Learning a new language is one of the most rewarding, yet difficult tasks to accomplish. Whether it’s Spanish, French or Chinese, foreign languages can be a complex undertaking when trying to learn key phrases, proper grammar and the most practical vocabulary.
Learning a New Language
For travellers worldwide, speaking a foreign language is a huge benefit to connect with the local culture and help make the practicalities of travelling easier. There are countless books, CDs and programs available for foreign language immersion, but some people still can’t seem to get the knack of it.
Earworms
There is a new-ish concept called earworms mbt® Rapid Languages that the company calls, “Accelerated Learning.” They put their foreign language lessons on CDs that are scored with catchy melodies. The rhythmic repetitions are created to root the phrases and vocabulary into the listener without much effort.
Earworms has taken the concept of those catchy tunes (those jingles that play over and over until they get stuck) and implemented them into foreign language learning. According to the company, “...pupils using this technique regularly achieve average marks of over 90% compared to less than 50% with conventional book based learning.”
Review of Earworms
The concept of earworms does actually work. For the Spanish, French and Chinese CDs, this reviewer found that the catchy melodies did, indeed, stick. The repetition added reinforcement to practical phrases and the tunes helped get more than just the brain engaged.
The key here is repetition. The CDs need to be heard again and again in order to really learn the basics of a foreign language. Fortunately, the CD form makes it easy to pop them into a home CD player, car stereo, download them to an ipod, or slip them into a discman. It’s a little bit like osmosis for those who are busy but still want to learn a new language properly.
Another huge benefit of this technique is learning the correct pronunciation. A native speaker faces off against a non-native speaker to learn the difference between saying the phrases with an accent and hearing them as they should be pronounced. The melodies also help here, allowing the brain to repeat the words with the same inflections as the native speaker.
How To Learn a Language
Overall, the earworms program is a great concept. The younger generation will like it because they can plug it into their lives effortlessly and still come away with the basics of a new language. The older generation will like it because it’s a new way to develop language skills without sitting for hours pouring over books.
Language aficionados will like it because after the basic CDs, there are two higher levels. These dig deeper into the languages and how to speak them, not just the key phrases needed for travelling.
More information can be found right at the earworms website.
Lori Henry - A travel writer, Lori flits between exploring the world with incessant curiosity and huddling over her laptop writing.
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