This is the first article for learning and teaching a foreign language while paying attention to learning styles. We all know that children learn differently from one another, and differently from the way we learn very often. (Which is frustrating, isn’t it?) So paying attention to learning styles will help you to overcome fear and barriers while tackling the daunting task of teaching a foreign language. This week will be for all those visual learners.

Getting Started – Use pictures and the target language concurrently. One thing new speakers get stuck in is translating in their heads. If a student can learn a word based on a picture, rather than a written word, this is a way to overcome and train the brain to think in the target language, rather than taking the extra step of translation. For an introduction to the language, Rosetta Stone software implements this truth to a very high degree. (Though it lacks in other areas, it's great in this way!)

Moving Forward – As your student picks up more vocabulary from flash cards or books, or just text books even, add in games of Pictionary, Memory (only use the cards you know he knows), charades, and puzzles. Add a time issue to it - can he do it faster and faster? The anxiety that comes from trying to think in German or French or Spanish quickly is similar to the anxious feeling we get when trying to communicate. PRACTICE overcoming that anxiety to become proficient in the language!

Keep on Keeping On - After a year of study or more, it will become difficult for your student to break out of wanting to SEE the words, or see a picture with the words, unfortunately, this is not the way we communicate in the real world. So, ease yourselves out of the comfort zone by choosing the Language track on a favorite DVD movie (cartoons work best, so the dubbing isn’t as distracting) in the target language. Tarzan is GREAT in Spanish, as is Peter Pan. Beauty and the Beast takes on a whole new feel in French! Lovely!

Any time you hit a wall, or find yourself in rote translation mode, stop and draw something, or pull out the picture flash cards again, or just describe pictures in books or commercials, or as your drive through the city. If you get stuck, write down the English word and look it up when you get home. Stick that list back in the car for easy access next time you practice your lessons on the way to the grocery store.

Beware of - Music CD’s and Speaking tracks are NOT helpful for this type of student. If that’s all you have, be sure to hand him the transcript to read along for at least the first session. Learn in Your Car Spanish will simply overwhelm and frustrate, while DVD’s of learning lessons like Muzzy or Spanish Champs might work better. Finally, be careful to require your student to speak. Though that’s not his “learning style,” he still has to use the language! So be sure he can read, and see, as well as speak, repeat, and understand. A learning style is a method of absorption, not a crutch to keep you inside your comfort zone of speaking English only.

And remember - the KEY to truly learning a language is MOTIVATION!

Señora Gose
Flip n Flop Learning LLC
senoragose@verizon.net

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