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Can language change your character?

Warm-up

How can learning a language change you?

There are many bloggers who describe their experience with language learning in their posts. In this section you are going to listen to two. Elisa Spigariol is an actor, model and photographer who has directed three films: Relief (2017), Paper Kids (2016) and Unreality. She also has a YouTube channel, Do You Know Ellie, where she shares her advice for learning Italian and interesting experiences. Nathaniel Drew spends much of his time doing what he calls slow travel, a low-cost, sustainable way of spending time abroad. In his YouTube Channel, In Search of Mental Clarity, he also posts videos where he shares his adventures learning foreign languages. 

Listen to them describe how learning languages changes the way they behave and see the world, and do the comprehension activities below.

Listen and choose

Question

Listen to Elisa Spigariol. After a short introduction she explains how she feels different when she speaks different languages. As you listen, click all the adjectives she uses to describe how she feels when she speaks Italian.

Elisa Spigariol (All Rights Reserved)
Elisa Spigariol. Adapted from Different Language & Different Personality (All Rights Reserved)

Answers

witty

funny

controlled

confident

self-critical

loud

intrusive

clever

emotional

shy

contained

Feedback

Listening: Fill in the gaps

Now listen to Nathaniel Drew talk about the impact of learning languages. Read the statements below and fill in the gaps with the missing words or phrases (maximum 4 words). Listen twice before you check your answers.

Adapted from  Cómo Aprender Idiomas Cambió mi Visión Del Mundo
by Nathaniel Drew (All Rights Reserved)
                              
Nathaniel Drew (All Rights Reserved)

Example. Nathaniel says language combines CULTURE and HISTORY.

1. He urges anyone to learn languages in order to between us.

2. He was born into a .

3. As he grew up he to speak Spanish.

4. At 16 he went to France, which he describes as a moment in his life.

5. His time in France gave him a better understanding of his .

6. Back in the USA he realized he was to learning languages.

7. In Argentina he had the opportunity to explore the of his family.

8. Despite the challenges, Nathaniel claims it is absolutely to learn languages.

9. In order to succeed in learning languages he recommends having and playing to your strengths.

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30-Day Challenge

Nathaniel recommends having solid habits and playing to your strengths. And this is what you will learn to do.

In this module you are going to design a 30 Day Challenge Infographic to make your language learning more stimulating and effective. On Moodle you have several tasks to carry out to facilitate it. 

  1. A forum to share your ideas about this topic.
  2. The description of the task in the section Making Progress, where you will submit it.