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Multilingual Books March Newsletter

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: Featured Article - Learning a Language - The Process Language News - "Merhaba" means "Hello"! Ask The Experts - Ask a question of our expert staff and win a gift certificate! Product News - Platiquemos Spanish course; also, MB now offers online learning! Newsletter Specials - Special offers only for our newsletter subscribers! Send to a Friend Please send this along to anyone you think might be interested by clicking the link above. Unsubscribe Information This newsletter is intended as a service to language enthusiasts and customers of Multilingual Books. You have received this because our records indicate you have ordered products from us or have asked to join our mailing list. If this message was unwanted, we apologize and will be happy to remove your address from our list. Please see the unsubscribe information at the bottom of this message.		Featured This Issue
		Wow! 2-for-1 FSI Language Courses! Act now! Platiquemos Spanish Course - Save $20! New! On-line Learning from MB and Rosetta Stone!

Featured Article

Learning a Language - The Process
By Paul Torres

Across the United States, it is not uncommon for young children to be able to talk in multiple foreign languages. There are many schools across the U.S. that teaches young toddlers in multiple foreign languages. One such school is the “Language Workshop for Children” in New York City. In this school you will find young children who talk with classmates in Japanese and during naptime may ask simple questions in French, “Est ce que je peux dormier?” (Can I go to bed?). Often, they can say this often without the slightest American English accent. This will be a growing trend in the early part of the 21st century.

Does it sound like parents may be pushing their kids toward overachievement? Not entirely, say educators and child development researchers. “In the past decade or so, we've learned a tremendous amount about the best way to teach foreign languages so kids develop a real proficiency for using them," says Christine Brown, director of Foreign Languages for the Glastonbury, Connecticut public schools and chairperson of the National Standards Task Force on Foreign Language Education.

This insight into learning has not been the secret of just the language teachers; in fact psychologists and linguist recently have added a lot of understanding to the incredible learning capabilities of the young mind. We now know when the window of greatest opportunity is created during a children’s development.

According to neurobiologists, a newborn's brain is like a new computer waiting to be programmed. In the womb, a very small percentage of all connections are already created, as a newborn many more other connections are just waiting to be programmed during those first years of life. As a result, say some researchers, the immature brain offers certain advantages for acquiring a second or third language that will never be found again in a person’s life. It is believed that after the age of 10 the ability to make some basic connections can no longer be made. Learning any language after this age may be difficult.

Does this mean that there is little hope for adults who want to learn a foreign language? Francois Thibaut, Director of “The Language Workshop for Children”, who has taught both children and adults at all ages, does not think this is so. He believes adults can master any foreign language through willingness, effort and hard studying.

Adult Americans are studying foreign languages. As a result, a new understanding of proper and effective learning methods is emerging. The focus has switched from the old conjugation and memorization to the new immersion and communicating with the language every day. The key is to learn the language as naturally as possible and the immersion program for adults is quite successful. As kids we learn our native tongues through osmosis, as adults we can recreate that natural learning activity through exciting creative activities. So don’t be shy, go out and partake in learning a foreign language. Whether you are an adult or a child, there are now proven methods that will allow you to be successful!

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Language News

Web Site of the Month

Say "Hello" in Different Languages!
Being friendly has never been so fun! Greet a friend or make a new one by saying "Hello" in a different language. Our curious staff found this wonderful web site dedicated to the idea that greeting someone in their own language is a wonderful way to make a friend! So, explore this site and say "Merhaba" (Turkish) with a smile!
https://www.ipl.org/youth/hello/

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Ask The Experts!

Question: I am very interested in finding out about materials in Lakota Sioux that I could learn from, for example an audio course and a dictionary, especially designed for non-native speakers like myself who are very interested in learning the language.

Answer: Thank you for your interest in Native American languages. Multilingual Books is proud to have a variety of offerings. We have several Lakota courses, the best being Introductory Lakota with 15 cassettes and a book for $185.
Thanks, Ken.

Question: I would like to know if courses of languages like Tamil and Tibetan exist. It would be very important for me.
M.O.

Answer: Thanks for contacting us with your inquiry! In Tibetan, we offer Fluent Tibetan: A Proficiency-Oriented Learning System. The Tibetan Journal calls this course "a significant and unmatched achievement in the field of teaching colloquial Tibetan." We at Multilingual Books agree. Fluent Tibetan is the most systematic and extensive course system available in spoken Tibetan language. It was developed by language experts working in conjunction with indigenous speakers at the University of Virginia under a grant from the International Research and Studies Program of the Department of Education. This is the most complete and best Tibetan language package available. Includes 1010 page, 4-vol. text, and 18 cassettes (26 hours). Companion CD-ROM also available. $260.
Thank you, Ken.

Do you have a question to ask the Multilingual Books staff? If we choose your question, we will print the answer in our next newsletter and you will receive a $25 gift certificate good towards any purchase from multilingualbooks.com.
Ask The Expert by e-mail at: asktheexpert@translation.net

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Product News

Platiquemos Basic Spanish Course The world's best Spanish course just got better! Don Casteel, fluent in several languages and a former Foreign Service Officer, is well trained in the FSI method. He has completely revised and improved "the course that works." This 2002 Edition has improved audio with both male and female voices and over 200 illustrations with factoids, and the content is more contemporary than ever. This new version has retained the same grammatical and language content that has made this the most widely sold course on the language market. This Basic Spanish Course is designed for people who need to learn a language completely and quickly. It is a five level course that once completed will enable you to understand spoken and written Spanish. It will also allow you to actively engage in conversations with an abundant vocabulary of several thousand words. Level One of the Platiquemos FSI Basic Spanish Course contains 8 CDs and one book; four more levels will be available soon. Platiquemos, which means "let's talk", was prepared specifically to train officers of the Foreign Service and of other United States Government agencies who are involved in foreign affairs and who need to learn to speak Spanish, and has been modified and adapted from its original format to make it applicable to a wider audience and to make it easier to read and use. The original FSI Basic Course in Spanish consists of 55 units, divided into four volumes with a total of well over 2,000 pages. In order to make the program more manageable, it has been divided it into five levels, with the original text re-formatted for clarity and simplicity and modified to make it more relevant to non-government students; also included is new cultural information and interesting illustrations. Please visit our Platiquemos page for more information. For a limited time, Platiquemos is now on sale for only $79 - save $20! Please use promo code FSI-PLAT to receive your special.

On-line Learning at Multilingual Books Multilingual Books is proud to now offer on-line learning, using the proven Rosetta Stone method. The on-line courses use real-life images, text, and voices of native speakers to help you to learn to speak, read and write the new language quickly, naturally and easily. Access your online courses from any compatible computer with internet access, anywhere in the world. Go through a simple, free registration process for access to our 24-language online demo - two lessons are available in each language! Try our on-line learning...

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March Newsletter Specials

2-for-1 on FSI courses! Act now! Take advantage now of our best newsletter special ever: Buy any FSI course and get a second FSI course of equal or lesser value FREE! This represents a possible savings of $200 or more! For instance, buy MB FSI German 1 for $225, and receive FSI German 2 free! This is a limited time, limited availability special, so order today to make sure you receive your special. Please use promo code FSI318 to receive your special, and be sure to specify your choice of second FSI course of equal or lesser value. Offer expires Marck 31, 2002, so visit our FSI page to place your order today.

$20 off Platiquemos Spanish course! Now only $79! For a limited time, Platiquemos is now on sale for only $79 - a savings of $20 off the regular price of $99! Please use promo code FSI-PLAT to receive your special. For ordering and more information, please visit our Platiquemos page.

Free On-line Learning Lessons! Multilingual Books is proud to now offer on-line learning, using the proven Rosetta Stone method. The on-line courses use real-life images, text, and voices of native speakers to help you to learn to speak, read and write the new language quickly, naturally and easily. Access your online courses from any compatible computer with internet access, anywhere in the world. Go through a simple, free registration process for access to our 24-language online demo - two lessons are available in each language! Try our on-line learning...

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This newsletter is intended as a service to language enthusiasts and customers of Multilingual Books. You have received this because our records indicate you have ordered products from us or have asked to join our mailing list. If this message was unwanted, we apologize and will be happy to remove your address from our list. If you would like to unsubscribe for any reason, you can unsubscribe by web form, or by sending an e-mail request. If you were forwarded this newsletter and would like to subscribe, simply let us know by e-mail to info@multilingualbooks.com. Thank you.

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