Posts Tagged ‘online learning’

Language Learning Online

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

I read a editorial by Matt Gross in the New York Times about his quest to find a program to learn a language.  His experiences ran through the spectrum of programs out there, from iphone apps, to the well known Rosetta Stone.  Some services are free, such as google translate, but others he notes, can cost as much as $85 per week.  That works out to $4420.00 for a year.

None of the programs he mentioned included any aspect of monitored progress, which we feel is what makes the L2 Accent Reduction online course so distinct.

Many programs require the user to listen to audio CD’s and memorize phrases.  Even Matt Gross mentions that the differences are that some help you to “remember it better”.  Of course the problem is: what is the point of remembering a phrase if you can’t properly pronounce it?  Youtube is full of videos from people who will ask random strangers to give feedback on their pronunciation.  Here is one example: CLICK HERE

Of course, most people don’t want to go to the lengths of broadcasting themselves.  Besides, the feedback of an untrained person is rarely helpful.

Would you spend $4420.00 for an online course?

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Accent Reduction: Online Learning

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Every day I come across another online accent reduction course that seems to be the same old thing.  I recently talked to a guy on youtube who gave advice about accent reduction.  He advised people to just get a tape recorder and practice recording themselves and repeating it.

It is surprising that most of these accent reduction programs and CD’s and DVD’s are simply doing the same thing.  I mean, how do you know if you are saying the word correctly or not?  For an example of what I mean click here. On a side note, the lesson in this video should include some information about the schwa sound.

I’m happy that our online learning software is monitored by real ESL specialists and that clients are marked if they are saying sounds correctly or not.  I think it would be hard to improve from just a DVD or a CD.

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Distance Learning

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

I’ve been hearing this argument for a while: that the increase in technology is not only making people busier, but also dulling creativity. On the contrary, I think the internet is accelerating creativity. One of the best ways to open your mind to new things is by learning another language. Distance education and technology is making this easier.
My friend Tomoko teaches Japanese online to people all over the world. New York, Madrid, Sydney, practically everywhere. Her students come from all walks of life. Some learn for business, others for fun. Either way, there is no doubt that learning a new language can open your mind up to new and creative ways of thinking.
Our own online training for accent reduction reaches people in India, Germany, Saskatoon, and wherever else the internet can reach.
So I think all this technology is only dulling the creativity of those who lack drive and passion. The internet is a great tool for creativity.

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