What is the most fundamental key to learning another language? I would have to say interest and passion. If you are interested and passionate about anything, you will spend the time and resources to pursue that passion. The interest may come from within you, or can come from a need to survive. If you need to learn something in order to survive, you will inevitably have interest in it. We didn’t have to be a genius to learn to speak our mother tongue as a child, did we? We just needed it to survive.

This TED article on a teenager named Timothy Doner that taught himself 20 languages is a fascinating look into the process of learning another language. He started out being fascinated about the Middle East, so started listening to an Israeli funk group album every single morning. He says, “At the end of a month, I had memorized about twenty of their songs by heart — even though I had no clue what they meant. But once I learned the translations it was almost as if I had downloaded a dictionary into my head; I now knew several hundred Hebrew words and phrases — and I’d never had to open a textbook.” This start led him to learn more and more languages. I do agree with his conclusion about the goal of becoming conversational in many languages. “But while I’ve come to realize I’ll never be fluent in 20 languages, I’ve also understood that language is about being able to converse with people, to see beyond cultural boundaries and find a shared humanity. And that’s a lesson well worth learning.”

I have experienced myself that being able to converse in the language of the person’s heart really opens up thoughts and feelings that would otherwise be impossible to communicate. If we can somehow develop the interest and passion in learning another language, it is possible and enjoyable for anyone out there. 

Many of our English students are in the work force. So obviously the students are very concerned about being taken seriously at the office, and that means learning to communicate fluently in English with co-workers and clients. One of the biggest concerns we often hear about is how to write effective and polite emails. Emails are meant to communicate clearly and briefly, but the recipient can easily misunderstand the intent behind the email. Here is an interesting take on how email communication will play out in real life, acted out by Tripp and Tyler, the sketch comedy duo.  

We have all made these mistakes before, but we can’t take it back! So it's worth taking some time to think about how to improve our email writing habits. I came across a Forbes article with an editor’s guide to writing ridiculously good emails, and wanted to share a few points from this article.  Here are a few pointers to share to improve the quality of our emails.

1. Slow Down – make sure you have read the emails in your inbox, and don’t be in such a rush to respond back. It takes time for anyone to formulate your thoughts.
   
2. Make sure it has a beginning, middle and end – You might think, it’s not an essay I’m writing! But the recipient will appreciate a little nicety from you as an intro, give them all the necessary information they need to take action in the body, and make sure the recipient knows what action to take in the conclusion. 
3. Proofread and Fact Check – make sure you are getting the names correct, dates and addresses fact checked, and feel out the email by checking your emoticons and exclamation points. Do you want the email to be enthusiastic or more professional and serious?
4. Think how you would feel if it went public – It can happen, so make sure your email sounds respectful and professional!

Just a few pointers, but considering these few points before you press “send” can be the difference between being taken seriously or not by your colleagues and clients.

What are your thoughts on writing emails? Let us know!!