| Do you think that you can't learn a new | | | | programming in Spanish, French, German, |
| language? Think again. Our brains maintain | | | | Italian, and Portuguese. Even Chinese and |
| the capacity to soak up new knowledge of all | | | | Hindi are available in some regions. Check |
| types far into our advanced years. No matter | | | | with your cable supplier or programming |
| what your background or past learning | | | | guides to see what's listed. Programs to |
| experience, you CAN learn to speak another | | | | watch are the news, soap operas and |
| language using these six quick | | | | documentaries. Have a VCR? Tape a couple of |
| techniques.There are a multitude of reasons | | | | programs and play them over and over to |
| for wanting to speak the lingua franca of | | | | accustom yourself to the flow of the |
| another people; travel, business, education, | | | | language. Many VCR models have slow-motion |
| personal pleasure, even family or friends. | | | | and stop-action features allowing you to slow |
| Indeed it's no small feat to habla | | | | down the program to aid your understanding. |
| español, parlez francaise, or sprechenze | | | | 5. Listen to Music: In Japan, English |
| Deutcsh, but the prestige, financial gains, | | | | students karaoke the Beatles. In Latin |
| personal satisfaction and envy that can | | | | America, students mimic Bruce Springsteen. In |
| accompany this easily nurtured skill can be | | | | Africa, the Backstreet Boys rule the |
| most rewarding. But, "Can I really develop | | | | airwaves. Lip-syncing popular songs is all |
| good communicative skills in a new tongue?" | | | | the rage for English language learners, so |
| you may well ask. Yes, you can if you'll use | | | | why don't you turn the tables and use it to |
| these 10 quick tricks for heightening your | | | | your advantage. Check at music shops and |
| language - learning experience and | | | | bookstores for song CDs and tapes. Ask around |
| incorporating your new language into your | | | | for recommendations on where recordings in |
| everyday life. 1. Take a short course: A | | | | your target language might be available. |
| number of language courses are immediately | | | | Ethnic restaurants and shops are another good |
| available in most areas at a local community | | | | source for music or referrals. Lyrics to |
| college or university. Courses in the | | | | literally thousands of songs are available |
| continuing education department tend to be | | | | online. Songs are frequently available online |
| more consumer-oriented, less academic and | | | | in many major languages. Check the local |
| more focused on the prospective needs of | | | | library. The internet will yield hordes of |
| students like you. The internet likewise | | | | song titles and stations worldwide in dozens |
| abounds with foreign language course | | | | of languages. A good online source for |
| offerings. You can learn Swedish, Norwegian, | | | | starters is which has live global feeds 24 |
| Danish or Finnish via multimedia at . The | | | | hours a day in multiple languages. 6. Read: |
| Definitive Worldwide Guide to Learning the | | | | Stop at the library for a grammar book and |
| Thai Language and Studying Thai Culture is | | | | some reading material. The grammar book will |
| online at: if you're up for the exotic. 2. | | | | be an infrequent guide through those rough |
| Mimicking: "Mom, he's mocking me!" Have you | | | | spots when the target language grammar |
| ever heard this complaint when one sibling | | | | differs substantially from English. But don't |
| repeated everything the other said? One | | | | overburden yourself with grammar and rules. A |
| imitating word - for - word the speech, | | | | copious variety of entertaining magazines |
| sounds even actions of the other? It's called | | | | exists in most major languages and unless |
| mimicking and it's so effective you'll be | | | | you're learning Cochimi or Kukapa, you should |
| using this technique to get talking in record | | | | be able to find something. A newspaper, |
| time yourself. The procedure is simple, you | | | | general interest magazine, the bible, |
| repeat exactly, word-for-word, everything | | | | brochures, even comics can help you along. |
| your model says. That model can be a | | | | Short articles are best at first. Although |
| newscaster, character on a soap opera, | | | | you can wade through one or more of those in |
| documentary narrator or the voice coming from | | | | a matter of minutes, your personal |
| your tape player or radio. Don't worry if it | | | | satisfaction at doing so will be boundless. |
| isn't perfect. Just start by trying to get | | | | Try for hard-to-find titles. You can't pick |
| your tongue around the words. You'll acquire | | | | your family; but you can pick your friends |
| speed and ease with practice. You may feel | | | | and you can pick conversations with native |
| silly at first, but persevere. You'll get | | | | speakers of your target language. In the |
| there sooner than you think. 3. Reading | | | | supermarket, in the mall, in the park, a |
| Aloud: One of the most effective | | | | restaurant or a convenience store - almost |
| language-learning tricks is to use the | | | | anywhere you happen to meet or run into a |
| counsel found in The Bible itself at Joshua | | | | native speaker of your new lingua franca, |
| 1: 8, "...and you must in an undertone read | | | | don't just stay there mum - say something. |
| in it day and night, ..." and again at Psalms | | | | People are generally flattered that you're |
| 1:2 stating, "... And in his law he reads in | | | | trying to meet them on their own terms or in |
| an undertone day and night." Read passages in | | | | their own language and are usually more than |
| the target language aloud to yourself. This | | | | happy to chat. Surely, you can say "Buenos |
| powerful technique not only develops speaking | | | | Tardes" to someone passing down the aisle in |
| and pronunciation skills, but contributes to | | | | the supermarket. It's also great practice for |
| listening comprehension, vocabulary and | | | | breaking the ice when you finally light out |
| grammar too. Almost any reading material in | | | | for foreign soil.These quick tricks in |
| your target language will do as long as it's | | | | conjunction with a short language course will |
| interesting and fairly short. You wouldn't | | | | make your language-learning efforts less |
| start an English language learner off by | | | | painless, more interesting, more pleasurable |
| reading "War and Peace" now would you? 4. | | | | and much easier. Try to do something each and |
| Watch TV: If you have cable, is there a | | | | every day. Just think how green with envy |
| station broadcast in the language you're | | | | your friends are all going to be - and start |
| interested in? Many metro areas carry | | | | packing your bags. |