5 Key Takeaways from the Women in Language Conference

Here are 5 big things that I took away from attending the online Women in Language conference this weekend

(Me attending a conference in bed!)

First off, let me tell you what the Women in Language conference is. 

This conference is an opportunity for an all-female line-up of speakers to present on various topics that are related to languages, language-learning, language-related businesses, travel, and culture. It is hosted by three amazing women in the language-learning community (Kerstin Cable from Fluent Language, Shannon Kennedy from Eurolinguiste, and Lindsay Williams from Lindsay Does Languages). The conference spans 4 days and there were 34 speakers this year. The talks are available to watch after the conference ends, which is definitely a plus. There is also a Facebook group for all of the attendees to share ideas, connect, and just chat.

The speakers were AMAZING. They were just so knowledgeable about their topics and really interacted with the attendees. We had a live chat available during the talks which was actually pretty cool, because we could ask questions when they popped in our heads and bounce ideas off one another or support each other if we realized some areas that we need to improve. It was hugely inspirational.

So what were the biggest things I got out of this conference so far?

(because I haven't been able to watch all the talks yet)

1. It is OKAY to learn multiple languages at the same time.

It can actually be useful sometimes to learn 2 languages at once, because you can think about the differences and patterns between the languages to help you remember them. Also, it is important to remember the "non-linearity of language-learning" (from Abigail Lang/Polyglot Progress), meaning you don't learn languages in a step-by-step process until you get to an end, then you can start another one. There is always more to learn (even in your native language)! Doing multiple languages at once can help reduce your burnout by keeping things interesting and switching your attention to different languages.

2. I need to go to Africa!

Khady Ndoye (La Polyglotte) did a great talk about the languages in Africa and travelling to Africa. Did you know there are between 1000-2000 different languages spoken in Africa? And this number climbs even higher if you count all of the dialects. I decided that if I were to go, I would learn amharic and go visit Ethiopia ;)

3. Learning to be fluent in social situations is about 3 key ingredients.

It's about knowing the cultural rules, language rules, and code words. To improve social fluency, it's important to learn those key phrases that will come up over and over again that a true native would use. I am going to try to master some of these, because I always have tried to think about the right words to say when people start talking to me, and then I just take too long and they move on. 🙄

These will definitely come in handy. Thank you Géraldine Lepère (Comme une Francaise).

4. Reading in BOTH languages is super important for bilingual kids.

Now I'll admit, this one I knew already, but it just amplified my feelings about it. Reading opens their worlds to loads of new vocabulary, helping them step away from that basic "kitchen language," as Marianna Du Bosq (Bilingual Avenue) puts it. I've also read before that being able to use that second language academically is what makes bilingual children have increased cognitive abilities as compared to their monolingual peers.

5. It is important to focus on verbs when learning new vocabulary.

This is one that really connects to my speech-language pathology world. We learn that a child's first words are mostly made up of VERBS! So it just makes sense that we should learn these things first too. Also, it is harder to remember how you use the verbs, so it is better to give more focus on that than on words that don't change in each situation. Also, P.S. Accuracy does not equal fluency. Thank you for all the great tips Elisa Polese.

Two other big things that I got from this conference were: that language-learning can be CREATIVE, and language-learning should NOT stress you out. It should actually help you calm and relax. I now have so many good ideas I am ready to implement to keep these languages improving! There are probably way more things that I could list, and there will probably be many more after I watch the rest of the talks.

Well, I hope that you've learned something from reading just a snippet of what I've learned. Now go pick up that book, or download that app, or listen to that song, or write that poem, or watch that show. Just have fun with it!