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Viewing Language Learning Made Easier - How? With Rhyming PoetryLanguage Learning Made Easier - How? With Rhyming Poetry
By Kathy Steinemann
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Which of the following verses would be easier for you to remember and memorize? Verse Number 1: I'm running to meet you. I love you so much. It's really getting late. I hope I don't miss you. If I do, will you still love me? Verse Number 2: One, two, I'm running to you. Three, four, it's you I adore. Five, six, the clock ticks. Seven, eight, I might be late. Nine, ten, will you love me then? The basic meaning of the two verses is similar. Read them again. The second time through Verse Number 2, did you notice that you started to anticipate what comes next? The difference between Number 1 and Number 2 is cadence and rhyme. When learning a new language, rhyming poetry can transform vocabulary acquisition into an easy and enjoyable experience. Be sure, however, that you select poetry with modern words and grammar. Although reading literature from the 17th Century is excellent for cultural and educational edification, the text written by a poet over 400 years ago will contain words, spellings, and formations that are considered outdated by modern standards. Do you remember all the 'thees' and 'thous' in the King James Version of the Bible? People would look at you strangely if you started using those words in everyday speech. To find suitable poems on the internet, try searches such as: •poetry parallel translation •poetry parallel English German versions •poetry parallel English French versions •poetry parallel English Spanish versions •poetry parallel English Italian versions Review the websites you locate with your professor, teacher, or private tutor. Ideally, if you know a native speaker, try to persuade him or her to do some readings for you. Record and convert the audio into MP3 or WMA so that you can listen to it on your computer or portable sound player. Recite softly along with the speaker to reinforce your spoken language skills. Are you a poet at heart? Try writing some simple poetry yourself. It doesn't have to be fancy. For example, you can try to group rhyming words without actually forming complete sentences. The following list would be useful for a German student: red - rot boat - Boot to see - sehen to go - gehen quickly - schnell bright - hell to live - leben to raise - heben above - oben to try - proben It's easy! You have a short vocabulary list without grammar complications. Best of all - it rhymes - which means that it will be relatively easy to memorize. You can find audio clips online for the foreign words. If you have appropriate software for capturing audio played through your computer, you can create your own recordings. Dictate each English word or phrase into the microphone individually and store as a separate file. Save foreign language clips to your hard drive as well. Then play the clips in the correct order with your capture software enabled. Create a file that is a minute or two in length, convert to MP3 or WMA - and now you have a 'poem' of sorts, complete with correct pronunciation. Who says that learning a new language has to be hard or boring! (c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included. About the Author: Kathy Steinemann is a busy webmaster and author who enjoys writing German-English stories in parallel translation. She works behind the scenes at several websites, including A-Language-Guide dot com. Article Source: A Language Guide - http://www.a-language-guide.com |
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