Just as children develop physically and mentally through play, they acquire language through many communicative interactions – especially through play. From a brain-based perspective, learning Turkish through play with your child can serve to support their overall development while allowing you to have some fun learning Turkish.
Optimize learning through play
Many students ask me why I incorporate fun activities into my classes. I explain that learning is optimized through play. I also focus on developing muscle memory by providing repetition, expansion and the synthesis of learning by providing multiple activities to reinforce concept learning. The majority of thinking used during language learning occurs in the executive part of the brain, the two frontal lobes. The frontal lobes have been called the conductor of the brain, and the remainder of the brain has been likened to the musicians in an orchestra. One can have the best musicians in the world, but without a good conductor, the musicians may not play in a synchronous manner, creating noise instead of music.
Thoughts that occur in your frontal lobes affect your neurochemistry, and therefore shape your future thoughts and actions. Negative thoughts can drain your energy; these are the roadblocks to your overall success. Once one has a negative thought such as “I won´t ever learn Turkish,” the frontal lobes change brain chemicals to match that thought. Negative thoughts can lead to inflexible thinking, inattention, a feeling of being out of control, lack of motivation and a sense of being stuck.
Positive thinking is the goal, and when I write positive thinking I don´t mean being a Pollyanna and denying one´s feelings, but rather I mean goal-oriented thinking. Positive thinking creates and maintains energy. A positive thinker is energized, flexible, has relaxed attention and focus, is reflective and feels motivated to learn.
Approach learning like play
By reframing your approach to learning, like learning while playing with your bilingual child, you can energize yourself to learn Turkish, while bonding with your child. Think of how energized and relaxed children are when playing. They are focused on enjoying the moment rather than on monitoring every minor step in their development or comparing their development to others – they leave that focus to the grownups. They are focused on the play; development and learning come naturally.
The benefit of children´s games
I have heard some students complain when I present a fun activity, like role-playing or participating in a game show for language fluency. These students do not see the connection between the serious language learning that they have experienced in school in the past and the “silly” game-playing that I present in my sessions. I explain to them that playing games lets them practice their language skills in a fun, safe and energized environment to keep the frontal lobes of the brain fully engaged and to allow them to synthesize and practice what they have learned from class in a real life situation. I also explain that games are a vital part of children´s acquisition of language and that they can serve to enhance adult learning, too.
Games stimulate all senses
Role-playing games help students practice oral fluency. Barrier games like “Guess Who?” (Milton Bradley Hasbro) are great for the practice of using a variety of vocabulary words while speaking. Perceptual games, like trying to tell someone how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while the other person follows the directions, integrate all senses in the learning process. Game shows are great to test knowledge while having fun. Movement during the language learning process stimulates all the senses and makes for a more meaningful learning experience because all the members of the brain´s “orchestra” are engaged. Think of your favorite games growing up, like Bingo or any of the multitudes of board games that you played as a child. You can pull out an English board game and make it bilingual. You and your child could translate some cards into Turkish or you could make an exact replica of the game with a Turkish twist. You could also make up your own game using any materials or games that you have. Have fun creating opportunities to learn through play. Playing games is a learning tool that doesn´t feel like work. Your frontal lobes will be fully engaged and you will have opportunities to bond with your child while learning.
Learn to laugh at your mistakes
Many adult learners mete out harsh self-judgments when learning; this approach is the best way to trigger negative brain chemicals that lead to a major learning roadblock. Learning to find the humor in your Turkish learning errors will keep you in a positive thinking mode. That is why learning Turkish through play is a better way to optimize learning. If you still feel frustrated during the learning process, consider keeping a journal in which you highlight your favorite Turkish faux pas. The reason that you want to disrupt the feelings of frustration is that they can lead you into fight or flight mode. The goal is to find ways to disrupt negative thinking that will lead you to feeling stuck in the learning process. If you feel frustrated while trying to play a game or when doing another language activity, then take a step back, smile and remind yourself that the best learning happens through play. Write in your journal ways to make activities more playful – the sillier the idea, the better to draw you back into learning mode. These journal entries can also help you get unstuck later on if you´re feeling frustrated -- you can read the entries and laugh at your errors. As you progress, your journal can serve as a reminder of how far you have come.
Focus on the brain
Learning Turkish with your child can be a fun experience. Consider trying to incorporate some fun sensory experiences from the articles I wrote over the last two weeks. Because humans begin life learning through play, using play as a tool is a natural progression in adult learning. Just as children are like little scientists who use trial and error to shape their learning, you can approach learning Turkish in a similar way. Think of learning Turkish as a lifelong journey instead of focusing on it as reaching a one-time destination. Adult native speakers continuously learn new vocabulary and concepts as they progress within their professions and through interactions with others. Children do not just acquire Turkish and then stop learning it – they continue to hone their listening and speaking skills throughout their lives. Just as the conductor and musicians continue to hone their skills, you will continue to hone your Turkish skills, incorporating new vocabulary and grammatically correct phrases into your life as an expat.
Enjoy the journey
Approaching learning Turkish as a lifelong, pleasant activity allows you to enjoy the journey. Learning with your child through play will help you strengthen your bond with your child, help your child to develop leadership skills as your Turkish mentor and will stimulate all your senses for learning. The journey of learning Turkish is an adventure that will continue to stimulate your brain development and offer years of fun.
