[ola] Ideas on what to do outside of class to learn a FL?
- From: Nanosh Lucas <nanoshlucas@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:10:16 -0800
Hey, all,
I'm working up a list for students to think about while they're
outside of class. Here is the copy I have so far... Can you help add
more ideas? I'll give you back the final version. I'll probably print
it for students either tomorrow or Wednesday, depending. Any error
correction or issues would be great, too.
Thanks,
Nanosh
Learning Spanish on your own
I wrote this document for students of Spanish who are struggling in
class and would like to do something about it. I also wrote it for
those students who recognize where they are in the process and would
like to push themselves a little further in the process. First, check
your level (this is an oversimplification of the levels but a good
place to start):
Novice-Low – 20 words. Do you know less than twenty words in Spanish?
This is about where you are.
Novice-Mid – Memorized phrases: ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo… and etc.
Novice-High – Starting to create with the language. You are using
complete sentences a lot of the time.
Intermediate-Low – You are creating with the language and using
complete sentences all of the time. You can describe with supporting
details. You still use independent sentences.
Intermediate-Mid – You are creating with the language, making strings
of connected sentences, communicating ideas and able to control the
past and future tenses some of the time.
Intermediate-High – You are speaking in paragraph-length discourse
most of the time and almost able to handle advanced level topics some
of the time.
Ways to improve your Spanish:
1. Bring an attitude of forgiveness to class. It isn’t always going to
be easy; you will experience frustration – this is normal for
everybody at any level. Forgive yourself for not being a Spanish
superstar. Have patience for others no matter where they are in
Spanish. The trick is to remember that the more you try, the more you
create an atmosphere of success in the class just with your positive
attitude. You will find your frustration reduce the more you relax and
just let it happen.
2. Spend time speaking/hanging out with a native Spanish speaker.
There is no substitute for this experience. You can learn a lot about
different Spanish-speaking cultures this way, and this will help keep
you curious and motivated.
3. Speak in Spanish to another English speaker who speaks Spanish. Set
aside time and practice with one another person. It sounds like it
might be silly, but if you attach it to another activity, such as
playing Legos or doing a puzzle together, it can be fun, and you will
notice your Spanish improve quite a bit.
4. Teach someone some Spanish. There is a great body of evidence to
show that when you can teach someone something, you have mastered it.
You can teach something simple that you already know, or you can do
some research and learn the material in order to teach it to someone
else.
5. Carry around a small notebook or place to write in. When you are in
a conversation and can’t come up with a word or need to work around it
(circumlocute) write it down, so that you remember to look it up
later.
6. Watch Univision and Telemundo. If you like watching TV, this is a
great way to do it. You’ll learn more about Spanish-speaking cultures
and your auditory comprehension (ability to hear and understand)
Spanish will go through the roof.
7. Watch movies in Spanish. You can watch movies you already have in
Spanish, or you can get movies with Spanish as the original language.
Netflix has a great selection, if you have it, and even Redbox has
Spanish-language films.
8. Listen to the radio in Spanish. 610 AM plays news, music, and all
sorts of stuff in the Southern Oregon region.
9. Get to know wordreference.com. This is quite possibly the raddest
dictionary in the universe. Quick, how do you say _________?
10. Bring content to your home. Label things and put vocabulary on
your bathroom mirror that you are working on.
11. Talk to yourself in Spanish. Narrate what you are doing to
yourself in Spanish; it’s great fun – people will think you are crazy.
12. Think to yourself in Spanish. Your mind is a very powerful tool –
this will help sharpen it!
13. Bring content to the class. Bring your interests to class EVERY
DAY and raise your hand to talk about it EVERY DAY. We do our best to
listen to you and make sure what you are interested in becomes the
focus of the class. Bring personal items to share or stories that you
have. Bring new vocabulary you learned or experiences.
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