LANGUAGE EXPLORER

Hello everybody.
For my weekend words this week I want to talk about conversation practice and speed of speaking.
Over the years, I’ve met a lot of people who are learning English as a foreign language. I’m always surprised how hard they try to learn English and their level of language, their high ability to handle difficult grammar points and how much vocabulary they have.
In some cases, maybe it is the first time they have had an opportunity to speak with a native speaker (me) and they want to be able to have an intelligent interesting conversation.
This means that very often, in order to develop the conversation, they speak much faster than they need to, and sometimes forget that a conversation is two-way - speaker and listener.
I often find myself doing a similar thing when I speak French or German. I speak faster than I should do. It is like I am in a race against time, to say what I want to say and hope that I have made myself understood.
As a native speaker of English, what I can tell anyone who speaks English as a foreign language is that you don’t need to rush when having a friendly conversation with a native speaker.
It is completely different from speaking exams or making a presentation - when accuracy and speed is very important. When you are having a conversation it is a two-way thing. You speak, the other person listens. Then the other person speaks and you listen.
To make this a more enjoyable experience, try speaking a little slower than you would normally like to and always allow a small gap for the listener to use certain phrases that let’s you know that they are listening. Words such as: “I see…” “really?” , “oh right..” ” do you think so?”, “ehm….well, you have a point…”
This makes the conversation truly two-way and you can learn much more. Speaking more slowly allows you time to think of more interesting words, more appropriate words, develop the conversation and allow the listener to correct you sometimes.
This way you will develop your language skills even more I believe.
Now you’ve heard my podcast, you might like to listen to it again as I am speaking at a normal conversational speed - as I would do if I were talking with my family, to my colleagues at work and people I meet in the street.
If I were to speak with a taxi driver, someone on the telephone when I am busy and situations like this, then I would of course, speak more quickly.
But this podcast is just to help you to understand that whilst maybe you think English people speak fast, only a few do in a relaxed conversation - and as I believe strongly -being relaxed is the best way to learn. Stressful situations don’t make good language learning situations I think. Such as:
* getting information for catching a bus or a train
* asking someone the time
* answering the telephone when you are busy
So, make use of each informal/friendly conversation you have to learn and enjoy the conversation!
* meeting someone on a train journey
* meeting someone on holiday
* meeting someone in an online chatroom
* discussing things in another language with friends who also speak the language
* meeting someone in a social setting, party, church etc
See you next time
Bye for now

Hello everybody. For my weekend words today I wanted to talk about using short newspaper, magazine or Internet articles to help develop language and also how, at the same time to understand more about a country’s culture as well as language. Also how to “think in pictures” to help make the text interesting and to retain vocabulary. If you find interesting articles like the one I have chosen, then language and culture start to merge together a bit more. These are not just words on paper or on a screen, but they make you think of situations and events in the past, at present or in the future.

I read somewhere that to learn a language well, we need to:

1. Understand the structure (grammar) of a language and have a good vocabulary.
2. Have the chance to communicate in a language with people who speak it well (Better still, those who speak it as a mother tongue)
3. Understand some of the culture of the country (or countries) where the language is spoken

No small task!

Having said that, all of us are learning new things all our lives and learning another language should add to the enjoyment of learning in a positive way. Always be pleased with what you know already - but keep learning as and when you can.

Today, let’s analyse a text that is about English culture. It’s about Pub signs. Many Public houses and hotels (where the word “pub” comes from) name the building and hang painted signs outside. It’s a long-standing tradition in my country.

I’ve copied a short piece of a bigger article to discuss. The full text is here:
http://www.britainexpress.com/History/culture/pub-names.htm#bio

So, I’ll read the text first

British Pub Signs - a short history
By Elaine Saunders

Everyone loves an “Olde Worlde” pub with its oak beams, horse brasses and roaring log fires. Nevertheless, no matter how old the pub itself, the name on the sign outside is probably the most historic thing about the place.

The idea of the pub sign came to Britain at the time of the Roman invasion. Wine bars in ancient Rome hung bunches of vine leaves outside as trading signs but when the Romans came here, they found precious few vines in the inhospitable climate. Instead, they hung up bushes to mark out the inns and the names Bush or Bull & Bush still survive………(text continues…)

This text is full of cultural references:

“Olde Worlde” is a way of describing old things as the pronunciation has a feel of times gone by when people spoke with more endings to the words

Pub sign
Oak beams
Horse brasses
Wine bar

And some good short phrases like:
“roaring log fires”
“precious few”
“vine leaves”
“at the time of the Roman Invasion”
“inhospitable climate”
“mark out”

Take some time to get a “feel” for what is being said in the text. The author wants to make it interesting and make you, as a reader think in pictures as well as words.

So, rather than reading through a full article that is difficult to read and becoming frustrated with it. Chose a small part of the text - say, the introduction and read it fully, taking it apart like a puzzle and then putting it back together again. This way you can practice all four skills:

Reading
Listening and Speaking (as you read out the text)
Writing (write about it in your own words and use the new vocabulary you learn)

Finally, use a dictionary to check the meaning of words or phrases you can’t guess well - more to confirm your thoughts after you have made a good attempt to guess it.

See you next time

Hello everybody,

Today I wanted to talk about my ideas on increasing fluency (which in my opinion is about how easy you can use a language at a high level)

I wanted to tell you about a new idea I have had about building up vocabulary and fluency at the same time. I have a lot of trouble remembering words and I believe that everyone agrees that the secret to learning a language is knowing enough words and enough of the structure of the language (sometimes call rules of grammar)

Some languages have complex grammar (like German) and other languages have simpler grammar (like Mandarin Chinese)

Whichever language we learn, we need a knowledge of enough words and grammar to converse with others who speak the language. Of course other areas of language ability are important - such as pronunciation, but generally speaking, with some words and grammar and a reasonably understandable accent - most people could make themselves understood and understand what was being said to them. In English this is often called “get by”.

Anyway, to explain my idea. If you were wanting to learn some new words, let’s pick three unusual unrelated words:

A noun: condominium
An adjective: straightforward
A verb: perform

To remember these words, explain them with easy language by using a dictionary:

Condominium = apartment (or flat)
straightforward = easy
perform = carry something out, act/sing/dance

Make up a sentence and write it down:

Nothing is straightforward, there is not enough space in my condominium that I cannot perform my dance

change it…

I cannot perform my dance. I need to practice every day in my friend’s condominium. Nothing is straightforward - as it is too small

Say the sentences out loud.. then see if you remember the words and their meaning a little later. If you can’t easily remember them - read the sentences again and see if you can remember them later still.

I’m going to try this idea myself with learning new words in the languages I am learning. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Maybe this way it will not take so long to build up a good amount of words in my head and become more fluent.

Take care and see you next time