The importance of interaction in foreign language learning Interaction should be both the end and the means in a language learning process. It should be seen as the primary objective, as we learn languages to be able to communicate with others, and the way to […]
Here are the steps you should follow: 1) Pick a theme (a celebration or anniversary, your holidays, etc.) and collect photos, postcards, tickets or any type of keepsakes connected with that theme. 2) Choose and album. You should focus on the size and patterns or […]
Technology has come to stay and proof of that are the numerous applications being used in learning, both in and outside the classrooms. As far as language learning is concerned, apps used to create and learn vocabulary units seem extremely useful. The best example I know, as […]
We live in a world where short 15 or 30-day language exam courses in a foreign country are bought. Perhaps the most serious thing isn´t that this practice exists but the fact that students believe that the only effective way of learning a language is […]
Most adult learners of foreign languages, especially learners of English in Spain and Argentina, where I´ve worked and currently work as a language trainer and coach, express their wish to improve their speaking skill above all other skills. Many need it in order to […]
Almost all or most of my adult students who have experienced some level of difficulty in their language learning processes have had something in common: negative beliefs about their own abilities as language learners. I usually become aware of this through their behaviour and […]
How to improve our reading comprehension in a foreign language One of the fundamental aspects to take into account when practising reading comprehension in a foreign language is reading material selection. It is necessary to grade the reading material, especially in the initial learning stages. […]
The following is a very interesting exercise I have found in a Multiple Intelligences book. It is specially useful for those students who do not feel confident enough as regards their language learning skills. It focuses on our intrapersonal intelligence, and it is for an […]
Two days ago, as I was walking in the street, I heard a mother telling her teenage daughter: “No se puede aprender si no es con un nativo” (“You can´t learn if it isn´t with a native”). Her words made a clear reference to […]
Blogs are powerful language learning tools and not just for teachers but also for students. The way I see it, student blogs can serve different purposes: They can help students integrate knowledge. They can work as one big mind map, connecting topics, expressions, theory and practice, […]