Howdy to all you inquisitive language explorers!
It is the end of the long weekend here in Ontario. Also, as I write this my mascot is sitting and purring on my lap. She is so supportive.
As I was teaching today, I remembered that it is best to concentrate on one skill at a time. That means you should decide to practice either fluency or accuracy (speaking), but not both. Or, you should practice rhythm or comprehension (listening), but not both.
Why? Because your brain can only concentrate very hard on one task at a time. Help you brain and choose either one or the other. If you try and do too much, you'll just get confused.
If you are trying to improve your fluency, then you should not worry about using perfect grammar or perfect vocabulary. Instead, you should concentrate on speaking smoothly and with a good rhythm. Rhythm includes the proper use of syllables, stresses and intonation.
If you are trying to improve your accuracy, then you should not worry about proper syllable pronunciation, stresses, and intonation. You should worry about using correct sentence structure, proper vocabulary, and great grammar.
If you wish to practice your listening, choose to either concentrate on the rhythm of the speaking (intonation and stresses) OR on understanding the meaning and vocabulary. Don't try to concentrate on both.
Now for a little warning. When you concentrate on one skill and begin to improve it, the other skill will seem to get worse. For example, if you are practicing fluency, your accuracy will seem to go down. Don't panic! Once you are comfortable with your new fluency skills, your accuracy will return to normal. It is okay and perfectly normal.
When I'm practicing reading Hiragana or Katakana, my ability to translate always goes down for a little while. That's okay!
I hope these tips will help you organize your learning and stay motived!
If you feel like you are losing skills or just stuck, we can fix that!
Matthew
englishispersonal@gmail.com
Hello! My name is Matthew Gridley and I know that every learner is different. You can become a confident, accurate, and fluent speaker! I am a native English speaking CELTA certified English language teacher from Canada. I have a B.A. in English literature, a Bachelor of Education, and over 12 years of teaching and tutoring experience. I love teaching and I want to help you. If English confuses or frusterates you, we can fix that!
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