Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
better to never develop mispronunciations in the first place. And even when the Roman
alphabet is not used, seeing the written word early in learning continues to place undue
emphasis on reading and writing. The second limitation of Rosetta Stone is that it's not
possible to teach the expression of important abstract concepts—such as “Do you speak
English?”—using a picture-based approach until a fair amount of knowledge has been de-
veloped. And a third limitation which applies to any computer-driven course is that Rosetta
Stone is mainly done on the computer, which can be time consuming and a source of eye
strain for those who already work all day in front of a computer.
The last point I'll make regarding language learning is that, as you study your new
language, you should actively allow yourself to be mentally transported to your destina-
tion while you learn. This one action will provide you with many benefits: you'll provide
a context in which your brain can more easily learn your new language, you'll motivate
yourself to study, and you'll practice directly for situations in which you'll one day find
yourself—but most importantly, you'll be having fun. Language learning is a central com-
ponent of the
Travel Every Day
technique and, as you study every day, you'll mental travel
to your chosen destination. If you have a travel partner, speaking in your new language
with him or her will only intensify this effect. In the next few chapters, we'll discuss the
planning of your actual trip but, for now, you can start to imagine yourself as already there.
Enjoy the trips!
