MSI Press Blog

Today's Publisher's Pride is  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately  by Boris Shekhtman, which reached  #43 in study and teaching references . the successful practices of diplomats and international journalists now available to any language learner Book description: This is the fifth edition of a popular book that provides a unique set of tools designed to enhance an individual's success in communicati0n in a foreign language environment. The devices presented allow the speaker of a foreign language to demonstrate the level of his/her language more impressively, so impressively, in fact, that it appears that the speaker's language itself has improved overnight. These techniques were developed and tested by the author with adult professionals in such varied fields as journalism, diplomacy, government, and international business. Many of these professionals have attested to the efficacy of these tools in their own columns. "This book provides the most bang...

  University Spanish Classes After the 7 th grade self-taught experience, it was quite some time before I would take actual classes. In the interim, my Latin and French classes kept my Spanish going in a way, given their being members of the same language family: similar grammatical structure, similar lexical derivation. It was only at the university that I picked up courses in Spanish. Since I had a full plate of French, German, and Russian, Spanish did not fit easily into my schedule, so I asked one of the Spanish instructors if I could officially audit her class, and she agreed. Because I already knew some Spanish, it was decided that I should audit intermediate Spanish. I did two courses this way, which, had I taken them for credit, I would have finished the two-year language requirement (a requirement I quite overfulfilled in my college days). The teacher liked having me in class, let me participate with everyone else, take the test, and do the assignments. She was as met...

  In adult college language programs, pronunciation is often postponed until “later,” as if it were an advanced skill. But by the time students reach those upper‑level courses, their sound system is already set. Pronunciation taught early is foundational. Pronunciation taught late is remedial. Why Adult Beginners Need Pronunciation Instruction Right Away 1. Adults form habits fast — and keep them Adult learners are efficient pattern‑makers. Give them a sound once, and they’ll reproduce it the same way every time — even if it’s wrong. By mid‑semester of an elementary course, many pronunciation habits are already entrenched. By the time they reach upper‑level courses, those habits are fossilized. Correcting fossilized pronunciation is like trying to rewrite muscle memory. It can be done, but it’s slow, frustrating, and rarely complete. 2. Pronunciation drives listening comprehension This is the hidden cost of delaying pronunciation: If students can’t produce a sound, they...

  Today's Publisher's Pride is  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately  by Boris Shekhtman, which reached  #43 in study and teaching references . the successful practices of diplomats and international journalists now available to any language learner Book description: This is the fifth edition of a popular book that provides a unique set of tools designed to enhance an individual's success in communicati0n in a foreign language environment. The devices presented allow the speaker of a foreign language to demonstrate the level of his/her language more impressively, so impressively, in fact, that it appears that the speaker's language itself has improved overnight. These techniques were developed and tested by the author with adult professionals in such varied fields as journalism, diplomacy, government, and international business. Many of these professionals have attested to the efficacy of these tools in their own columns. "This book provides the most ba...