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