Category Archives: Learning a language

Free Spanish Short Films

Watching movies in the foreign language is a great way to work on the listening comprehension skills and acquire new vocabulary. However, watching a full film can be very tiring, left alone all the time it requires. That is why a great alternative, but equally useful, can be watching short films.

Here there is a link to a webpage that hosts Free Short Films in Spanish, with English subtitles. Have a look and immerse yourself in a bit of culture while praticing the language!

 

Top tips from experts to learn a language quickly

Tricks of Tongue

Top tips from experts to learn a language quickly

  • Take risks and speak the language whenever you can.
  • Read children’s books and comic books in the foreign language.
  • Consume foreign language media.
  • Immerse yourself in the local culture.
  • Make use of free foreign language podcasts and apps.
  • Don’t practice in isolation; get feedback from native speakers.
  • Don’t worry about making mistakes.

If you want to see the whole article from the BBC, go to http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20150302-secrets-to-learning-a-language

But to START TAKINGS RISKS, go to a version of the article written in Spanish: to http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2015/03/150309_vert_cap_aprender_idioma_rapido_yv 

Videos ELE

ELE stands for Espanol como Lengua Extranjera (Spanish as a Foreign Language).

ele

Our students are all ELE students, and so if you search in the internet for any resources or information adding the label “ELE”, the search can be more fruitful.

VideoEle is an example of a very good webpage addressed to ELE students. And the great thing about it is that all the Units are sustained around a video (whose transcripts you can read, of course).

We are sure you will find this website extremely useful!

http://www.videoele.com/en/Curso_en.html

letra_grande_sin_sombra

Links between languages and other skills

Some interesting facts about language and how they relate to other skills. In order to see the whole article and other facts from different studies, follow the link below!

  • Language learning boosts brain plasticity and ability to code new information
  • The first language you learn changes how you hear all other languages afterwards
  • People who learn foreign languages have bigger brains
  • The biological base of learning maths and language is a single symbolic processing system
  • Delaying the onset of Alzheimer disease
  • A new study (paywall) suggests that children who speak multiple languages are better at understanding other people
  • Boys and girls learn language differently

[Source: http://www.all-languages.org.uk/news/features/speaking-mind-links-languages-skills/]

Benefits of biligualism – Part II

Here comes, the second part of last entry’s podcast. It may be interesting to listen to that as well. You can do it from here, or directly from the BBC website.

18GRAY-articleLarge-v2

[CNHS does not own the image or the audio file contained in this entry. The later has been downloaded from the BBC webpage and it is shared here for educational purposes]

Benefits of Bilingualism – Part One

This podcast by the BBC explains some interesting facts about speaking more than one language. Have a look at it from here or go to the BBC website page where you can also find it.

cc_bilingual_wmain

[CNHS does not own the image or the audio file contained in this entry. The later has been downloaded from the BBC webpage and it is shared here for educational purposes]

Eight Tips For Improving Your Vocabulary

[This is an articule extracted copied from another webpage. To read the whole article and get into more detail about the tips, go to the original article here ]

Words. We all need them. However fancy your grammar may be, without words you can’t communicate. […] The trouble is, there are a lot of words to learn. Here are eight things to keep in mind on your quest for a larger vocabulary.

1) Love dialogues

2) Find text with audio recordings

3) Don’t expect to remember things first time

4) Don’t let vocabulary escape unrecorded

5) Learn that vocabulary which is around you

6) Use mnemonic devices

7) Put the language to work

8) Learn the script!

To read the whole article and get into more detail about the tips, go to the original article here 

Go and work abroad – it could have career benefits you never imagined

5000

Taking the leap can be daunting, but you’ll face challenges and pick up skills that will turn you into a desirable employee.

Read the whole article by The Guardian here, to see all the opinions and comments  from different people that have been as brave as to do that.

Introduction to Italian – Università per Stranieri di Siena (UniStraSi)

Why not having a look at this online free course by the Future Learn website, to introduce oneself to some basic Italian?

If you know any Spanish at all (and all Cardinal Newman students know even a bit, don´t let yourself be underestimated) this shouldn´t be very challenging.

Quite on the contrary, it is a great opportunity to open your knowledge of languages a bit more! And remember it is an adding skill, learners always build on top of what they know, so the more they learn, the easier it will be to learn more!

Source: Introduction to Italian – Università per Stranieri di Siena (UniStraSi)