Beneficios de la Meditación en el Proceso de Aprendizaje de Nuevos Idiomas
Aprender un nuevo idioma es un viaje emocionante, pero también puede ser desafiante y, en ocasiones, abrumador. ¿Sabías que puedes hacer este proceso más efectivo y placentero? Integrar meditaciones para el aprendizaje de idiomas en tu rutina de estudio, junto con afirmaciones positivas y prácticas de mindfulness, puede transformar tu experiencia. Estas técnicas no solo te ayudarán a mejorar la concentración, sino que también reducirán el estrés, creando un ambiente mental más receptivo para aprender y retener nuevos conocimientos de manera más fluida y natural.
Las meditaciones guiadas que te ofrezco en esta serie son el resultado de años de experiencia y trabajo constante con estudiantes de idiomas como el inglés, francés y español. A lo largo de este tiempo, he observado cómo los ejercicios de mindfulness y los pensamientos positivos pueden marcar una gran diferencia en el proceso de aprendizaje. Estas meditaciones no solo ayudan a mejorar la concentración y la regulación emocional, sino que también crean un ambiente mental propicio para asimilar e interiorizar información y nuevos conceptos.
¿Por Qué Usar Meditaciones en el Aprendizaje de Idiomas?
Practicar la atención plena te permite dejar de lado las preocupaciones y expectativas, logrando así una mayor concentración en el momento presente. Esto te ayuda a reducir el estrés y a tener una mente más receptiva. Imagina comenzar tu sesión de estudio con una breve meditación en la que te visualizas participando de una conversación en tu idioma objetivo, sintiéndote segur@ y fluid@, o comprendiendo un texto complejo con facilidad. Estas imágenes motivadoras envían mensajes poderosos a tu subconsciente, reforzando la creencia de que puedes alcanzar tus metas lingüísticas.
Cómo Integrar Afirmaciones Positivas en Tu Rutina de Estudio
Utilizar afirmaciones como “Cada día hablo con más confianza y fluidez” o “Mi mente está abierta y receptiva al aprendizaje”, pueden ayudarte a reprogramar pensamientos negativos y autocríticos y eliminar bloqueos que a menudo acompañan el proceso de aprendizaje. Te invito a realizar estas meditaciones guiadas antes, durante o al finalizar tus sesiones de estudio, o en cualquier momento que lo desees. Por ejemplo, podrías comenzar tu día con la afirmación: ‘Estoy abiert@ a aprender y a mejorar cada día’. Esto te brindará una actitud mental más optimista y proactiva, que al ser practicada con frecuencia irá mejorando tu confianza y facilitando el aprendizaje y la retención de nuevos conocimientos en otra lengua.
Recuerda que cada momento de calma y concentración que cultivas con estas meditaciones es un paso más hacia el éxito en el dominio de un nuevo idioma. Al final del día, tu bienestar emocional es la clave para mantenerte motivado y continuar progresando. ¡Fomenta tu paz interior y deja que el aprendizaje fluya!
Para ver contenidos relacionados, síguenos en nuestras redes sociales.
Reading is one of the world activities which helps us get away from our current reality. We all need an escape, so we can let books transport us somewhere for a while. During my university years, I used to call the books I read ‘trees’. Quite weird, right? Well, my ‘tree concept’ has been summarized in a simple biological statement: there are evergreen and deciduous trees. The first type keeps its cover all year around, while the second one loses its leaves depending on the season. The most noticeable difference between them is concluded in foliage which I’d interpret as a book value.
Based on my reading experience within the years, I learnt to distinguish the evergreen texts that are worth reading more than once from the deciduous ones that I wouldn’t get on with in the future. Honestly, this concept is still alive and keeps me moving forward. I’m currently falling back in love with some books I read more than ten years ago. Erich Fromm, Stephen King and George Orwell are still irreplaceable in my list. Although their works grapple with planet-sized topics like war and peace, various political and social issues, the human-being nature and the fears they face, the wisdom of the authors helps us elicit a brighter outlook on the world.
Reading as a healthy habit
To start the habit of reading, it is essential to read what we’re passionate about. Sci-fi, novels, comics, IT books, history books – you name it – might be a cool start to wake your reading skills up and plunge you into the world of the chosen book. Moreover, you surely improve your language skills especially by looking up words you don’t know. You’re likely to have a wrong pronunciation at times because reading doesn’t allow you to practice speaking. That’s one of the reasons why audio books are considered to be a top-notch tool nowadays.
The role of reading skills
Literature has a huge impact on us, no matter what language we use to read it. It is a valuable resource to improve skills such as reading comprehension, language skills, object identification and even social skills. Books can enrich our minds with practical knowledge just like a good friend. We are definitely taught a lot from our “paper mates”. How to shape the direction of our mind and how to overcome our failures are some of the vital questions we can identify with the help of books at different stages in our life.
No doubt, reading is the best way to boost our knowledge in a new language, whether you are an elementary, intermediate or upper-intermediate learner. In this current article, I would like you to focus your attention on English as it’s a language spoken worldwide.
Book recommendations
When it comes to taking up reading, we might think of a separate type of literature called ‘Graded readers’. This sort of books helps people enjoy the texts by being simplified according to their level. This could be a good try for the beginners whose intention is to start a new language. We’ve tried to indicate literary genres in the list below, although children’s literature still stands at the most basic level for evident reasons. Nonetheless, one big advantage of reading ‘real’ English literature, including kids’ books ,is that you can learn English the same way that native speakers do. Isn’t it already exciting?
It’s been quite challenging to come up with a list of only 5 books, nevertheless, here we go with a compilation. Let’s consider some unbreakable rules that matter before you start: your choice, taking notes, having a dictionary app, re-reading aloud and enjoying each second of a book.
The Little Prince written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Level: A1 Beginner (mixed with Elementary)
This wonderful parable can be savored by readers of all ages. The young little prince visits various planets and brings up the issues of loneliness, friendship and love. Almost 80 years after its appearance, Saint- Exupéry’s story still has much to teach us, provided the fact that it’s a metaphor for his own childhood. What might surprise you is the illustration set made by Saint-Exupéry himself! It’s definitely your Bucket list book.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Level: A2 Elementary
Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’ is a good example of a children’s fantasy book. Some inexplicable magical elements combined with real-life situations make Matilda’s gruesome childhood more cheerful to her, as well as to a reader. Dahl’s writing style is playful, funny and exaggerated at the same time. If you’re flattered by Matilda’s world, you might want to watch a movie adaptation that turns out equally good.
Paper towns by John Green
Level: B1 Intermediate
‘Paper towns’ is a contemporary must-read novel for 14-year-olds and up who are into a romantic drama. The main protagonist Quentin starts searching for Margo, his neighbor and childhood love, after she goes missing. By figuring out the meaning of the hidden items she’s left, Quentin comes to a new true ideology. This mystery book demonstrates the right balancing of the metaphors and philosophical discussions of the characters.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone by J.K. Rowling
Level: B2 Upper-intermediate
“Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”. It’s the oft-quoted phrase usually mentioned by Harry Potter lovers. Although the book is written in a fantasy language, the themes of the text remain as relevant to our reality as they appear in the paper world: the acquaintance with authentic British culture, real and universal issues in people’s relationships and the importance of humor. You don’t want to miss a thing in this unforgettable journey to Harry Potter’s world!
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Level: C1 Advanced
If you’re looking to dive into a mysterious detective world, this is the best book to read. These adventures are the famous series of short detective puzzles that are being solved by gifted Mr. Holmes. Once you start reading these stories, both fantastically entertaining and shocking, you will fall in love with the excellent narrative ability of the author. The entire original collection is strongly recommended for the advanced levels in order to master grammar and vocabulary items at a higher stage.
As you can see, reading might look different depending on the taste of the readers. Still, what can be better than cuddling up with any nice book and enriching your inner world with a pleasant and useful activity?
Well, what about YOUR reading habits? Do you have any favorite books in English? What reading tips can you share with us? Let us know in the comments below. In addition, if you don’t know what your English level is, Learning Jewel can help you! You can go to this link link to find it out https://learningjewel.com/test-gratuito-nivel-de-ingles/
Have a great read everyone!
Glossary for Language learners
Find the following bolded words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.
Getting to know a new language, exactly as it is the case with a new person, entails an exciting adventure: discovering all the singularities that make it unique and memorable. The Spanish language, the world’s second most spoken native language, is one of the Romance languages (together with Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian).
According to lingvist it originated in the Iberian Peninsula as a dialect of spoken or “vulgar” Latin, and the version that we consider most popular today is called “castellano”.
Full of flavour and energy -just like Latin American music- the Spanish language has some words that express so much, even though they cannot be translated into English. They are made up of beautiful sounds and lovely definitions. Are you ready? ¡Vamos!
Siesta /’sjes ta/
This one might be the most widely known. It is a short nap in the afternoon, usually after lunch. In some small cities and villages across Latin America (and Spain), businesses close around noon until three o’clock for a pause and a power nap.
Estrenar /es tre ‘nar/
It means wearing or using something for the first time. It can be used regarding any occasion but in many countries, this activity is most common on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. It is considered good luck and true tradition to attract abundance to wear new clothes on those dates.
Sobremesa /so βre ‘me sa/
It’s that lovely time after a meal when people can engage in pleasant conversation with family or friends. It can last over an hour and provides a perfect opportunity to catch up and connect with your loved ones. It is also the drink that you have after lunch, at least in Colombia.
Madrugar /ma ðru ‘ɣar/
This one is not as pleasant, but useful all the same. In just one verb, Spanish speaking people express the action of waking up early. It’s usually related to working hard and taking up responsibilities.
Trasnochar /tran z no ‘tʃar/
If the previous word were the sun, this one would certainly be the moon. It’s also a verb and it means to stay up late. It’s more related to the act of going out and partying, but -sadly- it can also be experienced while working.
Did you know all of these words and their meanings? Which ones were new to you? Would you like to learn more Spanish online? Let us know your comments, we’ll be happy to help you out.