A language learner's manifesto

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Have you studied English for many years? Are you still afraid to speak English? Please study this and repeat it to yourself daily.

 

I can be FLUENT in English. My goal is to be FLUENT. My goal is not to be perfect. My goal is just to be FLUENT. I can be FLUENT and still make mistakes.

 

F:First I must forget what I learned in school. I will make a fresh start. I will forget the rules of grammar. I will forget the quizzes and tests. I will forget all the times I made mistakes. I will forget what my teachers taught me. I will forget my native language. I will forget who I am. I am a new person. I am an English speaker. I will make a fresh start. I will have fun! I will focus on things that are fun and interesting. I will learn.

 

L:I will learn how to learn. I will listen a lot. I will let myself go. I will listen and let the English language enter my mind. I will listen often. I will listen every day. I will listen to the same content many times. I will listen to the meaning. I will listen to hear the words and phrases. I will listen early in the morning. I will listen late at night.

 

U: I will understand the language. I will understand what I hear and read. If I can understand what I hear and read I will be able to speak and write. Until I can understand what I hear and read, I will not be able to speak and write well. But there is no hurry.  I will work on understanding. I will read a lot and especially, listen a lot. I want to understand the meaning of English. I do not want to understand the rules of grammar.

 

E: Every day is a learning day. Every day the language is entering my brain. I enjoy reading and listening every day. I study with energy and enthusiasm. I study interesting things and enjoy the language. If I enjoy the language I will improve. Let the language enter my mind. There is no need to push myself. I am getting better every day.

 

N: I will never say that I am no good. When I read and listen I will tell myself “nice going”! I will learn naturally and easily. I will be nice to myself. I will not be nervous.  If I make a mistake I will say “never mind”. If I cannot understand something I will say “never mind.” If I forget a word I will say “never mind.” If I have trouble saying what I want to say , “no problem”. I will continue.

 

T: I will Trust myself. I will be confident. Confident learners improve quickly. I will treat myself with respect. I will tell myself that I am doing well. I just need to keep going, no matter what. The more I listen and read using The Linguist, the more I will understand. The more words and phrases I save the more I will know.  Soon I will be ready to speak and write well. I will take it easy. I know I will succeed. I will trust myself and trust The Linguist.

Comments

[Bill]

Steve... that's some creative work. I have just known the true meaning of 'fluent'.

Good job!

[Tony]

Hi Steve:

This manifesto is a very good content which learners probably can gain more confidence when they regularly read this content.

How about recording this content and add it in the Linguist library? In this way, we can listen to your voice and we can read this content out loud in order to practice prociation.

[petchimuthu]

hollo sir,
i am realy thanks to you. it is very useful for me .you give to confident word also help to me. thanks
petchimuthu

[Kari Nansen]

I found this manifesto this morning and plan on using it in my ESL class this morning. I have a number of mature, very intelligent Korean students who are getting despondent that their learning is not happening as quickly as they would like. They are at the Pre-Intermediate level and many of them have repeated this level mainly because they are hanging out together after class and speaking Korean!

I only disagree with one small point. As a speaker of four languages, I too had long been a grammar-phobe. Years after becoming an ESL teacher, and discovering grammar myself and not how it is many times misstated in ESL learning books but as I understand it, I now relish the mechanics and universals of grammar! I love teaching grammar, especially to structure loving students like my bio-engineering ESL learners. Once they see the beauty in the order that the human brain has made of language, the oyster opens and the pearls of knowledge drop in their hands. It's quite phenomenal.

[muqeeth]

u have made english learning easy

[Charlles Nunes]

Dear Steve,

As a language enthusiast myself, I can say: you excel!

Thanks for sharing with the world your expertise on language learning. Of course I will tell my friends about you. Please, keep up this wonderful work!

(PS: You have inspired me to write a ‘Manifesto for Portuguese Learners’, too;-)

[Steve Kaufmann]

Charles,

I hope you will share your manifesto with us. Perhaps we could put it up as content at LingQ. Of course we would include a link to your site. Are you a member at LingQ?

[Lili]

I am glad that your experience and research recommends interest in the topic learned in the new language, and the assistance LingQ provides with the dictionary and tutors. Your projects rekindles the hopes that I might succeed in leaning the languages I have interest in. Thank you for your works.

Lili

[Steve Crofter]

Many useful sentiments expressed, especially not being hard on oneself. But for many people, myself included, grammar is an exciting key that unlocks the mystery of a foreign language. In the same way that some students learn best visually, others by taking notes, others by listening, some people are helped in learning a language by taking delight in its grammar.

[Steve Kaufmann]

Steve,

You are no doubt right that many people enjoy grammar. I am not one of those people. Reading about grammar does nothing for me. The explanations only make sense after I have had a lot of exposure to the language. I cannot remember grammar rules, and find explanations with all the exceptions, less interesting than the language itself, especially when the language is embedded in interesting content.

I believe I am in the majority.