Learn a New Language by Immerging Into a New Culture
I was challenged to learn a new language for the first time in school. As our education system requires, every student should learn two foreign languages. Depending on the school, the students were learning English and French (as mine did) some of them English and German, and some of them English and Italian. I loved English (can’t say the same about French)!!! I tried hard to learn it. Believe me, this was a challenge in a class with 30 students and only one teacher! I learned mostly from books, reading and writing… and surprise, when the moment came to talk in English, I couldn’t find my words!!! Did you have the same problem? I know many friends who had the same experience. Some of them learned English with a dictionary and phrase books, and some of them joined English classes. Few of them became fluent in the new language fast, but most of us… we were trying and trying really hard.
After many years, moving to India, I was forced to learn Hindi. A difficult language!!! Different sounds, different script, and once again learning from books did not work. I’ve tried for some time, and reached a beginner level. I was able to survive, but I wasn’t content because of the inability to share my deep feelings and experiences with my Indian friends. Miscommunication due to the lack of language knowledge made life really difficult sometimes. In that moment I learnt about OnSite Language Services, an immersion language learning program which helps English/Spanish speaking people to learn Hindi/Urdu and other Indian languages. Its motto is “Immerse to Converse”, because they believe that immersion is the best way to learn a new language.
The principles of OSLS are natural, and yet I haven’t thought about them! Let’s learn as children do! What does it mean? Children learn through their everyday experience not through lessons; they acquire language which they need to use; they speak before they write and read. Through OSLS you become a child again; you learn to listen to the new language and to speak before you read or write. This does not mean that writing or reading is neglected, but the program concentrates on speaking. Being a community based language learning program, the students learn the new language mostly out in the community with natives or in private sessions with a language helper. This makes the relationships easy to build and learning culture a natural process. Of course, learning requires sweat, frustration and… humility: to recognize that you don’t know everything, to accept that people will laugh at you and to persist in having embarrassing language contacts.
So, what did I learn from my language learning experience? I learned… how to learn! I learned that immersion language learning is the most efficient method to learn a new language… as long as you work hard!!!
About the Author
Gabi Andrei, OSLS Learner, a language acquisition program which invites people to learn Hindi and learn Urdu in India from native people not from books, an intensive language learning in a new culture.
SPOKEN ENGLISH THROUGH HINDI – PART 1
|
|
Ectaco EHi900 Grand Hindi & English Bidirectional Talking Electronic Translator Dictionary & PhraseBook with OCR C-Pen Scanner & GPS Navigation System $629.95 Large 3.5″ color LCD screen. 70,000 English explanations with the WordNet Princeton English Dictionary. Unique User’s Dictionary lets you create personalized word lists. Advanced Speech Recognition. True Voice human pronunciation for words and phrases. Pre-recorded words list provides access to spoken dictionary entries. Talking Picture Dictionary with pronunciation for all words. 56,000 entry Au… |
|
|
Rosetta Stone Hindi Level 1-3 Set $399.00 Communicate and connect around the world. Build a foundation of fundamental vocabulary and essential language structure. Develop the language skills to enjoy social interactions such as travel and shopping and learn to share ideas and opinions in your new language. What Will I Learn This level will help you: Build your vocabulary and language abilities Spell and write accurately Speak wit… |
|
|
Rosetta Stone Hindi Level 1 $179.00 Build a foundation of fundamental vocabulary and essential language structure. Begin to learn and speak with confidence. Master basic conversational skills, including greetings and introductions, simple questions and answers, shopping and much more. What Will I Learn This level will help you: Build vocabulary and language basics Spell and write accurately Speak without a script Retain wha… |
|
|
Rosetta Stone Hindi Level 1-2 Set $299.00 Build a foundation and navigate your surroundings. Learn fundamental vocabulary and essential language structure from greetings and introductions to simple questions and their answers. Gain the confidence to talk about your environment such as giving and getting directions, telling time, dining out, shopping, and enjoying basic social interactions. What Will I Learn This level will help you… |
|
|
Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food, with More Than 150 Recipes $17.20 With its exotic aromas and complex flavors, Indian cuisine is one of the world’s best. It’s no wonder that so many people adore it–and also no surprise that it could seem daunting to cook Indian food at home. Now, acclaimed chef and cooking teacher Suvir Saran cuts out the fuss, sharing casual, home-style Indian dishes that are perfect for everyday cooking.Indian Home Cooking is a celebration of … |
|
|
Palm Reading for Beginners: Find Your Future in the Palm of Your Hand (For Beginners (Llewellyn’s)) $6.50 Just imagine that you sit down at a bare table. You have no crystal balls, Tarot cards, runes, or any other tools. One by one, people come up to you and you amaze them with your knowledge of who they are – their hopes, goals, and desires – and your predictions for change in their lives. Sound amazing? You can do it with a little practice and Richard Webster’s Palm Reading for Beginners. Just as a … |
|
|
Adobe® Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book $31.00 Prentice Hall Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in A Book Isbn 0-321-11562-7…. |
