erickajayne's recent topics

As a language learner, I tend to be keen in formulating sentences. I was always anxious with how my sentences will sound like if I chose a certain word to use. I fear that people will laugh at me for having grammar lapses. Thus, whenever I speak, I get scared. My mind will be haywire and will start to stutter. Especially in my country, if you speak other language that is different from ours, others will talk about you like you have done something wrong.

Not until when I went to college and I had a course in Language Acquisition. We had this topic called "Fluency vs Accuracy". Basically, fluency doesn't require you to have grammatically correct sentences. As long as you can be understood. On the other hand, accuracy needs to have precise grammar construction. It needs to follow grammar rules, whether spoken or written.

When I learned that there's such thing like "fluency", it made me a little confident to speak in English. My professor once said that making mistakes will teach you the right way. I made that as an inspiration to make my anxiety go away. It helped me a lot to gain courage. Now, I am here, trying to learn a new language.

Is there someone here who suddenly moved to a different country but you know little about their language? How did you deal with it? What are the practices that you do to learn it fast? Or did you learn right away? 

Tagalog is my first language and it is the only language that we use at home when I was young. My mother loves to watch foreign movies especially American movies. If she lets me watch Disney movies, I will. Hence, having Tagalog as my language, I really cannot understand what were they saying. I just watch out for their actions and barely understand the movie at all.

Even so, as I was curious with everything, I will catch common phrases that I hear from the characters. As time go by, I will recognize it on every movie I watch. 

Thereof, one of the easiest way to learn few words, phrases, or sentences, is through exposing yourself by it over and over again. Not just limited to words though, but the language itself. The more you hear common words, it will be easier for you to remember it and know when exactly it can be used.

What are the common things you easily remember in the language you are learning?

Am I the only one who wants to learn Korean because of K-Dramas? I learned few words and phrases by watching K-Drama. I think I will be learning Korean slangs if I take note of the common expressions.

Are you also into sci-fi? Comment down your favorites!

Kung kayo ay may katanungan tungkol sa Tagalog, ako ay handang tumulong sa abot ng aking makakaya!

As a language learner, one of the basics to learn is the vocabulary. Simple it may sound, but if you tend to forget easily like me, it will be a challenge. You can learn new words when you came across it while watching a movie, or you read it in a book you currently read. But how can you really retain the words in your head especially those that are really easy to forget?

I have few ways to have my vocabularies on check. I tend to keep a journal wherein I will write all of my thoughts about a chapter or episode that I finished. As much as possible, I jot down the words I am unfamiliar with, search its meaning on the dictionary and write it down as well. Also, I will use those words, if I can, on my journal. If ever I am still confused how does the word can be used in a sentence, I will use the internet to search sample sentences.

How about you? What is the best way you can learn vocabulary? Maybe I can get an idea that will work for me too!

Any suggestions for new hobby?