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What is guided imitation? Which programs use this term? Why is it important when learning Spanish? This review will answer those questions.
Guided imitation
Guided imitation is described as the process we use to acquire language as we grow up with it. Basically, we learn to speak by listening to others speak, and we practice speaking by using what we imitate and then expanding on it to be able to speak even more. We use language in the context of everyday conversations, changing our vocabulary and phrases to meet the demands of the daily spoken interactions in our lives. The goal of guided imitation is to recreate an environment in which we learn a new language while being guided to use vocabulary in new, ever-changing contexts, so that we can eventually become fluent.
Which programs use Guided Imitation?
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) originally developed this concept, which has been used to educate people on languages for the past 30 years. The FSI is the federal government’s primary training institution for the United States foreign policy community. As a result, American diplomats and other professionals educate themselves in languages before working abroad.
As a model for language learning, the FSI has influenced other language learning programs to use guided imitation. One company, Loquella, advertises that it uses a program based on FSI’s guided learning system, but has replaced workbooks and tapes with online language learning and downloadable MP3 player lessons. Their stated advantage for these deviations from the system of government is that the program is portable and can be started and stopped at will.
The traditional emphasis on the Spanish language and pronunciation practice persists to some degree in all online Spanish language learning programs. These tools are valuable for material retention and honing capabilities. However, the extent to which these are used varies from one online program to the next, and often they are given new names to describe an essentially similar concept. The basics are still the basics, and that’s the way it is. However, what has improved over the years are the technological advances that make learning Spanish this way fun and interesting. As our world becomes more visual, visual learning styles have been enhanced with colorful, engaging interactive software that softens the blow of the need for all of the traditional repetition and verification that inevitably takes place when learning a new language.
So look for signs of guided imitation in many of the Spanish tutorials you see online today. The process may have a different name, but you’ll find that the process is still pretty much the same. It’s a valuable part of any Spanish learning program, no matter what it’s called.
Thanks to Karen Celine Carlson | #Guided #Imitation #Good #Learn #Spanish #Online
