I SPEECH ENGLISH

“I will send you a line, as soon as I arrive in town”, wrote Lady Susan to Mrs Johnson.

Lady Susan is an epistolary novel written by Jane Austen in 1871 in which the story unfolds through exchanging letters.

Contemporary literature is gradually giving up the epistolary form of the narration, in line with the great changes in communication brought by the digital revolution. Fewer and fewer people use pen and paper to communicate and the traditional concept of correspondence is disappearing. It’s a shame because communicating through handwriting presents many advantages in terms of language acquisition.

Writing manually strengthen the learning process because it forces our mind to focus on different skills simultaneously, like paying particular attention to spelling and connecting letters with sounds, because when we write we read in our minds. Furthermore, writing manually strengthens the acquisition of new vocabulary because forming words manually requires more attention than typing or texting.

Here are a few tips for language acquisition training:

1. use pen and paper and WRITE something every day (for example your thoughts, your plans, a message to your partner or a friend, the shopping list).

2. You can rewrite your thoughts and messages differently to experiment with vocabulary and different registers. You can write, for example, in the forms of an article, a letter, a dialogue, a speech.

3. To acquire new words write them down on paper. Say the words aloud while writing them for a more comprehensive training. Repeat the process until you feel confident with writing and pronouncing the words.

Spelling has always been a difficult aspect of the English language because it’s linked with the pronunciation that is not consistently “literal”.

During the Renaissance (17^th Century) when English needed to be accepted in fields where Latin was the protagonist (like science, law and philosophy), spelling was an important problem because it was not standardised. The name Shakespeare, for example, was spelt in at least 6 different ways!

In the 18^th Century, the need of a standard language was felt so strongly that Samuel Johnson was asked to compile the first English dictionary; it took him 9 years and the process of standardisation accelerated.

So English speakers have always faced the difficulty of spelling, and students still struggle with orthography.

Here are a few tips to train and improve orthography:

1. when acquiring a new word whose spelling is particularly challenging take pen and paper and WRITE the word slowly focusing and observing the traits.

2. Putting pressure on the pen while writing will help acquisition, because our brain will recognise the energy of the word.

3. Enunciate the word while you are writing it (you might need to check its pronunciation first on ad online dictionary), synchronising your VOICE with the formation of the word on paper. OBSERVE the word intensively and REPEAT aloud a few times.

4. Repeat this process, write many times the same word, until you are able to visualize the word without looking at the paper and say it aloud.

This process combines three of our senses: touch (the pressure on paper), sound (saying the word aloud) and vision (observation of the word), and the result, in terms of acquisition, is powerful.

Following this process every time we encounter a new word will help by getting it right the first time, avoiding a very common phenomena in learners called “fossilization of error”, that is the process where a mistake becomes permanent.

“Other things may be seized by might, or purchased with money, but knowledge is to be gained only by study”.

(Unknown author)

We live in a society which demands and praises quick results and fast gratifications. Many language schools advertise learning methods that guarantee effective acquisition in short periods of time. From my personal experience as a learner first and then as a teacher, I strongly believe that rush is the number one enemy in the learning process.

Setting unrealistic targets with regards to language acquisition may result in early drop out, along with feelings of failure and frustration.

In literature, Heathcliff, the male protagonist in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (1847), storms out and leaves after overhearing Catherine speaking to Nelly about her inability to marry him. He didn’t wait, he felt hurt and frustrated and “dropped out”! Catherine then concludes with one of the most powerful love declarations in literature: “my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!”. However, Heathcliff had already left and missed his chance.

I would like to encourage my students to be patient and progress with steady results, even if they seem small.

Here are a few tips:

1. find ENJOYMENT in the learning process regardless of immediate results. In this way, you will quieten down the sense of urgency for results that generates impatience and frustration.  

2. PLAN your studyfor the long period, trying to be constant with your lessons and practice.

3. find a TEACHER or a coach that supports you on the long run, who is able to “scaffold” your challenges and share your joy for your achievements. If you are studying for an exam or certification, having a teacher may be crucial, also for time management.

4. Learning is a personal journey: don’t compare yourself with others. Allow yourself the TIME needed.

The experience of the Ancient Mariner described by Samuel Taylor Coleridge shows us that storytelling is a profound human need and an excellent tool for language acquisition and communication skills. The Mariner is compelled to tell his story in order to fulfill his mission in life, his ikigai. At a wedding he “stoppeth one of three” and with his “glittering eye”, eager to communicate, he started to tell his story. Coleridge’s long poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is a story within a story. Storytelling enables the Mariner to connect with another human being and to share his experience and to allow the listener to be exposed and to learn; that’s why it is such a powerful tool in language acquisition and training.

Storytelling is widely used to teach children but of course it is efficient at any age. Storytelling anables a greater engagement in the learning process because it stimulates imagination and curiosity and requires active roles both for the story teller and the listener.

Here are a few tips:

1. You can start practicing alone with storytelling by reconstructing an event or a personal experience (for example a journey). At the beginning you may need to write the story down as improvisation is an aquired practice and it takes time to master. You can also reconstruct dialogues.

2. READ or ACT your story ALOUD. Repeat multiple times until you feel confident and fluent. Check pronunciation if unsure.

3. Inventing a story is the next step forward. Using IMAGINATION in storytelling is more difficult than recollecting events. You can start by using selected words or images to guide you or stimulate the production of the story. You can try improvisation at this stage. You can practice with different versions of the story using different vocabulary. Always practice aloud.

“The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone, he cannot choose but hear; and thus spake on that ancient man, the bright-eyed Mariner”.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (1798)

According to William Wordsworth, the state of tranquillity is essential in order to create.

Taking inspiration from this idea and my personal experience, I am confident to suggest that, for effective language acquisition, it is essential to be exposed to the target language, in a state of tranquillity, for the majority of the time.

So, 80% of the time that we are exposed to a language, our mind should be allowed to “wander” and we could even carry on performing other tasks while the target language remains “on the background”. On the other hand, the remaining 20% of the time we should focus entirely on listening.

When I was learning English, I would keep the TV on for hours, on the background, stopping from time to time to concentrate on what it was said. This constant exposition allowed me to acquire the “music” of the language, before the meaning. As I persevered, alongside Vocabulary acquisition, I started to understand.

Here are a few tips:

1. Find your favourite sources. It is important to choose a way to be exposed to the language for a few hours, in a continuous STREAM, and be able to carry on with your daily tasks. It could be a TV channel, a match, listening to long podcasts, audiobooks, talk radio.

2. Movies and TV series are a great way to be exposed to the language, but they require your full attention and presence, so I suggest to include those activities but not in substitution on the continuous exposure that the above sources guarantee.

3. I don’t find merely listening to music particularly effective because the natural musicality of the language is altered and our perception of the words is “distracted” by the music.

4. Don’t start small and gradually build up! It’s the other way round: EXPOSE yourself to long hours of listening, especially at the beginning.

5. Make it a DAILY HABIT. Language acquisition is a daily exercise.

For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (1804)

One of the factors that enabled the English language to become the international language is its simplicity. Don’t get me wrong, I know the struggles many students have when learning the language; but it is a fact that, technically, English is one of the simplest languages to learn. The English language is also extremely dynamic, but with its skill of retaining old fashioned and elegant words.

I found in George Orwell’s essay “Politics and the English language” one of the most precious advices for language acquisition. He writes: “language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes”.

This statement made me thinking and, on reflecting on the struggles of my students, I realised that much of the difficulty connected with learning a language is due to our constant attachment to the formats given by our native language, that constantly interfere with the production of a different language.

Great improvement will be achieved the moment we stop “shaping” the language we are learning to our mother formats and we accept to enter, open-mindedly, into a new perspective.

Orwell continues by considering language as “an instrument for expressing thought”. He also declares: “it has nothing to do with correct grammar and syntax, which are of no importance so long as one makes one’s meaning clear”.

Returning on the point of simplicity, Orwell concludes his essay with a few tips:

1. Never use a long word where a SHORT one will do

2. If it is possible to CUT OUT a word, always cut it out.

3. Never use the Passive where you can use the ACTIVE (form).

4. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an EVERYDAY ENGLISH equivalent.

And let me add:

5. Don’t be scared of making mistakes. Don’t worry about grammar too much (unless you are taking a Cambridge exam; but that’s another story!). Focus on the MEANING you want to convey.

6. Practice constantly on DISCONNECTING from your native language by bypassing the translation step. It’s very difficult at the beginning but it’s a process that takes TIME and CONSISTENCY, and it will reward you greatly. The major improvements happen when the student stops translating and expresses himself/herself directly in the target language.

“If you simplify your English, you are freed from the worst follies of orthodoxy”.

George Orwell, “Politics and the English language” (1946)

Language acquisition is also a sensorial experience. Without our senses it would be impossible to acquire a language. The process is clearly described in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” (1818).

Those are the words of the Creature when he hears people speaking and he doesn’t’ know the language: «I found that these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one another by articulate sounds. I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and countenances of the hearers. This was indeed a godlike science, and I ardently desired to become acquainted with it. But I was baffled in every attempt I made for this purpose. Their pronunciation was quick, and the words they uttered, not having any apparent connection with visible objects, I was unable to discover any clue by which I could unravel the mystery of their reference. By great application, however […] I discovered the names that were given to some of the most familiar objects of discourse; I learned and applied the words».

The Creature also highlights two essential requirements in language acquisition: a strong motivation and perseverance. Motivation is linked to your “why” and perseverance to your discipline.

Here are a few tips:

1. When you are exposed to a language quieten your mind and BE AWARE of your senses.

2. FOCUS on what you see and hear, observe people and situations. Observe facial expressions and gestures. Listen carefully to the intonation.

3. Recognise YOUR EMOTIONS when exposed to a language.

4. Practice by repeating vocabulary and sentences also IMITATING gestures and facial expressions and by EXPRESSING THE EMOTIONS connected to the words.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that reading aloud is invaluable for language acquisition. In Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, Mr. Bennet invites his guest Mr. Collins to read aloud to the ladies after tea-time. The practice of reading aloud has been a form of entertainment and a pastime for centuries, and also a way to socialise and to educate people.  

Unfortunately, many students feel embarrassed and discouraged when it comes to read aloud because they think it is difficult. Its difficulty mainly lies in the lack of practice because we are not used to switch naturally from one language to another (unless we were raised bilingual or multilingual). We are not used to hear ourselves producing unfamiliar sounds. But reading aloud is an excellent training for language acquisition and we shouldn’t give up on it!

Here are a few tips:

1. Start by reading aloud ALONE. Visualise the words and enounce them SLOWLY, focus on your voice uttering the sounds. If you are unsure about the correct pronunciation, check first on an online dictionary and take note of the sounds. REPEAT. The more you repeat the more the sounds will become familiar.

2. Don’t focus your attention on the translation. Acknowledge the meaning of the words but focus on their SOUNDS.

3. Respect the PUNCUATION. This will help with acquiring the adequate fluency. If punctuation is scarse, read subject and verb, pause a second, then read the rest of the phrase until you find another subject or the dot. Reading slowly allows you to control the pauses.

4. As you progress control the STRESS of the words and the INTONATION. If you are unsure check the stress on an online dictionary. Intonation takes more time to master: the best practice is to listen and repeat, then write down and continue repeating reading aloud.

5. I don’t find reading in your head as powerful as reading aloud. SILENT READING doesn’t allow you to become comfortable with your voice uttering unfamiliar sounds.

6. PERSEVERE and INCREASE with time the length of your reading tasks.

“Mr. Collins readily assented, and a book was produced”

Jane Austen, “Pride and Prejudice” (1813)

“The Professor” is Charlotte Bronte’s first novel which contains many autobiographical elements. It’s a very interesting work because it discloses the teaching methods used during the Victorian Age for language acquisition; and dictation is a great protagonist. 

These are the words of Mdlle. Reuter: “dictation or reading will perhaps be the best thing to begin with, for those are the easiest forms of communicating instruction in a foreign language”.

I love dictation and I think it’s one of the best exercises for language acquisition because it trains different skills. In fact, the act of writing combines the listening and the comprehension effort. In addition, the manual act of writing, and the subsequent visualisation of the words, reinforces the acquisition. It’s a complete work!

Here are a few tips:

1. If dictation is done with other people it could be a fun activity and a challenge. If you practice alone there are several apps that will assist you in the purpose. Try a few and find the one that suits you better.
2. Start SLOW and INCREASE gradually the frequency and the length of work. You might find dictation difficult at the beginning, that’s why gradual consistency is crucial. Then it’s like training muscles, KEEP GOING!
3. You can start with single sentences then move on to passages.
4. To increase language acquisition, use pen and paper and FOCUS on the manual production of words while you are writing them. Observe the words. PAUSE the dictation and check the correct spelling. Then READ ALOUD the correct words. 
5. Once completed, listen to the passage (or sentences) again and repeat them reading aloud several times.
6. To ensure long term acquisition, wait a few days then repeat the work with the same sentences or passage. 
7. Create a GLOSSARY with the new vocabulary and implement the new words in other exercises and in language production. 
   

”Take your pens and commence writing”.

Charlotte Bronte, “The Professor” (1845)

Joseph Conrad’s “The Shadow Line” is one of my favourite books mainly because it narrates of real human struggles and gives the example of a strong personality (the Captain) capable of facing the difficulties and, by overcoming them, evolving as human being. Overcoming and evolving coincide with surpassing the Shadow Line.

In language acquisition, learners are often faced with difficulties, in particular as their level progresses. The majority of learners get to a point (their “Shadow Line”) in which they seem stuck and their progress halts; and this has a negative impact on their motivation to continue studying and training.

Here are a few tips:

1. ASSESS your current achievements and REVIEW your goals. It might be the case that you have already achieved a satisfactory level of language acquisition for your needs and usage.
2. LOOK FOR materials, tools and techniques that enable you to progress to the next level. There’s a huge amount of information and contents on language learning and it’s easy to get lost. INVEST TIME in searching, especially what suits you better.
3. MAKE A PLAN with the material you intend to use and the time you have available. Frequency and intensity also depend on your expectations.
4. FIND A MENTOR/TEACHER that guides and supports you.
5. PERSEVERANCE is linked to your “why”. So, review why you are learning a language. Why do you need to learn English?

“And there’s another thing: a man should stand up to his bad luck, to his mistakes, to his conscience and all that sort of thing. Why, what else would you have to fight against?”

Joseph Conrad, “The Shadow Line” (1915)