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Learning a New Language
Learning a New Language

Learn English: ESL Lesson about learning new languages

Date: Feb 18 2020

Themes: School, Travel

Grammar: Simple Past Tense

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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As a kid, learning a new language is pretty easy. In fact, the younger you are, the easier it will be. Once you become a teenager, it’s harder to learn a second language. And adults can definitely build conversational skills, but it’s even harder as you get older.

The best way to gain fluency in any second language is to listen to it 24/7. You can have an aptitude for language and the ability to memorize new words, but you will pick up any language faster when you hear and speak it every day. Not only that, but your accent will be far better than if you learn it from a book. Just one more reason why traveling is so cool!

Listen to Gary and Julie talk about their experiences with learning new languages in today’s English lesson.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Julie

Julie

Gary

Gary

Julie:  So, Gary…

Gary:  Yeah.

Julie:  Do you speak any languages other than English?

Gary:  I can speak very little Spanish and Japanese.

Julie:  Did you learn them when you were in school, or did you live somewhere outside of the US?

Gary:  Good question! I learned Japanese while I was living in Japan, so Japanese was around me 24/7. So it was pretty easy. Do you have an aptitude to learn new languages?

Julie:  I think I do. I do. I studied French when I was a teenager, and I studied Spanish in college. And because those languages are so similar, I think that helped me to build fluency in both of them. Well, I shouldn’t say… I’m not fluent. I would say I have conversational skills.

Gary:  But it was much easier for you to be able to memorize different words because in Spanish and French they were very similar.

Julie:  Sometimes the verbs are almost identical. It was easier for me to pick up Spanish because I could think about the word in French. Would you say that being in Japan also helped with your accent? Do you know what I mean?

Gary:  Yeah. I think I heard certain words that were spoken in a specific way. And in fact, I learned a Tokyo-based accent, versus an Osaka-type accent.

Julie:  That’s interesting.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Gary and Julie have both studied different languages. Gary speaks some Spanish and a lot of Japanese. He lived in Japan, so he heard the language 24/7, which made it easier for him to learn.

Julie learned Spanish and French in school. Because the languages are very similar, she was able to develop conversational skills in both. One day Julie may even have fluency in these languages. It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it!

Do you speak more than one language? Is it difficult to learn a new language?

 

Comments

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buttafly

buttafly

Germany

Hello Julito, thanks for your kind and interesting comment. It’s good to be back :) And not only because I consider ebaby a fruitful resource for finding new learning material , if you know what I mean ;)  Surely, it takes courage to babble away in a foreign laguage. That’s why I try to motivate my students to just open their mouth without thinking too much about making mistakes. I know it sounds unusual but it really increases the success rate of becoming fluent. You, Julito, you recognized the importance of putting yourself out there by fitting ebaby into your daily routine. That’s marvelous because it not only keeps you on your toes but helps you to immerse in the American language :)


Alston, my teacher, role model, conversation partner and friend, you are always injecting us with constructive feedback and support. Thanks so much!

englishteacher24/7

United States

Anja and Julito you both hit the Bulls-eye, i.e., acquiring English instead of learning it.

01:46 AM Mar 13 2015 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Dear Anja, welcome back !!! Thanks for your feedback  . i believe from my own experience of assisting to english courses is that one of the   main stumbling blocks on the way to fluency is  to be afraid to make mistakes while talking. I have seen students that were already  in intermediate   levels, and yet  they couldn`t  hold a  steady conversation with the teacher. As you have mentioned , a little practice everyday is essential , tape recording our voice trying to imitate  the native speaker voice  and intonation . When i joined in EB`s  i barely could write a few sentences, but daily practice finally paid off. I am far from perfect but  i know that i have improved a lot considering that i don`t take classes with an english tutor. 

05:21 PM Mar 12 2015 |

buttafly

buttafly

Germany

To me there’s no magic bullet solution when it comes to learning a new language.


Variety is not only the spice of life but also a super ingredient on the language learning journey. I really do enjoy all sorts of native speaking medias. They are in many ways helpful and inspiring. Watching episodes from popular TV series are a fun way to dive into the language that people really use in everyday life. Reading blogs or listening to podcasts are other useful resources to gain new vocabulary or expressions.  Like I said..there’s no magic bullet solution, you just have to bring yourself to take responsibility for your learning process. It demands patience, there’s no doubt about it, but in the long run it’s worth every minute you’ve tried and tried to become fluent.

WobblyJoe

WobblyJoe

United States

Tar1ta- I have since started adding phrases to my flash cards. It works just fine. Good idea. Thanks.

03:44 PM Mar 12 2015 |

habiba 18

habiba 18

Tunisia

i speak 4 languages and it’s not very hard to learn other languages if u really like it and enjoy it :) but if u dont then u’ll find it very difficult :/ so my advice is that if u want to learn a new language try to pick up the one that u like the most :D

10:18 AM Mar 07 2015 |

TOPO

TOPO

Panama

tar1ta if you can think in english then you will realize that you are an english speaker or an english thinker xD …however, keep practicing thats the the secret…and try to be in a place where you listen english 24/7 …


I don’t like books…I prefer a web where I can interact with people that speak english for improve my english and see my english skills..


09:27 PM Mar 06 2015 |

tar1ta

tar1ta

Antarctica

TOPO, I don’t know if it’s the right thing. I listened to English dialogs during sleep some time ago. And I seemed to have remembered nothing… :D


Maybe some “teachers” writing books like “Learning English thus and so” just invent new methods to sell their bestsellers. There were a lot of such books in bookstores here.


P.S. I like listening music too

07:57 PM Mar 06 2015 |

1 person likes this

TOPO

TOPO

Panama

tar1ta I love listen music…I make this all the time…in fact just when I’m sleeping I can not do it xD …so all the music that I listen is in english ….24/7 rigth??? ...

03:34 PM Mar 06 2015 |

tar1ta

tar1ta

Antarctica

TOPO, I doubt if it possible to learn a foreign language 24/7. I wonder who do it in this way.


For example, I learned English enthusiastically (about 2-3 hours per day) for a month and I think learning took a lot of time :)


Who thinks otherwise?

05:10 AM Mar 06 2015 |

TOPO

TOPO

Panama

rigth tar1ta  ...thats why we are here :D …continue listen the foreign language 24/7 !! 

06:25 PM Mar 04 2015 |

1 person likes this

tar1ta

tar1ta

Antarctica

TOPO, that’s what we (all?) do here: communicate with pen pals who don’t speak our native language. So we have the motivation to learn. It’s strange to speak to people living in your country :) And I can’t imagine how it is when it is easier to speak English. It was difficult for me and it is still difficult.

09:28 PM Feb 26 2015 |

TOPO

TOPO

Panama

I’m learning english since 2005 …it was very difficult when I started but I was listening english 24/7 for six months in 2007…after of it…it was more easy speak it…the problem is that here in my country you listen spanish 24/7 xD …


Try to improve your english with someone that doesn´t speak your native language..it will be more easy…

03:31 PM Feb 26 2015 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

tarita, hello, yes, i did the test online , according to the test my level is intermediate .


I think that we can speeding up our road to fluency by  chatting in english , even better,  immersing in the idiom “only english”  ,grammar is secondary . An english tutor is necessary ,the problem is that not everybody can afford it , also free time to attend a course.    bye bye, enjoy the weekend !!! 

04:43 PM Feb 21 2015 |

tar1ta

tar1ta

Antarctica

julito, I agree with you. But why don’t we test ourselves online? I’m going to try tonight. Maybe my level is not intermediate yet; I want to know it anyway.


P.S. Oh, why can’t we learn languages the way children do it!? :( It would be much more interesting.

03:33 PM Feb 21 2015 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Tarita, 


when we don`t want to write sleep ,we may write ZZZZZZzzzzzzz.  


the only thing that i like   grammar books is the tests, then i can know my level . Children do not learn grammar , they repeit what their parents say. But it is true ,we should try to learn  grammar without being obsessed with the rules. rome was not built in a day , baby steps. 

09:19 PM Feb 20 2015 |

tar1ta

tar1ta

Antarctica

julito, thanks. What does “Z…z” mean?


I think there are a lot of methods for using a book.


For example, I’ve put my monitor on an extremely voluminous grammar book (about 900 pages in the fine print) so the screen was in higher position ))

09:11 PM Feb 20 2015 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

@ Tarita,


ZZZZZzzzzzzzz.


bye the way ,  I like your sense of humour !!!

08:56 PM Feb 20 2015 |

tar1ta

tar1ta

Antarctica

julito, hello!


I’ve just sent a letter to my friend. In it I told her how I had tried (in vain) to read very complicated grammar book. I doubt if it will help me sleep but I’ll try. Maybe that awful book is good for something )))

08:52 PM Feb 20 2015 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

@Tarita, hello,


with people who have sleep disorder i have a cure that  it`s  100×100 garanteed and i am giving it for free . No pills, chamomile tea or  amazonian herbs , it  comes in the form of a book  ,the title is” English grammar usage. ” :)))) 

08:46 PM Feb 20 2015 |

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