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  • Speaking in Tongues – Tips for Learning a Foreign Language

    Speaking in Tongues – Tips for Learning a Foreign Language

    In a multicultural country like Canada, it is quite common to hear people speak a language other than Canadian English–whether you are at school or just on the street. As such, we are exposed to how beautiful languages from different countries are, and the thought of studying a foreign language might have popped into our mind a few times.

    Establish your reason.

    Being impressed by people who speak say French or Nihongo is usual for most people. After all, these languages are wonderful indeed. However, if your reason for taking a stab at learning a different language is to impress people as well, then you may have to rethink your intentions. It should be a worthwhile reason such as you wish to stay in France for the whole summer or you want to be closer to your Japanese friends.

    Be prepared for hard work.

    Think that learning a new language is like memorizing the Periodic Table of Elements? Think again. Remember, the process to become fluent in a language other than you are accustomed to takes time and effort—it does not happen overnight, and it certainly does not happen like magic. Sometimes, it takes a lot of modules for you to get to the basic level even. While it does take a lot of hard work, perseverance, and patience to be fluent in a foreign language, keep in mind that the rewards are great.

    Immerse yourself in that culture.

    Perhaps you have heard people say that there is a big difference between a traveler and a tourist. A traveler immerses themselves in the country’s culture, while a tourist just observes and focus on the must-sees. When you are learning a foreign language, don’t be a tourist. Make sure you act as a traveler and immerse yourself in that country’s culture. If you are learning Greek, for example, keep an eye for related events like Greek food festivals and film festivals. Of course, if you do get an opportunity to travel to Greece, then that’s even better.

    Watch foreign language films.

    Speaking of film festivals, it is extremely helpful to watch the films of the language you are studying. For instance, you wish to become more fluent in Spanish. You will find a plethora of films that are in that language at the public library or DVD store. Doing so will teach your ears to become accustomed to the sounds. Once you are confident in your learning skills, you can even watch the films even without the subtitles.

    Practice, practice, practice.

    No one studies a new language to keep it to themselves. Thus, don’t hesitate to try your hand at actually writing and speaking it. If you are learning Portuguese and you have Portuguese classmates, by all means, speak what you have learned in front of them. For sure, they will be more than charmed by your efforts to learn their native language and will be truly happy to help you out. Don’t be scared of making mistakes, even when it comes to pronunciation. As they say, these mistakes are opportunities for you to learn.

    Now that you have read these suggestions, you will be most likely ready to take on the challenge of studying a foreign language.  Know these tips by heart and have a go at it. Good luck.

    Sources:

    https://www.babbel.com/magazine/10-tips-from-an-expert

    https://www.markmanson.net/foreign-language

    http://lifehacker.com/top-10-tips-and-tools-for-learning-a-new-language-1703201725

    http://time.com/3453841/secret-learn-foreign-language-adult/

    http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/oct/30/learning-another-language-ten-tips

  • Career Profile: Speech and Language Pathologist

    Career Profile: Speech and Language Pathologist

    Being able to speak seems like a natural and normal thing to do. However, many young children or even adults lisp or stutter, and people who have had strokes or accidents often lose their ability to speak. Speech and language pathologists help people with various kinds of problems to speak more clearly so that they can communicate with the people around them.

    Do you enjoy the sciences or do you prefer words and language? As a speech and language pathologist, you could work with both. Speaking is about knowing words and being able to put sentences together, but it is also about using the right part of the mouth and having the physical ability to get the words out. Speech and language pathologists can help with both.

    Knowing how sounds are formed is an important part of helping people with speech problems. For example, someone with a lisp needs to know that “s” is made at the ridge inside the mouth, and “th” is made between the teeth. Proper breathing methods and pronunciation techniques for other problems are part of what speech and language pathologists need to know.

    In Canada, speech and language pathologists need a university education, normally at least a Master’s degree with courses in English and the sciences. Studies in areas like social work and psychology can also be useful. National certification from Speech-Language and Audiology Canada is also necessary for people working in the field. At first, speech and language pathologists might earn about $40,000 per year, but people with experience can get salaries of over $80,000.

    Besides the technical knowledge, people in this field need to be able to work well with people. Their patients might be small children, accident victims, or elderly people who have had strokes or other health problems. They can work in schools, hospitals, or research facilities. Pathologists need to consult with other people such as parents or teachers, and they need to be able to explain what they are doing so that the people know what to expect. Sometimes, they might teach classes or give presentations about their work.

    Being able to plan and look ahead is very important for this work. Speech and language pathologists have to get to know each patient’s needs, diagnose the problem, and find a solution. Sometimes, a patient’s needs might be beyond a speech and language pathologist’s skills, and knowing when to get help is a very important part of the work.

    Speech and language pathologists spend a lot of time working with people, but they also need to work independently as they research the best techniques for helping patients. Do these qualities describe you? If so, you might want to consider becoming a speech and language pathologist.

    Bibliography:

    Alberta Learning Information Service. “Speech-Language Pathologist.” http://occinfo.alis.alberta.ca/occinfopreview/info/browse-occupations/occupation-profile.html?id=71002785

    Living in Canada. “Audiologist and Speech Language Pathologist Salary Canada.” http://www.livingin-canada.com/salaries-for-audiologists-and-speech-language-pathologists.html.

    McGill School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “Professional Training in Speech-Language Pathology (M.Sc.A.).” http://www.mcgill.ca/scsd/programs/slp/.

    Payscale.com. “Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Salary (Canada).” http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Speech-Language_Pathologist_(SLP)/Salary.