5 English Lessons You Can’t Get In School

Most of us have been to school, and at school we had to take language classes. In many countries, students are required to take English lessons in particular. My high school in the United States offered classes in Latin, French, German, Spanish and Japanese. I chose Spanish. In fact, I studied Spanish for 3 years in high school, and 3 years at university. In these classes, I memorized vocabulary and I did written exercises from a book to practice grammar and sentence structure. In class, we had exams and quizzes, and sometimes we did a speaking exercise with a fellow student. But at the end of my studies, I was definitely NOT fluent in Spanish! I, like so many other language students, assumed I just wasn’t cut out to learn a second language. But the truth is, I had never heard a native speaker, and I had never been taken out of my familiar native language environment!

When I moved to France a few years later, I was a true beginner. I had never heard French spoken before, and I had never taken any classes. And a funny thing started to happen. Even though I could not understand the words people were saying in French, I could still understand their feeling. You can feel and hear someone’s feelings by watching their body language, and listening to the volume and tone of their voice. The expression on their face and the speed with which they speak are also clues as to how someone feels. And when you understand how someone feels, you can guess what they want to say, even if you don’t know all the words. And your brain makes a connection between these feelings and the words that are associated with them. This is called learning! After only six months in France, I began to understand sentences and have simple conversations with locals. After one year, I was self sufficient, and began to receive compliments on my language level. It seemed like nothing short of a miracle to me–who couldn’t speak Spanish after six years of study!

Most English students try to improve their English by memorizing vocabulary and doing written grammar exercises, and then actually punishing themselves or feeling upset when they can’t remember everything perfectly ! The truth is, our brain needs to link an experience with new information so that we can remember it.

Traveling and speaking with native speakers is by far the absolute best way to improve any language, including English! And with so many different types of English spoken today, from Australia to India to Scotland, you have a lot to learn!

Here are 5 Vital Lessons You Won’t Get In School :

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!

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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!

(photo: www.mirror.co.uk)

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.

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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.

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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!

Many language schools, like Speak English Center, use only teachers who are native speakers, and try to immerse students in culture and language through music and play. But some adult English students often feel they need to do written language exercises, and don’t take the concept of learning through experience seriously. What about you? Have you ever taken formal English lessons that you felt were not effective? Why was this?

Have you ever learned a language from a native speaker?

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