There are many approaches to learning language, including the Grammar-Translation Method, which involves formal learning and lots of translation, the Communicative Method, focusing on communicating with others, and the Natural Approach, which tries to imitate how children learn, e.g. starting with listening comprehension and physical feedback rather than speaking. I learned about these in Linguistics class back at SDSU, but there are a few unofficial ways to learn, like the Social Feedback Method, whereby you do whatever it takes to get cute girls to talk with you. My daughter has started watching YouTube, using the popular video service to find her favorite American TV shows like Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place, and an interesting thing has happened: she’s started using English all the time at home, including American slang that amuses her. Has she discovered an effective new way to learn a language — the YouTube Method? I wonder if, decades or centuries from now, we’ll have identified any changes in the flow of human language through Internet-based services like YouTube or Twitter.
My daughter seems to have stumbled on a new way to learn English.
