From a learner's POV... =20 Present language learning as truly an adventure! It wakes up parts of the brain that might never otherwise get used, and yes - this is a painful process! But you are Indiana Jones - a Marco Polo of the mind - here is an opportunity to open up a whole other DIMENSION in life - things that previously were unavailable - doors that were shut because they were out of your experience, now start opening. And, as time goes on, things start to 'click' - you start to actually *think* in the target language. Not much at first - maybe a phrase here or there, or even the equivilant to "I don't know... I don't know" in the target language (this is happening to me), but suddenly - counting numbers will start becoming automatic - you watch a TV show or movie in the target language, and even though you don't understand eveyrthing, or even most of it - it doesn't sound as much like a 'foreign language' anymore... When you see something written in your target language, it's not as obscure as
it once was - it starts to look familiar, like something that is right on the tip of your brain... so close to=20 understanding... You are a child again - the world is wonderous and scary and quite mysterious! =20 The unknown looms ahead, but as the searchlight of your mind starts shining on new ways of thinking - the target language is less and less opaque, and starts to become a lot like transluscent glass - the light is starting to shine through, but the shapes are fuzzy... and every once in a while... the transluscent glass becomes clear in parts, and you can see, -clearly- what's on the other side -=20 and what's on the other side can see *you*, and you're no longer just a fuzzy shape to them! Bit by bit, piece by piece... You're on a mission, and you have landed on an alien world - you have to take this secret code and start to learn to decode, and to encrypt in it - to use the code. We know some things about this mysterious alien code - and comprehension *will* come! Each new word learned, each
new concept to tickle the brain, opens up windows and doors and new fresh air strikes the brain! It is exhilerating, and refreshing! There is a newness to it! Language learning is an adventure - it is truly an adventure.
