Guided imitation can be a good way to learn Spanish online
What is guided imitation? What programs use this term? Why is it important in learning Spanish? This review will answer these questions.
Guided Imitation
Guided imitation is described as the process we use to acquire language as we grow with it. Basically, we learn to speak by listening to others speak, and we practice speaking in such a way that we use what we imitate and then expand on it to be able to speak even more. We use language in the context of everyday conversation, changing our vocabulary and sentences to meet the needs 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 the vocabulary in new and constantly changing contexts so that we eventually become fluent.
What programs use guided imitation?
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) originally developed this concept which has been used to train people in languages for the last 30 years. FSI is the Federal Government’s premier training institution for the US foreign affairs community. As such, US diplomats and other professionals receive language training 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 the FSI Guided Learning System, but has replaced workbooks and audiotapes with online language learning lessons and downloadable MP3 players. Its stated advantage to these governance outputs is that the program is portable and can be started and stopped at will.
The traditional emphasis on the Spanish language and pronunciation exercises exist to some degree in all online Spanish language learning programs. These tools are valuable for material retention and skill honing. However, the degree to which they are used varies from one online program to another, and they are often given new names to describe what is essentially a similar concept. The basics are still the basics, and that’s the way it is. But, what has improved over the years are the technological advances that make learning Spanish fun and interesting. As our world becomes more and more visual, visual learning styles have been enhanced with colorful and engaging interactive software that alleviates the need for all the traditional repetition and review that must invariably take place when learning a new language.
So look for signs of guided imitation in many of the Spanish learning programs you see online today. The process may have a different name, but you’ll still find the process to be more or less the same. It is a valuable part of any Spanish learning program, regardless of what it is called.