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Thanks for reading the Multilingual Books newsletter, your source for foreign language news, information, and product information and specials from Multilingual Books. This is also available as a web page at our website, www.multilingualbooks.com. In this issue:
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Kids who blow bubbles find language is child's play
Public release from eurekalert.org
Youngsters who can lick their lips, blow bubbles and pretend that a building block is a car are most likely to find learning language easy, according to a new study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Psychologists at Lancaster University, led by Dr Katie Alcock, found strong links between these movement, or motor and thinking, or cognitive, skills and children's language abilities.
Their study looked at more than 120 children aged 21 months – the time when they are learning new words at a faster rate than at any other stage of their life. It included questionnaires for parents and special tests of motor and cognitive abilities.
Dr Alcock said that an especially interesting finding was that children who were poor at moving their mouths were particularly weak at language skills, while those who were good at these movements had a range of language abilities. She believes that the findings could help child experts identify very early on those youngsters most likely to have problems with their understanding of words and speech in later life.
In experiments, the children were divided into four groups, and those in three of these were given more detailed testing in motor skills, understanding, or language and hearing.
The study found that in each group, some skills had closer relationships to language abilities than others. They also showed different patterns of relationships. For instance, there was no link when it came to easier movements, such as walking and running.
To assess spontaneous speech in a familiar place, researchers recorded everything said by children, and the person looking after them, during a half-hour free play session in each child's home. This was then analysed in terms of the range of words produced, and the length of sentences.
In a second group, children were assessed on a wide variety of thinking and reasoning skills: working out how to put puzzles together, matching pictures and colours, interacting with an adult to get their attention, and 'pretending' that one object is another, such as using a block for a car, or a box for a doll's bed, or giving a doll a tea party.
Children who were good at this were also better at language, but there was no relationship with more general thinking skills, such as doing puzzles.
In another group, children were tested on their ability for instance, to say a new or unfamiliar word or to work out which of two Teletubbies pictures the sound they are hearing goes with.
Children who could say new words an adult asked them to repeat, were best at language. Being able to listen to a new word or a funny sound and work out which picture it went with also distinguished between children with advanced and not so strong abilities.
Dr Alcock said: "We have found links between non-language and language skills in children at a time of very rapid development. We plan to follow-up this study when the children are older, to find out which skills give the best indication of later language abilities and problems.
"We have already examined how much parents talk to their children at home. Now we are also going to look at parents' levels of education, and the children's home environments, such as the number of books they have, to see what influences these have."
See the full text of this article at: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/esr-kwb062006.php
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FSI Greek, Italian, and Thai Courses Now Available By Download! Language Associates FSI Greek, Italian, and Thai are now available in a downloadable version! The Language Associates Digital Editions are the popular FSI courses in full digital format - all course material is included, but all audio is in MP3 format and all reading material is in PDF format. These courses are considered by many to be the best and most complete language courses available. Get the benefits of full FSI courses with increased portability and substantial savings! Please note that Digital Edition courses require a computer capable of playing MP3s and displaying PDF files. Digital Edition downloads are currently available for French, Hebrew, Hungarian, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Thai, Arabic, and Iraqi. Download and save! We are introducing our downloads at less than half the price of the hardcopy courses. Why? Well, when you buy in downloadable format, we save, so you save! No printing, reproduction, packaging, handling, and shipping costs for us means big savings for you. Check out our Digital Editions Download Store! |  |
July Top Products
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Last month's quiz: What do the following languages have in common? Armenian, Celtic, and Greek are members of the Indo-European language family. Tagalog, Chamorro, and Javanese are members of the Austronesian language family. Ainu and Korean are language isolates; they have not been conclusively linked to any other language. This month's winner is Suzanne Smails. Special mention to Eric Montijo who sent in a particularly thorough answer. Congratulations and thanks to all who entered! This month's quiz: Language is often on the minds of the world's notable people. Who are the authors of these language-themed quotes? "Language tethers us to the world; without it we spin like atoms." "Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own." "A different language is a different vision of life." "Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years, many foreign people still speak in foreign languages." "Language is always ambiguous as to the exact proposition which it indicates. Spoken language is merely a series of squeaks." The answers and the winner will be in our next newsletter. Winner will receive their choice of one Talk Now or World Talk language CD-ROM! No purchase necessary to enter. E-mail your entry to:
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The Internet Public Library
Founded by the University of Mighigan in 1995, the Internet Public Library offers a wide variety of resources on a wide variety of topics including language. Definitely worth a browse.
Check it out at https://www.ipl.org/.
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Save $20 on Levels 2-8 of Platiquemos CDs!
Platiquemos Spanish Course For a limited time, save $20 on any Platiquemos CDs, Levels 2-8! CD version only. One week only. Use promo code MB-PCD20-726 to receive this special. Order today! |
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FREE Shipping on Any Childrens Item Purchase Over $50! We are proud to offer a great selection of language materials for children! See our Children's Books, Courses, and Software page for an overview, plus we have individual children's sections in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Save on our great selection of childrens items for one week only! Use promo code MB-KFS-726 to receive this special. |
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Save $15 on Tell Me More!
Tell Me More Language Software Save $15 on Tell Me More for one week only! Use promo code MB-T15-726 to receive this special. |
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Save $10 on Foreign Service Institute Course Digital Editions!
Foreign Service Institute Courses
Language Associates FSI Digital Editions For a limited time, save $10 on any Foreign Service Institute Course Digital Edition! Use promo code MB-FDE10-726 to receive this special. Order today! |
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