MSI Press Blog

  Excerpt from  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star The Brain Scape in Language Learning There are some psychological phenomena that exist that are not exactly cognitive distortions but have a similar effect on learning capacity and performance. They might be called cognitive distractions, except that they also have a strong emotional component. Three representative “cognitive distractions” include tolerance of ambiguity, ego boundaries, and mental management. The uniqueness of this trio is that they are continua with strong poles and weak poles. The strong poles—ability to tolerate ambiguity, thin ego boundaries that allow you to approach the native speaker with comfort, and mental management that puts you in charge of your own performance. Tolerance of Ambiguity Do you feel lost if you cannot understand 100% of everything going on around you in your classroom, including every single word you hear? Do you need to know every work in a reading text, bro...

  What separates a good language learner from a truly impressive communicator? It’s not always grammar drills or endless vocabulary lists. Often, it’s the ability to hold  dynamic conversations —those fluid, engaging, and responsive interactions that feel alive, purposeful, and even fun. In fact, dynamic conversation is where a language learner can truly shine. In the newly released fifth edition of  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , you’ll discover a powerful collection of tools specifically designed to help you do just that. These aren’t abstract theories or gimmicks. They’re practical, tested techniques that can elevate your spoken language on the spot—so much so that listeners may believe your fluency has taken a quantum leap overnight. What Makes a Conversation “Dynamic”? Dynamic conversations are not simply about speaking quickly or with perfect accuracy. They are marked by: Responsiveness : Adapting to your conversation partner’s tone, body languag...

  What separates a good language learner from a truly impressive communicator? It’s not always grammar drills or endless vocabulary lists. Often, it’s the ability to hold  dynamic conversations —those fluid, engaging, and responsive interactions that feel alive, purposeful, and even fun. In fact, dynamic conversation is where a language learner can truly shine. In the newly released fifth edition of  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , you’ll discover a powerful collection of tools specifically designed to help you do just that. These aren’t abstract theories or gimmicks. They’re practical, tested techniques that can elevate your spoken language on the spot—so much so that listeners may believe your fluency has taken a quantum leap overnight. What Makes a Conversation “Dynamic”? Dynamic conversations are not simply about speaking quickly or with perfect accuracy. They are marked by: Responsiveness : Adapting to your conversation partner’s tone, body languag...

  What separates a good language learner from a truly impressive communicator? It’s not always grammar drills or endless vocabulary lists. Often, it’s the ability to hold  dynamic conversations —those fluid, engaging, and responsive interactions that feel alive, purposeful, and even fun. In fact, dynamic conversation is where a language learner can truly shine. In the newly released fifth edition of  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , you’ll discover a powerful collection of tools specifically designed to help you do just that. These aren’t abstract theories or gimmicks. They’re practical, tested techniques that can elevate your spoken language on the spot—so much so that listeners may believe your fluency has taken a quantum leap overnight. What Makes a Conversation “Dynamic”? Dynamic conversations are not simply about speaking quickly or with perfect accuracy. They are marked by: Responsiveness : Adapting to your conversation partner’s tone, body languag...