Communication: The Most Important Part of Language Learning (with VIDEO)
Do you have a fear of speaking in English? Or do you just not feel confident in your abilities?
It might sound obvious, but communication is extremely important when learning a new language. So today, we’re going to discuss all about communication, and help you to conquer your fear.
There are many people who believe that it’s necessary to study for a long time before one is ready to speak. But this isn’t true.
It is far too common for people to begin by studying the grammar and the structure of the language—all of the rules—but they hardly speak.
This problem derives from the traditional language teaching methods used by most schools that put tons of emphasis on studying and memorizing the rules, and few, if any, opportunities for students to speak and to experience the culture.
Learn English with Your Favorite TV Show
Make as Many Mistakes as You Can
What’s even worst is that these schools teach that mistakes are bad.
Have you ever taken an English test and gotten it back with a bunch of red marks on it? And how does that make you feel? Does it increase your passion for learning the language? Probably not…
Mistakes aren’t bad: in fact, the more mistakes you make, the faster that you can correct them and learn.
Teachers shouldn’t be there to “teach” you the language. They should be there to increase your passion for it and to help you learn it.
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire” – William Butler Yeats
After all, what’s a language if not a tool that lets us communicate with other human beings?
Don’t Be Afraid to Speak
And last, we shouldn’t be scared to speak, but rather we should be proud that we know how to speak a foreign language!
What’s the worst that can happen if you challenge yourself, open your mouth, and speak the language that you are working so hard to learn? Absolutely nothing. If you are passionate about learning the language, others will see this, and they will help you.
No one will punish you. And if someone laughs at you that only means that you need to learn to laugh at yourself. Remember: mistakes are important.
Learn Like a Child
I want you to think about how a child learns his first language. He hears it for a long time before he even tries to speak. He never learns the rules—no one tells him he’s not ready to speak because he hasn’t mastered the present continuous! And he never thinks of it as a subject in school.
Children have fun and play with the language. Why don’t you consider doing the same?
Surround Yourself with the Language
I’ve been “studying” French for a few months now. But I’ve never opened a textbook. I surround myself with the language. I listen to music, I listen to French radio stations while I am working, I use online resources. Through this, I’ve become passionate about French culture and language.
And I know many people in our community who have done the same with English. Here are five examples:
- Winning the English Learning Battle by Rawda
- Successful and Fun English Learning by Selma
- Accelerated English Learning for Life by Adir
- Make Learning English Effortless by Azeem
- Overcome Shyness and Improve your English by Gustavo
So, what I want you to do TODAY (not tomorrow, not next week) is to find some way to speak to a native English speaker. Sound hard? I promise you it isn’t! You can start by reading this article… and then this one.
Languages were invented for communication. Don’t neglect it. Connect, discover, and have fun!
Check out this video of me speaking the four foreign languages that I know (at varying levels). I sure had fun making it, and I hope it inspires you to open your mouth and make lots of mistakes! I had to overcome some of my own shyness to even consider sharing this with you, so I know you can do it, too.
If you want other ways to start speaking English online, then remember to download our FREE report at the top-right of this page.
Song: Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood by the Animals
Transcript in Original Languages:
German
Hallo, alles klar?
Es gibt viele Zeit dass ich nicht Deutsch gesprochen habe. Aber machst nichts. Ich glaube dass du werdest mich verstehen. Hast du angst von Englisch sprechen? Du musst nicht angst haben.
Heute, wir werden über die Kommunikation sprechen weil die Kommunikation ist sehr sehr wichtig wann wir möchten ein neues Sprache lernen. Gut dann, los geht’s!
Spanish
Hay muchas personas que creen que es muy importante estudiar un idioma por mucho tiempo antes de poder hablar. Pero no es verdad. Esto es culpa de los métodos tradicionales y de las escuelas que apoyan estos métodos.
Seguramente, ya has tomado un examen en una clase así. Los devuelvan y lo ves y crees, “Bueno, yo no sé hablar nada de Español… de Inglés,” disculpa! Ves muchas marcas en rojo y dice que, “Esto no es correcto. Esto está errado. No está dicho bien aquí.” Y como sientes cuando ves esto? Sientes bien? Tienes más pasión por aprender la lengua? Yo creo que no.
Los errores son muy, muy importantes para aprender un nuevo idioma. Por qué? Porque, los más errores que cometemos, lo más rápido que los podemos corregir y aprender. Seguramente estoy cometiendo muchos errores en este video. Tu me puedes corregir.
Para lo que es un idioma, si no para comunicar con las personas? Para hablar?
Portuguese
Outra coisa mais, você não deve ter medo de falar, você deve ter orgulho de saber algo de um outro idioma. Que é o pior que pode te acontecer se você abre a boca, se atreve, se fala com as pessoas? Se pratica uma língua que você tem passado muito tempo estudando. Se tem trabalhado muito para aprender. Nada vai te acontecer, te prometo.
Se alguém rir de você, isto só significa que você tem que aprender rir de você mesmo. Cê tem que aprender como um criança. Os crianças têm medo de cometer errores? Não! Claro que não. Eles se brincam com a língua. Se divertem. Eles passam dois, quase dois anos só escutando o idioma antes de abrir a boca. Mais depois, eles só divertem com a língua. Se aprendem mais naturalmente. Você não acha que também é uma boa ideia para você aprender o inglês assim?
French
J’ai étudié le français des mois et j’ai pas peur de parler le français avec les personnes. Je m’entoure de le français. J’écoute de la musique française, j’écoute de la radio française pendent je travailles. J’ai des amis françaises. Avec quilles je pratiques parler français.
Je suis devenu passionné pour la langue française, pour la culture française, J’aime bien le vin français, cuisiner la nourriture française. Est comme ça que tu as besoin d’apprendre quelqu’un nouvelle langue. La passion est très très important. Alors, se connecter, découvrir, et s’amuser!
Merci beaucoup d’avoir regarder cette video aujourd’hui. A la prochaine. Salut!
Notice some mistakes in your language? I noticed some myself! Feel free to correct them in the comments below.
I also recommend that you film yourself speaking in English, or another language your learning, and share it in the comments below! Let’s learn together.
wow actually learning a language process is not a very easy issue but you make it very easy by sharing these amazing articles thank you so much