Best way to learn a language?

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theanimal
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Best way to learn a language?

Post by theanimal »

Any strategies, tips or advice from those who have learned more than one language?

I'll refrain from adding which language I'm contemplating learning for now, in hopes this can be beneficial to all. If need be(or likely a little later on),I will share.

BRUTE
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Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2015 5:20 pm

Re: Best way to learn a language?

Post by BRUTE »

1)learning different languages is different
2)it depends on where (=which language(s)) theanimal is coming from
3)most languages have some really easy parts and some really hard parts
4)the "optimal way" may very well vary between learners and languages. it has for brute, for every language so far
5)brutes strategy at this point is to throw shit at the wall, and see what sticks. in other words, theanimal should not focus/put all his hopes into one book/course/teacher, but consume as many different learning materials as he can.
6)theanimal will get stuck in some aspect of the language and get frustrated. he should then switch to another aspect. (aspects are things like reading, writing, alphabet, tones, pronunciation, conversation, topics, ..). this will happen a lot.
7)it has taken brute roughly 3 months of "hobbyist-level" learning to get a fundamental grasp of a new language. another 3 months and he can have basic conversations and function like an idiot child. brutes only exposure of more than 6 months is "decades", so it's hard for brute to compare anything beyond "6 months hobbyist"
8)hours invested is absolutely crucial. "6 years of spanish" is a useless measure if you did 2h per week every other month.
9)some humans prefer long, steady methods of steady (4h/week for years). brute prefers short and intense (10h/wk is brutes "hobbyist" MO in "on" weeks)
10)most languages are really not that difficult, and not that different from each other. remember, the goal is to use the human vocal mechanism to express experiences all humans share. humans in different places do almost the exact same stuff on average. they all eat, poop, laugh, love, work, lay bricks, etc. so if the mechanism of expression (human body) and the possible intentions (human experiences) are the same, the only difference in languages is how you connect the wires.
11)theanimal probably wants to learn both reading/writing and speaking/listening. some people prefer a focus on just one, but in brutes experience, the synergies are so big that it would be a waste of time not to learn both roughly simultaneously. e.g. theanimal can read vocabulary and newspapers, which helps him in conversation. conversation helps him hear the pronunciation and flow in his head while he reads.

llorona
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Location: SF Bay Area

Re: Best way to learn a language?

Post by llorona »

For me, it was immersion and one-on-one lessons. Group classroom instruction in high school was helpful from the standpoint of learning vocabulary, grammar, etc., but not for learning to speak, comprehend, and function in practical settings. It took complete cultural/linguistic immersion with 12 weeks of individual lessons (20 hours/week) for me to achieve close to verbal fluency. At that point, I could make it through medical appointments, rent an apartment, converse intelligently about almost any topic, and make jokes. Still, I found it hard to understand slang or comprehend what people were saying in large group settings. I think immersion worked because there was no way out - everything from the radio to newspapers to menus was in another language. By the end, my dreams were in this second language.

I attempted to learn a third language using DuoLingo and a six-week online class, but it wasn't nearly as effective. I would say that after three months, I attained sufficient communication skills to survive, but speaking stressed me out and I couldn't understand much of what people were saying.

Another tip is to be very clear on what you need to learn. Being able to ask for directions in another language (and understanding the response) takes a lot less time and practice than acquiring the linguistic skills you'd need for a job interview. Writing an email to make a hotel reservation requires a different level of skill than writing a thesis for a graduate program. Reading a children's book doesn't take as much skill as reading the Wall Street Journal.

Lastly, toss your pride out the window and get used to the idea that you're going to make mistakes and sound like an idiot. It happens to everyone except maybe children.

Good luck, and please share!

almostthere
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 1:47 am

Re: Best way to learn a language?

Post by almostthere »

When I was younger, language learning was one of my main hobbies. I have learned and forgotten at least four languages. I had the greatest return on time invested with the Pimsleur method. I would not even consider starting to learn a language if it didn't have all three levels of Pimsleur available.

henrik
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Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: EE

Re: Best way to learn a language?

Post by henrik »

The best way is to learn it as a kid, that's sort of automatic... Other than that, I agree with Brute and llorona, intensity and immersion work well, if you can afford the time and brainpower. I've been sincerely surprised to hear myself talking after a month long summer school program with ~5 hr learning days followed by eventful local nights out.
Having a relationship or at least a romantic interest with a language barrier involved is also a good method:)
And my standard advice - when choosing courses, books, whatever, always go for a level or two higher than they say you should. Cheat on the placement test if you have to. If your head hurts in the beginning and you feel lost, it's working.
This is based on varying levels of skill and neglect in 5 languages-- one native, 2 started in elementary school, 2 started as an adult.

21stCenturyKid
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Joined: Tue Nov 26, 2013 3:04 am
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Best way to learn a language?

Post by 21stCenturyKid »

I hear that Rosetta stone is pretty good. My local library has it available for borrowing...maybe yours will also?

21stCenturyKid
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Nov 26, 2013 3:04 am
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Best way to learn a language?

Post by 21stCenturyKid »

You may also be able to borrow Pimsleur materials at your local library. :-)

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