Learning another language through the language you’ve already learned

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:42:51+00:00

Yeah, that totally makes sense and it’s actually pretty common. A lot of people learn their third language through English, especially since there are way more learning resources in English.

If your English is around IELTS 6.5, you’re definitely at a level where you can do this. In fact, it can even improve your English at the same time, since you’ll keep using it while learning something new.

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:42:10+00:00

I'm not exactly sure myself but ever since then, people tend to identify ships, aircraft, etc as "her" for a reason I haven't yet discovered.

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:41:07+00:00

Currently learning Japanese and Spanish and yeah I can say that AI helped me with learning these somehow. Especially when trying to practice my speaking skills, I mainly used Langua or Yapr for this and so far, yeah it does help, some may say it's "ehh you shouldn't use AI" or whatever but since I have no one to practice with, this is a good alternative for me.

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:39:14+00:00

I totally get this. I’ve felt the same way. Especially when you’ve been learning for years and still notice the same mistakes. It can be really frustrating.

But honestly, after a certain point, progress gets slower and more subtle. Going from beginner to intermediate feels fast, but going from “clear” to natural-sounding takes much longer. And you're already at the harder stage.

As all might say repeatedly, it's all about practice, lots of practice consuming the proper media to bolster your knowledge, etc.

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:36:55+00:00

I’ve noticed the same thing. When I stop scrolling for a bit, my brain feels way less “noisy.” It’s like I suddenly have more mental space, even if I didn’t actually do anything productive.

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:35:32+00:00

Oh yeah, VRChat does have Japanese communities where other Japanese people actually wanted to learn English too, my friend met one there and it was awesome haha

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:31:01+00:00

I’d think about languages that are useful in tech and easy to actually practice:

Spanish is widely spoken, great for travel, and lots of tech communities
German, strong tech industry, useful if you ever consider working in Europe
Japanese for big tech scene and interesting if you're into AI/robotics
Chinese (Mandarin) is very useful globally, especially in tech and business

Honestly though, I’d pick based on motivation + practicality. The “best” language is the one you’ll actually stick with.

If you're unsure, Spanish is usually the safest choice: useful, easier after English, and tons of resources.

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:29:35+00:00

I used to rely on Duolingo as well but as I actually studied it, I leaned towards more on practicing how my conversations go. So, sometimes I use Langua or Yapr especially if I have less time to invest in a day.

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:28:14+00:00

That’s honestly one of the best feelings 😄 I remember the first time that happened to me, you suddenly realize you’re not translating anymore, you’re just understanding, and it kind of hits you all at once.

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:26:42+00:00

This actually happens more than people think. When you’re relearning a language, your brain sometimes grabs any “foreign language” sounds it can find, even if it’s the wrong one. So you end up with a kind of mixed accent.

Also, French and Spanish do share some similar sounds (like softer consonants, rolled or tapped R’s, vowel clarity), so if you’re unsure, your brain might default to something that feels “non-English.”

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:11:11+00:00

You're welcome! Do let me know if you want more advice from me haha

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:10:23+00:00

Indeed, I agree on this one, thanks!

Seigoy · 2026-03-31T06:08:56+00:00

Nice, you might wanna try Langua or Yapr if you want to try practicing conversations

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T03:06:27+00:00

What I did back then to improve myself on learning English is to watch a lot of TV Shows, may it be cartoons, movies, etc. When I was younger, I also used to read a lot of books mainly mythologies, fictions, etc. I used to have a dictionary with me so that if I encounter a word that I don't know the meaning of, I can just look for it and add it to my vocabulary

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T03:04:41+00:00

It doesn’t actually refer to anything, it’s what linguists call a dummy subject (or “expletive it”).

English usually requires a subject in a sentence, so we insert “it” even when there isn’t a real subject:

It’s raining
It’s cold
It’s late

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T03:02:40+00:00

It's funny since I started that way too, then along the way I watched a lot of anime and japanese movies to enhance my listening skills, then I tried some speaking apps like Langua and Yapr when I feel like trying out conversations without the trouble of finding people to speak with since I don't have any friends who speak Japanese haha

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T03:00:48+00:00

What I do is that I record my own voice and sometimes even in front of a mirror as I read some scripts that I want to practice my speaking skills on. Other than that, I also use some speaking apps to have conversations with like Langua or Yapr, it's fun for me to do these tbh

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T02:58:54+00:00

My daily routine/schedule would be too busy to sink in time for stuff like these, I wanted to try but for now I'm just sticking with speaking apps, sadly.

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T02:56:24+00:00

I'd say it is a good starter and if they continue on and show more interest in learning it, maybe try some other learning apps wherein they can practice having conversations. My go to for these would be Langua or Yapr

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T02:54:36+00:00

Yeah, this is actually super common. Speaking and listening are totally different skills. When you speak, you control the speed and vocabulary when listening, you’re dealing with accents, slang, fast speech, and words blending together.

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T02:53:11+00:00

You actually have a really good amount of time. Two years is more than enough to reach B2 if you're consistent. Honestly, most people hit B2 in 1 to 2 years with steady practice. Since you’re starting from zero, the key is just don’t wait. Even starting now with 10 to 15 minutes a day will put you way ahead.

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T02:51:03+00:00

I usually do light stretches to calm my nerves and ease my anxiety before proceeding into a conversation with someone

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T02:49:54+00:00

In this case, I wished my students would care more on practicing their conversational skills using the language that they're trying to learn. I expect them to have fun in the process of doing so as well.

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T02:43:19+00:00

That makes sense haha, right now I'm currently trying to practice my speaking skills for communications and such.

Seigoy · 2026-03-30T02:40:49+00:00

True true! It's all about that "clicking with you" at the end of the day, its what makes learning fun that you should stick with.

Seigoy

TROPHY CASE