THE NEW GLOBAL VILLAGE

There has been an increased interest in learning a foreign language. Even governments advocate it, asking schools to offer foreign language units and even make it a mandatory part of the curriculum. But there also a number of executives who decide to take a foreign language in their free time. In the age of globalization it is now important to know a foreign language to do well at work: scuole inglese dublino.

But more than that, learning a foreign language gives personal satisfaction. As the Czech love to say, �You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.� Learning a language opens new horizons. This is never more true than when you visit another country. Now that you can speak the language, going beyond the usual recital of phrases in travel books and tourist brochures, you�ll be able to appreciate their culture from a completely different perspective. Here are some tools of the trade.

GRAMMAR BOOKS

This is one of the most classic language study guides and is absolutely indispensable. Of course grammar books are not entirely interesting and can seem tedious. However they are very important in remembering sentence structures and mastering the different concepts and seeing them at work.

PHRASE BOOKS

These books are tiny but they pack a lot of information. Most of the books will include instructions or guides on how to pronounce the words. There will also be a glossary of the words used in the book, and may include useful and practical idioms and phrases. Whatever language method you plan to use, these phrase books are a good way of complementing whateer you learn in the classroom.

DICTIONARY

This is one of the most important tools and you should always carry a small one in your bag and have a more extensive one on your study table. Dictionaries are absolutely essential in your efforts to learn a language. Without it you wouldn�t be able to understand what you read or even be able to build the vocabulary necessary to form sentences.

A good dictionary will have two kinds of translation, for example, English to French and French to English. You should also have one that contains idiomatic expressions, which are difficult to translate. (Ex: �It�s raining cats and dogs.�)

FLASHCARDS

This is a very easy yet efficient way of reviewing your notes and practicing sentence structures or vocabulary. There are many ready made flash card sets but it�s possible to create or customize your own. You can cut paper or purchase those that are pre-cut (the business-card sized ones are okay). Write about five or six words or phrases on one side of the card, and the English translation on the back. Put a few in your car, your purse, your kitchen, your office drawer, so you can make a quick run through whenever you find a few minutes of free time.