MSI Press Blog

Today's story behind the book gives a look behind the scenes at  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Superstar  by Dr. Betty Lou Leaver. From the Author This book was an amalgamation and an outgrowth of the Tuesday language learning tips I would sent out to students on every Tuesday morning when I was the Provost of the Defense Language Institute-Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC). When I retired and become more involved with the civilian and academic worlds, the need for this book -- ways to improve (and speed up) language learning success was clear. In assembling books for MSI Press to exhibit at a CATESOL conference, it made sense to refine and organize these tips into a book for all language learners to have as a feature at the conference. And so this book came into being.  For more posts about Betty Lou and her books, click  HERE .  VISIT OUR  WEBSITE  TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OUR AUTHORS AND TITLES. Purchase this book at 25% discou...

  Please enjoy this month's newsletter form the Museum of Language here . Read other posts about the National Museum of Language here . See posts about language learning and teaching here . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date)   Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC?  We help writers become award-winning published authors. One writer at a time. We are a family, not a factory. Do you have a future with us? Turned away by other publishers because you are a first-time author and/or do not have a strong platform yet? If you have a strong manuscript, San Juan Books, our hybrid publishing division, may be able to help. Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start?  Our  author au pair...

    Today's excerpt comes from Communicative Focus  by Boris Shekhtman and Dina Kupchanka -  Communication between Native Speakers and Non-native Speakers and the Essence of Speech We are interested in communication between native and non-native speakers for one very important reason: this is the kind of communication for which all teachers are essentially preparing students. Regardless of the level of our students, whether they are beginners or already near-native speakers, if they want to use their second language, they nolens-volens enter this type of communication. We need to help them to participate in this communication with dignity and power and to close the gap between their language skills and those of native speakers. In order for us to prepare our students in this way, we must be knowledgeable about the specific nuances of verbal communication between native and non-native speakers.     The most obvious difference between the language perfor...

  Achieving Native-Like Second Language Proficiency  (Speaking) by Betty Lou Leaver is a research-based catalogue of factors that would seem to predict ability to reach the highest level of foreign language proficiency and is based on common characteristics shared by more than 200 near-native speakers, identified by self-report, survey, and interviews by master testers. The study, following common thought, expected to find similarities among the best language learners. Actually, that turned out not to be the case.  While almost all individuals in the study had firm opinions about how to acquire a foreign language successfully, these opinions, experiences, and approaches did not always coincide with each other. Whether they had learned a foreign language through flashcards, memorization, rehearsal, and performance, in country, or through much self-study, they almost routinely felt that their way was the best. (We will report on other characteristics in future Thursday blog...

  Achieving Native-Like Second Language Proficiency  (Speaking) by Betty Lou Leaver is a research-based catalogue of factors that would seem to predict ability to reach the highest level of foreign language proficiency and is based on common characteristics shared by more than 200 near-native speakers, identified by self-report, survey, and interviews by master testers. The authors of the study scoured the language fields, particularly testing organizations, for learners at ILR Level 4 (near-native). None were found under the age of 30. The hypothesis of the researchers was that one has to become fully educated in one's own (as well as one's second/third, etc.) language to reach near-native levels of proficiency -- and that amount of education simply takes time and maturation. One would not expect erudition from a five-year-old. Hence, expecting the early appearance of Level 4 in young learners is probably unwarranted.  --- MSI Press publishes the only journal dedicated t...