Blue Umbrella Official Blue Umbrella Summer Issue | Page 15

It is fun when you find someone who speaks
fluently the language you want to learn so
you can ask that person to teach you. This
teaching will probably not be in an academic
way, but rather, you will be learning some
vocabulary and common expressions. I am
fluent in both English and Spanish and I love
to help people who are trying to learn either
of them. There is also the advantage of
having language subjects here at our
academy. There are French and Spanish
subjects that you can take. They contain
audio files, videos, images and any other
type of help you can imagine. There are also
online classes where you can not only learn,
but can also share with teachers and
classmates.
Be patient ? that is extremely important. I
assure you there are going to be days in
which you would stress out or want to give
up. When those moments come, take a deep
breath and ask for God?s help: pray that He
would open up your mind and help you
understand. Remember that everybody
learns at different rates, so do not compare
yourself to others. Each person is learning in
his own way. I can completely agree with
Mrs. Klimes when she reminds us to never
stop practicing. We use language every day,
so we should always relate it to our lives.
For example, using the colors and numbers
(such as telephone numbers or money) that
we see every day. Use the vocabulary you
know and apply it to your daily life. ?As much
as you can learn the language in context, the
better you will do. Try to experience the
words you are learning.? ?Mr. Gesch.
It is interesting to see how much a language
can open your eyes. From my experience,
since I started learning new languages the
world has become smaller and every country
has gotten nearer and less overwhelming.
Similarly, some words that you use in your
native language may be used in a completely
different manner in another language.
Instead of you comparing the new
information with the facts that you already
know, try to learn new language as if you
were a baby and you?re starting from zero.
When you compare languages too much, you
might get stuck. Use visual helps and write
down phrases in order to memorize. Your
notebook does not necessarily need to look
all professional and extremely
organized?just take notes that you will
understand and remember.
Mrs. Klimes always reminds us: ?avoid using
an online translator.? This is because online
translators either translate incorrectly, or
they are focused more on literal words than
on usable expressions. In addition, when you
are going to write or talk, you should use
what you have learned?if you