MSI Press Blog

  If you’ve been following this blog, you know we often come back to the idea of tortoises and hares in language learning—a metaphor that helps illuminate key differences between learners at lower and higher levels of proficiency. The tortoises are those who are ectenic —once called "left-brain dominant"—methodical, detail-focused, accuracy-driven, and often painfully slow to speak at first. The hares, on the other hand, are synoptic —formerly known as "right-brain dominant"—big-picture thinkers who race through the early stages with apparent ease and fluency, sometimes at the cost of precision. Tortoises and Hares: Cognitive Differences at Work At lower levels of language proficiency, these two types of learners are easy to spot. The hares appear to be naturals, picking up conversational skills quickly, confidently guessing at meaning, and chatting away with barely a pause. Tortoises, meanwhile, may seem stuck in the slow lane—hesitant, quiet, and consumed by get...

  Among language learners and would-be language learners, there has always been great interest in how do diplomats learn language since they are often held up as the premier language learners (and users). Well we know that. Among MSI Press authors are individuals who have taught diplomats and who have led language-learning programs for diplomats. Want "recipes" and hacks that teachers of diplomats use that anyone learning a language can benefit from? Well, check out these books. By Dr. Thomas Garza   Practices That Work: Bringing Learners to Professional Proficiency in World Languages By Betty Lou Leaver Achieving Native-Like Second Language Proficiency Individualized Study Plans for Very Advanced Students of Foreign Languages The Invisible Foreign Language Classroom (with Laura Dabbs) Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star By Boris Shekhtman Communicative Focus How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately Working with Advanced Foreign Language Stude...

    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...

  Today's Publisher's Pride is  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately  by Boris Shekhtman, which reached  #13 in study and teaching reference and #34 in academic and commercial writing reference .  Read more posts about Boris and his books  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in publishing with  MSI Press LLC ? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our  author au pair  services will mentor you through the process. Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book...

Today's Publisher's Pride is  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately  by Boris Shekhtman, which reached  #13 in study and teaching reference and #34 in academic and commercial writing reference .  Read more posts about Boris and his books  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in publishing with  MSI Press LLC ? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our  author au pair  services will mentor you through the process. Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purch...