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Best Method or More Time ?

 Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies Post Reply
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madass88
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NorwayRegistered users can see my Skype Name
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Speaks: English, Norwegian*
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 Message 25 of 430
23 April 2008 at 5:23am | IP Logged 
Seriously? People want to learn norwegian? Only 4.7 million people speak it...

Seriøst? Vil folk lære seg å snakke norsk? Bare 4.7 millioner mennesker snakker det...

(im norwegian)
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slucido
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Spain
https://goo.gl/126Yv
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 Message 26 of 430
23 April 2008 at 5:34am | IP Logged 
pentatonic wrote:

I think leosmith just gave you another of the common denominators you're looking for (comprehensible input).

The problem I see with the list of courses and methods you gave and trying to find commonality among them, is that they don't all aim to do the same thing. Ten thousand sentences method is all input, Michel Thomas is all output.

So, assuming you have a good method that fits your learning style, then what is left? I think you are almost there with time. The other keys IMO are regularity and pacing. In my experience, studying for 8 hours in one day is not nearly as effective as studying for 15 minutes a day over a month. The brain needs review and time to create its associations and connections.
(edited several times with apologies)



I think the common factor is TIME and a lot of dedication to the language.
Dedication with input (comprehensible or not), but output as well.

On the other hand, I think language courses are delusional. If you aim to native fluency, what you learn with those courses is a tiny fraction towars your goal.

When you achieve your native fluency,the influence of those courses in your way is extremely low.

People spend most of their way with real native resources (input and output) regardless of their learning style. It's much more important interesting content than learning styles.

When I talk about time, I am talking about a lot of hours and a lot of days, months and years every day...devoted to the target language.





Edited by slucido on 23 April 2008 at 5:39am

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Leopejo
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Italy
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675 posts - 724 votes 
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 Message 28 of 430
23 April 2008 at 7:09am | IP Logged 
slucido wrote:

I think the common factor is TIME and a lot of dedication to the language.
Dedication with input (comprehensible or not), but output as well.

A common factor? Methods devised by knowledgeable and professional people, tried, refined and found to work, geared towards a specific audience. This latter, as previously said, is a factor that makes one method different from another.

Quote:
On the other hand, I think language courses are delusional. If you aim to native fluency, what you learn with those courses is a tiny fraction towars your goal.

But the most important fraction. The first step is fundamental. It is those methods that give you all the means you need to complete your quest.

Quote:
When you achieve your native fluency,the influence of those courses in your way is extremely low.

I disagree here. They are the building blocks. Are you saying that the first few years are not important for the language learning of a child - even if he'll learn much more in school years?

Quote:
People spend most of their way with real native resources (input and output) regardless of their learning style. It's much more important interesting content than learning styles.

When I talk about time, I am talking about a lot of hours and a lot of days, months and years every day...devoted to the target language.

IF people arrive to the point of spending time with native resources. A good method, as opposed to a not so good one, makes arriving to that point much more a) easier, b) faster, c) probable (a bad method and it's easier for you to abandon that language, or even all language studying).

EDIT: "Interest" is also interesting (pun intended). Assuming that learning a language by a traditional method is ONLY a necessary step towards knowing the language is too limiting. Many people learn languages just for the sake of learning (and maybe come to know other students in the classroom). They enjoy the learning process almost more than knowing the language itself. The great strength of the Listening-Reading method is that you do something you really enjoy. But people may enjoy even the apparently dullest method: probably, for some, guessing the correct Rosetta Stone answer is like doing crosswords.
In addition, many on this forum probably enjoy learning about the method, comparing it to other ones, finding the logic and reasons behind it, like an Agatha Christie plot.
Are you sure that, for a beginner, your target language offers so much more interesting native material than a language course?

Edited by Leopejo on 23 April 2008 at 7:19am

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frenkeld
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 Message 29 of 430
23 April 2008 at 9:11am | IP Logged 
slucido wrote:
I think the common factor is TIME and a lot of dedication to the language.


But slucido, these common factors are both very general and, I would say, self-evident. Everyone knows learning a language requires an investement of time, and everyone knows one has to be motivated to learn it in order to succeed. The need for comprehensible input and practicing output are also close to self-evident – one has to read, write, listen, and speak to develop one’s language skills.

The above are the ground rules – efficiency depends on the implementation. If there are no other common factors, the secret must be in the differences, not in the common factors.

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Gilgamesh
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England
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 Message 30 of 430
23 April 2008 at 9:18am | IP Logged 
Time spent does matter, of course. Spending time effectively even more so.
Choosing the right method eats up a lot of time, too, in some cases.
Choosing the right method you can gain a lot of time. When I'm studying I always try to focus on what's still wrong, thus slowly improving my knowledge on certain linguistic matters. I actively look up things in dictionaries or read comprehensive grammars looking for certain keywords.

I might achieve the same result by watching tons of movies or listening to audio books -- doing it like this I'd achieve more or less the same thing by assimilation, often reaching even a higher level of understanding because I see the vocabulary in question (or structure/grammar in question) used in its context, used as it is used in daily life and used how it should be used. Thus, used naturally - no abstract detail but a better view of the great plan behind it.

I value both though I will always choose a middle ground - e.g. reading about it in grammar books and then seeking for 'active material' which confirms what I've read, implements it and strengthens it so that I won't forget what I've just read.
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pentatonic
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 Message 31 of 430
23 April 2008 at 10:38am | IP Logged 
frenkeld wrote:
The above are the ground rules – efficiency depends on the implementation. If there are no other common factors, the secret must be in the differences, not in the common factors.


Well, another possibility is that there IS no secret and all it really takes is time and motivation.
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frenkeld
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 Message 32 of 430
23 April 2008 at 11:00am | IP Logged 
pentatonic wrote:
Well, another possibility is that there IS no secret and all it really takes is time and motivation.


This is an unlikely possibility - I tried different ways of learning with different languages, and the rate of progress was quite different despite my being motivated in both cases. I can't imagine others haven't had similar experiences.



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