برچسب: Learning
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5 Russian Learning Hacks that You Didn’t Know About
If you want to learn the language fast, there are some little-known learning hacks that you can use with our system. Five learning hacks that you didn’t know about. And in this quick guide, you’ll discover: 1. How to understand and pick up on every word with the read-along method 2. How to improve your speaking and pronunciation with one tool 3. How to immerse yourself in native dialogues and much more But first, if you don’t yet have access to our language learning system, sign up for a free lifetime account right now. Just click the link in the description to get your free lifetime account. Ever listen to a conversation between native speakers and wish you could follow along with a transcript? Well, you can. In fact, listening and reading along is a popular learning hack for mastering a language. You pick up on every word, you improve your listening skills, reading skills, and engage multiple senses at once, which improves recall, and you can do just that with our lessons. On every lesson page, you get the complete word-for-word transcript to read along with. Shadowing is another popular language learning trick, and it’s where you repeat what you hear as a way to improve your speaking skills. So as you’re taking our lessons, you can shadow the lesson conversation. And you can do this easily with the line by line audio dialogue, which breaks up the conversation into individual lines. Just press play on the audio to listen and then repeat. You can also use the pronunciation practice tool to compare yourself to native speakers. Just press the microphone icon, record yourself speaking the line, and then you can hear how your pronunciation compares to the native speaker. The dialogue tracks give you just the conversation of the lessons, no translations, so that you can review the conversations without retaking lessons. And if you’re learning with our app, you can just set the dialogue tracks on autoplay and immerse yourself in different types of dialogues, boost your listening skills, and drill all the conversations into your brain. Go into the settings on the app and in autoplay, make sure autoplay is on. Turn on dialogue, turn off the other tracks, also set play next lessons to on and the app will do the rest for you. Now if you’re not sure whether you’re getting the most out of the lesson or not, well if you follow our lesson checklists you’ll walk away knowing more of the language guaranteed. This premium PDF can be found inside the PDF download section of the lesson and gives you bonus tips to follow. Just print out the checklist and fill it out with every lesson. The word bank is kind of like your extended brain, where you can save words and phrases that you come across to the word bank. So you review them later. Just look for the word bank in the vocabulary menu on the site. But what’s cool is you can also create printable study sheets for your words and phrases as well. Just click on “Printer Friendly Version,” you can also click “Export Word Bank” if you’ve organized and labeled your words into categories such as verbs and adjectives, you can select that label and export it as a PDF, then print the file out. You can write on it and keep it as physical study material. So, if you want to learn the language and get access to these learning tools and our learning system, sign up for a free lifetime account right now. Just click the link in the description to get your free lifetime account. -
My Journey Learning English
I started learning English at Mais Caminhos in 2017. In the first class, I felt very shy because I thought the other students were better than me. But my teacher encouraged me to keep going and never give up. As time passed, I became more confident, and I finally started understanding what my teachers were saying! I was learning English because my mother always told me that learning new things would be good for my future. She was right; now I can see that my future will be brighter with the ability to read and write in English.
My Journey Learning English
Practicing dialogue has always helped me improve my English, and it’s fun because we talk about everyday things—our routines, our likes and dislikes, movies, songs, series, art, and more. At first, I found some accents, like British English, hard to understand, but I overcame this challenge thanks to the diverse volunteers at Mais Caminhos, who come from all over the world. Through them, I got to know different cultures and accents. Their support, along with my mother’s encouragement, helped me a lot.
In the beginning, I was very shy, but now I am much more fearless. Meeting new people from different countries and cultures at Caminhos Language Centre has really boosted my confidence. I practice English all the time—listening to music, reading texts, watching movies, and helping tourists. One day, a girl from France and her family were looking for a bank, and I helped them. Now, Elisa, the girl, is my friend! We talk online, and I miss her a lot. Helping other tourists has made me feel like I’m doing something good!
Learning English feels like having a superpower because I can make new friends and talk to everyone! I haven’t had a job yet, but I know this skill will make me stand out. English is a universal language, and I’m so grateful I can speak it! In recent years, I’ve achieved something very special—new friendships. Now that I know more about different cultures, I can connect with people from all over the world.
I’m sure my future will be bright. I hope to do an exchange program in Europe one day because I love their culture. My big goal is to live in Canada when I’m an adult because it’s so multicultural, and it snows! I also dream of becoming a doctor and helping Mais Caminhos grow even more, making my community better. None of this would be possible if I hadn’t met Mais Caminhos, and I’m so grateful this NGO exists!
For anyone just starting to learn English at Mais Caminhos, my advice is: never give up! It might be hard sometimes, but learning English will make your future better than your present, and you’ll have so much fun along the way. It will help you a lot in both your personal and professional life!
Mais Caminhos Student, Victor Mendes, 14 years Old.
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Will Language Learning Become Obsolete in the Future?
Will Language Learning Become Obsolete? A Personal Reflection
The idea that language learning might become obsolete is one of those predictions that sparks excitement, fear, and a lot of debate.
Given the rapid development of translation technology – from Google Translate to AI-powered devices – some people, including myself, wonder if tech is making learning foreign languages obsolete.
But is that really the case? As a linguist, I find this question both intriguing and unsettling. Let me guide you through my considerations on this topic and let’s see if technology can truly replace the practice of learning a language.
Translation Technology
Translating Then and Translating Today
It is undoubtable that translation technology has evolved in the last decade. I remember using clunky, inaccurate tools for my school homework not too long ago, and now we have apps and devices that can instantly translate spoken language in real-time.
It was 2019, I was living in Russia when I met a Chinese guy. He spoke no English, but we managed to communicate thanks to the then-brand-new Google Translate setting that allowed to speak and instantly translate. Now, this is an everyday activity, but only six years ago, I was shocked by it!
Although these tools have evolved, they’re not flawless. If you ever used Google Translate aiming at obtaining a nuanced conversation, I am sure you felt disappointed at least once.
Words are often mistranslated, idioms are often misunderstood, and the emotional undertones get lost. Even with AI advancements, technology still struggles with context and cultural subtleties.
For instance, translating the Italian idiom in bocca al lupo as “in the mouth of the wolf” doesn’t capture the aim of wishing someone good luck, as you would do with the English “break a leg”.
Translation Tech is a Tool, Not a Replacement
From my experience, translation technology can be a helpful tool, especially for travelers or in emergency situations. But let’s be clear: translations tech is a tool, not a replacement.
Language is not just about words, it’s about connection, culture, and understanding the human experience from a different perspective. For example, how can you truly understand the Italian culture without knowing the meaning behind the expressions magari?
This perspective caught my attention when I read a discussion on Reddit on whether language learning will become obsolete.
Most users expressed skepticism about technology’s ability to replace language learning entirely and argued that, despite the advancements, technologies are still far from grasping the complexities and nuances of human language.
To be honest, I totally agree with them! Especially in the most recent days, with the promise of Neuralink as the future of communication and learning, some might wonder if these innovations could revolutionize how we perceive languages.
The True Value of Language Learning
Language learning goes beyond mere translation. When you learn a language, you gain insight into how people think, feel, and see the world. This helps explain the idea that you behave differently when you speak a different language.
Think of all those Italian words that have no equivalent in English: the word abbiocco, for example, describes the sleepy sensation that follows a large meal, something that the English translation “food coma” doesn’t fully capture.
This understanding adds depth to communication that no AI can replicate.
Why you Should not Fully Rely on Technology
Cognitive and Social Benefits
Multilingualism comes with cognitive benefits that technology simply can’t replicate. Studies show that learning a language improves memory, problem-solving skills, and even multitasking abilities. It also delays the onset of cognitive decline.
Moreover, there’s a unique social aspect: language classes, meetups, or even simple and random conversations with native speakers force us out of our comfort zones and foster human connections.
For instance, imagine the joy of understanding a joke in Italian or finally feeling confident ordering food in a market in Rome is irreplaceable. Could a device ever provide that feeling? I doubt it.
The Limitations of Technology
Imagine this scenario: you’re in a remote village in Italy, and your app suddenly stops working due to no internet connection. You’re left with the basic Italian basic vocabulary you learned in movies and body language.
Also, language is fluid and dynamic, constantly evolving with slang, new expressions, and cultural trends. AI struggles to keep up with these changes.
The Future of Language Learning
I know it is tempting to think that we’re moving towards a future where we’ll no longer need to learn languages, but, for me, the reality is more complex.
Translation technology will undoubtedly continue to improve, but it will never fully replicate the experience, benefits, and richness of learning a language.
Language learning is mainly about the human experience: the joy of discovery, the satisfaction of progress, and the beauty of connecting across cultures.
So, will language learning become obsolete? I’d say it’s just the opposite. As technology makes the world more accessible, the value of deep, meaningful human connections will increase even more.
And there’s no better way to connect than by speaking someone’s language.