What is an efficient way to learn languages?
I am going to answer two questions that I received either as comments to this blog or as email.
1) (from Steven) I speak only english. I have had no previous training in any other language. I will be taking a Spanish course. I am wondering how many words a person can learn daily if just using flash cards?
2) (from Matt) Steve: please define what you mean by "efficient" (an efficient way of learning languages.)
1) Learn words, lots of words.
Concentrate on accumulating words, on their own and in phrases. Set goals and keep track. The number of words you can learn will depend on how much vocabulary overlap there is with languages you already know. An adult English speaker learning Spanish can easily learn 3000 - 5000 words a year or more. In the year and a half that I have been learning Russian mostly using LingQ, spending less than one hour a day and not all days, I have accumulated a vocabulary of over 20,000 words.
2) Learn your words and phrases by listening to and reading interesting content that is not too difficult for you.
In other words find ways to enjoy your exposure to the language.
3) Treat every form of a word as a new occurrence, one that you need to observe and get used to.
Get used to how words are used and how they change depending on who, when and to whom etc. Include the different forms of words (or word families as different words). if you are curious about why, ask a teacher or look it up in a small grammar book. Resist any effort to teach you grammar before you have noticed how the language works from your own observation.
4) Review your words regularly.
Flash cards are only one way to review words. Repeated listening and reading, the review of lists, writing and speaking using your new words, are all ways to review your words. And there are more.
5) Speak when you have a chance but do not make it your main language learning activity.
Even when I lived in Japan and had lots of opportunity to speak, I spent most of my learning time listening and reading and reviewing and increasing my voacbulary. Just talking is the path to stagnation.
6) Join LingQ.
Chat with your tutor, make a mutual commitment to achieving certain goals and go for it. Study most days, even if only for an hour or less, during a period of intense commitment.
1) (from Steven) I speak only english. I have had no previous training in any other language. I will be taking a Spanish course. I am wondering how many words a person can learn daily if just using flash cards?
2) (from Matt) Steve: please define what you mean by "efficient" (an efficient way of learning languages.)
1) Learn words, lots of words.
Concentrate on accumulating words, on their own and in phrases. Set goals and keep track. The number of words you can learn will depend on how much vocabulary overlap there is with languages you already know. An adult English speaker learning Spanish can easily learn 3000 - 5000 words a year or more. In the year and a half that I have been learning Russian mostly using LingQ, spending less than one hour a day and not all days, I have accumulated a vocabulary of over 20,000 words.
2) Learn your words and phrases by listening to and reading interesting content that is not too difficult for you.
In other words find ways to enjoy your exposure to the language.
3) Treat every form of a word as a new occurrence, one that you need to observe and get used to.
Get used to how words are used and how they change depending on who, when and to whom etc. Include the different forms of words (or word families as different words). if you are curious about why, ask a teacher or look it up in a small grammar book. Resist any effort to teach you grammar before you have noticed how the language works from your own observation.
4) Review your words regularly.
Flash cards are only one way to review words. Repeated listening and reading, the review of lists, writing and speaking using your new words, are all ways to review your words. And there are more.
5) Speak when you have a chance but do not make it your main language learning activity.
Even when I lived in Japan and had lots of opportunity to speak, I spent most of my learning time listening and reading and reviewing and increasing my voacbulary. Just talking is the path to stagnation.
6) Join LingQ.
Chat with your tutor, make a mutual commitment to achieving certain goals and go for it. Study most days, even if only for an hour or less, during a period of intense commitment.
Comments