Language 'warm-up' activities

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Ingaræð
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Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby Ingaræð » Tue Nov 28, 2017 5:32 pm

It's been mentioned on the forum that some members need a bit of a 'warm-up' in a language before they're at their best when using it in a real-life situation. I was thinking that it might also be useful to do the same before beginning a language-learning activity.

So, what do you to 'warm-up'? Listen to an L2 podcast on the way to a meet-up? Watch TV before getting stuck into a textbook? Anki reps before doing some extensive reading?

Or maybe you have a meditation technique that gives you language-fu? :ugeek:
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Re: Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby LinguaPony » Tue Nov 28, 2017 5:41 pm

I just give myself a mental kick when I feel lazy about doing my homework.
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Re: Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby jeff_lindqvist » Tue Nov 28, 2017 6:34 pm

The more often you use a skill, the shorter warm-up you need.

Khatz once wrote:
for best results, make “next” = now. But if “next” can’t always be “now”, then make it darn soon.


A while ago, RDearman mentioned the importance of actually using the language (French in his case). If reading is your focus, read often, and read a lot. I definitely don't have to "warm up" in order to play music - I've done that during "dead time" for decades.
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Re: Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby Speakeasy » Tue Nov 28, 2017 7:00 pm

When I wish to "warm up" either a language or my classical guitar chops, I prefer to begin with about 20 minutes of drills. In the case of a language warm-up, I run through a series of FSI sentence-pattern drills or Glossika mass sentences and, in the case of the classical guitar, I run through a series of scales and arpeggios. I begin with low-level (mindless) drills and work towards those requiring more mental concentration. I take a short break and then begin studying/practicing for a period of some 30 to 45 minutes.
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Re: Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby Cavesa » Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:58 pm

My best warm up before speaking opportunities are tv series. This bit of immersion (like several episodes in the last few days before going abroad) shortens the "get used to it all" time considerably. I don't need such preparation for French or English, but it sure makes a difference in Spanish and even in my much worse Italian.

For my study sessions: the shorter warm up, the better. Because it is too easy to stick to a warm up activity for too long. However a bit of listening at the beginning never hurts (a song, a coursebook dialogue, something like that). I find such a listening activity to "switch me to that language learning mode" much more efficiently than any reading activity.
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Re: Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby Willow » Wed Nov 29, 2017 11:50 am

It's been mentioned on the forum that some members need a bit of a 'warm-up' in a language before they're at their best when using it in a real-life situation. I was thinking that it might also be useful to do the same before beginning a language-learning activity.

Reading something, listening to something or even talking to myself. Anything, which will trigger thinking in the language.
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Re: Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby garyb » Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:58 pm

Listening, especially to something with a lot of conversation (real or recited), to prepare for a speaking opportunity helps me.
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Re: Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby Iversen » Thu Nov 30, 2017 10:29 pm

I don't think it is necessary to do any warm-up before doing a language-learning activity, except those that involve communication with other persons. If I read a text or do wordlists the first couple of minutes will function as warm-up. and it can't bother anybody but myself if I need a few minutes to get rolling.

On the other hand, if I'm at a language conference and somebody asks me suddenly to speak Greek or Latin or Dutch or whatever then it would nice just to know about that a few minutes before - and even better: know about it a few minutes before AND having something in my pocket to read through. The most irritating situation is when the first couple of minutes are bungled up, but I would have been able to start a conversation just five minutes later if I just had got the chance.

One thing more: speedy warming up means reading something for me, not listening. I may be able to tune in to speech in a weak language, but it takes much longer time than it takes me to read a text passage and THEN proceed to a simple conversation or composing a message. After all most of my study activities are based on written languages.
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Re: Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby emk » Fri Dec 01, 2017 12:09 am

I have a certain amount of "household" French that's always there, even at 2am when I'm barely awake. But if you want me to have a mostly intelligent conversation about a less familiar subject, well, warming up will improve my fluency and vocabulary.

Usually if I'm driving somewhere where I'll need to speak French, I'll listen to Les Années lumières for an hour or two, and then sing along to some very fast MC Solaar songs that I know by heart to warm up my ability to articulate. If I'm just riding on a train, I might also spend an hour or two reading a book.

Taken together, this usually convinces my brain to formulate even complicated thoughts in French, it wakes up more of my passive vocabulary, and it makes sure I don't trip over my tongue.
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Re: Language 'warm-up' activities

Postby Ingaræð » Mon Dec 04, 2017 2:12 pm

Thank you for the responses! :)
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