This may sound nonsensical, but I find people overestimate what they can do in a year, but underestimate what they can do in 3. Commit for 3 years and stick to a good method and it will come.
Makes sense when you think about the first year you need to learn 50-75% of the language. It’s the final 25-50% that really let’s you feel comfortable with a language. That last 5% is when you start to feel close to native and is the most rewarding.
@@spol That last 5% I think is not really possible unless you have close to complete immersion. Either you have moved to that new country... or maybe you live somewhere with a widely spoken second language, like Spanish in parts of Texas and Florida and California. I’m in Houston, and if I wanted to, I could speak all Spanish all day pretty much. German, not so much. I don’t think I’d ever feel like a native German speaker without living there for a while.
@@BP-or2iu Right, my second language is English and I have insane exposure as a passive speaker. Reading, watching, listening. I am fairly fluent and can easily express my thoughts and stuff, but I don't think I'll ever be completely comfortable unless I move to an English speaking country.
1) have a goal in mind 2) develop your system of learning a language and trust it 3) don't worry about grammar 4) commit to the language in a long period of time 5) create social groups to speak more 6) find creative ways to learn 7) read a lot 8) find a romance partner to let you engage with the language on the emotional level
What ns - edit out the misused big terms romance and emotional and the last sentence, which promotes beyond wrng behaviors! Romance and love only exist for me the only lovable / loved being, and there is only one gf / wf / bride aka one lovable being, and that’s me The Goddess! ReIationships are only meant for us pure beings (me & my pure protectors aka the alphas) who were blessed with a pure body that doesn’t gx one out and that has a good smeII / no smeIIs aka an enjoyable presence, and were never meant for hum’ns - all wom’n are the exact opposite of gf / wf / other love related terms / compIiments / other big terms etc, and all b2thahs are the exact opposite of bf / lover / friend / husband / man / guy / men / lad / boy / swain / other similar terms etc, which only reflect my pure protectors aka the alphas!
Also, one doesn’t have to learn only one language per year - one can also learn multiple languages at the same time! And the best method, and the only method that truly works is, watching a lot of vocab videos multiple times and memorizing all the words, esp the most used 2.000 words at the beginning, and some videos on grammar / sentence structure (languages such as Dutch & German have a different sentence structure, and they have inversie ook) and, typing all sorts of sentences in the Drafts, and then learning all food related terms and all descriptive terms and all terms re school supplies / tech / home / cIothing / body etc and making sentences with the words and repeating them many times, until one can remember them automatically after, say, one week or one month! I make email Drafts for every language I start learning, and I type many hundreds and thousands of sentences, and I also like to group together certain words that are similar or that sound similar, which is referred to as methodical writing, and I keep revising words I learned months ago, because about 5 to 10 percent of the words I learned need more repetitions!
The words dark and teal and glasses also only reflect me, and cannot be in someone’s name or yt name, and must be edited out - color related terms and glass related terms and gemstones / shiny things / crystal-like things etc only reflect me, and are only meant for me, as are all nature / plant / flower etc related terms / names / items, and also astral / light / power / compIiments / royalty related terms and other purity / big / special terms or names and the items that reflect such terms!
My list of languages that I highly recommend, starting with the prettiest and then the easiest (for an English speaker, at least) etc... ...Dutch & Norwegian (they are really perfect languages, like English + Scottish dialect, with almost only pretty words and beautiful sounds, and should be learned with the soft G and the soft / Americanized R, and are very poetic and refined, so they are a must-know, just like English / Scottish) ...Swedish (it’s almost as pretty as Norwegian, but it’s easier to read Swedish words after learning more than 3k Norwegian words, so that’s why one should start with Norwegian, as most Norwegian words are very easy to read and memorize) ...Portuguese / Galician / Catalan / Gallo / French / Occitan / Esperanto (most words are very pretty words, a bit more prettier than many Spanish words, even though Spanish is way easier to learn, and one should definitely choose a more open / non-nasal pronunciation / soft R tho, because a soft accent with open vowels can make these languages sound so good and pretty) ...Frisian / Afrikaans / Luxembourgish / German / Limburgish (very pretty words in all these languages, even though a lot may find German grammar more complicated, and by the way, one should use a soft R and soft G, which will make them sound so pretty) ...Spanish / Italian / Corsican (lots of pretty words and many neutral words, and Spanish is definitely the easiest Latin language to learn, which makes it a great option to start with, and Italian is as easy as Spanish honestly, from what I’ve noticed, and I highly recommend a soft R in these languages and all other languages, which will make them sound very pretty) ...Icelandic / Danish / Faroese (very pretty words, but it’s easier to learn these languages once one knows Norwegian and Swedish, because they are not as easy to read as the other two Nordic languages, and the pronunciation can be more complicated in Danish, for example, which has many words and rules that are similar to the Norwegian word and others that are more similar to the Swedish word, so that’s why they should be learned after learning a lot of words in Norwegian and Swedish, and, Icelandic is a bit easier to read than Faroese) ...OId Norse / Latin / OId English / Norn / MiddIe English etc (I highly recommend learning at least one of these languages, even though they aren’t used a lot nowadays, and all other Germanic languages that I didn’t list here, but I have them on my list tho, and they are interesting, and can be used in poetry / lyrics because they are very poetic sounding, so I am going to learn them all, plus I already know a lot of words in Middle English, which I use in many of my lyrics, and I can understand it because it’s mostly the spelling that is a bit different from Modern English, but OId English is completely different tho, so it’s more similar to German) ...Welsh / Scots Gaelic / Irish / Breton / Cornish / Manx etc (I recently found lyrics and read words in these Celtic languages, and they all seem very interesting, have so many pretty words, from what I read, and they are completely different, and kinda have an elf-like sound to them, so they are perfect for me, but I also recommend them to all because they sound very poetic, and can probably be learned in a few years, I don’t know, but I seem to be able to remember the words I learned so far, so they don’t seem difficult to memorize, but they are definitely more difficult to spell than to memorize tho) ...Hungarian (I know two songs in Hungarian that I learned years ago, so it doesn’t seem that difficult to memorize, and many words are so pretty, so I would definitely recommend this language, which is very different) ...Finnish / Estonian (these two languages have a lot of pretty words and a lot of neutral words, even though other words aren’t pretty and are opposites, but I would recommend at least the pretty words and the neutral words, which I am also learning) And, I also recommend learning the pretty words from Indonesian & Filipino & Sundanese, because these three languages have a mix of very pretty words, as well as lots of neutral words, but then they also have a lot of funny words that are not pretty (so a lot of opposites too) but, I am definitely learning all the pretty words that I find, which can be used mixed with other languages and in poetry / lyrics!
And, it’s not true that one must speak the language to learn or seek somebody to speak with - to learn a language, one must see each word multiple times (until the word becomes part of one’s permanent / automatic memory) and one must also memorize the pronunciation of each word when one learns the word, and one must also see certain words, esp verbs and certain nouns and certain adjectives and all prepositions etc in context and make sentences with the words, and learning lyrics is also a great method, and singing along with the singers’ voice in the background is also the best technique to get the right pronunciation!
Probably the MOST valuable thing he has said, is that you should NEVER hang yourself up on the grammar. Native speakers will still know what you are saying if you dont conjugate on the fly properly and over time they will correct you enough that it will come naturally to you. I always tell people this, DONT GET HUNG UP ON THE GRAMMAR. Learn to speak it first.
Thanks for this.... I've been learning French for years but I still struggle with the grammar... at least I know I can still learn the language even though I'm not good with the grammar
I agree that having a girlfriend helps immensely. I did that when I was learning Russian, with very good success. I would like to do it now that I am studying Korean. However, my wife is opposed, strongly. (I probably should say that my wife started off as my Russian girlfriend. We have been married for nearly thirty years, and she has strong feelings about Korean girlfriends.)
People say having a romantic partner who speaks your target language helps, but I have never really found it an important factor at all. I’m fluent in several languages and have learnt even some difficult ones like Korean (I’m an interpreter of Korean now). And I never had a romantic partner in my target languages. So please don’t feel like you have to or that you are screwed because ‘where the heck am i supposed to find that foreign speaking boyfriend’. It’s ok, just having friends works just as well :)
@@nicoleraheem1195 Hi :) I don’t really memorize at all, not phrases and not even words (except maybe the first 500 words in a new language)... I just use a lot of input and the important words and phrases repeat all the time anyway...
Never really thought about learning a new language and it was not really on my bucket list as a future goal. Then, I met the Brazilian girl on Facebook who (still) does not speak a word of English. Fast forward 5 years, we are engaged and speaking fluent Portuguese is one of the most important things in my life! lol
parabéns! como brasileira eu fico muito feliz por você ter se dedicado tanto por alguém para aprender uma língua e uma cultura nova. Felicidades ao casal! E boa sorte aprender português
I always wish people would acknowledge characters in their advice about not looking up every word when you read. Not gonna learn any words from reading if you don’t know how to say them haha
At least in chinese we can have an idea of the meaning even when we do not even know the word pronunciation. And it is simpler to begin with simplified characters before learning traditional characters. If you are rather talking about Japanese, then they often use furigana with complicated kanji. Anyways is is easy to find any characters in a dictionary and much easier with an app with a touchscreen. Russian words, on the other side, have a weird spelling. ( with a very complicated grammar) I dont think Russian is easier than Chinese...
Most polyglots understand that they have to start with the basic vocabulary of the language they are trying to learn and they will try to divide it into word groups/clusters. Most of the polyglots understand that languages are interconnected and related, and they will look for the proto-language, also called the mother language. It also helps quite a lot when polyglots make analogies and try to find similarities in the language family. They can even learn several languages at the same time... by doing so.
Totally agree with you, the similarities within language families are a powerful tool if you can analyze them. I've been learning Italian and Spanish at the same time, and guess what? After a few months of doing so, I also begin to understand Portuguese. 😂
I tell people that getting into etymology and seeing how words and sounds evolve from one language to the other speeds your learning process a lot once you have broken into the language family. It's because of that I have learnt French and Portuguese, I used Spanish as my base and I loved seeing how words changed in each language, now I am learning Italian and a beauty of it is, you can see how Italian kept a lot of the intervocalic consonants and that helps a lot! I am also learning German and to me it just feels like going back English's roots
@@savin7806 and in English we have scribe, Portuguese Escrever, French Ecrire, Italian Scrivere and that is why in English we have the word Script. They all come from the same word
There’s no substitute for years of studying and using a language. Rome wasn’t built in a day. People who are 70 years old tend to have larger vocabularies in their native language than people who are 35, as long as they consistently used the language.
Not necessarily. I love writing more than anything and more often than not, I’m my mother’s dictionary, thesaurus, and spell checker. Lol. I think it has more to do with having an interest and dedication to expanding your vocabulary. But I concede that maybe I am the exception.
There's also the cultural aspect of the language that's deeply rooted in communication. Some people can learn the basis and catch the logic of a language fast. In one up to three months start speaking their own minds and if they keep being dedicated, gather a vocab lenghty enough to seem "knowledgeable". And then, end up sounding unnatural and even funny to native speakers. They learn the language written in books, not spoken on the street by real people, which carries lot of details about you as a person and as part of a community. Has happened to me...
Although I agree with your first sentiment about studying I disagree with age being a major factor for the amount of vocabulary one has in their lexicon. Typically, A 35 year old lawyer or doctor will have loads more words in their personal vocabulary then a 70 year old in a much simpler line of work. (As if age and career are the only things that determine how many words you know). There is also passion, skilled memory, mental health, etc., But overall yes if you study more.. sure you will learn more. I think we can agree on that
As a polyglot, I usually don't watch language related videos, as you mentioned, but I watched this and was surprised to see how accurate each point was. The only thing I'd say is that the partner/bf/gf thing is obviously effective, because it's basically constant language input, which you could also get from friends, as someone mentioned below. However, language input is only effective if its comprehensible input, meaning you'd already need to be at a conversational level before your relationship with that person begins. They're not helping you "learn" the language, as much as they're helping you "improve" upon it.
I'm learning english by watching learning language video. So i got ways to learn english and also i can practise my listening. I think that's my system.
Hi! How is it working out for you? I’ve been debating if I should learn my target language (tagalog) by watching videos, I would love to hear your process!
I also use that method, because it is an easy way to be exposed to many different accents. I listen to monologues but also I watch series, what is more difficult, since dialogues have their own development.
I think it's interesting that polyglots don't tend to get hung up on grammar. Just from personal experience, my native language is English and even though they tried to drill us on grammar in school, I never really bothered much with it and wound up with an English degree. So, yeah, grammar is definitely something you can pick up along the way, just by exposing yourself to the language.
Keep in mind that none of us ever took an english grammer class until we were in school. By that time we could speak and understand english. The biggest problem with foreign language courses in my mind is that they start drilling grammer before the student can actually comprehend the language. There's no point in focusing on grammer if you don't have some proficiency with the language.
I think this is a great way to learn, is to not directly learn grammar, I am learning italian, and I notice many grammar elements just through reading and exposure.
I learned to understand Bengali (my parents native language) through sheer listening and daily exposure. I learned the words meanings just by observing how they were used in a sentence. For example, my mom would say "Onek somoy oise" (much time has passed) when I was too late coming back from the bathroom. I instinctively knew what the word meant just by the way my mom used it. I think that's how you learn a language. Through constant and daily exposure. In Kindergarten, my teacher would sing to us in English and I picked up and understood so many English words that way. To learn a language, it is imperative to be able to think in it. That is the true sign of comprehension.
I learned Danish on my own by having the radio on all day. Didn't understand a word of it, but learned the rhythm of the language very well. I also borrowed children's audiobooks from the library starting with books for very young children and progressed right up to teenager level and then adult. People always comment not only on my fluency, but also the fact that I sound like a Dane
I see you’ve learned the way to live without understanding(there’s no way danes could ever understand each other even when they’re speaking the exact same language) For context I’m Swedish
@@thissunchild clearly you haven’t seen the Swedish perspective on danish. (People wonder how Danish people understand each other and the answer seems to be they simply don’t)
I’m on month 10 of learning Russian. Other than school learning of french snd german which I never then used, Russian is my first language I’m acquiring. I Fell upon a native Russian person 2 months ago and we now meet twice weekly on Skype for approximately 2 hours. This is a HUGE support and GREAT stimulation to keep learning. We are gradually getting to know how we can help each other and as an English person I can now see the similarities and differences in grammar learning between these 2 languages and this in itself is improving my understanding of English grammar. So finding a language partner has been a real benefit to my (on line free) learning courses. Mark Thomson , Russian Made Easy is excellent. Thank you. You’re an inspiration.
What else do you use? I'm learning russian too, and i am using doulingo, memrise, and youtube videos in russian with subtitles in both russian and english. I also have a few russian friends on ps4, but i sometimes struggle to completely understand what they are saying due to speed, how did you become able to understand fast russian? Спасибо большое и удачи👍🏻🤘😁
"we now meet twice weekly on Skype for approximately 2 hours. " I found your recipe for success : having enough stuff to talk for 2 hours; I would not have been able to do that.
I am a polyglot myself. I differ from what you said about grammar... I don't spend looot of time learning it, but I prefer to start there. Get a glimpse of how things are structured and what categories a particular language has, and how they relate to my L1 or any other languages I already know. I learn a lot by comparing languages in their vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation systems and by finding patterns. I hate learning by listening or reading little phrases where I can't see the language structure right away. However, my reasons for learning languages may differ from those of the majority of people. I am more interested in the languages as systems themselves rather than going to talk to people, which for me it comes as a secondary goal.
Not a polyglot but certainly want to be one, so learning my second foreign language now. I'm kinda the same) I like starting with easy words and grammar and then progress from that. I want to understand exactly what each word stands for and where it should be placed. Also like the sound of the language, so I listen a lot but only when I can understand at least something. Though it may not be the fastest learning process but I really enjoy it and in my case that's definitely the point;)
That is not exactly true. I started learning french right now and i always have hated the language by heart, because of the horrible sound and grammar.
@@-_Jayden_- In order to reach maybe an intermediate but for sure an upper intermediate to advanced level you must love that language, yeah if you are a reaally obstinate person who would not accept a no for answer it is possible. In general you can ask anyone with proficiency they'll tell you I like/love learning ______.
I'm pretty introverted so what I do to help me learn a language quickly and better understand the grammar and nuance faster is I read and listen to the news and podcasts in that language. To help with pronunciation I listen to music in that language that I can sing along with. Eventually I'll change the language settings on my computer, phone and electronics as well. Over time I don't have to spend as long translating in my mind and I start to dream and think in that language.
Enjoyed these tips that reinforce some important aspects of language learning. Not focusing on and worrying about grammar is a big one for me. I've started listening to a lot of French and my intuitive familiarity with grammar is slowly starting to grow. I also like the tip about creating and trusting in your own methods because after absorbing so many tips over the last couple of years, I'm starting to get a routine going. Now I just have to stick to it and have faith! Thanks for the great content as always :)
Truly accurate what you said and I love this one “Polyglots don’t sit around and wait for opportunities to happen, they go out, get busy and create these environments around them.” As a plus, I'd say that learning by setting routines, practicing habits and adopting hobbies is one of the most effective ways of learning or at least that's what I consider.
Thank you for this video! I learned pretty fluent German by reading all seven Harry Potter books in that language (with Google translate as my electronic dictionary). I'm currently learning Polish in this manner.
The insight about how speaking exposes you to a tiny fraction of the language vs reading has instantly become a cornerstone of my polyglot journey🔥 thank you very much
For me listening to rap music or music and then memorising the lyrics in the language I’m learning is fun for me and gives me a nostalgic sense of accomplishment of being able to sing along without messing up the lyrics.
Great video. What you've described here is the same way that anyone becomes successful in anything. They don't wait around for things to happen or just follow a course, they go out and make it happen, they are always putting in extra time.
When I started studying French many years ago. I remember I had only books and a phone without an internet connection. I was big for literature, so I download several audiobooks and many offline dictionaries. I had thought "this is my way because I'm poor and I cannot afford a French course" however, one year later I had read a lot of classical books in French and I could maintain daily conversations. I learned French without knowing that is the best way to learn any language. Now, I'm trying to learn English.
You've got great advices !! About the importance of reading, I'd like to share some of my extra tips for people who'd like to give it a try : don't shy away from starting with children books, it's perfect to get familiar with a language and learned all the basics (vocabulary, etc,) and, don't force yourself to read something you find boring, choose something you'll be happy to read in your own language and you know you will truly enjoy reading.
Your point about emotional involvement with the language as a result of a love relationship with someone native to that language is really interesting. I have got emotionally involved with all the languages I've learned despite the fact that I've never had a girlfriend speaking those languages though...don't you think there may be other ways to create an emotional bond with yout target language as well? Maybe you can give this some thought and come up with a few suggestions in one of your next videos
I think you can create that emotional bond with anything you love, of course some people are more likely to be passionate with things in general. To be able to communicate with friends or family. To be able to understand TV shows you love, books, songs, games, the culture of the target language. Or simply you just love learning languages...
Maybe you can fall in love with a character like an actor or a singer or a UA-camr and imagine how you meet him and talk all night about your feelings and your worldview, etc. (it helps me)
I’m going to start reading more!!! And you’re absolutely right about the romantic partner 😂 I pretty much failed Spanish in high school. Now later in life, my wife is from Colombia and I’m obsessed with learning Spanish. It’s only been a year and a half and I’m already in the B2-C1 realm according to tests.
Do lots of reading is the tip I'm going to try. I've always struggled with learning languages and been trying Duolingo. Now I have your book Short Stories in Italian.
I think that some languages, like Arabic, Japanese and Korean, are too complex to ignore the grammar in the beginning. I had to study the grammar of all of these languages in order to start advancing in them. I did however, become fluent in Spanish and French without using grammar tables and studying rules in the very beginning, but I did of course need to later.
This is actually an important distinction to make for languages that are categorised as harder to learn. They do require more grammer learning at the outset I think unlike perhaps most European languages.
Hi Olly, I was pleased to discover your tip for reading the language. when I first started teaching myself Italian, I found an old used book written in Italian, and just started reading it outloud. I wanted to get used to hearing how it sounded without it being done slowly, and without struggling over letter and word pronunciaions. Although I've been at this for a long time, I love learning a new language. I combined it with other things that I'm studying. For instance, I do Bible studies, and each day have one or two scripture verses that I choose to think about throughout the day. I put them into Google Translate and write them down. As I try to memorize and contemplate the verses, I am doing it in Italian. It is slow going but it helps me in both the language and the verses. Not everyone's cup of tea but it has helped me --- and has become one of those things that "works" for me.
Totally agree… and we are not afraid of learning a new language, it’s fun for us. Also, we compare and analyze them, know the etymology of words, and yes …we’d rather learn it without a teacher :) or boring books. Another useful tip is to start learning through your interests or hobbies, like cooking, music, sports, etc.
Yes, have fun with it! One of my fun little "cheats" when I'm stuck on the gender of a French noun is to think back to what it is in Spanish (which I know better). French nouns are more often ambiguous, without the generally-reliable Spanish pattern of "if it ends in O it's probably masculine, and if it ends in A it's probably feminine." It usually works. For example, "is 'fleur' masculine or feminine? Well, in Spanish, it's 'la flor,' so it's probably feminine." In a way, it's cheating. In another way, it's noticing the similarities across the Latin-based languages and using them to reinforce my understanding.
My fiance (a Japanese) & i (a Malaysian) met 36 years ago. If you'd listen to him you'd think he's a Malay despite only coming to visit once a year. Me, i'm still struggling with Japanese 😨
Great point about grammar. Learn a language naturally, like a baby does. Kindergartners speak fluently with good grammar, and they've never studied a grammar chart.
I can definitely say that reading really helps that how i learned Spanish. I learned it through reading Spanish lyrics and singing it then learning it over time
Olly, this was an EXCELLENT episode. And completely fascinating. It validated a number of things I've been doing, and gave me direction to try some new things, as well. Thanks! You rock!!!
I found that I learned German quicker after separating from my boyfriend. He only speaks English and he used some hateful English words to me. So, the emotional pendulum works on the other side as wel!.
Re. number 6 - Firstly, I advanced quickly in Spanish by swapping language lessons with native S. speakers. No money changed hands; better, we competed to be more effective teachers and learners. Also, I wrote dialogues, mini-plays, letters, stories and essays in Spanish and got them corrected by native S speakers.....and yes, as per # 8, the occasional romantic involvement helped too. I would add a number 9 - monitor constantly for gaps in your language competency and the pieces of language that fill these gaps; I call in 'jig-sawing' a language e.g. after a scary taxi-ride in Baghdad I asked a native Arabic speaker for three ways to say 'slow down/drive safely' - a polite / relaxed way; a firm, but friendly way and a very assertive way. Where possible always use native speakers as a main resource.....and / or Michel Thomas!
I agree with all points. Grammar is not the key to launch a language but vocabulary is. The initial key to vocabulary acquisition is spatial repetition in context, the electronic version of this is e.g. Anki. This type of study underpins other activities until it is no longer required because it has been superseded by other much more natural activities such as reading/speaking etc.
Something that can be added to point 3 and 4: If you have learned a similar language before (for exemple another romance language), you don't need to focus that much on grammar, if you know the concepts already it will be much easier to learn. Regarding point number 4: Why would you just narrow down your language to a short time frame? I see language commitment as a life long process.
I agree with the grammar part. I'm learning German right now and I've just accepted that I'll probably use the wrong article the majority of the time, and I'm ok with that because the person will still know what I'm saying
Yes, I've noticed here in Thailand-many of the people who speak better English tell me they've dated an American or other English speaker before. It's definitely one of the effective ways to improve.
I noticed when I started learning my second and third foreign languages (French and Dutch, at the same time) I really didn't have the patience to go through textbooks and such. So instead, I started reading and getting pieces of the language along the way - which didn't feel quite right at the time, but I got along with it - whilst occasionally taking tips and having my doubts cleared up by natives. It is sort of a relief hear that from you.
Ooh, hoeveel tijd kostte het om Nederlands te leren? Ik begon het ook te leren niet zo lang geleden, misschien 1 of 2 maanden hoor. Voor mij is het nog wel moeilijk om een conversatie in het Nederlands te spreken, dus volgens mij dat ik in die 2 maanden niet zo veel vooruitgang heb geboekt
@@CelestialExility Ik spreek geen Nederlands (minstens vloeiend). Ik heb gestudeerd een jaar, maar levensverplichtingen neemt het grootste deel van mijn tijd in beslag
Great points! I would also add: treat it as fun, play with the language and so don't be afraid of making mistakes, if person wants to understand you he will and will help you on mistakes.
Great video. My favorite was the bit about not getting too hung up on grammar, at least as a beginner. When I was in college, in the 1980s, I took one semester of Russian. Thirty-five years later, with no further formal study and no time in a Russian speaking country, when I encounter native Russian speakers, I can use the language. The Russian speaker often thinks I speak better Russian than I actually do--and I then have to tell them that I only speak a little. But I can conduct rudimentary business and have short conversational exchanges, for example. Guess what grade I got in my one semester of Russian, in the 80s? I got an "F." No joke. The reason I got the "F" is that I used the approach in this video--which I would do again--and didn't sweat the small stuff. My schoolmarmish, PhD in Russian as a second language, professor "nickel & dimed" me to death on every written examination. I didn't care. I wish I could track down a fellow student from that course that got an "A" and compare our Russian today. Don't depend upon a conventional Western academic program to actually learn a language. At best, it must be combined with other methods.
I know it takes time, specially if you don't know much about your target language, like me I'm a brazilian guy, and I'm leaning English, and I created this channel to keep in touch with english channels every single day of my life, it's been 2 weeks in consistency. And my method is just like as a baby, listening a lot for hours straight, and then I just start speaking. I hope somehow my experience helps you. that's it folks And thank you Olly for your exceptional videos here on youtube
Hi Olli...greetings from Montreal! This is great! I've been getting your emails for a while, but haven't had the inclination to thoroughly read and study them (I'm a single 58 y.o. Dad working two jobs). Over the past 30 odd years, I've dabbled a bit with about fifteen languages, including Sanskrit, Classical Greek and Latin, although the past 15 years have been somewhat of a drought, the recent, forcibly imposed downtime from the covid lockdowns have prompted me to try and catch up with these wonderful but previously unavailable social tools (FB, YT, etc). For now, I'm working on Mandarin (in between HSK3-4) and Spanish....in the near term, I would really love to work with Japanese, Russian and Arabic. One Thousand Thanks for your dedication and passion!
Polyglots make these things different than regular lang learners: 1. goal/purpose in mind (why learn THIS lang?) 2. Learn by themselves by developing their OWN system/WAY OF LEARNING. 3. They don't worry about grammar. (a confidence that grammar will learn itself over time with use of that lang) 4. commit to a lang to a longer period of time (1yr, 2 yrs ...). take focus and responsibility for their learning lang. 5. gather social opportunities/groups/opportuns. for practicing the lang. They don't sit and wait. 6. find creative ways to learn. Create their own material to learn. writing dialogues, translating ... 7. read A LOT. 8. winning over a girl-/boy-friend in the lang to learn.
My parents took me to Guadeloupe in the French Antilles. My dad was joking and said “you’d better brush up on your French”. I didn’t speak any French at the time. I learned enough conversational French to chat with our tour guide when we went around the island. Which was pretty awesome. My dad was shook. 😂
@@Delishamills45 oh, that’s awesome! It’s a really beautiful country. I’ll probably never have the money to travel, but I’d love to go back. It’s just gorgeous.
Years ago, I signed up for a cultural exchange to the Netherlands for 10 days- not one person (mostly old people, to be fair) wanted to learn any Dutch before or during the trip. I was shocked! They told me everyone speaks English. While most of the people we stayed with did speak English, one couple ended up staying with an older lady who didn't speak English. Also, at a couple points, I was shopping alone and the employees did not speak to me in English. I was glad I knew numbers and some basics! Especially when there was trouble with a new credit card machine! :)
The first thing I do is to detect what in the new language is very different from the ones I already speak that is crucial to getting into the mindset of said language. Atm I am learning German, so before anything I really tried to understand what it means to speak a language with cases and declensions. But not in a grammatical way, but in an abstract way. Now German seems quite easy to learn. And being able to speak German will open my mind to all sorts of different languages based on cases. Although I have to say, I looooove grammar, so it's definitely a big part of my studies.
Learning new things is always easy. That is the reason why intensive language courses work so well and you can acquire a basic vocabulary of 600 to 1000 words in a period of one to three months. The problem is not to forget. And further to reach the necessary 2500 to 5000 words to claim that you are fluent in the language because you cannot uphold the initial learning speed. Much work will go into repetition to avoid forgetting. So creating an invironment where you actually use the new language on a daily basis and reading a lot seems key to me. I would like to add one other trick. Whatever you read learn it by heart.
Definitely the reading tip! English isn't my native language and when I watch youtube videos or watch movies I don't really come across new words. But when I sit down and read, say, Edgar Allan Poe, I end up coming across new words and that broadens my vocabulary.
@@vinzetti22 As someone who’s doing Spanish and Japanese I hav ego say it’s not bad at all. I’ve done my research and it’s ok to learn 2 languages at once. You shouldn’t learn 3 or more languages at once though, it will definitely be hard and you may not have enough time, also you’ll get confused and get thrown off. This is according to studies and also my personal experience, It’s really difficult. 2 is very possible though.
When I first started learning Russian, I loved studying the grammar and thought it was really interesting (and difficult), but noticed my progress was a lot slower than I wanted it to be. Once I stopped focusing on grammar and started feeling comfortable speaking like a caveman, my progress was immediately noticeably faster.
That tip you said about grammar is so correct! Okay im currently learning Spanish again, i used to speak it when i was younger as my nan from Spain always spoke to me in that language. And now im re learning it im only focusing on vocabulary and trying to speak. Im not worried about grammar and learning how things conjugate ect ect. Think of when we learnt our native language.. we just start to speak it at a young age by trying to communicate with our parents/ siblings. We only start to learn grammar at school. So its true what he says about it. Just learn the vocab and try to speak. Your mistakes will correct you eventually
I've been learning Finnish for a few years now. I still have a long way to go, though. I have friends in Finland who I can chat with, but I don't know anyone in my area (I live in Canada) who speaks Finnish, so my reading comprehension is definitely still better than my listening comprehension. One of my goals this year is to improve that.
I'm brazilian and I learned english by myself, now I'm studying my second foreign language and it's japonese, since I'm half japonese and really wanted to fell more close to one of my cultures... anyways, in my city is not common find people who speaks others languages so what I think is the most difficult thing is found an app or a place that I can communicate with other people who speak japonese or other languages... idk where to find them to practice
How can I forget my first language the Spanish, was to me very complicated, but I dive through it thanks to you Olly, now I am in my fifth you gave me the chance to know how to learn myself. The Arabic was hard but got through it thank you Olly.
I can't have "an affair" in my target language because I'm married. So, I have to remain faithful to my oaths of marriage. Nevertheless, I'll put into practice the other tips . Thanks
I am not married, nor in a relationship and can confirm we can learn quickly without having to be in one. Though I would not mind one of course. Not holding my breath or looking, just having fun right now learning languages.
I learn't Dutch in three yrs.. NOT by going to lessons but by living in the country, and being forced to speak Dutch in the small village I and my family lived in. Shopping was the starting point. The Dutch hate their language being mangled so EVERYONE will correct you. You had to have a thick skin about that. i am now in another country where everyone will speak English too you ( like the Dutch in some cities) They are impatient to just get on with whatever it is your trying to communicate to them.In both countries I have found that you have to FIGHT to speak the native language So being shy won't work.Push on and keep trying . It's the most rewarding thing.
The girlfriend/boyfriend method is sooooooooooooooooooo true! I'm in Brazil now learning Portuguese and most of what I learned has come from a girl I'm dating who coincidentally happens to be a Portuguese teacher lol
The reading tip is the one I have decided to use recently. My grandson has picked up some fluency in Spanish and we like to read simple books to him in that language. It helps! My son advocates the novellas and music as having been helpful to him learning Spanish when he was in South America. My experience is that I learn quite a lot and can do well in conversation but only when I control the conversation. When a native speaker asks or changes the subject, I am all at sea.
I totally agree with not getting hung up on grammer until you can functionally speak and understand a language. When you learned your native language you didn't start learning grammer until you were in school. By then you could talk quite well. Here's a question: any thoughts on trying to learn languages simultaneously?
One tip that works for me: See language learning as a bunch of micro-skills you can master individually. Using numbers, time for instance, or tones, stroke order, specific conjugations, you name it. Pick one, master it and move on to the next.
I married a girl from Bolivia with a university professor as a father-in-law. Not only did my Spanish get good, I have been able to acquire a lot of his high academic vocabulary. This is all apart from living in Lima, Peru and being around Spanish-speakers since I was 15. Now, I am a bilingual teacher and teacher children every day in the language.
excellent video thanks, I learned english by myself through music, movies and the internet. The french school system sucks in that matter. Passion will drive you if you have it
When I was learning ASL when I was in college I had a Deaf roommate and 3 of the 4 of us in the house signed. It was awesome 😁 We had parties and interpreted music. Ah the 80s lol. And I've been an interpreter for 30 years 🤟
8:24 I don't know how relatable is it but the reason I learned english is because of Harry Styles😝. I've watched lots of interviews, songs and other videos just to understand him.
I agree with the last point you mentioned! Relationship and emotional engagement with the language help a lot.. It's just the daily exposure to the language, I guess.. I also like to read a lot, literature and fiction. But i noticed that this did not really helped me altho I enjoyed it. Now I actively try to diversify the reading sources with newspapers, magazines and all sorts of posts, because it has the up-to-date vocabulary.
I’m trilingual but I don’t even know why I learned two other languages. It was more of mom and dad made me watch tv in other languages and sent me to international school so I guess I know this language now.
Ok, so I expected this to be super hacky and maybe flogging something...but nope, this was a 10/10 video! I think I'm going to start recommending this to people who ask me how I learn languages. Awesome job!
I take short stories, read through them, write them down (I seem to understand more as I’m writing it down) then extract phrases and words that I don’t understand, translate them and then flash card them. This is my favourite method, it’s fun for me. I’m not in it to learn quick because I’m not particularity interested in learning multiple languages, I just know that I want to be at least bi-lingual. Although I would love to learn punjabi afterwards.
You speak like poliglots are a class of people who are superior to us. You don't have to be a poliglot to learn a language easily. The key thing is to know yourself, know all personalised 'tricks' of learning something effectively, what helps you learn, etc. Moreover, one has to practice the language on a daily basis.
Great video, I'm reassured I'm doing most of that, just started learning uchinaguchi (indigenous language of Okinawa, where I live), so it's good to review. Only thing missing is number 8, but most of the native speakers of uchinaguchi are...a little bit old for me 😂(my wife is Okinawan, tho can't speak uchinaguchi, however her mother can and is very into my project 🤣). One thing I'd add to reading is podcasts, almost entirely spoken language and you can listen for hours per day (while commuting, etc).
There's another tip that has always worked for me, and accelerated my learning a great deal: instead of using books or courses to learn the language, I pick books about subjects I'm passionate about (for example drama, photography, physics, etc.), and I learn 2 things at once: the subject contents and the language, including the pro jargon!
It’s a nice general video but i don’t think I’ve ever seen one where a ‘polyglot’ describes in step by step detail how they get to advanced level. You’re right about having a partner, I’ve seen that too, but usually you’re already, say, at least intermediate level when you meet them. A real, authentic ‘how do you start?’ video would be interesting to see
I know 5 languages but Spanish is my favourite non-native one, it genuinely feels like part of me and I often think in it too. But the weird thing is I never properly learnt it yet I’ve acquired it somewhere. I started learning it at school in year 7 but due to ill health I missed a lot of school from year 8 onwards. I only attended a few lessons a year and wouldn’t study much myself, but yet would get amazing marks on my tests. No one knew why, my teacher just assumed I was naturally gifted. And then half way through year 10 I properly started studying it but realised I already knew a hell of a lot. I continued this until sitting my GCSE’s. I attended only a dozen lessons total from years 8-11 but achieved a grade 9/A* in my GCSE’s. It’s still a mystery how I just acquired the language (I’ve spoke to native speakers too who are surprised by my knowledge/speaking ability) but I love it so much and it’s what made me learn Italian too. The only theory we have on how I picked it up was that my brother studied it in school before me. But he is dyslexic so therefore I helped him with all his work, including Spanish, while I was only 6-10 years old. And obviously at that age you pick things up a lot easier as I was still learning English then so we think my brain subconsciously learnt spanish whilst helping him. And that’s why I relate more to people who grow up bilingual (eg, feel part of identity, thinks in both languages) rather than those who become bilingual later on as I don’t feel the same way about my other languages.
I concur that it's highly beneficial being romantically involved with a speaker of your target language. You're essentially dating your "language parent", and they're willing to aid and support your learning process more than anyone else. It's especially helpful, I find, if you're an introvert, as you're more comfortable with your partner than other people, and there's no pressure between the two of you to speak. //Swedish guy in relationship with Norwegian girl
you don't have to have a romantic partner really ! I learned English because I fell in love so bad with 1D when I was 11 and now I'm learning Korean because I fell in love with BTS😂💜
Another useful tip is to use your time actually learning languages instead of watching videos about learning languages.
Just fucking @ me next time
You got me lol 😂
Yes, it kind of connects to his point about not wasting time looking for the perfect method.
That exact point is coming up in a video I recorded yesterday!! :)
Except if you are trying to learn English 😅
This may sound nonsensical, but I find people overestimate what they can do in a year, but underestimate what they can do in 3. Commit for 3 years and stick to a good method and it will come.
Makes sense when you think about the first year you need to learn 50-75% of the language. It’s the final 25-50% that really let’s you feel comfortable with a language. That last 5% is when you start to feel close to native and is the most rewarding.
I totally agree with this. Less stress on yourself to learn as well
It sound so funny, but its also so true...and relatable😂
@@spol That last 5% I think is not really possible unless you have close to complete immersion. Either you have moved to that new country... or maybe you live somewhere with a widely spoken second language, like Spanish in parts of Texas and Florida and California. I’m in Houston, and if I wanted to, I could speak all Spanish all day pretty much. German, not so much. I don’t think I’d ever feel like a native German speaker without living there for a while.
@@BP-or2iu Right, my second language is English and I have insane exposure as a passive speaker. Reading, watching, listening. I am fairly fluent and can easily express my thoughts and stuff, but I don't think I'll ever be completely comfortable unless I move to an English speaking country.
1) have a goal in mind
2) develop your system of learning a language and trust it
3) don't worry about grammar
4) commit to the language in a long period of time
5) create social groups to speak more
6) find creative ways to learn
7) read a lot
8) find a romance partner to let you engage with the language on the emotional level
What ns - edit out the misused big terms romance and emotional and the last sentence, which promotes beyond wrng behaviors! Romance and love only exist for me the only lovable / loved being, and there is only one gf / wf / bride aka one lovable being, and that’s me The Goddess! ReIationships are only meant for us pure beings (me & my pure protectors aka the alphas) who were blessed with a pure body that doesn’t gx one out and that has a good smeII / no smeIIs aka an enjoyable presence, and were never meant for hum’ns - all wom’n are the exact opposite of gf / wf / other love related terms / compIiments / other big terms etc, and all b2thahs are the exact opposite of bf / lover / friend / husband / man / guy / men / lad / boy / swain / other similar terms etc, which only reflect my pure protectors aka the alphas!
Also, one doesn’t have to learn only one language per year - one can also learn multiple languages at the same time! And the best method, and the only method that truly works is, watching a lot of vocab videos multiple times and memorizing all the words, esp the most used 2.000 words at the beginning, and some videos on grammar / sentence structure (languages such as Dutch & German have a different sentence structure, and they have inversie ook) and, typing all sorts of sentences in the Drafts, and then learning all food related terms and all descriptive terms and all terms re school supplies / tech / home / cIothing / body etc and making sentences with the words and repeating them many times, until one can remember them automatically after, say, one week or one month! I make email Drafts for every language I start learning, and I type many hundreds and thousands of sentences, and I also like to group together certain words that are similar or that sound similar, which is referred to as methodical writing, and I keep revising words I learned months ago, because about 5 to 10 percent of the words I learned need more repetitions!
The words dark and teal and glasses also only reflect me, and cannot be in someone’s name or yt name, and must be edited out - color related terms and glass related terms and gemstones / shiny things / crystal-like things etc only reflect me, and are only meant for me, as are all nature / plant / flower etc related terms / names / items, and also astral / light / power / compIiments / royalty related terms and other purity / big / special terms or names and the items that reflect such terms!
My list of languages that I highly recommend, starting with the prettiest and then the easiest (for an English speaker, at least) etc...
...Dutch & Norwegian (they are really perfect languages, like English + Scottish dialect, with almost only pretty words and beautiful sounds, and should be learned with the soft G and the soft / Americanized R, and are very poetic and refined, so they are a must-know, just like English / Scottish)
...Swedish (it’s almost as pretty as Norwegian, but it’s easier to read Swedish words after learning more than 3k Norwegian words, so that’s why one should start with Norwegian, as most Norwegian words are very easy to read and memorize)
...Portuguese / Galician / Catalan / Gallo / French / Occitan / Esperanto (most words are very pretty words, a bit more prettier than many Spanish words, even though Spanish is way easier to learn, and one should definitely choose a more open / non-nasal pronunciation / soft R tho, because a soft accent with open vowels can make these languages sound so good and pretty)
...Frisian / Afrikaans / Luxembourgish / German / Limburgish (very pretty words in all these languages, even though a lot may find German grammar more complicated, and by the way, one should use a soft R and soft G, which will make them sound so pretty)
...Spanish / Italian / Corsican (lots of pretty words and many neutral words, and Spanish is definitely the easiest Latin language to learn, which makes it a great option to start with, and Italian is as easy as Spanish honestly, from what I’ve noticed, and I highly recommend a soft R in these languages and all other languages, which will make them sound very pretty)
...Icelandic / Danish / Faroese (very pretty words, but it’s easier to learn these languages once one knows Norwegian and Swedish, because they are not as easy to read as the other two Nordic languages, and the pronunciation can be more complicated in Danish, for example, which has many words and rules that are similar to the Norwegian word and others that are more similar to the Swedish word, so that’s why they should be learned after learning a lot of words in Norwegian and Swedish, and, Icelandic is a bit easier to read than Faroese)
...OId Norse / Latin / OId English / Norn / MiddIe English etc (I highly recommend learning at least one of these languages, even though they aren’t used a lot nowadays, and all other Germanic languages that I didn’t list here, but I have them on my list tho, and they are interesting, and can be used in poetry / lyrics because they are very poetic sounding, so I am going to learn them all, plus I already know a lot of words in Middle English, which I use in many of my lyrics, and I can understand it because it’s mostly the spelling that is a bit different from Modern English, but OId English is completely different tho, so it’s more similar to German)
...Welsh / Scots Gaelic / Irish / Breton / Cornish / Manx etc (I recently found lyrics and read words in these Celtic languages, and they all seem very interesting, have so many pretty words, from what I read, and they are completely different, and kinda have an elf-like sound to them, so they are perfect for me, but I also recommend them to all because they sound very poetic, and can probably be learned in a few years, I don’t know, but I seem to be able to remember the words I learned so far, so they don’t seem difficult to memorize, but they are definitely more difficult to spell than to memorize tho)
...Hungarian (I know two songs in Hungarian that I learned years ago, so it doesn’t seem that difficult to memorize, and many words are so pretty, so I would definitely recommend this language, which is very different)
...Finnish / Estonian (these two languages have a lot of pretty words and a lot of neutral words, even though other words aren’t pretty and are opposites, but I would recommend at least the pretty words and the neutral words, which I am also learning)
And, I also recommend learning the pretty words from Indonesian & Filipino & Sundanese, because these three languages have a mix of very pretty words, as well as lots of neutral words, but then they also have a lot of funny words that are not pretty (so a lot of opposites too) but, I am definitely learning all the pretty words that I find, which can be used mixed with other languages and in poetry / lyrics!
And, it’s not true that one must speak the language to learn or seek somebody to speak with - to learn a language, one must see each word multiple times (until the word becomes part of one’s permanent / automatic memory) and one must also memorize the pronunciation of each word when one learns the word, and one must also see certain words, esp verbs and certain nouns and certain adjectives and all prepositions etc in context and make sentences with the words, and learning lyrics is also a great method, and singing along with the singers’ voice in the background is also the best technique to get the right pronunciation!
Probably the MOST valuable thing he has said, is that you should NEVER hang yourself up on the grammar. Native speakers will still know what you are saying if you dont conjugate on the fly properly and over time they will correct you enough that it will come naturally to you. I always tell people this, DONT GET HUNG UP ON THE GRAMMAR. Learn to speak it first.
Agreed. It really comes with the time.
Been learning Japanese for 6 years - been stuck for most of it - because of Grammar. Maybe I will pick it back up again?
Thanks for this.... I've been learning French for years but I still struggle with the grammar... at least I know I can still learn the language even though I'm not good with the grammar
I’m learning Russian and this is EXACTLY what my teacher says. Mark Thompson- you are THE BEST!!
It helped me to be less anxious about being perfect when I realized I could understand non-native English speakers just fine when they made mistakes.
I agree that having a girlfriend helps immensely. I did that when I was learning Russian, with very good success. I would like to do it now that I am studying Korean. However, my wife is opposed, strongly. (I probably should say that my wife started off as my Russian girlfriend. We have been married for nearly thirty years, and she has strong feelings about Korean girlfriends.)
😂😂😂
😅😂
how did you get a girlfriend in a foreign country??
😂😂😂😂
I agree with her.
People say having a romantic partner who speaks your target language helps, but I have never really found it an important factor at all. I’m fluent in several languages and have learnt even some difficult ones like Korean (I’m an interpreter of Korean now). And I never had a romantic partner in my target languages. So please don’t feel like you have to or that you are screwed because ‘where the heck am i supposed to find that foreign speaking boyfriend’. It’s ok, just having friends works just as well :)
Did you just memorize phrases and speak it as many times as you could ?
@@nicoleraheem1195 Hi :) I don’t really memorize at all, not phrases and not even words (except maybe the first 500 words in a new language)... I just use a lot of input and the important words and phrases repeat all the time anyway...
hellooo how long did it take to learn korean :o
Exactly! When people give that advice I'm like...
You can just have friends lol. It's not by force to be in a relationship because of a language
@@samihaaraisa @Hue Sophie. We'd like to know.
Never really thought about learning a new language and it was not really on my bucket list as a future goal. Then, I met the Brazilian girl on Facebook who (still) does not speak a word of English. Fast forward 5 years, we are engaged and speaking fluent Portuguese is one of the most important things in my life! lol
You're just repeating the plot of Love Actually. ;) (Just kidding - congratulations!)
parabéns! como brasileira eu fico muito feliz por você ter se dedicado tanto por alguém para aprender uma língua e uma cultura nova. Felicidades ao casal! E boa sorte aprender português
@@TaughneeStone come up with something more original. Heard this joke too many times
@@masa5300 Will do. You have a wonderful day Masa!
how do you "meet" a girl on facebook who doesn't even speak your language and make her your wife? Seems like you know your game :D
"Reading is your ticket to the highest levels in a language" --- [cries in 漢字]
I always wish people would acknowledge characters in their advice about not looking up every word when you read. Not gonna learn any words from reading if you don’t know how to say them haha
At least in chinese we can have an idea of the meaning even when we do not even know the word pronunciation. And it is simpler to begin with simplified characters before learning traditional characters.
If you are rather talking about Japanese, then they often use furigana with complicated kanji. Anyways is is easy to find any characters in a dictionary and much easier with an app with a touchscreen.
Russian words, on the other side, have a weird spelling. ( with a very complicated grammar) I dont think Russian is easier than Chinese...
for me I'm crying in 日本語 😭
@@slow_firefly Me too, but these symbols are called 漢字 (kanji) in Japanese (and probably Chinese too, although the reading is different)
@@alexeytsybyshev9459 sorry 😂😂 for a moment a forgot the 漢字 for かんじ I'm dumb 😓😅
Most polyglots understand that they have to start with the basic vocabulary of the language they are trying to learn and they will try to divide it into word groups/clusters. Most of the polyglots understand that languages are interconnected and related, and they will look for the proto-language, also called the mother language. It also helps quite a lot when polyglots make analogies and try to find similarities in the language family. They can even learn several languages at the same time... by doing so.
Totally agree with you, the similarities within language families are a powerful tool if you can analyze them. I've been learning Italian and Spanish at the same time, and guess what? After a few months of doing so, I also begin to understand Portuguese. 😂
I tell people that getting into etymology and seeing how words and sounds evolve from one language to the other speeds your learning process a lot once you have broken into the language family. It's because of that I have learnt French and Portuguese, I used Spanish as my base and I loved seeing how words changed in each language, now I am learning Italian and a beauty of it is, you can see how Italian kept a lot of the intervocalic consonants and that helps a lot! I am also learning German and to me it just feels like going back English's roots
Yes yes and yes. I got one word right now in mind for this. Skreu or Skrev... Norwegian Skriv, german Schreiben (skreiben) Spanish escribir (eskribir)
@@savin7806 and in English we have scribe, Portuguese Escrever, French Ecrire, Italian Scrivere and that is why in English we have the word Script. They all come from the same word
There’s no substitute for years of studying and using a language. Rome wasn’t built in a day. People who are 70 years old tend to have larger vocabularies in their native language than people who are 35, as long as they consistently used the language.
Yup.
Not necessarily. I love writing more than anything and more often than not, I’m my mother’s dictionary, thesaurus, and spell checker. Lol. I think it has more to do with having an interest and dedication to expanding your vocabulary. But I concede that maybe I am the exception.
There's also the cultural aspect of the language that's deeply rooted in communication. Some people can learn the basis and catch the logic of a language fast. In one up to three months start speaking their own minds and if they keep being dedicated, gather a vocab lenghty enough to seem "knowledgeable". And then, end up sounding unnatural and even funny to native speakers. They learn the language written in books, not spoken on the street by real people, which carries lot of details about you as a person and as part of a community. Has happened to me...
Although I agree with your first sentiment about studying I disagree with age being a major factor for the amount of vocabulary one has in their lexicon. Typically, A 35 year old lawyer or doctor will have loads more words in their personal vocabulary then a 70 year old in a much simpler line of work. (As if age and career are the only things that determine how many words you know). There is also passion, skilled memory, mental health, etc.,
But overall yes if you study more.. sure you will learn more. I think we can agree on that
@@kennethrjurekjr yeah, but a 70 year old lawyer will tend to have a larger vocabulary than a 35 year old
As a polyglot, I usually don't watch language related videos, as you mentioned, but I watched this and was surprised to see how accurate each point was. The only thing I'd say is that the partner/bf/gf thing is obviously effective, because it's basically constant language input, which you could also get from friends, as someone mentioned below. However, language input is only effective if its comprehensible input, meaning you'd already need to be at a conversational level before your relationship with that person begins. They're not helping you "learn" the language, as much as they're helping you "improve" upon it.
I'm learning english by watching learning language video. So i got ways to learn english and also i can practise my listening. I think that's my system.
Hi! How is it working out for you? I’ve been debating if I should learn my target language (tagalog) by watching videos, I would love to hear your process!
That is so hilarious and smart 👌👌
I’m learning English by watching language learning videos, so I have ways to learn English. I can also practice my listening at the same time.
The same here
I also use that method, because it is an easy way to be exposed to many different accents. I listen to monologues but also I watch series, what is more difficult, since dialogues have their own development.
I think it's interesting that polyglots don't tend to get hung up on grammar. Just from personal experience, my native language is English and even though they tried to drill us on grammar in school, I never really bothered much with it and wound up with an English degree. So, yeah, grammar is definitely something you can pick up along the way, just by exposing yourself to the language.
Keep in mind that none of us ever took an english grammer class until we were in school. By that time we could speak and understand english. The biggest problem with foreign language courses in my mind is that they start drilling grammer before the student can actually comprehend the language. There's no point in focusing on grammer if you don't have some proficiency with the language.
I think this is a great way to learn, is to not directly learn grammar, I am learning italian, and I notice many grammar elements just through reading and exposure.
The grammar in my native language did not make sense to me until I learned another language and then started to study another
I learned to understand Bengali (my parents native language) through sheer listening and daily exposure. I learned the words meanings just by observing how they were used in a sentence. For example, my mom would say "Onek somoy oise" (much time has passed) when I was too late coming back from the bathroom. I instinctively knew what the word meant just by the way my mom used it. I think that's how you learn a language. Through constant and daily exposure. In Kindergarten, my teacher would sing to us in English and I picked up and understood so many English words that way. To learn a language, it is imperative to be able to think in it. That is the true sign of comprehension.
I learned Danish on my own by having the radio on all day. Didn't understand a word of it, but learned the rhythm of the language very well. I also borrowed children's audiobooks from the library starting with books for very young children and progressed right up to teenager level and then adult. People always comment not only on my fluency, but also the fact that I sound like a Dane
I see you’ve learned the way to live without understanding(there’s no way danes could ever understand each other even when they’re speaking the exact same language)
For context I’m Swedish
@@TheFakePlayerGame What on earth are you talking about?
@@thissunchild clearly you haven’t seen the Swedish perspective on danish.
(People wonder how Danish people understand each other and the answer seems to be they simply don’t)
@@TheFakePlayerGame *_"Clearly blah blah blah.._* I couldn't really care less about the Swedish perspective on the Danish language.
@@thissunchild iiiii dooonttt heaaar youuuu! :p
I’m on month 10 of learning Russian. Other than school learning of french snd german which I never then used, Russian is my first language I’m acquiring. I Fell upon a native Russian person 2 months ago and we now meet twice weekly on Skype for approximately 2 hours. This is a HUGE support and GREAT stimulation to keep learning. We are gradually getting to know how we can help each other and as an English person I can now see the similarities and differences in grammar learning between these 2 languages and this in itself is improving my understanding of English grammar. So finding a language partner has been a real benefit to my (on line free) learning courses. Mark Thomson , Russian Made Easy is excellent. Thank you. You’re an inspiration.
What else do you use? I'm learning russian too, and i am using doulingo, memrise, and youtube videos in russian with subtitles in both russian and english. I also have a few russian friends on ps4, but i sometimes struggle to completely understand what they are saying due to speed, how did you become able to understand fast russian?
Спасибо большое и удачи👍🏻🤘😁
@@GetSnaped i can help you(i'm native russian, but I speak English worse) ruazat@mail.ru
"we now meet twice weekly on Skype for approximately 2 hours. " I found your recipe for success : having enough stuff to talk for 2 hours; I would not have been able to do that.
А мне нравится изучать языки на italki.com, всегда легко найти учителя.
I am a polyglot myself. I differ from what you said about grammar... I don't spend looot of time learning it, but I prefer to start there. Get a glimpse of how things are structured and what categories a particular language has, and how they relate to my L1 or any other languages I already know. I learn a lot by comparing languages in their vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation systems and by finding patterns. I hate learning by listening or reading little phrases where I can't see the language structure right away. However, my reasons for learning languages may differ from those of the majority of people. I am more interested in the languages as systems themselves rather than going to talk to people, which for me it comes as a secondary goal.
Not a polyglot but certainly want to be one, so learning my second foreign language now. I'm kinda the same) I like starting with easy words and grammar and then progress from that. I want to understand exactly what each word stands for and where it should be placed. Also like the sound of the language, so I listen a lot but only when I can understand at least something. Though it may not be the fastest learning process but I really enjoy it and in my case that's definitely the point;)
no one cares
@@ll-gs6df speak for yourself
Sounds like a perfect illustration for the thesis, that polyglots build their own language learning systems and find their own motivation.
Which languages do you speak?
The emotional aspect of the language learning is very important. You have to love or be attracted to the language. In my view, anyway.
@ry wall a study in the University of Toronto in Canada recently proved that eating well and keeping fit also helps to learn languages faster
@ry wall You have to take it on 40 dates, then marry, have three kids, a dog, 2 cats, and a hamster named Gary.
That is not exactly true. I started learning french right now and i always have hated the language by heart, because of the horrible sound and grammar.
@@-_Jayden_- In order to reach maybe an intermediate but for sure an upper intermediate to advanced level you must love that language, yeah if you are a reaally obstinate person who would not accept a no for answer it is possible. In general you can ask anyone with proficiency they'll tell you I like/love learning ______.
Or have a crush on someone that speaks the language lol
I'm pretty introverted so what I do to help me learn a language quickly and better understand the grammar and nuance faster is I read and listen to the news and podcasts in that language. To help with pronunciation I listen to music in that language that I can sing along with. Eventually I'll change the language settings on my computer, phone and electronics as well. Over time I don't have to spend as long translating in my mind and I start to dream and think in that language.
This is definitely confirming what I am slowly starting to realise, this is sound advice and anyone would be unwise not to take it !
Thanks for the comment!
@Rei Ren thats what i was wondering xd
Enjoyed these tips that reinforce some important aspects of language learning. Not focusing on and worrying about grammar is a big one for me. I've started listening to a lot of French and my intuitive familiarity with grammar is slowly starting to grow. I also like the tip about creating and trusting in your own methods because after absorbing so many tips over the last couple of years, I'm starting to get a routine going. Now I just have to stick to it and have faith! Thanks for the great content as always :)
Truly accurate what you said and I love this one “Polyglots don’t sit around and wait for opportunities to happen, they go out, get busy and create these environments around them.” As a plus, I'd say that learning by setting routines, practicing habits and adopting hobbies is one of the most effective ways of learning or at least that's what I consider.
Thank you for this video! I learned pretty fluent German by reading all seven Harry Potter books in that language (with Google translate as my electronic dictionary). I'm currently learning Polish in this manner.
The insight about how speaking exposes you to a tiny fraction of the language vs reading has instantly become a cornerstone of my polyglot journey🔥 thank you very much
For me listening to rap music or music and then memorising the lyrics in the language I’m learning is fun for me and gives me a nostalgic sense of accomplishment of being able to sing along without messing up the lyrics.
Great video. What you've described here is the same way that anyone becomes successful in anything. They don't wait around for things to happen or just follow a course, they go out and make it happen, they are always putting in extra time.
I wish more people thought like you! 💪🏼
@@storylearning I have an 8 figure business that I grew from scratch. Right now, trying to learn Spanish seems more difficult than that.
You choosing your own learning method is the best tip.
When I started studying French many years ago. I remember I had only books and a phone without an internet connection. I was big for literature, so I download several audiobooks and many offline dictionaries. I had thought "this is my way because I'm poor and I cannot afford a French course" however, one year later I had read a lot of classical books in French and I could maintain daily conversations. I learned French without knowing that is the best way to learn any language. Now, I'm trying to learn English.
You've got great advices !! About the importance of reading, I'd like to share some of my extra tips for people who'd like to give it a try : don't shy away from starting with children books, it's perfect to get familiar with a language and learned all the basics (vocabulary, etc,) and, don't force yourself to read something you find boring, choose something you'll be happy to read in your own language and you know you will truly enjoy reading.
great video bro, I just start building key words and go from there you end up finding out that most languages are super similar
input input input,talk to urself in the language u learn ,think in the language u learn thats how acquire a language
Your point about emotional involvement with the language as a result of a love relationship with someone native to that language is really interesting. I have got emotionally involved with all the languages I've learned despite the fact that I've never had a girlfriend speaking those languages though...don't you think there may be other ways to create an emotional bond with yout target language as well? Maybe you can give this some thought and come up with a few suggestions in one of your next videos
I think you can create that emotional bond with anything you love, of course some people are more likely to be passionate with things in general. To be able to communicate with friends or family. To be able to understand TV shows you love, books, songs, games, the culture of the target language. Or simply you just love learning languages...
Maybe you can fall in love with a character like an actor or a singer or a UA-camr and imagine how you meet him and talk all night about your feelings and your worldview, etc. (it helps me)
The lover approach IS the best one!!!! I know for a fact!
I’m going to start reading more!!! And you’re absolutely right about the romantic partner 😂 I pretty much failed Spanish in high school. Now later in life, my wife is from Colombia and I’m obsessed with learning Spanish. It’s only been a year and a half and I’m already in the B2-C1 realm according to tests.
Tambíen aprendo español. Tienes algunos consejos para mi?
Well done bro, you've made great improvements.
Que chevere! I need 4 more husbands for my new 4 languages
Felicitaciones por tu éxito y tomaro il amor de tu vive
Do lots of reading is the tip I'm going to try. I've always struggled with learning languages and been trying Duolingo. Now I have your book Short Stories in Italian.
I think that some languages, like Arabic, Japanese and Korean, are too complex to ignore the grammar in the beginning. I had to study the grammar of all of these languages in order to start advancing in them. I did however, become fluent in Spanish and French without using grammar tables and studying rules in the very beginning, but I did of course need to later.
This is actually an important distinction to make for languages that are categorised as harder to learn. They do require more grammer learning at the outset I think unlike perhaps most European languages.
Exactly
Same here with learning Polish.
Hi Olly, I was pleased to discover your tip for reading the language. when I first started teaching myself Italian, I found an old used book written in Italian, and just started reading it outloud. I wanted to get used to hearing how it sounded without it being done slowly, and without struggling over letter and word pronunciaions. Although I've been at this for a long time, I love learning a new language.
I combined it with other things that I'm studying. For instance, I do Bible studies, and each day have one or two scripture verses that I choose to think about throughout the day. I put them into Google Translate and write them down. As I try to memorize and contemplate the verses, I am doing it in Italian. It is slow going but it helps me in both the language and the verses. Not everyone's cup of tea but it has helped me --- and has become one of those things that "works" for me.
Totally agree… and we are not afraid of learning a new language, it’s fun for us. Also, we compare and analyze them, know the etymology of words, and yes …we’d rather learn it without a teacher :) or boring books.
Another useful tip is to start learning through your interests or hobbies, like cooking, music, sports, etc.
Yes, have fun with it! One of my fun little "cheats" when I'm stuck on the gender of a French noun is to think back to what it is in Spanish (which I know better). French nouns are more often ambiguous, without the generally-reliable Spanish pattern of "if it ends in O it's probably masculine, and if it ends in A it's probably feminine." It usually works. For example, "is 'fleur' masculine or feminine? Well, in Spanish, it's 'la flor,' so it's probably feminine."
In a way, it's cheating. In another way, it's noticing the similarities across the Latin-based languages and using them to reinforce my understanding.
I’m going to start trying to read in my target language thanks to this video!
My fiance (a Japanese) & i (a Malaysian) met 36 years ago. If you'd listen to him you'd think he's a Malay despite only coming to visit once a year. Me, i'm still struggling with Japanese 😨
Great point about grammar. Learn a language naturally, like a baby does. Kindergartners speak fluently with good grammar, and they've never studied a grammar chart.
Thanks for the realistic, truthful tips🙋🏻♀️🌻
I can definitely say that reading really helps that how i learned Spanish. I learned it through reading Spanish lyrics and singing it then learning it over time
Olly, this was an EXCELLENT episode. And completely fascinating. It validated a number of things I've been doing, and gave me direction to try some new things, as well. Thanks! You rock!!!
I found that I learned German quicker after separating from my boyfriend. He only speaks English and he used some hateful English words to me. So, the emotional pendulum works on the other side as wel!.
Re. number 6 - Firstly, I advanced quickly in Spanish by swapping language lessons with native S. speakers. No money changed hands; better, we competed to be more effective teachers and learners. Also, I wrote dialogues, mini-plays, letters, stories and essays in Spanish and got them corrected by native S speakers.....and yes, as per # 8, the occasional romantic involvement helped too.
I would add a number 9 - monitor constantly for gaps in your language competency and the pieces of language that fill these gaps; I call in 'jig-sawing' a language e.g. after a scary taxi-ride in Baghdad I asked a native Arabic speaker for three ways to say 'slow down/drive safely' - a polite / relaxed way; a firm, but friendly way and a very assertive way. Where possible always use native speakers as a main resource.....and / or Michel Thomas!
Great tips. I like that you emphasized we have a WHY... that’s crucial.
Agreed!
@@connorgioiafigliu ;-)
Not for me
@@M_SC hi Esther. How you doing!? What do u mean? Are you learning languages without a goal? Regards from Brazil 🇧🇷
Not just a SO but a friend in general that is willing to help you learn the language is extremely helpful
I agree with all points. Grammar is not the key to launch a language but vocabulary is. The initial key to vocabulary acquisition is spatial repetition in context, the electronic version of this is e.g. Anki. This type of study underpins other activities until it is no longer required because it has been superseded by other much more natural activities such as reading/speaking etc.
Something that can be added to point 3 and 4: If you have learned a similar language before (for exemple another romance language), you don't need to focus that much on grammar, if you know the concepts already it will be much easier to learn. Regarding point number 4: Why would you just narrow down your language to a short time frame? I see language commitment as a life long process.
I agree with the grammar part. I'm learning German right now and I've just accepted that I'll probably use the wrong article the majority of the time, and I'm ok with that because the person will still know what I'm saying
Yes, I've noticed here in Thailand-many of the people who speak better English tell me they've dated an American or other English speaker before. It's definitely one of the effective ways to improve.
I noticed when I started learning my second and third foreign languages (French and Dutch, at the same time) I really didn't have the patience to go through textbooks and such. So instead, I started reading and getting pieces of the language along the way - which didn't feel quite right at the time, but I got along with it - whilst occasionally taking tips and having my doubts cleared up by natives. It is sort of a relief hear that from you.
Ooh, hoeveel tijd kostte het om Nederlands te leren? Ik begon het ook te leren niet zo lang geleden, misschien 1 of 2 maanden hoor. Voor mij is het nog wel moeilijk om een conversatie in het Nederlands te spreken, dus volgens mij dat ik in die 2 maanden niet zo veel vooruitgang heb geboekt
@@CelestialExility Ik spreek geen Nederlands (minstens vloeiend). Ik heb gestudeerd een jaar, maar levensverplichtingen neemt het grootste deel van mijn tijd in beslag
Great points! I would also add: treat it as fun, play with the language and so don't be afraid of making mistakes, if person wants to understand you he will and will help you on mistakes.
Great video. My favorite was the bit about not getting too hung up on grammar, at least as a beginner. When I was in college, in the 1980s, I took one semester of Russian. Thirty-five years later, with no further formal study and no time in a Russian speaking country, when I encounter native Russian speakers, I can use the language. The Russian speaker often thinks I speak better Russian than I actually do--and I then have to tell them that I only speak a little. But I can conduct rudimentary business and have short conversational exchanges, for example. Guess what grade I got in my one semester of Russian, in the 80s? I got an "F." No joke. The reason I got the "F" is that I used the approach in this video--which I would do again--and didn't sweat the small stuff. My schoolmarmish, PhD in Russian as a second language, professor "nickel & dimed" me to death on every written examination. I didn't care. I wish I could track down a fellow student from that course that got an "A" and compare our Russian today. Don't depend upon a conventional Western academic program to actually learn a language. At best, it must be combined with other methods.
I know it takes time, specially if you don't know much about your target language, like me I'm a brazilian guy, and I'm leaning English, and I created this channel to keep in touch with english channels every single day of my life, it's been 2 weeks in consistency. And my method is just like as a baby, listening a lot for hours straight, and then I just start speaking. I hope somehow my experience helps you. that's it folks
And thank you Olly for your exceptional videos here on youtube
Hi Olli...greetings from Montreal! This is great! I've been getting your emails for a while, but haven't had the inclination to thoroughly read and study them (I'm a single 58 y.o. Dad working two jobs). Over the past 30 odd years, I've dabbled a bit with about fifteen languages, including Sanskrit, Classical Greek and Latin, although the past 15 years have been somewhat of a drought, the recent, forcibly imposed downtime from the covid lockdowns have prompted me to try and catch up with these wonderful but previously unavailable social tools (FB, YT, etc). For now, I'm working on Mandarin (in between HSK3-4) and Spanish....in the near term, I would really love to work with Japanese, Russian and Arabic. One Thousand Thanks for your dedication and passion!
I would love to try Arabic someday.
Polyglots make these things different than regular lang learners:
1. goal/purpose in mind (why learn THIS lang?)
2. Learn by themselves by developing their OWN system/WAY OF LEARNING.
3. They don't worry about grammar. (a confidence that grammar will learn itself over time with use of that lang)
4. commit to a lang to a longer period of time (1yr, 2 yrs ...). take focus and responsibility for their learning lang.
5. gather social opportunities/groups/opportuns. for practicing the lang. They don't sit and wait.
6. find creative ways to learn. Create their own material to learn. writing dialogues, translating ...
7. read A LOT.
8. winning over a girl-/boy-friend in the lang to learn.
My parents took me to Guadeloupe in the French Antilles. My dad was joking and said “you’d better brush up on your French”. I didn’t speak any French at the time.
I learned enough conversational French to chat with our tour guide when we went around the island. Which was pretty awesome.
My dad was shook. 😂
That’s great, well done!
My Grandma was from Guadeloupe
@@Delishamills45 oh, that’s awesome! It’s a really beautiful country. I’ll probably never have the money to travel, but I’d love to go back. It’s just gorgeous.
Years ago, I signed up for a cultural exchange to the Netherlands for 10 days- not one person (mostly old people, to be fair) wanted to learn any Dutch before or during the trip. I was shocked! They told me everyone speaks English. While most of the people we stayed with did speak English, one couple ended up staying with an older lady who didn't speak English. Also, at a couple points, I was shopping alone and the employees did not speak to me in English. I was glad I knew numbers and some basics! Especially when there was trouble with a new credit card machine! :)
The first thing I do is to detect what in the new language is very different from the ones I already speak that is crucial to getting into the mindset of said language. Atm I am learning German, so before anything I really tried to understand what it means to speak a language with cases and declensions. But not in a grammatical way, but in an abstract way. Now German seems quite easy to learn. And being able to speak German will open my mind to all sorts of different languages based on cases. Although I have to say, I looooove grammar, so it's definitely a big part of my studies.
Learning new things is always easy. That is the reason why intensive language courses work so well and you can acquire a basic vocabulary of 600 to 1000 words in a period of one to three months. The problem is not to forget. And further to reach the necessary 2500 to 5000 words to claim that you are fluent in the language because you cannot uphold the initial learning speed. Much work will go into repetition to avoid forgetting. So creating an invironment where you actually use the new language on a daily basis and reading a lot seems key to me. I would like to add one other trick. Whatever you read learn it by heart.
Definitely the reading tip!
English isn't my native language and when I watch youtube videos or watch movies I don't really come across new words. But when I sit down and read, say, Edgar Allan Poe, I end up coming across new words and that broadens my vocabulary.
You can't imagine how much I needed it! Thank you
This is the truest video ever, coming from a fast learner.
yes you are right, i have my own strategy, and i developed when i started to learn korean and arabic at the same time
How tough was it for you to learn 2 languages at once?
@@vinzetti22 As someone who’s doing Spanish and Japanese I hav ego say it’s not bad at all. I’ve done my research and it’s ok to learn 2 languages at once. You shouldn’t learn 3 or more languages at once though, it will definitely be hard and you may not have enough time, also you’ll get confused and get thrown off. This is according to studies and also my personal experience, It’s really difficult. 2 is very possible though.
#7..., because I like a lot to read and at the same time I can learn new words and sentences.
When I first started learning Russian, I loved studying the grammar and thought it was really interesting (and difficult), but noticed my progress was a lot slower than I wanted it to be. Once I stopped focusing on grammar and started feeling comfortable speaking like a caveman, my progress was immediately noticeably faster.
That tip you said about grammar is so correct! Okay im currently learning Spanish again, i used to speak it when i was younger as my nan from Spain always spoke to me in that language. And now im re learning it im only focusing on vocabulary and trying to speak. Im not worried about grammar and learning how things conjugate ect ect. Think of when we learnt our native language.. we just start to speak it at a young age by trying to communicate with our parents/ siblings. We only start to learn grammar at school. So its true what he says about it. Just learn the vocab and try to speak. Your mistakes will correct you eventually
I've been learning Finnish for a few years now. I still have a long way to go, though. I have friends in Finland who I can chat with, but I don't know anyone in my area (I live in Canada) who speaks Finnish, so my reading comprehension is definitely still better than my listening comprehension. One of my goals this year is to improve that.
That last tip works great, though it's not always feasible. As long as it can be done, learning becomes so sweet.
I'm brazilian and I learned english by myself, now I'm studying my second foreign language and it's japonese, since I'm half japonese and really wanted to fell more close to one of my cultures... anyways, in my city is not common find people who speaks others languages so what I think is the most difficult thing is found an app or a place that I can communicate with other people who speak japonese or other languages... idk where to find them to practice
You spelled "Japanese" wrong
@@thatdbzguyfr 🤦♀️
How can I forget my first language the Spanish, was to me very complicated, but I dive through it thanks to you Olly, now I am in my fifth you gave me the chance to know how to learn myself. The Arabic was hard but got through it thank you Olly.
I can't have "an affair" in my target language because I'm married. So, I have to remain faithful to my oaths of marriage. Nevertheless, I'll put into practice the other tips . Thanks
I am not married, nor in a relationship and can confirm we can learn quickly without having to be in one. Though I would not mind one of course. Not holding my breath or looking, just having fun right now learning languages.
I learn't Dutch in three yrs.. NOT by going to lessons but by living in the country, and being forced to speak Dutch in the small village I and my family lived in. Shopping was the starting point. The Dutch hate their language being mangled so EVERYONE will correct you. You had to have a thick skin about that. i am now in another country where everyone will speak English too you ( like the Dutch in some cities) They are impatient to just get on with whatever it is your trying to communicate to them.In both countries I have found that you have to FIGHT to speak the native language So being shy won't work.Push on and keep trying . It's the most rewarding thing.
The girlfriend/boyfriend method is sooooooooooooooooooo true! I'm in Brazil now learning Portuguese and most of what I learned has come from a girl I'm dating who coincidentally happens to be a Portuguese teacher lol
The reading tip is the one I have decided to use recently. My grandson has picked up some fluency in Spanish and we like to read simple books to him in that language. It helps!
My son advocates the novellas and music as having been helpful to him learning Spanish when he was in South America.
My experience is that I learn quite a lot and can do well in conversation but only when I control the conversation. When a native speaker asks or changes the subject, I am all at sea.
I would need to start reading more in German to expand my vocabulary. . .
I totally agree with not getting hung up on grammer until you can functionally speak and understand a language. When you learned your native language you didn't start learning grammer until you were in school. By then you could talk quite well.
Here's a question: any thoughts on trying to learn languages simultaneously?
One tip that works for me: See language learning as a bunch of micro-skills you can master individually. Using numbers, time for instance, or tones, stroke order, specific conjugations, you name it. Pick one, master it and move on to the next.
I married a girl from Bolivia with a university professor as a father-in-law. Not only did my Spanish get good, I have been able to acquire a lot of his high academic vocabulary. This is all apart from living in Lima, Peru and being around Spanish-speakers since I was 15. Now, I am a bilingual teacher and teacher children every day in the language.
Getting engaged to a romantic relationship would be a plus to learn a new language, if I just were a little bit brave...
excellent video thanks, I learned english by myself through music, movies and the internet. The french school system sucks in that matter. Passion will drive you if you have it
When I was learning ASL when I was in college I had a Deaf roommate and 3 of the 4 of us in the house signed. It was awesome 😁 We had parties and interpreted music. Ah the 80s lol. And I've been an interpreter for 30 years 🤟
I think watching movies in a language you're trying to learn is also very underrated.
8:24 I don't know how relatable is it but the reason I learned english is because of Harry Styles😝. I've watched lots of interviews, songs and other videos just to understand him.
I agree with the last point you mentioned! Relationship and emotional engagement with the language help a lot.. It's just the daily exposure to the language, I guess..
I also like to read a lot, literature and fiction. But i noticed that this did not really helped me altho I enjoyed it. Now I actively try to diversify the reading sources with newspapers, magazines and all sorts of posts, because it has the up-to-date vocabulary.
I’m trilingual but I don’t even know why I learned two other languages. It was more of mom and dad made me watch tv in other languages and sent me to international school so I guess I know this language now.
Youre Your moms prodigy
Ok, so I expected this to be super hacky and maybe flogging something...but nope, this was a 10/10 video! I think I'm going to start recommending this to people who ask me how I learn languages. Awesome job!
Hi brother, I am Brazilian I would like to practice my English ,if you are interested in Portuguese ,may we help each other
I guess that's why they call them Romance languages. lol
Very assertive video. I would resume it to: have a genuine interest to learn languages.
I'd say you need some familiarity with the language to be able to learn through context.
Olly,
This was exceptionally good.
That's nice! What did you like about it?
I take short stories, read through them, write them down (I seem to understand more as I’m writing it down) then extract phrases and words that I don’t understand, translate them and then flash card them. This is my favourite method, it’s fun for me. I’m not in it to learn quick because I’m not particularity interested in learning multiple languages, I just know that I want to be at least bi-lingual. Although I would love to learn punjabi afterwards.
You speak like poliglots are a class of people who are superior to us. You don't have to be a poliglot to learn a language easily. The key thing is to know yourself, know all personalised 'tricks' of learning something effectively, what helps you learn, etc. Moreover, one has to practice the language on a daily basis.
Great video, I'm reassured I'm doing most of that, just started learning uchinaguchi (indigenous language of Okinawa, where I live), so it's good to review. Only thing missing is number 8, but most of the native speakers of uchinaguchi are...a little bit old for me 😂(my wife is Okinawan, tho can't speak uchinaguchi, however her mother can and is very into my project 🤣). One thing I'd add to reading is podcasts, almost entirely spoken language and you can listen for hours per day (while commuting, etc).
There's another tip that has always worked for me, and accelerated my learning a great deal: instead of using books or courses to learn the language, I pick books about subjects I'm passionate about (for example drama, photography, physics, etc.), and I learn 2 things at once: the subject contents and the language, including the pro jargon!
Re: #8... I have actually had someone use that on me using that as their selling point, haha
It’s a nice general video but i don’t think I’ve ever seen one where a ‘polyglot’ describes in step by step detail how they get to advanced level. You’re right about having a partner, I’ve seen that too, but usually you’re already, say, at least intermediate level when you meet them. A real, authentic ‘how do you start?’ video would be interesting to see
I know 5 languages but Spanish is my favourite non-native one, it genuinely feels like part of me and I often think in it too. But the weird thing is I never properly learnt it yet I’ve acquired it somewhere. I started learning it at school in year 7 but due to ill health I missed a lot of school from year 8 onwards. I only attended a few lessons a year and wouldn’t study much myself, but yet would get amazing marks on my tests. No one knew why, my teacher just assumed I was naturally gifted. And then half way through year 10 I properly started studying it but realised I already knew a hell of a lot. I continued this until sitting my GCSE’s. I attended only a dozen lessons total from years 8-11 but achieved a grade 9/A* in my GCSE’s. It’s still a mystery how I just acquired the language (I’ve spoke to native speakers too who are surprised by my knowledge/speaking ability) but I love it so much and it’s what made me learn Italian too.
The only theory we have on how I picked it up was that my brother studied it in school before me. But he is dyslexic so therefore I helped him with all his work, including Spanish, while I was only 6-10 years old. And obviously at that age you pick things up a lot easier as I was still learning English then so we think my brain subconsciously learnt spanish whilst helping him. And that’s why I relate more to people who grow up bilingual (eg, feel part of identity, thinks in both languages) rather than those who become bilingual later on as I don’t feel the same way about my other languages.
I concur that it's highly beneficial being romantically involved with a speaker of your target language. You're essentially dating your "language parent", and they're willing to aid and support your learning process more than anyone else. It's especially helpful, I find, if you're an introvert, as you're more comfortable with your partner than other people, and there's no pressure between the two of you to speak.
//Swedish guy in relationship with Norwegian girl
you don't have to have a romantic partner really ! I learned English because I fell in love so bad with 1D when I was 11 and now I'm learning Korean because I fell in love with BTS😂💜
ARMY 💜💜
omg same here ;)
The romance one is how my friend learned various different languages, it’s so true!