5 Principles for Learning Languages

By Gonzalo Este, 

Chris Lonsdale is a psychologist, linguist scientist, and educator. He wrote the book "the third ear", based on his studies and experience on learning different languages in the most effective way possible. Londsdale provides from there a series of procedures to follow, in order to learn any language in 6 month, regardless of talents. 

Lonsdale talks about immersion in another countries culture being one of the crucial factors into learning a language. But he also asks, what is true immersion? We can see just in Paris, countless people that after years of being in France haven’t learned the language. So why does this happen? What is truly behind learning a language. 

Lonsdale talks about 5 principles: 

1 – Relevancy: Are the things you learn relevant to you? If you are learning just by reading grammar, your mind won’t remain motivated. Relevance will help our brain to keep motivated. A new language implies learning countless variables and combinations, it’s essential to find what can keep us motivated, be it a particular subject, or even a dream we want to concrete. 

2- Communicate: Lansdale talks about using immediately the language we learned, even if we just started. Actually trying to send a message is what puts our brain into function. Our brain remembers names more easily because the effort of trying to say something emulates the effort we did as we were kids learning our mother tongue.

3- Comprehensive impute: 1000 words imply an 85% of words used in a language. 3000 are a 95%.  This tells us it’s much more important to understand a message than learning by memory countless words.

4- Talk: Forty-three muscles are used for talking. And many are used more in one language than another. Talking will get you used to it and also will help to memorize words.

5- Positive Psychological state: Chris talks to us about this being the most important attribute. When we are learning, being relaxed puts the brain in a curious state. It’s no wonder that play is the natural way of learning of most mammals. 

These principles are part of what molds our English Program. We want to provide to our travelers a meaningful experience, that will allow them to construct the foundations to the most effective way of learning a language and it's surrounding culture. These foundations are provided by teaching language tools during the morning, and providing a set of activities for the student to choose from at the afternoon, tours that will allow him to use the language in matters that interest him, living the nightlife with local people putting into motion his communication skills, visiting the artistic side of the city he desires to see.

 As Lansdale said, Relevancy and Positive Psychological state are truly important, and doing the activities you desire, in a new challenging new environment, will provide you motivation during, and for years to come. Going to a country to follow a program isn’t enough. Immersion implies study, but as well a positive adventure.

We got the Study vacations for you!