Learning English
conversation fluently is the dream of many Iranian teenagers. Whether
those who have some specific goals of learning it such as traveling
abroad, continuation of education by being employed in a foreign
institution or just being interested in communicating with the
worldwide community.
All believe that
teaching language(s) in Iranian schools and universities is not found
useful for conversation, and the materials are only confined to grammar
or text translation.
Some of the
Iranian families, as they are well aware of hardships of language
learning after maturation, register their children for language schools
right from the beginning of elementary years.
However, adults
interested in participating in these sorts of classes are always
looking for an accredited center or even perhaps have experienced
several institutes. Nevertheless, since they only attend their classes
and the time spending on weekly exercises or pre-study does not
suffice, they do not take full advantage.
And some, since
being busy, are not able to take part in any classes, by getting
different types of books and CDs, make a decision to learn English
personally at home or in car, as they are under no compulsion, little
by little, ignore this method and forget it.
What I am aiming
at telling you in this post is to make references to key points in
learning language conversation based on various experiences.
This information
will suit both groups fine, especially those who are sick and tired of
applying different methods and techniques.
Three substantial conditions of learning language conversation:
1) Motivation:
make up your mind! For what reason are you trying to learn the
language? If you are determined, begin unless you kill your time.
2) Time and energy:
learning a language is a continuous and time-taking task. There must
not be any distance between its different parts, therefore; specify
exactly what times are you to devote to language learning weekly.
3) Opportune environment:
while leaning a language, you need to have an appropriate and silent
atmosphere in order to have concentration. Do not count on noisy places
or cars etc. (for that reason, some language laboratories are
recommended.)
Is English forgetable?
If you have gone
through the process of conversation learning properly, it should not be
forgettable. Like after ten years avoidance of driving, you would like
to drive over again and say I have forgotten how to drive. Conversation
capability must penetrate into your subconscious, then after passage of
time, only some words will get out of your mind, but conversation
competence remains in your ability. Unless the way you have been taught
is shallow.
Listening, the best, and the most significant method
The most
important and useful way of learning conversation is Listening. The
more you listen, the faster you learn. Now how to listen to tapes:
1)
Never ever read any material, before you listen to its tape sometimes.
You may pronounce some words inaccurately, and this continuous mistake
will stay with you permanently. Therefore, listen to the tape first,
and then read the text.
2)
How many times should we listen to each lesson? Once? Five times? Ten
times? Nope….100 times! Yes, do not get shocked, if you would like to
be self confident of conversing, listen a lot until you memorize it!
Truly speaking, it is the most influential subject in conversation. You
need to memorize the texts of lessons. Then turn it off and try to
repeat like the speaker. Your greatest joy will be when you commit a
long paragraph to memory.
3) How to listen to tapes? Only by hands free. Why? For two reasons.
Firstly, the
human learning abilities are divided 60 and 40 percent between seeing
and listening, respectively. If you want your seeing ability helps your
listening ability, you need to shut your eyes,( imagine you are sitting
somewhere and talking to someone, your colleague approaches you, and
drop a word in your ear…while you are listening to him, where do you
look? While your eyes are open, but, in fact, you look nowhere because
all your consciousness in concentrated to understand what he says.
(Hands free is a kind of whisper in your ears that captivates all your
attention and concentration to the speaker.)
Secondly, since
the voice coming out of the hands free is in your ears, remains in
entrance part of ears for sometime, and repeats
.
If you are
watching visual program, similar to cinema, you should darken the
environment in order for nothing else distracts you.
4)
Well, you have been expected to listen sometimes, and then memorize the
text wholly. In the next stage, when being completely familiar with the
text by reading, you need to record your voice. Prepare an empty tape,
and whatever text you memorized, without looking at the book record
your voice on it. Of course, initially, it would be a little hard task
but if you forgot some parts, instead of referring to the book, listen
to that part over again. Then do it again, I mean record your voice. In
addition, when you listen to your voice, you will know how good have
you been at pronunciation and accent… do not forget, in order to have
an acceptable accent, you must mimic their accents like an imitator or
an actor. Even if it is an old woman or a baby, try to copy, as you say
something that you have heard. Pay a close attention that if you try to
speak exactly the way a native speaker speaks, you'll remember more
words, because you say whatever you have exactly listened!!, but if you
speak with your own accent, then your hearings will remedy nothing,
because your mind suppose them something else.
The best speaking practice is in front of mirror. You can also improve your self-confidence by this method.
Point:
those who suggest you continually to listen to the tape or radio or
watch original movies are right, but it doesn't get your speaking skill
improved but it's only advantage is for your ears to familiarize with
the specific frequencies of language conversation. Even if you do not
know the meaning of the words, listen. Afterward, when you are aware of
their meaning, your mind, similar to puzzle, put these words together,
and adequate understanding of it will be gained.
Exercise, Grammar, Dictation, Word memorization, and Sentence making
Forget them all!
At the beginning
levels of learning conversation, do not pressure yourself into doing
exercises, taking dictation, practicing grammar, etc…just listen,
record your voice to the point that you are satisfied with your accent,
and speaking speed.
Practicing
grammar a lot will get in the way of your goal. While memorizing the
materials, learning grammar takes place automatically and this method
is more permanent in comparison with applying grammatical points
throughout your speaking with pre-determined purpose.
Do not attempt to
learn by memorizing vocabularies…say good-bye to the dictionary!....you
only learn sentences or phrases, not words…how useful it is knowing
thousands of words without capability of applying them throughout
speaking?
We should not make our own sentences but we need to memorize prepared sentences.
Keep in mind, you
are only able to apply sentences throughout your speaking that you have
read or heard the same previously! Unless, like a polite student, say:
we have not studied yet, sir…!
If you attempt to
make a new sentence, totally, it is antithesis of our method. Do you
make any sentences while producing your mother tongue? Never...why?
Because you have already read or heard the sentences, you want to
produce.
Do not worry, since you will memorize many sentences and the need for sentence making will be eliminated.
Penetrate language conversation into your life.
If you want to say these sentences in English fast, can you?
تلویزیون را خاموش کن، سفره رو بنداز، ببین کیه در می زنه؟ برو درستو بخون..
One of the
biggest problems of language teaching methods in our schools is its
difference with the way a baby speaks. After birth, the very first
words that your child gets familiar with, after dad and mom, are
imperative verbs, such as come, sit down, don't touch, open your mouth,
say mommy, laugh and so on.
Nevertheless, we, in schools, start with declarative sentences! I am a student….He is a teacher
This subject
could be known as the biggest deficiency in English language teaching
system in our schools. University-educated people cannot still realize
the difference between 'get, take, and put' very well. Why? Because it
could be specified only by the imperative use of these verbs in their
authentic contexts.
Here, I am not
going to suggest you to learn verbs and their usage. Because previously
I mentioned that in learning conversation, grammar is not applied
independently, but it is learned out of context.
Our recommendations are:
1)
Several nights consecutively, while your family members are not aware,
record their colloquial conversations at home e.g. while eating dinner.
2) In the next step, transcribe all their conversations.
3) Since you have recorded some nights successively, you will meet some repetitive statements, delete them.
4) Translate these sentences by getting help from your teacher or one who is good at English.
5) Commit the sentences to memory.
Right now, you are able to converse English at home by the sentences you have kept in mind.
Developing your capability
1)
Generally speaking, the advice I would like to give you is based on
Persian to English translation. You should be able to translate the
simple Persian sentences to English. Then you will be enough
self-confident.
2)
Never jump from one method to another, do not try various methods, and
do not buy variety of tapes, CDs, and books. Provide only one series of
tapes and books and begin with the same. (I have no suggestion on
courses and books …you search for the best…book is not of highly
importance, method is. We talked about method, but personally think the courses having less books and tapes such as Interchange will suit you fine.
3)
Write down some of your daily notes and reminders in English…the
personal reminders… of your friends and family members…rules of work
place and home…are short statements but you can bear them in mind
forever.
4)
Do not write Finglish. In e-mail or chat, write in English even if all
are ill formed. It would suffice if you learn a trifle out of each
e-mail.
5) learn text translation through learning conversation…you will succeed in translation automatically when you are fluent speaker.
The final point:
write the important sentences each and everywhere at home and work
place, and hang them to be with you every day….sentence…not words!!!
Good-Luck
Translated by: Majid Ja'fari
