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  excerpt from Individualized Study Plans for Very Advanced Students of Foreign Languages by Betty Lou Leaver Preface Individualized Study Plans (ISPs) have been used in a number of venues for at least two decades, if not more, particularly in US government foreign-language training institutions. Sometimes these instruments have been called ISPs; other times they have been called learning plans. Whatever they have been called, the purpose has generally been the same: to assist students in organizing their short-term and long-term learning goals and activities. (In this volume, examples of ISPs and the concepts associated with them refer, for the most part, to the planning of long-term, even lifelong, foreign-language learning activities). The Foreign Service Institute has long used ISPs for its diplomats and attaches in foreign-language training during the training period itself, which could be considered an intermediate-term type of plan since the amount of time spent in lan...

  Chapter One What is an ISP? An Individualized Study Plan (ISP) is a tool to use in planning your lifelong language-learning endeavors. I emphasize “lifelong” here because the achievement of native-like proficiency is, indeed, an effort that takes many years, and if one wants to retain near-native proficiency, once achieved, one needs to continue one’s study for as long as that language is important in the career or personal interests of the individual. For many learners, the ISP is one of the most important tools at their disposal to achieve their high-proficiency goals.  ISPs can take many forms. There is no particular format that is required. There is no particular place that they should be kept. The form and format of the ISP is every bit as individualized as the plan itself. Some folks like to keep a date book. Others prefer a checklist. Yet others like to use diaries. It all depends on the individual learner and his/her learning styles and personality types.  Altho...

      excerpt from  Individualized Study Plans for Very Advanced Students of Foreign Languages  by Betty Lou Leaver Chapter Two The Need for an ISP at High Levels of Foreign Language Proficiency Achieving near-native competence generally does not come by serendipity, coincidence, accident, or “a fluke,” although occasionally (rarely) such things do happen. I know of several people who have said that high level proficiency just happened to them—but even so, it was only after many, many years of study and use of the foreign language in professional situations. Most high-level language users have reported spending much time in direct instruction, study abroad, and self-study (Leaver, 2003a). The average length of time taken by native-like speakers of nearly any foreign language, based on recent research, is 17 years (Leaver and Atwell, 2002). Some learners have been able to achieve this level, however, in much shorter periods of time. Most of these learners had a ...

  This week's book back story features Individualized Study Plans for Very Advanced Students of Foreign Language s by Betty Lou Leaver,  from the author -- Ironically, given the popularity of this book, it was the fastest and easiest I have ever written. Based on years of experience working with highly proficient language students, in 2003 I put together a conference presentation to share "what works" with other teachers. Many of those in attendance wanted a copy of the power point slides, but my slides are nearly always just prompts for more in-depth information. I decided to write up the information behind the slides instead of just sending the slides. It took the better part of a week, but when I was done, I discovered I actually had a book! Purchase the paperback at 25% discount with coupon code FF25  at the  MSI Press webstore . For more posts about Betty Lou Leaver and her books, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  ...

  Today's fortune cookie is associated with Individualized Study Plans for Very Advanced Students of Foreign Languages  by Betty Lou Leaver.  Available at discount at the  MSI Press webstore .   Use coupon code FF25 for 25% discount. For more posts about Betty Lou Leaver and her books, click  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 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? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.  Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their conta...

  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...