The Future Of Learning and Teaching Foreign Languages
A weekly dose of motivation, inspiration and education from Masha and Jedrek.
Ahoy Sailors!
This is your captain speaking. We are back at our usual time. Sorry for sending the emails on Saturday afternoon last week; it was an accident. Some of you reported waking up from your naps terrified it was already Sunday morning. ;)
This week I am exploring the future of learning and teaching foreign languages — read on to find out what is about to change. Maciek reminds us about the beautiful concept of small talk, and that’s not all from him this week. Agata is spicy again, with a beautiful postcard from her dormitory — we’ve all been in a similar situation. Mateusz is finally back from the States and he’s back with a bang! Check out his selection for this week and follow our playlist on Spotify.
In the Links to Click section (formerly known as ‘We Recommend’), you can watch and listen to Masha from a different perspective — a must-see! There’s also a very interesting article I’m linking about dating in foreing languages. A bit further down the screen, Maciek proves that he wasn’t wasting his time in the city of Berlin. Check out his picture!
Last but not least, there’s my picture from France. Let’s go because next week we take a short break and come back in June!
The Future Of Learning and Teaching Foreign Languages
By Jedrek Stepien
They say AI is about to transform our lives. I am not even arguing with that. From time to time, Masha is sending me some stunning videos of what AI is currently capable of and we both agree that what is holding our jobs and the whole world still more or less unchanged are some old habits and general reluctance of people to adopt new technology. But the genie is out of the bottle and it’s a matter of quarters rather than years before our life is transformed. I’d like to use this short moment before we wake up in the future to speculate about learning and teaching foreign languages. I will, of course, delete this post if what I say doesn’t come true 😄
Let’s look at the future of learning first. I expect to see a major shift in the motivation for learning. Today, many of you study languages because you have to: because you go to school, because you want to get a better job, because your boss wants you to, or because you travel a lot. With technology abolishing linguistic barriers to the very last one, there will no longer be any external motivation to learn languages. Not even English, the lingua franca, because all languages are going to be translated with great accuracy and precision into your native one before they even reach your eyes or ears. You will have a feeling that the whole world speaks your language, and there will be no external motivation to learn. A feeling similar to what many Americans experience today. Languages may be removed from school curricula, as they are no longer necessary for career, but some governments may decide to keep them at least for teenagers because of their socializing qualities. Your performance will not be graded, language lessons will be optional.
With external motivation gone, the internal one will be the only one making you want to study a foreign language. I am pleased to say that many of my students are already of this futuristic type. What will push people to learn languages? Pleasure of talking, thinking and meeting other people. There will be no pressure to be correct, and nobody will make a big deal about mistakes. Communication and community will matter most. Since this will be the time of omnipresent chatbots and most of our interactions will be with machines, language classes will be a chance to meet and speak with real people. In the class you will no longer learn about colors or directions, but you will mostly just gossip and chew the fat. Exploring the meaning of various concepts, like we’re doing in our classes, will remain a niche but a very sought after one.
Teaching is going to change as well. The teacher’s role won’t be to provide knowledge and instruction anymore, like it is now, but to be an equal partner of the student. Classes will be based almost exclusively on conversations. We may witness the revival of traditional writing courses too, but they will most likely be taught in the first language. Traditional face-to-face classes will be rare, but they will survive because of their unique qualities. The future teacher will have to be a very well-educated person with a knack for making people feel comfortable and at ease. He or she will have to be more interesting to talk to than your Alexa, Siri, or Claude. The goal of teaching will no longer be to teach particular material, but to make students feel good, safe and, most importantly, heard.
Learning foreign languages will become a form of pastime. Sometimes more and sometimes less popular, depending on the fashion. You will also have to pay more for language classes, whether online or stationary because it will no longer be knowledge that you pay for but a unique, human experience. So, get ready for the future where you no longer have to learn, but simply want to.
THIS WEEK IN ToL:
Thinking Out Loud 095: Ask The Psychologist with Alona
We have finally met with a psychologist this week. And I must tell you one hour was not enough to satisfy our curiosity. Alona Chyrva, who joined us on the show, was flooded by various questions we have long been mulling in our heads. I am particularly thankful to her for answering why professional athletes, often in their early 20s, seem much older than they really are. A must listen if you have not yet.
THE PHRASE OF THE WEEK
By Maciek Skulski
Small Talk
I have in my notebook, which you can see in the photograph above, a few sentences about small talks. Small talks, an integral part of British culture, are a very important element of social interactions, often used in business but also in everyday situations.
There are topics that British love to small talk about, such as the weather or asking about one’s journey, like "How was your commute?" However, there are also topics that are considered inappropriate for small talk because they might lead to a faux pas. Definitely avoid topics like politics, religion, physical appearance, and money. The goal is to keep the conversation light, pleasant, and enjoyable for both parties.
Examples of use:
"It’s lovely outside, isn’t it? Have you had any chance to spend some time outdoors?"
"Yes, I have. I enjoyed a brief walk during lunch. It’s really refreshing to get some sun after those long meetings. How about you? Have you managed to enjoy the weather?"
"How was your flight/commute?"
"It was quite smooth, thank you. A bit tiring but I got some reading done. How about yours? I hope it wasn’t too crowded today."
THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE?
By Agata Kasperczak
Wrestling
This article refers to the video I recommended to you two weeks ago “Don’t judge to quickly”. I remember a story:
Once upon a time, while studying, I entered my friend's room after knocking politely. I found there a couple playing on the bed. She was lying, he on top of her, grappling her hands over her head.
Seeing me, the girl jumped up in embarrassment and, trying to get out from under the boy's body, she quickly explained herself, sticking her head out from under his arm and waving her legs like a beetle that what they are doing is not what I think.
- I thought you were practicing mat wrestling - I said with a mischievous smile and left, leaving them to their own devices.
THE SONG OF THE WEEK
By Mateusz Borowik
Artemas - i like the way you kiss me
It is not often that I present songs from the charts in my recommendations. But in the case of Artems, I can't resist. The pulsating synth, rumbling bass and rising beat make my heart beat faster. The dark percussion, somber vocals and guitar riffs put you in a trance from the very first listening. And after that, you are hooked and want more, because the 2:30 minutes are definitely not enough. Without a doubt one of the hits of the year, and I'm not surprised at all.
Lyrics:
I like the way you kiss me
I like the way you –, uh
I like the way you kiss me, I can tell you miss me
I can tell it hits, hits, hits, hits
Not tryna be romantic, I'll hit it from the back
Just so you don't get attached (yes, yes, yes)
I like the way you kiss me, I can tell you miss me
I can tell it hits, hits, hits, hits
Not tryna be romantic, I'll hit it from the back
Just so you don't get attached (yes, yes, yes)
You bite my lip just for the taste
You're on your knees, I'm on the case
You take the heat and with such grace
You say, "We're done, " but here you stay
You said you're scared, I'll let you down (I'll let you down)
Just stick around and you'll find out (and you'll find out)
But don't you wanna make me proud? (So make me proud)
'Cause I'm so proud, baby, I'm so proud of you
I like the way you kiss me, I can tell you miss me
I can tell it hits, hits, hits, hits
Not tryna be romantic, I'll hit it from the back
Just so you don't get attached (yes, yes, yes)
I like the way you kiss me, I can tell you miss me
I can tell it hits, hits, hits, hits
Not tryna be romantic, I'll hit it from the back
Just so you don't get attached (yes, yes, yes)
Do I stress you out? Can I help you out?
Does it turn you on when I turn you around?
Can we make a scene? (Scene)
Can you make it loud? (Loud)
'Cause I'm so proud, baby, I'm so proud of you
So proud of you
Hmm, so proud of you
I like the way you kiss me, I can tell you miss me
I can tell it hits, hits, hits, hits
Not tryna be romantic, I'll hit it from the back
Just so you don't get attached (yes, yes, yes)
I like the way you kiss me, I can tell you miss me
I can tell it hits, hits, hits, hits
Not tryna be romantic, I'll hit it from the back
Just so you don't get attached (yes, yes, yes)
I like the way you kiss me
I like the way you –, uh
LINKS TO CLICK:
VIDEO: Masha Playing the harp - A Must See!
Masha’s YouTube Channel
I may know Masha quite well, but there’s still a lot I don’t know about her. For example, this week I learned that she can play the harp. There's a video of her performance on YouTube. She told me that she attended a music school with her son, and they even performed together sometimes. The video shows a sort of final exam, a school concert where parents and children were invited to perform.
Watching the video may not bring a lot of linguistic benefits, but it might inspire you for the rest of your life. By the way, Masha says she never liked performing in public, and that hasn’t changed despite her artistic training.
ARTICLE: I've been living in Spain for 12 years. I've stopped dating locals because too much gets lost in translation.
Businessinsider
A very interesting text by my collegue Nicola Prentis (an author of many books for teaching English btw). Nicola writes about her frustrating experience of never learning Spanish entirely, being caught up in the subtelties of the language and how the foreign language changes her personality. I can relate to her words having lived in France for the past 7 years, except I came with my wife and - thank heavens - I did not have to date 😄
MY FRANCE:
I live in the south of France, in a region called Provence. Provence is mainly known for its lavender fields. The views in early July, when the lavender is blooming, live up to their legend. The road to a town called Valensole leads through an ocean of hypnotizing purple and sensual smells. I heard there was a very popular soap opera in China that ended with a wedding set exactly among these fields. Now every Chinese tourist coming to the region wants to see it with their own eyes. The locals have subtly (or not) adapted the road signs on the way to the town.
MY ToL:
Hallo Thinkers from Berlin! I’m thrilled to be here representing Polish employees at the Spring edition of the European Works Council 😄 (a shot from Berlin Hauptbahnhof)
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT…
Have a Beautiful Week!
That’s almost all from us this week. This week is the last when we’re still running the survey, please help us get better by answering our questions!
Don’t forget that you can co-create this newsletter by sending us your texts, reflections, jokes (anybody?), photos and whatever you want! We are waiting for your contributions - tolpodcast@hotmail.com
You are also more than welcome to comment and interact with us in the chat in the substack app.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next issue of our newsletter which will be published on June 1st that is IN TWO WEEKS 🫡.