Free How to learn Foreign Language Presentations in PowerPoint format

Goal

To provide basic information necessary for a clear understanding of the “true” nature of learning a second language.

What is Language?

Language, the principle means used by human beings to communicate with one another. Language is primarily spoken, although it can be transferred to other media, such as writing.

General Language Facts…

Over 6,800 Tongues
8 Countries account for more than half of all languages
There are 832 languages in Papua New Guinea
India has 15 official languages
Over 1000 languages are spoken in Africa

Most Widely Spoken Languages in the World

•1. Chinese (Mandarin) 1,075,000,000
•2. English 514,000,000
•3. Hindustani 1496,000,000
•4. Spanish 425,000,000
•5. Russian 275,000,000
•6. Arabic 256,000,000
•7. Bengali 215,000,000
•8. Portuguese 194,000,000
•9. Malay-Indonesian 176,000,000
•10. French 129,000,000

Rationale for Learning Another Language?

•Knowing another language brings opportunities
•Better knowledge of other peoples & cultures
•Read and understand more
•Employment advantages
•The World is at Your Fingertips
•You become a Citizen of the World (Globalization)

General Reasons People Learn a Second Language…

•Personal
•Professional
•Social
•Educational

What is language really about?

•According to Ricardo Gonzalez it is about patterns, time expression. He notes:
•There are 15 ways to express time
•A word must be repeated 15 times to be stored in long term memory; a structure 60 times
•The Parts of Language Make the Whole
•Repetition is the “Mother” of all Learning

Second Language Acquisition

•An understanding of second language acquisition can improve the ability of mainstream teachers to serve the culturally and linguistically diverse students in their classrooms (Fillmore & Snow, 2002; Hamayan, 1990). While significant professional development is necessary to gain a full understanding of second language acquisition theory, some key concepts can be quickly understood and applied in the classroom.
•Current theories of second language acquisition are based on years of research in a wide variety of fields, including linguistics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and neurolinguistics (Freeman & Freeman, 2001).

The Spanish Speaking World 400,000,000 speakers

•Venezuela, 21,000,000
•Colombia, 35,000,000
•Ecuador, 5,000,000
•Perú, 23,000,000
•Chile, 14,000,000
•Argentina, 34,000,000
•Uruguay,3,000,000
•Bolivia, 7,000,000
•México, 93,000,000
•Guatemala, 10,000,000
•El Salvador, 5,000,000
•Honduras, 5,000,000
•Nicaragua, 4,000,000