MSI Press Blog

Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from My 20th Language by Betty Lou Leaver, Ph.D. -- Introduction In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a polyglot—although I have formally and informally studied twenty languages, the most recent being Indonesian, which I undertook over a three-week period at the age of seventy-four. After this intensive study, I spent four weeks in Indonesia conducting faculty development in English for limited English speakers at a government institution. During my time there, I found myself needing Indonesian in countless practical situations: communicating with drivers, navigating train stations between Bandung and Jakarta, checking into hotels, and—perhaps most memorably—combining various nouns with "tidak berfungsi" (does not work) when dealing with hotel staff in Bandung. I helped my co-teacher order at restaurants, asked for directions (or more typically, how to get back to where I started, given my exceptional directional challenges),...

  Continuing the topic of the barrier that some (many) language learners experience between ILR Levels 3 and 4, I would point to linguistic fossilization as a critical one. There are several reasons/explanations for linguistic fossilization. One of those is when learners develop high levels of communicative competence at low levels of proficiency (particularly at the lower reaches of ILR 3/Professional Proficiency).  Achieving Advanced Professions Proficiency/ILR, what is commonly called near-native foreign language proficiency, requires sophistication of expression, i.e. le mot just, precision, and lack of the need to circumlocute. Circumlocution and other compensatory strategies are great at Level 3 and below. They allow the language learner to communicate easily with a native speaker. They often brag that they are complimented on their proficiency (an overt sign that they are only at Level 3 since near-native speakers do not get so complimented--they are not recognized as f...

  In the foreign language classroom, we often focus on answers—right ones, fluent ones, grammatically precise ones. But what if the real breakthrough comes not from answering well, but from asking better? Effective questioning is one of the most underused—and most powerful—tools in language learning. Why? Because a well-crafted question does more than fill a silence. It invites connection, reveals nuance, and shifts the burden of speech to others while giving the learner control of the exchange. In short, it buys thinking time, builds confidence, and keeps the conversation going. How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately shows learners exactly how to do that. This isn't about scripted textbook questions or robotic recitations. It's about learning to ask strategically —to turn the spotlight onto others in a way that showcases your own language ability while deepening the interaction. Whether you're asking for clarification, showing curiosity, or diplomatically steeri...

  On June 6, we celebrate Russian Language Day, choosing this year to honor Aleksandr Pushkin, the literary giant who shaped modern Russian. Yet, Pushkin’s linguistic journey is filled with irony and legend—some true, some perhaps embellished over time. Truth: Pushkin’s First Language Was French Pushkin was born into Russian aristocracy, where French was the language of the educated elite. He spoke French before Russian, a fact that adds poetic irony to his role as the father of modern Russian literature. Despite his fluency in French, Pushkin’s deep engagement with Russian folklore and his nanny, Arina Rodionovna, nurtured his love for the Russian language. Eventually, he pioneered a writing style that blended classical and vernacular Russian, making literature more accessible to the people. Legend: Pushkin Mistakenly Used Feminine Verb Endings A persistent legend among some linguists (and students at the University of Moscow/MGU when I was a student there eons ago, it now se...