Author: Noemi Florea

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Culture Education

Where Language-Learning Apps Come Into Serious Play

An app can promote everyday practice

So many apps, yet only a few right ways to use them.

Language-learning apps, from Duolingo to Babbel, have taken on a slightly ambiguous role for any individual seeking to learn a language. While in many ways they’ve broken down barriers of time, money, and accessibility for the everyday learner, in other ways they’ve promised fluency or comprehension far beyond what an app can offer. Using a language-learning app can promote everyday practice in small bites of five to fifteen minutes at a time, allowing learners to engage with their target language through everyday practice. Elizabeth Zackheim, owner of ABC Languages, encourages all students to use apps like Duolingo to build on their understanding outside of the classroom.

But it all comes to a point. Rather than using an app as a means to achieve fluency, apps can best be used to build familiarity with vocabulary and grammar. Where you might see on a Babbel commercial a student speaking conversationally through a phone, in reality authentic conversation practice can only come from exactly that — a conversation. Working with a teacher or other students in a classroom setting or a community conversation group can provide the setting needed to become comfortable with speaking a new language. That’s whether you’re trying new words, experimenting with the tenses, and exploring topics outside your understanding. 

Using an app to promote everyday practice

Feeling shy? Apps enable you to practice speaking short phrases for pronunciation accuracy; this can also help with associating the written language with the oral. And in my own experience, I once used the CD found in the back of an AP French textbook to practice speaking using the recorded conversation bits and 20 seconds of silence. Remember those? They helped tremendously with thinking of things to say on the spot while in the context of a conversation.

What our options show us is that achieving fluency can’t take any one avenue. Using a language-learning app can promote everyday practice in ways that are free in both time and money. We can’t cart a tutor around with us on the subway or while in line at the cafe the way we can with a smartphone. Yet apps only go so far when it comes to learning how to have a conversation in a foreign language. Many of the more intangible skills, from speaking to thinking to joking around, are best found in the classroom, in the conversation group, or on the street when in conversation with friends and acquaintances. To explore safe spaces like these in Lower Manhattan, check out tutoring options and conversation groups available at ABC Languages.

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Culture Education Featured

Get the Most Out of Your Language Classes

Get the most out of your language class

Having a regular language class or tutoring session is a great way to give yourself structure and dedicated guidance for your language practice. To get the most out of your language classes, what should you be doing in between? The key is frequency. Just like working out, the more often you do it, the quicker you’ll see the results. Sure, some have the time to work with a teacher on a daily basis which is a sure-fire way to get that frequency in. If you’re like most, you’ll be meeting once or twice a week. So what to do on those off days?

Like any practice, you will want to develop tools to get the most out of your language classes. Ideally, you’ll spend at least 5 minutes every day doing something and have a few extra activities to mix it up. With even a little daily practice, the language will stay fresh in your mind and keep you on track. Here are some tips on how to spice up your practice, arrive prepared and get the most bang for your language lesson buck:

  1. LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE IS FUN.  Keeping it fun is up to you. Forget what they taught you in high school.  It’s not a competition unless you’re the kind of person who loves competition.  If you didn’t do this week’s homework, no problem.  Just do it with your teacher in class.
  2. USE A LANGUAGE APP 5 MINUTES A DAY.  This is an easy way to make sure you are regularly interacting with the language and keeping it fresh in your mind. It doesn’t matter which one you choose as they will all give you exposure to the language. The most important thing is to find the one that you appeals to you so you stick with it. No matter how “good” it is, if feels like a chore, it will be and you won’t do it. If you find it enjoyable, then you found the right one. Some apps you might want to try are: Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu and Memrise.
  3. KEEP A DIARY IN THE TARGET LANGUAGE. Start with one sentence a day. It can be anything. “I ate a sandwich for lunch. It was delicious.” “It’s raining today. My shoes are wet.” Just an observation or two about your day. The nice thing about this exercise is that you will direct yourself to vocabulary that is relevant to you so, rather than learning words that are given to you, this is a way to reverse that pattern and seek out words that will help you express your thoughts using vocabulary that reflects you.
  4. WATCH MOVIES AND TV IN THE TARGET LANGUAGE. Even if you need the English subtitles to follow the story, having regular exposure to hearing the language is a great way to develop your listening muscles. By just picking up a word here and there, your language learning brain is still being engaged. If you are an intermediate or advanced student, try watching with the captions in the target language or, for an extra challenge, watch with no captions. You could even watch it through once with captions and then a second time without to see how much you follow. If you find you’re getting lost and frustrated, just put the subtitles back on and enjoy the picture. Always try to have fun with it!
  5. FIND A PRACTICE GROUP. We have drop-in conversation classes and other fun pop up classes to add to the mix at ABC. You can also look into Meetup, Eventbrite and Coursehorse for a wide variety of one-off classes, workshops ad practice groups to supplement your learning and get the most out of your language classes.
  6. MAKE LOTS OF MISTAKES. Do not underestimate the power of the mistake. If you make one, it just means you’re trying which is exactly what you need to be doing. Maybe you’ll get it right the next time, maybe you won’t. As long as you are being understood, you’re most of the way there. Forming a perfect sentence is great and a worthy goal. Managing to get across, albeit imperfectly, that you would like a cup of coffee and then getting one is…mission accomplished!
  7. ADD LANGUAGE TO YOUR NEXT VACATION. Planning a trip to a country where your language is spoken is a wonderful way to give yourself a goal and a treat for the energy you are putting in.  To max out this time, find a school or a tutor who can provide you with daily lessons while you are there. You can practice the situations you will find yourself in during the day, get tips from a local and still have loads of time to enjoy your stay. Even if it’s just for a week, you will get a big injection of language that will have a lasting effect.
  8. STAY ZEN AND KEEP ON TRUCKING! Along the way, you will have moments when you feel your language glass is half-empty and all you can see is what you don’t know. That’s okay. You will also have breakthrough moments that make it all worth it. If you keep at it, you will progress and the moments that make this whole process thrilling will happen. Just don’t quit before the miracle.

Looking for a class or a tutor? Check out ABC Language classes.

Happy Learning!

This guest post was written by Elizabeth Zackheim, co-founder of ABC Languages.

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Culture Education

Quickly Fix Language Mistakes with a Teacher

Working with a language tutor at ABC Languages, I’ve recently begun to build on the foundation I constructed for myself in learning a language while picking up a few pointers along the way. Some courses were formal, others casual, some private and others in a group. The faculty at ABC Languages are immensely flexible, orienting their schedules to help you find the best fit at the school given your experience, learning style, and skill level. Dropping in on a few courses, I quickly learned about myself what I probably expected along the way: I taught myself the pretty fundamental constructions behind French, but still face some gaps in accurately articulating myself with coherent grammar and sentence structure. 

An Hour Over Years

Sitting in on a private class, my tutor for the hour quickly brought to my attention an issue I had been repeating while speaking in past tense. For the language learners, it was an issue around speaking in past tense using irregular verbs — obviously. Yet just an hour with a fluent teacher, and I was walked through my mistakes and given a textbook page breaking down the proper conjugations as needed. Flashbacks of the times I had made that very mistake — many of them while living in Bordeaux, attempting to communicate myself to native speakers — came to mind, all now standing to be resolved with the education I was arming myself with. My experience, in this case, wasn’t unique: mistakes like this are of the everyday, and it’s normal and even gratuitous that any person learning a language seriously will turn to a teacher at some point.

How a Language Tutor Can Make a World of Difference

While proclamations for the self-learning movement abound with the many free, independent tools the Internet has given us, it turns out that collaborating with a teacher on anything, whether it’s sports, music, or learning a language, can be indispensable in the personal guidance a student stands to receive from even an hour of feedback. As I look back on several years of a single mistake quickly rectified by a teacher’s advice, I’ll put it out there for the many other students and language-learners who find themselves in the same position: working with a tutor can be game-changing, and often might mean the difference between coming halfway and taking it home. With ABC Languages, I’d recommend anything from the drop-in conversation classes to setting up a private session with a tutor to get that same level of customized feedback touching on the many minor points you yourself may not have even realized you were skipping over. And for anyone looking to achieve fluency or even just a conversational level, classes like these are practically a must. To browse classes, schedules, and connect with teachers, visit ABC Language private tutors.

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Education Featured

How Conversation Groups Can Boost Language Skills

Say you’re learning a language on a budget. You don’t have wads of money and a world of time to throw at a school, investing in what could be years of lessons. With language-learning apps, textbooks, podcasts, and online tutorials at our disposal, we’ve never been at greater liberty to explore new languages for free. Yet for anyone serious about achieving fluency, the time will come sooner or later to seek out others to practice with. Who better to practice with than a native speaker trained as a foreign language tutor?

How I Came to Conversation Classes

In my experience, I began studying French several years ago independently. I used a variety of apps and textbooks, including Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, and even a friend’s old AP French Language exam book. Those tools were tremendously helpful in establishing foundational knowledge of French. For instance, they provided me with the vocabulary, grammar rules, and simple phrases to begin.

As I progressed, I was able to begin listening to the French news and reading elementary books. One of which was Saint-Exupéry’s famous Le Petit Prince. After a certain point, I had achieved basic fluency in reading, listening, and even writing French. However, my conversational skills were rien. Anyone who might’ve heard me would have figured I was on day one of learning French. I knew what I had to do: I had to get some conversation practice. Better yet, practice with a teacher who could guide me in my pronunciations. One who I wouldn’t feel nervous or ashamed in front of. My options laid before me. I could attend a conversation class at a language-learning school, find a group with other French learners, or stumble upon a French-speaking friend with the patience to listen to me butcher the language. I went with the former.

Drop-In Conversation Classes at ABC Languages

Drop-in conversation classes are a constant option at ABC Languages. Therefore, students can stop in at their convenience to practice conversational skills with trained tutors. Many of whom are native speakers of the course language. Because of their background, both professional and personal, they’re able to guide students in casual conversation. They ensure students receive meaningful practice and receive helpful tips in their pronunciation, grammar, and word choice.

While not every native speaker will have the patience or interest in guiding a language learner, students can feel comfortable at ABC Languages. They can take their time and adjust to the new vernacular in a non-judgmental environment. At the same time, the conversation classes are a surer bet against casual language meet-ups between learners. Hence, there may not always be a strong facilitator at hand and not every member will be able to guide others. Conversation classes are hosted on a rolling basis and are open to new students any time, every time.

To see the language offerings and class schedule, visit ABC Language Workshops. 

For more on language and culture at Downtown Magazine, click here.

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Education

Learning a Language as a Piece of Theatre

Theatre Masks
Art by Noemi Florea

As Shakespeare once put it, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.” And if that’s the case, why should learning a language be any different than learning a script? 

One Crazy Narrative After Another

Early conversation practice at ABC Languages can take many forms. Practice ranges from a class to a conversation group, to even a bit of narrative theatre. I worked with co-founder Elizabeth Zackheim, and together we ran through a short French conversation diagnostic. This included the help of Carmen, Betty, Yukio, and a few other fictional characters to help us test out speaking lines in French.

The class took place in a classroom in Paris. The characters we acted out included students from America to Italy to Japan. Each gave their own perspective on visiting Paris and naming their favorite monuments — as any tourist would! Before long, the scene took a mysterious turn when a publication in the local newspaper announced the disappearance of three students from a rival language school. Sadly, our story was cut short due to the fact that we only read individual chapters. I guess it’ll be a while before we uncover what happened. “It’s a bit of Scooby-Doo,” Zackheim joked.

Running Lines Makes for Perfect Practice

So how does running through a short plot like this help with learning a language? Speaking lines out loud with a partner helps with both comprehension and pronunciation. Particularly if you’re working with a teacher who can guide you on both levels. Our chapters were pretty elementary, both in vocabulary and pace. This allowed for ample space to break down each portion to its most accessible core.

French can be quite the challenge to speak through correctly the first time around. Therefore, we paused to sound out words syllable by syllable.  As the teacher, Zackheim also took moments throughout the narrative to check in with my comprehension, asking certain “feeler” questions to gauge my understanding. Her doing so allowed me not only to stay focused on the story itself, but also gave me a chance to practice my speaking skills as I strove to elaborate on my answers. 

A Place for Well-Informed Feedback

After running through the narrative, Zackheim was also able to give a well-informed diagnostic towards my comprehension and oral skills in French and recommended shortly after which of the conversation groups at ABC Languages I should attend. For any student looking to test out their skill levels in a foreign language, running through a script like this can be a fast and fun way to receive feedback from a teacher towards what you might need to focus on moving forward. Afterwards, attending a conversation group like those at ABC Languages can provide an environment to work out oral and listening skills in a comfortable, well-paced environment.

To learn more about the conversation classes available at ABC Languages, visit ABC Language School. 

For more on language and culture from Downtown, click here.

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Education Featured

Pronounce a Language — With Or Without an Accent

Illustration of Facial Muscles
Art by Noemi Florea

All of those myths we once faced towards speaking a language with the right accent and pronunciation are just that — myths. It turns out, being able to pronounce the words of a language correctly has nothing to do with a speaker’s native accent. Rather, it is a learned skill that can be taught, and quickly too. 

Pronunciation Bootcamp

The French Pronunciation Bootcamp at ABC Languages takes an actor’s approach to pronouncing French words properly. This can be quite a challenge for any native English speaker. However, Bootcamp uses simple repetition strategies and breaks down beginner words syllable by syllable. The program makes for a fast, fun, and easy way to dismantle a lot of the barriers that come with taking on a new language. Elizabeth Zackheim, the co-founder of ABC Languages, also guides new students. She dismisses misconceptions about adapting to a foreign accent. “It’s your French,” she declares, adding that speaking French with an American accent means you’re nothing other than an American speaking French. “And so what?” she posed to students, laughingly.

Tackling New Muscles

The key to adapting to foreign pronunciations comes first with being aware of how the facial muscles shift patterns with different languages or dialects. In English, we tend to rely heavily on our jaw, with sounds moving up and down from the tips of our tongues. French pronunciation stems from the throat and the back of the mouth. This elicits less need for jaw movement and more pursing of the lips. Women especially might find themselves dropping the pitch of their voice much lower than usual, and sensing more activity in their nasal region. All of this comes with moving past the subjective understanding of how letters and words might be pronounced. As Zackheim puts it, “meeting the native speaker in their territory.”

Attending the Bootcamp at ABC Languages can be a great first step towards achieving speaking fluency. Furthermore, it is a great step toward speaking confidence. Zackheim recommends attending pronunciation workshops like these two or three times and following up with a private coach if needed. Most of all, she recommends, “make a lot of mistakes — that’s how you learn!” Where learning a language can come with a lot of hurdles and a bit of self-consciousness, programs like Zackheim’s go the extra mile towards providing a safe, educative space for students to explore new languages at their comfort level. To learn more about ABC Languages and browse their programs, visit ABC Language Classes.

For more on language and culture from Downtown Magazine, click here.