Posts Tagged ‘languages’

5 Terrefic Tips On Learning Chinese Online

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

Most people, when given the task of learning Chinese, run to the nearest bookstore for an instruction manual. But this is probably the mop up thing you could do! A much better choice is learning Chinese online, where you can hear the language spoken and repeat what you heard. Learn Chinese online, and you’ve got a great foundation for success.

But wait. You’ve learned a few Chinese phrases from the little slips of paper inside fortune cookies. Why do you need to learn Chinese online? Because those little slips of paper may be leading you astray. They tell you which syllables to say, but they don’t give you any indication of the tone of voice in which you need to say them. And in Chinese, changing the tone in which a word is said can change the word’s meaning entirely. You need to be able to hear that – something that occurs naturally when you learn Chinese online.

How do you get down learning Chinese online? Here are five strategies to help you get started.

1. Let your fingers do the shopping! Discover as many different Chinese language courses as you can find. Make sure to choose one in which the speakers speak Chinese as a native language. And choose a program that offers various approaches to learning Chinese online, such as computer games or forum support.

2. Discover the best time for you to learn Chinese online, and stick to it! It doesn’t matter if you study first thing in the morning or late at night, just as long as you choose a time when you can work uninterrupted and stay alert.

3. When asked to repeat a word or phrase, say it loudly. Many people, worried that roommates, spouses, or siblings will make fun of them, murmur their responses almost voicelessly. You can’t achieve the right tone of voice if you’re not using your voice! Learning Chinese online only succeeds if you “work the program” as it’s configured.

4. Don’t neglect any part of your language-learning package. If your program comes with educational games, play them. If there are quizzes, take them; if there are additional resources, use them. The more you engage with your lesson package, the faster you’ll be able to learn Chinese online.

5. Take your lessons away from the computer. Just because you’re learning Chinese online doesn’t mean your education stops there. Seek out Chinese speakers through business or social contacts and engage them in conversation. They’ll be surprised that you’re learning to speak their language, and speaking with them will build your conversational skills fast.

Are you ready to get started? Learning Chinese online can be not only rewarding but fun if you follow these simple tips. Just make sure to choose the perfect program for you and then stick with it. In no time, you’ll be well on your way to learning Chinese online!

Convinced? You can easily learn Chinese online using the highly recommended Rocket Chinese language course. Say yes and join Rocket Chinese today and master the Chinese language in a couple of months…

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Polish Translation is a Difficult Process which Entails Education

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Translation is a difficult process which requires lots of skills and expertise if one is to become a successful translator. It is a great challenge for the Italian translator on both linguistic and a cultural level to translate the works of V.S. Naipaul. Naipaul’s prose is characterized by terseness and detachment, so the translator must cope with a versatile world rendered through many nuances when he/she is to apply the Italian Translator. The translator uses a diversity of “deforming tendencies” in order to restrict the linguistic variety inherent in the source text and to limit the language and cultural barriers of the text, argues Frenchman Antoine Berman – a historian, theorist of translation and a translator himself. In 1985 Berman did research entitled “Translation and the Trials of the Foreign,” in which twelve tendencies were advanced. Denaturing the source text may be only one of the negative effects that not knowing them may lead to. Thus instead of receiving the foreign culture, translation reverses it, naturalizes it and makes an official act that is trying to make a person a native of a country that is certainly not his/her homeland. Berman suggests that translators had better use the notion of “the properly ethical aim of the translating act: receiving the Foreign as Foreign” so that they could not be tricked into being cheaply deceived.

Another instance that poses similar questions is Anthony Burgess, who is known in Poland mainly as the author of A Clockwork Orange. But does the Polish audience identify with Kubrick’s film or Burgess’s book? Few people would venture to tell for sure. Four of his novels have been translated into Polish using Polish Translation: The Wanting Seed (2003), Man of Nazareth (1995), A Clockwork Orange (1991 and 1994) and One Hand Clapping (1976), but only The Wanting Seed, One Hand Clapping and A Clockwork Orange have gained popularity among the audience. It is namely these novels that have turned Burgess into a writer whose images of the future are dark and gloomy. However, it would be the wrong approach to consider this image the only possible one, as it offers only a limited selection of Burgess’s works. Picking out A Clockwork Orange or The Wanting Seed for translation is not surprising while One Hand Clapping appearing in this famous is less astonishing bearing in mind that in Burgess’ words it “sank like a stone” both in Britain and in the United States.

Never is the barrier between evil and good a simple affair in One Hand Clapping and A Clockwork Orange. This is why we may argue that Burgess is the champion of free will in both novels. Democracy is deliberately twisted and the reader is left with the impression that the communist methods of imposing opinions are acceptable. The novel places in a characteristically gastronomic context the Russian Translator. One sentences says, “Since were well-off, I got dinner ready, as I’d brought some tins of Russian Crab, which cost a fortune at that time, probably because I liked the idea, and we ate it some potato salad seasoned with vinegar.” The Polish translation changes into: “I got our supper ready now and, as we were in the money, I’d brought some tinned Russian Crab, very expensive, and we had it with vinegar and tinned potato salad.” The semantic transition is preserved in the ideology; Russian crabs are expensive because they are products of top quality, not because of the trouble to find – so they are not something to be afforded by foreigners.

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Teaching English As A Foreign Language In French Schools And Colleges

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

English is one of the world’s most common languages, spoken on every continent. However there are places in Europe where the English taught in schools is not good enough for students to be able to speak fluently. And now there is an assault battering at the old fashioned and ineffective teaching methods in France led by the country’s president, Nicholas Sarkozy. Now schools and private language institutions are starting teaching English as a foreign language in different ways.

Now school leavers are taking their learning of English to the next step by paying for lessons in private colleges. In national schools, children are taught English for six years, however the majority are unable to speak the language once they have left. So they are hiring private tutors at expensive costs to teach them English which they can use in conversation.

Now the President wants this method to be used in state schools instead of the traditional way. Because even though France spends 5.9% of its GDP on education, it is ranked only 69th out of 109 countries in the standardized Test of English as a Foreign language. As Britain’s closest neighbour with a long history of political and economic relationships, this is a poor result.

And it is no surprise that resistance to learning English to a higher level is coming from within France. For nearly 400 years the Academie Francaise has been purging the French language of foreign words. And for 25 years French film and music has been kept French by excluding English imported words.

This has made many students wary of speaking English before they have perfected the language on paper, for fear of adding to the demise of the French language. However there are those pupils who are willing to pay the expensive fees for private tuition. In terms of business, no CV is complete without the ability to speak English detailed on it.

With new attention being placed on the way languages are taught in France there has never been a better time to start teaching English as a foreign language there. It is the perfect destination for those TEFL teachers who would prefer to stay a little nearer home whilst still enjoying a more relaxing way of life.

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Alternative Sarkozy Approach In France And Teaching English As A Foreign Language

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

As one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, English can be spoken on any of the world’s continents. However, there are countries close to home which are still to learn English in a successful way. And now there is an assault battering at the old fashioned and ineffective teaching methods in France led by the country’s president, Nicholas Sarkozy. The President’s latest assault on the way English is taught means that there are more opportunities in teaching English as a foreign language within the country at schools and private language institutions.

Many school leavers are choosing to pay for English lessons at private schools to improve on what they learnt at school. In national schools, children are taught English for six years, however the majority are unable to speak the language once they have left. Conversational English is now being taught by private tutors to help people build up their ability to speak the language.

Now the President wants this method to be used in state schools instead of the traditional way. France really needs to improve its standing in the Test of English as a Foreign language because it stands only 69th out of 109 countries even though it spends 5.9% of its GDP on education. As Britain’s closest neighbour with a long history of political and economic relationships, this is a poor result.

And it is no surprise that resistance to learning English to a higher level is coming from within France. The Academie Francaise has been purging the French language of foreign words since 1635. And in terms of French culture, English imported words have been kept out of film and music for 25 years.

Some students have been scared into limiting their knowledge of English for fear of eroding the French language. but there are more and more people who want to pay for a better knowledge of English. In terms of business, no CV is complete without the ability to speak English detailed on it.

So there has never been a better time to teach English as a foreign language with new policies about to be put in place. It is the perfect destination for those TEFL teachers who would prefer to stay a little nearer home whilst still enjoying a more relaxing way of life.

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Africa And EFL Training Teachers

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Teaching English as a foreign language or EFL teaching is a rewarding career that can help developing countries to gain a voice in the developed world. Education, the economy and trade can all be advanced with your work. It is also easier for us to learn about each other’s culture when we have a common language. You can teach English as a foreign language if you have a degree and have undergone EFL training.

EFL teaching is a worldwide career but Africa is becoming a popular place to teach. Its colonial history lives on with many countries speaking French and German as well as their native language. Where Britain dominated during colonial times English remains but there are several countries where little is known of English.

Rwanda has now begun a national programme of teaching in English at primary and secondary schools. They hope to use English so that the children of today will be able to speak English when they become government officials, academics, business men and women and diplomatic envoys.

French has been the traditional teaching language until now and the shift to English has been put down to the Francophone feelings since the genocide in 1994. Relations have cooled as both countries blame each other for the mass killings.

Although this is definitely not a reason behind the switch to English touted by officials, commentators view this as a large reason. The official word is that by learning English Rwanda will be able to communicate more effectively with the rest of the world. This does not only apply to potential foreign trading countries like China, England and the US. Their neighbouring countries also use English as their second language so it would smooth relations between them too. These countries include Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

Businesses are also seeing the benefits of using English in every office around the world to make trading and communications easier. You can teach English in nearly every country after you have completed EFL training.

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Teaching English As A Foreign Language In French Public And Private Schools

Friday, November 6th, 2009

English is one of the world’s most common languages, spoken on every continent. Yet many countries close to home are falling behind those further afield in terms of the standard of English that students are taught. And now the President of France Nicholas Sarkozy has led an assault on the old fashioned and ineffective teaching methods in France. This battering of the way English is taught in French schools has led to bigger opportunities for teaching English as a foreign language in France’s schools and private teaching institutions.

The latter is how many people are choosing to study English once they have left school. At present, students in France are given six years of English language education however many feel that they are unable to speak the language effectively once they have left school. So they are hiring private tutors at expensive costs to teach them English which they can use in conversation.

Now the President wants this method to be used in state schools instead of the traditional way. France really needs to improve its standing in the Test of English as a Foreign language because it stands only 69th out of 109 countries even though it spends 5.9% of its GDP on education. As one of Britain’s most historical neighbours with a long term economic and political relationship, this is surprising.

It seems however that the resistance to learning any other language than French is coming from within the education system of the country. The Academie Francaise has been purging the French language of foreign words since 1635. And in terms of French culture, English imported words have been kept out of film and music for 25 years.

With this in mind some students will not speak English until they have mastered it on paper because they do not want to sacrifice their native French. but there are more and more people who want to pay for a better knowledge of English. They know that they will build themselves a better career CV if they can speak fluent English as this is the dominant language in business worldwide.

So with different teaching patterns coming into French study in the near future, the time has never been better to teach English as a foreign language in France. Ideal if you want to teach in a foreign country without living too far away from home.

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EFL Training In Africa

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Teaching English as a foreign language or EFL teaching is a rewarding career that can help developing countries to gain a voice in the developed world. It will help them when it comes to trade, their economy and education. It is also easier for us to learn about each other’s culture when we have a common language. You can teach English as a foreign language if you have a degree and have undergone EFL training.

EFL teaching is a worldwide career but Africa is becoming a popular place to teach. French and German are two other languages spoken widely on the continent as well as the thousands of native languages. English is only spoken in those areas that Britain dominated during colonial times.

Rwanda has adopted a national strategy to begin teaching in English at its primary and secondary schools. When today’s children become tomorrow’s government officials, teachers and industry leaders, the government hope they will be able to communicate with the wilder world better.

French has been the traditional teaching language until now and the shift to English has been put down to the Francophone feelings since the genocide in 1994. Both countries blame each other and relations between the two countries has definitely been frost in recent years.

Officials are not calling this a reason but commentators speculate this is a major factor in the switch. Rwanda insist that English as a common second language will help them to deal with the rest of the world more effectively. This applies to countries including China, the US and England as well as other countries. Their neighbouring countries also use English as their second language so it would smooth relations between them too. These countries include Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

The use of English as a common worldwide language is also used in business so that international offices can communicate with each other. EFL training is a sure way to becoming a teacher of English in a foreign country.

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A Language Course Should Be Fun

Friday, August 28th, 2009

There’s no doubt that the best way to become fluent in a foreign language is to spend as much time as possible living amongst those who speak that language. But conversely, if living amongst them becomes uncomfortable, that can severely impact the quality of the learning. So it’s a delicate balance.

Many people prefer to go on shorter language study vacations than actually living in the country where the language is spoken. And quite often, it’s actually the simple things that give people the opportunity to develop their language skills. For example, using public transport or buying something from the shop.

If a student was to be given some language study, or left for themselves to work out which areas of the language they should study, they will probably not choose the most difficult and complicated parts – thus stunting their learning. But conversely, if their main focus is simply on getting some sort of task completed (for example – catching public transport or buying something from a store) their main focus is on getting the task done, therefore they will deal with whatever language challenges are put in front of them – and therefore they will learn more, a lot more quickly. If you are going to travel abroad for a language course it’s just as well to make sure that you retain as much as possible!

Yet another reason is because the language learner is not simply going through a book and reciting what is in front of them. The learner will have to do their best to be understood, and an unrelated conversation may even develop. It’s so mcu easier for someone to give up on a tricky challenge when they only have to close the book to get away from the problem. But if it involves giving up and getting off a bus, or leaving a shop frustrated and empty-handed then the student is mucn more likely to find a way to complete the task – and therefore learn the language. Embarassment can be an effective deterrent for failure.

There are many obvious benefits, and also many not so obvious ones, of being immersed in a situation where the student is surrounded by those who are speaking the target language naturally. For example, even if they are not actually involved, being surrounded by others can lead to many situations where the learner picks up language skills just by listening to others speaking it naturally as their mother tongue – often, they are not even aware that they are doing it. This type of learning is especially useful for picking up different tones and emphasis used in the language.

Another great way to master a foreign language is by ‘distraction’. If one were to spend the day consciously trying to force the brain to absorb information, there is a tendency for the brain to get tired and resist. This is particularly prevalent if the learner gets bored or starts to find the task tedious. Trying to learn a new language, like the English language for example, should be enjoyable, not a chore.

There is a perfect solution for this that not only helps the student to learn the language more quickly and thoroughly,but also makes the whole language course a much more fun and memorable experience – mix the heavy learning sessions up with totally different sessions where having fun is the key aim. These activities are carefully planned in order to develop the individual, as well as ensuring that while distracted with simply having fun, they are also in an environment where they will be exposed to native speakers of the language while also occasionally being required to either just listen or also speak in the language that they are learning.

There are other benefits to be gained from these activities – especially if the student is quite young.For example, it’s possible to arrange the activities to ensure that they must get involved in activities that encourage team leading skills and character building exercises. This will also impact upon their language skills in a positive way too, as well as providing valuable experience that will come in handy in the future. They will finish the course feeling like they had a lot of fun as well as studying hard, but they will have picked up a variety of language and communication skills throughout the time spent on the course. Lots of English language course participants will be pleased to hear this – you learn much more when you’re having lots of fun!

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Learn To Speak English And Have Fun And HAve Fun At The Same Time!

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

There’s no doubt that the best way to become fluent in a foreign language is to spend as much time as possible living amongst those who speak that language. But conversely, if living amongst them becomes uncomfortable, that can severely impact the quality of the learning. So it’s a delicate balance.

Based on this, many people choose to go on language courses in the country of their chosen language for an extended trip. It’s often the everyday tasks that we undertake that give rise to the best opportunities to practice speaking a new language, such as going to the shops to buy something, or catching public transport.

One of the reasons for this is because when someone is presented with a study course, or left to choose which parts of the language they study, they fail to tackle the really difficult parts (for a variety of reasons). But when the focus is simply on getting something done (such as catching a bus or buying some food) they have no choice in the matter and no way of avoiding learning the necessary words and vocabulary in order to complete the task. If you are going to travel overseas for a language course it’s just as well to make sure that you retain as much as possible!

One more reason is that the student is not just going through a book and trying to force the brain to retain the knowledge. It’s reasonably obvious that if the brain is engaged in completing a seperate task, the learning process is not so daunting and cumbersome. Also, they may find themselves getting drawn into conversation, which again, is one of the best ways to learn. If the student has to vacate a bus or leave a shop without buying what they entered for, then the potential embarassment will probably ensure that they muddle their way through – hence, learning more vital language components.

Also, to be surrounded continually by other people speaking the language that you are trying to learn has many benefits that are not always so obvious. A lot of information can be absorbed while the learner is busy doing other things, if they happen to be in hearing distance of a conversation occurring in the language that they are learning. This is particularly helpful in terms of identifying intonations and emphasis used in the language.

Another great way to master a foreign language is by ‘distraction’. If one were to spend the day consciously trying to force the brain to absorb information, there is a tendency for the brain to get tired and resist. This is particularly prevalent if the learner gets bored or starts to find the task tedious. Trying to learn a new language, like the English language for example, should be enjoyable, not a chore.

A great way to use this technique also has many other benefits. If the whole language course is constructed in a way where serious study sessions are interspersed with fun and relaxing activities, not only will they have a more enjoyable vacation, but they will also become less bored during the difficult study periods. The activities can also be set up so that during this time, the learner is exposed to the language they are learning and is also required to converse in the language as well.

Especially if the student is quite young, they can also gain further from these activities. They can get involved in character and team building exercises for example. This will develop their communication skills, their boldness and confidence, plus it can help to develop initiative. These things will all contribute to the learner’s future success, and helps to ensure that they not only learn about and experience languages, but also many other things as well. This way, they will not feel that the whole course has been one long study session, but in reality they will have picked up language skills throughout the time spent. Lots of English language course participants will be pleased to hear this – you learn more when you’re having lots of fun!

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