How to learn a new language: 7 secrets from TED Translators

http://blog.ted.com/how-to-learn-a-new-language-7-secrets-from-ted-translators/

They say that children learn languages the best. But that doesn’t mean that adults should give up. We asked some of the polyglots in TED’s Open Translation Project to share their secrets to mastering a foreign language. Their best strategies distill into seven basic principles:

1. Get real. Decide on a simple, attainable goal to start with so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. German translator Judith Matz suggests: “Pick up 50 words of a language and start using them on people — and then slowly start picking up grammar.”
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2. Make language-learning a lifestyle change. Elisabeth Buffard, who in her 27 years of teaching English has always seen consistency as what separates the most successful students from the rest. Find a language habit that you can follow even when you’re tired, sick or madly in love.
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3. Play house with the language. The more you invite a foreign language into your daily life, the more your brain will consider it something useful and worth caring about. “Use every opportunity to get exposed to the new language,” says Russian translator Olga Dmitrochenkova. Label every object in your house in this language, read kids’ books written in it, watch subtitled TED and TEDx talks, or live-narrate parts of your day to an imaginary foreign friend.
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4. Let technology help you out. Dmitrochenkova has a great idea: “A funny thing like resetting the language on your phone can help you learn new words right away,” she says. Ditto for changing the language on your browser. Or you can seek out more structured learning opportunities online. Dutch translator Els De Keyser recommendsDuolinguo for its gamified approach to grammar, and Anki for memorizing vocabulary with its “intelligent” flashcards.
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5. Think about language-learning as a gateway to new experiences. To Spanish translator Sebastián Betti, learning a language has always been about focusing on the experiences that the new language would open up, from “visiting theme parks, attending air shows, enjoying cowboy poetry and folk-rock festivals, to learning about photo-essay techniques.” In other words, he thinks of fun things that he wanted to do anyway, and makes them into a language-learning opportunity. Many of our translators shared this advice. Italian and French translator Anna Minoli learned English by watching undubbed versions of her favorite movies, while Croatian translator Ivan Stamenković suddenly realized he could speak English in fifth grade, after years of watching the Cartoon Network without subtitles. So the next time you need a vegan carrot cake recipe, find one in the language you’re trying to learn.
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6. Make new friends. Interacting in the new language is key — it will teach you to intuitively express your thoughts, instead of mentally translating each sentence before you say it. Find native speakers near you. Or search for foreign penpals or set up a language tandem online, where two volunteers help one another practice their respective languages.
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7. Do not worry about making mistakes. One of the most common barriers to conversing in a new language is the fear of making mistakes. But native speakers are like doting parents: any attempt from you to communicate in their language is objective proof that you are a gifted genius. They’ll appreciate your effort and even help you. Nervous about holding a conversation with a peer? Try testing your language skills with someone a little younger. “I was stoked when I was chatting with an Italian toddler and realized we had the same level of Italian,” recalls German translator Judith Matz. And be patient. The more you speak, the closer you’ll get to the elusive ideal of “native-like fluency.” And to talking to people your own age.

Stop Wishing. Start Doing

TEDx

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METHODOLOGICAL SUPPORT FROM BLOGGERS

For some people, blogging is synonymous with writing, and I think we all can agree that writing is art. It would be like asking an artist to pay money to hang their artwork in a museum so that people could marvel at it all day long. Doesn’t that seem backwards? Shouldn’t the museum pay the artist, in some form? And shouldn’t the visitors pay the museum, so the museum can support the artists?

Some have mastered the art of blogging, but there are still people who deperately in need of a good piece of advice and needless to say a few recommendations from other more accomplished bloggers.

Here are some ways to support the bloggers you love, both emotionally and financially:

1. Leave a comment. The whole point of blogging (at least how I see it) is to create community. When you leave a comment on a blog post, that is your way of saying, “I’m here! I am a part of this!” It makes the writer feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. You don’t need to leave a comment on every post—just once in a while when something resonates with you. Some of my favorite posts that I have ever written have a string of comments below them that all say some rendition of “Me too! I feel this way, too!” Those comments not only benefit me, they also benefit the other commenters. The less alone we all feel, the less crazy we all are.

2. Send them an e-mail. I have been affirmed in my writing so much from reader e-mails, it’s ridiculous. I save every single one. They go into a special folder called “Don’t Quit Blogging” and when I feel overwhelmed with this blog, or writing, or sharing my life with the internet, I just read a few of those e-mails and get over it. If you’ve been reading a blog for a long time, soaking up words that someone else has graciously dumped into the internet for free, the least you can do is take 5 minutes to e-mail them and say, “Keep going!” This is on my goal list for 2014 to do myself with a few of my favorite bloggers. I owe them at least that much for continuously blessing me with their writing.

3. Share their content. If you’re like me, chances are sometimes you read blogs on your phone. It is stupid hard to leave comments on blogs from your phone. I don’t know why, because it’s 2014, and you’d think the Masters of the Internet would have figured this out by now, but they haven’t. Do you know what’s REALLY easy to do from your phone? Like, share, retweet. As bloggers, we’re in this for the community, and at the end of the day, we want people to see our art. Wouldn’t it be sad if there was a beautiful museum filled with art and nobody ever went to visit it? When you click retweet and share, you are sending people to our museum. WE APPRECIATE THIS.

4. Buy them coffee. This is kind of a stretch, but speaking personally here, I write best in coffee shops. Coffee is expensive. Well, my coffee is expensive because I don’t even like coffee—I like the milk + chocolate + espresso + syrup concoctions that cost 3x more than coffee. It takes $5 and less than two minutes to caffeinate your favorite blogger. Send them an e-gift card, or try the Tweet A Coffee service from Starbucks.

5. Buy stuff they blog about. I don’t say this carelessly; I say it intentionally. If someone blogs about amazing running shoes (not me, I hate running), and you happen to be in the market for new running shoes, buy the shoes they recommend! If someone blogs about Christmas cards, and you know you’re going to order Christmas cards anyways, click on the link in their post and use their promo code! Bloggers receive teeny tiny commissions off those purchases, and for many of us, this is the only compensation we receive from our blogs. Personally, I abide by the 95/5 strategy: the content on this blog is 95% genuine and 5% sellout. And by sellout, I mean I’m blogging about a product that I honestlyrecommend, but probably wouldn’t blog about if it wasn’t for the minor financial gain. Basically, for every 20 heartfelt posts you see on this blog, you’re also going to see one about hairbrushes or Christmas cards. I try to keep it very, very minimal around here, but the truth is: those posts are the only posts that earn dollars. When you buy something that I recommend, it’s basically putting a dollar in my blog tip jar. Tips = diapers, coffee, college tuition for Everett. MY FAMILY THANKS YOU.

6. Visit their blogs before shopping on Amazon. I recently realized something dumb. All of the bloggers I love have Amazon affiliate accounts, and I shop on Amazon, A LOT. What if, instead of just going to Amazon.com and buying the stuff I want, I FIRST went to my favorite blog, clicked on one of their Amazon links, and THEN ordered my stuff? It would take an extra 5 seconds, and would throw a little bit of money their way. Not sure where to find an Amazon link on your favorite blog? Try searching for “Amazon” in their search box, browsing their old gift guides, or looking for posts where they recommend books. Once you find it, just bookmark the post, that way you can get to it easily every time you shop. ISN’T THIS SO SMART? You’re already shopping on Amazon, and by spending an extra 5 seconds to click on one extra link, you are SUPPORTING YOUR FAVORITE BLOGGER. I am totally doing this from now on.

7. Buy an ad on their blog. Have an etsy shop? A graphic design business? A blog of your own? What better place to spend your marketing dollars than supporting your favorite blogger while ALSO increasing your web traffic? This is what we call a win-win.

8. And last but certainly not least, just show up. Read the posts. Like their blog page on Facebook. If your favorite blogger writes a book someday, buy it. If your favorite blogger asks you to fill out a survey, do it. Be a participant. Engage. Read their e-book, take their e-course. Show yourself once in a while. Chances are, your favorite blogger is showing up for you even when they don’t always feel like it. The best thing you can do is simply return the favor.

I think a lot of my blogging friends are in similar boats—they love to write, they love to make art, they work very hard at it, and would love to make a few bucks in the process.

How to Present a Presentation!

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11 Tips for Teaching Small Classes

http://busyteacher.org/23704-teach-small-class-11-tips.html

             1 Observe Students Closely

It can be easy to simply go into autopilot when you are in front of a class, but you’ll have to be more observant than that if you are in front of a small class. Always be on the lookout for individual needs and areas of struggle. One advantage to having a small class is being able to tailor your instruction to the individual needs of your students. To do this, you’ll have to be aware of what those needs are. So make sure you are always in observation mode and not just in teaching mode to make sure your students get what they need from you.

    2  Divide Your Classroom

If you have a very small class but an average sized classroom, it might feel almost cavernous even with the whole class in attendance, stressing your low numbers. To eliminate this discomfort, divide your classroom into different areas or sections to serve different functions. Have a reading area, a place near the board where you can teach from up front, a conversation area set with comfy chairs, or whatever functions you want from your classroom. If you divide things up a bit and move students around through the class, that empty feeling won’t permeate everything you do and your big classroom will feel just right.

   3  Over Prepare

One very important thing to keep in mind with a small class is that many activities will take less time than they do with a larger class. This is true even when students are working independently. So it’s key that you over prepare for class. Always have multiple activities ready to fill the time if you need it. My personal rule is to have twice as many activities planned as I would for a more typical class. Some zero in on what I am teaching that day, and others are just general language activities that I can use anytime I need them (and I can carryover from one day to the next when I don’t use them). Also, don’t be afraid to do the same activities more than once over the span of a few days. Your students will still benefit from the practice and will get a confidence boost from the success they are sure to have.

     4  Promote a Comfortable Classroom

I’m not talking about couches and floor pillows here though that might work in your class. When you teach a small class, it’s important to make your classroom as welcoming and supportive as possible. If you have shy students in your small class, it can be very uncomfortable for them, making them feel like they are always in the spotlight. They will stand out just by the fact of being there. If you can make your classroom more supportive and welcoming for them, more comfortable, it will help them feel more at ease even if they are often in the spotlight.

    5  Keep Communication Open

Interpersonal conflicts will be a bigger deal when you have fewer students in class. Keep things happy in your classroom by helping your students work out difficulties and keep communication open. If you have a couple of students who just don’t get along, you’ll have to work extra hard to keep a pleasant atmosphere since you won’t just be able to sit them at different ends of the class.

  6  Let Students Have More Influence in What You Do in Class

You can’t make all of the people happy all of the time, but with a small class you just might be able to keep your students happier than they might be in a large class. When your student numbers are lower, you have the freedom to give your class members more input in what you do in class. Do they like games? Play more of them. Do they prefer technology? Set up your own multimedia lab. Are they struggling with too much homework? Or can they take on more? Do they want to learn about sports instead of food? Workplace vocabulary rather than academic vocabulary? Whatever it is your students like, are interested in, or suggest about class, with small numbers you have the freedom to adjust to their suggestions. That doesn’t mean you disregard what you planed on teaching. It just means spending more of your time and energy on one area rather than another. Ask your students for feedback and adjust things accordingly.

  7 Don’t Be Afraid to Give Individualized Attention

Being able to work one on one regularly is one of the greatest advantages of smaller classes. You have the time to talk to each student and offer guidance or advice on their English studies. With a bigger class, many students get lost in the mix. Don’t let that happen with your small class. Use the numbers to your advantage and your students’ by giving your students some direct, individualized attention.

   8  Get Students Moving

You may find with your small class that there is a lower level of energy in the room. To counteract that, make sure you get your students moving every day. Do some Total Physical Response exercises. Stress kinesthetic activities. Go outside. Keep your students moving to keep their energy level up and keep them from slipping into lethargy.

    9  Invite Other Students/Classes to Join You

Just because you have a small class doesn’t mean you can’t have other people come through your door.Whenever you can, invite other students or classes to join you. Your students will benefit from the change of company and conversation partners and from mixing up the normal pairings for in class activities. And you just might be able to share teaching responsibilities for a day or two with another teacher at your school.

   10  Take Field Trips

Fewer students means fewer logistics to navigate when planning and executing field trips, so take advantage of it and get out of the classroom. Anywhere your students can use English in a natural setting, including your local coffee shop, is good experience for them. So when you can, get out of the classroom and into the world, which is the best classroom of all.

    11  Join in Group Discussions or Pair Work

Just because you are the teacher doesn’t mean you shouldn’t participate in classroom activities. Pair up with your students and give them some individualized time with a native speaker. Join in group discussions and offer your opinions. Your students will enjoy getting to know you better, and you will help them by giving them an up close experience talking with a native speaker.