Want to Make Language Learning Easier? Rhymes to the
Rescue!
by Kathy
Steinemann
Learning
a foreign language can be enjoyable - but exasperating. Anything
you can do to accelerate learning or make language acquisition more enjoyable
is a valuable weapon in your learning arsenal. Kathy Steinemann shares
a helpful and unique approach to this challenge.
Take a look at the
following two sections of text:
*Version 1
The sky is blue today.
I'm sitting on the beach. A bully kicks sand in my face. Too bad for him!
Here come my bodyguards!
*Version 2
One, two, a sky so
blue. Three, four, a sandy shore. Five, six, a bully kicks. Seven, eight,
he's sealed his fate. Nine, ten, here come my gunmen!
Now go back and re-read
the verses.
Did you notice that
you have already started to anticipate what comes next in the second version?
Conclusion: It is
easier to memorize rhyming poetry than to memorize prose.
So what
implication does this have for learning a foreign language?
If you memorize
well-written *modern* foreign language poetry, you can
accelerate your learning curve. (Notice the keyword 'modern'.)
Poetry written in
the 18th Century may have deep cultural and educational significance.
However, words penned to page over 300 years ago will utilize obsolete
vocabulary, spelling, and grammar formations.
As an example: consider
the popular King James Version of the Bible. If you started using 'thee'
and 'thou' in your daily speech, people would understand you - but they
would treat you like an alien in a time warp.
You can search the
internet for poetry written by contemporary authors. Try searches like:
parallel translation
poetry
parallel
translation poems
parallel translation
poems German English
parallel translation
poems French English
parallel translation
poetry Italian English
parallel translation
poetry Spanish English
Substitute search
terms as necessary with the name of the specific language you are studying.
Review the webpages you find with a tutor, professor, or knowledgeable
person to determine grammar and vocabulary suitability.
Attempt to have the
poetry dictated and recorded by a native language speaker. Softly recite
the poetry while you listen to the recordings. This will improve your
verbalization skills. With luck, you may find online audio for some of
the poetry.
Are you
a budding poet? Try creating foreign
language poems yourself.
No poetic talent?
Attempt the following simple approach. If you are learning German, for
example, you might produce a 'poem' like this:
the dog - der Hund
the mouth - der Mund
the air - die Luft
the scent - der Duft
to buzz - summen
to growl - brummen
little - klein
clean - rein
to brood - grübeln
to iron - bügeln
You don't have to
worry about grammar - just definitions, pronunciations, gender, and spelling.
Alcor (alcor.com.au) has several rhyming dictionaries that can assist
you with this process.
If you have an audio
dictionary on your computer, listen carefully to the pronunciation of
each word. There are also excellent online dictionaries with audio.
Now produce your own
poetry recording using audio capture software.
- First, dictate each
English word or phrase and save as an individual file.
- Next, save foreign
language audio clips from your dictionary or from the internet.
- Now load your audio
capture software and play the files in the correct order. Try to create
short productions of a minute or two in duration.
- Edit if necessary
to eliminate excessive pauses or add definite articles.
- Finally,
convert to MP3 or WMA. Now you can use your iPod or portable media player
for something besides music.