LEARNING A Foreign Language
What is the best way to learn a new language?
To start with, adults and children learn languages differently. Most of you instinctively know this, especially if you have been around children in a bilingual environment. Since our concern is with professional adults, I will focus on adult learning.
As a basic premise, adults cannot be taught another language in exactly the same way as children, who learn differently. However, a good language course for adults will use some of the same techniques, such as games, task-based activities, photos, realia (physical objects from everyday life), and fun! In my experience, the closest thing to a magical formula that exists for successful language learning is interaction with others while having fun.
For most adults, the ideal way to learn another language is to do it intensively, 3 - 6 hours per day, for a total of at least 15 hours per week, for a set period of time. Personally, I have found that 3 - 4 hours/day, 5 days/week, with tasks to complete outside of school, plenty of reading/writing/listening homework assignments, and regular speaking practice (in everyday situations) with locals is the best recipe for me. However, this varies somewhat from person to person.
What if I don't have the time to study intensively?
If you cannot study intensively, then diligence, patience, and an ability to keep to a weekly learning schedule can yield good results over time. Think of the tortoise in the story "The Tortoise and the Hare." I have taught 60 year-old Japanese housewives whose English progressed remarkably in 2 years, with less than 3 hours of classroom study per week. A keen desire to learn plus a consistency in doing homework, and several hours of self-study every week enabled them to progress well. Just don't expect miracles if you plan to study a Southeast Asian language this way, around your work schedule. It will take years for you to become proficient, so prepare yourself for the long haul . . .
What about specialty courses?
In today's world of EFL, courses such as Business English, English for Nurses, IELTS/TOEFL Preparation, Academic Writing, and other specially designed courses are a staple part of any good English School. Unfortunately, this is not the case for schools teaching foreigners Asian languages. So, if you plan to take a course at a school and have special needs, be sure to discuss this with the director before starting. Be prepared to bring samples of the types of situations and skills you require the language for. If the school offers group courses, it is a good idea to take one at an appropriate level for X number of hours per week, and to also pay for individual sessions where a teacher can tutor you one-on-one in the things you specifically want/need to learn. We tend to learn more through group interaction, but usually this is not possible for a specialized course in a Southeast Asian language.
Courses to avoid
You've seen the 'fast and furious' ads / adverts on websites, on TV, and as spam mail: "Learn another language in just 6 weeks!" The materials are marketed in a visually appealing way, but are often lacking in content and rarely help anyone learn beyond a basic level. Most of these courses are grossly overpriced for what they offer. However, if you are a beginner, one may fit your needs. Just be sure to try to sample the course first before buying it, and if it is very expensive and promising 'super-fast' results, be wary. There is an increasing amount of decent, free content on the web for SE Asian languages, so look there first before paying a lot for a beginning, poorly designed course. The other type of language course to avoid is one that still solely uses substitution or repeat-after-me drills, fill-in worksheets, grammar intensive study, or a translation method. These methods all have their place in a comprehensive language course, but are of limited value by themselves and a poor substitute for a course which includes more student-centered learning, interesting games and activities, role-play, task-based learning, and practical, real-world components. Any legitimate language school should let you observe a group class or give you a free sample lesson before enrolling, so be sure to find out how the course is typically taught. This brings us to the next essential ingredient for successful language learning: a good teacher!
Teacher vs. Course Design
Of the two, a good teacher is the most important. A good teacher will automatically use a variety of methods, including those detailed above, and make learning fun and practical, sometimes despite a poorly designed course and text. Find out who your teacher(s) will be before joining a course and arrange to see a class or talk to her/him.
Time & Money
My personal experience with small language schools in Southeast Asia has been mostly disappointing, with only a couple nice surprises. DO NOT pay for a long intensive course or tutoring up-front and in-full before the course starts! Commit to a certain number of weeks with a set number of hours and pay for that first. Say that you will decide later if you want to pay for more. This way, if the school turns out to be bad, you don't waste too much time or money and can go somewhere else. Schools here are notorious for being very 'unprofessional' by Western standards. Teachers will sometimes not really prepare a lesson, they will cancel or not show up to a class at the last minute, secretaries will forget to inform you that class has been canceled, and there will be no offer of refunding any money for missed classes or hours unless you demand it. A list of reputable language schools can be found on this website, on the 'Recommended Language Schools' page.
Technology & Language Learning
The most exciting thing to happen in language learning in the last few years involves the use of technology, specifically smart devices such as phones and notebooks, along with language apps for Android and iPhone. Additional free software such as screen capture and the spread of social networking sites, online chat, Skype, and so on has resulted in an environment where a language learner is no longer limited to a physical school environment. That said, the quantity and quality of online content and software related to most Southeast Asian languages is still in a nascent, undeveloped stage. Since the perceived market is small, and those who are involved in developing such content and software (language companies located in the USA for the most part) are not experts in these languages, the low quantity and quality of technology based products for Southeast Asian language learners is likely to continue in the near future. (If I had any money, I would team up with some computer/IT geeks, start my own company, and remedy the situation.) You can find free and low-priced learning materials on our 'Language Materials' and 'Apps - Android/iPhone' pages.
To start with, adults and children learn languages differently. Most of you instinctively know this, especially if you have been around children in a bilingual environment. Since our concern is with professional adults, I will focus on adult learning.
As a basic premise, adults cannot be taught another language in exactly the same way as children, who learn differently. However, a good language course for adults will use some of the same techniques, such as games, task-based activities, photos, realia (physical objects from everyday life), and fun! In my experience, the closest thing to a magical formula that exists for successful language learning is interaction with others while having fun.
For most adults, the ideal way to learn another language is to do it intensively, 3 - 6 hours per day, for a total of at least 15 hours per week, for a set period of time. Personally, I have found that 3 - 4 hours/day, 5 days/week, with tasks to complete outside of school, plenty of reading/writing/listening homework assignments, and regular speaking practice (in everyday situations) with locals is the best recipe for me. However, this varies somewhat from person to person.
What if I don't have the time to study intensively?
If you cannot study intensively, then diligence, patience, and an ability to keep to a weekly learning schedule can yield good results over time. Think of the tortoise in the story "The Tortoise and the Hare." I have taught 60 year-old Japanese housewives whose English progressed remarkably in 2 years, with less than 3 hours of classroom study per week. A keen desire to learn plus a consistency in doing homework, and several hours of self-study every week enabled them to progress well. Just don't expect miracles if you plan to study a Southeast Asian language this way, around your work schedule. It will take years for you to become proficient, so prepare yourself for the long haul . . .
What about specialty courses?
In today's world of EFL, courses such as Business English, English for Nurses, IELTS/TOEFL Preparation, Academic Writing, and other specially designed courses are a staple part of any good English School. Unfortunately, this is not the case for schools teaching foreigners Asian languages. So, if you plan to take a course at a school and have special needs, be sure to discuss this with the director before starting. Be prepared to bring samples of the types of situations and skills you require the language for. If the school offers group courses, it is a good idea to take one at an appropriate level for X number of hours per week, and to also pay for individual sessions where a teacher can tutor you one-on-one in the things you specifically want/need to learn. We tend to learn more through group interaction, but usually this is not possible for a specialized course in a Southeast Asian language.
Courses to avoid
You've seen the 'fast and furious' ads / adverts on websites, on TV, and as spam mail: "Learn another language in just 6 weeks!" The materials are marketed in a visually appealing way, but are often lacking in content and rarely help anyone learn beyond a basic level. Most of these courses are grossly overpriced for what they offer. However, if you are a beginner, one may fit your needs. Just be sure to try to sample the course first before buying it, and if it is very expensive and promising 'super-fast' results, be wary. There is an increasing amount of decent, free content on the web for SE Asian languages, so look there first before paying a lot for a beginning, poorly designed course. The other type of language course to avoid is one that still solely uses substitution or repeat-after-me drills, fill-in worksheets, grammar intensive study, or a translation method. These methods all have their place in a comprehensive language course, but are of limited value by themselves and a poor substitute for a course which includes more student-centered learning, interesting games and activities, role-play, task-based learning, and practical, real-world components. Any legitimate language school should let you observe a group class or give you a free sample lesson before enrolling, so be sure to find out how the course is typically taught. This brings us to the next essential ingredient for successful language learning: a good teacher!
Teacher vs. Course Design
Of the two, a good teacher is the most important. A good teacher will automatically use a variety of methods, including those detailed above, and make learning fun and practical, sometimes despite a poorly designed course and text. Find out who your teacher(s) will be before joining a course and arrange to see a class or talk to her/him.
Time & Money
My personal experience with small language schools in Southeast Asia has been mostly disappointing, with only a couple nice surprises. DO NOT pay for a long intensive course or tutoring up-front and in-full before the course starts! Commit to a certain number of weeks with a set number of hours and pay for that first. Say that you will decide later if you want to pay for more. This way, if the school turns out to be bad, you don't waste too much time or money and can go somewhere else. Schools here are notorious for being very 'unprofessional' by Western standards. Teachers will sometimes not really prepare a lesson, they will cancel or not show up to a class at the last minute, secretaries will forget to inform you that class has been canceled, and there will be no offer of refunding any money for missed classes or hours unless you demand it. A list of reputable language schools can be found on this website, on the 'Recommended Language Schools' page.
Technology & Language Learning
The most exciting thing to happen in language learning in the last few years involves the use of technology, specifically smart devices such as phones and notebooks, along with language apps for Android and iPhone. Additional free software such as screen capture and the spread of social networking sites, online chat, Skype, and so on has resulted in an environment where a language learner is no longer limited to a physical school environment. That said, the quantity and quality of online content and software related to most Southeast Asian languages is still in a nascent, undeveloped stage. Since the perceived market is small, and those who are involved in developing such content and software (language companies located in the USA for the most part) are not experts in these languages, the low quantity and quality of technology based products for Southeast Asian language learners is likely to continue in the near future. (If I had any money, I would team up with some computer/IT geeks, start my own company, and remedy the situation.) You can find free and low-priced learning materials on our 'Language Materials' and 'Apps - Android/iPhone' pages.
