. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| seldnar Senior Member United States Joined 7135 days ago 189 posts - 287 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin, French, Greek | Message 5 of 7 03 February 2011 at 8:46am | IP Logged | ||
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LOL. Oh, that Alfred Einstein. :-)
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Abdalan Triglot Senior Member Brazil abdalan.wordpress.co Joined 5049 days ago 120 posts - 194 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, English Studies: German | Message 6 of 7 03 February 2011 at 11:54am | IP Logged | ||
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Oh my! Did I say Alfred? Albert! The physicist and humanitarian linked to Relativity: The Special and General Theory. Sorry! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| leosmith Senior Member United States Joined 6553 days ago 2365 posts - 3804 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Tagalog | Message 7 of 7 04 February 2011 at 2:28am | IP Logged | ||
I'm pretty sure you meant Alfred E Neuman 1 person has voted this message useful |
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