Are women better than men at learning languages?

What’s the key to success in learning a foreign language? Surely it’s a genuine desire to communicate with other people. I can’t think of another valid reason. That’s why in general women are better than men at learning languages. If you’re a man and you want to learn a language, I’m going to tell you why you will find it more difficult than a woman and what you can do about it.I’m probably going to be accused of stereotyping men and women here, but time and time again studies have shown that generally, (there are always exceptions) men score higher in maths tests and women score higher in language tests. I’m not a scientist, and I don’t want to bore you with scientific detail, but my experiences as a teacher pretty much confirm the scientists’ view.When I’m teaching a conversation class, it’s instantly obvious who are going to make the fastest progress because these are the ones who quickly get involved by asking questions. And more often than not, it’s the female members of the group that ask the most questions.Women are simply more interested in human beings than men. They genuinely mean it when they ask “how are you?” Being wives and mothers may have something to do with it, I mean, they are conditioned by society to be the ones that care. Men, on the other hand, are less interested in people and more interested in things, notably, cars, computers, gadgets, etc.If you are man reading this article, you have to get out of your macho cave and learn to be more interested in people. And swallow your pride when it comes to making mistakes. Women have fewer complexes about committing errors, because the important thing for them is building relationships. We all learn by making mistakes, it’s a natural part of the process. Learning a language is not a competition – men sometimes see their limitations as a “defeat” so they prefer not to speak at all. Giving up the idea that your are in a competition to see who's the the best would be a good start for a lot of men.

American or British?

Which English do you speak? Many people in France were taught what they believe to be British English, because that's what their teachers studied. That would be logical, as Britain is the nearest English-speaking country to France and thus the most important in terms of travel, trade, etc. However, I hear a lot of people today claiming that they can speak two foreign languages, English and American! That's like me saying I can speak Parisian French and Marseillais. Sure, there are some vocabulary differences, but most English speakers can understand each other, whether they are British, American, Australian or Indian. The pronunciation differences might cause some problems on occasions, just like in any language. When I see people from Quebec being interviewed on French TV, there are usually subtitles! I am in complete agreement with the American practice of simplifying spelling - as if learning a language isn't hard enough without illogical spellings. So whereas in British we write favour, neighbour, colour the Americans write favor, neighbor, color, and when we write theatre, centre, they write theater, center. As far as vocabulary goes, you just have to learn two words instead of one. But if you have a British teacher and you watch American movies, you will quickly get used to the differences.have a look at british/american dictionary for more resources.

Learning English – Tips for Beginners

Learning any new language is always a long and hard process. But there are little tips and tricks that can help along the way. With a little effort and dedication, learning a new language can become fun and exciting. Here are a few hints that will help a beginner in learning English.Tip #1: Use what you learn. This, more than anything else, is going to help a person learn English quickly and with accuracy. It also helps to learn first those words you can use often. A student should start to notice which words they use most often and learn how to say them in English.Tip #2: Work with others. Learning English by oneself can be a trying ordeal. Learning English with a friend can be fun and exciting. Two friends learning together can remind each other to use what they have learned and correct each other when they make mistakes.
Tip #3: Learn songs. If someone were asked to remember what their mother said to them at their childhood bedside, they probably wouldn’t be able to say. However, if someone were asked to sing a song that their mother sang to them at that same bedside, they could sing it back without missing a word. The human brain remembers song a lot better than it remembers straight words. Singing English songs can help with improving accent and remembering how words go together.
Tip #4: Write down new words. If a person can put new information into their brain in several different ways, they will remember it better. Writing down new words lets your mind remember the way it looks, the way it feels to write it. Even better, say the word aloud as you write it.
Tip #5: Write down what you hear. As a person learns English, he will hear new words every time he talks with someone in English. If these new words are not written down, they will be forgotten by the time the person makes it back to a dictionary where they can look the word up. One of the best investments a new English student can make is to buy a small notebook and pen that they can carry with them everywhere they go. Students are often shy about asking people about some word they just said. The truth is most people are more than happy to help, even spelling out words when asked. Everyone likes to feel like they have been helpful.
Tip #6: Read a book. In American schools, the smartest kids and quickest learners are those that take the time to read. Reading will supply a student with new vocabulary and lots of valuable practice. For those who are just starting, Dr. Seuss books provide a quick and fun way to absorb basic vocabulary.
As in everything else in life, the true key to success is very simple: practice, practice, practice. Anyone who is willing to make a real effort every single day can learn English, or any other language, for that matter. All it takes is a little time and dedication.

Use your ears, not your eyes

Here is a conversation I heard in class the other day. I asked a student to use the vocabulary she had learned the previous week to tell another student about her hobby.She said, "I like sewing". The other student responded, "sewing? How do you spell it?"- "S-E-W - to sew"- "OK, to sew, like 'you'"- "No, like 'go'"- "Sorry? didn't you say S-E-W?"- "Yes, I did"- "But that's "u" like "few"It took a few minutes to convince her that in fact the correct pronunciation for "sew" ryhmes with "go". She didn't have any problem with the word when she first heard it, but as soon as she saw the way it was spelt, she couldn't pronounce it any more. We just can't help ourselves (I do it too with French words). Have a little trust in you teacher, he or she usually pronounces words correctly! I suggest that you learn the phonetic symbols for at least the vowel sounds. It doesn't take long, and it's a really inexpensive way to master English pronunciation. All you need is a dictionary that uses the international alphabet, and you will know how to pronounce any word in English. Get into the habit of taking notes in phonetic symbols, so you don't confused by all the spelling variations in English.You can see the phonetic alphabet on my site. There is also a link to a university phonetics lab, which is really good practice. If you're serious about learning English, you have to do it!

Stop saying "How do you do" !

I don't know how many of you were taught to say "how do you do" at school, but I'd just like to tell you that virtually nobody says it anymore. If you want to enquire about someone's health, the question is "how are you?" or possibly "how are you doing?" which is more common in American English. Did you notice that I didn't put an exclamation mark after "how do you do" ? That's because it isn't a question. Your teachers mistakenly thought that it is the same as "how are you?", only a little more polite. The reality is, that in "posher" society, the phrase "how do do you do" is used when one is introduced, and the response is, funnily enough, "how do you do".Strange, eh? Well I don't know anyone who says it these days, if you are being introduced to someone you've never met before, you should say "nice to meet you". Here is another example of misleading teaching from non-native teachers of English. I hear tons of examples of old-fashioned expressions from students who learned English from teachers who learned English thirty or forty years ago. Stay in touch with modern English by reading and listening to the radio.

The Big Mistake that Stops you Learning

Want to know what’s holding you back from learning a foreign language? It’s the one thing that children NEVER do when learning their mother tongue. You were a child once, and you learned to speak your first language without ever making this mistake. But adults just can’t stop themselves from doing it! What is it? It’s the question “WHY?”“Why do you say that in French? It just doesn’t make sense”, I would repeatedly ask my wife. This has an incredibly de-motivating effect on the brain’s desire to assimilate new information. Subconsciously, I am saying to myself, “this is really dumb, I don’t want to do this.” I noticed this when trying to conduct conversation classes. A student will invariably ask, “how long you live here?” When I correct the mistake, “how long have you lived here?” they say, “why?” It’s not like that in their language, so they don’t want to believe that it’s like that in English. They even continue to come up with variations that they think sound better and ask me if they can use them. “No”, I say. “Why not?”, they respond. The whole lesson is wasted because they refuse to believe what I, the English teacher, am telling them!My advice: even if you don’t understand why something is said a particular way, just accept it and move on.

learning everyday words

When I first arrived in France, the first thing I had to do was build a kitchen in the apartment where we were living. It was at this time that I realised just how many everyday words I hadn't learned whilst trying to study French in England. I would find myself in some hardware store gazing around wondering how to say "emulsion paint" or "sealant" or "washers". Even a simple word like "paint" can generate dozens of possiblities: vinyl, matt, eggshell, gloss, paintbrush, roller, paint tray, dilute, stir, drying time, undercoat, sandpaper, filler, finish, washable, etc.If you are planning to go live in an foreign country, then start thinking about the possible word groups you are likely to encounter. Have a look around your kitchen and see what words you may need when abroad - not just the obvious ones like names of food items, but others. I know a lot of French people who have an excellent level in English but have never learned words like "sweep" "broom" "mop up" or "do the hoovering"!If you are going to collect word groups like housework or DIY, then you could try making mindmaps. Go to my mind map pages for more information.