ABOUT THIS PROJECT - Versión en español -
INTRODUCTION

LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

It is very common to see the enthusiasm that all students have when they begin to learn a new language. At the beginning everything is new, the student has many dreams and projects, but over time the difficulty, the routine, and especially the lack of progress cause the abandonment of the studies with the consequent failure and disappointment.
This is especially noticeable about languages learning, whose difficulty is usually underestimated, by considering that "it is not so difficult. " That's not true. To learn a new language is one of the biggest challenges that an adult may face.

Each subject requires special skills, according to the brain zone that it affects. So that someone may be very good at math, but incapable of writing a poem. Some other people can be an excellent musicians but can not learn sciences. Why do I tell you this? Because in the case of an adult who wants to learn a new language, there are different skills that must be put to work in order to get success.

On one hand, the student must train its memory, given the amount of new words to be learned. On the other hand, the brain zone related to language ability must also be developped. We know that the brain zone related to language has some relationship with the brain zone that controls the musical activity. It is a fact that who have facility for music also have facility for languages.

And regarding the attitude we should have for learning, there are not differences with other topics, whether you studied law, music, medicine or a new language. In all cases we needed high doses of sacrifice, dedication, diligence and discipline. And here we have a problem when trying to learn on Internet. Being alone with no one who control us, nor having to take tests, nor term, the difficulty to reach the end of each level is big.

Therefore it is necessary to consider some important things when we decide to learn a new language:

- Which is my target?
A) I want to get some basic knowledge to go on vacation to a country where that language is spoken or I like to start the learning because I have to occupy some free time
B) I really need to learn the language in depth for whatever reason.

In the first case, you should not worry too much. You can even take it easy, as a funny hobby.
In the second case, you must seriously meditate on your goal, as well as the magnitude of the task that you are going to take, becoming aware that speak, understand, write and read fluently are tasks that will take years.



TIPS:

- It's advisable to study with someone else, like a friend. This give you the chance to share the experience, it makes the studies to be more funny, decreasing the possibility of giving up .

- It is essential you to impose yourself a discipline regarding the time you are going to devote, how many hours you are going to study and follow it as if you were going to an expensive and demanding school. Otherwise, soon there will be many excuses preventing you to follow the courses, then you can drop out sooner than you think. The failure feeling is immediately associated to abandonment and frecuently to the idea that one does not serve for languages. But may be not true. I know childhood friends who were the last ones of the class at school, but they completed succesfully their universitary studies against all odds.

- It's a good idea to reward yourself according to the progress and goals to be achieved. For example, celebrating the accomplishment of each level as a birthday party, inviting friends, or making a trip, or buying that small caprice that you wanted.
In the opposite case, it is very encouraging to impose a small penalty, I mean, if I fail to finish a level, I will not make that trip, or buy what I like, or I will not organize that party with my friends. Of course all this must be taken as a voluntary self-discipline self-imposed as the adult people we supose to be

- Regarding the "technique " to study the lessons, there is not much to say, because each one must adapt the study to the own way of learning, ability, pace and goals, all in accordance with what I explained above.

However, let me remember what I said in the introductory message on the home page about teaching methods to use:

DIDACTIC METHODS:

1- The traditional method, consisting of memorization and constant translation from the new language to your native language Here the study of grammar is esential.

2- The new educational systems, that follow a very few studies way, where little is memorized, practically do not learn grammar and the aim is to learn the language as If you lived in the country where it is spoken. Unfortunately this method is carried out in the country where the student lives so It is not possible to live a language total immersion. Obviously the effectiveness of this system is very low, however since it is an easily sold system, it unfortunately abounds. Years of experience have taught me that an adult can not rely on thismethod except if he/she actually lives in the country where the language to be learnt is spoken, being even needed to go to school if he/she does not want to take years to start to communicate with the natives.

Moreover, The first system has also shown shortcomings, as it gives you a theoretical basis but they can go years without understanding a film spoken in the studied language.

The intelligent combination of both methods is the quickest, the most effective and the safest way to learn a language.
How long may it takes? That depends on each one.


I am developing the lessons trying to combine the two teaching methods simultaneously: You can follow lessons working the intuitive aspect of learning, or you can follow
the traditional system, by reading every translation into english in order to know ever what you are reading or listening.


RECOMMENDATIONS:

- First learn the vocabulary you're going to need in each lesson, so that when you read or hear every word you will not take time to know what it means.
Then focus on the auditions. Listen to them many times without reading the text until the vocabulary, the expressions and the semantic are an automatic part of your brain

- Do the exercises. You just have to make a click to see the solutions. Do them as many times as you need until you dont make mistakes.

- I reccomend the use of headphones better than speakers. The auditions sound better in headphones and they will help you to focus better. Some lessons may take little longer to be viewed in your browser due to the number of audio files therein. Please have a little patience in such cases.

- I strongly recommend the use of browsers different than Internet Explorer. Firefox is the best one by far, besides safer and faster.

AND FINALLY:

The WWW.IDIOMAX.NET project grows every day , so if you start from the basic level, you'll see new lessons and exercises to appear every two days or so, until to complete all levels.
Please do not forget that I am dedicated full time to this project and therefore any contribution will be extraordinarily helpful


Thanks for being there right now.
Daniel Moreno