language learning | ReadOasis

A Simple Recipe for Learning English

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ReadOasis Step 1 To learn English, we need words. Most English native speakers know between 12,000 and 20,000 words. Shakespeare used 31,534 words. And he probably knew more. How many words do you know? Naomi knows 95% of the words in Alice in Wonderland. She understands it without a... Read more

How to Acquire Language (Step 2)

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ReadOasis Step 2 How do humans acquire languages? The answer is surprisingly simple. All people everywhere acquire languages in the same way. "We acquire languages by understanding messages." This is called the "comprehension hypothesis," and it was made by the linguist Dr. Stephen Krashen. I give this idea an... Read more

Reading Makes Words Stick in Your Brain

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ReadOasis: So here we are with Dr. Paul Nation, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wellington, Victoria (New Zealand). And of course one of the most well-known linguists in the world. It’s an honor to have him. Just one quick question for our learners: How can extensive graded reading help... Read more

Extensive Reading, Because it Works!

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This is Professor Thomas Robb from Kyoto Sangyo University, and he is one of the world’s renowned experts on extensive graded reading. Q: Tell us. Why should students do extensive reading? Dr. Robb: Why? Because it works. I’ve done it for Japanese as well. Really? Yeah. So I chose a mystery... Read more

How to Acquire Language (Step 3)

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ReadOasis Step 3 How do humans acquire languages? The answer is remarkably simple. All people everywhere acquire languages in the same way. “We acquire languages by understanding messages.” This is called the “comprehension hypothesis,” and it was made famous by the distinguished linguist Dr. Stephen Krashen. I give this... Read more

An Instinct for Language

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) The Kingfisher is a beautiful bird. Like many kinds of birds, the Kingfisher takes a special journey when the seasons change. Birds take this journey to find food and better weather. But this is the amazing part. Birds take this seasonal journey without learning... Read more

5 Amazing Facts About Reading

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What’s the best way to improve your English? Of course, there are many ways. But big, easy reading is one of the best. And it probably has the most research and evidence to support it. What is big, easy reading? First, you read lots of books and stories. That’s... Read more

Language Acquisition (Part 2)

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By Stephen Krashen ReadOasis Step 4 Talking is not practicing. Talking is not practicing. What does this mean? It means if you want to improve your Spanish, it will not help you to speak Spanish out loud in the car as you drive to work in the morning. It... Read more

Language Acquisition (Part 3)

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By Stephen Krashen ReadOasis Step 4 I'd like to discuss one more hypothesis before we move on to literacy. And this is a very important one called the Affective Filter Hypothesis. Research in language acquisition has concluded that there are several factors that relate to success in language acquisition.... Read more

An Instinct for Language

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 2) Two basic facts show us how language ability is instinctive. These ideas come from one of the most famous language researchers of all time, Noam Chomsky. Chomsky says, first, there is no limit to the creative power of language. Second, children develop this amazing... Read more

An Instinct for Language

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 3) In short, the creativity of language shows this. As you acquire language, you can create an unlimited number of new sentences. This means that you don’t memorize all the sentences in the English language. Instead, you acquire a knowledge of rules and words. This... Read more

An Instinct for Language

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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 4) So here’s the million dollar question. How can you turn on your natural ability to acquire language? Of course, you can live in a foreign country. This will give you more time for communication. But here is a more general answer. It’s input. Input... Read more