Colleen in NS
01-30-2009, 03:29 PM
Hello,
Here is the perfect place to post a review I wrote last year about a book that really helped me understand what is involved in learning a foreign language. Hope it helps someone.
"I just want to recommend a FABULOUS book that I found in our local library, about learning a foreign language. It's called Language Logic: Practical and Effective Techniques to Learn Any Foreign Language by Robyn Matthew. She's a young author in British Columbia, who calls herself the WordNerd. The book is advertised as the missing link in foreign language learning. It was published just last year.
I have been reading posts here for months, trying to figure out how to piece together foreign language learning. I've read reviews about various programs and books out there, but could NOT get a big picture in my mind of how the whole process works. I finally figured out a few months ago that grammar plays a role in foreign language learning. And it finally dawned on me the other day to search my library system for a book on foreign language learning. I found several, but this one is the one that stuck out to me.
This book gave me the whole picture of learning a foreign language - a picture that was not in my mind before. To me, this book is to foreign language learning, as the WTM is to how to give your kids skills to learn content for the rest of their lives. It's also written in a friendly, funny tone, just like WTM.
Ms. Matthew tells her story of how she started off learning French in grade 8 and loved it. Over the next 4 years of French, though, she struggled and couldn't figure out why. She tells of how she put off French in university as long as possible, until she found a professor who could answer her questions about the language, and then she took off again with mastering French on her own. She figured out techniques along the way, and figured out that language learning has a logic to it, so she worked for 10 years on putting together her book, so that others could see the patterns that she figured out in language learning.
Here's the quote that really made it come together for me: "Regardless of the language you wish to learn and how 'different' languages appear to one another, the principles of learning a foreign language are the same. Every language has a logic, and all require the development of two essential and often downplayed skills: grammar and vocabulary. These two elements are indispensable tools in learning a foreign language because they provide the foundation necessary to acquire the other four basic skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Thus, it's not what language you wish to learn that matters but how you approach the task!"
There are chapters that explain how adults ARE able to learn foreign languages easily, as long as they understand the adult learning process. She explains how it's different from the learning process of a child. I found these two chapters so enlightening and encouraging to this 40 year old!
There are also chapters on grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, listening/comprehension, and speaking/pronunciation, and the end of the linguistic journey (mastering a language).
It's a book full of tips, humour, illustrations from pop culture, etc., but it's not JUST that. It's a book that explains the process and logic of learning a foreign language. And THIS is what I was missing.
I got so excited skimming the book, that I e-mailed Ms. Matthew to tell her how much I appreciated it, and to tell her about my early foreign language experiences (pretty much the same as her first four years). I told her about being a homeschool Mom who wanted to teach my kids foreign language. She e-mailed me back right away, and told me that another homeschool Mom had recently told her basically the same as what I said, and long story short, Ms. Matthew is attending a homeschool convention this weekend in BC because of that other Mom! I think her book is a fabulous book to help Moms like me who knew nothing about this process. It truly is to me like the WTM was - my beginner's, comprehensive map to homeschooling, and now the same for foreign language learning.
Sorry this is so long, but I just had to throw it out there in case there are others of you who have long wondered about this process. I think the book will help me tons more now in evaluating language programs out there. Now I know what questions to ask!
Here are some links to check out. The word nerd site was working yesterday, though not right now. It's Robyn's site.
http://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/Stories/sfunews10040707.shtml
http://www.amazon.ca/Language-Logic-...ustomerReviews
http://www.amazon.com/Language-Logic...2513382&sr=8-1
www.word-nerd.ca"
Here is the perfect place to post a review I wrote last year about a book that really helped me understand what is involved in learning a foreign language. Hope it helps someone.
"I just want to recommend a FABULOUS book that I found in our local library, about learning a foreign language. It's called Language Logic: Practical and Effective Techniques to Learn Any Foreign Language by Robyn Matthew. She's a young author in British Columbia, who calls herself the WordNerd. The book is advertised as the missing link in foreign language learning. It was published just last year.
I have been reading posts here for months, trying to figure out how to piece together foreign language learning. I've read reviews about various programs and books out there, but could NOT get a big picture in my mind of how the whole process works. I finally figured out a few months ago that grammar plays a role in foreign language learning. And it finally dawned on me the other day to search my library system for a book on foreign language learning. I found several, but this one is the one that stuck out to me.
This book gave me the whole picture of learning a foreign language - a picture that was not in my mind before. To me, this book is to foreign language learning, as the WTM is to how to give your kids skills to learn content for the rest of their lives. It's also written in a friendly, funny tone, just like WTM.
Ms. Matthew tells her story of how she started off learning French in grade 8 and loved it. Over the next 4 years of French, though, she struggled and couldn't figure out why. She tells of how she put off French in university as long as possible, until she found a professor who could answer her questions about the language, and then she took off again with mastering French on her own. She figured out techniques along the way, and figured out that language learning has a logic to it, so she worked for 10 years on putting together her book, so that others could see the patterns that she figured out in language learning.
Here's the quote that really made it come together for me: "Regardless of the language you wish to learn and how 'different' languages appear to one another, the principles of learning a foreign language are the same. Every language has a logic, and all require the development of two essential and often downplayed skills: grammar and vocabulary. These two elements are indispensable tools in learning a foreign language because they provide the foundation necessary to acquire the other four basic skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Thus, it's not what language you wish to learn that matters but how you approach the task!"
There are chapters that explain how adults ARE able to learn foreign languages easily, as long as they understand the adult learning process. She explains how it's different from the learning process of a child. I found these two chapters so enlightening and encouraging to this 40 year old!
There are also chapters on grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, listening/comprehension, and speaking/pronunciation, and the end of the linguistic journey (mastering a language).
It's a book full of tips, humour, illustrations from pop culture, etc., but it's not JUST that. It's a book that explains the process and logic of learning a foreign language. And THIS is what I was missing.
I got so excited skimming the book, that I e-mailed Ms. Matthew to tell her how much I appreciated it, and to tell her about my early foreign language experiences (pretty much the same as her first four years). I told her about being a homeschool Mom who wanted to teach my kids foreign language. She e-mailed me back right away, and told me that another homeschool Mom had recently told her basically the same as what I said, and long story short, Ms. Matthew is attending a homeschool convention this weekend in BC because of that other Mom! I think her book is a fabulous book to help Moms like me who knew nothing about this process. It truly is to me like the WTM was - my beginner's, comprehensive map to homeschooling, and now the same for foreign language learning.
Sorry this is so long, but I just had to throw it out there in case there are others of you who have long wondered about this process. I think the book will help me tons more now in evaluating language programs out there. Now I know what questions to ask!
Here are some links to check out. The word nerd site was working yesterday, though not right now. It's Robyn's site.
http://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/Stories/sfunews10040707.shtml
http://www.amazon.ca/Language-Logic-...ustomerReviews
http://www.amazon.com/Language-Logic...2513382&sr=8-1
www.word-nerd.ca"