learning

Alpha brain waves and learning There is a lot of talk about ‘the Mozart effect’, super learning with alpha waves, etc. I will my own experience with alpha brain waves and learning. If you ever want to give your foreign language learning a jump start you might have considered alpha waves. What are alpha brain [...]

Continue Reading Alpha brain waves and learning a personal experience

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Sleep, learning and brainwaves Sleep optimizes and consolidates learning. In fact there is a correlation between the number of hours a student sleeps and grades. But it is also well establish that the less we sleep the less productive we are the, extremes being insomnia or sleep deprivation. The converse is also true, the more [...]

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Tags: brainwaves, languages, learning, sleep

Using computer games to establish a baseline cognitive function I can tell basically how I am functioning cognitively based on scores on computer games I play.  From this baseline I can determine what affects my brain function.  For example,  sleep, time of day, diet, etc.  I think every brain functions differently.  I have found the things that [...]

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People do not learn languages because they have wrong expectations. Wrong expectations about 1) how a language is learned. 2) how much time is required to learn a language 3) about their only natural abilities to learn a language. The expectation is that they just can just pick up a language. They have heard many stories of [...]

Continue Reading Why people do not learn languages

Tags: How to learn a language, language, languages, learn, learn a language, learning, study

Techies that learn languages One thing that I noticed when I have been teaching languages is IT or tech guys have unusual language learning abilities. Unusual in a strange, but good sense. Let me explain. Since I have been teaching English in Poland, I noticed that the IT guys have a very rich vocabulary. They [...]

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Tags: IT, language, learn, learning, tech, techies

Why I like radio over TV for learning a foreign language learning Many people claim, TV is a great way to learn a foreign language. I agree, as my theory is any way to learn a language is a good way, as long as you are into it. But for me, I prefer to listen [...]

Continue Reading Radio rather than TV for learning a foreign language

Tags: foreign-language, How to learn a language, learn, learning, radio, television, TV

TV is often said to be a great way to learn a foreign language Parents often put children trying to learn a foreign language in front of the TV. However, because TV images are not concrete it is known that this does not always help children learn a foreign language. However, the same can be [...]

Continue Reading Why watching TV is not the most efficient way to learn a foreign language

Tags: children, flashcards, foreign-language, learning, TV

How to feel or invoke an emotional response with a word in a foreign language One the the problems with speaking and hearing a foreign language is you do not feel the words like your own.  If someone says ’I love you’ it does not have the same impact perhaps.  You might accidentally say a bad word [...]

Continue Reading Feeling an emotional response with a foreign word in a foreign language

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Polish hip hop bible and language learning A while back I bought a Polish bible to help me learn Polish. It made sense as the stories I knew, the vocabulary was basic, and it was something I enjoyed and could read over and over again. But the problem was the most modern Polish translation was [...]

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Tags: Bible, hip hop, How to learn a language, language, learning, Polish

Transliteration and mnemonics- how to learn new words in a foreign language Transliteration One important technique for learning new words is writing out the pronunciation of the new word you are trying to learn in your own way of sounding it out. It is is like your own transliteration. If you sound out a work [...]

Continue Reading Transliteration and mnemonics – how to learn new words in a foreign language

Tags: How to learn a language, learn, learning, mnemonics, techniques for learning new words, transliteration, words