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#2 (permalink) Sun May 18, 2008 12:18 pm Essay: The benefits of learning language in the country where it is spoken |
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Another reason it's advantageous to learn a language in the country where it's spoken is that you are exposed to the language almost all the time, in different forms that would never be covered in a textbook or class. You learn this language both when you're paying attention, and when you're not. Frequently you find you have a command of phrases and structures that have sneaked into your mind while you were paying attention to other things.
When you learn the language in the country where it's spoken, you also pick up a range of expression you wouldn't learn in a class. You learn what language to use when playing with children, for example. When you arrive in the country, you quickly find yourself needing vocabulary for things that your books didn't teach about. For example, you may suddenly find out you don't know how to talk about anything you see in the sky, or the configuration of the seats in a car, or various emotions beyond the basic ones. Books, and even the Internet, cannot simulate real life, so you have to go somewhere and experience real life.
It's sad, though, that many people live immersed in a country's language but never learn it. I know a man who spent 20 years in Oman but never learned Arabic, and a man who was in Japan for almost 30 years but is illiterate in Japanese. Similarly, I meet people in my country who have been here for 30 years and can't hold a simple conversation in English. So just being in the country isn't enough. You still need motivation. |
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Jamie (K) I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 5332 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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#3 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 21:53 pm Essay: The benefits of learning language in the country where it is spoken |
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| Hi everyone!!!! I think it depends on every person, I lived 7 years in USA and forced myself to learn english because I needed in dairy routine. |
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Sipa2008 You can meet me at english-test.net
Joined: 20 May 2008 Posts: 51
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#4 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 21:55 pm Essay: The benefits of learning language in the country where it is spoken |
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| sipa2008 wrote: |
| Hi everyone!!!! I think it depends on every person, I lived 7 years in USA and forced myself to learn english because I needed in dairy routine. |
Did you work in a dairy, or did you mean to write "daily"? |
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Jamie (K) I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 5332 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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#5 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 23:30 pm Essay: The benefits of learning language in the country where it is spoken |
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I would say that it is almost impossible to learn correctly a foreign language ,not being for long time in the place ,where it is spoken. On other hand , if you had not studied firstly at school and you had not achieved some kind of effective grammar knowledge than it would be as well costly in time venture and all these studing & living abroad would be very much stressful at the begining. I regret myself not to be able to stay for longer in some decent American or English school when younger. Would have one proplem less in live Jan |
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Jan I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 318 Location: At sea
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| Jesus ... Christ | Safety of journalists and reporters in Myanmar? |