Five recommendations for lazy language learners

Five recommendations for lazy language learners, (which I think refers to most people.)

1) Spend most of your time listening, while doing other tasks. Listen over and over to a limited amount of content at first. Gradually, as you get better, listen fewer times to the same content, and move on to more varied content. Try to listen to content you find interesting, and where you like the voice of the narrator.
2) Read what you are listening to in order to "mine" it for words and phrases. Review these words and phrases regularly, without expecting to learn or remember them. Just try to notice them in your listening and reading.
3) Get the smallest grammar book you can find that explains the language in your own language. Read through it from time to time, skimming, without expecting to understand or remember any of it. Eventually it will make more and more sense to you.
4) Never force yourself to speak. Speak when you want to, when you are ready to try out what you have learned. When you are with native speakers, relax, speak a little and listen a lot.
5) Do not worry about what you do not understand, nor about what you forget, nor about what you are unable to do in the language - ever!

Comments

[Friedemann]

Listening while doing other tasks does not work for me in a new language where my abilities are still very lmited (my new language is Mandarin Chinese). When I listen, and I listen a lot, I need to pay close attention and really concentrate. If I do something else at the same time, I feel I do not really absorb it. I have tried the listening thing lately with Spanish and French because I speak (and understand) those languages much better and I am definitely more relaxed then. But I still find it difficult not to concentrate a 100% on what I listen to.

Steve, why havn't you done youtube videos lately?

[Ilya L.]

Some other titles that will suit Steve's text:

"Five recommendations for smart language learners".
"Five recommendations for consistent improvement in a language".
"Five recommendations by Steve Kaufmann".

"Lazy learners" was chosen just to provoke us, the smart language learners.

[Chris Sarda]

I was going to say, Steve's recommendations for lazy learners looks an awful lot like his recommendations in general...

[Chris]

I'd consider myself an active learner who tries to learn in the laziest way possible (which for most people would probably be the most enjoyable), and I think this is what Steve might have meant by this. In any case, all 5 and especially the last one are right on the money.

I second Friedemann's request for more videos if you have the time - they're always appreciated!

[Charles]

Please define lazy. You seem to be stigmatizing learners who can't devote much time to studying/learning a language. A couple of people I know read this post on my laptop and found it quite demotivational.

[Dimoteos Tavit Aznavourian]

Anyone who got offended by Steve's use of the word "lazy" is over-sensitive. He didn't call any specific person lazy, and if you took this as an insult, it is probably just your own insecurity...

[WC]

Listening to the language you are learning has another use, even if you don't feel you are actively absorbing language knowledge: It gets you used to hearing the language.

Until you've heard a -lot- of the language from natives, you will have trouble picking apart the sounds that make each word, and the points where words start and end.

Once you've got some vocabulary under your belt, it will also help you lock it in. When you hear it, it gives yet another reference for your brain to lock on to.

As for learning new vocab, I'm not yet convinced it's useful until you can already understand most of it anyhow. (Video is a little better as there are other clues for you to use to figure things out.)

[lyzazel]

I disagree with #4. Either that, or I don't get it.

How is not forcing yourself to speak going to help you? I think speaking is exactly the time when you learn most and by slacking off and not speaking when you have the chance to do so does not seem like a good tactic to me...