Communication and language learning

Language learning is about getting your meaning across and being understood in a language or languages other than your own.

Language learning is about communication, talking and interacting with real people, but it is easy to become so absorbed in the detail of learning a language and to focus on grammar, structure, creating perfect sentences and so on, that this is forgotten. This isn't to say that these areas are not important, but when you are learning a language, especially in the early stages, it is important to remember why you are learning it. 

Language learning, at its most basic, is about communication, and generally we learn another language to communicate with native speakers of that language. 

It is easier to learn to communicate in another language, than to master it, as being able to communicate your needs doesn't mean that you have mastered the language. You can make frequent mistakes and still be understood, and even as you become increasingly proficient in a language you will make mistakes as even native speakers can and do. Not saying something because you are not sure of the correct grammar, syntax or pronunciation is an easy trap to fall into and is  one of the key differences between being successful and unsuccessful at learning a language.

The language or words that you will need to communicate will differ depending on the situations you are in, and it is more productive and rewarding to learn language selectively, especially when you are starting.

For example, if you are starting to learn Chinese (which is a notoriously difficult language to attain a high level of competence in), what are you learning it for?  Is it because you have business trips planned, or maybe a holiday to Shanghai or Beijing or perhaps you intend to start studying Chinese abroad next year. In each case you are learning the language to communicate in different situations, and if you are only leaning a limited number of Chinese expressions it is worth picking the ones that you are likely to find useful.

Whatever your reason for learning a language, you have to start at the beginning and learn basic greetings. So if you are learning Chinese, you begin with "hello", "goodbye" or " nǐ hǎo" and " z ài jiàn" and so on. Y ou will also need to learn a basic Chinese vocabulary, as some words are used constantly.

Looking at this in another way, when you are starting to learn a language, the key to communicating at a basic level is to know basic vocabulary and not be afraid to use it.

Our software emphasises basic vocabulary aquisition and b ecause it focuses on teaching words and phrases, it is very straight-forward  to use. Even if you have never enjoyed learning a language before, you may well surprise yourself with how much you can learn and how quickly with our software. Each one of our languages has a free trial and can be downloaded this site.