MSI Press Blog

  Excerpt from  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star Brainscape: Mental Management Mental Management   What is a goal without a plan? A dream? Mental management techniques work at turning dreams into reality by requiring the setting of goals and establishing a clear and comprehensive (and do-able) plan. In his book, With Winning in Mind (2011, The Mentashowinl Management System), Lanny Bassham discusses the importance of setting goals and tracking progress. The right—and positive—mental attitude can definitely assist a person in accomplishing his or her goals.   Defining mental management Mental management is the process of being able to improve your progress or show your prowess while under stress. Have you ever been under stress in a language course? Of course, you have! If any of these following circumstances apply, you could benefit from training in mental management: ·        You draw a blank on a test even though you know the material well; ·        You hav

  Excerpt from  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star Brainscape: Ego Boundaries Ego Boundaries Ego boundaries, also called boundaries of the mind (Hartmann, 1991), refer to someone’s willingness to let someone into his or her inner circle and reflect the ego’s function of distinguishing between self and non-self (i.e. someone else). When that someone else comes from another culture, the ego boundaries of a language learner (or anyone) between self and the “other” can be either thick or think. Thick boundaries make it difficult for an individual to assimilate into another culture. Thin (permeable) boundaries make assimilation much easier. These differences are also called strong and weak ego boundaries.   Defining ego boundaries Every learner has a barrier between “self” and “other.” This is normal; this is healthy. When the boundaries are very thick, however, they do not allow the learner to build a relationship with a native speaker from the culture of the langu

  Excerpt from  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star Brainscape: Tolerance of Ambiguity Tolerance of Ambiguity Do you feel lost if you cannot understand 100% of everything going on around you in your classroom, including every single word you hear? Do you need to know every work in a reading text, broadcast, or movie before you can understand what you are reading or listening to? If you answered yes to these questions, then you have a low tolerance of ambiguity. We meet ambiguity in many places in life. Anywhere we find things less than black-and-white, we meet ambiguity. Gray areas intrigue some people; they have high tolerance of ambiguity. Gray areas trouble other people; they have low tolerance of ambiguity. For some people, ambiguity is even perceived as an existential threat (Budner, 1962). Unfortunately for language learners, languages are high in ambiguity, especially if you are looking for direct correspondences with your own language and culture. There