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Other pathways for acquisition... | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies |  | |
| Akao aka FailArtist Senior Member United States Joined 5146 days ago 315 posts - 347 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Mandarin, Toki Pona | Message 1 of 11 18 June 2010 at 1:36pm | IP Logged | ||
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What I've found to be the most troubling part about learning from a new course is that I
have to change the path of which I am acquiring the information. Take, for example, a mathematician. He would be much more suited for a mathematical approach to learning things. This may be difficult to create for certain paths, but most are possible. Anyway, medium story short, strengths need to be exploited for everything in my opinion. Someone may argue that instead weaknesses should be fixed, but I find it more efficient to do the opposite. What is your opinion on this matter? EDIT - Also, please pardon any inconsistencies I make as I am extremely tired right now. Edited by Akao on 18 June 2010 at 1:36pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| josht Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6256 days ago 635 posts - 857 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Spanish, Russian, Dutch | Message 2 of 11 18 June 2010 at 2:16pm | IP Logged | ||
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I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say, to be honest. Are you saying that with a new course, you have to change the order in which you learn things, due to it having a different layout?
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 budonoseito Pro Member United States budobeyondtechnRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5615 days ago 261 posts - 344 votes Studies: French, Japanese Personal Language Map | Message 3 of 11 18 June 2010 at 2:45pm | IP Logged | ||
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I see your point. As a math/engineer type, I pick things up more quickly when presented
in certain ways. I.e. I like rules. In 'Japanese Step by Step' verb conjugations are presented in diagram form. Perfect for someone like me. I can read the rules, but, a simple negative, past, past-negative conjugation flowchart is much more suited to my learning process. I have only been using Assimil for 2 weeks, but, really like there approach. Short passages with detailed explanation immediately after. After reviewing my son's algebra, it reminds me of the example problems in the math book. Here is the problem and solution (L2 - L1) and building blocks (vocabulary and grammar explanations). 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| goosefrabbas Triglot Pro Member United States Joined 6178 days ago 393 posts - 475 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish Studies: German, Italian Personal Language Map | Message 4 of 11 19 June 2010 at 8:13pm | IP Logged | ||
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I'm studying to be a mathematician, and I have a much better time and learn a lot more by studying grammar and texts than by most other methods. And I do love Assimil courses.
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| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 5821 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 5 of 11 19 June 2010 at 10:03pm | IP Logged | ||
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I don't believe in what they call "learning styles", but that's not to say that we all start from the same starting point. If a concept can be related to something we already know, it should be, and we all know different things.
If you were explaining prepositions of time to a mathematician, you could use use the concept of closed and open sets, and give examples using set notation: eg before 6 o'clock (...,6) no later than 6 o'clock (...,6] after 6 o'clock (6,...) not before 6 o'clock [6,...) etc A degree-educated computer programmer is more likely to have encountered formal grammar, probably in BNF, and many things in language can be written using this type of notation. I would agree that we should exploit strengths as much as possible, but we also have to work on weaknesses, because some things can't be expressed in certain ways. Mathematical notation and formal grammar can't express the subtleties of some interpersonal language. The material has to be expressed in a way that can be understood, one way or another. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Splog Diglot Senior Member Czech Republic anthonylauder.c Joined 5479 days ago 1062 posts - 3263 votes Speaks: English*, Czech Studies: Mandarin | Message 6 of 11 20 June 2010 at 8:20am | IP Logged | ||
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I was a mathematician and computer scientist for most of my life (I have a PhD in both, worked in both academia and the private sector, and ran my own software company before retiring). This whole period made me excellent at using logic, solving problems, etc.
After I retired, I tried to apply the same logical techniques to language learning. I drew up nice logical charts that explained the grammar of the language, I broke example sentences down into constituent parts. It all looked very impressive, but to my great frustration, beyond the very earliest stages of learning a language it was of no help at all. It was indeed very humbling to discover that the logical abilities led me to success in my career was now actually holding me back in language learning. It took me a while to admit to myself that languages are not problems to be solved but, rather, skills to be acquired. As a result, I have had to actually let go of old assumptions and habits, and slowly retrain my brain to allow me to be even a moderate language learner. I do still use the "logical" side of my brain to analyse grammar and draw charts mapping out a language, but for the majority of my time I focus on relaxing, reducing my expectations of "aha!" moments, and gradually letting the language sink in through repeated exposure. Maybe it is my imagination, but it actually feels as though a whole different part of my brain is being exercised and developed. What I can certainly say is that since letting go to my "mathematical brain" I experienced much greater progress with language proficiency. Things still take a terribly long time to sink in, but the process is improving, and I hope that it will accelerate as my brain readjusts even more. 6 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Kugel Senior Member United States Joined 6348 days ago 497 posts - 555 votes Speaks: English* | Message 7 of 11 20 June 2010 at 6:59pm | IP Logged | ||
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What exactly in languages can't formally be written down? Or is it that even if it can formally be written down, it
doesn't help the language learner in any meaningful way? That is, leave logic to philosophy/math/compsci majors? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Splog Diglot Senior Member Czech Republic anthonylauder.c Joined 5479 days ago 1062 posts - 3263 votes Speaks: English*, Czech Studies: Mandarin | Message 8 of 11 20 June 2010 at 8:17pm | IP Logged | ||
You can write anything down - even stuff about languages. But then what you will have is something written down, not something in your head. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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