Language and the Brain
Language is an integral part of human communication and social interaction. We use language to express our thoughts, emotions, and ideas, and to connect with others around us. But how does the…
How Subconscious is Language Learning?
I have observed an online tendency to refer to language learning as a “subconscious” process, but I think that it depends on how much we want to stretch the meaning of “subconscious.”…
Six Tips for Language Learning
Learning a new language can be a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience. Whether you want to travel the world, connect with new people, or expand your career opportunities, learning a new language…
The Grammar Fallacy in Language Learning
Can you learn a language without studying its grammar? When something seems too good to be true, it probably is. So when you hear something along the lines of learning a language…
The Critical Period
What is a critical period? A critical period (CP) is a maturational stage where the nervous system is especially sensitive to certain stimuli. If during this period the organism does not receive…
The Communicative Approach
What is it? Communicative language teaching (CLT) is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes interaction and communicative competence as the main goal of study. It consists of learners working in pairs…
The audio-lingual method
What is it? The audio-lingual method consists of teaching a new language through reading a dialogue or text and carrying out drills associated with it. According to this method learning a language…
The Direct Method
What is it? The direct method consists of teaching a new language using only the target language. It teaches concepts and vocabulary through mime, real-life objects and other visual elements. Grammar is…
The Grammar-Translation Method
What is it? The grammar-translation method consists of learning grammar rules and then applying them by translating sentences between the target language and the native language. Through grammar and translation a student…