Archive for the ‘Languages’ Category
To pinpoint effective learning strategies to guide their lesson plans, educators must first determine their learning objectives. They must also create lesson plans that engage various learning styles by combining visual, auditory and tactile methods of relaying information.
Teachers must also vary their projects, assignments and types of assessments. This practice will give their students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge individually, in small groups, as a class or with partners.
Individually
Provide opportunities for students to learn independently by making reading assignments, by requiring them to select their own works to read or by asking questions that they must complete.
You can also have them research and analyze a topic, and then create questions that they must answer or brainstorm a list of questions based on their prior knowledge of a given topic.
Partners
Working with partners allows students to explore concepts together, and then help each other fill in the gaps in their own knowledge. Partners can work through problems together, analyze situations or ideas, role-play or teach each other assigned topics.
Small Groups
Small group assignments create a learning environment where natural leaders can shine and other group members can learn by example. Small groups often spark great debates that help students see ideas and concepts in new ways.
They also create effective self-awareness because students are forced to solidify their own ideas before presenting them to the group.
To ensure that each member contributes and stays on task and engaged, assign a different role to each person and utilize concepts like literature circles where roles constantly switch and each person is responsible for gathering feedback. Read the rest of this entry »
Learning English as a Turkish speaker is much easier than you might expect. Turkey has many options for students, young or old, seeking classes and tutors in the English language.
Immersing yourself in English will speed up your learning process. Watching television, listening to music and surfing the Internet are the best ways to take practical steps to getting your own education while taking classes and practicing with a native English speaker one-on-one.
1. Find a Class
Ask friends currently in English classes where they attend and how their experience has been so far.
Speak with them about what they enjoy most about the classes and what their challenges are. Find out if any native English speakers teach at their schools.
Research schools, class size, cost and the availability to hear native English speakers. Make a list of your findings. Be sure to include Kent English in Kadikoy and a trip up and down Istiklal Caddesi when searching for your school.
Choose the school that offers a challenge, support and good value. Inquire about payment options and get your class schedule worked out.
2. Hire a Tutor
Invest in your education by hiring a private tutor who is a native English speaker. Many private tutors can be found at Bogazici University, where many American and British students attend school. A good tutor charges 15 to 45 lira per hour. Read the rest of this entry »
Turkey straddles two continents, beginning in Europe and reaching into western Asia.
Its culture also takes from both east and west, with European and Middle Eastern influences touching everything from its people to the cuisine.
The Turkish language is spoken not just by people native to Turkey, but those who have left and made their lives elsewhere as well.
Learning to speak Turkish is not an easy undertaking, but with dedication, patience and the right tools, it is most definitely possible.
1. Purchase a Turkish-English dictionary or seek one out online, and make flashcards of common words to begin building a vocabulary.
Focus on words needed to get by on a day-to-day basis, such as ones involving food, directions and the names of everyday objects.
Create flashcards with the English-language term on one side and the Turkish word on the other and use them in memorization practice to build up a sizable Turkish vocabulary.
2. Build up to memorizing and understanding basic Turkish phrases by using a language dictionary and other workbooks. Purchase a basic Turkish language workbook and study and memorize basic sentences, paying attention to the new grammar rules and the placement of verbs, nouns and adjectives.
Experiment with replacing some words in the sentences with others to facilitate being able to converse about a variety of topics. Practice writing basic sentences as well, to aid in memorization and provide a deeper understanding of the language.
3. Work with a computer Turkish language teaching program to learn more words and to hear how the language is spoken. Learning Turkish through digital means through a computer program will provide a chance to hear the Turkish language being spoken by a native or highly competent speaker, exposing the learner to correct pronunciation and speech patterns.
At the same time, the program should further the learning of new words, phrases and grammar points. Read the rest of this entry »
Turkey — the land of belly-dancers, water-pipes and steam-baths — geographically spans both Europe and Asia. Learning to speak the Turkish language is very different from studying Indo-European languages: Verbs come at the end of sentences, there is no gender, and there are eight vowels.
The Turkish language originated in Central Asia with nomadic people who sprinkled it with some words of Arabic, Persian and European languages they picked up along the way.
Turkish is spoken from the hinterland of Western China to the borders of Greece. Learning Turkish is best done by combining the components of reading, writing, speaking and listening in your study program. Writing in Turkish requires using modified Roman orthography.
1. Head off to a remote village in rural Turkey where nobody speaks English. Immerse yourself in the language and the culture. This is the best way to learn a language as you don’t have any choice but to study if you want to communicate with people.
Take study materials, like a vocabulary book and downloads you can listen to on your MP3 player.
2. Enroll in a Turkish class at the university or a Turkish cultural center if living overseas isn’t an option. Sign up for the class and start working on the provided materials as recommended.
3. Set up a program of study for at least an hour a day. Include the essential components of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Mark “Turkish study” in your diary, so you have to mark it off each day. Read the rest of this entry »
Learning another language can be difficult, but absolutely rewarding. Turkish is an extremely dynamic language and a difficult one to learn. The best way to become acquainted with the Turkish language is by interacting with a Turkish association or community.
1. Find the right medium. There are many ways to learn the Turkish language, this can include from books, audio tapes, classes and Internet seminars. Take into consideration the medium you best learn from and one that will fit the time restraints you have.
2. Understand the Turkish culture. Studying the culture you are learning the language from can help you understand the formation of the words and how they are pronounced.
One of the ways to do this is by attending an event hosted by the Turkish Studies Association. This includes the annual pre-conference in Turkish and Turkic Studies, held during the MESA conference.
3. Use the words and word formations of the Turkish language everyday as you learn it. It is important to speak a foreign language every day in order to get the fluidity of it down and make it sound natural on your palette.
Speak the language, even if you are speaking it to other people who do not understand it. The point is to practice the sounds and words. Read the rest of this entry »
Learning English can be difficult for non-native speakers because of the complexity of sounds involved and the variety of idioms.
Many English classes emphasize writing, but it is also important to practice spoken English so as to be sure you can make yourself understood.
Thankfully there are many spoken English resources to help you on your journey to speaking clear, idiomatic English which will not only improve your speech, but your confidence too.
Phonetics
Peter Ladefoged from the University of California prepared pronunciations of all of the vowel and consonant symbols on the basic International Phonetic Association chart. His work has the sounds of vowels and consonants, vowel contrasts, intonation examples and many other useful phonetic resources.
Idioms
Spoken English Online offers a list of popular idioms used in the English language. It also contains a list of links to some other helpful websites that provide idiom usages and meanings. Another great idiom resource for American phrases is English Daily. It provides a context in which each idiom can be used, to further help explain its meaning.
Daily Expressions
English Pond lists a range of important phrases and expressions that are used in normal daily conversation. It provides written text examples as well as an mp3 audio which you can listen to, to hear how the sentences should be used.
English Variations
A resource developed by the University of Edinburgh contains a comprehensive list of English accents from around the world. It allows you to hear and compare pronunciation of the same words from different regions.
The University of Washington’s website has a page showing the variations of vowel sounds of American English and British English. It contrasts both sets of vowels in a quadrilateral that indicates where the tongue should be positioned to articulate the correct sound. Read the rest of this entry »