Children and language learning

Posted on 17 May, 2013 by Bilingüísmo y tecnología

Currently, language learning is fundamental for children. The task of learning a new language can be fun and with it children can gain new experiences, understand different cultures, etc. It has also been shown that children “absorb” so much faster than adults the new content, this is why it is much easier for them to learn new languages.

Why is it important to learn a language as a child?

Children have a natural curiosity that keeps them with an open mind constantly, a fundamental aspect to learn a new language. Simply by listening, watching, etc. they are able to learn basic concepts and principles of a new language.There is evidence that children who speak a second language improve their academic results and learn to communicate effectively in another language which leads to increase their self-confidence.

Continue reading →

Teaching languages encouraging students

Posted on 9 May, 2013 by Bilingüísmo y tecnología

To teach languages it is necessary to have a pre-planning of the subject, have a portfolio of activities to work with students, etc. but above all, for the task of teaching what is effective and very important is to entertain the students, if they are bored they will tune automatically and they no longer will be interested in what they were hearing. It is therefore essential to maintain a proactive, friendly and collaborative classroom, involving students is essential for them to learn.

Continue reading →

Tips to improve English pronunciation

Posted on 2 May, 2013 by Bilingüísmo y tecnología

One of the major problems faced by language learners is pronunciation. In many cases, students find it very difficult to pronounce English words since it is a language with many more sounds than Spanish and obviously, many of them do not exist in Spanish. For this reason, which in many cases is done is try to imitate these sounds with those that are most similar in the native language but there are many cases in which we cannot resort to these similarities, for example, in Spanish “b” and “v” are pronounced the same but not so in English. If you pronounce “v” in a wrong way in the word “very” can completely change the meaning of what you say and say for example, “berry”. In English there are many more vowel sounds than in Spanish and to achieve a correct pronunciation it is necessary to distinguish them.

Continue reading →

Learning languages with music

Posted on 25 April, 2013 by Bilingüísmo y tecnología

Music is one of the tools we may find very helpful when learning a new language. The lyrics help us to easily memorize vocabulary, expressions, etc. while having fun and also helps us to improve pronunciation.

In relation to the benefits of music in language learning, the researcher Daniel Schön showed some years ago that language students find it easier to learn new words when someone sings that when included in a normal speech. This is due to the motivation that promotes the music but also, according to the researchers, to the fact that listening to songs involves the same area of the brain we use to learn languages.

Continue reading →