What experiences do you have with languages?
I studied French from a young age and continued with the language. I also travelled to France for a summer in college to strengthen my French language skills. Living in three different countries have also allowed me to learn a new language from each move.
How has your ESL experience influenced your life?
I know first-hand the challenges of learning a new language, having been a language learner all my life. I have been both an ESL student and later, a teacher.
And the benefits?
There are tremendous benefits to being multi-lingual. Being able to communicate almost anywhere and with almost anyone is incredibly valuable. It is beyond words to feel the amazing sense of accomplishment when you are able to watch a movie in a foreign language and understand it in its entirety.
What extra activities can students do to help learn English outside of their ESL course?
To become fluent, have a lot of conversations with speakers of the language you are trying to learn. There are online communities dedicated for people to meet on Skype or other online platforms to exchange language practice. For example, if your native language is French and you want to learn English, find an English speaker within these online communities who would like to learn your language too. You and your practice partner would split the time talking to each other in the language you are learning. By doing this, both people get to practice and coach.
Watching movies or TV shows spoken in English with subtitles in your native language is another way to help you pick up on common phrases and words – and to see them used in context.
Does learning a new language get easier?
I’ve found that the more languages you can learn, it gets easier and faster. After learning one language, you will have gained a lot of context and experience to ease the process. If you already know two languages, the third is likely that much easier to learn. It is good practice to keep setting new goals after you've reached your old ones in order to keep moving forward and expanding your horizons.
Learn English | Have Questions About ESL Courses?
