| It's not hard to learn a language. Learning a | | | | The left side of the brain looks for logical |
| language is something our brain is well equipped | | | | connections between the different bits of |
| for and if we want to make i foreign language | | | | language our brain decodes. We don't need to |
| learning easy we need to understand a bit about | | | | learn huge chunks of grammar - much better to |
| how our brain helps us learn a language. If we can | | | | identify specific patterns. For example, if you're |
| make it easy for our brain, we can learn to speak | | | | learning French, you could note that the phrase 'je |
| a language fast and much more easily than if we | | | | peux'[which means 'I can'] can be used in front of |
| just blindly follow a language course and hope for | | | | just about any verb - so if we learn 'je peux aller |
| the best. Of course, we do have to put in some | | | | en ville' [I can go into town] we can also make |
| effort - that's true of anything worth doing, but it | | | | the connection that 'je peux manger en ville' |
| is possible to learn a foreign language easily by | | | | means 'I can eat in town' and that 'je peux jouer |
| harnessing the power of the left side of the brain, | | | | au tennis' means 'I can play tennis'. By learning 'je |
| the right side of the brain, and, best of all, both | | | | peux', we can then very easily go on to create |
| sides of the brain together. | | | | hundreds or thousand of sentences, following the |
| How does the left side of the brain help us learn a | | | | same pattern of 'I can...' |
| foreign language?. | | | | * Focus on specifics |
| The left side of the brain is responsible for several | | | | Our left brain helps us focus right down on |
| mental capacities, and, in simple terms, carries out | | | | specific details, whenever we need to So, for |
| four main functions. | | | | example, our left brain will help us work out why |
| * Processing language | | | | we have to say, in French, 'je vais en ville' [I'm |
| The left side of the brain is the location for the | | | | going to town] but then why we have to say 'il |
| brain cells which actually process language, | | | | va en ville' if we want to say 'he's going to town'. |
| receiving the mental messages about sounds and | | | | The good news, again, is that our brain is |
| words and decoding meanings. Without this | | | | programmed to try to work out these details if |
| capacity we cannot learn a language. | | | | we let it, and if the language learning program we |
| The good news is that our left brain will | | | | use makes the specific details clear. |
| automatically activate itself whenever we allow | | | | * Small steps |
| ourselves to concentrate on learning a language. | | | | Making progress when we learn a language |
| So to help our left brain, we can make sure we | | | | depends on taking small steps to test out the |
| understand that we need to concentrate on | | | | new words and phrases we have learned. This is |
| words, sounds and meanings. We need to engage | | | | what the fourth function of the left side of the |
| with the process of learning a language. It requires | | | | brain is programmed to do - it allows us to take |
| careful thought but shouldn't be boring. Learning a | | | | these small progress steps, and can give us the |
| language is an active process where we need to | | | | confidence to try to gradually build up our |
| actively concentrate. Choosing a good language | | | | vocabulary and little by little say more and more. |
| learning program is a great first step because it | | | | So our left brain is vital when learning a language, |
| will engage the left brain to help us take an active | | | | and knowing how it works gives us a head start |
| part in the learning. | | | | on our language learning journey. |
| * Logical connections | | | | |