Language learning

Note

Please note that the following information is only based on my own experience regarding language learning. So please don’t expect the method to work for everyone. I know this method works since I learned many languages using it, but I can’t say if it is universal. 👍

I often get asked what are my tips and tricks when it comes to learning a new language. The thing with foreign languages these days is that those language aren’t foreign at all. Everybody can take out their phone and learn a song in mandarin or read a grocery label in The Netherlands. So why bother spending so much time on words? In facts, there is two types of people when learning languages. First, we have people like me who need to know only one (maybe two) but want to learn many other ones. Then, we have the other profile who need to know many languages but only want to use one. The approach for the two types is quite similar, but for one thing.

Motivation(s)

Why? Why spend 100h studying to be able to speak 2 minutes with 3 Germans in the elevator. Motivations are the only factor keeping you from succeeding your language learning journey. So I don’t want to discourage you, but if you dont want to spend a lot of time on this adventure, then simply stick to Duolingo, it’s probably your best option. In the other case where you really want to take the challenge or if you’re required to learn one then the this article is for you.

Where to begin?

This is sometimes seen as the most crucial part and this is true but not in the way you might think. When you want to learn a new language, you need to immerse yourself. You need to get yourself out of your comfort zone and force yourself into situations where you are lost. Only then your brain will get in the second gear and really help your remembering things. So the first thing isn’t learning grammar or memorizing sentences and words. The actual first thing to do is, buy a pair of earphones find artists, podcasts, TV shows, movies, Youtube channels in your target language. Then listen without trying to understand, a simple background noise while you cook, in the bus, anytime you have loose listen and simply get used to how the language sounds.

I assure you the first day you will do this, you will go to sleep remembering something, a words that sounded funny to you, a melody, the chorus of a song, the way someone laughed after a joke and many more. This is exactly the point, you want your brain to work for yourself. You didn’t spend time on this you used leftovers to cook a magnificent bœuf bourgignon. Do this for one or 2 weeks. You’ll thank yourself later.

Let’s begin the real work

Now you now feel the language melody, you are familiar with its sounds, you can tackle the next step. The first thing I do after the familiarisation period, I find a website, a Youtube channel or a handbook to learn the few basic words and grammar rules. This takes maybe 5 days to a week, then I stop this. Actually, you should stop if it starts to get overwhelming. If you feel the rules you learn are incomprehensible, just stop, you’ll tire yourself out. The goal here is to get you to a level where you can start seeing patterns in the content you listen or watch during the day. For example, if you want to learn Spanish, after this week of learning you should be able to present yourself and know simple words like, Hello, Cat, some numbers and vamos a la playa. After that, continue listening to the podcasts you like and working in your handbook, but remember to stop before it starts to get overwhelming. That’s also the step I like to start looking for a simple book of a website where you can learn to see what your target language looks like in its written form. Mostly for language with a similar writing system as your native one, otherwise, start learning it.

Note

For Sino-Tibetan, Afroasiatic or Indo-Iranian languages or any other languages with unique writing system, make sure to evaluate the necessity of learning their writing system since they can be very complicated and not worth to learn in the beginning. If you can find a romanized version of your target language then start learning based on this.

What’s next?

With the 2 previous steps, you will get a certain level. You will be proud and you will feel like your skills it this language won’t stop improving. And that’s exactly what’s happening. You’re getting good. But you’ll also feel days that are so hard. Days where you seem to have lost everything you learned. You’ll mix words, forget how it’s pronounced, even mix your tongue with your native language. That’s normal but also a good sign again indicating you’re progressing. Keep at it.

You will also arrive at a point where you will feel stuck. Not improving anymore. That is totally normal just fight trough it. You will have spent around 100h listening, learning, failing and making mistakes. After 100h you’re officially not a beginner anymore.

But, What’s next? Here is the tuning point for me. It is where I stop if I’m satisfied of it’s where I start sinking into madness. 🥵 Usually at this point I start collecting the content I really like listening to (songs, artists, movies) and I take it all from the beginning. The easiest are songs you like. The exercice I’m proposing here is quite time consuming but in my opinion super worth it. So, you’ll take your song and search for recurring small words like prepositions, words that you see often (maybe 3 to 5 times, but not less) and note them somewhere. Then translate them using Google Translate. Then try to infer the meaning of the words you didn’t look up based on the context of the ones you know. If your personal translation aren’t perfect it’s not that bad, just try the best you can to make some sense of it. Then, confirm it using translation tools or even better if you have a friend that can check your guesses and learn from your mistakes. You will see yourself speaking reading and understanding your newly acquired language.

This process is neither easy nor magically quick, but it works. For me at least, but I’m sure you can find something in my method that works for you.

Useful resources

I will include below a list of very useful and wonderful resources for you to dig in and find your own tips and tricks.

General
Youtube channels
Apps
  • Duolingo Good for the very beginning, but I find it very slow and inefficient as soon as you spend more than 3 week on it.
  • Babel Also a great app, but I didn’t used it a lot.
  • Memrize Was the best one before they changed their paying plans. Still very good if you have money to trow in the fire.
French Canadian 🇫🇷 🇨🇦
Podcasts
  • Les pires moments de l’histoire humoristic historical facts, very funny and knowledgable.
Artists
  • Daniel Bélanger Rock, Alternative, …
  • Patrice Michaud Pop, rock, …
  • Louis Jean Cormier/Karkwa Rock, Alternative, …
  • Philippe Brach Rock, Alternative, …
  • Richard Desjardins Unique…
TV Shows & movies
  • Lol qui rira le dernier Humoristic game show on amazon prime.
  • Jusqu’au déclin Intense action filled movie.
German 🇩🇪
Podcasts
  • Vierzehn Minuten General information about Germany and more.
Youtube channels
Artists
  • AnnenMayKantereit Pop, Rock, Insane singer…
  • Tristan Brusch Rock, unique,…
  • Von Wegen Lisbeth Danse, Rock,…
  • Faber Pop
  • Oehl Pop
  • Element of Crime Rock
  • Erdmöbel Rock, Alternative,…
TV Shows & movies
  • Dark The best Netflix show ever! (a bit hard for beginners)
  • 1899 Second best Netflix show! (easier)
  • Nichts neues am westen The greatest movie on WW1!
Norwegian 🇳🇴
Podcasts
  • Lær Norsk Nå General information about Norwegian culture.
  • NRK Radio Collection of many Norwegian Podcasts.
Artists
  • Køber Rap
  • Stein Torleif Bjella Rock, Country,…
  • deLillos I dunno …
  • Odd Børretzen Old songs similar to Aznavour.
TV Shows & movies
  • Troll Netflix movies about trolls.
  • Troll 2 ibid.
  • Ragnarok TV show about a old Norwegian legend.
  • Askeladen i soria moria slott Again another legend movie.
  • Narvik movie about WW2 in norway.
  • NRK TV Lots of movies and tv shows in Norwegian (Need a VPN or be in norway).
Websites

Have fun learning!

Come join my Discord server if you want to discuss more about this!

Home 🏠