An Honest Student Review From A Student Abroad
Hey, my name is Kiandro and I’ve been living in Japan for almost a year now as a graduate student. There have been ups and downs and a lot of curve balls thrown at me while I’ve been living in the land of the rising sun… or so they call it. I figured it’d be best to take a break from all the language learning articles and write something a bit more wholesome that could connect with our audience. So without further adieu please have a read of “An Honest Student Review”.
Me!
Your Language Learning Super Powers
You know… you’re pretty amazing. Even if you don’t know it. Some might even call you superhuman because of your superpowers. You’re probably thinking,
“What does an average language learner like me have that’s so special?”
In this article, we’re going to unlock some of your hidden talents so you can go out and show the world how powerful you are!
Reach For The Stars
We won’t be in classrooms and lectures forever, but if you choose to be you may end up surpassing your teachers or “masters”. Like anything in life, if you spend enough time and effort on it you’ll eventually become a master. Language learning is no exception, although you’ll always have room for improvement.
But, this article will be a short and sweet guide for what to do when you reach that point in your language learning journey. Read Reach For The Stars
Tactile Language Learning
They say hands-on learning is best. But what does hands-on mean in language learning? Tactile learning is a style of learning that associates input through touch via the physical sense. This kind of learning keeps us moving, active and curious of the surrounding environment. Albeit in language learning, this kind of approach might seem strange, but there are creative ways you can integrate it into your normal routine/method. Read Tactile Language Learning today!
It’s time to get your hands dirty!
Kinesthetic Language Learning
Kinesthetic learning can be odd and somewhat awkward in the field of languages. Before we move on what is Kinesthetic Learning? Kinesthetic learning is the act of using movement, and physical activities to acquire knowledge. It is the exact opposite to that of audio and visual learning.
You may be wondering how kinesthetic learners fit into the whole language learning “thing”. The answer is clear, movement.
The Language Learning Plateau
Learning a language is one of the most rewarding things you can do in your lifetime. Nevertheless, it is still a challenging task, and sooner or later everybody hits the language learning plateau. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and just like puberty– everybody has to go through it.
I’ve experienced at least 3 plateaus in my journey, each one more daunting than the last. The last one, however, was the greatest challenge I’ve ever faced. Since moving to my target language’s country, my language skills took a dive for the worst. Everything just felt out of place, new and unrecognizable. Speaking to natives gave me more of a headache than a feeling of satisfaction. And watching everyone around me communicate fluently, while I took 10 seconds to think of an appropriate sentence was more than embarrassing. But, the good news is that it didn’t last forever. Now, I’m making more progress than ever before in my target language!
In this article, we’ll be discussing the infamous language learning plateau.
Language Learning Mantras
This article will be purely motivational. Well, there is some reference to the law of affirmation, but that’s more metaphysical than scientific. Just in case you don’t know what that is I’ll explain! Think of this law as a guaranteed promise that you keep to yourself in the future. It is a wish that is 100% guaranteed to come true, provided that you work with it instead of against it.
We’ve crafted a few inspirational mantras for whenever you’re feeling stuck or demotivated in your language learning journey.
Get Lost!
Hey you, get out of town! No, seriously get out of town! Getting lost is one of the best ways to learn a language, not to mention acquire some form of temporary trauma. One summer day, I had been searching for a Bonsai Museum on foot. I must have walked an extra 10 miles in circles because of how lost I was. But, it was worth it!
While I was lost I spent the majority of my time asking for directions, doing self-introductions with native speakers and pointing out familiar vocabulary I had seen in textbooks on roads, street signs, and advertisements. When I arrived at the museum I was pouring sweat due to the summer humidity, but I had a lot of stories to tell to the women at the reception counter. The stories also made a great Facebook status, if you’re into that kind of thing…
Think you can handle a day without google maps? Let’s talk about getting lost, and how it can help you in your journey.
The Art Of The Scribble 🖋️
The scribble is a technique in language learning meant to express free, unrestricted thought. It is transpired through writing and often results in a complex string of words, sentences, paragraphs, essays, etc. We will be bringing to you the ancient Art Of The Scribble in this week’s article. By the time you finish reading through this technique of freedom, you’ll want to paint the world black, red and blue with ink!
The True Value Of Human Language
Nowadays, smartphones are just an arm’s length away. It is easy for you to type a question into Google and have the answer explained in a myriad of ways, all in just a matter of seconds. This can often be quicker than the time it takes for a person to respond to a question. You don’t have to worry about memorizing dates and names, let alone pulling out the dictionary to translate a word.
Now, there are applications and software such as Siri, Alexa and Google Translate that do most of our heavy lifting. So you may ask yourself “Is learning a language still worth the struggle?” That’s a fair question to ask in such a world, but no matter how ‘smart’ technology may be, it can never replace the subtle differences between languages heard in conversation or read in novels.
In this article you’ll see just how vital human language learning and translation is in the language learning sphere. Read The True Value Of Human Language.
