Leave me alone! Can't you see I'm learning your language?

by Greg Thomson

© 1993 Greg Thomson. Used by permission.

Complete Table of Contents

Summary

This essay by Greg Thomson describes how to build up a social network while learning a language. It shows how important social relationships are to really entering a new language community and culture. This essay is an important complement to the technical information about how to learn a second language.

1. Introduction

1.1. Learning a language means becoming part of a speech community.

2. Your entry point into the speech community

2.1. Finding a mediating person

2.2. The mediating person as a Language Resource Person

2.3. Language learning at the entry point: no free lunches

2.4. Language learning at the entry point: time to think about doing something

3. Branching out: getting a network

3.1. Introduction to social networks

3.2. Your new social network at the outset

3.3. Enlarging and strengthening your network

4. Coping with some less than ideal situations

4.1. Learning in a truly monolingual society

4.2. Learning in a totally bilingual society

4.3. Language Learning when there is limited access to the society

5. My network is growing and strengthening--now what?

5.1. Bootstrapping your way to good behaviour

5.2. Systematic language learning in your new speech community

5.3. But it sounds so hard.

6. Conclusion (Leave me alone!)

Back Matter

References