With Serbian in context, you get the chance to explore Serbian language in its natural habitat – its natural context(s). From the context of everyday chats, hobbies, different fields of interest, cultural context and many more. You get to choose a topic and a context that are relevant and meaningful to you. How is this beneficial for your language learning?
1. IT HELPS YOU REMEMBER NEW THINGS MORE EASILY
While learning though something you like or enjoy, you connect certain positive emotions with the learning process, which helps you memorize things more easily. If you encounter a new word or a new phrase in a video or a text about your favorite hobby or your favorite person, the chances are higher that you will remember it more easily. Unlike classical repetition, which can be highly effective but tiring as well (especially if you’re not 12 anymore!) picking up meanings from context helps us create connections in our memory with our previous knowledge and interests, which can ease the transition from short to long term memory.
2. IT HELPS YOU STAY MOTIVATED
Alongside making the process easier, learning from a meaningful and relevant context can help us stay motivated while learning. If we’re learning through something we already like or are passionate about, the chances are higher our motivation will not decrease over time, on the contrary.
You know that feeling when you want to share something extremely interesting or relevant to you? Plus, you have to do it in a language you’re learning. Well, that is the time when your motivation peaks and your brain gets extra active in connecting all the dots so you can express yourself the way you want. Practicing and using the language in the context that motivates us can give better results in the language learning process.
3. IT HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE BETTER
While learning in a certain context, you get to explore not just the language but also the cultural context where this language is spoken and all the lovely ways these two are interconnected. While learning Serbian, you get to explore the cultural norms and habits of daily life, topics that are interesting and relevant to Serbian people as well as their attitudes, problems, successes, current situations and so on. This can help you create a bigger picture and get a better understanding of Serbian people and our language, which can make your life in Serbia more meaningful and pleasant.
4. IT KEEPS YOU ENGAGED AND ACTIVE IN THE PROCESS
If you learn Serbian through context, it gives you an opportunity to practice all four aspects of the language – listening, reading, speaking and writing through the exercises that are little excerpts of real life outside. Multimedia used to present the content provides lively, interactive dynamics in the learning process. You cannot passively finish these exercises. You get to play while learning, changing your focus between four aspects of the language which will, most probably, activate different parts of your brain, help you develop different skills and definitely not leave you yawning in the process.
5. TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE / DVE MUVE JEDNIM UDARCEM
While learning Serbian through your field of interest, such as traveling or cooking, you learn the language AND the specifics of this topic in the Serbian cultural context. Let’s say you learn about traveling – you get to learn relevant vocabulary and useful phrases but also what traveling means to people in Serbia and how much they travel. You also get useful tips about how and where you can travel in Serbia, which can help you use your knowledge in real life with real people.
