Priority of factors in language acquisition.

Harrenys Targaryen · Priority of factors in language acquisition.

These can include such components as vocabulary, idioms, and pronunciation, but for our purposes, let's postulate four main factors: listening comprehension, reading, writing, and speaking.

When you decide to study a new language, how do you go about doing so, i.e. how does your skill in each of the four categories progress? Do you concentrate on one field at a time, or do you try to work on them all simultaneously?

*TESTIMONY ALERT*

I know that with German, my first foreign language, my teachers took a holistic approach and tended to include every element in one class period/sitting. This tactic did not work for me, as I came to acknowledge about halfway through high school, and so I developed my own method independently.

Basically, I spent a prolonged amount of time - usually a season, or three months - studying writing and reading, and then spent a period of similar length focusing on listening and speaking. I rarely needed to mix and match between these pairs, since I already knew the basics of pronunciation. My overall understanding of the German language widened substantially, and I found myself able to handle prolonged essays, speeches, and exchanges. I even managed to score the highest mark on the Advanced Placement examination.

So I was pretty amazed with the strategy that I had devised, but forgot to apply it to my next language. I had worked with the sampler 22-lesson Rosetta Stone package for Danish during the second half of Grade 12, though I did not begin formal study until after graduation. For those of you unfamiliar with the Rosetta Stone program, it functions in the same manner as my German teachers taught. The audio aspect, with its glottal stops and d's-and-t's-that-sound-as-if-they-were-l's, eventually proved frustrating and prompted me to mute my speakers as I scrutinized the screen and typed the words and sentences that I had seen. By the 20th lesson, I was studying only reading and writing.

My formal study of the Danish language began soon after, with a grammar book and a (pronunciation guide-bereft) dictionary, in other words, with emphasis on how to write and read the language. I recorded the important aspects in my notebook and finished by the end of the summer. Then I spent a semester at a university for the rest of the year and did not resume studies until two months after I returned home, i.e. late February 2006. This time, I practiced how to speak and listen accurately. By spring's end, my previous annoyance with the pronunciation had subsided, and I was now at an intermediate level of ability. (Keep in mind that I had studied Danish for one year and German for four.)

This post is becoming rather protracted, so I'll just mention what happened with my next language, Dutch: I initially used the "Hugo Three Months" course with cassettes to gain a comprehensive understanding, but shrank back when I was confronted with the trilled "r" and the g-as-ch sound, set aside my headphones, and did the lessons to gain just writing and reading knowledge. I have since maneuvered through the majority of two "Teach Yourself Dutch" books, both times without any audio equipment.

Tiffany

This thread seems so lonely! Ok, I'll bite.

When I began Italian, my first and foremost concern was pronunciation and intonation. I had some inane idea in my head that if I could pronounce every word in Italian, with the correct rhythm, I could fool others into think I was a native speaker.

Of course, I now realize this is hard to do with the vocabulary of a two year old and nevermind the fact that I am visibly NOT ethnically Italian.

So now that my accent is flawless (I can fool people into thinking I speak perfect Italian as long as I stick to exclamations and the hi how are you greetings), I decided that my vocabulary and grammar were in dire need. I am doing these simultaneoulsy along with listening comprehension. I can understand 95% of Beauty and the Beast. Yes, I know the movie was made for kids, but I think the kids they had in mind are older than two, so it is an achievement for me.

I am reading a great book by Berlitz about Italian grammar and I pick up a ton of new vocab by both watching movies, and reading Italian books (I have Harry Potter in Italian). I also listen to popular Italian songs over the internet on occasion (Viva RadioItalia!).

Strangely, I never had any problems with reading comprehension, beyond just not knowing the vocabulary. I both write and speak in a somewhat "English" way, as my sentences can sometimes sound like direct translations (BAD). I am working on this.

It's great that you were able to used a method like Rosetta Stone, but I absolutely abhor those methods. I prefer interaction. Speaking of which, I am meeting my Italian conversation group tomorrow. Unfortunately, they are the only ones that are convinced I speak Italian like a native... since my pronunciation is flawless and they can't understand me most of the time. You start to get that fishy feeling when right after you say your age and that your interest in Italian stemmed from marrying an Italian man, they ask those same questions in English...

Boh (Exclamation in Italian meaning I don't know/I don't get it). Beggars can't be choosers.

Harrenys Targaryen

Pauline

Harrenys Targaryen