This video has inspired me and brought up several questions in my mind how I might learn English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWes7irLOzI
What if we should focus on listening, watching and speaking first? Imagine that you learn the language only by listening and watching first. You have never heard and never seen any of the words, phrases, expressions, sentences... in a written form. You just get explanation and pronunciation from listening and watching. Then you just repeat what you have heard and seen with 100% understanding again and again. No writing, no reading at that moment. Everything you will remember, will be only sounds and images in your head. That way, you will pick up correct pronunciation, natural accent and grammar. It will be unavoidable!
After that, you could start to learn how to write everything down. And one note, reading. Reading will be very very helpful to support your writing. Also while you will be reading, you will be hearing only correct pronunciation in your head. So that way, all your "knowledge" will get more and more cemented.
Just to sum up the idea: "Listening, watching & speaking first; writing & reading second."
<em>That's above is just a theory, an idea. I might be wrong and I can accept that. Now, I am interesting, if you have any experience with that approach or with something similar. Please, share if you have real experience only. Opinions and information from other articles without your own experience will not help the case at this moment. </em><em>Thank you.</em>
Peter, that's the basis of the Pimsleur Method. It's 100% listening and speaking to create a strong foundation. People that use this method are famous for not having English accents in their target language! They are said to have much more natural speech in the language they are learning. I am now using the method to learn a new language and I love it! I have to use my ears. I have to listen very hard to the sounds to repeat them. I don't know what the word looks like, I only can hear it so my own ideas of how a certain letter don't get involved. It makes a great deal of sense logically and experientially to me.
Great Movie Musicals make for great Lesson Materials for learning English
These are not arranged in a special order, such as "best" or anything like that.
"Oliver!" 1968 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063385/
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"My Fair Lady!" 1964
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058385/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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"The Sound of Music" 1965
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/
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"The Music Man" 1962 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056262/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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"West Side Story" 1961 (based upon William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet")
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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"Camelot" 1967 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061439/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
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"State Fair" 1962 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056526/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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"The King and I" 1956 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049408/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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"Mary Poppins" 1964 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058331/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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I think a student could learn more English, and have enjoyment doing it, by investing in a few DVD's
or CD's to get a Movie Musical Soundtrack.
.
"Listening, watching & speaking first; writing & reading second."
That's above is just a theory, an idea. I might be wrong and I can accept that."---
Peter
That is exactly the method that I use and recommend Peter. That is why I have published the lyrics to songs that students can become familiar with.
#1 I read the song lyrics and have the student repeat the phrases.
(I never laugh at students by the way. I do not even understand that.)
#2 I explain any unknown words.
#3 I either have the student listen to the video or a sing the song for the student.
The video you cite does explain "elision" very well
(running phrases, words, and sounds together.); but you could learn as much by studying a few songs.
I've read this, also, because this is how we learn as children.
Exactly:)
