Euroasia: Language, Culture and Travel

Here we’ve compiled a series of articles which may be of interest to language learners and linguaphiles, all from January 2012.

1) How to maximise your memory – The Guardian, 14 Jan 2012

Forget rote learning, one of the best ways to commit something to memory is to think of associated images – the more outlandish, the better.

The brain is often likened to a muscle, the suggestion being that if you exercise it, its function will improve. A bodybuilder can strengthen his biceps by repeatedly lifting weights and so, the argument goes, you can improve your memory by repeating over and over to yourself (either out loud or sub-vocally) the information you wish to remember.

For years, researchers considered that “rehearsing” information in this way was necessary to retain it in your short-term memory and transfer it into long-term memory. This view fits with our instinct that if we want to remember something like a phone number, we say it to ourselves again and again in the hope that it “sticks”. Generations of students have held fast to the principle that repeatedly reading through lecture notes and textbooks, attempting to rote learn the facts needed for exams, is the path to success.

There is evidence that the more an item is rehearsed, the greater the likelihood of long-term retention. In one study, participants were presented with a list of words and were asked to rehearse the list out loud. When asked to recall the words, memory retrieval improved as a direct function of the amount of rehearsal that was undertaken. However, in almost all circumstances, simple rote rehearsal is much less effective than strategies that involve thinking about the meaning of the information you are trying to remember.

Check out the rest of the article on The Guardian

2) Learning a language may come down to gestures –  Washington Post, 10 Jan 2012

Gestures make it easier to learn a language, researchers discover

Language classes of the future might come with a physical workout because people learn a new tongue more easily when words are accompanied by movement.

Manuela Macedonia and Thomas Knoesche at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, enrolled 20 volunteers in a six-day course to learn “Vimmi”, a phony language designed to make study results easier to interpret. Half of the material was taught using only spoken and written instructions and exercises, while the other half was taught with body movements to accompany each word, which the students were asked to act out.

Students remembered significantly more of the words taught with movement, and they used them more readily when creating sentences, according to the researchers.

Rest of the story at Washington Post

3) Why language study should be part of your college experience, CNN, 5 Jan 2012

Russell A. Berman,  2011 President of the Modern Language Association and professor of Comparative Literature and German Studies at Stanford University talks about why the decision to learn a foreign language is one of the best you can make. “Learning another language will open the door to another culture and enhance your career opportunities in the increasingly global economy. Having strong skills in another language may give you an edge when applying for a job. That unique ability will set you apart from other applicants and show a potential employer that you have demonstrated long-term discipline in acquiring specialized knowledge.”

Check out the rest of the article on the CNN blog.

Posted via email from Euroasia

Today I would like to share a little known fact from the world of languages. In day-to-day interactions, we often use no more than 100 words. To maximise return on investment, you have to focus on acquiring the basic vocabulary ie it’s probably not going to matter if you don’t know the Chinese word for aardvark (土豚 or “tu tun” for those who must know). 

The key to language mastery is knowing how to string different words together (we call these ‘rules’ grammar).  Here are 4 key tips on how to learn a language fast.

The 80/20 rule. In the English language, the most common 25 words make up about one-third of all printed material, and the top 100 most common words make up about one-half of all written material. 

At the bottom of this article, I have reproduced a list of the top 100 most commonly used English words (thanks Wikipedia). The key words may vary depending on language, but most likely you will find that it’s only the relative ranking of the key words that change, and the top 100 most commonly used words would be pretty similar across languages. Focus on what matters.

Don’t get too stressed over mistakes. The point to remember is no native speaker expects you as a non-native speaker to speak their language perfectly so don’t get too worked up over whether you have the word order 100% right. Remember: the aim of communication is to get the message across. Unless you’re planning to be a United Nations interpreter, the locals will most likely not care if you make a few mistakes here and there. Memorise the key vocabulary first. The rules matter, but without the vocabulary, you have no ammo.

Know what to talk about. This is related to point 1. It takes a lifetime to master a language, so as you can imagine it’s not easy to work out the order in which we learn topics. We asked our clients what they needed to know when travelling overseas and came up with a long list. Unsurprisingly, knowing how to order a beer and telling a good-loooking girl she’s beautiful ranks pretty highly.  At Euroasia, we teach language learners the important stuff that you can use everyday. Here is a sample outline of what we expect to cover at the most basic beginners level.

Unit 1 – Greet people, give your name and ask how people are.

Unit 2 – Ask and answer questions about your job; you will also be able to ask about and give your phone number.

Unit 3 – Say where you come from and give the language you speak.

Unit 4 – Talk about the people in your family and say how old they are.

Unit 5 – Tell the time and give days and months; you will also be able to ask for a ticket on public transport.

Unit 6 – Say what you like or don’t like, and also talk about your freetime activities; you will also be able to say what the weather is like at the moment or at particular times of the year.

Unit 7 – Ask about something in a shop, understand and talk about prices, and also describe clothes.

Unit 8 – Talk about different meals, also food and drink; you will know what to say to buy these things from a shop.

Unit 9 – Order a meal in a restaurant, book accommodation and check in, also know how to talk about simple problems.

Unit 10 – Talk about where places are in a town, ask for directions and understand simple instructions for getting somewhere.

Constant practice. Learning a language is all about persistence. Much like going to the gym. No pain, no gain. Attending a class on a regular basis makes a huge difference (which is why language schools still exist despite language software and internet courses having been around for the past two decades). Ultimately, to improve you would need to practice speaking the language. 

p/s:  Check out the language courses at Euroasia.  We offer summer school programmes starting 5 Jan and 18 Jan, with regular courses starting 31 Jan.

Source: The Reading Teachers Book of Lists, Third Edition; by Edward Bernard Fry, Ph.D, Jacqueline E. Kress, Ed.D & Dona Lee Fountoukidis, Ed.D.

Posted via email from Euroasia

Language learning is an aspirational goal that ranks highly on many New Year resolution lists. It’s an especially worthy endeavour for avid travellers wanting to maximise their travel experience. You’ve probably heard stories from Kiwis who have returned from their “Overseas Experience” lamenting the fact that they would’ve enjoyed themselves more if they could speak the local lingo.

These days travel is not the only driver of foreign language learning. Increasingly Kiwis realise that knowing a foreign language gives them a distinct edge in dealing with clients and suppliers from other cultures. Job seekers also realise that employers value people who speak more than one language. Language learners also demonstrate to potential employers that they are proactive enough to make the effort to learn a foreign language.

In expectation of a surge in interest from people wanting to learn a language to kick off 2012, we are offering a range of summer intensives. 

Courses for beginners are available in Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, German, Italian, Korean and Russian. 

No previous knowledge of the language is required. By the end of this course, you will already know enough to “get by”: you will be able to cope with the most common everyday situations by asking and answering simple questions. and you will be able to understand people when they speak to you about the situations covered.

Kickstart 2012 with a language boost. Sign up online now. 

January 2012 language intensive – 10 sessions over 4 weeks

5-26 Jan 2012

Duration: 4 weeks, 10 sessions; Tue & Thu 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Sat 9:30 AM-12:30 PM

Session 1, Thu 5-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Session 2, Sat 7-Jan-2012 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Session 3, Tue 10-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Session 4, Thu 12-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Session 5, Sat 14-Jan-2012 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Session 6, Tue 17-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Session 7, Thu 19-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Session 8, Sat 21-Jan-2012 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Session 9, Tue 24-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Session 10, Thu 26-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Cost is $649 (inclusive of all materials, no hidden costs).

Beginners language course (2 weeks)

5-14 Jan-2012 OR 18-28 Jan 2012

Duration 2 weeks, 5 sessions (Tue & Thurs 6:00-9:00pm, Sat 9:30am-12:30pm)

Session 1, Thu 5-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Session 2, Sat 7-Jan-2012 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Session 3, Tue 10-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Session 4, Thu 12-Jan-2012 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Session 5, Sat 14-Jan-2012 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Cost is $368 (inclusive of all materials, no hidden costs).

Posted via email from Euroasia

Euroasia is proud to once again support the Fiesta de la Chilenidad in Auckland. We encourage all our clients/friends to join in the celebrations. It will be an awesome party. Invitation from Renacer en Auckland Cultural Society attached.

Hi Everybody

Renacer en Auckland Cultural Society is cordially inviting you to the “4th Fiesta de la Chilenidad in Auckland 2011” to celebrate Chilean culture with traditional Chilean food and dances as well as a fantastic dance party with a live band.

This great event will be held in the Te Atatu Peninsula Community Centre, at 595 Te Atatu Road, Te Atatu Peninsula, on Saturday 17th of September 2011 between 5pm and midnight.

The evening will start at 5:30pm with the Chilean Folkloric Show in which “Renacer en Auckland” will entertain us with their new folkloric works as well as other Latin American dance presentations from our talented guests.

And from 8pm the amazing “Matecito” Latin Band will make sure we dance to the best Latin rhythms till midnight.

This year we have improved the sales system inside the hall so that you can enjoy the best Chilean food and drinks without wait (only cash is accepted and I.D. is required to purchase alcohol).

Tickets are already on sale at $15 (kids under 12 are free)

To buy your tickets contact Jose Valdivia (Spanish teacher at Euroasia) 0211113569 or jose.valdivia@euroasia.co.nz 

So don’t wait any longer and buy your tickets before they go!*

Please extend this invitation to all your friends and resend this email to all your contacts.

We hope to see you soon

Renacer en Auckland Cultural Society Inc.

* Last year tickets sold out a week before the event. We recommend you buy your tickets before September so you don’t miss out.

Read more…

At Euroasia, we have the privelege of meeting talented New Zealanders who do amazing things in their day jobs. For today’s blog entry, we have Ken Applegate, who has been learning Mandarin with us since early last year to share his views on the Chinese economy, why he’s investing there, and his experience in working with the Chinese.

Ken is the Senior Portfolio Manager for the Fisher Funds International Fund, a specialist New Zealand-based fund manager with assets under management of NZ$1billion spread across more than 30,000 clients.  Thanks Ken for sharing your story with the Euroasia community.

As a global investor we have the ability to invest anywhere in the world and our allocation to Chinese companies has ranged from 20-40% of the fund.  We have a long term structurally bullish view on the Chinese economy.  This is not just our opinion; it is based on fact and history.  China has been a global economic powerhouse more than once in history.  Countries like the US and the UK have dominated the world economy once before and even Rome was ‘great’ once.  Just a little more than 200 years ago China’s economy comprised approximately 1/3 of global GDP and it is on the rise again.  To quote Warren Buffett, a legendary investor, “the 19th century belonged to England, the 20th century belonged to the U.S., and the 21st century belongs to China.  Invest accordingly“.  I firmly believe most people underestimate how important this shift is and the significance of its implications.

China dominated the world economy 200 years ago

I have worked as a global fund manager for more than 15 years with the majority of my experience gained while living in California.  I first visited China in 2000, and I now travel to China 2-3 times per year.   In addition, I speak with Chinese companies and local investors/analysts on a weekly basis and often meet with Chinese companies when I attend investment conferences throughout Asia, especially in Singapore and Hong Kong.  I have described below two examples of investments made in China which highlight some of the many challenges I have encountered and learned from over the years.

I also believe in continued learning and my latest pursuit has been learning Mandarin.  I began taking a weekly class at Euroasia language school in Auckland in early 2010.  I have experienced first-hand the difference between speaking Chinese and thinking Chinese.  While I have spent a good deal of the last 10 years trying to understand the Chinese way of doing business, I decided that learning the language could be another way to bridge the gap between cultures.  Many Chinese attempt to learn English so out of respect why shouldn’t we attempt to learn the most widely spoken language in the world?

China’s future will be driven by urbanisation and the emerging middle class

It is critical to understand that while China is one country there are significant regional differences.  One way to gain a holistic picture is to travel to a variety of locations throughout China.  While Shanghai and Beijing are the financial and political centres, they comprise less than 5% of the Chinese population.  The real future of China, in my opinion, lies in the emerging middle class so I have made an effort to travel to tier 2 and tier 3 cities.  In addition to Guangzhou in the south, I have been as far west as Chongqing and Chengdu and as far north as Changchun.  I like to visit similar locations every few years to see how things are developing.  The reason for my travel is to visit company management at their headquarters.  I have found they are much more open to a dialogue and it forms a lasting impression if a fund manager from New Zealand makes an effort to come and spend a day with them on their home turf.

This is the welcome I received from Cao Zhao Hui, the CEO of Wasion Group, when I visited them at their headquarters outside of Changsha in 2009

The first example is an investment that didn’t work out.  One way we generate our investment ideas is through quantitative screening of financial metrics.  We discovered a company called Dapai, China’s leading branded backpack and luggage company.  I was attracted to the company because of its leadership position in its industry and cheap valuation.  The valuation of the company was low because the company had made some decisions that did not fit the mold of a ‘typical’ high quality publicly traded company.

After significant research on the company and numerous conference calls with company management I believed that this was an investment worth pursuing.  We are strong believers in quality management so I travelled to Quanzhou, Fujian Province, to spend a day with the CEO and Chairman at their facility.  I also conducted research by interviewing customers at shopping malls (including the competition) to gauge the perception of the company and brand.

As mentioned previously the cheap valuation was due to subpar decisions the company had made in regards to how the stock and company was perceived.  I believed these decisions were made in naivety.  During my meeting with the CEO I highlighted how to change their perception which could lead to significant wealth creation.  I offered my assistance and facilitated a conversation with a public relations firm and numerous specialised brokers and made myself available for discussion on any decision-making if required.  They responded positively and we celebrated a fruitful day and good relationship over dinner.

I had continued conference calls with management and while the company did make some positive steps forward they were only baby steps.  Unfortunately the key decisions continued to be poor in spite of my advice.  This was frustrating as there was no logical rationale for the decisions.  The decisions were actually made for reasons other than purely financial reasons, which meant sacrificing their own business in the short term to maintain relationships with distributors.  I understand this is important, but it was still frustrating as management had committed to change.  While I do understand how Chinese think, I am ultimately a westerner, especially when it comes to business, and our way of decision-making does not always prevail.

Touring the Dapai factory with the CEO, Chen “Perry” Yong

The second example involves a more positive outcome.  The company is China Automation Group, a leading company in safety equipment for the petrochemical and rail equipment industries.  It is similar in structure to the first example where my research and relationship was developed over a 6-month period.  The major difference in this example is that I already had relationships with a number of players in the rail equipment industry.  This added depth and meaning to my relationship with this company.

We first invested capital in China Automation Group in mid 2008 and while business for the company continued to be positive, the stock took a dive in 2008.  This was frustrating for the company and for me.  I remember meeting with Xuan Ruiguo, the Chairman of China Automation Group, in Hong Kong in October 2008 when the stock price was HK0.60/share.  To put this into context we bought our first shares at HK$2/share.  The good news is that now the shares are trading at more than Hk$6/share.  We showed our confidence and belief in the company by buying more shares and it was this day that defined our relationship.  I had breakfast with the Chairman in March this year and he recalled my support during that challenging time and said that he always has time for me.

Summary

I have always believed in a long term approach to investing and this is a mindset that is critical when it comes to doing business in China.  The best lessons I have learned have not come from reading books but from my own experiences on the ground.   This will continue to be the focus for me in the future.  We shouldn’t overestimate the ability to change others’ mindsets and this is not a sustainable outcome anyway.    We need to adapt if we are to conduct business in their country, and both parties in a relationship must be satisfied.  This requires a long term approach – it’s not just about trying to make a short term profit.

The best piece of advice I give people who want to try and understand China is to go there.  I tell them to spend some time in one of the big cities and then travel inland to a smaller city.  I have offered numerous times to provide assistance to those interested in an attempt to make the process seem less daunting.  Seeing is believing.  It takes time to develop an understanding and time to create relationships.  Confucius said “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”…and the long term rewards can be unlimited.

Posted via email from Euroasia

Came across this funny story, not sure how true it is, but it’s funny nevertheless.

The police swear that this story is true, and that it is about a Christchurch judge who was once in session in a court down south, when the case of a German tourist was called.

The tourist could speak no English and no interpreter was available.

Was there anyone in the court who could speak German? the judge asked.

He did a bit of pleading and cajoling in the interests of getting the case heard right then, and eventually a wee chap in the back of the public seating put his hand up.

Yes, he spoke German, he said.

The judge looked relieved and motioned him forward and told him to stand next to the dock.

He would act as the unofficial interpreter to get the case moving.

Could he start by confirming the person’s name please? the judge asked.

The wee chap turned to the dock and loudly demanded: “Vot iss your name?”

Shaking his head, the judge said, “Ah well, I suppose I asked for that,” and sent the “interpreter” back to the public seats.

Credit: Courtnews

p/s: Euroasia offers professional translation and interpreting services, to ensure you don’t end up in these “funny” situations.

Posted via email from Euroasia

In this TED video, Patricia Kuhl shares astonishing findings about how babies learn one language over another — by listening to the humans around them and “taking statistics” on the sounds they need to know. Clever lab experiments (and brain scans) show how 6-month-old babies use sophisticated reasoning to understand their world.

Why do babies pick up language easily? There is widespread acceptance amongst the language learning community that children pick up languages easily. How they do this is not as well understood.

According to Kuhl, babies are listening intently to us, they are “taking statistics” depending on how adults talk. In this video, she gives some examples of Japanese and American babies learning their native language.

In English, babies use a lot of RA and LA. But the Japanese do not, so the study shows that though both Japanese and American babies respond early on to the same RA and LA sounds, but somehow as the babies grow older the American babies respond better to RA and LA, but the Japanese babies deteriorate ie. what sounds babies are exposed to matter.

Bilingual babies have to keep two sets of “statistics”. Do they get confused?

Kuhl tested sets of American vs Taiwanese babies at 6-8 months vs 10-12 months

The experiment exposed American babies to Mandarin sounds at these time intervals. American babies exposed to a Mandarin speaker over 12 sessions have equivalent respoonses to those living in Taiwan. This is an amazing finding.

Kuhl then tried to replicate this with audio and TV/video.  If the baby is exposed to audio alone or TV/video alone, babies do not absorb the “statistics”. Only human interaction matters. This has enormous implications for parents who spend thousands of dollars buying video/audio packs for babies in French, Spanish, Mandarin etc.

Kuhl closed her lecture with some food for thought.

In investigating the child’s brain, we will discover deep truths about what it means to be human. And in the process we may be able to help keep our own minds open to learning for our entire lives.

Watch the video. Highly recommended for everyone, not just parents with kids.

Posted via email from Euroasia