This article is a continuation of yesterday's "Learn A Language To Increase Your IQ" post.
In that article I revealed how and why learning a second or even third language can increase your IQ and general cognitive functions.
Yesterday I told you about how I'm learning Chinese at the moment. In this article I will tell you exactly how I'm learning it, and also why.
Pairing For The Greater Good
Lately I have rekindled my passion for coding, I want to learn how to code for many reasons and there are many coding languages that I want to master.
At the moment I am learning the library languages of HTML5 and CSS, both of which are used in the developing and design of websites.
Last year I was learning Java and I am also lined up to learn some Python.
The first time you look at code, you're forgiven for wondering what all this gobledy gook in front of you is. It uses language that is at once familiar and obscure.
The concept of coding is also something that can cause great confusion for the novice developer.
Objects, statements, callers, and identifiers have meanings that deviate from the actual meanings of the words.
Add to that the fact that coding anything is a slow and laborious task, and you start to wonder why anybody would want to do this in the first place.
The fact is, I not only love messing about with code and seeing what it can do. I also want to "future proof" myself, and I believe that learning to code will help me do that.
Discovering Pairs
Around two years ago I had a job which meant that I had to ring Germany each day.
The beauty about speaking to the Germans; especially in a business setting, is that most of them can speak near perfect English.
However I felt that the job presented the perfect opportunity to brush up on my school-level German. If not for the sole fact that you tend to get more respect from native speakers if you at least make an effort with their language.
So I set to it, I fired up my app and took German lessons everyday. Each day I would try and incorporate what I had learned into the actual conversations I was having.
My German improved no end, and I enjoyed learning it immensely.
However I noticed an interesting byproduct, my Spanish which I had felt had been severely neglected of late, improved.
I noticed one day when I had to call Spain, and my vocabulary was simply better than I expected.
It turns out that, without taking any brush up lessons, I had remembered previously forgotten phrases, grammar and rules in general.
I realised that this was because I had been learning German, and I was basically working out the "muscle" that allowed me to comprehend language.
Whilst I saw the synergy between European languages, it got me thinking about what other skills that a person might learn, that would translate into a completely different area.
I forgot about this train of thought until fairly recently. I realised that trying to learn an impenetrable machine language, why not learn a human language that was similarly impossible.
That's when I started to gain an interest in learning the Chinese dialect of Mandarin.
Now anytime I want to dive into new code, I try and do at least ten minutes of Chinese beforehand, and lo and behold; it works!
Ways To Learn
These days there are many routes to learn any given skill that interests you, and language is no different.
The technique you use to learn will largely depend on your reasons for learning it in the first place. For instance if you are about to move to a new country. Then your methods will be much more rigorous than somebody learning the same language for a two week holiday.
I personally prefer the app approach, that way you can completely control your pace of learning, and you can go back to earlier lessons with ease.
The app I use for European languages is Duolingo, I like this app for several reasons.
The functionality of the language it teaches you is high. I once downloaded a Chinese language app, and among the first lessons was exactly how to address your ex boyfriend at his wedding.
Duolingo teaches you stuff you'll actually need to say if you go and visit that country. Also I like the way it structures the lessons in a hierarchical way.
Add to that, it connects to your microphone and gives you pronunciation lessons. Best of all, it's completely free and so you can get up to a decent level for zero fiscal outlay.
I would definitely use duolingo if I was going on holiday to a country whereby I didn't speak the language. However if I was going to move somewhere permanently then I may want something more intense.
There are a plethora of teachers out there, selling their CDs or allowing you to connect to them online, I will mention just two here.
Verbling is a service that I've used to improve my Spanish from intermediate to expert. However I must warn you, it isn't cheap. It is €24 per hour, with a discount if you bulk-buy 10 hours.
For that €24 you get to speak with a native speaker for an hour via Skype. These lessons are great as you get to speak whatever language you're learning for a whole uninterrupted hour.
The second one I haven't actually used, this was recommended to me by a friend who has recently sold up and moved to France.
On my recommendation she used Duolingo for awhile, however, she felt she needed something more in-depth.
So she bought Michelle Tomas's CD, and she is over the moon with it, and she feel's like she is making real progress with her French.
Learn Chinese!
Lastly I'm going to leave you with my favourite app of the moment. Hello Chinese is an excellent Mandarin app.
For quite sometime I have been interested in attempting to learn Chinese. I love the sound of Mandarin, and the seemingly impenetrable nature of it appeals to me as well.
As I mentioned earlier, I had one Chinese app which taught me some very bizarre phrases. However with Hello Chinese, I can already count from 1-99, say very basic things about myself, family, food and other interests, and understand simple questions about those things.
I have had the app for a few months now, and have recently stepped up the amount I'm doing each day.
The beauty about this app is it teaches you how to write as well. So slowly but surely, I am beginning to learn Chinese characters.
Understanding written text is crucial to deciphering any language, so I'm glad that Hello Chinese has a writing element within the program.
All in all I'm happy, I feel that I am actually learning Chinese, while at the same time learning to code; both things are making me a better communicator.
PS: I also thought the logo for Hello Chinese was a bit racist, however I then discovered it was made by Chinese people, so I guess it's OK!
When I have understanding of man, I will have understanding of computers;
when I have understanding of computers; I! Will be the Supreme Being!
~ Ultimate Evil - Time Bandits
HAVE YOU DISCOVERED A LEARNING PAIR? WHAT TWO THINGS (OR MORE) DO YOU BELIEVE CAN BE LEARNED TOGETHER FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT? AS EVER, LET ME KNOW BELOW!
The two periods where I have learned the most was
Great post as always Cryptogee!
Thanks for sharing!
I can really relate to number 2. There have been times when I have felt a bit woolly on a subject, and then I have explained it to somebody at an earlier stage than me. Usually I surprise myself with how much I actually know and then like you say; sharpen my own understanding.
I would love to chat physics with you; I have so many crazy ideas (not backed up by maths) that I would love to talk with you about.
For instance I'm interested to know if we could trigger a second iron catastrophe on Mars and thus create another magnetosphere. I would want to do this by burrowing deep into the planet (with an, as-yet-undiscovered material) and pouring in molten iron.
I know there are gravity issues, but surely we could do this one day?
Anyway, I digress, thanks for your comments! :-)
Cg
I've heard that there's a link between musical talent and mathematical abilities. So maybe this is sort of a learning pair.
I've heard somewhere that the left side of the brain does things and the right side of the brains does different things. @cleverbot I wonder do you have to do at least 2 things on the right and 2 things on thr left or 1 on each side?
practicing learning how to juggle made math more readily understandable to me in college. I think there are connections between all kinds of subjects in our brains.
Definitely a good pair, so I think that could manifest as learning the piano and some kind of maths discipline.
Thanks for your comments :-)
Cg
In my case, while I was studying filmmaking, one of my script teachers told us that to write two scripts at same time was easier than to write one. I'm trying it now, and I think he was right.
Hmm, interesting. I would guess it depends what you're writing about no? Do you have to keep the subjects quite different from each other to avoid confusion?
Cg
No, in fact it is the opposite. When you are working on two different characters and ideas, the structure you are working on, helps you to organize better the other process you have in your head. Is something like that
Very interesting; please follow up on this comment and let me know how it went when you are finished, or near completion.
Cg
I'm starting with this. The script process is usually long, but of course I'll tell you!
Good to see you back online, hope everything got sorted without too much trouble.
For me, i always sucked at maths, it wasn't until long after i left school and took up darts as a hobby that i realised, at the same time i would have to learn to count, my maths improved considerably, it didn't turn me into Will hunting but at least i don't completely suck at counting anymore. Pity i can't say the same about playing darts though, i think i'm worse than when i started, hehe.
Unfortunately I'm not back online yet; still stuck using the library during the day and nothing at night :-(
Darts is a great one for quick mental arithmetic, shame the darts suffered, maybe you needed to find another comparable skill to learn; maybe knitting? :-)
Cg
Hahaha, just had a mental picture of me sitting amongst the team, while they are all drinking and I'm sitting knitting haha.
That's ridiculous, that your provider have not got it sorted yet.
Lolz; that would make an excellent photo . . and then when they see it's actually improving your darts, your teammates ask you to teach them, and before long you're all sitting around between points knitting away!
Absolutely; I think after today they will no longer be my provider; I'm expecting a call any minute now from them, telling me that they're releasing me from my contract. Then I'll seek some serious compensation for the trauma it has caused!
Cg
I will recommend you learn JAVAScript.... Very interesting language... nice post
Yes I can't wait to dig into JavaScript, I have done a bit of JS Query but I need to get back to some pure coding :-)
Cg
Great post for getting my brain going. :) I’m not sure if it would be a good pair to anyone else but I found (back in the day) that when I wrote a code to design a Pac-Man game (my all time favorite) with all the bells and whistles it helped when I was designing websites. Which in turn helped when I was teaching college computer classes. I would go over every line of code with the students and as I was explaining I may come across a spot where I missed a : or a }. So I guess teaching something to someone else also helps you learn at the same time. Like teaching my son French, which I took many moons ago, has helped me brush up on things I had forgotten.
Yes teaching is a great learning tool! I have found the same thing; especially when you're teaching something you know really well.
We can all succumb to expert's syndrome sometimes; whereby we forget the basics of what we know. Therefore when we start to break it down again for a beginner, we're like; "oh yeah, I'd forgotten that!"
Thanks for the comments, keep learning! :-)
Cg