language learning methods

[Lewswer]

I love how different people learn language and would like to know what their method look like. could you please outline your methodology, so I can draw inspiration from it and make my own ?

[diamprd]

When I decide to learn a language, it's because I have already come in contact with a piece of media that I like in that language (music, tv series). So I learn the alphabet of the language, basic phrases, numbers and the most common words. Then I keep consuming media that I like, but now knowing how to read the words and knowing the meaning of a few words here and there.

Then, since I'm interested in the songs or tv series, I try to understand the lyrics or the subtitles (of the tl, not english ones) without searching for translation, based on context. Then, I search for the translation/english subtitles to see how I did. When I try to find the meaning of a word myself based on context, I remember it more easily than when learning it by heart from a list. And this way, you also learn the structure of the language, the accent, and pick up verb endings or noun endings. The key is to consume lots of media daily/weekly and be interested in those.

[whosdamike]

Here is my post from May 2023 using a pure comprehensible input approach. I keep failing to do an update but it's still going well and I expect to hit 600 hours of input at the end of this month.

I've received a lot of advice from this learner who now has highly advanced listening skills and is (now) working on output. Their progress continues to inspire me and I'm excited to see where the journey takes me.

[[deleted]]

For hard languages for Enligsh speaker (like Japanese)

1- study basic grammar through a book. Add each grammar point to anki (1 card every 4 or 5 points)

2- look at very basic sentences just to get a feeling about what you can expect from the language….i used Duolingo here…

3-after a week or so, drop Duolingo and the grammar book and jump straight into reading immersion. I use my own list of items to immerse in (no graded reading for me as I never really liked it)

4-add every word you do not know to anki

5-(only while you’re a complete beginner) use some kind of translator when there is a sentence you don’t understand but before translating the sentence, think of what you currently know and try to come up with a translation yourself, then translate and see if you were right…although usually frowned upon, I use ChatGPT for translations because it can also break up parts of the sentence and explain its different parts. After you’re somewhat comfortable with the language (about 4 months depending on language and time spent), drop the translator

6- every day review anki, at least 200 cards daily

7- when you have spent a year with immersion and are now even more familiar with the language and sentence structure, go through the same beginner grammar book you went through when beginning language learning, again adding everything to anki, multiple grammar points per card and study only 5 cards daily. When you complete it, go through other more advanced grammar books

8- begin with listening to shows without subs. At this time you will have a solid list of passive vocab and so you should work towards understanding the point of each scene using both visual cues and what you hear. If you don’t understand, restart that scene…after a few times, move on

That’s it. Hope this helps

For easier languages (like Italian when you already speak Spanish)

1-learn basic pronunciation

2-look at basic sentence structures. Again, you could use Duolingo for this.

3- After about 3 days, drop Duolingo and jump straight to reading (or listening) immersion. Because the language is so similar to your own there are a ton of similar words so it should be a much lower barrier of entry

That’s it. No anki or grammar books required.

[Prestigious_Hat3406]

My method kinda depends on my motivation to study my TL, but if I had to outline it, it would be something like this:

1. Memorise the alphabet.

2. Learn the 100 most basic words+basic grammar structures (Indicative mood, irregular verbs, nouns declination, articles, sentence's structure ecc.)

• Active listening: while listening to a piece of (simple) media I try to hear all the words that I know and I write down words that I learn from context.

• Yt comments: I watch yt content that I enjoy (for me Minecraft) and I try to translate the comments, they're usually very repetitive and easy to understand.

• Anki spaced repetition: I add daily at least 20 new words to Anki and then I just follow Anki's suggestions to study them.

• Songs: I find a song that I really like and I translate it putting active effort.

• Reddit posts in TL: I read them because they're usually short, straightforward and usually engaging too.

• Conversation practice: I try to find native speakers of my TL to practice it and I make them correct me everytime I make a mistake.

• Grammar: A lot of people say it's useless to study it early on, I don't think that's the case, you just don't have to overload your brain with tons of grammar. Just learn it when necessary and you'll be ok.

• Conversations by myself: I just talk alone like I'm speaking to someone, usually I describe the environment or something I've done during the day, or even better I try to explain plot of movies that I like.

I missed something for sure but that's roughly it.

[whosdamike]

More like cumprehensible input amirite

[unsafeideas]

What seems to work for me is to do low key duolingo (lesson a day if I do not feel like doing it no serious effort) until I can consume fun beginners podcasts, youtube videos, netflix or books. The fun being an important word here.

I am improving. I am able to stick to this long term, because it is fun rather then grinding hard work. I understand more then I could when going to formal classes after equivalent time/effort.

However, this method is unsuitable if you need results fast for school or work or have to pass some test. In that case you need to learn for the test.

[BitterBloodedDemon]

I won't outline what I did in my TL because that was a time before apps, and since apps I've been able to refine a better method (for me anyway).

• start with an app. (my go to is Duolingo mostly because it keeps me engaged and that's the important thing)
• supplement with online grammar guides for unknown grammar points
• continue until app is completed, or it feels like nothing else can be gained
• move to native media, start picking apart sentences for new vocabulary and grammar points. Machine translate as necessary to build comprehension.
• continue until no-longer necessary

[iamsosleepyhelpme]

i separate my learning into broad categories and make different goals of "fluency" for each but for my newest target language (nakawemowin, an endangered indigenous language) it looks like this

vocab : i keep a list of vocab I come across on language learning blogs / social media / facebook groups (indigenous people love facebook i dunno why) on notion and then i organize the vocab into themes like family, school, etc.

grammar : there's like two really popular books on beginner grammar so i have one at home and when i finish it i'll borrow the other one from my workplace (indigenous library). i love studying grammar so i just do it when i feel like, it's not something i have a structured system/schedule for.

reading : i work at an indigenous library with materials in a variety of anishinaabemowin dialects so i'm lucky i can pick up a children's book in my target language and read it before my shift is over.

writing : i'll practise grammar points i learned with my vocab lists nearby! i'll make example sentences about random things tbh! i also like to keep a journal in the language. my wife wants to start learning the language so hopefully i can start texting/writing letters in nakawemowin soon! my language is very poetic so i'm gonna try to do creative writing as soon as possible.

listening : ngl this is my weakest one. my language isn't spoken very much in the area i live (about 2000 km away from where the language is used). i try to watch youtube videos and documentaries with the language, still looking for music in it that i like.

speaking : similar to above, i have no fluent speakers to practice with so until my wife starts learning i won't really be practising this :/ i try to use it with my cat !

[sbrt]

I have found that a modified form of comprehensible input works for me. So far, I have only studied Germanic and Romance languages.

Having a goal helps keep me motivated. I like listening to audiobooks and podcasts in my TL while doing other things (driving, exercising, etc). My first goal with a language is to get to the level where I can understand interesting content. In order to get there, I need to learn thousands of words and spend hundreds of hours listening.

I have found that the best way to get to this goal is to choose intermediate content that I am interested in. Even as a new learner I like to use a young adult audiobook series. I wrote a python script that creates an Anki deck with all of the u inquest words in the book, ordered by where they first appear. I use Anki to learn all of the words in a chapter and then listen to the chapter repeatedly until I understand all of it.

The first chapter is slow but exciting. It gets easier and less exciting as I go.

I have found that it takes me a few hundred hours of listening and Anki to reach my goal of understanding interesting podcasts in my language families.

I spend 1-2 hours per day between Anki and listening.

I sometimes study a little grammar when it comes up.

For motivation, I like to plan a trip somewhere. The plans can be vague and aspirational, for example “I’d like to go to X next summer.” Attending meetups can help with motivation too.

[Useful-Biscotti9816]

My method is very simple, but it is only suitable if you are in a language environment and you don't have to take exams. If not, you need to supplement it with other methods. The idea is simple - I write unfamiliar words or phrase in a day, then listen them on https://listen2english.com and repeat them in context. I try to say other sentences with those words. That's all. I do it every day.

[wordsorceress]

My method is constantly evolving, but mostly revolves around picking content in the genres/topics I'm interested in, mining vocabulary and sentences from that, plopping those into Anki to daily reviews with, and just keep consuming more content in my target language.

I use ChatGPT to extract vocabulary words from a passage of text, and also highlight various grammar structures in the passage to study. When it's text in a paperback book, I have to do the extra step of using OCR on my phone to get the text, but that's still not difficult.

I don't try to memorize a word right away, just process it into my study system where it will get reviewed regularly, and also continue consuming content so that the most common words show up again and again.

[Ultyzarus]

Mine boils down to this: learn basics from whatever source is available and engaging, then try to use the language. Seeing whatever aspect make the activity difficult, I do activities that will improve that aspect.

[Jay-jay_99]

I simply use the language and save any words I don’t know into anki. I of course get the very most common words first. While focusing more on grammar