Jan 04

Tips for Learning a Foreign Language – Outside the Training Room

English Language Training, Language Training Courses 1 Comment »

Anyone learning a foreign language should set aside some time for self-study, engagement with the language, immersion, discovery or whatever else you like to call it. What takes place in the formal language learning setting during the allocated times is not enough if you want to make real progress on your language skills. Anyone learning a language and taking a language course needs to allocate time outside the training room to practise and develop the skills learned in the formal setting.

Scripts catscandotcom i Tips for Learning a Foreign Language Outside the Training Room

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Practice makes perfect

Although you may not be assigned ‘homework’ between every training session, it’s important that you find the time to review previous lessons and any learning from them. It is only by reviewing your previous sessions in a critical way that you will be able to increase your comprehension and memorisation of new vocabulary and expressions you are learning. In order to memorise vocabulary items so that they can be used spontaneously, research suggests that you have to repeat each item at least 10 times. During training, your trainer will probably use activities that disguise repetition so that the process is not dull, so reviewing the activities you did in the session will help you to further engrain the new vocabulary and expressions into your language repertoire.

A web of language tools at the ready

Exposing yourself to the language you are learning as often as possible is one good way of getting used to its sounds. The internet has a wealth of reading material for all languages, so spend some time searching for the level and content of materials that best suit you. Reading articles and reports can also help you to expand your vocabulary and get used to the way the different structures of the language work.

Language learning can be fun

In addition to podcasts and articles, the internet also offers a wide range of fun activities and games which can help you to develop your language skills while playing something enjoyable. For those learners who have a higher level, there are foreign language radio stations, podcasts and videos. Try not to aim too high as you listen to these programmes as this can quickly demotivate you. Be sure you can understand a large percentage of what you hear so that you can develop your listening skills.

There’s nothing like the real thing

One of the best ways you can improve your language skills is by spending some time in a country where that language is spoken. Experiencing the real use of the language can be a very motivating experience and allows you to experience the language in ‘real’ situations outside the artificial environment of the training room. Having the opportunity to experience the culture of the country where the target language is spoken can give you added reasons for pursuing your training. A love of a language is usually closely associated with the love of a country where that language is spoken. The best way to experience a country and to practise its language at the same time is to stay in a family. This experience is open to all ages and can offer a combination of lessons and social experiences.

Among other benefits, immersion in a target language country can greatly improve your comprehension skills. Understanding the spoken language is vital as it holds the key to being able to participate in meetings, discussions or conversations. If you don’t have the opportunity to go to a target language country, then there are usually foreign language clubs you can join or online language chat forums.

No matter where and how you spend time developing your language skills outside the training room, the key to your success is not to be shy and stay determined. Get involved in as much as you can and don’t be afraid to ‘have a go’. The more you practise what you have learned in your language courses, the more you will develop your skills – leading you to greater confidence and competence in the language you have selected. Don’t let your language learning stop when you leave the training room!

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

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Aug 31

Tips for Learning a Foreign Language: Choose the Most Effective Training Method

Language Training Courses 1 Comment »

There are many different ways to learn a foreign language. Whether you select an individual language course, group session, telephone training, eTraining, intensive course, immersion programme, home-stay or self-study, you need to first understand your personal preferences and learning style.

Answer Sheet Ryan Balderas i Tips for Learning a Foreign Language: Choose the Most Effective Training Method

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One way of figuring out which training format is best for you is by looking at your own personality and character. For example, eTraining requires a level of self-discipline to connect regularly to the site to practise. Individual training sessions work best with people who are able to plan their time effectively as missing training sessions can have a negative effect on learning. Group training sessions are effective for people who are willing to work through the language learning with other group members.

Another aspect which will help you to determine the most effective language training format is to look at your individual learning style. There are many different models of learning styles, but one model of learning styles suggests there are three different types:

  • Auditory – understand and acquire information well by listening to explanations or language dialogues
  • Visual – need to see the things written down and prefer different forms of visual learning like graphics and videos
  • Kinaesthetic – prefer active lessons with dynamic games and role plays that apply the learning to a practical context

Visual learners may not benefit from telephone training which lacks visual components, whereas kinaesthetic learners may benefit greatly from group training which includes role plays and movement. Training which involves lots of verbal discussion in the session and saves written assignments for self-study may not appeal to visual learners who need to see things written down. Meanwhile, training that uses a very communicative approach and lots of interactive activities may appeal to auditory and kinaesthetic learners. Knowing your learning style can help you to select the best training format and approach.

In addition to some of the methods we’ve explored here, there are a number of other training formats which could appeal to your personal style and preferences. The Community Language Learning (CLL) format, for example, uses humanistic techniques to engage the whole person in the learning process.

Other language training sessions use music and rhythm to tap into the non-rational and non-conscious influences on language learning. Increasingly language training also incorporates technology to increase the impact of training, whether through language eTraining solutions or language media centres which provide the tools to practise learning from the session.

Before signing up for a language course, it’s therefore really important to think about your learning style and preferred approach as well as your training objectives. This will ensure that the training format you select will give you the most opportunity to improve your language skills.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Dec 10

Is Mimicking a Foreign Accent More Effective than Learning the Language?

English Language Training, Language Training Courses 1 Comment »

According to a recent article published by The Telegraph, language experiments conducted by psychologists show that mimicking a foreign accent is the easiest way to be understood when communicating with foreigners. The article takes the example of Steve McLaren, having been sacked from his job as England manager, McClaren now plies his trade in Europe where, having won the Dutch league with FC Twente, is now trying to repeat this success with FC Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga. During his time in Holland, McLaren seemed to pick up a Dutch accent while speaking English. Many British nationals who hear this new accent respond by raising their eyebrows and mocking smiles however some language specialists argue that consciously or not, he was making it easier for the Dutch to understand him.

Team businessYuri Arcurs i Is Mimicking a Foreign Accent More Effective than Learning the Language?

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The experiments conducted by Manchester University and Holland’s Radboud University have proven that we tend to naturally mimic foreign counterpart’s accent when communicating with them. Researchers put Dutch students in conversational situations with foreigners who all spoke the same language but with different or unusual accents. Some of the foreign participants would use very strong regional accents while others created new accents with strange vowel pronunciation. Half of the Dutch students were asked to mimic these accents while the remaining students were asked not to.

The results show clearly that the students imitating the accents were more easily understood by the foreigners than those who were not imitating them. Researchers also observed that mimicking the accent subconsciously helped participants to also imitate the non-verbal communication they used such as body posture, silence phases or gestures. By using the same non-verbal cues and signals, communication can become much more effective even when the verbal language used is not always understood.

Dr Patti Adank, one of the researchers involved in the programme, calimed that when two people are talking they tend to subconsciously adapt their communication style towards the other person. She suggested the human brain uses this strategy to improve communication. While the use of a common language (usually English) remains necessary, this research shows that effective communication between different cultures is possible with a little adaptation of accent or non-verbal cues.

It’s definitely possible that being able to recognise and imitate a foreign accent will help to improve understanding between people who do not speak the same language however learning the language will have the most effective impact. Participating in a language training course is essential to learning the vocabulary and grammar required to create a common ground between you and your foreign counterparts. Being able to communicate with your foreign counterparts in a foreign language will give you much better results than just imitating their accent where misunderstandings and offence in some cases can occur. Language training courses are the most effective way to ensure communication with your foreign counterparts is clear.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Nov 15

How to Learn a Language – Part Three

English Language Training, Language Training Courses 1 Comment »

When following a language training course, regular practice or study is much better than irregular bursts of activity. It is also important for you to vary the kind of activities you do as well, otherwise you will soon become bored. Vary between listening tasks, on line grammar activities, graded readers and on-line chat, etc. Some learners might be frustrated at how difficult the level of language available to them appears. This is why graded readers and learner magazines exist. It is advisable to buy these with an accompanying CD so that you can continue doing listening practice.

Businessman making Presentation i How to Learn a Language – Part Three

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Try to remain realistic about how long it takes to learn a language. If you attempt to find quick fixes then you risk being disappointed. It is also a fact that learning a language is not like learning how to ride a bicycle: language is easily forgotten when it is not practised. Therefore, an important aspect of learning is also maintaining what has been learned during your language course through recycling.

A person, who is interested in the culture of a country where the target language is spoken, is probably more likely to feel motivated to learn the language. If you do not know about the culture, then try to find out some things that might interest you. If the culture does attract you, then you are more likely to want to do some research and visit the country.

Don’t spend time unnecessarily studying language points that are similar if not identical to those in your own language. Information is available that gives advice on which points need more attention than others. For French speakers who are learning English, for example, Catherine Walker in the book ‘Learner English’, Cambridge, 2008, states that ‘French shares many phonological characteristics with English. French speakers do not have great difficulty in perceiving or pronouncing most English consonants, but some vowel sounds present problems’. The French speaker therefore knows what pronunciation areas to concentrate on. Therefore minimal pairs such as ‘leave and live’, pull and pool’, ‘paper and pepper’ should be focused on. As far as grammar is concerned ‘The French and English grammatical systems are very similar in most ways’…(Catherine Walker) There are some important differences, however, such as the fact that French has no equivalent of the English progressive or continuous form. Therefore the difference between such sentences as ‘He lives in York’ and ‘he is living in York’ is not very clear to French speakers. In terms of vocabulary, certain false friends should be a priority. Some examples of these false friends are: actual or actually (the French ‘actuel’ means ‘current’ or ‘present’). Ignore (The French ‘ignore’ means ‘not to know’). ‘Pass an exam’ (The French ‘passer un examen’ means ‘to sit’ or ‘take an exam’)

Finally and most importantly, learning a language should be fun and it will only be fun if you focus on subjects that interest you. If you are interested in politics, the environment, sport or cinema, for example, it is a good idea to use the Internet as a source of vocabulary and articles that relate to these areas. For higher level learners, buying a magazine in the target language is a sure way to increase language learning motivation. Doing something in the target language is a great way to practise. Playing on-line games alongside or against opponents from other countries can help. Recent research in adult learning shows that ‘you’re likely to remember 20% of what you read and 30% of what you hear … and a staggering 90% of what you see, hear, say and do’.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Nov 12

How to Learn a Language – Part Two

English Language Training, Language Training Courses 3 Comments »

Putting certain fundamentals in place at the beginning of the learning process will help you to progress independently. The role of a language training course is to help you study and learn by yourself as your trainer cannot always be present to provide new information, help with the practice of the language or to answer questions. As far as speaking is concerned, it is therefore advisable that you are able to recognize and pronounce the different sounds of the language you are learning. It is important to know how these sounds are produced and what the phonetic symbols are. In this way, when you come across an important new word or expression, you will be able to look it up in a dictionary and work out its pronunciation without having to ask a trainer.

Business meeting 8 track5 i How to Learn a Language – Part Two

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In English, for example, the different ways of pronouncing ‘ough’ only become clear with the help of a trainer or the phonetic script in a dictionary (compare: though , through, bough, trough, thought, etc).
Arming yourself with a good dictionary, a practical grammar book and a list of a few good websites can help this independent progression. Websites can provide practice in all of the four skills. Some examples of these are:

Watching the news, documentaries and films in the language you are studying is also a great help. Even if you cannot understand everything that is said, getting used to the sounds and rhythm of a language is very helpful. Podcasts are a wonderful tool as the same extracts can be listened to as many times as one wishes.

The best way to become a competent and accurate user of the target language is to learn its grammar. Methods which teach set phrases without explaining the mechanics or grammar of the language are not doing you any long-term favours. It is only when you understand what lies beneath the structure of a sentence that you will be able to start making your own sentences in a fully independent way. It is important, however, that you find the approach to grammar that works best for you as there is an enormous amount of material on the market and on the Internet to choose from. Slogging away at grammar exercises when these bring back bad memories of English lessons at school is obviously not the right way.

By focusing on the functions of the language or on the lexical chunks could help you move away from the word ‘grammar’. In the same way, it is important that you know yourself and the way that you learn best. You might be more of an aural or a visual learner, for example. If you are a more visual leaner, it is important that you supplement what you have heard with written documentation (look at the audio scripts, read the subtitles, etc). If you need to see the written word before you can register it correctly, then it is important that you note down new vocabulary. Most trainers will adapt the language training courses according how best each delegate learns but it is always beneficial for you to think about your own learning style and apply what you discover.

Immerse yourself in the target language as much as possible. Take opportunities to listen to the radio on the Internet, watch TV or films in the target language, read articles on the internet and in publications. Travel to a place where the target language is spoken. It might be possible to join an association or club in your home town, which groups together people who share the desire to practise the language. Make the most of those journeys to work by car, train and underground by listening to a podcast, CD or MP3 files. If you are interested in anglophone music, then go one step further and discover what is being sung. Singing along can help pronunciation as well.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Nov 11

How to Learn a Language – Part One

English Language Training, Language Training Courses No Comments »

When learning a language, firstly make sure that you focus on what you really need to know. Do not try to learn everything. This leaning focus is achieved by knowing your own objectives. If you are learning with a language training organisation, then it is imperative that they carry out a needs analysis or a diagnostic consultancy and draw up a programme of content before the language training course starts. The trainer should attempt to remain faithful to the outline of this content, unless of course the delegate requests a special review, further explanations or an additional area of study.

Definition Language kdow i How to Learn a Language – Part One

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Vocabulary fields need to be defined in accordance with your objectives. If you require financial English, legal English or general business English, then these areas of vocabulary should be practised and recycled continually during the training room activities. By doing this, the core lexical areas are presented and practised thoroughly during the language training course. The trainer ought to select the vocabulary items that are the most used and hence the most useful in your professional or even general English interest area. Learners’ dictionaries indicate which items of vocabulary are most commonly used (based on an ELT corpus) and reference to these will help you define a glossary that is concise and practical.

There are a lot of different ways of recording and learning vocabulary. Experiment with these different ways before deciding on which way suits you best. Trainers will generally encourage you to note down the vocabulary during the training sessions as memory is not always reliable. However, it is important that you do not try to note down everything, otherwise too much time will be taken away from other linguistic activities.

It is also essential that the vocabulary is noted in a ‘useful’ way. Single words are of limited help as they do not show how the word can be used grammatically, contextually or how it is pronounced. It is therefore essential that these lexical items are noted in context, showing their grammar and the different meanings that they carry depending on the context. For example, if the lexical item ‘in front’ is noted in this way, not all the necessary information concerning this preposition is available. Noting down ‘in front of’, however, enables you to use the preposition in full sentences. Better still, by writing ‘He stood in front of the cinema opposite the pizza restaurant’ you are in a position to remember the difference in meaning between the two prepositions of position ‘in front of ‘ and ‘opposite’. It also gives the vital information that ‘in front’ is followed by ‘of’ whereas ‘opposite’ stands alone.

It is useful to experiment with different techniques for learning vocabulary in order to find the one that suits you best. Some examples of simple techniques are: sticking post-it notes of important vocabulary around the house and especially in areas where you might stay a while. Cut up cards and make a game. On one side of the card write the target word or expression and on the other side the translation. Make an audio recording of important words in context and listen to them in your car.

Different varieties of some languages exist and it is necessary that you choose the one you wish to learn. This decision most probably depends on your objectives (a new job with travel to Brazil), your interests (a love of American police series) or even training opportunities (an immersion course is cheaper in Spain than in Latin America). If this choice is not made at the beginning, you might be confused by different ways of pronouncing the same word, by slightly different grammar rules, by certain vocabulary that might be understood either with difficulty or not at all in a different target language area. Some examples of these varieties are: Portuguese from Portugal, Brazil and Mozambique, English from England, South Africa and the United States, Spanish from Spain, Argentina or Mexico.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Oct 15

Is Your Company Suffering from a Lack of Language Skills?

Business English Training Courses, Language Training Courses No Comments »

According to a report published by the European Commission, there is a direct link between language skills and successful and profitable businesses. The survey, conducted across nearly 2000 European SMEs, also indicated a genuine demand for language skills among their workforces. Companies who set clear language strategies (such as providing language courses or hiring native speakers) are getting better results than those that don’t.

Chinese businesspeople 5 Izusek i Is Your Company Suffering from a Lack of Language Skills?

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The report goes on to highlight that 11% of EU SMEs surveyed are losing considerable amounts of money because of their lack of language skills while 37 firms admitted they had lost contracts valued between 8 and 13.5 million Euros because of language problems. From writing emails to drafting contracts and making phone calls, every aspect of the business and negotiation process has to be dealt with carefully and misunderstandings must be avoided at all costs as they can jeopardize the whole business winning process.

This report also underlines the existence of several business lingua francas. While English is now widely recognised as the universal language for business, the importance of Russian when doing business in Eastern Europe or French in African countries is not to be underestimated. The same goes for other parts of the world: Spanish speaking employees will help to create business opportunities in Latin America, while being able to speak Mandarin Chinese is an invaluable asset for companies seeking to develop the Chinese market.

There are several options for SMEs wishing to improve the language skills of their workforces. Recruiting native speakers or hiring translators or interpreters are possible solutions; however, they can prove difficult to find or come with a high financial cost. Another possibility for these firms is to provide specific language courses to their employees and help develop their skills. Business French courses or Survival Chinese language courses can help firms to improve the language skills of their employees and prove an invaluable retention strategy.

The report concludes that the overall economical performances of the EU could be dramatically improved if exporting firms were able to enhance their language skills. As an increasing number of businesses are considering working with foreign countries, particularly if their home market is in recession, the importance of mastering foreign languages will become more and more crucial for firms wishing to be successful in the international arena.

© Communicaid Group Ltd.2010

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Aug 11

What Makes a Good Language Trainer?

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training, Language Training Courses No Comments »

In a recent article entitled ‘The Corporate Domain 1′, the author argues that being a good corporate language trainer requires ‘expertise, confidence and commitment’. Trainers need to have extensive knowledge of the profession in which the delegate wishes to be trained. This knowledge usually comes from qualifications (in finance, insurance, business, etc.) but is preferably reinforced by a certain degree of experience. It is also necessary that the trainer be competent as a language trainer; in other words, he/she has completed some kind of certificate in general training approaches and techniques.

This professional expertise, however, needs to be continually updated and demands a lot of commitment. The language trainer should keep abreast of all the developments taking place in his/her specific professional domain. This is obviously easier if the trainer continues to work in addition to doing training. If not, the trainer should consider reading the specialised press, subscribing to relevant websites, joining relevant associations and even attending courses. Not only is expertise in one’s specialised area essential, but the trainer should also know about new ideas and techniques which could help him/her convey these skills to the delegate more efficiently. There is an enormous resource library available to trainers to maintain and update their knowledge.

Both of these areas of knowledge are essential if the trainer is going to inspire confidence in his/her delegate(s).

Team business5Neustockimages i What Makes a Good Language Trainer?

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A good language trainer is a confident person who is able to transfer this confidence to his/her delegates. Professional adults often come to the training room with bad ideas about their ability in foreign languages. Maybe this lack of confidence stems from a bad learning experience at school, or even as an adult. The belief that we are one day ‘too old’ to learn a foreign language does not help this situation either. The trainer needs to make the training experience as positive as possible by helping the delegate believe that he/she is able to acquire the necessary language. The trainer can do this by showing and referring to what the delegate can do as the training course progresses.

A good trainer should be interested in the delegates he/she is training and retain a certain degree of flexibility in his/her approach. The trainer must not forget that he/she is training individuals who have different learning styles and emotions. He/she must therefore be ready to change an approach if it is not working and enquire if the delegate seems perturbed or unhappy about something. Training programmes are guidelines and if the delegate requires to review something, has a vital document he/she would like to work on, would like to see more on a specific area such as presenting or negotiating, then the trainer should consider modifying the programme accordingly. Obviously this last point is more relevant to individual courses and might not be appropriate where a group is concerned

A language trainer trains his/her delegates how to do things by using the appropriate language and does not give general language lessons. The delegate usually comes to the training room in order to improve his/her ability to do different things professionally. Therefore, the language course can only be drawn up after a diagnostic consultancy has been carried out in which the delegate’s level of language, professional needs and objectives are analysed. A good trainer makes sure that he/she is in possession of all this information before preparing the training course content.

A language training course is only a moment in time and the delegate will need to continue learning after the course has finished. A good trainer emphasises the ongoing nature of learning and directs the delegate to relevant websites, material, etc. and gives advice on study techniques, etc. which can help him/her. A lot of good websites exists for language learner.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Aug 10

Key Tips for Improving your English Language Skills

Business English Training Courses, English Language Training, Financial English Training Courses, Insurance English Training Courses, Language Training Courses, Legal English Training Courses 1 Comment »

Learning a new language can be extremely difficult, especially at first. However if you look around you will find many tools you can use in your daily life to help you improve your skills. Many people find that once they have learnt the basics of a language, the hardest thing is remembering what they have learnt and taking it a step further. Here are a few tips for taking your English language to the next level.

Immerse Yourself
One of the most important things to do is to practise not only your listening, reading and writing skills but also your speaking skills. The best thing to do is to immerse yourself in an English-speaking country and sign up for a Business English course. Being immersed in the country where the language is spoken will improve your comprehension and pronunciation and thus help you to have real exchanges with your neighbours, friends and colleagues. Seeing the language in the newspapers or on English TV everyday will also significantly help you improve your skills. Having to speak English in shops or if you are lost in the street or the tube can also be really helpful, while also challenging, as it forces you to speak and try the new words, grammar or expressions you have learnt.

Watch English Films
If you do not have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the country where the language is spoken, you can find a plethora of American and English series or films that you can watch in the original English version. If you do not have any English films, you can rent them easily either in stores or online through many easy-to-use services. When you do find English films, it is best to watch them in their original version with English subtitles. This will help you associate the spelling of words to the pronunciation as you hear it. If you own a modern television, you can also change the settings so English subtitles appear on your screen as you watch programmes in English or even your own language..

Newspapermuharrem öner i Key Tips for Improving your English Language Skills

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Read English Magazines or Books
Reading English magazines and books is a great way to further develop your English skills. In large cities you can often find bookshops which carry English books, while in airports and train stations there are usually a few magazines in English that you might find of interest. If you are just starting out, don’t be afraid to buy books which you might consider quite basic in your own language as they will be easier to follow and cause you less frustration. As you read, it can be really helpful to look up any words you don’t understand in a dictionary. As you go, you can record any words you didn’t know in a small notebook where you can read them every day until you know them by heart.

Listen to English Music
Listening to music is also a very good way to improve your comprehension in a new language. As you listen you can try to write down the lyrics and correct your work by comparing your lyrics against those you can find on the internet. This will help you improve your listening skills, vocabulary and spelling.

These are just some of the things you can do to improve your language skills on your own. However if you want to rapidly improve your language level, the most effective way is to enrol on a language training coursewhere the trainer can help to correct your mistakes and pronunciation as you go. Communicaid’s language training courses are ideal for anyone looking to take their language skills to the next level

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Jul 15

Language and National Identity: Negotiating the Linguistic Minefield

Language Training Courses No Comments »

The recent elections in Belgium have brought to the fore once again the ongoing issue of language difference in the country. Around 59% of the Belgian population speaks Dutch/Flemish, while approximately 40% speak French. This is reflected by the political system, where language difference is incorporated into the legislation and accounted for in the distribution of votes.

The increasingly strong economy in the Dutch sector has led to a resurgence in the speaking of Flemish, with the mayor of one town – Merchtem – insisting on the place becoming monolingual. This reflects a reversal of the linguistic situation a few decades ago, when the prosperity of the French-speaking sector resulted in that language dominating the country culturally.

This bicultural situation illustrates the important role that language plays in national identity and the political stances that can arise from people asserting this identity.

Belgian Signs lillisphotography i1 Language and National Identity: Negotiating the Linguistic Minefield

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The adoption of a national language can sometimes be a conscious political decision, rather than a naturally occurring phenomenon. Those in power may attempt to engineer a linguistic situation that reflects how they might desire the political situation to be.

In his book, ‘Nations and Nationalism’, Eric Hobsbawn states that national languages are: ‘…the opposite of what nationalist mythology supposes them to be, namely the primordial foundations of national culture and the matrices of the national mind. They are usually attempts to devise a standardised idiom out of a multiplicity of actually spoken idioms, which are thereafter downgraded to dialects.’

For the international assignee living and working in a bicultural country such as Belgium, being aware of the language issues before arrival can be key to the success of the assignment. International assignees who can show a sensitivity and awareness to the different languages spoken will show a higher level of performance overall. Going further and enrolling in a language training course to learn one or more of the local languages will help the international assignee build more fruitful relationships in their professional role and adapt more smoothly to their new personal life.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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