📲 The app I use to learn languages: tinyurl.com/2h53s2w3 🆓 My 10 FREE secrets to language learning: tinyurl.com/5f8sfyan ❓Have you tried reading a book in your target language? Share in the comments!
I am learning Russian, very basic. I was super motivated to read a particular book that is not available in English (I ordered it from a website in Russia pre-invasion, negotiating the Russian-only website) so I learned to type in Russian and have typed out most of the book. Imported it into LingQ and now am reading it, learning the language on the way.
Question, I’ve tried out some things from other yt videos but I’m still at a bit of a roadblock when it comes to the memory recognition part of things (looking and reading the Russian letters and then trying to remember what the word means), I’m pretty sure that can get better over time as I rereading the words and all, but the question I had was, how and where do you learn your vocabulary if all you know (effectively know) is the alphabet and the sounds of letters? I’m asking because I just started my journey to learning Russian a couple weeks ago and I have the alphabet and a few words down, but I’m not at a level to read books nor listen to audios and pick out the words I recognize, I want to be able to get past that but I’m pretty much getting the same advice from all other yt videos I watched (watch shows and movies, read books, play games or watch yt) I’m personally just struggling on attaining the beginning part of the vocabulary and trying to gain more words and idk if there’s something that I’m not doing right or not, so I’m just looking for some input. Edit: I’m trying to do this for free, but if I have to pay a subscription I’ll do it if needed
For starting out from scratch in a new language, I like to use a spaced repetition flashcard deck, like Anki. The first 500 words can be single words. After that, I want phrases with words that go together. Once you have memorized some words, you can sort by percentage of known words in Lingq, and then start working through whatever is easiest and most interesting. Try out the "Simple dialogues" and "Russian in one's palm" in the Language section of Lingq. After that, look at "Mini Stories" and "Who is she?" Reading in Lingq sentence mode, and reviewing the Lingq online flashcards will help you get your initial vocabulary.
I recommend google books which can be read with google translate. It is however a long process, you need to start with short, relatively simple texts and progressly develop both the length and complexity. After a while, you can dispense of the phone and read the book directly, which is more satisfying and pleasant. Newspapers are another good source of simple text, as are wikipedia articles
One thing I do is focus on one paragraph and read it multiple times. This helps make the material more digestible and familiarize myself with it more gradually. I hate just going through a book and not understanding what I read. I even do this with English and it has done a number on my fluency in the language despite living here in the US and growing up speaking English.
1) Any given author has his preferred vocabulary and idioms and usages. 2) Any given story requires vocabulary specific to the story. Both these things help you when you read a book. Since you see certain vocabulary over and over, it quickly gets more easy than if you constantly bounce around between shorter form material. Along the way, of course, you also learn lots of more general vocabulary and usages. Another bonus is that if you find that book that really grabs you, you have solved the problem of finding something interesting to read for as long as it takes to read the book. I read both Лавр and Мастер и Маргарита on Lingq, and my vocabulary skyrocketed as I did so.
I try to read books written in the spanish I need. I live in Uruguay and it is different to Mexican or Chilean or Spanish from spain, not significantly but vocabulary is important and a few forms. Learning local spanish will make it easy to communicate with the others so I prefer to start local. I found a few argentinian (same Spanish) and Uruguayan authors and I sourced their books in English where possible so I read in English to understand the story, then in Spanish (now I understand the story) so I should acquire more Spanish through the experience. I focus on short stories. That way I can read it quickly again if I want and also read it a lot. I constantly read a paragraph more than once, I can read 4 or five times. I read consistently, slowly, by paragraphs every day if possible. I occassionally use google translate for the odd word where not knowing it makes a sentence impossible to understand, but I don't reach for translate for every instance I struggle with comprehension. It is important to understand that meaning emerges over time with regular exposure in a variety of contexts. Eventually a meaning will implicitly form and we will acquire new vocabulary. There is no before this moment I did not know this word after this moment I knew it. Language is vague and abstract and complex. Great video, I love your passion for reading.
I like that challenge and I agree, it can be very rewarding to make it through a book in a different language. Though I think it’s also important to take the kind of book you pick into account if you want to judge your skills. There are books that go beyond my head in my native language as well. A bit ago I tried to read Shakespeare in English. It was a rather short experience. Am I bad in English because of that?! I don’t think so 🤷🏻♀️
Love you Steve Kaufmann ❤ I have a Swedish book that I’ve had a while and should probably dust and start reading. I feel like I’ve plateaued with Swedish currently. Definitely a great way to expand your vocabulary!
I have started learning Chinese being a very enjoyable and relaxing language while practicing. Maybe I would be able to be there within a few months. It's all because of your inspiration and motivation that you have been doing it since I have subscribed your channel being very helpful and motivational when a person can learn one language, right now he is capable of getting more and more languages when he keeps what you are saying. In this journey perhaps you would help us with a lot of improvement
Hola, saludos. Pienso igualmente que a medida que lees un libro puedes aprender palabras sin necesidad de tener un vocabulario amplio para ello. Es un proceso que puede hacer de la lectura todo un descubrimiento.
Hmm... some people read well and have huge vocabularies but don't speak well. Pronunciation and phonics in general are often a major roadblock for adult learners!
@lucapointcom I second this! Shadowing is one of my top language learning techniques, not to mention it's absolutely beneficial for hard languages as well, such as Arabic.
5:45 - Steve has discovered Storytel! It's about time more people were talking about Storytel. I feel like one of those crazy guys with a sandwich board except instead of saying "THE END IS NIGH" it says "STOP USING AUDIBLE, IT SUCKS".
My goal has always been more geared to reading. I am studying Latin right now and am just knocking on the intermediate level. I hope to read the latin translation of the Hobbit by early summer. I am also doing German on the side. My wife found me Grimm's Fairy Tales and my eventual goal is to read that but I don't have a timeline for that
Hallo:) I see a problem with German at Linq. Phrasal verbs are not correctly translated. For example, let's take aufstehen, the app only translates stehen, it doesn't see auf at the end of the sentence. Please let me know, if you plan to improve the app.
Separable verbs. LingQ uses AI for a context relevant translation of words, and offers a wide range of 3rd party dictionaries for users to choose from. Yet this may still not capture the two parts of a separated verb. Verbs with prefixes like "ab-", "an-", "auf-", "aus-", "ein-", "mit-", "nach-", "vor-", and "zu-" can be separated from the main verb stem when conjugating in a sentence.I find I get used to noticing them after a while. LingQ also has automatic tags for such verbs showing potential combinations. If you look up the verb "schauen" the following tags appear. Check it out. You can also save a whole phrase or look at the text in sentence view to get a better sense of the meaning of these verbs when they appear. abschauen anschauen ausschauen dazuschauen durchschauen hinwegschauen nachschauen präsens reinschauen umschauen vorbeischauen wir zuschauen
I heard many Japanese people are good at learning languages. However, due to proximity it’s more popular or in demand for the them to learn a Korean and Mandarin Chinese whereas in North America other than English it’s more in demand to Learn French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese to an extent.
An important question... Like when I listen to a podcast and then read it to identify new words and refer to other content, is this a good method and “Is translating terms into the mother tongue good or bad!?”
Tysm steve... I used lingQ It is insanely effective, so I was wondering at this point. It was causing me doubts. Thank you. I will continue @@Thelinguist
I think it is very hard to read a book from cover to cover without a previous knowkedge of at least 80% of the words unless it is one that you have read already in your mother language
I disagree with you Steve. I read a few languages well but speaking I am 1 or 2 levels below. When you read, you have visual cues that help you recognize and understand words, and you can take your time to process them. In contrast, speaking is more immediate and dynamic; it requires you to actively retrieve vocabulary, apply grammar rules in real time, and structure sentences on the spot-all while maintaining a natural flow of conversation.
Yes you need to develop these language habits. I usually make sure I can get the audio book for any book I am reading. Really prepares me for speaking.
@RodriHernandez-x1w Is already happening (very fast). There are pills to combat this. They are very cheap. I'm taking for some 2 months, I wish I had taken the initiative before :/
📲 The app I use to learn languages: tinyurl.com/2h53s2w3
🆓 My 10 FREE secrets to language learning: tinyurl.com/5f8sfyan
❓Have you tried reading a book in your target language? Share in the comments!
If only the app worked it would be great. I have never before used such a bug ridden piece of software. There are stable alternatives available.
I am learning Russian, very basic. I was super motivated to read a particular book that is not available in English (I ordered it from a website in Russia pre-invasion, negotiating the Russian-only website) so I learned to type in Russian and have typed out most of the book. Imported it into LingQ and now am reading it, learning the language on the way.
Question, I’ve tried out some things from other yt videos but I’m still at a bit of a roadblock when it comes to the memory recognition part of things (looking and reading the Russian letters and then trying to remember what the word means), I’m pretty sure that can get better over time as I rereading the words and all, but the question I had was, how and where do you learn your vocabulary if all you know (effectively know) is the alphabet and the sounds of letters?
I’m asking because I just started my journey to learning Russian a couple weeks ago and I have the alphabet and a few words down, but I’m not at a level to read books nor listen to audios and pick out the words I recognize, I want to be able to get past that but I’m pretty much getting the same advice from all other yt videos I watched (watch shows and movies, read books, play games or watch yt)
I’m personally just struggling on attaining the beginning part of the vocabulary and trying to gain more words and idk if there’s something that I’m not doing right or not, so I’m just looking for some input.
Edit: I’m trying to do this for free, but if I have to pay a subscription I’ll do it if needed
For starting out from scratch in a new language, I like to use a spaced repetition flashcard deck, like Anki. The first 500 words can be single words. After that, I want phrases with words that go together.
Once you have memorized some words, you can sort by percentage of known words in Lingq, and then start working through whatever is easiest and most interesting.
Try out the "Simple dialogues" and "Russian in one's palm" in the Language section of Lingq. After that, look at "Mini Stories" and "Who is she?" Reading in Lingq sentence mode, and reviewing the Lingq online flashcards will help you get your initial vocabulary.
Привет друг, скажи как сейчас идут твои дела с этим?
I recommend google books which can be read with google translate. It is however a long process, you need to start with short, relatively simple texts and progressly develop both the length and complexity. After a while, you can dispense of the phone and read the book directly, which is more satisfying and pleasant. Newspapers are another good source of simple text, as are wikipedia articles
Google Books is an underrated tool
One thing I do is focus on one paragraph and read it multiple times. This helps make the material more digestible and familiarize myself with it more gradually. I hate just going through a book and not understanding what I read. I even do this with English and it has done a number on my fluency in the language despite living here in the US and growing up speaking English.
1) Any given author has his preferred vocabulary and idioms and usages.
2) Any given story requires vocabulary specific to the story.
Both these things help you when you read a book. Since you see certain vocabulary over and over, it quickly gets more easy than if you constantly bounce around between shorter form material. Along the way, of course, you also learn lots of more general vocabulary and usages. Another bonus is that if you find that book that really grabs you, you have solved the problem of finding something interesting to read for as long as it takes to read the book.
I read both Лавр and Мастер и Маргарита on Lingq, and my vocabulary skyrocketed as I did so.
I try to read books written in the spanish I need. I live in Uruguay and it is different to Mexican or Chilean or Spanish from spain, not significantly but vocabulary is important and a few forms. Learning local spanish will make it easy to communicate with the others so I prefer to start local. I found a few argentinian (same Spanish) and Uruguayan authors and I sourced their books in English where possible so I read in English to understand the story, then in Spanish (now I understand the story) so I should acquire more Spanish through the experience. I focus on short stories. That way I can read it quickly again if I want and also read it a lot. I constantly read a paragraph more than once, I can read 4 or five times. I read consistently, slowly, by paragraphs every day if possible. I occassionally use google translate for the odd word where not knowing it makes a sentence impossible to understand, but I don't reach for translate for every instance I struggle with comprehension.
It is important to understand that meaning emerges over time with regular exposure in a variety of contexts. Eventually a meaning will implicitly form and we will acquire new vocabulary. There is no before this moment I did not know this word after this moment I knew it. Language is vague and abstract and complex.
Great video, I love your passion for reading.
I like that challenge and I agree, it can be very rewarding to make it through a book in a different language. Though I think it’s also important to take the kind of book you pick into account if you want to judge your skills. There are books that go beyond my head in my native language as well. A bit ago I tried to read Shakespeare in English. It was a rather short experience. Am I bad in English because of that?! I don’t think so 🤷🏻♀️
Love you Steve Kaufmann ❤ I have a Swedish book that I’ve had a while and should probably dust and start reading. I feel like I’ve plateaued with Swedish currently. Definitely a great way to expand your vocabulary!
Check out the website Bokon for Swedish audio books and ebooks you can download.
I have started learning Chinese being a very enjoyable and relaxing language while practicing. Maybe I would be able to be there within a few months. It's all because of your inspiration and motivation that you have been doing it since I have subscribed your channel being very helpful and motivational when a person can learn one language, right now he is capable of getting more and more languages when he keeps what you are saying. In this journey perhaps you would help us with a lot of improvement
A perfect formula for healthier relationships in any area of life. Well said! 💬❤
Hello, Steve! It's a pleasure to see your new video! Moreover, the UA-cam channel of Takashi from Japan is familiar to me.
Hola, saludos. Pienso igualmente que a medida que lees un libro puedes aprender palabras sin necesidad de tener un vocabulario amplio para ello. Es un proceso que puede hacer de la lectura todo un descubrimiento.
Thank you Steve. I will now read books.
Libgen for finding books.
I really enjoy “Short Stories in German” by Olly Richards, for my German practice.
Hmm... some people read well and have huge vocabularies but don't speak well. Pronunciation and phonics in general are often a major roadblock for adult learners!
You described me 😢
Shadowing is your friend.
Certainly you're right
@lucapointcom I second this! Shadowing is one of my top language learning techniques, not to mention it's absolutely beneficial for hard languages as well, such as Arabic.
Pronunciation is something that should come naturally while watching content
5:45 - Steve has discovered Storytel!
It's about time more people were talking about Storytel. I feel like one of those crazy guys with a sandwich board except instead of saying "THE END IS NIGH" it says "STOP USING AUDIBLE, IT SUCKS".
The only complaint is that I can't download the ebooks I buy so I can't import them into LingQ.
我喜欢你说的话。 谢谢。
I love this. Thank you, Steve!!
Ótimo!
My goal has always been more geared to reading. I am studying Latin right now and am just knocking on the intermediate level. I hope to read the latin translation of the Hobbit by early summer. I am also doing German on the side. My wife found me Grimm's Fairy Tales and my eventual goal is to read that but I don't have a timeline for that
Steve, Your beginning to become a polyglot was listening to languages, or what is the other language trick?
Hallo:) I see a problem with German at Linq. Phrasal verbs are not correctly translated. For example, let's take aufstehen, the app only translates stehen, it doesn't see auf at the end of the sentence. Please let me know, if you plan to improve the app.
Separable verbs. LingQ uses AI for a context relevant translation of words, and offers a wide range of 3rd party dictionaries for users to choose from. Yet this may still not capture the two parts of a separated verb. Verbs with prefixes like "ab-", "an-", "auf-", "aus-", "ein-", "mit-", "nach-", "vor-", and "zu-" can be separated from the main verb stem when conjugating in a sentence.I find I get used to noticing them after a while. LingQ also has automatic tags for such verbs showing potential combinations. If you look up the verb "schauen" the following tags appear. Check it out. You can also save a whole phrase or look at the text in sentence view to get a better sense of the meaning of these verbs when they appear.
abschauen
anschauen
ausschauen
dazuschauen
durchschauen
hinwegschauen
nachschauen
präsens
reinschauen
umschauen
vorbeischauen
wir
zuschauen
I wish that you were my grandfather😢
Taken
Oof the rejection. 😂
It's okay, pick up a book, eventually you'll find that reading will make you feel better.
My problem with the books, I found, I can't really get interested in the history.
Gracias profe buen trabajo sin ingles difisel conquistar una Gringa desde bolivia.sofria antes tengo amigos amigas de Estados Unidos y Canada
I wish you'd speak with ilber ortaylı on a live stream too:) he also knows russian, latin, english, french...
Kendisi çok engin bilgisi olan bir profesördür. İnşallah yaparsınız.
That would be awesome. My Turkish isn't good enough but English, French and Russian would work.
شكرا جزيلا لك ❤❤❤❤
I heard many Japanese people are good at learning languages. However, due to proximity it’s more popular or in demand for the them to learn a Korean and Mandarin Chinese whereas in North America other than English it’s more in demand to Learn French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese to an extent.
I doubt that
Hi Sir Steve good weekend for you
Mr. Kaufmann, do You speak Hungarian too?
I think he does actually. I could be wrong though.
Sorry, no
An important question... Like when I listen to a podcast and then read it to identify new words and refer to other content, is this a good method and “Is translating terms into the mother tongue good or bad!?”
Not only good but inevitable
Tysm steve... I used lingQ It is insanely effective, so I was wondering at this point. It was causing me doubts. Thank you. I will continue @@Thelinguist
How many times should i read the content or listen to it to absorbe it fully
As many times as you enjoy doing so. When you lose interest you should stop
شكرا لك ❤❤
Steve you should learn Vietnamese next! 🇻🇳
Hi Steph we learnt too much from your UA-cam channel thank you ''''How is your Arabic
On the back burner right now
I think it is very hard to read a book from cover to cover without a previous knowkedge of at least 80% of the words unless it is one that you have read already in your mother language
Is it ok to learn more than one language at a time?
Yes if you are motivated to do so.
B2 level is an ability to read novel without dictionary? I disagree
It is a minimum. So my point was that the average English level in Tokyo is not B2
I want to speak English with you in your live
I disagree with you Steve. I read a few languages well but speaking I am 1 or 2 levels below. When you read, you have visual cues that help you recognize and understand words, and you can take your time to process them. In contrast, speaking is more immediate and dynamic; it requires you to actively retrieve vocabulary, apply grammar rules in real time, and structure sentences on the spot-all while maintaining a natural flow of conversation.
Yes you need to develop these language habits. I usually make sure I can get the audio book for any book I am reading. Really prepares me for speaking.
what happened with your hair? :0
Time has no mercy
Steve's almost 80 years old, it just happens
It will happen to you
@RodriHernandez-x1w Is already happening (very fast).
There are pills to combat this. They are very cheap. I'm taking for some 2 months, I wish I had taken the initiative before :/
It's part of life, and one day he will not be here with us anymore, unfortunately.
Hi Sir Steve good weekend for you