5 English Lessons You Can’t Get In School: 1. Dialect or Accent. English is a very rich language that can be heard all over the world. The English accent that can be heard in London, England is quite different from what you would hear in Dublin, Ireland. Likewise with the accent from New York City and that of Austin, Texas. Spending time with native speakers will help you understand the same words spoken with different dialects. By modeling your own pronunciation after what you hear, you will find your own voice or “accent” in English, correctly! 2. Intonation and Word Stress. English uses word stress and common intonations to express the most important parts of a sentence or conversation. These two elements are key to understanding someone in another language, especially when you aren’t fluent. When you hear these intonations many times and begin to mimic them, you will soon sound like a native speaker! 3. Slang and Expressions. Slang can be some of the richest and most fun parts of speaking a second language. Unfortuantely slang isn’t often taught in school, and it expresses a lot more meaning when it is used in the heat of the moment. Typical expressions are another part of language that is commonly spoken in everyday life by native speakers, but this is one of the most difficult elements of a second language to learn in a classroom. When you hear a native speaker use an expression you don’t understand, you can use the context of the situation to guess its meaning. Slang and expressions are about living in the moment, and experiencing the language you are learning. 4. Cultural Influences. Many people believe that our native language influences the way we see the world. We can observe this through typical word groups and expressions that are used in different parts of the world, which can sometimes reflect a way of life. For example, if you are learning Japanese, it would be difficult to truly grasp the essence of the language without knowing a little about the culture it is linked with. Language and culture are inseparable, and the best way to acquire them are by meeting native speakers and learning about their lives. 5. Survival Instinct. When we attempt to communicate with someone who does not speak our native language, we begin to learn a lot about ourselves and our capacity to communicate. Often a nonverbal form of communication will supplement any lack in vocabulary, and you will have to rely on your own creativity when you are traveling or need information quickly! When this happens, our brains are awake and open, stimulated and searching for information to fill in the gaps. In these situations where our limits of communication are tested, we learn quickly and easily, and we get a sense of achievement! Source: speakenglishcenter/en/english-5-english-lessons-you-cant-get-in-school/
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 09:04:40 +0000
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