It seems hard to believe that we are already on our last issue of the year but, as the leaves start to fall here in England, that is definitely the case. Our theme looks at two of the key aspects of language learning, grammar, and vocabulary – the right words in the right order. At least that is one way of looking at it. As luck would have it, I have a few things to say on this subject not as a teacher but as, for the moment at least, a learner. Using a very popular app, I have taken up Italian and have been reflecting on how I learn and, more importantly, how the app helps me.

At the start of my course, I took a test, and my level was assessed as a sort of false beginner – I have been to Italy a few times and studied the language briefly about forty years ago. I am also a reasonable French speaker so that helps. What struck me most about learning alone like this is how good the technology is. From a database of sentences and vocabulary sets, lessons flow seamlessly with the language items constantly recycled. I have always been told that you need to use a word six to ten times before it becomes part of your active vocabulary and that really does seem to be the case. As an older student I need the security of paper and pencil as I use the app, simply to remember new words and good example sentences. I am not as good a student as I should be, and my notes are a little random to say the least!

I love the gamification of the app and the fact that I am winning points and going up league tables against people I don’t even know and I do enjoy the addictive nature of it all, not missing a day has become critical. All skills are covered but what I enjoy the most is looking at the language guide between sessions where the rules are explained and examples given. I also realise the importance of memorising. There are sentences I have learnt which I could not wait to try out and a short trip to Italy last week gave me authentic opportunities to put my lingo to the test – and I was alright! I asked for directions, reserved tables and asked for things in shops. Not bad after just one month of twenty minutes a day.

Another thing struck me in terms of vocabulary as I was talking to a waiter in a restaurant. His English was very good but, as he was telling us a story about a bus driver and a tourist on a scooter, he couldn’t remember a particular word. He gesticulated to indicate that the bus driver was trying to warn the tourist by ‘How do you say . . .?’. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the word in English but came up with klaxon which is the French word. We carried on the conversation, and it was only later that my wife and I decided the word we wanted was either to honk or to sound his horn, neither of which felt quite right. Getting a word to be part of your active vocabulary takes a lot of practice and I now find myself reading aloud every sentence on the app just as another way of reinforcing the grammar and vocabulary of a particular phrase. This method seems to help and the next time I am back in class I will make sure we do regular reading aloud.

Looking through the magazine you will notice our Global Voices section has only two new profiles as we are taking stock and looking back on some of the teachers who have been featured over the last two years. As you will see, we have covered all corners of the world, but we still have many places we have not had a profile from. If you are from a country we have not included, do send me a profile, it is so heartwarming to see the range of teachers out there, teaching millions of learners in all kinds of situations and facing all sorts of challenges. Just as a reminder, some of the teachers we featured from Afghanistan remain in hiding. We hope to have more news in the next issue.

So whether you are a grammar lover or not, I am sure you will get a lot from this issue; as ever there are new looks at old issues and some completely up-to-date observations on classrooms around the world. Wherever you are teaching I hope it is going well and, if you ever want to see how hard language learning can be, choose a new one to learn yourself and go for a thirty-day streak. I’m sure you will learn a lot and your teaching will take on some new ideas.

I will be back in 2024, so until then, enjoy the end of the year and let us know how your teaching is going.

Robert McLarty

facebook: @ModernEnglishTeacherMagazine

X: @ModEngTeacher