Thursday, July 14, 2022

Relational Language Learning

Language Learning Fundamentals

Questions:
What did this look like when you learned your native language?
What might this look like when learning a new language?

Premise 1. Language is a natural/human capability. Your amazing brain assimilated language

without you even thinking about it. Learning another language will need to be more intentional
now, but the fact is: Your brain and language are still a perfect match!

Premise 2. Language is a personal/creative production. Just as you produced your very own
version of your first language, so it will be this time. But now you can take ownership with a
wide variety of personal projects that will help you become more proactive in your learning.

Premise 3. Language is a social/relational experience. Language has one main purpose: to

communicate messages, but also to experience being with people and finding your place in
their community. Without people-contact, language learning will likely not happen.

Premise 4. Language is a cultural/historical expression. Language expresses culture. Meanings

come from the history of use. The underlying meanings are readily apparent to native speakers.
Language learning is your path into the rich meaning base of that culture.

Premise 5. Language is a structured/governed behavior. Getting into a language requires a

mind, ear and mouth ‘re-tooling process’ to enable you to ‘behave yourself’ and stay within
their grammar and pronunciation framework. One thing is certain, “You cannot speak ‘French’
correctly with an English mind or mouth.”

Essential Components of a Language Learning Program

!  Projects to improve your ability to listen and read. (Comprehension/Understanding) 


!  Projects to improve your ability to speak and write. (Production/Fluency/Output) 


!  Systematically explore meanings of new words, phrases, idioms, etc.; work them into your
language ability. (Vocabulary/Concepts) 


!  Systematically focus on various parts of the structure of the language. (Grammar) 


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!  Projects to improve your ability to control the sounds of the language, reducing your 

accent. (Pronunciation) 


!  Projects to help you establish and maintain contacts with people for friendship 

making and language practice purposes. (Communicative use) 


!  Contact with monolinguals, those who function exclusively in that language and 

culture. (Touch the core, the traditionalists) 


!  Husband all your resources (spiritual, physical, mental, emotional) so that you have 

the stamina necessary for the task. (Energy) 


!  Take periodic planned breaks for rest and relaxation. (Pacing) 


!  Meet regularly with someone to talk through your activities, progress, goals and next steps
in the language. (Accountability)

Laura’s Note: and, please, HAVE FUN! Happy experiences create strong, deeper
pathways in your brain that help you to internalize the language.

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SAMPLE LANGUAGE LEARNING SCHEDULE:

4 Categories:
• Language Teacher

• Language Helper

• Community Activities

• Personal Study

SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT

9:00 WORSHIP Sabbat Japanese Japanese Team Japanese

SERVICE (3 h Day! Grammar Grammar Meeting Grammar
hours): Lesson (1 Lesson (1 Lesson (1
Write down hr) hr) hr)
new vocab &
participate in
conversation

Walk to Cafe Walk to Walk to

Cafe Cafe

10:30 Personal Language Personal Language Outing

- Study (2 Helper Study (2 Helper (1 with
12:30 hrs): (1hr): hrs: hr): Friends (3
Explore Explore rs):
Review new words Review new Go to
Lesson (15 / Lesson words / park or
min)
Hospitality (15 min)
Grocery nearby
Role Play / Check-out museum
Reading: Word Reading: Role Play / with
Doraemon Game Doraemo Word friends
(15 min)
n (15 Game and
min)
practice
Writing: natural
Hiragana/ Writing: conversati
Katana (15 Hiragana/ on
min)
Katana
Kanji (15 (15 min)

min)
Kanji (15
min)

New Vocab:
WaniKani New
App (30 min) Vocab:
WaniKani
App (30
min)

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12:00 Lunch break Lunch Lunch (1 Lunch
break hour): break
Natural
conversati
on
practice
with friend
over lunch

1:00 Lunch (1 Language Office work Personal

hour): go out Helper Study (2
with friends (1hr): Meet hrs:
and participate with
in conversation Pastor’s Review
Wife to learn Lesson (15
how to pray min)

in Japanese
Reading:
2:00 Listening & Dance Doraemon
Cleaning Class (1 (15 min)

(1hr): hr):
While Participate Writing:
listening to in natural Hiragana/
language language Katana (15
learning activity min)

podcast, Kanji (15

clean & do min)

laundry.
Pause to New
mimic Vocab:
several WaniKani
sentences. App (30
min)

4:00 Kid’s Office work Kid’s

Activity Activity
(1hr): (1hr) :
Participate Participat
in e in
conversatio conversati
n with on with
waiting waiting
moms. Use moms.
what you Use what
know! you know!

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6:00 Dinner Bible
Guests(2hr Study (3
s):
hours):
Natural Write down
conversatio new vocab
n practice &
with friends participate
over dinner in
conversatio
n

LANGUAGE LEARNING PROJECTS/ACTIVITIES:

PAN Notebook: Carry a notebook where you write down all new words and ideas for things
that you want to learn.

Speech Listening: Listen to a speech or recording of a native speaker. Write down, first, words
that you hear and understand. When those become too many, start writing down words that
you want to know. Bring those to your Language Helper. 


Natural Conversation: Go out to coffee with a friend who doesn’t speak English and use what
know!

Listen & Repeat: Listen to recording of native speaker and repeat what they say. Try to match
the tone and rhythm as much as possible.

Word Exploration: Take a word that you want to know more about and explore it with your
Language Helper. Ask: Can you give me another example of when this word is used?

Role Play: Get from your language helper what they might say in a situation and role play it
together.

Frequent Shops: Go to the same ramen shop every week. Get to know the owner and practice
language with him.

Games: Play games with others in the language.

Hobbies: Find a group of people who have the same hobby as you. Do it together and learn,
little by little, the vocabulary for that hobby.

Contextualization: Learn words in context! Example:

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OTHER IDEAS:

OTHER RESOURCES:

Need a Good Podcast?

Nihongo Con Teppei (We REALLY recommend this podcast!)

Need Goals? 


Language Proficiency Scale (email Laura to receive)

Need More Explanation? 


MTI Perspectives Copy (email Laura to receive)

Laura’s email: lmartin@teamexpansion.org