The Rare Gang

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When we are learning any foreign language, we are bound to compare it with our mother tongue (let’s assume that yours is English).

Learning Russian has already brought you pleasant surprises — for example, remember the moment when you found out that spelling in Russian is much simpler than in English? It means that it is easier for a learner to start reading. You don’t agree and think that reading Russian is difficult? Then imagine a native Russian-speaker learning English and trying to figure out how to read double-o in words like “book”, “floor”, or “blood”. If he hasn’t yet heard these words and the teacher is far away at the moment, learning how to read takes tremendous effort. Compared to him, YOU are lucky.

But all the same — reading in Russian can sometimes be tricky for a beginner, whose native language is English. Hard and soft consonants are usually the most difficult thing for a student to remember.

In English it doesn’t matter whether the consonant you pronounce is hard or soft, but in Russian it can make another word. Your teacher surely has told you this, but there is a pretty long distance between knowing a rule and applying it automatically. That is why beginners often read words like “СЕЛ” and “СЪЕЛ” the same. Listening, memorizing, imitating native speakers will help — in time. What to do here and now, especially if there is no tutor to correct?

Well, you can control your reading yourself so you won’t confuse “Он сел” (He sat down/have sat down) Он съел… (He has eaten…).

To sort out this mess with the consonants, let’s take a look at Russian VOWELS. Yes, vowels, because that’s what causes the trouble. There are 4 vowels that soften the preceding consonant — Я, Ё, Е, Ю, И…

But probably we’d better begin from the beginning.

Let’s divide Russian vowels into two groups:

Group 1: А О Э У Ы

Group 2: Я Ё Е Ю И

Have you noticed something? Not yet? Well, let’s put them in pairs: А -Я, О - Ё, Э - Е, У - Ю, Ы - И

Now you see…Я sounds ЙА, Ё is ЙО, Ю is ЙУ and Е is ЙЭ.

Now the pairs are like: А -ЙА, О - ЙО, Э - ЙЭ, У - ЙУ

In 4 out of 5 pairs the sound from the second group = Й + the sound from the first group.

Remember that, it will help you in reading.

Now some good news: You will never have any problem reading vowels from the Group 1. Letters А,О,Э,У,Ы are read always the same.

Now about Group 2.
Letters Я,Ё,Е,Ю can cause some trouble in reading. What’s more, they are responsible for most of your foreign accent when you’re speaking Russian. To avoid both, remember these simple rules:

If letters Я,Е,Ё,Ю,И go after a consonant, they:

• soften this consonant

AND

• Я,Е,Ё,Ю lose Й and turn into А,Э,О,У

Example: the word НЯНЯ (a nanny, a babysitter)
The most common mistake is reading it as н’йа-н’йа (an apostrophe after the letter means the sound is soft).
The right pronunciation is н’а-н’а
more examples: ВЕСНА = в’эсна (spring)

The letter И after a consonant simply softens it (it has no Й to lose).
СИНИЙ = с’и-н’ий (navy blue)
МИР = м’ир (world/peace)

You read these four letters AS THEY ARE IN THE ALPHABET (Я=ЙА, etc.) ONLY WHEN THESE LETTERS DON’T FOLLOW A CONSONANT.

It happens when:

1. The word begins with such a letter:

Яблоко = read it as ЙАблоко (apple)
Ёжик = ЙОжык (hedgehog)
Ехать = ЙЕхать (to go, usually by some means of transport)
Юпитер = ЙУп’ит’эр (Jupiter)

2. When such a letter follows a vowel:

маЯк = маЙАк (lighthouse)
моЁ =моЙО (mine, or my - with a neuter noun, like my coat = моё пальто)

приЕхать =приЙЭхать (to come by some means of transport)

3. When these vowels follow Ъ and Ь.These two letters indicate that after them those 4 vowels will sound as йа, йэ, йо, йу. That’s what Ъ and Ь and are for.

ВЪЕЗД=вЙЕзд (entrance for transport)
СВИНЬЯ= свин’ЙА (pig)

But how to use all this to improve reading? For example, you can do like this:

• Print a page with the Russian text you are going to read
• Underline the Group 2 vowels in this text (Я,Е,Ё,Ю,И)
• Start reading, paying attention to where these letters are in the word - at the beginning of a word; after ъ, ь, or a vowel; or after a consonant.

Very soon you won’t need to underline these vowels anymore.

Just a couple of more tips to keep in mind:

When you see ЦИ, read it as ЦЫ:

ЦИРК = цЫрк (circus)

The same with ЖИ and ШИ - they sound ЖЫ and ШЫ:

ЖИВОЙ = жЫвой (alive)
ШИТЬ=ШЫть (to sew)

Remember what your teacher told you about reading unstressed vowels. They sound more relaxed than stressed ones. Pretty much the same as in English - compare two Os in the word “doctor”

The similar thing happens to consonants at the end of Russian words. Some of them (called sonants) begin to sound more like other sounds, called breath consonants: Б sounds like П, В - Ф, Б - П, and the like (see textbooks). Just pronounce consonants at the end of words with less strain, and you will say them correct - automatically.

Keep training and soon your reading and speaking skills will be superb. Good luck!

Linguist by profession, Alexandra Gamanenko currently takes part in a design studio project. It offers localization and translation of websites into Russian and Ukrainian, as well as lots of other useful services.

Learn more — visit the website http://www.clever-crayon.com

You may be tempted to invest in some language-learning software that you have seen advertised. Don’t be fooled by the advertiser’s claims. All that glitters is not gold - so it may have lots of fancy colours and use all the latest technology, but is it actually more effective than other, more simple methods? In my opinion, no. Here’s why the humble flash card out-performs software every time:

1. They’re cheap
Go to any stationer’s and buy some blank cards, the size of a business card. They cost next to nothing. A language learning CD-ROM will cost you at least 20 dollars, perhaps as much as two hundred!

2. You can use them anywhere
I started learning French when I was living in London and travelling to work by bus. Even if you do have a laptop computer, try getting it out when you’re the last one the bus or train and there’s only standing room left! With a small pile of flash cards in my pocket, I could be learning French anywhere, anytime - even while walking down the street.

3. You won’t get eyestrain
Even while writing this article, my eyes are starting to hurt. I don’t know many people who can honestly say they like reading off a computer screen. With your flash cards you can create the right learning environment for you, whether it’s at your desk, on the sofa, or out in the garden.

4. They don’t break down, and they never go out of date.
I still use mine to remind me of things that I’ve forgotten, even after several years. They have an unconditional lifetime guarantee - just don’t lose them! And you’ll never have any “down time” because your computer’s being repaired.

5. They work!
The first set of flash cards you make should be single words. So you write the word on one side and the translation on the other. Test yourself until you have a good vocabulary of about a hundred words. Then you are ready to use your flash cards to learn complete sentences. Use the words that you have already learned to make sentences to remember. Be sure to ask someone who speaks the language you want to learn to check your flash cards for errors - you don’t want to practise mistakes!

Start learning those words with flash cards and you’ll soon be ready to join a real language class. Once you’ve got a few words and sentences, you’ll really benefit from making conversation with native speakers - it’s up to you to start speaking!

Jonathan Lewis has lived and worked in the south of France for four years. As a language teacher, he offers invaluable advice to anyone wishing to learn a new language. Visit his site on learning languages and on his blog, learning English

Have you just decided to learn a foreign language? Do you feel like you’re too old? Too young? Not smart enough? Are you enrolled in a class and going nowhere? Is grammar killing you? Do strange words and weird letters make you break out into a cold sweat of confusion?

Fear not.

Learning a foreign language is a daunting task for anyone. Here’s ten tips (plus one extra) that will help anyone learning a foreign language to reach their goal faster while having fun and making friends along the way.

1. FALL IN LOVE…

…with something about your target language. Whether it’s movies, music, animation, craftwork, martial arts, dance, authentic painting, architecture, food, it doesn’t matter. Make sure to find something about the language and culture that you unequivocally love.

Think about it. We’re constantly fascinated with what we love. Love holds a certain shimmer. It takes something that would ordinarily seem like hard work, and turns it into a joy.

The fact is, learning a foreign language is hard work. It’s rewarding, worthy, and if done correctly a ton of fun, but none of that comes without the labor. So make sure you have a good reason to want to get involved. All you need is love.

2. UNDERSTAND THE MUSIC OF YOUR TARGET LANGUAGE

Every language has it’s own sound. Words and sentences in French could not be mistaken for Russian, or Chinese. Whatever language you are trying to learn, it is best to get your ear attuned to the sound of the language. A wonderful way to do this is through listening to music and watching movies in your chosen language.

If possible, pick up the first ten to fifteen lessons of any Pimsluer audio series for your chosen language. Your average Barnes and Noble or Borders will sell the first ten or 18 lessons of practically any language that Pimsleur carries. If not, you can easily purchase Pimsleur online.

The magic of the Pimsleur method is how it gets your subconscious tuned to the rhythm and feel of the language. Language is speaking and listening. Pimsleur forces you to do both in the very beginning stages, with the help of native speakers you can replay again and again until you get yourself sounding right. After only five days of Mandarin Chinese with Pimsleur, I tried out my words on an acquaintance who teaches Mandarin. She immediately asked where I had learned and how long I had been studying. When I revealed to her I used Pimsleur, she wanted to know where she could get the CD’s to improve her students use of tones.

Whether or not you stick with Pimsleur, your accent and feel for the sound of the language will definitely benefit from even a short course with the program.

3. GET INTIMATE

Don’t just go to class and read your textbook. Classroom time is good (if you can afford it), but nothing beats real time interaction with your target language. This includes finding a conversation partner or group, reading magazines, watching TV, and listening to the music of the language you want to learn. Make friends with a native speaker. Even if you are in a country very far away from where your target language hails from, there’s still the possibility of finding a native or near native speaker near you. Also, in this modern age, the internet offers tons of chances at real language interaction, from internet news, to music video downloads and the like. The more real connection you form to the language you are trying to learn, the better.

4. GET FRUSTRATED AND GET EVEN

As soon as you stray from the whitewashed world of your textbook, class, or audio-series, you’ll find plenty of frustration as you try to understand and communicate. This is good. Once you find something you don’t understand, make it your mission to find out why you don’t understand it. Nothing reinforces a point like trying to figure it out yourself. Instead of just memorizing (and soon forgetting) endless grammar rules, you will find yourself the detective solving a grand mystery.

For example, I will never forget what the infinitive form of a verb is in Japanese. This is because I spent a solid week trying to figure out what it was, scouring websites and standing up skimming language books in the Barnes and Noble. It turns out that the infinitive and the dictionary form are the same thing in Japanese, and further, the infinitive in Japanese really doesn’t have much to do with the infinitive in English or Spanish. That revelation completely changed my way of looking at the Japanese language. It made it clear in my gut that Japanese operated by it’s own, (and often unrelated to English) set of rules.

Simply reading in a book that Japanese had a radically different structure from English would never have TAUGHT me that lesson.

5. CONNECT THE DOTS

The best way to learn new vocabulary is to relate it to something you already know. If a word you’re learning sounds like a word you know, USE IT. For example:

My coworker speaks a southern dialect of Chinese. When I started learning Mandarin, we ended up exchanging Chinese vocabulary to see how the dialects differed. It turns out that the word for butt (posterior) in her dialect sounds like PEE GOO.

Immediately, I imagined a giant butt PEEING GOO. Eww. I’ve never forgotten the word. Nor did I forget YAO - to want (which sounds a lot like YOW! I WANT YOU TO STOP HURTING ME). I made my whole Japanese class crack up with ARAU - to wash: Imagine washing your cat. The sound is A huge RAUW! Even if the sound thing doesn’t quite work out, the sound, feel or meaning of the word should relate to something in your mind. The funnier, weirder, or more disgusting, the better.

Further, if you learn the word in an interesting way, remember the story associated to the word. For example, I find it is much easier to remember vocabulary I’ve learned from watching raws of Japanese dramas. In part, this is because of Rule 4 (I get frustrated, find out what it means, then it sticks). It’s also because of how the brain works. The more links your brain has to a certain piece of information, the faster that piece of information will be recalled.

6. ATTACK FROM ALL ANGLES

While I feel the textbook I’m using for my class “GENKI” is one of the best on the market, I still have a shelf full of other books and tapes. I’m always adding to the Learning Japanese section of my favorites. That’s because no matter how good one source is, it can’t do everything. No one person knows everything. Sometimes, simply a different explanation of the same point will open your eyes to something you really didn’t understand before. The fact is, the more angles from which you attack a problem, the faster it will become dust beneath your feet.

7. LEARN TO READ AND WRITE

Some alphabets are easier than others. If you’re an American learning Spanish, you don’t have a lot of work to do. If you are Chinese person learning Japanese, you’ve gotten most of the grunt work out of the way already. If your lucky enough to have an alphabet even close in concept to your own, why wait to learn it? And if it’s something completely different and daunting, what’s the point in putting it off? Fate favors the intrepid. Further the hard stuff might surprise you. I’ve personally found Kanji (since adopting the methods outlined in Heisig’s Remembering the Kanji) to be fun and actually helpful in my study of Japanese conversation.

Learning a new alphabet is fun and exciting once you get the hang of it. Also, the more difficult the writing system, the more you can impress your friends at parties and tattoo parlors. Why let this opportunity pass you by?

8. FLASHCARDS ARE YOUR FRIENDS

Think about how much time you waste in a day. You stand in line for lunch, chill in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, waiting for the buss or train, and even waste your brainpower listening to commercials on TV. Why not make that time work for you. For the price of 100 index cards, you can turn those idle moments into power learning sessions. Take a stack of 25-50 flashcards with key vocabulary or grammar with you wherever you go. On one side, write the meaning in English. On the other, the word or phrase you are trying to memorize. Soon you’ll find yourself more quickly retaining vocabulary, simply through these self quizzes. This technique works very well for Kanji also.

A quick tip: It’s better to review the words from the English meaning to the word in the language you are trying to learn. This forces your brain to really recall the word, as opposed to just recognizing it when you see it. After all, when you speak, isn’t your goal to say what you mean?

9. TALK TO YOURSELF AND TO YOUR PETS

…in the language you are trying to learn. I work at a veterinarian’s office. At this point, my coworkers have gotten used to me trying out Chinese, Japanese and even a little Arabic on our patients. At home, if I’m doing something, I often ask myself, “how would I say this in Japanese?” If I’m alone, I’ll talk to myself out loud. Maybe what I’m saying is correct. Maybe I’m thoroughly incomprehensible. It doesn’t matter. The point is I’m painlessly getting used to manipulating my new vocabulary and melding it to my needs. The more you train yourself to think and speak in your target language, the more natural and relaxed your speech will become.

10. LABEL EVERYTHING IN YOUR HOUSE

Your home is a treasure trove of useful, everyday words. Why not learn how to say them in your target language? While ordinary words like ‘bread’, ‘fork’, or ‘table’ may not seem exciting at first, they will definitely make traveling abroad easier. If you take the time to label the items and landscape of your house, you will quickly get used to seeing and hearing those words.

Currently, my focus is on learning Japanese. As such, my house is labeled in Japanese. To do this, I started by looking around the room I was in and writing down what I saw. I then took those words, looked them up in a Japanese/English dictionary, and put them on a small piece of paper. I taped each piece of paper to it’s matching object. Later, I did the same thing for the bathroom, the kitchen, and the living room. Now, when I open the refrigerator, I know it’s a ‘reizouko’. Maybe tonight I’ll sit down on the ‘isu’, turn off the ‘akarui’ and watch and watch an ‘eiga’ on the ‘terebe’.

10 + 1: YOU GOTTA SPEAK BAD TO GET GOOD

That’s the long and the short of it. No matter how hard you work to speak perfectly, you will always make mistakes. Even native speakers make mistakes. Accept this and strive for communication. The faster you work through your inability to speak, the faster you will gain an ability to speak. So let no speaking opportunity go without taking it.

Just jump in. The water is fine, the sun is warm, and the world waits just beyond the horizon.

About The Author
Minna Shiawase is an avid Japanese student and fan of Japanese culture. Read more about Japanese grammer at her blog, AI Love Bunpou.

A busy life often makes it tricky to squeeze in everything you would like to enjoy reading. Lengthy journey times to work and day to day chores might be consuming enormous amounts of your time without you recognizing it. Favorite pastimes get set aside for more urgent jobs. If you’re a keen reader who is finding it hard to fit it in, journeys to work may provide an opportunity for catching up. Using user friendly downloads, it’s simple to spoil yourself with Roberto the Robot by Andrew Segal by Download Audio Book Online, or audiobooks recounted by Jim Cymbala without even lifting the book.

Please review our prime website for German course tips…

In today’s fast paced world multi-tasking has become the norm. Audio books such as Pimsleur Danish Compact by Dr. Paul Pimsleur available from Download Audio Book Online take advantage of the wasted hours in our daily life, whether it is waiting time at the dental surgery or perhaps grocery shopping. A huge variety of audio-books may be downloaded immediately in mp3 format these include Pimsleur Albanian Compact by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, so if you have an iPod or another mp3 player and headphones and use the chance to hear the current bestseller, for example audio-books written by William (Billy) Brand without carting a cumbersome book around. An additional advantage of audible books is the ability to rent or buy educational books and listen to them at your leisure. Want to study another language? Why not check out audiobooks? You can review current business practises, you can even discover the paranormal. A huge choice of literary genres and titles exist. Whether you love history, or if you are nuts about politics or even if your interests lie in personal development, many can be downloaded straightaway. Numerous plans are available; it’s simple to subscribe to a program and rent or buy what interests you. Reading enthusiasts will invariably find a way to read, even so audio books offer a convenient alternative. Numerous chronicles, such as audio books performed by Denise Lynch, are even better when recounted by the writer or a famous actor. Reading a title is not quite the same as listening to an audio book recounted by , with nuances given during a performance. Enjoying audio titles performed by Karel Capek will add more depth to your reading experience and go far beyond the written word. So think about audio books next time you want to buy books, they can give you wonderful means to fit all the titles you like into a busy routine.

Although there are scores of variables that can directly or indirectly affect rating as an EFL or ESL English teacher, many of them are out of your control. The school environment, the class profile of the learners, available materials, schedules, curriculum and most administrative aspects are among these.

There are many others that you can and should take control of, using them to your best advantage at all times. Examples of these elements include your individual skills and abilities as an EFL or ESL professional, materials you create for the use of your learners, your character, personality and approach to English Language Teaching (ELT) and your knowledge of the teaching / learning topic - the English language itself.

Here are five basic tips you can use on a daily basis that will enhance your notability as an ELT professional.

1. Learn everything you can related to English Language Teaching and Learning

Attend classes, short courses, workshops and seminars. Read ELT methodology books and magazines both online and off. Subscribe to education-related magazines that will help you in your career. There are many available at no cost online. Try out www.techlearning.com for example. Just like a surgeon who must purchase tools and equipment so he can practice and improve his skills, you must invest in the tools that will make you a better English teacher.

2. Read everything you can get your hands on.

Read texts, non-fiction, biographies, read everything you can find. When you become a voracious reader, you become a more knowledgeable, better teacher. There are no short cuts to excellence. Look online, at professional organizations like TESOL, Inc. and IATEFL. Check local public, private, language institute and university libraries for collections of high-level technical materials. The internet has so much material available online at no cost, it would be embarrassing not to take advantage of it. Immerse yourself. Learn and grow. The payoff will show up in the classroom - in more ways than one.

3. Become active in professional organizations and SIGs (Special Interest Groups)

There should be at least a couple of professional organizations available in your country or region, like those mentioned above, that have SIGs. Find an area that interests you and go for it. Don’t just sit on the sidelines, get out there and DO something. Participate, share your opinions and ideas, ask questions. Then apply what you can to your teaching to maximize the experience. Try something new on a regular basis.

4. Increment your academic production

If you’re not writing articles, opinions, journals, commentary, reflections and even lesson plans that you post online for the perusal and use of other ELT professionals worldwide, you need to get cracking. Your learners aren’t the only ones who are interested in what you do in the classroom and beyond. I want to know too - yeah, really. There are local, regional, national and international technical publications that will take your work as well. No, you don’t need a PhD either. If you have a tip or technique your students love or that helps to get you through a tough teaching point, curious minds around the world want to know. Share it with us online at one of the more than 100 EFL / ESL Teacher websites like www.eslbase.com Not sure how to write it up? I’ll be glad to help you outline and draft your piece to share with the world.

5. Attend ELT Conferences, workshops and seminars

Not only do those professional organizations offer opportunities to grow and learn, but you can share your ELT knowledge, skills, experiences and abilities too. Attend all the sessions that you can, but by no means stop there. Skilled, knowledgeable presenters are always in demand. Set a goal to prepare and present a workshop, poster or academic session. Hone your research, writing and Power Point skills in the process. Do “test runs” on your colleagues at your school or institution for your and their enlightenment.

So there you have it. If these tips sound like you need to do some work, you do. But the work you put into fine-tuning your knowledge and teaching will be reflected in the number of smiles and high-scoring communicative learners you’ll produce. If you begin to notice the difference, so will others in the front office. That’s where the money comes from. The pride and satisfaction comes from those faces in front of you. Finally, if you’re the bashful type and need a gentle push in the right direction, please feel free to e-mail me at lynchlarrym@gmail.com with your question or concern. I’ll be glad to help.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an ELT Teacher Trainer, English language learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. He has published more than 350 articles and academic papers and presented at numerous EFL teacher training and TEFL conferences throughout North America, South America and Europe. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com