Week thirteen – twenty-first post

The week's success?

Using the combined techniques laid out two posts prior, I have memorised 50 big phrases/ sentences. To what end? The purpose is not to just be able to recite phrases, but rather allow the brain time to go over work and 'chew' it's way through language. This process renders the memorised language as less tricky and the brain actually glanced over it in the real world with little effort.

Examples?

Sure, the first is “don't test me” which is “no me pogas a prueba”. Before memorisation, this phrase wasn't connected and although I know all the words, the unity of the phrase means I can predict the meaning if I only see part of the expression. The brain requires less time to translate :)

The second is “I did what I had to do” which is “hice lo que tenia que hecer”. Since learning this phrase I have seen it and smiled in 3 different movies (namely Pandorum, Law-abiding citizen and Pirates of the Caribbean 3). The brain connects meaning with large portions of words meaning the more you learn,the easier it should become and the more accurate and native you should be.

Better defining techniques of mnemonics

Technique number 1 (the house) is known and we have spoken of it to death.

Technique number 2 (number association) should be expanded upon. 1 – we can associate numbers with rhyming words (two with shoe), 2 – we can associate numbers with how they look ( 2 can look like a swan's neck and head), 3 – we can associate numbers with personal memories (on your 21^st birthday you typically receive a key, therefore 21 is associated with that key)

moreover, double digits can be approached systematically. 23 = 2+3 (shoe and tree) therefore imagining a tree with shoes as its fruit. Easy.

Technique number 3 (Letters to phrases) has, until now, been reserved as a means of ensuring accuracy with large sections of language (T ake a C ool C at and a L ittle Q uiet D og and P lace their P aws on a H and R ail = T en C uidado C on L o Q ue D eseas P orque P eude H acerse R ealidad, which is “Be careful what you wish for as it may come true”) truly a good mnemonic

Expanding the schema theory

A recent study showed how children have number of realisations about language and how it functions. This support the schema theory as it shows that children need to create the schema for language (meta-schema) step by step. As it happens to developing minds and not with developed minds, it suggests that there are a finite amount of realisations to make to attain a decent language ability.

How about we divided meta-schema into two further partitions

1 – general (the schema attached to languages and language learning in general)

2 – specific (the schema attached to the specific language and culture of the child/person)

saying this and defining that there are a limited number of realisations to be had, surely its logical that teachers of language should know these realisations, but more importantly they should teach or at least discuss the with learners...

Next week

if it ain't broke, don't fix it

Another 50 phrases

The cognition observation – twentieth post

One of the basic ideas of a good learner is the concept of being comfortable with paradox. If you have a set of rules, but most of the items that should follow those rules are actually exceptions, how long would it take you to get angry and loose your mind. For most learners, not long as this is what happens to learners who attempt a language such as English.

Language has a large body of information which is perhaps one of the most complex in the world.

All language is highly complex and multi-layered and requires many hours of studying, and still you aren't guaranteed to be proficient.

Learners who have had experience with large, complex bodies of information (such as university graduates) usually have a very systematic approach to learning which doesn't require them to master the subject in early days, hence approach language in the same way.

Schema

Schema is basically how we view the world. If a person has a good understanding of the world, it is because their schema is flexible. Confused people, or the like, don't have the appropriate schema, that is their understanding of the world cannot process certain information.

In language learning, and in life, it is important to have a strong, flexible encompassing schema.

Could cognition be directly related to the establishing and revisiting of schema?

Age doesn't always mean you get smarter. Chess masters and Specialists like doctors have been found to have bad memory and trouble learning in areas outside their expertise (schema theory supports this) this suggests that their schema related to their specialism is very good, but limited. Their cognition would have probably spiked when they were studying, but once their schema was established and they stopped learning and started repeating/ using their knowledge, I'll wager that their cognition dropped. The more you repeat something, the less you need to concentrate to achieve success. Like riding a bike.

Memory doesn't equal cognition.

Dividing schema

How you understand life is a much bigger network of ideas compared to how you understand cooking French cuisine. It is possible for us to define two things:

1 – Macro-schema: how you understand life and other philosophical debates

2 – Micro-schema: how you do an action, such as cook, drive a car, etc.

A person who has a weak understanding of life, or one which has been conditioned into them, will defend it. A person comfortable with their macro-schema will be comfortable with change. To themselves and their environment.

This leads to the idea that if a learner has a willingness to change things/ allow you to help change, it suggests a flexible & strong macro-schema It also suggests internal motivation. Perhaps we could directly connect internal motivation to strong, flexible macro-schema

In language studies we teach words to describe language (verbs,nouns, progressive tenses, etc.) which we call 'metalanguage'. It merits mentioning that the understanding of how language functions and how it is understood is also valuable to the learner. The schema governing language is seldom examined in a classroom and it makes sense that it could benefit learners as much as metalanguage. Therefore, schema concerning language could be called 'meta-schema'.

In conclusion, a simple test to establish whether a learner is comfortable with paradox will tell whether that learner has a flexible macro-schema meaning the micro-schema can be established and modified easily. This 'paradox test' could eliminate learners who are going to waste time defining a micro-schema when they need to put more time into their macro-schema

Once again, this shows that not only would adults benefit more from learning a language, but they are also in a better position to learn the language as they have better established schema than children.

Take a glance at this informal study and see you can connect this blog post to the conclusions drawn from this study. 

	SPEAK ONE LANGUAGE	SPEAK TWO+ LANGUAGES
Basic stats	Middle of the road Live in North America  Suburban	Liberal Live in Europe or Africa  Urban
Aesthetics	Haven’t spent more than $150 on a pair of jeans Classic Prefer prints, drawings, and photos	Wear cufflinks more often Trendy Prefer contemporary art Consider themselves fashion blessed
Media	Loved Napoleon Dynamite Most often read magazines and fiction Read for pleasure	Napoleon who? Most often read blogs Read for news and information Dislike reality TV
Technology	Don’t want an iPhone Prefer desktop computers Play more computer games Have cable or satellite TV  Prefer a TV bigger than 42”	Early adopters Prefer laptop computers Backup their computers more often Use the Internet for TV Prefer a TV smaller than 42”
Education	Have a high school diploma or Associate’s degree Can’t read music Didn’t take calculus Learn best by watching	Have a graduate degree below a PhD Took calculus Learned to read at a younger age More likely to believe higher education is a right Like working with numbers Learn best by reading
Food	Broo-SHE-tta Enjoy mild food Eat fast food Order food that’s tried and true	Broo-SKE-tta Enjoy spicy food Prefer their food slow Try new foods Know how to make more cocktails
It’s political	Guns should be legal for self-defense Prostitution should be illegal for purchaser and seller Drug arrest sentencing should focus on rehab 420 = No, thanks Voted in country’s last election Have been jailed It’s okay for police to demand identity papers	Gay marriage should be legal All guns should be illegal Prostitution should be legal Drug arrest sentencing shouldn’t be a priority 420 = Huh? Have attended a political protest It’s not okay for police to demand someone’s identity papers
Life experiences	Haven’t been in a relationship with someone who doesn’t speak their native language Haven’t traveled outside native country Haven’t called someone in a foreign country in the last year Studied Spanish as their foreign language in high school Have not dated someone of a different race	Started learning second language before the age of 12 Have visited more than five countries Studied French or English as their foreign language in high school Have dated someone of another race

The twelfth week, the second issue – nineteenth post

Weeks progress?

None. No studying was done whatsoever. This means 2 weeks of no active studying. One week is understandable, but two? Time to acknowledge that I have encountered my second issue.

So no Spanish at all?

Well, I watched movies which had subtitles and read an article or two. However I said I did no active studying and I have defined these as passive. I did go to Uruguay for a day, just to renew my visa, and had many opportunities to speak Spanish. Needless to say I was very comfortable when speaking, I understood most of what was said and could predict the rest from context. But I feel that this wasn't a true challenge as it was all touristy language and none of it required me to use tenses or push boundaries. Even though I was producing the language, I felt it was more like revision than anything else.

This seems to suggest that you could be a very comfortable functioning tourist very quickly.

The second problem

The question seems to be “where do we go from here?”. The memory techniques I have used have been highly successful thus far. The understanding of the language which I teach to students raises their awareness and level of the language. However, I have thought myself to be at too low a level to really utilise this approach. This seems to be untrue right now.

Solution number 1

The two main groups of collocations are lexical and grammatical. Recently my learners and I have modified these models and said that instead of making lists which are too long, it might be better to create smaller, more functional groups of these collocations.. As a result, there are further things to define.

Lexical collocations: typically strong meaning tied strongly to a situation. Such as “have a coffee” which is a specific collocation meaning “to drink”. Thus, it is heavily attached to this theme/ topic of food/drink. “have a soda”, “have a beer”, etc. Typically specific meaning and strong ties to a situation.

Grammatical collocations: Although meaning here is also strong, there is no strong tie to any one topic, but rather the flexibility to adapt to any topic, i.e. “not only.....but also......”. The meaning is adding information but also adding emphasis as well. “not only do I like fish, but I also enjoy chicken”. This collocation could be modified to fit any topic. i.e. “ not only do gym regularly, but I also eat right and take vitamins.”. Strong meaning but flexible to any topic.

Solution number 2

Using multiple mnemonics, I will attempt to create a large reference base of accurate popular language in my head.

Combining the “memory mansion”/”Roman room” technique, along with two more, the plan is to be able to fit 300 plus items in each house.

The number association technique allows you to memorise numbers by connecting them with a picture. Two = shoe, eight = gate. Anything that sounds similar can be used.

The abbreviation technique is something more common (perhaps not the typical name, but it is easy to understand). Basically the way to remember large lists of words. “Dancing really takes it out of me” - taking the initial letter and changing it to a strange story - “dogs run toward igloos on one mano” (yes,I combined English and Spanish mano=hand) but the sentence is extremely visual, provides you with an accurate word count and the beginning letter of each word. Attach a meaning (in this case: to express tiredness) and imagine it with your visual sentence (the dogs are tired after running).

Not only this, but if you imagine 10 numbers at each location of your memory mansion, such as 1-10 at your front door, change the numbers for pictures/ images, you are able to connect your visual sentence to the visual 'button' in your memory mansion.

Example?

Number one = sounds similar to 'sun', see a sun at your front door, push it like a button to connect your memory of dogs running to igloos on one mano in the sun (number 1). after running the dogs are tired. Dogs Run To Igloos On One Mano = Dancing Really Takes It Out Of Me. Once you are comfortable, your brain will realise the obvious ways to manipulate the sentence, such as changing dancing for any other verb + ing or an activity. Changing the object from 'me' to 'you'/'he'/etc.

“Studying really takes it out of most people”

The plan.

I will attempt 10 phrases/ sentences per day. Each week totalling 50. More if I'm able, less if I'm busy. But at least there is a plan which I am confident about.

Seems I have graduated from one word memories and tourist language to more native constructions, a bold claim indeed, lets see if I can back it up.

the eleventh week – eighteenth post

Muscles:

When you train a muscle, you make it perform a task, such as lifting something heavy, and give it a rest period to repair itself. The brain is also a muscle and this suggests that downtime is needed.

I have been high and low with regards to my motivation and therefore to the amount of studying done. This idea of rest period is an excuse, true. But consider this: without much practice and much passive study and almost no chance to speak Spanish (I get paid to speak English with people), I feel that a large portion of incoming language is understood. I cant verbalise all the small times I smile due to the occurrence of something random happening and people using the language...and I know what they have just said :)

Re-arranging

This makes me think that I could rearrange the schedule of study to reflect this.

Step 1: 2 months to establish a reference bank

Step 2: 2 months to expand knowledge in things such as functional expressions and more advanced grammar

Step 3: 2 months drowning yourself in as much spoken language as possible. Videos, friends, etc.

Anyway, here is the late video (sorry, it slipped my mind last week. Oops)

till next week

The tenth week, Expanding - Seventeenth post

To report?

Needless to say that this week saw me figuring out where to go next. And I think I have it.

1 – from authentic sources (which at this level are mainly written until I get a TV), noticing unknown language a memorising it. Not too much, perhaps 10 words from a 40 minute episode of something. Also, noticing verb conjugations. Starting to put the subjunctive verb formations in the old noggin is a good idea. Time to expand.

2 – Communicative Functional language, basically just huge chunks of useful language. Including, but not limited to, expressing concerns, requesting information, agreeing & disagreeing, etc.

I found a nice adaptation of Mary Finocchiaro’s functional categories which you can peruse here

Getting a native's input is invaluable in this part. But this language should sky-rocket spoken understanding.

3 – Increasing the range of authentic sources. So far I have been using comics, movies and native speakers. Newspapers should add another level. Also some Argentine websites could add a nice variety of register (formal & informal language)

4 – Expanding the memory technique to incorporate another mnemonic: first letter mnemonics. A crude example is the a phrase like “HADES” where each letter represents a words to be remembered, i.e. Hago, Algo, Deseo, Estudia, Sucia.

Now apply it to a phrase and reverse engineer it. i.e. tengo noticias que seran duras de escuchar (I have news which will be difficult to listen to) TEN NO Q SER DUR DE ES or TNQSDDE. Now a memory Thor Never Quits Slapping Dirty Dogs Ever.

Combining this technique with the memory mansion is perhaps a convoluted way around, but the more connections to a memory make it stronger. It makes it easier to recall larger items

Cultural Relativity

I have mentioned cultural relativity previously. I would like to add how Kaplan's models of contrastive rhetoric are the prime example of this. 

Scroll down a little till you reach the illustrations. Nevertheless, wikipedia sums it up quit nicely.

Till next post

Dividing the obvious – Sixteenth post

Resources vs Materials

As you know, I have been learning without the aid of a teacher and relying on media and friends here. I realised that as a learner, 2 things are required

1 – Resources: lists of words and phrases (like phrase books) but as you learn more, you require more of a variety of functional language. Things preped for memorisation. This would benefit the learner considerably

2 – Materials: defined as contextualised langauge anywhere you can get it, books, comics, movies, etc. The point here is to see the language you have memorised and consolidate it with natural and authentic contexts.

There is indeed a lack of the former.

With regards to perception of development, I am coming to a point where I need not memorise lists of words or phrases, instead consider this:

The creation of a reference bank of L2 knowledge (that is vocab and grammar of your desired language) needs translation. More accurately, it needs a cognitive link. The word “mug”/”cup” conjures up a mental image. The memorisation of the name in another language is supposed to be linked to the image, not the word the mother tongue. Therefore, the reference bank is comprised of approximately 1000 words (according to what I have done) before a large portion of language input is known.

Now, I find myself creating lists of chunks of language taken from materials. Not needing translation as the phrase is attached (much like the single phrases) to a context/ situation. Word for word translations no longer have value and the phrases which are memorised are natural.

Eg. “cuida tus modales” translates as “be careful of your manners”. However, in English it is much more natural to say “mind your manners”. Needless to say the translation in Spanish doesn't fit. However, the situation is exactly the same, a warning to someone that they are beginning to rub you the wrong way. Memory is the same, expression of the memory differs according to the language.

Although I am at a point where I have memorised (more or less) an approximate amount of items for a reference bank, I still need to continue doing this. Just less than before. As the natural phrases come into play, with no translation needed, I feel that I should attempt to revise and strengthen th existing memories (1000 items). More specifically, the ones which are less frequent and therefore have less cognitive links and more difficult to remember.

The ninth week, coming together – fifteenth post

The week's gains

Well, this week was pretty crazy here. Not going to bore people with details but will just say that very little active study was done. Perhaps only 20 words out of the proposed 60 were memorised.

Not a train smash as I have having lightening strikes all week.

What lightening

The theory which was put forward at the beginning of all of this was a very simple one: memorise enough words and the natural mechanisms of the brain will do their magic, its just a matter of being aware of what's happening. More and more this seems to be the case.

The idea of a reference bank of vocabulary in the mind is a stagnant idea. One dimensional. Its too simple. However, take the same idea and add growth and depth and it becomes a saving grace.

Allow me to elaborate.

The brain is introduced to a new item (lexical, grammatical, prepositional, situational and cultural collocations). The brain attaches one cognitive link to this idea. As time passes and the brain incurs more information, more links are established as the brain takes the memory and connects it to the new information. The new information could modify the memory in some way (a correction/ variation) or just add another situation in which to use it.

Two examples:

1) English: a student learns the word “light”, attaches the meaning of a source of bright energy which we use in everyday life to function at night – light bulb. This is a one dimensional memory, perhaps only one link. Every time the learner encounters a light, his memory sparks. Every time he reads something with the word light, his memory sparks. Now he encounters a new piece of information, light: the opposite of heavy. Memory is now stronger and has an added dimension. Meaning the individual is more likely to remember and therefore produce the item. Maybe the learner encounters the expression “the lights are on but nobodies home”. Now the memory has several links, pronunciation comes into play, appropriateness, etc.

2) Spanish: I learnt an expression “no te vayas por las ramas”. Basic translation is to stay on topic, don't go off the point. Single dimension memory. Memorised it, practised it, etc. I understood that “ramas” was branches, but I didn't know what “vayas” was, especially since I have never seen the written form, only heard the spoken form. It sounds like “bashes” hence my memory made this connection (modifying the meaning to be more similar to beat about the bush, which isn't accurate and I knew it but decided I would worry about it later). Yesterday I was walking down the street and saw a woman washing her car and keeping an eye on her toddler. The toddler started running away from his mom, to which she shouted “no te vayas!”. Memory modified with another context and now the expression has a more accurate meaning. “No te vayas” is saying “don't go running off/ don't go off” therefore the original expression has more of a meaning of “don't go off on a tangent, stay on the topic”. A memory with at least 3 dimensions and 2 situations.

Thanks to this understanding, another thing I should mention is that it is becoming increasingly easier to read and understand Spanish in the written form (subtitles, comics, emails, texts, books, etc.) The cognitive association which happens on a daily basis gains momentum and grows exponentially.

I think its also fair to comment here on bilingualism. People worrying about kids growing up confused because they don't know which language to use, people worried that they aren't gifted with languages and therefore would waste their time studying one, the level that one needs to be at to be considered bilingual. 

If you come at this from a cognitive point of view, it benefits you in every way by engaging cognition. And as long as the person is communicatively competent, it is sufficient. No mystery. 

I feel very confident about my goals and meeting the deadlines.

Same weekly plan this week, more active and passive study.