| The propensity of our ancestors to group up, | | | | Miniaturization and portability have meant |
| go off in different directions and each | | | | that anyone can easily carry Gigabytes of |
| develop their own languages has played a | | | | text, audio and video files around in his or |
| large part in most of the major wars of our | | | | her briefcase, purse or pocket. |
| times. Different languages mean that one | | | | |
| group of people cannot understand another | | | | Learning methods. Interactive audio learning |
| group. What we don't understand, we mistrust. | | | | methods have been developed that follow the |
| What we mistrust we dislike. What we don't | | | | natural way to learn languages. You start |
| understand, mistrust and dislike we come to | | | | with basic conversation, then expand and go |
| fear. What we fear we come to hate. And that | | | | on from there. Sound bites that can be |
| mistrust, fear and hate are all too easily | | | | replayed at will mean that students can |
| used as the justification for doing something | | | | repeat the exact words, accent and |
| violent against the hated group. | | | | expressions of native speakers over and over |
| | | | again until they get it just right. These |
| All this has been recognized by thinking | | | | innovations mean that it is actually faster |
| people for a long time. Attempts have been | | | | and easier to learn to speak another language |
| made to find a common language. But every | | | | than it ever was in traditional classrooms. |
| existing language has its group of | | | | |
| nationalistic advocates, who generally want | | | | Lifestyles. Today's society is such that |
| the world to learn and use their particular | | | | people are constantly on the move, and they |
| language. There are emotional ties to one's | | | | carry their iPods, CD players and other |
| mother tongue and learning another language | | | | handheld electronic devices with them. So |
| has always required a major effort. | | | | anyone can study or brushup on language |
| | | | skills at almost any time and place. |
| But a quiet revolution has been taking place | | | | |
| in language learning. A revolution based on | | | | Cost factors. One of the effects of |
| technology, learning methods and lifestyles | | | | technological advance is that costs of |
| that is making it easy to be multilingual. | | | | delivery of information materials has gone |
| | | | down drastically. The Internet has meant that |
| Traditionally we have learned by sitting, | | | | you can download text and audio files in a |
| face-to-face with our teacher, and listening | | | | few seconds, maybe minutes. The cost for the |
| to what the teacher said. This the same way | | | | producer to make another copy is practically |
| that the students of Plato and Socrates | | | | zero. There are almost no inventory or |
| learned, sitting under an olive tree in | | | | delivery costs, so complicated intellectual |
| Greece, some 3,500 years ago. | | | | products can be sold at extremely low prices. |
| | | | |
| Technology, learning methods and lifestyle | | | | Result? Today you can buy a language learning |
| changes are changing all that, and building a | | | | course for $100, download it in less than 10 |
| new reality in language learning. | | | | minutes, then learn to speak another language |
| | | | in a few weeks, working at times and places, |
| Technology. The development of high-fidelity | | | | and at a pace of your own choosing. And you |
| sound recording, manipulation and playback | | | | can emerge from this training speaking the |
| media and devices have removed the necessity | | | | language perfectly, like a native, and do |
| of the teacher and student being | | | | your part to increase world understanding and |
| face-to-face, in the same time and place. | | | | avoid future international conflicts... |