Anybody can learn a second language in six months. There are five rules and seven actions. The first rule, first principle for learning a language is focus on language content that is relative to you . I had a colleague many years ago, we had 48 hours to deliver a training manual in Chinese. In 48 hours, she learned to type Chinese because it was relevant, it was meaningful, it was important. So the second principle for learning a language is:
to use your language as a tool to communicate, right from day , When I first arrived in China, I didn't speak a word of Chinese, on my second week, I got to take a train ride overnight. I spent 8 hours sitting in the dining car, talking to one of the guards on the train, in Chinese. He was drawing pictures and making movements with his hands and piece by piece I understood more and more.
2 weeks later when people were talking Chinese around me, I was understanding some of this and I hadn't made any effort to learn that. Which brings us to the 3rd principle: When you first understand the message, then you will acquire the language unconsciously. And language learning, it's about physiological training! Because we have filters in our brain that filter out the sounds of languages that we're not familiar with and if you can't hear it, you won't understand it. Speaking takes muscle - you have to coordinate those in a way that you make sounds that other people will understand.
And the final principle, if you're sad, angry, worried, upset, you're not going to learn, period! You need to be tolerant of ambiguity. If you're one of those people who needs to understand 100% every word you're hearing, you will go nuts! If you're comfortable getting some, not getting some, paying attention to what you do understand, you're gonna be fine, you'll be relaxed and you'll be learning quickly. What are the 7 actions that you take?
Action 1 - Listen alot!
Action 2 - Get The Meaning!
Action 3 - Start Mixing!
Action 4 - Focus on the Cour!
Action 5 - Start With Your Toolbox!
How do you say that? I don't understand . Repeat that please. What does that mean? By week 2: Me, this, you, that. And by the 3rd or 4th week: Although, but,
therefore. You should get yourself a language parent
who will communicate with you essentially as an equal. First of all they will work hard to understand
what you mean even when you're way off.
Secondly they will never correct your mistakes. Thirdly they will feedback their understanding
of what you're saying so that you can respond and then they will use words that you know.
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