How To START Learning A New Language - A Few Principles | Daily Language Diary 011 

I agree with all you said( especially, the past tense) and I would add that one should listen to the rhythm of the language first for about a week or two. One could listen to a television program, a podcast, a soap opera, etc. The most important thing is to listen for 20 minutes only! Do not try to understand anything! Your job is only to listen.

The analogy of the waves was spot on. I'm really enjoying your content, keep up the good work and keep brewing it strong my friend.

I can’t believe we’re already on day 11! I think different methods work of different people- I’ve had friends start with the most common words but I find that not very fun at all. I always find it really interesting to begin with words we already know and finding the actual meaning of those- for example in Italian I looked into what food names actually mean. These kind of things really build up a passion for the language as well as cultural notes that’ll keep growing your passion of the language if that makes sense. It’s about finding interesting and engaging content. Brilliant as always :)

Wish I had seen this video at my beginner learner stages! Most of my language learning has been through self teaching, you’ve summarised and consolidated a lot of my thinking around how to approach the early stages. I can’t wait to start my next language with these key messages in mind. Thank you for another insightful video with great perspectives

I think your two analogies are brilliant Robin, especially the getting covered in seaweed and crap really made me laugh, but that's exactly what the beginning is like !

I think this was my issue with Japanese I found it too hard to learn in the classroom, but I'm finding now re-learning it at a slower pace while I teach myself spanish because I never liked the format of the Spanish courses in school. It's so interesting because I find what's helping me the most is audio files. Reading helps, but actually hearing it is sticking with me much better than reading.

This is such an important idea! Spending too much time focusing on understanding 100% of a certain element of grammar is a recipe for disaster. When learning grammar, I always try to take a quantity over quality approach. If you have a general idea of a multitude of grammar concepts in your back pocket, you won't be blindsided when approaching input resources. But if you spend too much time trying to perfect your understanding of each and every grammar point, you'll never even have the time to approach sources of input. Great points Robin!

Overview is one of the keys to effective learning. This is proven by a mountain of quality research. Far too much language teaching goes one isolated topic at a time and students never understand how they are going to fit together. Far better to make successive passes through the whole language at increasing levels of detail. A spiral approach rather than a plodding sequential syllabus. This also accelerates that crucial moment when you can start to engage with real native material...

100% share your way to start learning, like getting yourself exposed to the most common, most frequently used stuff. And then, after a while, you will have not mastered anything yet, but have made yourself familiar with a fair amount of vocab, grammar constructions. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Good topic and great explanation. By the end it dawned on me that when I am learning on my own I tend follow similar approaches, especially the puzzle analogy. I remember when I took German in college it was largely a lot of endless vocab memorization. While I liked our professor, the structure of the class didn't make for the best learning experience. On my own, I am free to concentrate at any part of the picture, and move on to another part before stalling out on trying to get that one area completely finished.

I really resonate with this approach - your description is lovely - so I think my natural learning style is similar to yours, although I see myself as more of a code-breaker or mapmaker in how I investigate the landscape of a new language. I do like wandering around the language on my own, getting a sense of what’s where and how it works. But some people won’t resonate with this approach and it’s important to know that there are a number of different natural learning styles. For instance, some people are big picture first and details later, and some are detail-oriented and gradually build up a bigger picture, and that’s fine too. It’s important to discover how you naturally like learning as then you’ll relax into your own process. And it takes time to discover that, in my experience.

This is the best language learning advice video. It follows my train of thought. The best way to start learning, i to actually start learning. Don't put pressure on yourself to master everything in a month.

wow, now that you say it, thats how i learned English soooo fast!. I had classes for a month with all the grammar and then watched tons of movies. But you are right! i was able to understand the movies because I had studied before all the main structures! i love you!!!!!!!!! ejeje Thats it!

Your way of explaining is just exceptional. Thanks I learnt alot of great stuff here.

This was great! Thank you. Working on my first language and starting to finally get some traction. This helps immensely.

I'm not even sure why I'm watching this video other than curiosity because I started 4 languages over the past couple years, but I genuinely like the mood of your videos. Keep up the good work.

the quality of your videos and content will make your channel blow up very soon.

Puzzle analogy is superb! Bravo!

I have a friend who would like to learn French. I havd sent her a couple of your videos. Great advice Robin, thank you !

I learned good German in 6 months. To really learn a language one has to listen and talk with people. That’s how you really learn. Now depending how stubborn you are, you can do it quickly or more slowly.

Liked the analogies.........God bless u

Robin, I found your YT channel today. Your tips are common-sense and actionable. You got a new subscriber!

I found your analogy of the jigsaw puzzle very helpful. I'm looking forward to listening to more of your videos.

This was really cool. Thank you.

Why didnot come across this video before, seriously I feel like i Keep listening you, ☺️

To MY needs this was the most insightful video you've ever released, thanks.

Thank you for the helpful tips 👍 I related a lot with your examples and analogies. Keep safe 🙏

Great advice!

Siempre estudié idiomas paso a paso, pero me gusta tu método, lo voy a probar.

great analogies with jigsaw puzzles, laying on beach with waves washing over you

Outstanding content.

Pigsaw puzzle analogies works well indeed, for me atleast. Find a point and focus on it. Good job

I forgot to write...great ideas, love the jigsaw puzzle analogy !!

Thank you for this video! Love it. The analogy about waves is the best!!!!

first I try to get an overview about the new target language. how complicated is the grammar, phonology... then I try to find some free beginner resources and I liaten to some random youtube channel in that language. I am normally only motivated if the language has a different and interesting looking script. I give myself something between half a year and year to learn the script without trying to learn any vocabulary (only by accident). I copy a lot of texts by hand without trying to understand them (proverbs, children stories). I use children apps to learn the alphabet and nursery rhymes. When I find out that I am still serious about that particular language I try to buy textbooks or download free pdfs which explain the grammar and have a lot of example sentences and dialogues. I also try to find native speakers living nearby to have somebody I could ask questions I could not find answers online for.

Fantastic video. Thank you!

You're awesome!!! Estás maravilloso! Сез бик яхшы укытучы! Вы вдохновляющий, спасибо вам!!!

I love the jigsaw analogy. Very helpful

Muito bom os videos. Estou viciada :)

This videos are very inspirational

I can't wait until I can read Thai Little Prince. Goalssssss.

めっちゃ同意。日本人の学習法はみんな完璧目指しすぎ、かつ丁寧すぎる。 日本のRU-vidr の方より参考になりました、ありがとうございます😊

Thats a really nice perspective on learning a new language which i ended up doing after spending 6 months at night school for Spanish when i first started. My question for you that i think you will have a good perspective on is once you are at a mid intermediate level how much study do you need to do to still improve rather then maintain your language? Love waking up to these btw

Hello Robin. I have been stuck on intermediate Spanish for a long time. Maybe B1 or B2 ? It doesn't bother me so much as I'm retired now and I don't have any deadlines. I have regular chats to my Spanish friends and hold a conversation really well, but sometimes I would like to have that extra bit . Do you have any ideas on how to shift forwards ? Cheers from England !

Laying on a beach??......back to grammar school with you :)

What's the book he mentioned? it sounded like "Asenel French Book" or something like that

thank good ness i found you.

I'm learning russian as a english speaker. Do you have any recommendations on the best way to approach it

Thanks for this. I think the idea that one should spend weeks and weeks and weeks on the present tense is crazy. I can't imagine why schools use this. Little children learn all tenses at once, and they do fine.

When you were learning your first language, how long did it take to feel like your time was paying off?

Could you post a link to the japanese podcast??

That’s not a mug. That’s a cup. And saucer, too.

I think you should make some interviews with other polyglots to bring more people xD! Thanks for the tips!

What did you use to learn Italian as a beginner?

Do you have dreams in the languages you've learned? Have you ever had a dream that had more than one?

7:15 Wait, do you mean, like, you wrote this podcast yourself or you listened to it? Because that sounds very close to the road I'm on now with Japanese, and I'm kinda interested to know morw.

Hii Is korean easy or Japanese?

First comment!

I hate that way of learning in schools😒 They stretch out a lesson into 2 semesters when you can literally learn all of that with 1 week of learning on Babbel, Duolingo or just learning alone

maintenant je plains les personnes qui apprennent le français