MSI Press Blog

  So, what pushes someone to reach near-native proficiency in a foreign language? There is little quantitative research out there except for a study undertaken by Leaver and Atwell (published in Developing Professional Level Language Proficiency by Cambridge University Press) and Al-Khanji, Jasser, and Leaver (a research project funded by the CCCC of the National Association of Teachers of English). Both had an n in excess of 100. The numbers from these numbers show that often the push for near-native comes from a need for higher proficiency for the job (the highest push; consider it instrumental motivation) or from an interpersonal need (in-laws, spouse from the foreign country). Lesser numbers show an internal desire (call it intrinsic motivation), often associated with the trait of tenacity. Individual experiences tell more of the story, not only about the why (motivation) but also about the how of reaching higher levels (learning actions and strategies). Some of these indiv...

   Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly. #27 I Just Forgot!   If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear. ~Winnie the Pooh   Do you find that when you ask your child to do more than one thing at a time, the task may only get partially done or not done at all? Perhaps it is less an attitude problem than you might be tempted to think. Children need practice building their memory and multi-tasking skills. One way to improve your child's memory is by asking him to do a series of tasks. Use the words "first," "then," "next," and "finally" or number them 1, 2, 3, 4. Give him directions such as "First, go get your book bag. Second, put on your shoes and, third, wait by the door for me.” It may be helpful to have a younger child repeat the di...

  From  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star WORK YOUR MEMORY  Just having a memory is not enough for good langauge learning. One just use it. Here are some ways in which you can use your memory.  Make rote memory your back-up, not your primary approach Learning "by heart" ids the least effective means of remembering anything. Yes, there are tools, such as flash cards. Yes, this is among the most popular approachces of traditional textbooks. And yes, relying on rote memory can set learners up for overload and failure. As a back-up, yes, it can provide a sense of support and be there when you need automatic and even unthinking recall, but as s business-as-usual approach to language learning, rote memory is not the business you want. Associate memory works better, and binnding works best. Take a look --    Rote memory Rote memory is what you learn without a whole lot of meaning attached. Just repetition. Of course, repetition is one of ...

  From  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star ATTENTION/AWARNESS Awareness/attention is critical to memory -- of anything. If you did not see something, you cannot remember it. If you saw something but did not notice details, you cannot remember it. If you did notice some details in passing but did not pay particular attention to them, you cannot remember them. Awareness and attention are key to remembering words, grammars, and other linguistic phenomena needed to be a successful language learner. The better you become at being aware of the right things and paying enough attention to them to stuff them into your memory, the faster you will acquire a new language. Let's take a look at some examples. Words Rather than trying to remember a word as a whole, try paying attention to components of the word. How many syllables are there? What does the word sound like? What are the pieces of the word (the root, prefix, suffix)? Is there anything else unique abou...

  From  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star How Memory Works (simplified) If you know how memory works, you can learn faster because you commit information to memory--and it stays there better.  The stages of memory, briefly and simplistically, are attention awareness repetition/rehearsal (for short-term storage) m anipulation of information (in working memory, in preparation for moving it to long-term memory use, recall/retrieval, and re-storage to make information impervious to loss (long-term memory). Test this process out. You will have to do it over time. 1.      Find 5-10 words (open the dictionary and blindly pick, if you like) in either English or your foreign language that you do not know. Figure out what those words mean. Do that first on your own by using some of the techniques listed above. Then, ascertain your accuracy by asking someone or looking up the meaning in the dictionary or online. You have now accomplished...

Exercise When one is studying intensively, it might seem an unnecessarily waste of time to get up and exercise. In fact, in the act of perseverance (the internal push to keep going), much time can pass unnoticed. All work and no play, however, is…well, you know. Exercise advantages the language learner in a number of ways: ·        releases feel-good endorphins ·        boosts brain activity ·        retention of new skills in memory The question, then, is not if you should exercise but rather when, how long, and how. Therein lie a number of options that you can choose from, depending upon your personal schedule, needs, and interests. Exercise to improve mood and energy Any exercise prompts the release of endorphins will improve mood and energy. Both will serve you will in the classroom as you work with others, and you may also gain additional energy for homework an...

Released today! This book encompasses traditional tips that have worked for most people and then goes way beyond them. adjusting them to individual learners and teaching the learners to develop their own heuristics for rapid and successful language learning.  Within these pages, the reader can find a trove of treasure, such as strategies and tactics reading, listening, writing, and speaking mental management ways to manage cognitive dissonance ways to control emotional reasoning the connection between health and language learning understanding and improving memory knowing how personality type and cognitive style affect learning successfully preparing for tests