Uzbekistan Republic Termez state university Foreign philology faculty Course work Subject

3. Dynamic immersion
“Dynamic immersion” features instruction from native speakers and advanced speech recognition software that lets you compare your pronunciation with a native’s. Repetition is integral to the method, with material from different lessons showing up again throughout the course. So how effective is it, really?

First off, you’ll be plunged into thinking and speaking in the new language rather than mentally translating from your native tongue. You’ll find yourself becoming familiar with vocabulary that’s useful in everyday contexts, and utilize learning-by-association, which help speed up the process.

On the other hand, the sentences you learn might be specific to the examples used and fail to prepare you for real-life, organic conversations. The de-emphasis on grammar means you’ll need to play catch-up once you reach a more advanced level. What’s more, there’s no way to get an overview of how sounds and syllables interact, which means that if you’re in doubt over the sound of a specific combination of letters, you’re left hoping it’s addressed in a future lesson.

Finally, since some dynamic immersion programs, like Rosetta Stone, are virtual courses, it’s hard to stop and ask questions or confirm that you’re on the right track. When you need clarification over vocabulary or grammar, there’s little to do but Google the answer on your own.

4. The Pareto principle
The Pareto principle dictates that 80 percent of the consequences or outcomes of a process come from only 20 percent of the effort you put into it. Also known as the 80/20 rule, this principle arose from issues surrounding the imbalance of land ownership in Italy (80 percent of the land was owned by 20 percent of the people) and is now used in many contexts—from time management to manufacturing to human resources—to illustrate the idea that you can make significant gains by putting your effort in the right place.

In terms of language learning, this means that focusing on only 20 percent of new vocabulary could give you 80 percent comprehension in a language, since many cultures only draw from a limited pool of words when it comes to everyday communication (for example, English centers around just 300 words in 65% of its communication).

The Pareto principle can help you manage your time efficiently, so that you’re focused on learning only the vocabulary and grammar rules that you’ll actually need to communicate.

However, it may be hard to determine what material should make up that 20 percent. And you’ll want to consider the possibility that this method won’t give you an in-depth knowledge of the language. This last point makes the Pareto principle ideal for short stays in foreign countries, but perhaps less ideal for long-term stays.