Memory Techniques To Boost Your Foreign Language Learning

Using Mnemonics in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

So how much vocabulary do you actually need to know before you can “get by” and actually converse in a foreign language? That depends on who you ask, as that tends to vary somewhat.

In his book, “Using Your Memory”, author Tony Buzan says that a mere 100 words comprise nearly 50% of the vocabulary used in every day conversational speech in most languages. Learning the equivalent of these words in a foreign language can help you to quickly develop essential vocabulary for everyday conversational use. But is this really enough?

Link Word Technique

Generally, you can function at the most basic level in a foreign language with a core vocabulary of around 1000 words according to Dr. Michael Gruneberg who formalized the “LinkWord” technique. He claims that, using this technique of linking a word in your own language to a word in the new language, you can acquire a core vocabulary in a foreign language in as little as 10 hours.

The LOCI Method

According to Cicero, the LOCI Method or Roman Room System is said to have originated in ancient Greece circa 500 B.C. When the building he was in collapsed, crushing all of the people inside beyond recognition, the only survivor, poet Simonides of Ceos identified the victims by name solely based on where they had been sitting at the dinner table. The technique was commonly used for centuries by Greek and Roman orators to give speeches without using notes.

The Pimsleur Method

The Pimsleur Method folks check in at 2,500 words as a minimum core vocabulary to communicate fluently in a foreign language. This is much closer to what I’ve actually found in real-world practice to be an effective depth of vocabulary.

Personally, I advocate a minimum core vocabulary in the range of 1500 to 2000 words. Sure you can “communicate” with much fewer words, as few as 500 depending on the context, but you could often sound “strained”, “artificial” or even “childish” in your speech constructions while trying to get your point across.

In addition, if you’re working in a skilled trade, vocation or profession, the minimum core vocabulary count could ramp up as much as another 300 to 500 words. So any time spent acquiring needed foreign language vocabulary is definitely time well spent. In the next article of this series we’ll consider a simple method you can use to start learning key vocabulary right away.

 

Defending Ones Position.

 Me: you will never find any video for any mormon criticizing you or any other church, that does not mean we will not preach the gospel to whomever wants to hear, but remember Jesus himself did not criticize anyone like you are doing right now, I serve as missionary for this church you are criticizing, I can tell you the worst way to convince someone is to criticize them, Jesus Christ never criticize , and perhaps you have something to learn here.

Him: Jesus "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44 

Jesus "You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil?" Matthew 12:34 

Jesus "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it" Matt 12:44 

Yup, Jesus didn't use criticism. 

Me: you should be ashamed.... 

in John 8 the Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. (New Testament | John 8:3 - 6) 

AS YOU CAN SEE HE DID NOT WENT AFTER THEM TO CRITICIZE ANYONE, THEY CAME TO HIM TRYING TO TEMPT HIM. He did defend his position and sent the woman to a better life path by talking about repentance. 

I dont know if it is worth keep chatting you, so I will stop here instead of explaining the other examples, but I am sure if you go over them you will find him defending his position, and not him going out there looking for trouble and criticizing others. 

You may say I am here fighting or criticizing you but I am just defending my point of view or my religion, you have to remember it was not me who started this, you are the one putting videos out there talking how my church is wrong , not the other way around. 

You should follow Jesus Example, because now it is very clear that he did not criticize others, he just went about doing good and preaching the gospel, if that is what you want to do I commend you, but if not .... you should NOT be surprised when one day he may say to you:

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (New Testament | Matthew 7:22 - 23

Teaching Deep Culture in the Elementary Classroom.

I find out very interesting that some researchers find that why did certain civilizations in world history seem to be more "advanced" than others. The answer to that question is related to the fact that those societies that had more access to cultural diversity were more apt to advance than their more isolated counterparts. Nowadays we have to be able to verify due to our technological advancements some neat explanations for that happening. it is said that those expositions to diversity will foster more neural connection in the brain that can be used to help solve different problems than the one who causes the neural connection to be formed, this propels the individual to be more creative and smart in regards having ideas and interesting solutions for many and different tasks he may encounter ahead.

it is being said that to teach deeper culture one has to acquire enough culture so that he can compare to new ones, or different than the one he belongs to. In fact, he can only make those comparisons if he had a frame of reference, that is his own culture. By the other hand children, exposure to stories and situation that is on their level of understanding can contribute for them to recognize a cross-cultural difference when they see one, and by consequence to deal better with the situation.

Culture and Psychology

This topic of psychology got my attention because the same situation can take a whole different meaning to the one who is experiencing it. It was illustrated by professor Ivers by saying that farming was a feminine job on the Indian culture and it takes several generations until it became in such a way that there is no job that can be more manly than that. This also reminds me a few times when I see people working with kids, I learn a few things raisin, my own children, and that was when sometimes is much easier to apply a little psychology to make a child to some stuff than using the force, that is the power of psychology over us, so we should not underestimate that power.

Self-esteem is considered for some to be the most important factor of achievement, this topic remembers me the story of Johnny Lingo that I like so much, it demonstrates in that story how self-esteem can play a powerful tool in someone life change for the better.

This is also related to a concept called stereotype threat, it says that we live to the cultural expectation of the stereotype we are in, this is being studied and the results show is this: consider that white male usually feels less athletic power compared to black male, and when before the test if the male is reminded of that he usually will perform worse. 

Asian Americans usually perform better academically and financially than white Americans, even thou the statics confirm that we cannot say it is always like that, perhaps the we can even say the statistics data is responsible for the stereotyping.

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Differences in Manners

As a returned missionary I have seen a lot of this happening a mission field, I guess it was fun when it was harmless, and it happens to ones who came to live and experience a mission in a different language and culture. It was nice to have a companion to help but it ends up being the companion who set the stage to trick you if you are the foreigner. It goes like this, go and say this or that you want to convey this message, or explain when people say this they mean such and such, and then we sit back and watch and have fun with...I am talking about this experiences because I want to say that there is two way you can learn about the other culture, you can take that easy and have fun and maybe laugh at your self or not, I prefer the first option, also I had so much fun and enjoy so much living this kind of experience that I am planning to live abroad again.

Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom

Professor Ivers in this video about Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom share a lot of stories about what Asian students think of the behavior of American students in class, and their interpretation is very different in terms of many aspects such as how the students show respect for the teacher by not packing or leaving the class before it ends, or how expressivity is a thermometer to evaluate how students are engaged in the class, or the freedom students have to disagree with the teacher and discuss the topic at hand and many others. The main point to be taken from this lecture is always to give the benefit of the doubt for the student in a class with students from a different background.

Attributional Tendencies in Cultures

Attributional tendency is kind of putting a glass to see or interpret the situation, different cultures have different way to see things, and how to interpret them.... so it would be normal for you to have the same tendencies to act and see things the same way people from your culture sees it, but that doesn't mean that is the right explanation for it. we are subject to do many wrong attributions due to lack of information, and that can even be possible to judge our own behavior incorrectly, which is called bias in attribution. The attribution has some other categories like external vs internal. Stable vs Unstable and the last one, the topic of this article: Individualism vs Collectivism

A) Internal Attributions ascribe the causes of behavior to personal dispositions, traits, abilities, and feelings.

B) External Attributions ascribe the causes of behavior to situational demands and environmental constraint.

A) Stable = Concrete, unchanging factors of success/failure.
B) Unstable = Temporary, changing factors of success/failure.

A) Individualism: Involves putting personal goals ahead of group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group memberships.

B) Collectivism: Involves putting group goals ahead of personal goals and defining one’s identity in terms of the groups one belongs to (such as one’s family, tribe, work group, social class, caste, and so on.)