Speaking a foreign language is tricky business. Finding the right word, using the correct grammar form, all of the things you have to coordinate to communicate what is in your mind to others using these little things we call WORDS.
Think of it like this: Your brain is like a dirt road, the kind that has been driven so many times that there are deep ruts. Sometimes these ruts go exactly to the right place - sometimes they don't.
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Driving a car along a dirt road full of these ruts is a lot like speaking a foreign language. Along the way, you have picked up some mistakes and those get used again and again and again, until - your brain has what I call "language ruts".
I have discovered that when I am training my clients in English, for each client, I actually have two individuals in front of me: the person getting the training and the person driving the "car". This is a two-step process. 1. Training my client in English and 2. getting his brain to go along with the new information. If you think of our brain is the dirt road - it becomes very visual why it is so hard to correct "the ruts".
So where do these "ruts" come from?
Some of them come from learning the language wrongly and then using the wrong version again and again.
A typical example of this for Germans might be, forgetting to always use a helping verb for negations.
ex. I have not a dog. should be I do not have a dog.
Some of ruts are a result of transferring structures found in the original language. An example of this is when Germans struggle with the present perfect continuous. In English, this is actually a present tense, but it feels like a past tense to the German brain.
ex. Ich arbeite hier seit 5 Jahren.
But the correct version is, "I have been working here for 5 years."
Germans would frequently say, "I work here for 5 years."
"Have been..." feels like it is in the past. And the flollowing sentence really sounds strange for the German ear.
ex. Wir kennen uns schon 20 Jahre.
In correct English : We have known each other for 20 years.
But many would say, "We know each other for 20 years."
To the German ear, this sounds like the two don't know each other anymore.
So how do you get past that? That rut is there for a reason. I believe that the secret lies in connecting to the emotional part of the mind.
So how do I use this to my advantage when teaching?
Research shows that language is mostly a left-brain job and emotions are mostly a right-brain job. At Ghent University, Guy Vingerhoets, Ph.D., Celine Berckmoes, M.S., and Nathalie Stroobant, M.S. discovered that both sides of the brain are responsible for language: the left is responsible for the "what" and the right is responsible for the "how". And in my opinion, herein lies the crux of the matter. If the right brain is unable to understand the "how"(that is to grasp the emotional connection to the situation), the left side of the brain will never be able to make sense of it and anchor it permanently in the mind.
We know from research that stimulating a part of the brain for one thing, can create a response in the same region for another purpose. A foot fetish, for example, is the result of the proximity in the brain between feet and the genital region. So why do I bring all of this up?
So what's my point?
I have been doing Zoom trainings for the last 2 months - a decision Corona made for me, not my first choice. And what I am discovering, is that my students are achieving progress quicker than usual.
- I have always believed that the emotional element of learning was paramount in learning English and
- this has always been a core factor in my English Concepts with Trish program.
After seeing such noticeable progress in my customers during the online training sessions, I was compelled to look deeper into the matter.
Herbert E. Krugman and Eugene L. Hartley showed in their research back in 1970 that watching TV stimulated the right side of the brain over the left side of the brain two to one. They noticed that this leads to passive learning due to the one-two punch:
1. response to stimuli
and
2. absence of resistance.
Could it be the television effect? Having a screen in front of my students and animation in my PowerPoint presentations may be stimulating the right side of the brain - bringing with it the following advantages:
- less resistance to new information
- activating the emotional side of the brain which enables longevity
- shorter communication span
- less distraction for the eye
I think I am onto something.
In closing
I find it interesting that many of my customers have confirmed that online classes have been surprisingly entertaining and effective. Online training is a method I will definitely continue to use - even after we return to the luxury of being able to meet in person. It would interest me to hear about your experiences. Feel free to share in the comments.
If you would like to know more or are interested in trying out a ZoomRoom lesson, feel free to contact me.
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