HOW TO LEARN LANGUAGES EFFECTIVELY | Matyáš Pilin | TEDxYouth@ECP

Summary

The speaker describes their experience learning Estonian phrases when visiting Tallinn and how it raised questions about effective language learning. They discuss four key principles: understanding the message/meaning behind words, ensuring the language is important/relevant to you, observing native speakers, and comprehension through using knowledge from existing languages. The speaker emphasizes the need to actively immerse yourself, find a 'parent speaker' for guidance, make mistakes, focus on actions over isolated vocabulary, and push yourself to have firsthand language experiences.

Takeaways

• 😃 To learn a language quickly, focus on understanding the core message rather than memorizing vocabulary.
• 🧐 Logically analyzing a new language's structure helps unpack meaning from unknown words.
• 🚀 Finding relevance and enjoyment in a language boosts motivation and accelerates learning.
• 🌎 Immersing yourself in a language is far more effective than textbook learning.
• 👥 Having a 'parent speaker' guide you in the language helps correct mistakes.
• 🗣 Speaking and listening are crucial active skills for language progression.
• 😖 Relying solely on vocabulary memorization hampers deep comprehension.
• 💡 Leverage your existing language knowledge to comprehend new languages.
• 🤸‍♂️ Anyone can learn a language with enough effort and pushing themselves.
• 👐 Don't be afraid to make mistakes - correct them and learn.

Q & A

What was the challenge the speaker faced when he was alone in Tallinn, Estonia?

The challenge was that he did not know any Estonian but had to be able to understand basic phrases like 'hello' to get by day-to-day while living there.

How can one learn a language quickly according to the advice from polyglots?

Polyglots agree there is no one fastest way to learn a language. It has to be personal - you have to find a way of learning that suits your individual learning style and preferences.

What are the four key principles the speaker outlines for learning a language effectively?

The four principles are: message, importance, observation, and comprehension.

Why is it important for a language to be personally relevant according to the speaker?

A language has to be useful and enjoyable to you to motivate you to learn it. It should connect to your personal interests, career goals, travels, etc.

What is a 'parent speaker' and why are they important?

A 'parent speaker' is someone who will speak the language at your level and help teach you new vocabulary and correct mistakes without diminishing you.

Why does the speaker criticize merely memorizing vocabulary?

Memorizing complex vocabulary with no relevance or meaning does not lead to comprehension of a language. The words are soon forgotten.

What does the speaker mean when he says actions are more important than words when learning a language?

Learning verbs and how to use them in sentences leads to better comprehension compared to just memorizing nouns.

What is the benefit of making mistakes according to the speaker?

Making mistakes allows you to be corrected so you can learn. Don't be afraid to practice speaking even if you make errors.

Why does the speaker dispute the idea that you need an innate talent to learn languages?

With enough effort and pushing yourself, anyone can learn a language - it ultimately comes down to motivation and hard work.

What is the speaker's main message?

His main message is that learning a language takes personal effort and immersion. The four principles he outlines serve as a framework, but you have to engage actively and observe real language use.