Learning a New Language For Dummies (María J. Cabrera-Puche, PhD) (z-library.sk, 1lib.sk, z-lib.sk)

Learning a New Language by María J. Cabrera-Puche, PhD

Learning a New Language For Dummies® Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies. Media and software compilation copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies. Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT.  NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit https://hub.wiley.com/community/support/dummies. Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport. wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Control Number is available from the publisher. ISBN 978-1-394-24991-6 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-394-24992-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-394-24993-0 (ebk)

Contents at a Glance Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Part 1: Getting Started with Learning a New Language . . . . 5 CHAPTER 1: Craving a New Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 CHAPTER 2: Understanding Terms and Key Elements for Learning a Language . . . 25 CHAPTER 3: Recognizing Personal Factors for Learning a Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 CHAPTER 4: Enjoying the Advantages of Learning Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Part 2: Laying the Groundwork for Language Learning . . . 75 CHAPTER 5: Examining Language Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 CHAPTER 6: Explaining Some Language Learning Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 CHAPTER 7: Reviewing Language Teaching Methods and Approaches . . . . . . . . . . 115 Part 3: Understanding Language Learning Activities . . . . . 129 CHAPTER 8: Juggling Key Elements in the Language Learning Process . . . . . . . . . . . 131 CHAPTER 9: Digging into Diverse Language Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 CHAPTER 10: Employing Language Learning Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Part 4: Putting Your Language Learning into Action . . . . . . 181 CHAPTER 11: Choosing a New Language to Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 CHAPTER 12: Tailoring a Learning Plan Just for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 CHAPTER 13: Building Vocabulary and Grammar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 CHAPTER 14: Considering the Role of Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Part 5: The Part of Tens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 CHAPTER 15: Ten Tips for Starting Your New Language Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 CHAPTER 16: Ten Areas to Master in Your New Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Table of Contents v Table of Contents INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 About This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Foolish Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Icons Used in This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Beyond the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Where to Go from Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 PART 1: GETTING STARTED WITH LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 CHAPTER 1: Craving a New Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Defining What “Language” Means . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Gaining a Superpower by Learning a New Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Knowing what you need up front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Seeing the benefits of being bilingual (or multilingual) in the world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Uncovering Communication Categories, Components, and Design Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Specifying communication categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Examining components of the communication chain . . . . . . . . . . .13 Recognizing special design features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Clarifying Various Language Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Embracing Essential Branches in Linguistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Phonetics and phonology: Working with sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Morphology: Building words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Syntax: Creating sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Semantics: Understanding meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Pragmatics: Getting meaning in context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Other branches of linguistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 CHAPTER 2: Understanding Terms and Key Elements for Learning a Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Getting Familiar with Key Terms about Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 First language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Second language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Heritage language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Checking Out Key Terms about Language Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Monolingual speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Bilingual speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Recognizing Key Terms about Communicative Competence . . . . . . . .31 Uncovering Some Key Elements for Learning a Language . . . . . . . . . .33

vi Learning a New Language For Dummies Nature: Understanding your innate language abilities . . . . . . . . . .33 Nurture: Building on your innate language abilities . . . . . . . . . . . .35 CHAPTER 3: Recognizing Personal Factors for Learning a Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Balancing Individual Differences in Language Learning . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Attitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Anxiety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Aptitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Working memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Your L1’s influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Personality traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Multiple intelligences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Language-learning style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Advancing Your Language Proficiency Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 CEFR proficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 ACTFL guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 CHAPTER 4: Enjoying the Advantages of Learning Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Strengthening Your Academic Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Access to more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Test scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Metalinguistic awareness and better L1 skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Increased creativity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Other academic benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Improving Your Brain Power: Cognitive and Health Benefits . . . . . . . .65 Executive function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Working memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Inhibitory control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Mental/cognitive flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Attentional control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Delayed cognitive decline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Accentuating Personal, Social, and Cultural Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Improved communication skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Enhanced intercultural competence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Social-emotional connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Travel benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Participation in the global community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Enhancing Your Economic Possibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 More employment opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Higher earnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Table of Contents vii PART 2: LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR  LANGUAGE LEARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 CHAPTER 5: Examining Language Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Understanding the Natural Order of Language Development . . . . . . .78 Natural stages in language development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Internal language development processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 U-shaped language development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Implicit knowledge, explicit knowledge, and interlanguage . . . . . .82 Comparing and Contrasting L1 and L2 Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 L1 and L2 development states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Similarities between L1 and L2 development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Differences between L1 and L2 development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Hitting the Ground Running: You Already Have a First Language . . . .90 Characteristics of L1 acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 The role of adults in L1 acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Developing a Second or Foreign Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 The timing of L2 learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Starting with an L2 as an adult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Starting with an L2 as a child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 CHAPTER 6: Explaining Some Language Learning Proposals . . . 101 Acknowledging Main FLA Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Behaviorism: Acquiring language by forming habits . . . . . . . . . . .102 Innatism: Language is preprogrammed in the human brain . . . .103 Interactionism: Developing language by interacting with the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Outlining Some L2 Learning Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Behaviorism: Imitation and habit formation are key in L2 learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Innatism: Realizing the importance of the monitor model . . . . . .109 Interactionism: Appreciating the impact of social interactions in L2 development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 CHAPTER 7: Reviewing Language Teaching Methods and Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Selecting the Best Language Teaching Method for Your Needs . . . . .116 Studying the Traits of Notable Early Language Teaching Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 The grammar-translation method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 The direct method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 The audiolingual method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Examining Current Teaching Practices in the Communicative Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Total physical response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 The natural approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

viii Learning a New Language For Dummies Task-based learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Content-based instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Digging into Proficiency and Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 A focus on proficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 The importance of standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 PART 3: UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE LEARNING ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 CHAPTER 8: Juggling Key Elements in the Language Learning Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Uncovering the Essential Element: Language Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 Understanding input basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 Examining modified input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Noticing particular language elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Factoring in the Role of Language Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Looking at feedback’s benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 Receiving various types of feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140 Producing Language Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Explaining output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Checking out the benefits of output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Understanding interlanguage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 Recognizing That Making Errors Is Totally Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Distinguishing Learning Contexts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Naturalistic settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Instructional settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 CHAPTER 9: Digging into Diverse Language Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Advancing Your L2 Reading Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 Knowing how reading helps you acquire language . . . . . . . . . . . .152 Comparing alphabetic and logographic languages . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Transferring your L1 reading skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Employing strategies for L2 reading success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Improving Your Listening Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 Global strategies for listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Local strategies for listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 A few personal favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 Speaking Your L2 without Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 Understanding two types of spoken language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 Working on pronunciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 Enhancing your L2 speaking skills with a few strategies . . . . . . . .165 Practicing Your L2 Writing Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

Table of Contents ix CHAPTER 10: Employing Language Learning Strategies . . . . . . . . . . 169 Using Multiple Language Learning Strategies by Yourself . . . . . . . . .170 Memorizing and retrieving information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 Organizing vocabulary in your memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Activating and linking your knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172 Paying attention to context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Planning and monitoring your learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174 Finding Opportunities for L2 Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 Having repetitive encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176 Compensating and covering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 Cheering Yourself On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 PART 4: PUTTING YOUR LANGUAGE LEARNING INTO ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 CHAPTER 11: Choosing a New Language to Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Considering Your Motivation for Learning a New Language . . . . . . .184 Integrating into a community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 Earning practical benefits from your L2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 Surveying Available Resources before Choosing Your L2 . . . . . . . . . .188 CHAPTER 12: Tailoring a Learning Plan Just for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Ready, Set, Go! Setting Goals and Building a Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191 Stating your learning goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 Understanding proficiency levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Mapping out a learning plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 Knowing that consistency is essential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 Selecting Learning Activities That Suit You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 Choosing activities that align with your multiple intelligences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 Picking activities that fit your learning style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 Accessing Input, Interaction, and Output Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . .205 Considering available sources of input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 Seeking opportunities for language interaction and output . . . . .208 CHAPTER 13: Building Vocabulary and Grammar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Getting an Overview of L2 Vocabulary Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Surveying Key Vocabulary Words, Phrases, and Formulas . . . . . . . . .214 Core words and phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 Formulas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 Gathering Your Vocabulary Learning Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 Accessing an appropriate L2 textbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 Finding a good L2 dictionary and thesaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221

x Learning a New Language For Dummies Using a notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 Making flashcards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222 Mastering Vocabulary with Some Handy Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 Building semantic maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Creating mental images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Using mnemonics and the keyword technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Inferring the meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 Using reference materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Looking for cognates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Repeating whatever you can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 Creating rhymes and playing games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 Engaging with the L2 community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 Considering the Role of Grammar in Your Language Learning . . . . .228 CHAPTER 14: Considering the Role of Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Deciding Which Technology to Use in Your Language Learning . . . .232 Considering Language Learning Platforms and Courses . . . . . . . . . .233 Practicing Your Listening and Reading Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 Audio and video samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 Podcasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 Books, audiobooks, and other reading resources . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 Working on Speaking and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Online tools to find in-person speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Conversation and language exchange partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238 Artificial intelligence and virtual reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Written exchanges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Help with pronunciation and fluency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Enhancing Your L2 Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Vocabulary lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Vocabulary organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Flashcards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241 Other vocabulary activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241 Interacting with Your L2’s Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242 Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242 Videos and sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242 Arts and culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Tutors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244 Dictionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244 Assessing Your Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

Table of Contents xi PART 5: THE PART OF TENS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 CHAPTER 15: Ten Tips for Starting Your New Language Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Pinpointing Your Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 Focusing on Learning Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 Finding Compelling Sources of Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 Playing with the Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251 Interacting and Negotiating Meaning with Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252 Taking Risks and Accepting Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Building a Learning Plan and Sticking to It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Immersing Yourself in the Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Using Good Learning Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254 Celebrating Your Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254 CHAPTER 16: Ten Areas to Master in Your New Language . . . . . . . 255 Familiarizing Yourself with Your L2’s Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255 Greeting People and Saying Farewell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256 Understanding and Requesting Basic Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257 Embracing Conversation Starters and Taking Your Turn . . . . . . . . . .257 Knowing Numbers and Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258 Thanking People and Saying “You’re Welcome” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258 Using Your Manners in a Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258 Saying You’re Sorry and Other Niceties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 Discussing Public Transportation and Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 Asking for Help in an Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Introduction 1 Introduction Learning new languages has been a top goal for many people (including busi- ness leaders) during the last few years. This is especially true now that the world is witnessing and experiencing a growth in globalization and a push for more inclusion and diversity initiatives. Ultimately, it’s important to remem- ber that language rights are human rights, so speaking someone’s language shows acknowledgment and respect for them and their culture. In that context, there’s a growing need to help people learn languages. This book provides an overview of what language learning entails, the factors that have an effect in the journey, the numerous benefits and advantages of learning a new language, and so much more. About This Book In Learning a New Language For Dummies, I show you what learning a new language involves and how to make it a more successful experience for you. I provide an overview of the key components in the language learning journey, the role per- sonal differences play in the process, the importance of learning vocabulary, and the best strategies to develop and improve all your skills in the new language. I also guide you through considering your motivation(s) and goal(s) to learn a new language, and choosing the language and learning strategies that best fit your needs. I pack this book with research-based explanations to help you understand what to focus on when learning a new language, and I highlight actual strategies you can use to achieve your learning goals. For example, I discuss the importance of both receiving appropriate language input (exposure to the language you’re learning) and having opportunities to create output (using the language to communicate with other language users). So, I cover what the research states about input and output, and I give you tips and suggestions on the different ways you can apply the principles of this research to your own interactions, both when you’re communicating in person and when you’re using technology. I also remind you throughout this book that making errors is a natural and expected feature in language learning and development. Don’t give up!

2 Learning a New Language For Dummies A quick note: Sidebars (shaded boxes of text in some chapters) dig into the details of a given topic, but they aren’t crucial to understanding it. Feel free to read them or skip them. You can pass over the text accompanied by the Technical Stuff icon, too. The text marked with this icon contains some interesting but nonessential information about learning a new language. One last thing: You may note that within this book, some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading the book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page. Foolish Assumptions Here are some of my assumptions about you, dear reader, and why you’re picking up this book: » You have some interest in finding out what learning a new language entails. » You want to learn a new language to communicate with other speakers of that language. » You’re wondering about the best way to start your new language learning journey, and you aren’t sure how to start or what to look for. Icons Used in This Book Like all For Dummies books, this book features icons to help you navigate the information. Here’s what they mean: If you take away anything from this book, it should be the information marked with this icon. This icon flags information that delves a little deeper than usual into the process of learning a new language.

Introduction 3 This icon highlights especially helpful advice about what to do and how to do it as you travel through your new language learning journey. This icon points out situations and actions to avoid in order to progress and succeed in your language learning experience. Beyond the Book In addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this product comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. Check out the free Cheat Sheet for info on essential input for learning a new language, strategies for learning vocabulary, tips for speaking in a new language, and more. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type “Learning a New Language For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box. Where to Go from Here You don’t have to read this book from cover to cover, but if you’re an especially thorough person, feel free to do so! If you just want to find specific information and then get back to work on learning your new language, take a look at the table of contents or the index, and then dive into the chapter or section that interests you. For example, if you don’t know how or where to start, and need help to even decide on a new language to study, open the book up to Chapter  11 for tips on choosing a language, and then let me help you design your learning path in Chapter  12. Very soon you’ll have a plan in place and be ready to start your language learning journey. Buckle up, and get ready to go!

1Getting Started with Learning a New Language

IN THIS PART . . . Understand communication, its components and design features, as well as the different branches of linguistics. Know terminology to name languages and their speakers and important components in learning a new language. Recognize the personal features that affect language learning and assess your proficiency level as you learn an L2. Discover the many benefits and advantages that learning a new language can offer.