Fast Exchanges with Foreign Strangers

Posted on December 8th, 2013by Melanie
In Events, Speech | Leave a Comment »

You’ve heard of speed dating, but what about speed speaking? ‘Language exchanges’ as they’re known, are the plutonic equivalent of speed dating when you get to hone your language skills. You find an event, you sit at a table, you talk to a complete stranger in their language for a few minutes then they talk to you in your language for the remaining few minutes, then…move sideways for your next quick conversation.

Everyone always says that the best way to really learn a language is to speak it but, outside of a classroom where you feel comfortable, confident and know what the subject matter is about, it’s not so easy. Not unless you are lucky enough to be able to jet off randomly to practise your skills abroad. Many of us are really shy when it comes to speaking foreign languages, for fear of getting it wrong and being ridiculed. And if you don’t have foreign friends or colleagues who you can ask for help, how are you supposed to practise?

Language ‘Blind Dates’

Language exchanges have become very popular in the UK. With so many people now visiting and staying in the UK, there is no shortage of foreigners wishing to hone their English languages skills. So in the same way, they will be happy to help you hone your language skills. Just like the classified ‘partner’ ads, you´ll find many advertising for conversation exchanges, usually arranging to meet in bars or cafés. Like a blind date of sorts, except that the only awkwardness is about how well you are, or are not, speaking their language. It may seem strange at first and you may only meet some people once, but an hour of conversation with a native speaker of the language you’re learning will boost your skills as well as your confidence more than you can imagine. If you’re lucky enough, you might meet a language partner who wants to meet up for regular conversation exchanges. An hour a week speaking with the same person means you’ll be able to progress much faster as you can cover new ground each time, and shyness won’t be an issue.

Conversation Exchange Events

Does an hour of speaking with a complete stranger in a foreign language seem too daunting? Check the newspapers and Internet websites for information about conversation language events. These events will specify the languages to be spoken, where and when the event is being held, the cost for attending and the time frame for each language exchange. Far from the conversation exchanges just mentioned, these events place an emphasis on being fast and being fun. With the drinks flowing, you get just a few minutes to speak to your partner in their language to practise your skills, and then it’s time for them to practise their English for a few minutes while they speak to you. With no time for shyness or awkward silences, it’s time to move on and you’re suddenly sitting opposite a new partner where your few minutes start again. Lively and fun, these events are a great way to get talking in your favourite foreign language!

Have you tried a conversation exchange? Was it a private meeting or an arranged event, and did you find it beneficial for practising your language skills? How did the conversation exchange help you to progress in your language lessons?

Speak Up For Your Future!

Posted on October 9th, 2013by Melanie
In Speech | Leave a Comment »

Speak to the FutureWell it seems that 1,000 is the standard number of words we’d need to learn of a foreign language in order to be able to hold a conversation in it. More and more language companies appear to be recommending this level of competency in a foreign language but one organization, Speak to the Future, is taking this a step further.

Backed by the British Council, Speak to the Future is on a mission to get Britain talking, albeit in foreign languages. Believing the Brits to be ‘lazy linguists’, the organization feels that using the excuse that English is the most widely spoken language in the world is not good enough in these times of global connectivity.

Believing 1,000 words to be easily achievable by everyone, no matter what their age or how linguistically skilled they are, Speak to the Future has launched a campaign to promote this challenge. They’re not expecting fluency, just the ability to have a simple conversation. With the support of over 30 organizations, their belief is that by learning foreign languages we can

  • better understand other cultures
  • we can increase the level of education within the UK
  • people will have more opportunities within the employment sector as well    as  socially
  • contact with international networks will create innovation and enterprise
  • we will benefit by having a greater pool of highly qualified linguists within the UK
  • and that we need to act now to increase our standing in globalization.

Have you taken up the challenge? Join in with the campaign and speak up for your future by learning 1,000 words of a foreign language. You might be surprised at the opportunities that suddenly become available to you.

Reading Into It

Posted on September 7th, 2013by Melanie
In Writing | Leave a Comment »

French directionsWhen we think of learning languages, we tend to mean speaking them, getting to know the basics first so that we can ‘get by’ with the little that we know, then gradually increasing our knowledge until we eventually reach a point of fluency. When people look enviously at others and say that they wished they could speak another language like that, or have the ability to switch effortlessly between two languages, they are ultimately referring to the ability to speak the language.

However, learning languages doesn´t just involve speech. It goes without saying that you also have to be able to listen to and understand it when it´s being spoken to you, but the ability to read and write it mustn´t be forgotten or dismissed.

When travelling abroad, a basic knowledge of the language is helpful for simple tasks, such as reading shop signs, understanding menus when you´re ordering food in restaurants,  being able to follow road signs and directions, and understanding how to buy and validate a ticket for the correct route at a train station. These are just some of the everyday things we deal with without thinking, but being able to read and understand the basics can go a long way in a foreign country.

Students often find the reading and writing aspects of learning languages daunting, but with the right teacher and the correct tuition, there really is no need to be worried. Once you´ve grasped the basics, you´ll find that the words will just logically fall into place. So take the plunge and enrol in some language classes; you´ll be word perfect before you know it!

Talk the Talk

Posted on August 17th, 2013by Melanie
In Speech | Leave a Comment »

Talk the talkThe art of a good conversation is knowing what to say, when to say it and how to say it. That’s not always easy as people often mean one thing but say another, try to discuss subjects they´re not fully clued up about, blurt things out in a tactless manner, speak too quickly for others to understand or go off at tangents. All of these things can lead to confusion, disgruntled feelings and mixed messages, which makes having a good conversation in a foreign language even more challenging!

Trying to find the right words and expressions in your own language can be hard enough, but scratching around in a foreign vocabulary to make yourself understood in the way you intended to be is even harder. Confidence is the key; that mixed with a bit of patience and persistence. Be confident that you are speaking the right words in the right way and you´ll carry your conversation off without anyone realising that it involved a little guesswork or that you were unsure of yourself. Don´t worry about the thought of being ridiculed if you get something wrong; on the contrary, people will admire you more for trying. And don´t give up if you can´t think of how to say something straight away, just take some time until it becomes clear in your mind and you´ll find that, after that, the words will flow easily so that you can carry on with the conversation.

No matter what level of lingual ability you´re at, everyone has the same angst when learning and speaking a new language, so be persistent with your studies and be brave at your approach, and you´ll soon find that you´re enjoying a very good conversation!

Can´t Learn, Won´t Learn!

Posted on June 16th, 2013by Melanie
In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Can´t learnEveryone can learn a new language! That´s not just an optimistic line aimed at someone later on in life who is groaning at the thought of having to start to learn a language, or someone  who never did well in school and thinks they don´t have the ability to learn. According to research, it has been scientifically proven that, with the correct learning techniques, a new language can be learned by anyone at any time.

How? When someone has been out of an educational environment for a long time or doesn´t have a knack for learning languages, this may seem very unlikely. It´s simple! They just need to listen to a word 160 times over a period of 14 minutes according to neuroscientists. The brain may struggle to recognise the new word being introduced initially but, after this amount of exposure to the word, it suddenly recognises the word as indistinguishable from those they are already familiar with. Findings also showed that it wasn´t necessary for any active participation of the volunteers in the study to try to learn the language; there were no memory tests or repetition exercises, just listening and their brains did the rest of the hard work.

But let´s face it, with such busy lives, who has either the time or inclination to learn new words 160 times, whatever the time period they can be learned over? The study has proven that everyone has the ability to learn a new language, no matter what their age or learning capabilities but, in real terms, the findings aren´t really feasible or practical. The interesting part of the study is that no active participation was needed, just to listen. This is already a teaching method used widely nowadays, where teachers are doing away with the traditional schooling methods of using books and writing tasks, and are concentrating on speaking the language with the onus on the pupils to listen and tune into the new words without questioning the structure and meaning as they would normally.

To relax and enjoy the lessons is also said to enhance the learning process and helps to increase the level at which the new language is absorbed. To make something a difficult task makes it a chore and can act as a hindrance as the brain can “switch off” and therefore not take in as much information. Whereas, if a subject is enjoyable and is practised in a relaxed atmosphere, the brain is more “switched on” and receptive to taking in new information.

So if you´re ready to learn a foreign language and eager to do so without the tediousness often associated with lessons, then it´s time to explore the more modern teaching methods available to you. Using innovative training techniques and by combining language learning with a fun approach, you can easily be at a conversational level in your chosen language in no time at all.  If you´d like to speak a Romance language, for example, then immerse yourself in some lively Italian lessons in London for fast results in an entertaining way!

Finding Foreign Words in our Everyday Language

Posted on May 24th, 2013by Melanie
In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

EurostarCan´t speak a foreign language? Think it´s too hard to learn? Nonsense! You may not realise it, but the English language has absorbed so many words and phrases from other languages over the years that they have become commonplace and used as everyday terms for us. Take the French language, for example.

How many times have you asked to see the à la carte menu in a restaurant? And chosen crème brûlée, mousse or a flambé for dessert? Do you enjoy watching the ballet or is the Grand Prix more your kind of thing? Are you an entrepreneur? Why don´t you buy your fiancée a lovely bouquet of flowers? Is your home in a cul-de-sac and does your bedroom have an en suite bathroom?

We have become so used to these words in our everyday language that we often don´t realise that they have been taken from another one. So whilst you might think that you´re unable to learn another language, think again, because you´re already speaking one more than you realise!

With the right style of teaching, at a level to suit you, you can learn to speak French fluently in no time. The best way to pick up the language easily is for a native French speaker to teach you. So give it a go! Arrange to meet your tutor in the local café and pick up your friends en route to your lessons. You´ll be surprised at just how easy it is to learn French in Leeds!

Expressive dictionary

Posted on August 28th, 2012by Michelle
In Writing | Leave a Comment »

One of the things I love about the English language is that it’s so expressive. By changing your tone you can make words sound very different.

But how can you do this when you’re writing the words rather than speaking them? The Sound-Word Index is here to help!

Two Royal College of Art graduates came up with the idea, and the site is now a handy reference for those trying to interpret digital meaning. An example:

/!!!!!/ It can mean: Shock or really enthusiastic. For example: ‘I have a new boyfriend!!!!!’

You can submit your own words through the website.

Scrabble cheat

Posted on August 16th, 2012by Michelle
In Events | Leave a Comment »

We all cheat at Scrabble, right? Even if it’s just when playing Scrabble-like apps.

Not so many of us do it at a high level though – like when competing in a tournament. One of America’s top young players has been caught doing just that. In a tournament in Florida, the player, who has not been identified because of his age, was spotted by another player hiding blank Scrabble tiles.

The player was in round 24 of 28 at the time, and dropped the tiles on the floor in order to conceal them. The winner of the tournament stood to gain US$10,000.

[John] Williams, who has served as executive director for 25 years and co-authored a book on the popular board game in 1993, said this was the first incident of cheating at a national tournament.

“It does happen no matter what. People will try to do this,” he said. “It’s the first time it’s happened in a venue this big though. It’s unfortunate. The Scrabble world is abuzz. The internet is abuzz.” (Source: Guardian)

Words of the Mars mission

Posted on August 12th, 2012by Michelle
In Jargon | Leave a Comment »

We’ve all been caught up in the highs and lows of the Olympics for the past couple of weeks, but it turns out there are other things going on in the world!

Notably, NASA’s latest mission to Mars –which even sends out tweets! If you’re confused by the many acronyms surrounding the mission, the Minneapolis-St Paul Star Tribune has provided a handy guide. Here’s an extract:

For example: the twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity that landed in 2004 were known as MER-A and MER-B for the longest time (MER is shorthand for Mars Exploration Rover.)

MSL [Mars Science Laboratory] did not become Curiosity until 2009 when a sixth-grader from Kansas proposed the nickname. Still, there are some who continue to use the scientific moniker.

Curiosity is loaded with the most sophisticated instruments to study Mars’ environment — with convoluted names to match. “Mastcam” refers to the pair of 2-megapixel color cameras on the rover’s “head.” “SAM” — short for Sample Analysis at Mars — is the mobile chemistry lab designed to sniff for carbon compounds. “ChemCam” stands for Chemistry and Camera, otherwise known as the rock-zapping laser. And “RAD”? That’s the radiation detector. (Source: Star Tribune)

The Oxford English Fictionary

Posted on July 21st, 2012by Michelle
In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

This could well be my new favourite Tumblr: The Oxford English Fictionary.

The Fictionary is dedicated to “Defining words that aren’t real. Yet.” It accepts user submissions as follows:

The OEF exists to define words that do not exist. If you have a word that needs a definition, submit it. If you have a word that already has a definition, that’s very nice, but go contact Merriam Webster instead.

A couple of my favourite recent words are:

Anachronister (noun): a time-traveling spider. (word submitted by anonymous)

Shquibble (verb): to verbally argue with someone, with both sides in full anger, in complete silence after having been shushed by a librarian. (word submitted by Chris)