Amalia GavinaAuthentic Communication: The Power of Listening You don’t have to be a genius to realize that most of our communication problems are, in their essence, caused by our difficulty to listen to each other authentically. Whether we like it or not, most of us just […]
“You learn something every day if you pay attention” (Ray Leblond) Some say the most important lessons in life are actually really simple ideas, and I believe this is just one example of that. Paying attention to what we’re doing may, indeed, seem unimportant to […]
A lo largo de estos años como profe y coach de idiomas, he aprendido a detectar ciertas características que son fundamentales para un aprendizaje de lenguas eficaz y exitoso. En este artículo, resumo cinco que considero esenciales: 1- Paciencia Por desgracia, para muchos, aprender una […]
Amalia GavinaAs we have read in “Vocabulary´s key role in adult learning”, one of my other posts on this website, learning new vocabulary items is essential in foreign language learning. Students should, therefore, try to find the most effective way to do it or, at least, the […]
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 […]
Amalia GavinaTechnology 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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Being a French language learner has been a tremendously satisfying experience for various reasons. The first one is discovering that I can communicate my ideas and thoughts, with some difficulty at the beginning, in another language that has always been a pleasure to hear. Secondly, […]