Noel is the founder of Smart Language Learner. When he isn't learning languages or writing about it, you can find him enjoying the good life of Costa Rica, where he lives with his wife and 4 children.
I haven’t always been successful at learning languages.
When I was younger I tried to learn another language several times.
Only to fail every time…and usually faster than Donald Trump can say “tremendous”.
After each failure it would take years for me to try again.
Failure can hurt, you know. And the hurt would always lead me to the same conclusion:
When learning a new language many negative thoughts can plague you.
But one stands out as probably the most destructive thought a language learner can have.
Think it enough, and it could be curtains for your language dreams.
What thought it is?
The word studying has gotten a bad reputation in the last few years.
Mention the word and you see people cringe in agony.
To study is to die a long painful death due to immense boredom.
Language bloggers who dare to use the word, risk the chance of being called old fashioned and outdated.
We no longer study a language, we learn it instead.
There are flashcards…..and then there are Smart Flashcards.
Smart Flashcards follow the idea that it’s easier to remember something if we couple it with something very familiar to us.
So instead of just having a word or a sentence on a card, with Smart Flashcards you want to use a sentence with things or facts close to home.
If you are not already learning a foreign language, you should start right away!
Why may you wonder?
Well, let’s just mention a few benefits such as:
a better traveling experience, a better brain, a better social life, a better pay, better grades, a better job and a better life in general.
Yes, learning a second language makes everything better.
Ever since I started its sessions, I’ve been very eager to find out the long-term results of Vocab Wars #2.
The method of choice in Vocab Wars #2 was writing sentences with foreign words. And with writing I mean writing … with pen and paper.
And today — just as I’m about to start the learning sessions for Vocab Wars #4 — it’s time to reveal these long-term results.