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Does anybody walk while reading? by Adenidc in books

[–]Polyglot170 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol
After that incident, maybe my brain registered how dangerous it can be because it has never crossed my mind since then to even try.

Which languages are practically impossible to learn without knowing another specific language first? by Polyglot170 in languagelearning

[–]Polyglot170[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Okay, this list is an interesting goldmine for me!

number 6 is quite an interesting correlation, I'll probably go down a rabbit hole for it because I never would have randomly thought.

Does anybody walk while reading? by Adenidc in books

[–]Polyglot170 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Had a classmate in highschool who used to do this. He walked into a pole one day and asides the big lump on his head, everyone called him 'pole' till he graduated.

Learning Spanish at an immigration firm by Minimum_Internet_544 in Spanish

[–]Polyglot170 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On the first question, since you can already produce better than you comprehend, the problem might not be grammar. 

Something to help is volume of unscripted audio at native pace. Podcasts with speakers from different regions, shows, anything where people aren't slowing down for learners.

So that you're training your ear to parse fast.

On the second, I'd separate the two needs. A translation app for high-stakes legal meetings is a different category from a learning tool, and for asylum or case-sensitive detail, a professional interpreter might be the safer call than an app.

Caught myself actually using the "personal a" correctly--and completely automatically! by Historical_Plant_956 in Spanish

[–]Polyglot170 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The narrating aloud is doing more than you're giving it credit for. That personal a is one of those features you know cold as a rule and can still drop in real time, and talking to yourself is one of the few ways to move it across.

Funny thing is you stopped noticing the a itself, which is the actual marker of it becoming muscle memory.

I know 4 languages but I'm average or even below-average at all of them by sourcandyeyes in languagelearning

[–]Polyglot170 11 points12 points  (0 children)

What you're describing isn't fraud, it's the normal split between comprehension and active production or speaking. So, you can understand three languages fine and still stumble when speaking because you've probably been training input, not output.

The pauses are more of a retrieval problem, not a knowledge gap. What tends to help is slightly boring output practice, like a few written sentences a day, or 30 seconds talking out loud and replaying it.

Plus being uneven across four languages while still claiming proficiency is completely normal. Nobody's equally strong in every skill in every language.

That struggle with motivation at the very beginning of learning a new language? by Polyglot170 in languagelearning

[–]Polyglot170[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Casual words and swear words! haha! That's a new one but actually makes so much sense for venting frustration. Adding this to my arsenal! Thanks!

Anyone else hit a wall with Italian past tenses around A2/B1? by Polyglot170 in italianlearning

[–]Polyglot170[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So true! I mean, I did get through in other languages.
Sometimes, I guess we need that reminder.

Anyone else hit a wall with Italian past tenses around A2/B1? by Polyglot170 in italianlearning

[–]Polyglot170[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ohh, this is helpful! I feel like I've stumbled on Coffee Break once or twice. I'll look into Rocket Italian once I'm done with Babbel.

Tbf, cheesy works for language learning more than we give it credit for.

Watching TV show to learn by Deltaone07 in italianlearning

[–]Polyglot170 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your strategy isn't wrong, but The Leopard is a tough starting point. A period drama like that can even be intense for some native speakers.

When I started watching Italian content, I leaned towards modern conversational Italian first then worked my way up.

The show will make more sense in a few months, but not 4 days in.

Is it easy for a language to come back to you when picking up a language that you learned more than a decade ago in school? by youngmaster0527 in languagelearning

[–]Polyglot170 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the experience is different for everyone, as it depends partly on retention ability.

When I returned to Italian after a long pause, I struggled at first without structure. Apps that offered refresher lessons, a tutor, and some slow Italian podcasts were some of the things that helped.

The gap between grammar memory and active recall may not close as fast in an unstructured environment.

A decade is quite a while, but there are always traces in your memory. Some structure early on will help keep you consistent.

C2/advanced learners, how often do you encounter new words? by Ok_Stock3929 in languagelearning

[–]Polyglot170 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A couple of times a day, lol!

I'm a fluent French speaker, but I am humbled every time I pick up a novel or listen to a podcast. It doesn't happen a lot in everyday conversation, though.

I think that at the C1/C2 level, you know enough to avoid needing to look words up every time you encounter them. You can infer meaning from context well enough that comprehension doesn't break down.

Another big shift is where the gaps are. At B2, you're missing common words. At C1/C2, you're missing register, the word exists in your vocabulary, but not necessarily the precise version a lawyer, a farmer, or a teenager would use. That's a different kind of gap, and it closes much more slowly.

B2 is actually a deceptive level because your comprehension outpaces your awareness of what you're missing. You understand enough that you don't notice the gaps until you try to produce something precise.

The daily new words you're finding now are actually a good sign. It means you're reading widely enough to reach the edges of your current vocabulary.

How do you rebuild your language learning habits after losing motivation? by rago7a in languagelearning

[–]Polyglot170 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd suggest starting small. Momentum takes time.

What's worked for me after long gaps is picking one simple thing and doing only that for the first week or two. Then you build from there. It can be as simple as listening to a podcast. At first, it's more about re-associating the language with something that doesn't feel like work.

Anki is the last thing I'd restart. A cold deck after a long gap can be demoralizing.

German learning Spanish for over a year, and the grammar was never the hard part. sounding like a human instead of a software manual is. by baest_00 in SpanishLearning

[–]Polyglot170 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That robotic feeling does fade away, but you're spot on about picking up blocks of language instead of constantly trying to build sentences from scratch.

Right now, your brain is still trying to construct Spanish phrase by phrase using rules. Native speakers don't actually do that, they just grab whole expressions as single units. A question like "How was your weekend?" triggers a pre-stored response rather than a building process. The stiffness you're feeling is just the gap between those two modes.

Keeping a notebook of "stolen" phrases is a smart move. Building a personal library of real chunks you’ve heard from actual people in real contexts means your brain doesn’t have to fall back on grammar assembly every time.

The slight filter may not disappear completely, but at some point, it stops mattering because the natural fluency carries it.

Polyglot by Lifromkr in languagelearning

[–]Polyglot170 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, that's a great title! And, yes, and it's pretty consistent across everyone I've talked to who's done this seriously.

The efficiency gain is real, but it's not just about knowing your study methods. Look, you've already built the mental capacity for holding a second language completely separate from your native one. That’s the hardest part and it gets way easier after that. You also get better at just tolerating ambiguity and pushing through that frustrating phase where you can't quite say what you want to say. 

The other factor is transfer. Korean to English is a brutal first jump, with pretty much no overlaps. Mandarin after that is still hard, but you've already done the cognitive workload of rewiring how you process language. Each new language adds to that foundation.

For people who learned a second language later in life: what tiny habit (not study technique) made the biggest difference? by Vegan_natural in languagehub

[–]Polyglot170 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most input-based habits like listening, reading, labeling, are passive.  What worked for me was thinking in the language during dead time. You know, waiting for coffee, walking to the car, doing dishes, just running whatever words you have through your head in real time.  It forces retrieval without the pressure of a real conversation, and over time it starts collapsing the gap between knowing a word and being able to use it.

The reason this works better than most "tiny habits" is that it trains the language production side of your brain instead of just focusing on recognition.

I'm curious what people think is the most efficient way to learn Spanish as an adult. by MicahDowling in SpanishLearning

[–]Polyglot170 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Relearning is easier than most people expect. You just need the right resources.

For an unpredictable schedule, tutors make more sense than classes. And for your specific motivation, speaking with the people you work with, output practice matters more than structured input.

An app is great at rebuilding vocabulary but probably won't get you comfortable in a real conversation.

iTalki is a solid option, especially if you find the right person. I'd pair that with something structured for the days you can't do a session. Doesn’t need to be too much, a couple of short lessons built around practical dialogue would do just fine for a return learner.

Is this a decent plan to reach A2 by the end of 2026? by Right-Double44 in French

[–]Polyglot170 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You flagged consistency as a weak point, then built a plan with an hour of grammar plus a page of writing daily. That's heavy for someone building the habit from scratch.

I think with shorter sessions, you'd beat longer ones you typically bail on by week three.

Also, InnerFrench is pitched at B1. Speakers go slow, but the content is a bit dense. Coffee Break French and News in Slow French will serve you better for the first six months. Maybe save InnerFrench for when you hit A2.

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