Senin, 14 Juli 2008

Speaking Spanish To Increase Mind Power

Our "mind power" is largely in the way we use our words, and limited by our vocabulary. Words, and the concepts they express, are different in each language, and there are differing common expressions. That's why when you learn a new language, you learn new ways to think.

Most Americans see money as something created, not as a static quantity to be divided up. This is no coincidence. English is one of the few languages that speaks of "making" money. In other languages, the verb used is "to gain," "take," or "get." The words used affect how people think about money. Personally, I think "making money" is a very healthy perspective.

Hablas Español?

Did you know that in Spanish, you're not thirsty, cold or afraid? You have to say "I have thirst (yo tengo sed)", "I have coldness (yo tengo frio)," or "I have fear (yo tengo miedo)." Could this change the way a person experiences things?

Definitely. Therapists are now telling people to stop saying or thinking things like "I am afraid." That way of expressing it creates too much identification with the feeling. It's healthier to say "I feel fear." You're not afraid, you're a human; fear, like all feelings, is just a temporary visitor.

In Spanish you "take" a decision (tomar un decision). Is it possible that "taking" a decision could be less stressful than "making" one? It might subconsciously limit you, too, since you generally "take" from what's available, while to "make" leaves your options wide open.

Other Advantages Of Learning A Language

You gain words when you learn a language, but also the ability to understand things better. Who can speak more precisely about snow; someone with three words for it (snow, sleet, powder), or an eskimo with 22 words for it? Which is more efficient, the German word "zeitgeist," meaning "the taste and outlook of a period or generation," or the nine words I just used to say the same thing?

According to the research, most people experience a general improvement in memory from studying a language. Research has also demonstrated that you can halt age-related decline in mental function by learning a new language. Tuck that little tip away for later in life, or better yet, why not start learning a new language today?

By Steve Gillman


Teaching English in Greece - What Do You Need to Know?

The employment situation can be quite uncertain for newcomers to Greece and therefore many people choose to try teaching English as a foreign language, on a full or part-time basis. It can bring in a good income whether it is your preferred career choice, or you wish to do it short-term until another career choice pans out.

Qualifications and Experience

There are many language schools or frontistiria in Athens and all over Greece, to which you could apply for work. In order to get a job in one of these schools, it is still not strictly necessary to have a formal teaching qualification such as TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). Often all that is required is a university degree (in any subject) from a UK or US university. That said, if you are uncertain about your ability to teach English and want to ensure that you start off in this line of work with the necessary skills, a course would be useful. It would provide you with some teaching theory, knowledge of English grammar (let's face it, many of us have never formally studied English grammar in any great depth, even though we speak and write English everyday) and give you some valuable experience of teaching in a classroom, since this is included in most courses. When applying for jobs, you will find vacancies that specify that previous teaching experience is required and others for which no experience is necessary.

It does not matter if you do not speak a lot of Greek. Native English speakers are often valued for other reasons such as having what is seen as a "proper" accent. Many people also swear by the approach of not speaking your students' language, so that they hear only English being spoken for the duration of the lesson. You will find ways to make yourself understood. In my experience of language teaching, it can even be counter-productive if your students know that you speak their language well, because they may be too easily tempted to speak to you in Greek when they find it hard going.

Finding work

Teaching English as a foreign language jobs are widely advertised in newspapers and on the Internet all year round and most often from August to October. As well as applying before in Greece, you can also go to door-to-door around the frontistiria with your CV, again in the August to October period. If you are visiting them in person, it is not recommended that you spend time doing this any earlier than August because the schools often do not consider their recruitment needs much before the beginning of the academic year.

Pay and working conditions

Pay and conditions offered by language schools will vary enormously, so it is important to check these out in detail first before accepting a contract. If time is on your side, it may be worth speaking to several schools rather than taking the first job you are offered. Also, if you work in a frontistirio it is quite likely that you will be working mainly in the afternoons and evenings, since this is when children and adults are free to take their lessons.

Making some extra money

Many people who teach English as a foreign language in a school, also do private English on the side and this can become a lucrative activity in itself. Working in a language school for a few months is a good way to meet students and advertise the fact that you do private English lessons, on a one-to-one basis. It can be difficult to get the first few, but then through word of mouth, you'll get more if you do a good job - that great social network of mums and dads on the school run can work wonders! The University of Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) exam system seems to be the most widely known and respected in Greece, many people who want to be taught privately are preparing to sit a Cambridge exam or some other type of test. It is worth familiarising yourself with the system - there is an enormous amount of free information on the Internet, including lesson plans, tips, exam practice etc. The exams which are most commonly sat by students are the "First Certificate in English" (which many people still refer to by its old name: "Lower"), "Certificate of Proficiency in English" (known as "Proficiency"), and "Certificate in Advanced English" (commonly referred to as "Advanced"). More information is available from the Cambridge ESOL web site (www.cambridgeesol.org).

What private students will want from you varies a great deal. Some may just want a conversation class, others may just be starting on the Cambridge examinations path and there will be some who are already at a very high level and may need detailed coaching on specific grammar points or on vocabulary for a particular purpose e.g. business English. And given these differences, the amount of preparation required on your part and the fee per hour you are able to charge will probably vary too. I will finish with a word on advertising. My experience has been that I have paid out money for two newspaper ads, which got back zero replies! What has worked well for me is local advertising - you need to use your imagination. I put a card in local shops and a small notice in the back window of my car and you can see people reading it at every traffic light! Just beware of getting calls on your mobile phone while you're driving - not good! As I said before, word of mouth should kick in too once you have your first couple of lessons.

By Emmanuel Mendonca


Learning a Foreign Language: Why Should you Learn Words You Never Use in Your Mother Tongue?

Imagine a child sitting in front of a desk, his head in his hands, and mumbling various lists of words over and over. Does this child remind you of your own experience? If yes, I bet that "list of words" does not sound appealing to you. You are almost ready to swear that they do not work. Before you mortgage your part of paradise, it may be wise to make sure you are right.

You can open a dictionary and begin to learn it by heart (a dictionary is no more than a list of words). There are many illustrated dictionaries that offer you the same resources as plenty of websites do by displaying colorful pictures with captions. You know that these tools exist because you have already tried to enrich your vocabulary that way. The scope of the task curbed your enthusiam.

Though, it is not a bad way to learn vocabulary, it is even the best way for one person: the author of the list.

Why?

You are unique. Your memory is unique, not only because your memories are yours, and only yours, but also because the way you store them is yours and only yours. For a large part, memory is about association of ideas and the associations you make depend on your experience.

Let's study an example to make it clear. Ask anyone to give you a word in relation with the common word "horse". You will get mare, race, chivalry or Trojan, etc, depending on the person who answers.

He who answered "mare" might go on with stable, foal and even cow and other farm animals; he who said "race" would probably go on with racecourse and tote. Obviously, their experiences of life are quite different. "Chivalry" would lead to King Arthur, coat of mail and tournament while "Trojan" would meet Homer, odyssey, god and goddess.

If you are a linguist, it is very likely that you associate horse to horseback, horsehair, horseman and horseplay and think that your list is easy to remember. On the contrary, if you are not interested in the Middle-Age History, the "chivalry" list will slip your mind.

The more personal the links between the words, the easier the way to learn them. That is why a list works at its best for its author. The connections between the words pre-exist in the author's head.

So, pave your way, prepare your own list!

It will fit in with your way of thinking

It will meet with your center of interests

It will meet with your requirements

It will be half-learnt just by looking for the words you want to know

In the third issue, we will see how to take advantage of scientific studies about human memory. There are many ways to learn a foreign language. Why would you choose the hardest one?


By Gabrielle Guichard


Don't Take The Romaji Short-Cut When Learning Japanese

This is an issue many Japanese learners come up against, particularly if they live outside Japan. After all, If you are not in the country, it seems difficult to justify the huge amount of time that learning Japanese characters seems to require.

So what are the problems in using Romaji (Roman letters, like the characters you are reading right now) for studying Japanese:

1. Mother-Tongue Conflict

The associations your brain will create between Japanese words written in Romaji and English words (or those of your mother tongue) greatly increases the risk of mispronunciation. Japanese symbols will have none of these associations for you. The very fact that they are completely alien helps you to start your language learning experience from a blank sheet. Your chances of being able to gain the correct pronunciation soar.

2. Show Me The Romaji

Your textbook may be in Romaji, but you will be very hard-pressed to find any real examples in Japan. Of course, you can see a fair amount of reasonably understandable English, but not Romaji. And watch what happens when write some Japanese in Romaji and show it to your native speaker friend: They have a really hard time deciphering it, because Japanese people just don't it.

3. Today's Crutch Becomes Tomorrow's Burden

If you decide to continue your studies in Japanese, you will eventually need to start to grapple with the characters themselves anyway. In my opinion, it is harder to leave the crutch of Romaji behind than it is to bite the character bullet at the beginning of your studies.

As you can see, there are serious problems with using Romaji when you start to learn Japanese. So what is my advice to learners? Well, it really depends on your motivation and needs:

1. The Serious Student

This could be a person who is going to be living in Japan for a period of time, whether as a teacher or a businessperson, or someone who travels regularly to Japan for meetings.

If you are in this group, you should first master hiragana and katakana before you even start with any other aspect of the language. Then, when you do begin, you can dive right into a "proper" Japanese textbook.

Hiragana and katakana are not at all difficult to learn. I learned them part-time in a couple of weeks. Even kanji can be learned fairly rapidly by a motivated and well-organized student with the right tools.

2. The Hobbyist

Perhaps you don't have a burning need to learn Japanese. You are doing it for pleasure, or because you are planning on visiting Japan.

If this is you, then your options are more varied. However, even in your situation, I would not suggest starting with a Romaji textbook. Instead, I would recommend you begin with the spoken language. If you are wondering how you can do this if you are not in Japan, check out the Pimsleur method. Sure, it is a little expensive even second-hand. The point is that you will be able to speak and understand enough for a short trip. Once you have completed the course, you can then decide whether you wish to stop there, or continue studying in a more serious manner - in which case you then follow the Serious Student method I mentioned before.

Learning to speak and listen will keep your language-learning fun, whilst not undermining any future serious study by getting you used to the Romaji crutch.

So whatever your motivations are and whatever your needs, if you can avoid the Romaji crutch, you will pick up the language better and be well-placed to make rapid progress in the future.


By Stephen Munday


Learning a Foreign Language: the Psychological Factor

When it comes about learning a foreign language, many people wonder if they will be able to memorize enough vocabulary. But this question never occurs about their mother tongue. And yet, it was a foreign language; nevertheless, among all the questions that new parents ask, no doctor has ever heard: "Will my baby be able to learn my language?" Be honest. Do you know all the words of your mother tongue? The answer is: "no". New words, and new ways of using old words, appear every day. Twenty years ago, who would have been able to understand such a sentence: "Click here to download your digital book"? Nobody. You never stop acquiring new vocabulary and you never know how long you will be needing it. Do you still use "tomagotchi"?

When you don't know the exact name of a thing, you don't hesitate to call it "whatsit". Why do you think foreigners do otherwise? (The French word for whatsit is machin. That's a good start! You already know the word that can virtually replace any other!)

Sometimes, you have the word on the tip of your tongue... and it sticks there! But you do know this phenomenon and don't think that it is due to a bad memory. You should not give this phenomenon more importance in the language you are learning than in your mother tongue. You need to learn only 2000 or so basic French words to be able to create any paraphrase you need. You can't avoid some work in order to learn these essential words and all the more if you want to learn quickly. Before you contemplate to buy a learn-in-a-breeze method, be sure it is right for you. It is not as wise as it is said to rely on a method based upon mnemotechnics. The first words seem very easy lo learn; so, you buy the method; and you discover quickly, though too late, that a dozen words later, it is all the more difficult to learn a new word that you have also to learn the trick to memorize it.

The next topic will be about lists of words: why they work and why they don't.

By Gabrielle Guichard


Bridging the Language Gap Using Bilingual Picture Books

There are more than 39 million Hispanics live in the United States making it the fifth largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world. It is estimated that within five years, only Mexico will have more Spanish-speakers than the U.S. Schools are offering bilingual courses and fully integrated bilingual curriculum. In some areas of the country , Spanish even exceeds English as the first language of the residents. Families are integrating languages into their neighborhoods regularly.

We propose bridging the language gap with bilingual picture books that both educate and entertain. The presence of both English and Spanish in the same book allows cross-cultural access and language development. Reading is a wonderful family experience which allows children to explore character development, expanding imagination and develop problem solving skills. The addition of another language educates and the illustrations in a picture book support the learning in an entertaining way.

Raven Tree Press offer bilingual books in a variety of styles and choices.

Full text translation-Full text translation means the text of the story is presented in English and then again in Spanish. Both texts are generally placed on the page with an icon separating the two for ease of reading. A different ink color is also generally used to further offset the two languages.

Embedded text-Take a story in English and sprinkle in a little Spanish. We call it embedded text. The word that will be embedded is usually first introduced in English and then reiterated in the sentence, or at least in the same paragraph in Spanish later. Once the word is introduced, it can be used again and again in context of the story. The context of the story and the illustrations are of utmost importance when using embedded text as they aid in making the leap from one language to another.

Wordless-Can a wordless book be effective in learning language? Definitely! Wordless picture books and picture books with limited words are both beautiful and educational. They help children develop language, creative thinking and enhance future reading and writing skills. Using wordless picture books, children learn that reading follows a left-to-right pattern. They learn that stories generally have a beginning, a middle section and an ending. They also learn to identify details, see cause and effect, make judgements and draw conclusions. We present an instruction page in both English and Spanish for creative uses of our books.

Concept Bilingual-In concept bilingual books, we take one concept of language and focus strictly on that. Counting, for example. The story is presented in English, but the concept (numbers in this case) are presented in both English and Spanish. Keywords are easily learned using this format.

Raven Tree Press includes an English/Spanish vocabulary page to help readers with keywords in either language.

Raven Tree Press children's bilingual picture books are available at favorite bookstores, online booksellers and at the publisher's web site www.raventreepress.com.

Publisher Note: Book excerpts and artwork can be imbedded in this article easily to clarify points if interested. Please contact me for further details.

By Dawn Jeffers


Teaching Reading to English Language Learners

There is an increasing amount of English language learners represented in our schools for whom a unique approach to developing literacy is necessary. The development of literacy by English language learners (ELLs) includes all of the challenges implicit for English speaking children literacy attainments, and is additionally compounded by a diversity of linguistic, cognitive and academic variables.

In general, the following are critical variables that need to be targeted in effective reading instruction:

Phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, including oral reading skills, and reading comprehension strategies. The National Research Council's Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children recently completed the most authoritative, comprehensive review of the research on normal reading development and instruction and on preventing reading difficulties in young children1. This study documented a number of important findings about teaching English reading to language-minority children. These include:

- English-speaking children making initial attempts at reading understand, if they are successful, the products of their efforts; they read words they know and sentences they understand, and?can self-correct efficiently. Non-English speakers have a more limited basis for knowing whether their reading is correct because the crucial meaning-making process is short circuited by lack of language knowledge.

- Giving a child initial reading instruction in a language that he or she does not yet speak can undermine the child's chance to see literacy as a powerful form of communication by knocking the support of meaning out from underneath the process of learning.

- Initial reading instruction in the first language does no harm. To the contrary, it seems likely both from research findings and from theories about literacy development that initial reading instruction in the second language can have negative consequences for immediate and long-term achievement. Primary language and reading literacy is critical and should be strongly encouraged.

It was highly recommended that "initial literacy instruction in a child's native language whenever possible" and suggested that "literacy instruction should not be introduced in any language before some reasonable level of oral proficiency in that language has been attained."

On the question of which language to use when teaching English language learners to read, the committee recommended the following guidelines:

- If language minority children arrive at school with no proficiency in English but speaking a language for which there are instructional guides, learning materials, and locally available proficient teachers, then these children should be taught how to read in their native language while acquiring proficiency in spoken English, and then subsequently taught to extend their skills to reading in English.

- If these second language children arrive at school with no proficiency in English but speak a language for which the above conditions cannot be met and for which there are insufficient numbers of children to justify the development of the local community to meet such conditions, the instructional priority should be to develop the children's proficiency in spoken English. Although print materials may be used to develop understanding of English speech sounds, vocabulary, and syntax, the postponement of formal reading instruction is appropriate until an adequate level of proficiency in spoken English has been achieved. In other words, the instructional priority need to be to develop spoken oral English prior to attempting to facilitate reading in English.


By Deborah Jill Chitester


How Ronzoni Italian Foods Helped My Dad Learn English

My dad likes to say, he was made in Italy, but born in Brooklyn New York. You see his parents left Palermo, Sicily in February 1955 and sailed by boat to America. My nonna (Italian for grandmother) was six months pregnant at the time and was quite ill through out the month's passage. Like most of the immigrants however, all she cared about was that her son be born in America, and thus immediately become a United States citizen. My grandparents, immediately settled in Sicilian-Italian neighborhood called Bensonhurst, and the language of choice was Sicilian, of course. By the time my dad was 10 months old, he was saying words in Sicilian and by the time he was a year-old, he was able to put sentences together. That's why it's no surprise to me that my dad was able to learn the English language as quickly as he did.

At my nonna's encouragement, from the moment, he was able to manipulate a pencil, my dad began tracing and then copying the letters on the grocery boxes my grandmother brought home every day from the supermarket. He chuckles every time he gets to tell the story how Ronzoni products, not only filled his stomach, but his mind as well. Dad says he used to get very upset if his mom put the groceries away before he had had a chance to trace and/or copy the letters on the grocery boxes. Nonna would have to take all the boxes out that she had stored away in the pantry in order to satisfy my dad.

Nonna, who naturally did not speak any English, would sit with my dad, and teach him the names of the letters. The Italian language consists of 21 letters however, (there is no H, J, K, W, X) as opposed to 26 letters in the English language. So he did not learn the names of these letters until he began first grade ( there was no kindergarten class available at that time).

Dad likes to brag about his perfect penmanship because the only "A" he received in his first semester of school was in penmanship, a direct result of his meticulous tracing and copying of the letters off the grocery products.

How did all this lead to dad's learning the English language, so quickly? "The familiarity with the letters and their sounds made learning quite easy for me" he says. The only thing that he had little trouble with was learning the names and proper pronunciation of English's H, J, K, W and X, but even that he said didn't take too long. I asked him if there was the equivalent of "Sesame Street' in his time that helped accelerate his learning the English language."The only 'Sesame Street' he knew of was downtown someplace. We didn't even have a TV, he chuckles. What we did have instead were mothers and fastidious nuns who were persistent and indefatigable in their teaching efforts, despite the huge classes they were assigned."

"After teaching the students the names and pronunciation of each letter, the nuns then began to teach us the sounds of the vowels and the consonants. Only after the vast majority of the class had mastered the pronunciations did they then begin teaching us three letter words. Each word was presented with a picture to help us remember the spelling, pronunciation and its meaning. Each student individually had to pronounce the word, spell the word and pronounce the word again, before we could move on. Once we were familiar with enough persons, places and things we began to learn simple verbs like run, hit, jump, catch, fall and so forth. We drew the sentences as well, what I mean is, if the sentence was: 'The boy hit the ball,' we would have a picture of a boy, a bat and the ball. It was constant reinforcement. Looking back I presume that they were trying to engage as many of our senses as possible, which I understand, accelerates learning."

My dad is genuinely excited about this topic. He makes it clear though that he dislikes the teaching modalities used in elementary school today. He particularly loathes kid-code, a technique which teaches kids to spell words, like they are sound. To clarify the reason why my dad is so "up to snuff" on the way in which some elementary schools work is that though my dad once was a very successful investment banker in 1994 he was struck with a malignant brain tumor that left him disabled and thus he became Mr. Mom. His being able to stay home allowed him to become somewhat like my personal tutor and in turn he was able to see the way in which I both regressed and progressed in school. Kid code he states was something that he wishes would have never been invented.

"If one was teaching Italian, this would be an excellent way to teach kids to read because every letter and combination of letters in the Italian language is pronounced the same way each and every time. In English, we have so many homonyms and different pronunciations for the same words, as well as mysterious silent letters, which are confusing enough, but when combined with the kid-spell it is deleterious to the student's learning." I wish that I could have been in one of those classes that forbid the enforcement of kid code but unfortunately I was not that lucky. Kid code for me as well as my fellow classmates form back then still have a hard time spelling sometimes the most simple of words. Though in my mind there is no reason to use such a method I believe some teachers rely on kid code to see what levels of spelling their students are at. Other teachers however I feel use this methodology out of pure laziness which in all honesty is what I believe the case was with my teachers.

"What was wrong with Dick and Jane, my dad asks rhetorically." I answered anyway, "I don't know," I told him, "I learned kid-code, remember." "I remember, and that's why you and Al's Gals (my girlfriends affectionately call themselves Al's Gals to this day) can't spell for beans," he says. I can't argue the fact we are a generation of poor spellers and I think he's correct, in that kid-code is to blame, at least to some extent. "Dad let's talk about 'Dick and Jane' if you don't mind." "Ann Marie, they were primers used in the elementary school's early grades. Every page was illustrated and had no more than a sentence or two. So even if you couldn't figure out what was being said in the written word, you would almost certainly be able to infer it from the illustration. I think the same could also be said about the Dr. Seuss books, though the preposterous stories sometimes, I think had a negative effect."

"How long did the nuns continue to use 'Dick and Jane'" I queried. "For the first grade only, then we had anthologies which contained slightly more sophisticated language, still accompanied by illustrations. At some point during the second grade, Mrs. McNamara introduced us to new single volume story books, still with illustrations, and this process continued grade after grade. By the time, I had completed the fifth grade I had a well-rounded vocabulary and good reading comprehension skills. Early on in the sixth grade, a friend's dad began to take us to the public library each Saturday morning. It was about a mile walk. There was a four book limit, which we argued about with the librarian, every visit. About the same time, I began writing short stories for my classmates' entertainment and you'll get a kick out of this, the girls began asking me to write love notes for them to give to their boyfriends. I was the Cyrano de Bergerac of my time."

I recently was privy to a conversation my dad had with two former classmates from the sixth grade, who later married. The woman was one of my dad's former clients, for whom he had performed his literary magic. Apparently, the woman had never told her husband about the true author of many of her letters, until that conversation. The three of them laughed hysterically when the proverbial cat was let out of the bag. I asked dad if there were anything else that might have contributed to his learning and mastering English as well as he had. I was surprised at his answer. "I think nonna had a influence on me. (Ironically nonna had never gone beyond the third grade.) She not only helped me learn the alphabet, she would sit with me and we would read the assignments together. Since at that point, I knew more than her I had become the teacher. That was another way to reinforce what I had learned in class, moreover, teaching nonna contributed greatly to my love for reading."

As I contemplate how dad learned to master English at such a young age, without the slightest knowledge of the language, what stands out the most is, nonna's participation in the process. This is certainly an element that's missing in our society today, primarily because of two worker families. As a future elementary school teacher, I plan on replicating the teaching methods of those nuns that taught my dad and countless others not only how to read but to love reading. If the "Dick and Jane" books are not part of the curriculum, where ever I begin teaching, I will still use the inherent method of "Dick and Jane." To learn more about me and my family visit our website lunchbagnotes.com

By Ann Marie Parisi


Learn Italian for Free

Italian is one of the most widespread languages in the world, and speaking it can give you a tremendous sense of accomplishment, an edge in your career, and even a stronger bond with your ancestors if you are of Italian descent. There are many ways you can learn Italian, including textbooks, tapes, CDs, software, group classes or private lessons, but there are also ways you can begin or continue your studies of the Italian language entirely for FREE!

1. Online: Online, you can join an active community of people who are learning the Italian language just like you. One site is Impariamo - http://www.impariamo.com - which in Italian means "let's learn". Impariamo is a forum where you can meet people from around the world who are learning Italian and share tips to improve your Italian language skills. It is also a great starting point for finding new tools that will help you develop your Italian skills - all for FREE! Impariamo also has a feature called Quiz of the Week, where you can have a new Italian language quiz delivered to your e-mail in-box each and every week. In addition to Impariamo, you can also find other online communities at Yahoo! Groups - http://groups.yahoo.com - or at MSN Groups - http://groups.msn.com. Simply type in "learn Italian" in the search box on either of these sites and you will find many groups that may appeal to you to join - again, for FREE!

2. Offline: Offline, you can join a group in your geographic area whose members share your interest in learning the Italian language through a free online service called Meetup - http://italian.meetup.com. Meetup helps people find others who share similar interests, and form lasting, local community groups that regularly meet face-to-face. All ages and levels of proficiency are welcome to these group meetings! You can sign up to participate in any one of nearly 300 Italian language Meetup groups. Practicing your Italian among friends will help you improve your language skills significantly.

Learning Italian allows you to immerse yourself in a rich and diverse culture, and this can open entirely new avenues of self-exploration and personal growth. Whether you want to the Italian language for personal or professional reasons, you can make new friends, have new experiences, and open yourself to a new and beautiful culture. Buon divertimento!

By Mindy Prian


Mexican Living: Todays Obsession

I would like to talk about one of my many obsessions: learning Spanish. I have been thinking about this lately mostly because I am under the impression that, though I've lived in Mexico for two years, my Spanish sucks in a major way.

Both Mexicans and Gringos tell me that my Spanish is good and that I speak like a native. Ha! Little do they know the truth.

I can say almost anything I need to in most situations. I can go to our general practitioner, Doctora Bello, and tell her what ails me. And, because she will consciously speak to me slowly, like speaking to a two-year-old child, I can understand her instructions on how to cure the third eye that grew in the middle of my forehead overnight.

My problem with Spanish is that, though I can ask or say almost anything, when a native speaker talks back to me, all I hear is something like the sound a machine gun when it goes off. I hear sounds but nothing that sounds like human speech. I can hear the rhythm but it is unintelligible most of the time.

This can be embarrassing, to say the least. Can you imagine how I function as an expat in this society? Here is the real kicker: My wife, who has trouble with accent and vocabulary, can understand the machine gun Spanish. It is amazing! I am so jealous! She understands far more than I can possibly hope to. I haven't the foggiest notion how she does it. I study day and night and memorize thousands of Spanish words. She doesn't and her fluency outshines mine any time of the day.

What is the deal here?

I've found that I am not alone. Many "older" expats in Mexico have the very same struggle. Though they've studied their hearts out, it is the "listening and comprehending" part of the language that is giving them the most fits.

The first discovery I made is there are some presuppositions that we "older" learners need to dump and dump quickly.

· there is no decline in the ability to learn as people get older;

· except for minor considerations such as hearing and vision loss, the age of the adult learner is not a major factor in language acquisition;

· the context in which adults learn is the major influence on their ability to acquire the new language. [1]

Older foreign language learners can be excellent students in gaining a second language. It is a senseless stereotype that they cannot learn a foreign language. The difficulties in an older person learning a foreign language can be overcome in adjusting the learning environment and by choosing the right methodology.

The biggest obstacle in learning a second language for an older student is an emotional one-doubt. Doubt in the mind of the student is what convinces an older language learner that he or she cannot learn a foreign language and learn it well. Motivation, what I've written in earlier columns, can affect the entire outcome of language learning.

In a study done in 1979, researchers Krashen, Long and Scarcella discovered, "Studies comparing the rate of second language acquisition in children and adults have shown that although children may have an advantage in achieving native-like fluency in the long run, adults actually learn languages more quickly than children in the early stages." [2]

A study in 1981 by Ostwald and Williams revealed, "Studies on aging have demonstrated that learning ability does not decline with age. If older people remain healthy, their intellectual abilities and skills do not decline (Ostwald and Williams, 1981). Adults learn differently from children, but no age-related differences in learning ability have been demonstrated for adults of different ages. [3]

"More recent research in neurology has demonstrated that, while language learning is different in childhood and adulthood because of developmental differences in the brain, "in important respects adults have superior language learning capabilities" (Walsh and Diller, 1978)." [4]

Conclusion: I am without excuse. I have to stay in there swinging the linguistic bat until I hit that home run.

Are you with me?

[1] The Older Language Learner, by Mary Schleppegrell (http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/87-9dig.htm)

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

By Doug Bower


Second Language Competence Beneficial but often Misunderstood

Second language learning has associated with it many types of benefits. Among them include: social, economic, intellectual and linguistic. Children who engage in second language learning typically outperform their peers in the area of vocabulary development as well as intellectual development. As important as learning a second language is, learners can be viewed as experiencing difficulties with language development when in reality they are displaying linguistic differences.

There is often a period of time when a second language learner is viewed to not speak much, this is due to their processing information in the new language and has been termed as the silent period. Additionally, speaking with an "accent" is a normal part of second language learning because the person is using the sounding system of the first language while speaking the new one. Often, help is required so that the person can enjoy positive communication interactions with others in the second language.

Children who come from homes where English is not the primary language also are at risk within the educational system of being labeled as special and deficient when in reality they have not acquired enough English to be able to succeed in school. Specialized support is often needed for children like these and is not always provided by school districts. The topic of second language acquisition is one that needs to be better understood and supported in our social, educational and business communities.

Clearly, this help is available to those who seek it out. When doing so, please make sure the professional you choose has a background in second language learning and has access to research and experience in best practices relevant to providing language support to English language learners. This can make the difference between a child receiving the help they need when they need it or being referred to a restrictive setting like special education. For accent training, it is important to look for a professional with a background in articulation, sound systems, and second language learning which will enable them best to understand your situation and tailor a program that will suit your needs.

By Deborah Chitester MS CCC SLP


Learn Italian in Italy

You can combine your love of the Italian language with an unforgettable experience in the country where the language is spoken by studying Italian in Italy! Hands-down, the best way to learn a foreign language is to live, work, or study in a native speaking environment. Studying Italian in Italy is the best possible experience you can have to learn the language.

Would you like to study and live in Florence, Rome or Venice? Or how about in a smaller, quaint town such as Pisa, Siena or Otranto? You will find a comprehensive guide to top rate Italian language schools in Italy at www.studyabroaditaly.org. Wherever you decide to study and live, the experience is incomparable to learning Italian in any other way.

When living in a foreign country you have the wonderful opportunity to both learn the local language and also use it every day, all day long. Living in Italy is much different than visiting as a tourist. Tourists can easily manage getting around by knowing a few Italian phrases and by using English. In fact, tourists frequently will have trouble trying to use or improve their Italian language skills because Italians in most tourist locations can speak English very well and are eager to do so. On the other hand, as a resident of Italy, you would have NO trouble trying to use or improve your Italian language skills because you would be continuously interacting with the native population at the supermarket, the post office, the bus stop, the small "bar" where you get your morning cappuccino, and other places that tourists don't usually visit.

If you open yourself to learning the language as well as experiencing the culture, you will be amazed with the progress you make from day to day. There is a big difference between learning Italian in Italy and learning it in your home country. While in Italy, you will only hear the Italian language spoken around you. This will encourage you to master the language quickly, because instinctively you will not want to miss out on the conversations taking place around you. You may also want to consider the fact that even though most Italians will manage to make themselves understood in English, they will have a hard time sharing deeper thoughts and feelings in any other language than Italian. Other positive aspects of learning Italian in Italy include developing a good Italian accent (eliminating the somtimes artificial sound of Italian learned in your home country), and getting faster access to regional slang and humor. The latter is particularly important when you become friends with Italian locals, as you will have a better chance of integrating in a group if you understand the subtle nuances of the language.

Finally, the greatest advantage to learning Italian in Italy is the opportunity you will have to make new friends that will certainly last you a lifetime. By learning Italian in Italy you will enjoy a unique life experiene in a place that is much different than anywhere else, and is one of the most beautiful places you will ever see. Buon divertimento!

By Mindy Prian


What Does an Interpreter Do?

Many people get confused as to the difference between an interpreter and a translator. There is a common tendency to think translators interpreter, or that interpreters translate. In fact, the two are very separate jobs requiring different skills. To explain who and/or what an interpreter as opposed to a translator we set out the main differences between interpreting and translation.

Interpreting vs. Translation

On a basic level it would appear that there is little difference between an interpreter and a translator. One translates spoken words and the other written words. However, the differences in how the job is carried out, the pressures, requirements, skills and talents are many.

A translator must be able to write well and be able to express words, phrases, innuendos and other linguistic nuances between languages on paper. A translator has the luxury of time, resources (dictionaries, etc), reference material and the freedom to take a break when needed. Their pressures are relatively limited.

Translators only work into their native languages to assure accuracy in both linguistic and cultural senses. Translators therefore, it could be argued, are not completely bilingual. They may be able to deal effectively with written sources but when it comes to orally translating, it is a different skill.

A translator therefore has a one dimensional aspect to their work. They deal with written words and language that come from paper and return to paper.

An interpreter, on the other hand, has to be able to translate spoken words in two directions. They do this using no resources or reference material bar their knowledge and expertise. An interpreter is required to find linguistic solutions to problems on the spot. The pressure therefore can be quite intense.

In addition to interpreting, the interpreter must also act as a bridge between people, relaying tone, intentions and emotions. Where an interpreter is caught between cross fire they need to demonstrate great professionalism and diplomacy. Their roles are therefore much more complex as they have to deal with both language and people.

What does an Interpreter do?

There are two ways of interpreting known as consecutive and simultaneous.

Simultaneous interpreting involves interpreting in 'real time'. Many would have seen an interpreter sitting in a booth wearing a pair of headphones and speaking into a microphone at a conference or large diplomatic meeting such as the EU or UN. A simultaneous interpreter has the unenviable task of quickly digesting what one person is saying before immediately translating it to others. One of the key skills simultaneous interpreters must demonstrate is decisiveness. They must think quickly and on their feet.

Consecutive interpreting is carried out in face to face meetings, speeches or court cases. A speaker will usually stop at regular junctures, say every few sentences, and have the interpreter translate, before proceeding. A key skill involved in consecutive interpreting is the ability to remember what has been said.

What do you need?

In short, if you need someone to translate something that is written you need the services of a translator. If you need someone to translate the spoken word, you need an interpreter.

By Neil Payne


Learn Italian in Your Hometown

Are you interested in learning the Italian language right in your own hometown? There are several options that you can explore to find the Italian classes that are just perfect for you! First, you should consider whether you would you enjoy the interaction that takes place among students in group classes, or if you would prefer the one-on-one attention of a private instructor.

1. Group classes at community colleges: One way to learn Italian in your hometown is to find a community college that offers Italian classes in your area. The internet can be an invaluable resource and with a few clicks of the mouse you can identify exactly where there are Italian language courses available. For example, if you live in the U.S. you can go to www.community-college.org, where you will find a complete directory of all of the community colleges throughout the country. Many of them offer evening or even online classes! Simply pick the college or colleges that can be found near you and check out their curriculum.

2. Group classes at a private school or institution: Another approach would be to find an independent language school where you can take group lessons. Do you have a Berlitz near you? How about an Inlingua Center? A great way to find the best schools in your area is to talk with people in the Italian community where you live! Many Italian communities even have websites that link to valuable resources. For example, you can find out about the Italian community in Washington, DC at www.italcultusa.org, in New York at www.italcultny.org, in Chicago at www.iicch.org, in Los Angeles at www.iicusa.org or in San Francisco at www.sfiic.org. You can find an Italian community near you simply by going to www.google.com and typing in "Italian community in (Your Hometown)."

3. Private lessons: Not convinced that college classes or group lessons are for you? While group classes are more interactive and dynamic, you get less of the teacher's attention. So, how about taking private classes? There are many ways to find a good instructor. For example, you could post a free "in search of Italian instructor" ad at Craigslist - www.craigslist.org - if you live in an area that the site serves. Or, you could place an ad for free in a local newspaper or journal.

Italians take great pride in teaching their native language to non-native speakers, so simply by reaching out and asking questions, you are sure to find plenty of good advice and helpful people. Buon divertimento!

By Mindy Prian


English Has Come A Long, Long Way...

I often wonder what would happen if Shakespeare were to be transported in a time machine to our world today. What would he think? How would he react?

Yes, Willie would probably tell me "thou hast too much time on thy hands if thou spendeth it wondering about such flights of fancy." But only after he found his feet.

You see, Willie would be blown away by some of the comforts we take for granted. For instance, that box we walk into. The doors close all by themselves...just like magic. When they open, we are magically in a different place.

"What callest thou this contraption?" Willie would ask in utter amazement.

An elevator. You would think nothing would phase a man who just landed his time machine 400 years into the future.

"Ah, I see. It was not magic after all. It elevated us, because it is an elevator."

This Willie guy is pretty handy with his English, isn't he? But that won't get him far these days. A hundred years ago, even fifty, he could have figured out just about every new word by tracing its roots (often to Greek or Latin). But not today.

"What are those...those...those, things?"

Why that's a TV, with a VCR and a DVD player. Over there, it's a CD player, an AM and FM radio and an amp. This is a PC, with CDRW and floppy drives, a powerful CPU, A and C drive, and more RAM than a MAC.

"What? Thy alphabet seems a bit confusing."

Once upon a time, the meaning of a word could always be guessed by simply tracing the entomology of the word back to its lowest roots.

"Thou meanest 'etymology', dost thou not? Entomology is the study of insects and bugs."

I knew that.

I took out a 'Kleenex' because my nose was running.

"But how dost thy nose run?"

I suppose the same way I drivest on a parkway and parkest in the driveway. Or how it doesn't matter whether we fill in a form or fill out a form...either way, the taxman gets the last laugh.

I offered to take Willie for a ride.

"That is more like it. There is nothing quite like a horse under one's bottom.'

No, no, no. We don't ride horses anymore. That is a barbaric way to treat such majestic beasts. Now we drive cars...and kill the horses off with the exhaust.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Just have a seat in the BMW, Willie, while I turn on the AC and rev up the RPMs on this old V6. Before you know it, we'll be doing 100 mph down the 102.

"More letters and numbers. Have words become redundant in the future?"

Pretty much. As life got more and more complicated, words got more and more complicated. Pretty soon it was taking several minutes just to pronounce a single government department. So real word groups had to be replaced by acronyms - the first letter of each word. Pass me a CANDY.

"What does CANDY stand for?"

Candy, actually. But maybe I should just leave old Willie guessing. After all, there is just so much to discover in this brave new world. Like why there are so few sundials around. And why some people sleep on the street, while other climb 34 stories to an office tower above to sleep at their desks. And just how do they shrink those liquor bottles for the airlines.

"What is an RSVP? And ASAP? And TLC?"

I had to find just the right way to explain to him that all these crazy letters actually made some kind of sense.

Internal Department of Income Overhaul Transfer Systems.

"Ah, IDIOTS. Now, that I understand!"


Like Shakespeare, David Leonhardt is a writer


Show Me the Bunny: Language Acquisition

Some children are really funny about experimenting with speech. Nonetheless, the first intelligible words bring such a feeling of elation to a parent. Come on, Sweetie. Show Mumma the bunny. Without saying a word, my little girl points to a plush rabbit.

Ever since I read in a parents' newsletter that kids my younger daughter's age should have a vocabulary, I've been trying to persuade her to speak words instead of relying on gesturing, pointing, and high-pitched squealing to make her needs and wants known. While a mild speech delay might be understandable for bilingual babies who are trying to sort out the mechanics of two languages, mine has only one language to learn. Apart from her experiencing frequent ear infections at an early age, I have to wonder, what's up?

Bear. Ball. Blocks. I repeat words to her over and over, thinking that somehow, this might pass on whatever information she needs to be able to form the words herself. Bee. Ba-by. Ga-a-a? She asks, using the same intonation with which I recite the alphabet to her. She spends the rest of the afternoon touching my mouth while I'm talking to her.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, while eighteen months is the age at which a toddler should be able to say her own name, it isn't until early in the second year of life that a toddler will seem to understand what's being said to her, because this is the age at which kids develop language and comprehension skills.

It's a huge leap in a child's development, and will probably alter existing parent-child communication. Now would be a good time to discontinue the kind of language I've grown accustomed to conducting conversations in ("piggies" instead of "toes," "yummies" instead of each meal's correct name).

By the end of her second year, a toddler should have about fifty spoken words, and should begin using two-word sentences. To my dismay, mine only ventures to pronounce a word's second syllable when it sounds exactly like the first; transposes some sounds (cup becomes "pa;" rip becomes "pi"), and approximates others (hello is "ha WOW"). Far from being on her way to constructing two-word sentences, she doesn't try saying her name. Duck. Ga-a. I place her hand on my cheek and try again. Duck. She shortens her ga-a to match the abbreviated sound I'm making. Ga. I'll bet she's a little perfectionist, refusing to say much until she can speak correctly.

I'm afraid if she catches on to my disappointment with her progress, she'll stop trying altogether. So I'm quietly making an appointment for her to see an audiologist. As I wait on hold, I tell myself that this is probably nothing.


English Language Sputtering Online Like an Old Ford!

Sad, but true. Just about everywhere you look online, the English language is suffering a fate worse than death. The problem, in reality, is so widespread that it has begun to affect all aspects of the language. "But, what on Earth does this have to do with Internet marketing?" you may be asking. Well, my fellow netpreneur...Everything!

It has everything to do with Internet marketing if you wish to portray yourself, and be perceived as, a Marketing Professional on the internet. Just remember, professionally speaking, Image is Everything. On the other hand, if you're not particularly interested in putting your 'best foot forward' when marketing your services or products, and I really hope this is not the case, then none of this applies to you.

Obviously, we don't have time here to do an in-depth study of the many instances of, what I would term, "casual disdain" I've witnessed online. So, in order to illustrate my point, I'll concentrate on a small, but vital component of the English language: the innocent, harmless apostrophe.

Allow me to try to paint a picture for you. A long, long, time ago, around the time of the De Soto, the Corvair, bellbottoms, the VW "bug" (ring a bell?), and before beatniks became known as hippies, you could look at advertisement copy and expect, to some degree, that it had been reviewed and, presumably, corrected.

In other words, it was safe for women, children, and other life forms to view it, and read its content without suffering any permanent, debilitating psychological damage, such as a hard to diagnose speech impediment, or maybe an involuntary nervous twitch across one cheek.

What I see most of us doing now, at the dawn of the 21st Century, is that we read ad copy, and then, because it's in bold letters on carefully selected background, surrounded by pretty pictures, we accept its message as Gospel truth. We get so bowled over by the "look" of it, that we forget to examine it critically enough.

Talk about your viral strategy, indeed...

Today, in the age of the cell phone, the Lexus, Viagra, the twenty five cent phone call, and a PC "in every barn," wherever I look, I see the poor apostrophe maligned and misused. It gets no respect, either offline on signs, billboards, and late-night Infomercials, or (shudder) online in cyber country, on that very personal and intimate expression of its owner's taste and personality: an individual's web site.

Since I spend so much time online, much more, I think, than I spend on the real pavement of our world, I notice the glaring mistreatment heaped upon our poor little fellow- the apostrophe-by careless webmasters, even more. The main thing I notice is that the apostrophe's originally intended use is slowly eroding; people are just making up their own versions of what its purpose really is. This is a prime example of what I mean by "casual disdain."

It's been reported in 'The Really Up Yonder Gazette', an influential publication dedicated to digging up gossip about the well known dearly departed, that both William Shakespeare and John Milton have thrown up their arms in despair, and are contemplating turning their backs for good on something that some would consider their own creation: our English language.

As a matter of fact, in a recent exclusive interview, "Willie boy" himself bemoans the effect all of this is having on his favorite language, as follows:

"Oh, perfidy that has befallen our instrument of expression, by us once nearly refined. Oh, treachery flung upon us by the masses shamelessly disdainful of reading and writing, of independent thought evidently incapable!"

Ahem...

Frankly, I firmly believe that this unwarranted offense was perpetrated by one of the first guys, if not the very first, who threw up that first Web site selling, say, floppy disks with instructions on how to extend the mileage on single-ply bathroom tissue by rewashing it, carefully drying it with your wife's hair dryer (when she'd gone out of the house, natch), and then gingerly covering it with a special jelly for sofness. You know, just your average 3-Step Recycling Process used mainly in Third World countries like Wyoming, for instance...

For the purposes of this little tale, let's call this first marketer, Butcher D. Grammer.

Well, this confounded fellow started something which has become a movement, or a new language convention. Butcher decided that the little fellow, my friend the apostrophe, should not be used according to any rules or previous language conventions; heck no, the little fellow would, according to our Bathroom Recycle Consultant, be used any ol'time.

He would use it, and so would the masses who were yet to come, but who would follow suit, and our Butcher knew this well, to interchangeably indicate either the possessive or the plural forms in any sentence.

So, a sentence such as, "The seller does not guarantee its potential profit," became: "The seller does not guarantee it's potential profit."

Here he turned the possessive form of "its" into the abbreviated, or the contraction form of, it is. So, if you were to read the second sentence, removing the contraction, the last part would read: "does not guarantee it is potential."

But, our little Butcher, a thorough and disciplined craftsman, was not through yet. After all, there was even more damage he could inflict on American English; and, leeringly, he mused, rubbing his hands together, "They'll follow me blindly anywhere."

Next, he turned his attention to the plural form of simple words. Just about any word ending in "s," indicating that there was more than one object of whatever unit was being counted or measured, he turned into, you guessed it, the possessive form.

Words or terms such as, buyers, software tools, ingrown toe nails, battering ramps, fools, attractive girls, dumb-as-can-be-guys, and many, many others, became: buyer's, software tool's, ingrown toe nail's, battering ramp's, fool's, attractive girl's, dumb-as-can-be-guy's.

As hard to believe as it may seem, Butcher reign of terror is still not only alive and well, but from what I'm going to show you, it's expanding frighteningly. Please have a look at the following three additional examples, and cringe in terror:

1. If your interested, just sign up from the link below.

2. Just click here, and your done.

3. Simply load email address's into your auto-responder.

Obviously, in the first two sentences, Butcher and his followers have cleverly used the second-person possessive pronoun "your" as a substitute for the abbreviated "you're." Their thinking being, "The heck with that comma-like thing which is supposed to go on top. Nobody will even miss it. And, we can get away with chopping off the last "e", also." (So, once again, the apostrophe gets the shaft).

As regards the third sentence shown above, quite frankly, I have no comment; I wouldn't even know where to begin defining or deciphering it...I'm afraid to look at it. It's just a stroke of genius from the hand of our hero, Butcher, who must have found the inspiration for this little morcel during a wrenching psychotic episode.

Now, I don't know how other people feel about the sinister, pervasive, and, yes, viral damage caused by this one crazy guy, but I, for one, hope he has gone to his final resting place. Let him drive them crazy over there if (God forbid) he finds himself near a typewriter; as it is, Butcher's handiwork makes me go nuts practically every day here in cyber space.

If only we could go back to that time in the past, 1962 comes readily to mind for one reason or another, when spelling and a little attention to grammar counted for something.

But, as they say, in Bolivia, "Dude, t'ain't no use complainin', 'dem 'dere day's is long gone."

By Jorge M Vega


Teaching English in Mexico: A Decent Living?

What's more disappointing than a person who makes a promise he can't keep? A person who makes a promise that is a lie. Many promises to make a "decent living" teaching English in Mexico are just that-a lie.

If you do a phrase search on Google, "teach English in Mexico," you will get almost 900,000 hits. Some of these sites are filled with tantalizingly appealing phrases like,

"For only a few dollars a week you can have_____in Mexico".

"First-class bus travel to such and such a place is only____".

All are allurements trying to sell their how-to book, tapes, seminars, or placement service for teaching English abroad. They give the impression that you will be able to make enough money to live a life of luxury and ease with all that money you will make teaching English in Mexico.

We've met many young women who come to Guanajuato with the hope and dream of getting a teaching job making a bundle. The word "shock" is putting it mildly when they find out what their salaries will be in some of these private schools. A good pay scale would be less than $3.00 an hour. I know of some schools that pay even less than that amount.

Can you imagine how many hours you would have to work to make ends meet? Minimum wage is about $400.00 USD a month. Granted, many Mexicans live on that. But could you-an American? Could you downscale to living on so little?

Four types who come to Mexico to teach English are:

1) Someone who wants a new adventure-something different.

2) Someone who wants to build a resume, no matter the salary.

3) Someone who wants to earn a little traveling money.

4) Someone who thinks they can earn a decent living. Groups 1 through 3 don't care what the dollar sign is in their salary. They have other sources of income like savings or parents who help support them while they are in Mexico. These are the most transient. Here today, promising their employers a year contract, and gone tomorrow. Some employers will not hire these "floaters." Schools would love to hire those with ties to the community but they are rare.

Group 4, people who think they can make a living, do not accept the reality that you can rarely make a living at teaching English in Mexico. They are like those who go to Hollywood with the delusion of becoming an actor, "Oh, it's a long shot, but maybe I can do it."

In an informal e-mail survey I took of Mexican schools that offer ESL classes, the overwhelming majority agreed that it is rare for anyone to make a living at teaching English in Mexico. One called it "an unrealistic expectation" to believe otherwise.

"...the pay is very low and it is difficult to imagine how one could live on it."

Another source told me that unless the teacher had signed a contract with a large established organization before departure to the country, it was unlikely that a good salary would be waiting for them. Countries like Japan or China offer a competitive salary with benefits.

Mexico does not.

Most of the available jobs are with small private schools that pay little.

Some told me that those who do not fulfill their teaching commitments no longer surprise them. They've grown accustomed to this unethical practice by North Americans.

Some have come to Mexico and made a living teaching ESL. But, that is all they can do-work until they drop. They usually have to sign on to teach with at least three schools to get enough hours to earn enough to pay for cost-of-living expenses. There is little time to anything else.

A life of luxury, excitement, and adventure? Hardly. But they keep coming, filled with the delusion that perhaps they can make it work.

Sad.

By Doug Bower


Chinese Pinyin or Hanyu Pinyin Overview

Chinese Pinyin is the romanization of the Chinese "written sound". Romanization approximates Mandarin pronunciation with Western spellings and includes a tone mark to signify the pitch of a word.

Just like alphabet A - Z to English, Pinyin provides a phonetic alphabet for Chinese and is taught from Grade 1 in Chinese elementary schools. It is a fundamental tool used for learning the spelling of Chinese characters throughout Chinese language study.

Pinyin is used by most modern Chinese dictionaries to denote pronunciation of characters. It is also an efficient input method in Chinese computer software, which is natively supported by Microsoft Windows OS.

After mastering Pinyin, you can easily read Chinese books with Pinyin marked, learn Chinese characters by looking in the dictionary, or input Chinese characters into your computer, it will take your Chinese study to a higher level.

25 out of 26 English alphabet letters are used in Pinyin. Letter 'v' is not used, while letter ' ü ' is added to represent the vowel sound of 'yu'.

Pinyin includes consonants and vowel letters.

1. Consonant letters

There are 20 consonant letters use in Mandarin (three consonants are represented by combinations of two letters - 'zh', 'ch' and 'sh'), they are:

b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, g, k, h, j, q, x, z, c, s, zh, ch, sh, r, y, w

2. Vowel letters

There are 6 vowel letters used in Mandarin:

a, o, e, i, u, ü

3. Syllables

Syllables are composed by consonants, vowels and tone.

The consonant that begins a syllable is initial (listen to the pronunciation in mp3 format online at http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com/chinese-pinyin-initials.html) , they can be:

b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, g, k, h, j, q, x, z, c, s, zh, ch, sh, r, y, w

The rest parts after the initial are finals. Final ( listen to the pronunciation in mp3 format online at http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com/chinese-pinyin-finals.html ) can be a single vowel, a combination of vowels, or combination of vowels and nasals 'n' or 'ng':

There are 6 simple finals which are single vowels, they are : a, o, e, i, u, ü .

The others are compound finals, they are:

ai, ao, ou, ei, ia, ie, iao, iou, ua, uo, uai, uei, üe,

an, ang, ong, en, eng, in, ing, ian, iang, iong, uen, ueng, uan, uang, ün, üan

The combination of 21 initials and 33 finals in Mandarin romanization (there are five more finals, but they share the same symbols as other finals) form about 420 different sounds.

A word consists of initial + final + tone. In some cases, the initial can be omitted.

Although most of the sounds are generally close to how they are used and pronounced in English, some don't follow English letters exactly and are pronounced differently.

Pay extra attention to the differences and listen closely to each Chinese sound, it takes practices to pronounce correctly.