MSI Press Blog

  Imagine you’re at a wedding reception in a country where you’ve only just started learning the language. Someone hands you a glass and smiles expectantly—time for a toast. Your mind goes blank. You know some vocabulary, but forming a proper sentence in real time? That’s a different story. Now imagine instead you’d already memorized a few heartfelt toasts in that language, ready to go. You smile, raise your glass, and say something short but sincere. The people around you laugh or nod appreciatively. Suddenly, you’re not a beginner—you’re someone who belongs. This is the power of language islands , a concept developed by Russian-American language teacher and interpreter (and MSI Press author) Boris Shekhtman. These are memorized chunks of speech—phrases, sentences, or mini-speeches—that you can use in specific, often recurring situations. And for language learners, especially those still gaining confidence, islands can be lifesavers. What Exactly Are Language Islands? Languag...

  If you've ever found yourself struggling mid-conversation in another language, desperately searching for words, translating in your head, and praying for a merciful topic change… you’re not alone. We've all been there. But today’s tip might just change the way you approach language learning — and save your dignity at the next international gathering. Let’s talk about language islands . What Are Language Islands? Back in the mid-1980s, Boris Shekhtman, a brilliant and wildly successful instructor at the Foreign Service Institute (and later the Specialized Language Training Center), coined the term “language islands.” His students — diplomats, international journalists, and world travelers — swore by his methods. And no wonder. A language island is a memorized chunk of speech — a little monologue, a practiced story, a polished opinion — that you know so well, you can say it without thinking. No mental translation. No stuttering. No panicked flailing for vocabulary. Just smooth...

  Continuing in what seems to be coming a trend -- we keep coming across videos of readers -- teachers and language learners -- who have fallen in love with     How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately  by  Boris Shekhtman . The falling in love is not surprising; this book is the darling of diplomats and international journalists, both groups of individuals that Boris spent his life teaching. What is a little more surprising is the number of people who have quietly made videos about the book and its contents -- and which we stumble across upon occasion, such as today. Here is one such video: How to Use Language Islands to Reach Fluency Faster - YouTube The book contains seven tools, one of which is "islands." While the assumption may be -- and often is -- that these tools can help improve language proficiency at intermediate and advanced levels, it can also improve proficiency at the very lowest and very highest levels. With islands (which are essentiall...

  Last Tuesday's (and a few earlier ones have focused on using islands for improving foreign language reading (and writing) very quickly. Here is a set of slides thar can be used by teachers for developing learners' skill in using islands, but they have been primarily used with teachers.  USING ISLAND S (Scroll to the bottom of the page to reach the slides. If you like, there are videos and more there also that include the topic of islands, as well as other tools for language improvement. See more posts about  language learning . See more  Tuesday tips . To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount, use code FF25 at  MSI Press webstore . Want to read an MSI Press book and not have to buy for it? (1) Ask your local library to purchase and shelve it. (2) Ask us for a review copy; we love to have our books reviewed. VISIT OUR  WEBSITE  TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OUR AUTHORS AND TITLES. Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent rele...