Learn Language Like a Diplomat. Seriously.

 


Ever seen those planes in airplane magazines -- learn languages like a diplomat? The implication is that a course being sold teaches you like diplomats are taught. Misleading. I taught diplomats for six years. While the "courses" are generally ripped off, older, public-domain courses that very likely were used at the Foreign Service Institute at some point in time, they actually do not represent how diplomats are taught since diplomats learn language from interactions with skilled teachers, working in highly individualized environments and very small classes. Very little of what they do in their intensive day-long classes can be represented in a textbook, which generally is just a jumping-off point for work on language development. 

That said, a few MSI Press books are written or edited by teachers who did teach or supervise teaching programs for diplomats. They wrap the theory in content meant for non-diplomats, self-learners, or specific kinds of language classes in ways that allow other learners to learn language with the speed at which diplomats, in their own unique environments, learn. So, yes, you can learn language like a diplomat -- but not with materials meant for an environment where you will never be. Check out the following books by authors with experience teaching diplomats and other learners with high-level language proficiency needs; they could take you to those native-like levels of language proficiency that you hunger for.


Dabbs & Leaver. The Invisible Foreign Language Classroom.







Garza. Practices That Work.







Leaver. Achieving Native-Like Second Language Proficiency


Leaver. Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star.




Shekhtman. How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately.


Shekhtman and Kupchanka. Communicative Focus.


Shekhtman et al. How to Use Your Russian in Communication Effectively (affiliated book)





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