Resources for Learning a New Language

linkofinsanity19 · 2019-01-03T18:40:28+00:00

Boy do I have some answers for you since language learning is a passion of mine. Unfortunately I'm juat about to head back to work. I'll sit down and write a proper response later today.

linkofinsanity19 · 2019-01-04T04:43:11+00:00

Sorry about finally getting this answer out so late. Had a lot more on my plate than I thought today.

I want to preface this by being upfront. I am not some hyperpolyglot that has spent the last 8 years learning a new language every year or anything. I only currently speak English (native language) and Spanish (second language) and am about to start my journey of learning Japanese. That being said, I will mention some of these polyglots who have useful information on their sites. However, unlike them I am not trying to sell you guys anything, so I will be completely straight up about this stuff. We all learn things with slightly differently and will have different strengths and weaknesses. Also, don’t take college classes for language. I’m currently taking Spanish 1 for an easy class. I don’t even have to try, which is good, because the methods being used are ineffective. If people are completing 3 or 4 years of foreign language classes in college and still can’t hold a conversation, it doesn’t work.

Anki-Indespensible

Anki is a free program for PC and and app for Android. Iphone users, you’re gonna have to fork over $25, but even then, it’s more than worth that. Anki is a SRS (Spaced Repetition System). Basicalyy, it’s a very simple to use app that you use to make digital flash cards. Then, it uses an algorithm to give you reviews for cards that you have covered in a manner that will almost guarantee that you don’t forget it by progressively increasing the intervals of successful reviews, or resetting progress on unsuccessful ones. For example, you make a card with “comer” on one side, and “to eat”on the other for a Spanish vocabulary deck. You review this card among other cards you’ve made (or downloaded, more on that in a second) and you get to the car that says “comer”. If you remember it, you hit “Good”, if you remember it but just barely, you hit “Hard”, and if you forgot it, you hit “Again”. Based on your response, it determine how long before it shows it to you again.

This has been show by studies (I can attest to its efficacy as well) to be the most effective method of making sure what you cover goes into your long term memory. You can either make each card on your own, or you can download premade decks other people have uploaded to Ankiweb. You will have to do reviews daily, and cover new cards ideally on a daily basis as well. If you don’t they will back up on you. You don’t want that. The reviews do stop piling up at a certain point. Basically, it takes me about a minute or so for 10 reviews. Multiply your number of daily reviews by 10, and it will give you a close estimate of how many daily reviews you will top out at. For example, 25 daily new cards yields about 250 daily reviews, which takes about 25 minutes to complete. Don’t go crazy here with the daily new cards, or you’ll just turn it into a torture machine. Customize the decks as you see fit. I have taken enough space with this already so Google it if you want more detail.

Italki- Don’t put it off too long

Italki is a web site that you use to find people to speak your target language with. You can do the free option, which is where you find someone who is a native speaker of your target language looking to practice your native language, and you both talk over Skype or any other platform. I only recommend this once you already speak fairly well, as it is otherwise just 2 people who can’t understand each other most of the time. What I recommend you do is use the paid option. There is really not a substitute for this unless you want to significantly hinder your progress. It is not too expensive, as you can usually find a tutor for about $10 or so an hour. At 1-3 lessons of 30 min-1 hr each a week, that’s pretty reasonable. You can search for people all over the world, and filter for times of availability (displayed in your local time zone), and other things.

Don’t wait too long to do this. I waited too long, stalled on my progress, and didn’t really make much progress with Spanish until I finally sacked up and started speaking practice regularly. I would personally recommend waiting until you have a vocabulary of at least 500 words or so to work with and some time studying grammar concepts such as conjugation, sentence structure, etc. During lessons, I keep a notebook with the date, tutor, and number of lesson for each. This helps keep things easy to refer back to later. Take notes during the lesson, and add them to Anki after the lesson is done to make sure it gets put into your long term memory. Come to each lesson with some topics to practice or discuss written down. Also, have few questions prepared.

I strongly recommend you have multiple tutors for different purposes based on their strengths. Have a native speaker for someone who knows the language extremely well, as well as any cultural aspects that affect the language such as formalities. Also have a tutor who is a native speaker of your language that has already learned and teaches your target language. They may ir may not know the language quite as well a as a native, but they will understand the struggles of learning the language from your perspective and will be in a better position to address those specific issues. Have a tutor to focus on grammar concepts with and one to focus on conversation practice with at the very least. This keeps sessions more focused and was a game changer for me. Keep multiple tutors in your roster, because life happens and they may have to reschedule or cancel lessons on you, and vice versa.

Before you start learning, take the time to book time with a tutor who learned the target language from your native language. Book an hour, and have questions prepared for how to go about learning the target language. This will save you so much time. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Each language has its own difficulties, so I can’t give you a perfect list, but here are some general ones you might use.

· What is the biggest waste of time when trying to learn this language?

· What do you wish you had started earlier on?

· What are some of the hardest parts of learning this language?

· What grammar books (if any) do you recommend?

Polyglots

Benny Lewis (Fluent in 3 Months), Gabriel Wyner (Fluent Forever), and Olly Richards (I Will Teach You A Language) all have articles on their sites that will prove useful, but remember that not everything that works for them or other will work for you. Take things with a grain of salt, but remain open minded to new ideas. They all have courses and whatnot that they sell, so keep that in mind when reading thier stuff. Nevertheless, they might teach you something.

Also, as a bonus, I would like to give one last bit of advice. One of my Spanish tutors speaks 5 languages and told me that one of the most useful ways to learn grammar is to read manga in your target language. Manga gives a lot of the context with pictures, so you can refer it if you get stuck on the dialogue. Look up words or structures you don’t understand, and add it to Anki. This was another game changer. Lastly, make some sort of detailed plan and write it down. Stick to it, but make adjustments as necessary. The perfect plan is one that is adaptable, but structured enough to give direction. It shouldn't take more than 1-3 years to learn your first new language, depending mostly on how much time you put into it daily and how good of a plan you have. Keep consistency, and remember, you don’t go into the gym and squat 5 plates the 1st day. You have to work up to it over time, and the quickest way there is with a plan and consistency.

r_u_a_badfish2 · 2019-01-03T22:27:38+00:00

I speak two foreign languages fluently and currently teaching myself a third.

What language are you thinking about learning?

What level are you hoping to achieve? Simple tourist phrases? Basic conversation? Professional?

Do you have any previous experience with a foreign language?

Oussama98 · 2019-01-03T23:27:51+00:00

Anki

Title	Resources for Learning a New Language
Author	LPSchneider
Upvotes	3
Comments	8
Date	January 3, 2019 6:13 PM UTC (7 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/ac8dkm/resources_for_learning_a_new_language/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/resources-for-learning-a-new-language.72433 https://theredarchive.com/post/72433

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