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Posts Tagged ‘Language learning’

The secret to effective presentations – Paulus Romijn

June 15th, 2010 Ken Leong No comments
In 2005, I signed up for a course to improve my presentation skills.  I was conducting a few lectures at that time and figured I could do with some help. That was when I met Paulus Romijn from Presenters Platform. I’ve lost count of the number of courses/seminars I’ve attended; yet Presenters Platform stands out as a really unique course.  At the time I told Paulus that Presenters Platform was undoubtedly the best interpersonal communications course I have ever done.

Five years down the track, my opinion hasn’t changed. I can still recall vividly the experiential exercises: from trying to sell an exercise machine infomercial-style to producing a travel documentary, it was an amazing experience. I met some really interesting people, and we all had a great time on this course. It was initially a little unnerving to put myself out there, especially when I was the only guy in the class.  Every speech is recorded and played back to the whole class. If most people are like me, they will feel uncomfortable with seeing themselves on screen, as this means having our insecurities laid bare.

Once I learnt how to let go and just be myself, I started to enjoy myself. Towards the end of the course, I was actually looking forward to the weekly session, and really missed the sessions once they were over. Perhaps the most important lesson I learnt was that there wasn’t a specific technique to master. In fact the real key to becoming an effective public speaker is to overcome our own fears and insecurities.

The Presenters Platform was created by Paulus Romijn in Auckland in 2004. Paulus was brought up in Wellington from Dutch migrant parents. He was picked as a speaker from an early age at school delivering Church readings and Drama. Over the years in his studies he excelled in subjects like motivation, leadership, group norms and International Business. Then after attending many courses he thought there was so much more to presenting to an audience or screen he developed over years of research a series of courses with comprehensive tutelage with small groups.

Over the past few years, I’ve kept in touch with Paulus and recommended some of my friends to sign up for his course. In fact, we even had the opportunity to work together, with Paulus assisting a few of Euroasia’s corporate clients with skills-development and learning how to effectively present to a Kiwi audience. Paulus is certainly a talented teacher and facilitator.

I asked Paulus to give me a list of 10 tips for effective presentations.

Being a pragmatic man, Paulus has given us 10 practical tips to you get thinking about your choices and preparation when speaking.

1.     What do I want to say rather than what I think the audience wants to hear.

2.     Do not have the objective of going through the motions but of making an impression.

3.     Keep movement minimal and if you do move know where you are going.

4.     If using Power Point do not rely on it.

5.     Think about the chronological order of your delivery. What is a powerful opening rather than a predictable opening.?

6.     Practical examples are always credible in relation to a theory.

7.     Allow yourself to pause rather than use non words such as um and ah.

8.     Practice, practice,practice. Say it out loud to a friend or partner and ask for their feedback.

9.     Give yourself permission to have an opinion. “I believe”  is a very powerful start to a sentence.

10.  Fear of judgement is in your own head; your audience wants you to succeed.

After 7 years in the education business and seeing thousands of Kiwis come to Euroasia to embark on a journey to learn a foreign language, I am now more convinced that the key to self-improvement is the ability to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. This applies whether you want to learn a language or to speak in public. With a lot of life development, what holds us back is not a lack of skill, but a lack of will.

Check out Presenters Platform if you’re looking for a course that will challenge you so that you can be a more effective public speaker. You can reach Paulus on 09 360-5039.

Posted via web from Euroasia

I don’t understand grammar; we were never taught it at school?

April 29th, 2010 Ken Leong No comments

Few of us were.  But do you know the best way to learn English grammar?  By studying the grammar of a foreign language!  You kill two birds with one stone. 

At Euroasia, we try to keep the grammar as straightforward as possible, and we avoid using difficult terms.  Some basic concepts are helpful, like “verbs” and “adjectives”, but we make sure people understand the terms we do use. At the beginners level, you will survive without knowledge of grammar, so don’t let this stop you from learning a language.

You probably can’t avoid grammar for ever, so as you advance through the levels, we will progressively teach you more.  Without grammar, you just learn words and phrases, but you can’t really put them together to make new sentences.  It’s like adding up just using a plus sign (+).  With grammar, you enter the world of multiplication (x)!.  You can say so much more. 

Euroasia language course are designed for people who don’t know anything about grammar, so don’t give up on learning a language simply because you don’t know grammar. 

FAQs previously covered:

1. Why is it a good idea to learn a foreign language

2. What does learning a language really involve?

3. What’s the best way to learn a foreign language?

4. As an adult, can you learn a language the same way that you did as a child?

5. How can I obtain instant/magic results in learning a language?

6. How long will it take me to learn a language?

FAQs coming up:

8. Is it easier to learn a language if I go to the country?

9. Which language should I learn?

10. Are some languages harder than others?

11. So which languages will I find easier than others?

12. Which is the most popular language?

13. Can learning a language be fun?

Posted via web from Euroasia

How can I obtain instant/magic results in learning a language?

April 22nd, 2010 Ken Leong No comments

Somehow or other, vocabulary has to be learnt, and words have to be strung into sentences using grammar, which also has to be learnt. While some courses are undoubtedly more effective than others, at the end of the day, certain bits of language have to be understood and memorised.

Unless someone has discovered a wonder drug, it’s hard to see how the magic results promised by some providers can be achieved. 

At Euroasia, we are constantly exploring cutting-edge methods and technologies. If appropriate, we incorporate what we learn into the courses we offer, which are custom-made for native English speakers. With over 3000 New Zealanders who have completed one of our courses, we draw on a significant experience base in designing effective courses to help you learn a foreign language. We explain more under Why Euroasia.

Check out the range of foreign language courses at Euroasia.

FAQs previously covered:

1. Why is it a good idea to learn a foreign language

2. What does learning a language really involve?

3. What’s the best way to learn a foreign language?

 

4. As an adult, can you learn a language the same way that you did as a child?

FAQs coming up:

6. How long it will take me to learn a language?

7. I don’t understand grammar; we were never taught it at school?

8. Is it easier to learn a language if I go to the country?

9. Which language should I learn?

10. Are some languages harder than others?

11. So which languages will I find easier than others?

12. Which is the most popular language?

13. Can learning a language be fun?

Posted via web from Euroasia

As an adult, can you learn a language the same way that you did as a child?

April 22nd, 2010 Ken Leong No comments

Not entirely, because children’s acquisition of language is closely linked to the development of their brains. Some language courses try to imitate the child’s learning processes as closely as possible, but others recognise that as adults with knowledge of one language already we can’t go back to that language-free state we were in as infants.

Adults will always relate their second language to their first. Most adult courses recognise that, while we have lost the abilities we had an infants, we have acquired an understanding as adults which can be exploited to make language learning easier.

Check out the range of foreign language courses at Euroasia.

FAQs previously covered:

1. Why is it a good idea to learn a foreign language

2. What does learning a language really involve?

3. What’s the best way to learn a foreign language?

FAQs coming up:

5. Some ads promise instant/magic results?

6. How long it will take me to learn a language?

7. I don’t understand grammar; we were never taught it at school?

8. Is it easier to learn a language if I go to the country?

9. Which language should I learn?

10. Are some languages harder than others?

11. So which languages will I find easier than others?

12. Which is the most popular language?

13. Can learning a language be fun?

Posted via web from Euroasia

What’s the best way to learn a foreign language?

April 21st, 2010 Ken Leong No comments

Many books have been written on this subject… Different people have a preference for one approach over another.

While a few people seem to have the ability to learn a language from reading a book on the subject, there would probably be general agreement that it is hard to learn a language in this way. An audio course with cassettes or CD will work for some people. Others will find that Internet-based materials are effective.

Most people, though, will find that the above methods are secondary to the key one, which is interaction with an effective teacher. Language is a social experience, and we believe that it only really comes to live when it is used in a social context.

Check out the range of foreign language courses at Euroasia.

FAQs previously covered:

1. Why is it a good idea to learn a foreign language

2. What does learning a language really involve?

FAQs coming up:

4. As an adult, can you learn a language the same way that you did as a child?

5. Some ads promise instant/magic results?

6. How long it will take me to learn a language?

7. I don’t understand grammar; we were never taught it at school?

8. Is it easier to learn a language if I go to the country?

9. Which language should I learn?

10. Are some languages harder than others?

11. So which languages will I find easier than others?

12. Which is the most popular language?

13. Can learning a language be fun?

Posted via web from Euroasia

What does learning a language really involve?

April 20th, 2010 Ken Leong No comments

Yesterday we kicked off our series of frequently asked questions on language learning with the question “Why is it a good idea to learn a foreign language“. Today, we cover this question.

What does learning a language really involve?

On a very basic level, languages have two key components: vocabulary, the actual words, and grammar, which is the set of rules determining how the words are strung together to make sentences. And you encounter language in the form of the so-called four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

You certainly can’t get away from the vocabulary; some language courses avoid too much grammar, and concentrate instead on certain situations, like buying a ticket or ordering a meal. Listening and speaking are the most important skills for most people; some courses don’t offer much reading, and may leave out writing altogether.

It all depends what you want.

Stay tuned as we cover the following questions in the coming days…
3. What’s the best way to learn a foreign language?
4. As an adult, can you learn a language the same way that you did as a child?
5. Some ads promise instant/magic results?
6. How long it will take me to learn a language?
7. I don’t understand grammar; we were never taught it at school?
8. Is it easier to learn a language if I go to the country?
9. Which language should I learn?
10. Are some languages harder than others?
11. So which languages will I find easier than others?
12. Which is the most popular language?
13. Can learning a language be fun?

Let us know if you have other questions by leaving a comment on our blog…

You can also comment on our Facebook page.
Or if you’re ready to experience language learning feel free to check out our upcoming courses, starting 26 April.

Posted via web from Euroasia

Language learning questions we get asked daily

April 19th, 2010 Ken Leong No comments

At Euroasia, we get asked a lot of questions about languages and language learning. So we’ve decided to compile a list of frequently asked questions. Over the course of the next two weeks, we will be releasing one question and the corresponding answer every day. If you have a question that you would like answered by us, feel free to comment.

We start the series with this question:

Why is it a good idea to learn a foreign language?

We might add… when everyone else speaks English. Well, here are some of the main reasons:

  • Actually, there are many more people in the world who don’t speak English than do!
  • Just think how much time and effort those who have learnt English have put into their studies; shouldn’t we make some effort as well in acknowledgment of this?
  • Even learning a limited amount of the language can make a huge difference to the benefit derived from a trip overseas.
  • Learning a language is often a key to understanding a people and a culture.
  • You only really understand your own language when you can compare it with others.
  • Learning a language is mentally stimulating and fascinating in its own right.
  • In most countries around the world, it is taken for granted that educated people will speak at least one foreign language.
  • New Zealand trades more with non-English-speaking countries than with those where English is the first language; surely some of us need to speak their languages.
Stay tuned as we cover the following questions in the coming days…
2. What does learning a language really amount to?
3. What’s the best way to learn a foreign language?
4. As an adult, can you learn a language the same way that you did as a child?
5. Some ads promise instant/magic results?
6. How long it will take me to learn a language?
7. I don’t understand grammar; we were never taught it at school?
8. Is it easier to learn a language if I go to the country?
9. Which language should I learn?
10. Are some languages harder than others?
11. So which languages will I find easier than others?
12. Which is the most popular language?
13. Can learning a language be fun?
Let us know if you have other questions by leaving a comment on our blog…
You can also comment on our Facebook page.
Or if you’re ready to experience language learning feel free to check out our upcoming courses, starting 26 April.

Posted via web from Euroasia

Na’vi language from Avatar: Lessons for language learners

March 31st, 2010 Ken Leong 1 comment

Those of you who have seen James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar will know that Na’vi is the constructed language spoken by the fictional indigenous race (the Na’vi) on Pandora. Slates calls Na’vi the new Klingon. Aspiring Pandorans are flocking to learn Na’vi in droves.

The Na’vi language was created by Paul Frommer, a professor at USC with a doctorate in linguistics. Frommer has now launched a website to share the Na’vi language with everyone.

Paul Frommer

Paul Frommer- creator of the Avatar language

Frommer spent years working on the Na’vi language, eventually teaching it to all of the principal actors who have to speak it, and making recordings for them to listen to on their iPods.

Later, he worked on the set during shooting, coaching actors on pronunciation between takes, and even writing the occasional extra line when Cameron decided a scene needed tweaking.

Frommer recalls a moment during the filming of Avatar: “Jim Cameron and Sam Worthington came up to me and said, ‘We’ve decided that the character Jake is going to be recounting an incident he had where he was bitten in his big blue butt — so how do you say ‘big blue butt?’ … I had ‘big’ and I had ‘blue,’ but I didn’t have ‘butt.’ ”

At last count, there were 165,000 posts by 4,400 people on Frommer’s Learn Na’vi site —passionate Pandorans who spend time translating and discussing Na’vi words, encouraging novices who have never even studied a foreign language.

Whilst we do not wish to discourage the many aspiring Pandorans; instead of spending hours learning the invented language spoken on a fictional alien planet, why not sign up for some Spanish classes at your local language school? It’s a lot easier to get to Chile than to Pandora.

Classes in FrenchGermanItalianPortugueseSpanishChinese (Mandarin)Japanese and Korean start 26 April. Fasttrack intensive courses start after Easter. Euroasia is taking enrolments now for courses in Auckland and Christchurch.