[ Journals ] VIII - English Is Child’s Play

Children are amazing! They pick up language so naturally and easily. Have you ever wonder why? It’s not because they have great natural language abilities. In fact, studies show that an adult’s potential to learn language is just as good as a child’s/
So why do children still seem to acquire language more quickly than the rest of us? It’s because of the way they learn. Children learn by simply doing what comes naturally—they listen, copy and communicate. Let’s take a closer look at how children acquire language. Perhaps discover a better, more “natural” way to learn English.

Listen, Listen, Listen
When people talk to children, they often use simple words that children can understand. That’s really important to the children’s language development. In order to learn, children must be able to comprehend what they hear. If they don’t understand it, it’s just meaningless noise.
English students also need to listen frequently to English thy can understand. Tune in to radio or TV programs like Studio Classroom that use English at your level. If you can’t understand every word or sentence, don’t get hung up on it. Just concentrate on what you can understand. And listen as often as you can.

Be a Copycat
Children like to copy what they hear. They mimic their parents, their friends and even the TV. This teaches them how to use and pronounce the language. Mimicking has the same benefits for students of a second language. As you listen to foreigners speak English, repeat what they say as best as you can.

Use English to communicate
Children don’t practice grammar drills, but use language to talk about things that interest them. This helps them learn to express themselves. They don’t worry about inadequate vocabulary or poor grammar. They find ways to express themselves, and they do it successfully.
Students of English should also focus on genuine communication. Look for opportunities to talk with people in English. If you can’t find a foreigner to talk to, talk with other English students, instead. Start an English discussion group and chat about music, movies or whatever interests you. Don’t worry about making mistakes. The objective is to learn how to communicate easily and comfortably. Remember that you can communicate successfully even with a small vocabulary.
Trust your own natural ability to learn English. You’ve got more potential than you probably realize!

---------------------------------------------------------------
I. Summarize


II. Vocabulary words and phrases
i. new words/phrases
ii. useful / phrases


III. The reason I chose this article