Basic, intermediate and advanced language learning

Basic, Intermediate And Advanced Language Learning

Keywords: free online language lessons, language learning, dictionary, foreign language, improve vocabulary

Most courses or free online language lessons focus on splitting the learning process into these three categories: basic, intermediate and advanced. But how exactly do you know what category you’re part of at a given moment?

Basic Language Learning

Basic language learning usually consists of getting a solid grip on the base 1000 words of a language. Statistically, most languages use 1,000 words to cover colloquial conversations. Yes, I know it sounds like a small sum of words, since that dictionary on the shelf covers hundreds of thousands of words. If you really don’t believe this and have the time on your hands, compile a list of all the basic words in your native language. Stuff like fruit names, mammals, daily tools, furniture, so forth. No specialized words of course. You’ll notice that it won’t take more than 1,000-1,500 words to cover them, but then again you’ll probably run out of inspiration halfways.

Fortunately, there are books out there that cover these basic 1,000 words for most languages. Just search some free language lessons websites on the Internet, or spend some money and buy these books because they’ll be very helpful. Ok so now you have the list of basic words. But how do you get them from that piece of paper, in your head?

Many will recommend the “phonebook” approach, which would require you to take each word in the list, repeat it a few times in your mind, and then move on to the next. The only problem with this approach is that it sucks. Badly! By the time you’ve covered one quarter of the list of words, you will already forget the first ones you’ve learnt. A way to work around this problem is to take the words in smaller chunks (say 10-20) and put them in a context. Learn the word, say it out loud a few times, see what it means and try to find a context for it.

When you’ve reached 20 words, revise what you’ve learnt and then move on to a new batch. In my experience, this is one of the most efficient ways to improve vocabulary and when you’re done with the basic 1,000 words and a few equally basic structures using them, you can move on to the Intermediate language learning level.

Intermediate Language Learning

Once you’re done with the basics, the next step is understanding what others say. Reading and listening are your friends. Don’t start with hard stuff, obviously; don’t go about reading a newspaper or a magazine in French, when you just barely learnt the base words and some of the easy structures. Try some light stuff at first, some course book texts for beginners, some non-technical articles on the Internet or some translated text. They usually work well, until you can pass on to the harder stuff like newspapers, technical or specialized magazines and even books.

You can also listen to audio tapes or try to figure out what the actors in a foreign movie are saying. This will help you increase your vocabulary even further, familiarize you with the colloquial way of speaking that language and also provide a natural ingredient to the learning process, since so far what you’ve done has been slightly robotic.

Advanced Language Learning

If you’ve reached this stage, you’re most definitely on your way to fluently speaking the language you’ve set out learning. If you can understand most of what’s written in a newspaper, article or book and if you can understand what someone else is saying in that particular language (be it a conversation buddy, a foreigner or an actor on TV) then you can move on to using advanced techniques that will perfect your speech, writing and understanding.

Remember how you’ve learnt 1,000 words in the basic part of your studies? Well by the time you finish the Intermediate part and are able to understand the language properly, you will have most likely increased your word base to 3,000 which makes up for over 90% of normal speech used in almost any language.

So now it’s time to put what you’ve learnt to the test and chisel the new language until you can say that you’re truly fluent in it. Try a conversation with a native, or even better, visit the country of origin for your language. Being in that environment will put your so far theoretical skills to the test and it will be the perfect opportunity to correct all the small mistakes that you’re bound to still stumble upon.

Increase your foreign language vocabulary at www.InternetPolyglot.com by playing online games. The site contains thousands of lessons in different languages from English, Spanish, French, Russian to Hindi, Turkish, Ukrainian and many others.


Previous Articles Highlighter:

Why Balloon Gifts Are Exploding In Popularity (1)
The array of colors that balloons come in make them a popular decoration from birth on up. Balloons in baby blue and pastel pink adorn the front of a newborns house, announcing their arrival.

Tip On Setting Ranger Or Gypsy Tents (2)
The entrance must remain open and the tent should narrow toward the rear, so you must always be careful to have the opening turned away from the windy or storm side.

Know More About Hook Ball, Curve Ball, Backup Ball (3)
The two things that make a natural hook work are a comfortably loose thumbhole and a good follow-through. The ball hooks because the thumb, being short, comes out of the ball first, and the fingers alone complete the follow-through.

Guidance On Knowing The Types Of Tents (4)
The meshes have to be about 8 inches apart, and the whole net should be about 6 feet by 12 feet. With a net like this, you can build a gabled hut very quickly.

How To Be An Expert Track Reader (5)
On the other hand, a fresh breeze had been blowing a short time before. From this Baden-Powell could tell what time the women and children arrived at the Matopo Hills.

I Love Tea You Love Coffee, I Win (6)
Milk tea and coffee tea concoctions are as abundant as there are different kinds of coffee brews. Different kinds of tea available in the market are as varied as there are different kinds of coffee.

Why You Should Seriously Consider Online Florists For Your Flower Delivery Needs (7)
The prices are very reasonable and they are very easy to work with. The ability to order flowers online can come in very handy when you have a loved one who you need to get flowers to but lives far away.

Topping Off A Gourmet Meal With Coffee (8)
Special coffees are a different matter. Generally available is an Italian Espresso coffee. French coffee usually contains a great deal of roasted chicory (in order to stretch the coffee which France does not produce in sufficient quantity), and is therefore slightly bitter.

When Considering To Buy A Gas Grill Keep These Things In Mind (9)
They are small and you can get them with or without wheels. Don't let their small size fool you. Many are packed with the cool features of their larger cousins, including the ability to rotisserie food with the proper attachment.

For A Look At A Good Winery You Don't Have To To Europe (10)
The Napa Valley is just 30 miles long, only a few miles wide, and nestled in Northern California. A number of world famous wineries are located in this region.

Top Ten Fly Fishing Tips (11)
In the spring you can have a tackle box that contains jigs, plastic worms, and minnow lures. And in the fall you can have a tackle box that is filled with fall lure, such as topwaters and crankbaits.

Help Keep Your Child Safe With "Ed The Elephant" Safety Stickers (12)
It is an excellent book to read together. It is simple to use the book for education of any child while reinforcing the messages within by coming up with safety plans with your child.

How To Protect Your Assets And Live The American Dream By Moving Abroad (13)
This forces the thought of something or somewhere better, and this is where moving abroad enters the picture. Obviously it is not an option for all retirees considering health issues and the necessity to be close to extended family and familiar medical care.

Safely Surfing The Internet And Staying Free From Spyware. (14)
Kazaa is widely known for having several adware applications piggy backing their way into your computer as does the free download of Weatherbug and DivX. The newer version of DivX has rid itself of adware so users can feel safer.

Get Off The Beaten Path And Take A Mexico Fishing Vacation (15)
As far as the fishing goes, Huatulco is an incredible fishing ground for sailfish and marlin. We focused on fishing for sailfish the least time I was there and in seven days of fishing we saw probably a dozen or so world record class fish and of those we caught and released four and landed two and that?s not even mentioning the fact that overall we raised over a hundred fish while trolling!

Don't Just Cook Your Steaks, Grill Them On An Outdoor Grill (16)
If your first grilling experience is not what you expected or you burned the food a little, that's normal, don't worry about it. Just grill for yourself at first, then when you invite everyone over you will surprise them with how good you are at grilling.

What Are Dinkers And Moonballers And Why Are They Big Foes In Tennis? (17)
To beat a Dinker, you need to play from the net. Jump and get those balls back over the net in record time. A Dinker will not be expecting the quick return.

The History Of European Furniture (18)
Chairs and settees were carved usually of beech-wood, sometimes finished with gilding and sometimes painted in pale colors. Mirror-frames were gilt, and are often very like English ones of the same date.

Malta Providing Safe Family Holidays (19)
The first three months of 2007 all showed year on year improvements in the number of tourists visiting Malta. Much of the increase in visitor numbers has come about since the Malta government reluctantly agreed to allow low cost airlines to fly from the UK and Ireland, traditionally Malta's strongest market for holidays.

Why Everyone Should Consider Eating Raw Foods For Better Health (20)
Salads have raw, healthy vegetables and ice cream is a dairy product and dairy contains nice, healthy calcium, right? Works for me. Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida.

Newer Articles Highlighter:

Popular Shoes For Summer Of 2006 (1)
Another look that is always in for summer of course is the ever popular sandal. The basic sandal is an easy and comfortable look that goes with nearly anything in casual wear.

How Popcorn Pops And How To Choose A Popcorn Popper (2)
With a non-automatic popper you will have to watch more closely to prevent burning the popcorn once the cycle is complete. These poppers must be promptly disconnected. Be sure to check the label for this information.

What Are Big Binoculars And How Can They Be Made Easier To Use? (3)
Binoculars [7 x 50] are considered big binoculars. These binoculars are physically heavy and their use can be affected because they are cumbersome. Some uses of big binoculars include surveillance, bird watching, hunting, and star gazing.

How To Start Playing The Game Of Bowling (4)
THE FOLLOW-THROUGH Perfect bowling form demands a correct follow-through. After releasing the ball, your hand should come up until it passes in front of your eyes, and is directly in line with the pins at the point you want the ball to strike.

Tips To Get Ready For Family Vacation (5)
Our vacation fun is really threefold; the fun of planning and anticipating, the actual trip, and the reminiscing during the following weeks and months. Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for www.celebrex-n-vioxx-alternatives.com.

Some Things To Consider When Looking At Exercise Bikes (6)
You need a comfortable bike. Make sure that the seat is at the right height or that you know how to adjust it. Look for the best deals and special offers that may be available only in certain places like online.

Crab Fishing In Alaska - Fishing For Riches (7)
Thus Alaskan commercial fishing branched out either to salmon and halibut or bairdi and opilio, two types of tanner crabs. Since then the Alaskan crab fishing trade has looked up a little with the year 2001 bringing in 23.2-million pounds of fishing stock worth US$36-million.

Why Buying Books Online Is Gaining Even Greater Popularity (8)
There are other ways to pay too, for example, using an online bank. Pay Pal is an online financial institute that allows you to deposit, withdraw, and spend money in the cyber world.

Some Of The Car Seat Covers You Should Consider For Your Baby (9)
Because of Wool's tendency to retain moisture, Wool is naturally flame-retardant. Many of the synthetic fabrics and "fillers" used to make Car Seat Covers and Baby Buntings do not breathe.

Arming Yourself Against Spyware (10)
Most commonly, spyware detects and records your internet and computer usage information so advertisers can bombard you with pop ups and email ads they feel are appropriate to your interests.

How To Choose A Good Quality Men's Designer Shoe (11)
This leather material is not genuine since the original grains were sanded away. The grains are only imitations stamped on the leather. If however, the genuine grains are still intact, the leather will be called "full grain" or "full top grain".

If Your Father Is A Golfer Consider A Golf Gift This Father's Day (12)
With all this information you should be able to make an informed decision. When you actually go to purchase your equipment you have a couple of options. You can go online and find a set of clubs, or you can go to a retail store.

Some Of The Best Places To Find Great Giftbaskets This Holiday Season (13)
There are many sites that make these. They can also send your gift basket to your loved one. This certainly saves you some time. Stand apart from the crowd.

Discover Excellent Backyard Games (14)
Do not worry a bit, this article will make your dream comes true. On these shelves are kept basketballs, horseshoes, shuttlecocks, rackets, and whatever other equipment is needed for the games.

How To Pick The Best Cell Phone Plan Without Pulling Your Hair Out (15)
Also, if you are going to be traveling to another part of the country, make sure that there is a signal available there. By knowing the type of plan that you need and doing your research, you will be better able to pick the plan that's right for you.

How To Avoid The Fast Food Overload That's Creating The Obesity Epidemic (16)
Keywords: healthy diet, healthy food, balanced diet Your family is not alone if most of your meals consist of pizza, burgers, and chicken purchased at fast food chains. You can't drive down a street without seeing a fast food place, and it's that convenience they rely on.

How To Choose Between Meal Snacks That Won't Make You Feel Guilty (17)
This way you can have your nuggets and enjoy them too. Croutons: Croutons aren't just for salads anymore. They make a great snack, so choose from the low fat varieties for a healthier alternative to chips.

Some Of The Reasons You Should Consider Planning A Trip To Ireland (18)
The entertaining cities of Dublin, Belfast and Limerick are only a plane ticket away. Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Irish gifts at www.irishgiftsandcollectibles.com

How To Make The Perfect Wine Choice For Your Meal (19)
If you're planning on a main course featuring beef, it is important to weigh the strength of its flavor against the strength of the wine's bouquet. If you're looking for a wine to go with your rather flavorful meal, choose a wine that is equal in its intensity.

When It Comes To Gift Baskets, Nut Gift Baskets Can Make The Perfect Gift (20)
It turns out that the people that received the nut gift baskets were really excited about them. They enjoyed their thoughtful gifts and called my father to thank him over and over again.


Leave a Comment