6. I learn languages with the goal of being able to communicate, to understand what is said, and to be able to express myself. That is a long road. I have the impression that Rosettta Stone only takes you a very short way. I do not see it as a useful or necessary step.
7. I feel that a lot of listening to interesting content is a better start than doing multiple-choice questions. I am in a hurry to engage with the language, real language situations, and to let my brain get used to it.
Live Mocha has done a good job at attracting media attention, something that LingQ will also be doing, in its own way.
I sniffed around the outside of Live Mocha without leaving my email address. Some of you may want to try it out in more detail and give me your views. I did notice that the courses 101, 102, 201, 202, seemed to cover the same parts of speech or grammatical issues in every language, which strikes me as strange. While I am not in favour of a grammar-based approach, I do know that the grammatical issues (like continuous form of the verb, tenses, prepositions etc.) are quite different in say, Chinese and Spanish. I noticed that the phrase translator that is provided in the Writing section brings up an error in Japanese and had trouble giving a useful answer in other languages.
The system all ows members to leave sample recordings and writing samples for other members to correct. At LingQ we are doing this with a little more structure. The idea is a good one; the question is how to make it work in the long term.
To me, Live Mocha has many good ideas, and I am glad to see more people thinking of how to use the web for language training. At the risk of looking like I am knocking the competition I believe they embody four major misconceptions about language learning.
1. You can learn the language by learning a few handy phrases to use in different situations (the store, the bank etc.)
In my view these handy phrases are very difficult to use, and at best you will get an answer that will leave you lost. I believe in learning the language so that you can react with confidence to most situations that come at you. This takes a lot of work. You need to learn a lot of words.
You need to listen to and read a lot of content. You need to be efficient. You need to enjoy spending a lot of time with the language.
2. You need to fol ow courses which cover different grammatical aspects of the language.
Mocha has their 101, 102, 201, 202 etc. To me you just need the language, graded to your vocabulary level and directed at subjects that are of interest to you. You need exposure to that kind of content. You will gradual y learn through observation, or by asking questions of tutors.
You will learn to speak correctly on your own time, and not on the timetable imposed by a teacher or course.
3. You need a lot of correction.
An important part of Live Mocha is the volunteer correction of speaking and writing. This is a good idea, but it needs to be done properly and should not be overdone. There is much research that shows that correction is not as effective as continuous exposure to meaningful content.
4. You just need to talk.
An attraction of Live Mocha is the chance to link up with native speakers. This is a good thing to do no doubt. But it is not realistic to do a lot of it. I have been listening to Portuguese for the last four days, perhaps one hour a day, while doing other tasks. I have been reading in Portuguese. I am getting more and more familiar with the language. I will speak to our member Mairo soon, but I am in no hurry. And I know that I cannot talk enough with him to rely on that as a major way to improve.
I hope we get more companies in the business of providing language services on the web, so that people will look to the web and to other modern technology, and to their own initiative to learn languages.
I just had a Wikipedia entry on LingQ deleted. It was not even finished. The culture of the anonymous, holier than thou, moderator-censor is alive and well at Wikipedia, just like at the language learners' forum I was on.
I started editing a post on LingQ and went to lunch. When I came back it was gone, deleted. It was not even "proposed for deletion". I was not asked to edit or improve my entry. It was "speed deleted" (one of their deletion categories) as advertizing, which, of course, it is.
But look up Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone (software), Live Mocha, Berlitz language Schools or any other language system on Wikipedia, and you are likely to find it there. When does information become advertizing, and according to whom, and why all ow some and not others?
Trying to figure out how to challenge the deletion on the Wikipedia website is like going through a maze.
I knew that I had to make it look more like the other language system entries at Wikipedia, I had them open on my computer. I just had to go to lunch. I have it saved in google documents but I do not want to continue working on it just to have it deleted again.
Here is what I wrote.
LingQ is an online community and language learning method, created by Steve Kaufmann and his son Mark, who live in West Vancouver, Canada. The learning methodology is based on Steve Kaufmann's own experience in learning to speak 11 languages, as well as the influence of two important modern educators. These are Stephen Krashen, who emphasizes the crucial role of meaningful input in language acquisition; and Ivan Illitch, who proposed the creation of convivial learning communities to replace formal schooling.
LingQ members come from all continents and countries of the world. They create language content for each other, help each other, exchange language lessons with each other, and encourage each other. As a result, learners are able to choose from a constantly growing library of language content, graded by level of difficulty, in ten different languages. This content is available for free download, to listen to and read. At present, these languages are English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, German, Swedish, and Italian.
The LingQ community is encouraged to create "LingQs" in order to better notice the words, phrases and patterns of the language. In this way each member is constantly building up a personal database, which generates Flash Cards, statistical records of activity and achievement, and other learning functions customized to each learner.
Grammar instruction and error correction are available from member tutors but are considered less important than motivation, mutual encouragement and constant listening and reading and reviewing of words and phrases.
The term LingQ is a play on the word link. Language learning is considered a process of creating links; between words, sounds, meaning and people, and eventual y between neurons as new language skill s are acquired.
Steve Kaufmann has written a book about language learning cal ed The Way of the Linguist,
A Language Learning Odyssey. He maintains a blog called The Linguist on Language, and has a
channel at Youtube explaining his language learning philosophy.
How I would teach a language class. I am not a language teacher. If I were, this is what I would do. This is a draft, a start. I look forward to comments and criticisms.
Class size:
Let us assume that there are about 20 students in the class. The method would have to be modified depending on the age and level of the students, and the size of the class.