📲 The app I use to learn languages 👉🏼 bit.ly/3KUrrc2 🆓 My 10 FREE secrets to language learning 👉🏼 www.thelinguist.com ❓What do you think are the biggest benefits of learning languages the natural way?👇🏼
You never address those such as myself with extreme problems. I write and tell the staff and they point to words I learned. But I have no idea what people are saying and I am incapable of speaking. I feel you and all other polyglots are keeping the secret way from others.
I think the most underrated aspect of Steve’s advice is that it’s so motivating. You will get better whether you notice it or not, just put the time in. Nobody breathing over your shoulder telling you this little detail is wrong and putting you off, just letting you go off into the world of that language and explore for yourself.
Totally agree. One of the things I’ve found particularly useful, which he has said many times, is that WE WILL FORGET THINGS and this does not have to be a big deal. We don’t have to remember something the first, third, tenth, etc. time we see or hear it. It’ll stick when it sticks - unless we really just don’t need it, in which case, who cares if it doesn’t stick because there are always other ways to get our point across. This is very freeing and, as you say, motivational. I say this as a person who actually likes formal grammar and finds it useful, as a component of a broader approach.
Very well said. I often get frustrated when I keep forgetting words. There’s a moment I really wanted to stop learning English until I found this channel and here I am…learning still with much more relax vibes
Agreed...but unfortunately the gatekeepers in the Japanese learning community might take issue with this point. It's baffling how toxic and competitive some of them can get just because of a language
@@educatethechildren and by not caring to remember all the words that doesnt stick, you will come across more and more words that do stick! and those words, perhaps can help you understand more and more words. and perhaps a difficult word become a easy word
Dear Mr. Kaufmann, When I started to learn Mandarin and Japanese, I was just memorizing the sheets and pausing the video every time I didn't understand a new word, but then I found your channel and listened to your advise. After exposing myself and focusing on absorbing, I reached an intermediate level in both in less than a year. I wanted to thank you for helping me get out of that school system way of thinking and to start immersing. 谢谢! ありがとう がざいます!
I've never been one to care for grammatical rules. I just like to listen and watch when the people say and get as much environment exposure. Thanks for making me feel guiltless Steve! I put my Spanish on pause even tho I got to a B1/B2 level just so I could perfect my French. Now I know I can get right back on track when I'm ready.
I am an English teacher in South America in a school teaching primary to high school kids. I am so frustrated being the only non rules non grammar based teacher in the school. Kids (10 year olds) come to me after having already had 5+ years of language 'experience' and cannot do the most basic things and really struggle. All my colleagues are teaching grammar even to kids of 10 or younger, explaining rules and playing memorization games instead of simply playing with and through the language. In my class, English is the language we do activities in, English is not the subject of the class. English ... IS NOT A SUBJECT, it's a skill.
Yes, it's a skill! That's what I tell my students too. I tell them to use English all the time because they won't get it in a week and memorizing won't work either. Who memorized how to drive and be able to drive? Only people who drive every day can drive! Thank you so much for sharing this. Sometimes I even doubt what I teach. :(
I'm learning English but I can't speaking English writing reading and listening what should I do gimme suggestion plz and can you share your WhatsApp number with me then reply me thanks you
One of the most important things that gives you credibility is that your method of learning languages can be done completely independently from Lingq. Lingq just makes it far more convenient.
I agree and I experienced this first-hand. I tried to learn Spanish through Duolingo, mostly, with no input on any level. I learn Portuguese mostly through input-based learning, with a tiny bit of grammar study. Well, when faced with a Spaniard who couldn't speak English, I realised that I couldn't actually speak any Spanish beyond the canned phrases I memorised. But I could speak enough Portuguese to complete the transaction, adopting Spanish pronunciation and the few Spanish words I knew, and it was a success. This situation showed that the natural way of learning is very effective and the method I employed for Spanish was very ineffective.
I learned by myself during 4 month a bit of mandarin chinese .I watched a tonne of chinese series too just because I love that (play) . I did nothing for a while because i knew that i go there for learn it during 6 month in total immersion .It was too much learning at a certain point and i just want a break before i leave . I'm now in China for develop my learning of this beautiful language (Mandarin)and wow when I arrived here yesterday I found out that I accumulate more vocabulary or phrases structure than I expect . So yeah I totally agree, maybe sometimes we just need a break 😊
Steve, I wanted to thank you so much. You've been the biggest motivator of me in learning languages, and I read The Linguist, which revolutionized how I study. I hope the Arabic is going well and am really rooting for you because you would have down the languages the U.S. Foreign Service rates the hardest. I look forward to more of your wisdom and inspiration.
I've been learning Mandarin the natural way for 2 months now and already managed to reach a vocab of roughly 1000 words. Last week I went on holiday for a week, my first break from acquiring Mandarin since I started learning.. I was a bit scared I would forget half of the vocab I've learned but I actually were able to recognize/understand everything still. Cortex did it's job! Haha. Definitely shows that the natural way of learning is the way to go.
You mention 2 months but how long have you learnt Mandarin for? I know about the same amount of words you do, but it took me several years (I wasn’t used immersion and acquisition though)
@@MaxvRoon that is impressive, usually it takes time even just to learn pinyin. Nobody reads at that stage. In 2 months normally you could pass HSK 1, HSK 2 if you are really good. And if you self study it could be possible that you don’t pass HSK 1 either. It depends on how good you are. About 1000 words is great. Can I ask you what and how you read? You mean subtitles and books? Lately I’m using LingQ and I find it great for reading and keeping track of the words I know. Also Migaku is good for watching tv shows and learn characters. I use Viki for tv series, some are also on RU-vid. Otherwise there are Chinese streaming websites, but for now I never finish the content to watch or read :) that’s enough
I so agree! People are always saying "use it or lose it" about languages and I've always found that so strange. I didn't lose German just because I didn't speak it for ten years, though there is an adjustment period where more words come back to me. I wish more people understood this, because "study every single day" is such big advice, and it's much easier to "study as often as you find engaging" is much better advice, because it turns every time you engage with the language into a win (which is motivating) compared to living with a fear that if you stop or miss some study sessions, you've ruined weeks of progress.
I have for a month or two been using your LingQ doodah to learn German, and it’s certainly better than the other courses I have done. I like the lack of explicit grammar rules. In six months I will be in a position to say whether or not it is the mutts. You are of course an inspiration to us whipper snappers. I am a mere 60 years old.
It's a good video! My brother studied languages at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in California. The pace of study was intense. Students had to master the language course in 36-64 weeks. Psychologically it was very difficult, but fortunately he was helped by Yuriy Ivantsiv's book "Polyglot Notes. Practical tips for learning foreign languages”. The book " Polyglot Notes" became a desk book for my brother, because it has answers to all the problems that any student of a foreign language has to face. Thanks to the author of the channel for this interesting video! Good luck to everyone who studies a foreign language and wants to realize their full potential!
I feel like you're talking about me! I always feel like I should be better than I am, after studying Japanese for a year and a half. But I keep your wise words in mind as I keep trying conversation classes and taking lessons. I'm doing my best to trust in the process.
Steve, I am a 75 year old retired teacher… I want to learn Japanese. There are so many products out there. How should I begin the process of learning Japanese? Thanks, John
Studying grammar and reviewing flashcards leads to frequency illusions, and you become able to notice them quickly while immersing yourself. It's a cognitive bias where your brain, once made aware of something new, tends to notice it more often in your environment, even though it was likely there all along.
Hey, Steve! You have a great content! I'm a brazilian english learner. You've been helping me a lot of learning how the mind learn. Since I've started to whatch your videos, I've been learning how to learn better. Thank you so much and keep going!
What we should do if we don't understand the certain phrases in anime in English dubbed? Recenely, i watched Beyblade Metal fusion and the and the rest of the seasons till the end, i just exposing myself with anything that i want to watch. And the result was make me satified. As you said we should expose ourself with the Languange that we are learning, i couldn't agree more! Yeah you were right sir. Oh yes, be safe and healthy always, being different is what makes you special don't try to fit in with every body else - Dharman.😊
Well, the only thing that I slightly desagree with Prof. Steve is about not learning rules - for some languages. I spent a good amount of time learning Japanese, but had never been able to understand what was the thing about particles. Then, after a focused studying I became able to see how they function.
I think there a slight exceptions to this. Sometimes it's good to look up a rule to learn a little grammar specifics. I spent time learning Japanese and looked up the particles after awhile and it all made even more sense. But bc I learned more naturally, it was super easy to get it down the second I looked it up
The best time for looking up grammar is when you start seeing a pattern and you feel an urge to understand it. In short, exposure first, then grammar if you feel the need. Not grammar first, as a rule. Though admittedly I learned about basic Japanese structure at the very beginning, and I think it helps to at least know about sentence structure - but that was very different from the grammar approach we had when learning German in school. That was all about grammar, and repeating "an auf hinter.." and "durch für, gegen ohne om" (apparently the school thought we were going to understand cases by this, which most obviously didn't work - I learned zero German that way).
Memorizing many expressions does not lead the brain to create its own rules. Similar to AI, it learns the arrangement and positioning of words statistically from natural expressions. The data stored in the cerebral cortex is not governed by unique rules; rather, it is data of natural expressions that can be statistically processed. The brain engages in data-driven learning and processing, rather than rule-based processing.
I really mean the brain extracts patterns from the input it gets. It doesn't create rules to govern language usage but these patterns operate according to the rules that come from the content as I understand it.
@@Thelinguist The brain and brain-inspired AI engage in data-driven learning rather than rule-based processing. What is being learned through data-driven learning are not just patterns, but also the statistical positioning and arrangement of words. AI employs transformers for statistical learning. Given that the brain is a Bayesian network, it is capable of intuitive statistical judgments. Entrusting something to the brain implies relying on its statistical intuition.
@@Thelinguist Since speech is a dynamic entity, speech recognition involves pattern recognition. However, for the comprehension and generation of expressions, statistical data-driven learning is necessary.
@@Thelinguist The pattern of speech recognition involves matching the dynamic features of sound. It's matching based on dynamic features, so it's not rule-based from the content; it's matching based on the similarity of features.
@@sakuraikeizo The brain can be thought of in approximate terms as a Bayesian network, but that doesn't mean the brain is a Bayesian network or that we should think of it in terms of a Bayesian network.
The point is of a great interest to me . In short here's how i learnt otalian in one month . I put a tape of italian in. It goes , one hour , not longer , 1-25 .read the text while listening .when i finish i go with german same thing . After that - this is very immportant , i let the very same tape on - auto rewers, all non stop working ; i do not think of it but i hear it . I repeat the same reading in the evening . Have in mind tape goes on and on all the time , even the whole night . After one month you get results ! E allora vorei parlare l'italiano ? So the key is repetition even when you do not pay attention to it . That is how you can learn many languges if you have a need . Regards from e.u.
A lot of the cultists in the Japanese learning community can use this message. Seems like they obsess over everything like word use, grammar and the infamous pitch accent, which apparently has rules. Personally, I would much rather get exposure to Japanese and internalize this stuff rather than memorize rules. Like in English, why does Canada have the stress on the first syllable and Canadian has it on the second? As a native, I've no idea why this happens or what the rules are but it's better for learners to simple get used to it and internalize than memorize. These rules do not mean much unless you encounter them in several contexts where the brain deems them relevant. The brain doesn't learn very well unless it associates the material with its relevance which is where context plays a huge role in language, and far outweighs the importance of the pitch accent that the cultists obsess over. The word ロケット can either mean "rocket" or "locket" depending on context. On that note, what's the pitch accent of the particle の? If you say "it depends on context" or "it doesn't really matter", either way just proves my point. Besides I've heard many Japanese people speak English and can express themselves despite small mistakes. Why do we let them slide (as we should) and when Japanese non-natives speak, suddenly any and all mistakes are cringy and all hell breaks loose? Supporting a double standard
Japanese is different. In 3 months you can reach a level where you can write entire paragraphs in Japanese. Wow! Amazing! Except that everything you're typing is garbage. Just English with Japanese characters. You're not recognizing the subtle nuances between から and ので you're just using either of them because they both mean "because" to you and that's okay. No, it's not okay. You should strive to speak Japanese properly. Nobody cares if you say "I recognizing there's a problem..." in English or say "I own a cats" because those mistakes are not as catastrophic as the common mistakes learners in Japanese make. Using できるだけ when it's not appropriate. Mixing up たら with なら and ば. Nobody wants to pay attention to the details that matter -- the least you can do when the language has a grammar and vocabulary that's so logical and consistent.
Unfortunately the "japanese learning community" is in a cult like state consisting of mass inmersion, anki 24/7 and the unforgiving so called pitch accent. I would advice to ignore these people who make the language look harder than it is and focus on consuming content you enjoy in the language as well as getting advice from actually positive and constructive content creators, like Steve. There is no one right way to fluency in any language no matter what people say.
What this boils down to is simply that one should listen to stuff and then try to pronounce it the same way. Then all of that comes naturally (pitch accent and all, which *is* actually important, it's just that I agree one shouldn't have to study rules about it). The mistake some people tend to make is that after learning a certain amount of a language they stop listening, and just continue speaking with the same mistakes, the same incorrect words, the same wrong intonation/stress/pitch accent/whatever. Forever. I know people who've continued like that for twenty-thirty years living in a country.
The brain does not engage in rule-based processing. Speech recognition involves pattern recognition. However, the comprehension of meaning in expressions and the generation of expressions rely on statistical data-driven learning of word order and word positioning.
Senhor, Do meu ponto de vista, qual é o significado do seu trabalho já de décadas? Nenhuma língua é barreira suficiente para impedir a intercomunicação. Os livros do ensino de gramática não podem servir de pretexto para ficarmos de fora da festa de confraternização universal. Todos temos a aprender com os demais. Editor da célebre casa publicadora Le Robert, Alain Rey afirmava em livro saboroso que TODAS as línguas de cultura são produto de mestiçagem. Essas frases tem um ar de S. Kaufman, não? O seu trabalho é o exercício de um incansável apostolado pela paz. Parabéns! Obrigado.
Thank you so much for your video. This video was a unique. I have benefited active learning. I created environment for what's the language to learning right now. I explore a lot of things. I can not overcome from my mistakes without another person and any tools.
Yes. Rules don't work in real life anyway. We make sentences from our hearts, not heads, in our native language. Well, sometimes we have to use our heads but that's when we're in an unusual situation. My point is that as long as we have a ton of inputs, we'll have a sense of that language and can output naturally. Yeah, this is the same thing Steve has been talking about over and over again.
Our ability to speak is a miracle. Think for a moment about the mechanics of speaking. With each word you say, your brain has to coordinate the movement of some 100 muscles in your tongue, throat, lips, jaw, and chest. All those muscles have to move according to precise timing if the words are to be understood. Regarding the ability to speak languages, a study published in 2019 showed that newborn babies can pick out individual words. This finding reinforces what many researchers believe-that we are born with the ability to recognize and learn languages. Certainly, our ability to speak is a gift from God. Do you want to know how can we show that we appreciate the God-given gift of speech?
I agree with your arguments but you have to take into account that the learning abilities differ from one person to another. Each person is endowed in a or some particular subjects or domains. Learning is not a play but a persistent localised processing.
How about connectivists' theories? When we first develop procedural knowledge? We can foster those neuron connections , help them get established for the first time and then , through intensive practice, swich that into automatic mode , transferring that procedurial knowledge into processing knowledge, when we hardly ever remember the rules themselves, which were just kind of scaffolding for learning and our brain gets rid of them as soon as the whole construction is ready?
Because inductively recognizing patterns from examples is a totally different thing to deductively applying rules to generate examples. I've made videos about this if you're interested: How do we learn language? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_-w1VewAaq0.htmlsi=otpYNKUdt2lgK83J Grammar doesn't exist ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YNJDH0eogAw.html
Hi Steve, I have such a very important question for me, what do you think about how I would learn German one day (devote the whole day only to German) and the other only to English and so on and so forth? (On LingQ, of course)
Hello, please answer what I should do. I have recently started learning Spanish from scratch (4 months and counting) . Have visible results but, obviously, I am still a beginner. MY problem is: I NEED to speak Spanish more or less well (and be able to communicate, discuss various areas of life activities, though NO nuclear physics) In a month and then for the next ca 3 months (by then my mission 2024 will be accomplished). At the same time (ca a month from now) I want to make an effort to REGAIN, revover, resurect my currently rusty French and German (both learned years ago up to the B2 level). My question is: Will I or won't I get "mixed up"learning Spanish and French simultaneously ?
Steve, I’m curious. I’ve been immersing myself in the italian language for ten months now and I know that I’ve learned many words, just not sure around how many. Is there a quick way I could find out? I realize I sound like an idiot asking this question because it may be next to impossible to figure this out, but it’s worth a shot. 🥶
form what I have seen you change your viwe on how people learn languge. As for me personely I will never forget how I hated english classes (as 2nd languges class) in my shcool but most english that I learned was whit video games and movies some tv serises and later on book when I was confident enogue. And I sill rember the day when I played a game and relized I understod the convesation.
Can anyone answer this? I'm beginning to learn Spanish and will it help to listen to music, which I like and or podcasts, TV shows etc. even if you only understand a few words or phrases without any translation?
Why do many migrants who move to another country never learn the new language to an acceptable level? This whole 'expose yourself to the language' idea in adults is a belief that, as Michael Swan once said referring to Krashen, has set language acquisition/learning (and don't nitpick over the term) back more than anything else in the last 30/40 years.
Those immigrants who don't learn the language of the country they move to don't get enough input. They live in their own community, mostly consume media from their home country and usually aren't very motivated. Those who work in the local language and make local friend do just fine. However, they have to make and effort. Read books, watch TV, speak without fear etc. Krashen is right. The majority of language teachers, including teachers of French in Canadian English language schools don't follow Krashen's methods and the kids don't learn. Are you a teacher?
@@Thelinguist Yes, I am a teacher. What I don’t understand is why it has to be seen as either one or the other - it goes without saying that input is fundamental, but having someone explaining your mistakes and how to correct them to you will help you to learn more quickly and express yourself more accurately. The two things go hand on hand. As I always tell my students, if your goal is to make yourself understood, monkeys get by just fine at doing that. It's as if Krashen and his ilk have something to lose by admitting that what they've made a living out of is not actually true. Give me one good reason why input shouldn't be accompanied by some explicit teaching, which is what happens when we acquire any skill, whether it be skiing, playing tennis or playing chess.
Zweifle nicht an dir.Guter Rat und genau für mich! Ich habe in English wie eine Barriere erreicht und der Lernprozess stogniert. Ich habe mich jahrelang auf Deutschlernen konzentriert, und einigermassen guten Level erreicht.Aber English wie verzaubert😢 will nicht in meinen Kopf😅 Vielleicht lache ich bald darüber
