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I do expect learning a language to be fun, at least part of the time. If it isn't at least interesting, it will be hard to be motivated to continue. I believe that if learning is fun, it can happen painlessly and almost without you realizing you are learning. But I also believe one has to be prepared to take risks and be embarrassed sometimes when learning a language. My idea of the perfect language course would be one where I received exposure to reading, writing, listening and speaking with native speakers. I would want grammar and vocabulary to be presented in a meaningful context to help me remember it. I would love to have a variety of fun activities to use the language with native speakers, not just the traditional book exercises. I would want to have good sources - dictionaries or other references to refer to wen I needed them. I would also want to share cultural information with native speakers to expand the context of the language. It would be nice if it was free, but I think good teachers and the people who make this kind of experience possible deserve to be paid, so how about not too expensive? A really great and effective learning experience is valuable, too.
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Thank you Pebbles, that was the perfect answer.
I love learning new languages. I have been teaching myself Mandarin. It's quite difficult but very interesting. Learning each new tone and sound. I think it's fun, but i could just be a geek! :)
There are a number of factors that go into this. First, if there's a similarity to the way a person learn languages and the way that it's being taught, then that person is more likely to enjoy it because it's less frustrating.
Secondly, it really depends on the difficulty of the language. Languages like Mandarin are far more difficult to make fun for a native English speaker simply because of the mental hoops one must go through to get one's mind to think of language in ways he/she is completely unused to, like a several thousand character vocabulary and different tones of the same sound meaning completely different things.
As for me, the main thing I want from a language course is a teacher that is patient, a curriculum that is something other than rote memorization, and some sort of continuity in grading from one semester to the next.
Secondly, it really depends on the difficulty of the language. Languages like Mandarin are far more difficult to make fun for a native English speaker simply because of the mental hoops one must go through to get one's mind to think of language in ways he/she is completely unused to, like a several thousand character vocabulary and different tones of the same sound meaning completely different things.
As for me, the main thing I want from a language course is a teacher that is patient, a curriculum that is something other than rote memorization, and some sort of continuity in grading from one semester to the next.
source(s):
Good experiences w/ a French teacher in high school.
Bad experiences w/ Japanese Assistant Instructors in college.
Good experiences w/ a French teacher in high school.
Bad experiences w/ Japanese Assistant Instructors in college.
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