Reflections

There is a great emphasis now-a-days on “natural” language learning, on acquiring a second language the way children learn their mother tongue, almost by osmosis, with hardly any thought in the process. While there are many positive things to say about the natural method, to follow it in its purest form may take away, I think, one of the advantages we have as adults: our capacity to analyse. It is through observation and reflection that you can fully grasp the mechanics and spirit of language. There are many ways to do this. Try to identify patterns as you learn new words and expressions. See the vocabulary in context. Look carefully at illustrations that may accompany a text and see how they relate to it. As you learn grammar rules, notice how natives really use them (or not) on a day to day basis. Imagine yourself as a detective and look for clues. Acquire original resources - that is, books, magazines, newspapers, songs, movies and TV shows made in Spanish speaking countries and see the new words in their natural element. Do speakers use grammar as taught in your course-book? What reactions do certain words seem to evoke?

Translation has fallen somewhat out of fashion when it comes to language learning. Yet, translating as literally as possible may help you see and understand better the thinking underlining the language. It shows you differences and similarities; it may shock you or give you an “Aha!” moment. When I was a pre-teen back in Venezuela, my friends and I would spend hours translating our favourite songs from English to Spanish and we would puzzle as English seemed to be a backwards language. In Spanish you usually say the noun first and the adjective second, whereas in English it is the other way round most of the time. Once I noticed this, I had little problem inverting my adjectives when I started to write in English.

Learning about the culture is also another way to help your language learning. As you find the source of sayings, you will not only repeat a particular expression like a parrot : you will also be able to identify it when it is just hinted at, and understand its use in context. So think about your target language; ask yourself questions and have them answered, if not right away (like in the middle of a class-drill) then later on, at a more appropriate time. Sometimes it’s easier to just accept some facts (like that H is mute in Spanish.) But many times it pays off to ponder, to find alternatives and different uses, to compare and contrast, to go in depth. Remember, every time you do this, you become an active participant in your leaning process; an equal-share partner with your teacher; the one true pilot of your language journey.