#fluency

[dreamdolldeveloper]

back to basics

mostly free resources to help you learn the basics that i've gathered for myself so far that i think are cool

everyday

gcfglobal - about the internet, online safety and for kids, life skills like applying for jobs, career planning, resume writing, online learning, today's skills like 3d printing, photoshop, smartphone basics, microsoft office apps, and mac friendly. they have core skills like reading, math, science, language learning - some topics are sparse so hopefully they keep adding things on. great site to start off on learning.

handsonbanking - learn about finances. after highschool, credit, banking, investing, money management, debt, goal setting, loans, cars, small businesses, military, insurance, retirement, etc.

bbc - learning for all ages. primary to adult. arts, history, science, math, reading, english, french, all the way to functional and vocational skills for adults as well, great site!

education.ket - workplace essential skills

general education

mathsgenie - GCSE revision, grade 1-9, math stages 1-14, provides more resources! completely free.

khan academy - pre-k to college, life skills, test prep (sats, mcat, etc), get ready courses, AP, partner courses like NASA, etc. so much more!

aleks - k-12 + higher ed learning program. adapts to each student.

biology4kids - learn biology

cosmos4kids - learn astronomy basics

chem4kids - learn chemistry

physics4kids - learn physics

numbernut - math basics (arithmetic, fractions and decimals, roots and exponents, prealgebra)

education.ket - primary to adult. includes highschool equivalent test prep, the core skills. they have a free resource library and they sell workbooks. they have one on work-life essentials (high demand career sectors + soft skills)

youtube channels

the organic chemistry tutor

khanacademy

crashcourse

tabletclassmath

2minmaths

kevinmathscience

professor leonard

greenemath

mathantics

3blue1brown

literacy

readworks - reading comprehension, build background knowledge, grow your vocabulary, strengthen strategic reading

chompchomp - grammar knowledge

tutors

not the "free resource" part of this post but sometimes we forget we can be tutored especially as an adult. just because we don't have formal education does not mean we can't get 1:1 teaching! please do you research and don't be afraid to try out different tutors. and remember you're not dumb just because someone's teaching style doesn't match up with your learning style.

cambridge coaching - medical school, mba and business, law school, graduate, college academics, high school and college process, middle school and high school admissions

preply - language tutoring. affordable!

revolutionprep - math, science, english, history, computer science (ap, html/css, java, python c++), foreign languages (german, korean, french, italian, spanish, japanese, chinese, esl)

varsity tutors - k-5 subjects, ap, test prep, languages, math, science & engineering, coding, homeschool, college essays, essay editing, etc

chegg - biology, business, engineering/computer science, math, homework help, textbook support, rent and buying books

learn to be - k-12 subjects

for languages

lingq - app. created by steve kaufmann, a polygot (fluent in 20+ languages) an amazing language learning platform that compiles content in 20+ languages like podcasts, graded readers, story times, vlogs, radio, books, the feature to put in your own books! immersion, comprehensible input.

flexiclasses - option to study abroad, resources to learn, mandarin, cantonese, japanese, vietnamese, korean, italian, russian, taiwanese hokkien, shanghainese.

fluentin3months - bootcamp, consultation available, languages: spanish, french, korean, german, chinese, japanese, russian, italian.

fluenz - spanish immersion both online and in person - intensive.

pimsleur - not tutoring** online learning using apps and their method. up to 50 languages, free trial available.

incase time has passed since i last posted this, check on the original post (not the reblogs) to see if i updated link or added new resources. i think i want to add laguage resources at some point too but until then, happy learning!!

[charlescomposts]

That moment when you can feel the fluency coming but it’s juuuuust a step ahead and you have yet to figure out how to run up and make the jump

[ramblingsfromthytruly]

language acquisition goals in this lifetime~

languages i already know:

odia (my mother tongue - but i can only speak in it)

hindi (no longer study in school but i can speak, write, etc BUT i am not very good)

english (probably my best language though it's my third lol)

languages i want to learn (in order of learning):

french (it's been a few months of learning but i can't put in much time because i'm a full time student)

spanish

isl (indian sign language)

italian

asl (american sign language)

german

bsl (british sign language)

greek

hindi (i want to re-learn to expertise, it'll be easy since i already know the basics and much more)

odia (though i'm excellent at speaking i also want to learn to read & write since it is my family's language)

japanese (not sure if i actually will, if when the time comes i'll see)

old english

ancient greek (it'll be easier since i would've already learnt greek by this time)

latin (yes i'm aware that this and the two before aren't spoken anymore but i still want to learn them very much)

[elrohirtheneurodivergent]

Just had a thought about fluency in language learning:

I think one of the telltale signs that you're fluent in a language is, if you watch a video or listen to a podcast and you understand everything, but you don't remember, if it was in your target language or not

[waterviolite]

Languages

[postorbital]

They'd never managed to form a common language with the aliens, so the chief diplomat relied heavily on puppeteers and musicians.

[vfdinthewild]

"Honestly she probably has a verbal fluency distort herself and this is one of the methods to help smooth speech."

-from a comment on the Ask A Manager post "how do I deal with a painfully slow talker?"

[wanderinghedgehog]

I love where you’re learning a language and a sentence pops into your mind in the language you’re learning instead of your first language. It’s like teaser fluency. Your brain is like “If you think this is cool, just wait until you can conjugate verbs with any efficiency.”

[thesubtleartofenglish]

English needs no introduction at this point. This language is understandable to a wide range of individuals from different nations, whether or not it is innate. It is undeniable that those who are exposed to this language in their early years will continue to speak it at their highest fluency levels as they become older and will also likely acquire higher competence levels because of their early exposure. But the question is, what distinguishes individuals who acquired fluency in English from those who did not? Thinking back on my English-speaking cousins has inspired me to research the variations in English language skills among people, hence my decision to delve into the underlying aspects of this topic.

As soon as I started noticing two of my cousins, I developed an interest in learning more about the variations in English proficiency. Although they come from different backgrounds—my parents' sides—both of them can speak this language fluently, to the point where they can converse with native speakers. I could even go as far as to say that they are comparatively on par with native speakers. One of them, Sean Colbie, 14, has been speaking English since nursery, and his continuous exposure to different English cartoons during his early years helped him significantly develop. Her mother found out that his son has a strong fondness for watching Cartoon Network at the age of six. This became apparent when he was in first grade, and from then on he became even more committed to watching foreign shows. “Mga around Grade 1, lagi lagi na siyang nanunuod ng mga cartoons. Mostly in English. Sinusubaybayan niya almost every day yung channel na Cartoon Network, dahil ‘dun na-adapt niya yung mga dialogues na naririnig niya sa mga shows na napapanuod niya sa T.V. (Around Grade 1, he always watched cartoons. Mostly in English. He follows the Cartoon Network channel almost every day, and that's where he adapted the dialogues he hears in the shows he watches on T.V.).”

 Moreover, Sean’s fondness for speaking in English was further strengthened and reinforced the moment he was introduced to his phone, which he often uses to access YouTube and Facebook, among other media platforms. In that regard, watching videos that are hosted by English native speakers has become his pleasure, which has helped him develop toward fluency in the language. There is no denying that media consumption can significantly contribute to one’s communicative progress. Research on how media intake affects English competence is still under progress, yet some studies point to certain advantages. For example, a study discovered that using social media in English can improve learners' proficiency in the language since it offers interactive content, visual components, and communication and learning opportunities. Another study indicated that social media usage positively affects learners' understanding of English as much as it enhances their comprehension of the language and may help them become more proficient in vocabulary, listening, and general language usage. While it may seem like a pivotal contributor to one’s proficiency in English, I don’t intend to digress.

After all, Sean’s ability to speak English has greatly benefited from the impact of YouTubers like PewDiePie, Markiplier, and Matthew Patrick of The Game Theorists. These media personalities encouraged him to speak English more frequently until he was able to do so fluently. “Sa dami ng napapanuod niya sa YouTube and Facebook, naging natural na lang sa kanya ‘yung pagsasalita in English, almost to the point na hindi na siya nagta-Tagalog. It’s never been an issue for us though. Proud naman kami na natutunan niya ‘yung English mostly by himself (With the amount of time he has been watching on YouTube and Facebook, speaking in English has become natural to him, almost to the point that he no longer speaks Tagalog. It's never been an issue for us though. We are proud that he learned English mostly by himself).”

The same can be observed with my 12-year-old cousin, Eumi, who's on my father’s side. But instead of acquiring the language naturally, she was intentionally taught by her mother on a regular basis, which is how she acquired fluency in English at such a young age. “Actually akala ko namana niya yung ganoong skill niya sa papa niya. It was until I remembered na ako pala nagturo sa kanya na mag Ingles. Even before bago siya maging talkative, talagang tinarget ko si Eumi na matuto mag-English. English mode yan kaming dalawa every time na magba-bonding kami. Kahit si Vince, nire-remind ko talaga na mag-English ‘pag kakausapin si Eumi. Mandatory datingan, ganun. Tipong makaka-encounter lang kami ng words sa bahay, actually anywhere, mapa-phone, T.V., posters, sa malls, pinapabigkas ko ‘yan kay Eumi. As much as possible, ine-encourage ko siya na mag-read. Read, read, read, read, read, read, tina-try ko talagang ma-push si Eumi sa pagbabasa since appropriate naman din talaga yung pagbabasa sa children natin. Anybody her age should be encouraged to read textbooks, stories, kahit yung simple alphabetical posters, lahat ‘yan very advisable sa kapwa parents natin, especially for the sake of their kids’ growth and development (Actually I thought she inherited that skill from her father. It was until I remembered that I taught her to speak English. Even before she became talkative, I really targeted Eumi to learn English. It's English mode for both of us every time we bond. Even Vince, I really reminded him to speak English when talking to Eumi. Every time we encounter English words at home, actually anywhere, phones, T.V., posters, in malls, I make Eumi pronounce them. As much as possible, I encouraged her to read. Read, read, read, read, read, read, I was really trying to push Eumi to read since reading is really appropriate for our children. Anyone her age should be encouraged to read textbooks, stories, even simple alphabetical posters, all of which is very advisable to our fellow parents, especially for the sake of their kids' growth and development).” 

Now that I clarified where this assessment ultimately stems from, it is obvious that Eumi and Sean are the sole reason I became curious about the difference between attaining fluency in English during the early years and attaining it during the later stages in life. There is very little difference between their fluency levels when compared to one another, and their natural usage of this language only continues to evolve as they get older and mature. With that being said, my curiosity then prompted me to harp on the belief that their natural acquisition and gradual improvement of speaking in English have something to do with the critical period in a child's learning development, especially in light of the fact that they gradually gained fluency in this language from infancy and childhood to adolescence.

Becoming advanced with learning a language can have a significant impact on how well you grasp its usage eventually. This is where the critical period in a child's learning development takes effect since it is a biologically determined stage where the child is supposed to be optimally ready to acquire certain skills. Based on its definition, this period is associated with brain plasticity and is characterized by the highest potential for learning and development. The critical period is generally considered to occur in the early years of a child's life, from birth to around the age of five. It is crucial to learn language, vision, hearing, and other skills during this period because it is when the brain is particularly responsive to learning and the development of neural connections. This relates to how they developed their English language skills in a manner similar to that of native speakers, which is particularly clear given that they were exposed to the language from an early age. One of them, as I mentioned earlier, picked up English organically by watching different English-language cartoons, let alone the fact that he was instructed to communicate in English with everyone around him, including his family. To a certain degree, his family has some influence in how he developed his natural fluency in the language, and that is largely due to the fact that they decided to speak to him in English for as long as they could, primarily in an effort to help him become a native English speaker from birth.

Despite the fact that Eumi learnt the fundamentals of the language from her parents, she has also benefited from viewing English cartoons and speaking to everyone in English. The Language Acquisition Device (LAD) developed by Noam Chomsky is a factor that sets Eumi and Sean apart from the rest of our cousins. It is a theoretical concept that suggests the existence of a biological structure in the human brain that enables children to acquire language. Chomsky proposed that children are born with an innate ability to understand and generate language, and the LAD serves as a universal grammar processor, which allows them to grasp the complexities of language through exposure and interaction. Based on the manner in which Sean developed his preference for speaking English in his early years, youngsters may be able to progress in their English proficiency in a manner that will allow them to do so in the future. However, with Eumi, that isn't mostly the case. She learnt the language more intentionally and didn't pick it up naturally. Even if her education can be whittled down to homeschooling and tutorials, her parents have given her enough guidance that she has become incredibly proficient in English when speaking to others. She began with the fundamentals, as did Sean, who also started with basic words and sentence structures before expanding his vocabulary and growing more accustomed to speaking the language at such a young age.

All things considered, we can argue that learning to speak English in the early phases of human development, from birth to childhood, can aid non-native speakers like me in adapting and achieving higher levels of proficiency and fluency than those who are only beginning to learn it during their adolescent years. It is true that early development is more critical than later development, whether or not it takes work to understand the fundamentals of English communication during the adolescent years, and this is especially evident when you are learning the English language for communicative purposes.

REFERENCES & SOURCES:

Ohwovoriole, T. (2023, July 25). Critical period in brain development: definition, importance. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/critical-period-in-brain-development-definition-importance-7556041

Levels of learning a language – Mango languages. (2023, March 16). https://mangolanguages.com/resources-articles/levels-of-learning-a-language/

Sriram, R. (2020, June 24). Why ages 2-7 matter so much for brain development. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-ages-2-7-matter-so-much-brain-development/

Cisneros-Franco, J. M., Voss, P., Thomas, M. E., & De Villers-Sidani, É. (2020). Critical periods of brain development. In Handbook of Clinical Neurology (pp. 75–88). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-64150-2.00009-5

Jones, M. (2021, April 13). English Proficiency levels: A guide to determining your level. SpeakUp Resources. https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/english-proficiency-levels-a-guide-to-determining-your-level/

Vipond, T. (2023, October 25). Language proficiency levels. Corporate Finance Institute. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/career/language-proficiency-levels/

Dore, R. A., Logan, J., Lin, T., Purtell, K. M., & Justice, L. M. (2020). Associations between children’s media use and language and literacy skills. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01734

Arulchelvan, P. (2019). Social media usage among English language learners in Primary School. https://www.redalyc.org/journal/6437/643770323033/html/

Muftah, M. (2022). Impact of social media on learning English language during the COVID-19 pandemic. PSU Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/prr-10-2021-0060

[davidboles]

Learning Italian Lifetime Immersion Style

For the past 60 days, I have been intensively studying the Italian language. I want to learn Italian in order to better serve our ASL Opera project since 50% of the most popular operas were written in Italian (25% were written in German, and 15% were written in French). I understand modern Italian isn’t the same as “original opera Italian” — but learning something new only helps deepen the…

[arya7stark]

This is a genuinely difficult question for me, because I love languages and have a long list that I would love to learn (or at least know more about). I would love to know Irish (ancestral), but wouldn't have much opportunity to use it in my life. So that's pretty far down the list for me.

Sign language and a rare language (in my case Ojibwe) both fall into a category for me where I would like the experience of learning them-- I want all the joys and frustrations that go along with figuring out something that is incredibly different from what I already know. I want to struggle through the compounding and verb prefixes of Ojibwe and the physical nature of adding word stress to ASL (and also accents! ASL accents and dialects intrigue me so much!).

The most common language I don't already speak (Spanish) I know is not super difficult to learn, so it seems like a waste to use instafluency on that. (To be clear, Spanish itself is not the waste. It is at the top of my list to actually learn, I just see it as something that won't take an inordinate amount of time and that I have access to excellent resources for).

Dead languages, while intriguing for some things, are not my jam, nor are other communication systems.

So I guess I'm choosing instafluency in Thai. Which is honestly not a bad choice, because I don't have easy access to classes, but I do have easy access to a ton of media and could therefore instantly make use of my newfound fluency.

no wrong answers! if you'd like to elaborate on your answer i'd love to hear it!!

[lessonplancurator]

[aiwikiweb]

Could AI Tutors Like Speak AI Replace Traditional Language Classes?

AI-driven language learning platforms like Speak AI offer personalized, convenient learning experiences that help users improve their fluency by speaking out loud and receiving real-time feedback. Could these AI tutors eventually replace traditional language classes? Let’s explore this thought experiment.

Scenario: Imagine a future where AI tutors like Speak AI are the primary method for learning new languages. With 24/7 availability, personalized lessons, and instant feedback, learners no longer need to attend traditional classes to achieve fluency. AI tutors adapt to each user’s learning style and pace, making language education highly individualized and effective.

Analysis:

Potential Benefits:

Personalization: AI tutors provide a learning experience tailored to the needs, pace, and interests of each learner, which may be more effective than the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional classes.

Accessibility: Learning a new language becomes more accessible with AI tutors available anytime, allowing users to practice whenever it suits them.

Challenges:

Human Interaction: Traditional classes offer the benefit of real human interaction, allowing learners to practice with peers and learn from the experiences of others, which is challenging for AI to fully replicate.

Motivation and Accountability: While AI tutors can motivate learners, the social environment of a classroom can provide accountability and encouragement that may be lacking in solo learning.

Do you think AI language tutors like Speak AI could replace traditional classes, or is the human element still essential to language learning? Share your thoughts below!

Join the discussion about the future of language learning with Speak AI. How do you see AI transforming language education in the years to come?

[speakupinstitute]

Elevate your English speaking skills through our interactive digital conversation classes. Practice real-life conversations, receive instant feedback, and enhance your fluency in a virtual setting. Our expert instructors provide personalized guidance to help you communicate confidently and effectively. Join our classes and take your English to the next level!