Talk about what you know best when you start learning a new language

Summary

In this video, Nadja discusses strategies for beginners to start learning a new language. She emphasizes the importance of listening to content in the target language daily, focusing on basic vocabulary used in daily life. Nadja suggests three main categories to start with: talking about your daily routine, expressing likes and dislikes, and discussing work or studies. She also highlights the significance of learning connectors and natural speech patterns to avoid sounding robotic. Nadja advises consistency in language learning, recommending 10-15 minutes of listening daily to build language neurons effectively.

Takeaways

• 🎧 Start by listening to content in the target language daily, even if it's just for 5 to 10 minutes, to build auditory capacity.
• 🌐 Focus on listening to content that is basic and related to daily life to build the most useful vocabulary.
• 🗣️ Learn to talk about yourself, including your daily routine, likes and dislikes, and your life in terms of work or studies.
• 🔍 Pay attention to the connectors used in the language, which help make speech sound more natural and less robotic.
• 📚 Utilize various resources like YouTube, Google, and books, but prioritize listening to build pronunciation and language recognition.
• 🚫 Avoid starting with reading to prevent learning the language with an accent from your native language.
• 🧠 Be aware of hesitations and filler words in the target language to sound more like a native speaker.
• 📝 Make a list of connectors you use in your native language and try to recognize their equivalents in the target language.
• 🎯 Adjust your learning objectives based on whether you want to speak fluently or just for traveling purposes.
• 🔁 Consistency is key in language learning; even 10-15 minutes a day of listening can significantly help in language acquisition.

Q & A

What is the first important step in learning a new language according to Nadja?

The first important step is to listen to a lot of content in the target language, even if it's just for 5 to 10 minutes a day, to build hearing capacity and recognize the sound of the language.

Why is it beneficial to listen to songs or shows in the target language when learning a new language?

Listening to songs or shows helps in building an ear for the language, making it easier to recognize and reproduce the sounds and rhythms of the language.

What type of content should beginners focus on when starting to learn a new language?

Beginners should focus on content that is basic and related to daily life, such as discussions about routines, personal preferences, and work or study-related topics.

Why is it crucial to learn how to talk about one's daily routine in the target language?

Knowing how to talk about one's daily routine is crucial because it helps build the most commonly used vocabulary and provides a foundation for everyday conversations.

How can learning to express likes and dislikes in the target language aid in vocabulary building?

Expressing likes and dislikes helps in building vocabulary around personal preferences, which is essential for natural and personalized communication.

What is the significance of understanding and using connectors in the target language?

Understanding and using connectors is significant because they make speech sound more natural and less robotic, helping learners to communicate more fluently and like a native speaker.

Why does Nadja recommend making a list of connectors used in one's native language?

Making a list of connectors helps in recognizing and learning their equivalents in the target language, which is crucial for natural-sounding speech.

What should learners do if their goal is to speak the target language fluently?

If the goal is fluency, learners should consistently listen to and engage with a variety of content in the target language, focusing on common words and connectors.

How can learners use YouTube to aid in their language learning journey?

Learners can use YouTube to find interviews, podcasts, and shows in the target language to listen to natural conversations and learn common phrases and connectors.

What advice does Nadja give for those learning a language for traveling purposes?

For those learning a language for traveling, Nadja advises focusing on learning basic sentences and vocabulary related to travel, such as asking for directions, prices, and seeking help.

What is the key to successful language learning according to the script?

The key to successful language learning is consistency in practice and a logical approach to learning, which includes listening regularly and building a strong foundation in common words and connectors.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Starting Your Language Learning Journey

Nadja introduces the video by focusing on the initial steps of learning a new language. She emphasizes the importance of listening to content in the target language, such as Spanish, to build auditory recognition. The video suggests daily exposure, even if it's just 5 to 10 minutes, through songs, shows, or other media. The content should be relatable and practical, focusing on everyday vocabulary. Nadja outlines three main categories to start with: discussing one's daily routine, likes and dislikes, and professional or educational life. She advises using real-life examples and conversations to build a natural vocabulary and understanding of the language.

05:01

🎧 Listening for Language Mastery

In this paragraph, Nadja discusses the importance of listening to the nuances of a language, including connectors and natural pauses, which are often overlooked in language learning. She advises against starting with reading, as it can lead to adopting an accent that doesn't align with the language's native sound. Instead, she recommends being aware of hesitations and connectors in speech, such as 'so' in English, and to mimic these in practice. She suggests making a list of connectors from one's native language and identifying their equivalents in the target language. This approach helps in achieving a more natural and less robotic conversational flow.

10:01

🚀 Consistency is Key in Language Learning

Nadja concludes the video by stressing the importance of consistency in language learning. She suggests that even short daily listening sessions can significantly contribute to language acquisition by forming neural connections. She encourages viewers not to give up and to maintain a logical and consistent approach to learning. The video ends on a positive note, motivating learners to continue their language journey with the provided tips and strategies.

Keywords

💡Language Learning

Language learning refers to the process of acquiring new languages, either through formal education or self-directed methods. In the video, it is the central theme, as the speaker provides guidance on how to start learning a new language. The speaker emphasizes the importance of listening to content in the target language, which is a fundamental aspect of language acquisition.

💡Content Consumption

Content consumption in language learning involves listening to or reading materials in the target language to improve comprehension and vocabulary. The speaker suggests consuming daily content such as songs, shows, or podcasts in the target language to build listening capacity and familiarize oneself with the sounds and rhythms.

💡Daily Routine

Daily routine is a key topic the speaker recommends focusing on when learning a new language. It involves learning vocabulary and phrases to describe one's daily activities, such as waking up, eating meals, and going to work. The speaker uses the example of describing a typical day, which is crucial for building conversational skills in the new language.

💡Personality-based Vocabulary

Personality-based vocabulary refers to words and phrases that reflect one's likes, dislikes, and personal characteristics. The speaker advises learning vocabulary that aligns with one's personality to express personal preferences naturally in the target language, such as saying 'I really don't like running' in Spanish.

💡Work and Studies

Work and studies are another category of content the speaker suggests focusing on when learning a new language. This includes learning how to talk about one's profession, educational background, and future aspirations. The speaker implies that being able to discuss these topics is essential for social and professional interactions.

💡Connectors

Connectors are words or phrases used to link ideas in speech or writing, such as 'and,' 'but,' 'so,' and 'however.' The speaker highlights the importance of learning connectors in the target language to speak more naturally and fluently, as they help to create a more seamless and less robotic conversational flow.

💡Pronunciation

Pronunciation is the way words are articulated when spoken. The speaker stresses the importance of correct pronunciation in language learning, suggesting that listening to native speakers helps in acquiring the right accent and pronunciation, which is crucial for effective communication.

💡Travel Language

Travel language refers to the specific vocabulary and phrases needed for traveling, such as asking for directions, ordering food, or shopping. The speaker mentions that if the goal of learning a language is for traveling, one should focus on learning practical phrases and vocabulary related to travel.

💡Consistency

Consistency in language learning means regularly practicing and engaging with the language over time. The speaker encourages consistent learning, such as listening to 10-15 minutes of content daily, to gradually build language skills and neural connections associated with the new language.

💡Natural Speech

Natural speech is the fluid and spontaneous way native speakers use language, including hesitations, fillers, and connectors. The speaker advises learners to pay attention to and imitate natural speech patterns to sound less robotic and more like a native speaker.

Highlights

Start with listening to a lot of content in the target language to build earing capacity.

Listen to content that is basic and used in daily life.

Focus on building vocabulary for daily routines and personal information.

Learn how to talk about your daily schedule and activities.

Practice discussing likes and dislikes to build vocabulary around personal preferences.

Understand how to talk about your life in terms of work or studies.

Use YouTube and Google to find content that matches your language learning objectives.

Books are recommended for their listening parts to improve pronunciation.

Avoid starting with reading to prevent learning the language with your native accent.

Learn connectors in the target language to make conversations sound natural.

Be aware of hesitations and connectors used in native speech.

Make a list of connectors you use in your native language and find equivalents in the target language.

Research common connectors used in the target language.

Adopt natural sounds and connectors to avoid sounding robotic.

Tailor your learning content based on your objectives, such as fluency or travel.

For travel, focus on learning basic sentences and vocabulary related to travel.

Consistency is key in language learning; even 10-15 minutes a day can make a difference.

Language learning should be logical and focused on common words and usage.

Don't give up; continue learning and building neural connections in the language.

Transcripts

hello everyone it's Nadja and today

we're going to talk about how to start

learning a language like what to do

exactly and we're going to talk about

concrete stuff

so basically many people struggle to

know where to start exactly like there

are so much content online about

learning languages but at the same time

you don't know where exactly you need to

begin so today I will sh share an

exercise that is very useful and it's

mostly something that you should do at

the beginning of your journey because at

the beginning you know absolutely zero

in that language so the first important

thing is basically to listen to a lot of

content in that language in that in your

target language so if for example you're

learning Spanish you need to listen to

Spanish every day even if it's like 5 to

10 minutes if you can listen songs in

Spanish or shows these kind of things

it's very important that you build that

he that um

earing uh uh capacity in that language

so you recognize the sound of that

language now what we're talking about

today is basically what kind of content

you should listen to and what to do at

the beginning so for me it's very

important that you listen to content at

at the beginning where it's like basic

or uh content that you will basically

use in your daily life in the sense of

you need to watch content where people

are talking about their routines uh

about uh what kind of person they are

they want to be or what kind of job or

studies are they doing in that target

language because you need to build the

most use

vocabulary that you will use in your

daily life and in this uh sense there is

like different categories that you need

to start with for me the first one is

basically talking about yourself talking

about yourself Eng gloves like a lot of

different stuff and I would say the

three main point is basically first your

routine daily schedule so it's very

important that you know how to talk

about what you're doing uh in your daily

life so for example if someone asks you

uh asks you um oh uh how is your

daytoday routine like uh what are you

doing every day that is happening like

during the week or the weekend so for

example I would say oh okay well in the

morning uh I wake up like maybe around 8

I can eat some breakfast and then I'm

going to work uh I eat my lunch at this

restaurant and then after work I love to

do ta it's very important that you

listen to content that talks about this

kind of stuff uh then the second

category is knowing how to talk about

what you like and what you dislike like

uh it's really basic like children

basically and uh for example if you uh

really don't like running then it's nice

to say it in the in

Spanish I really don't I don't like

running this kind of stuff and the more

you build that you the more you will

learn the vocabulary around the stuff

that's like

basically uh is your stuff so it's your

categories based on your own personality

and so if you listen to that kind of

content for example in YouTube and you

research like different interviews of

people like I don't know like there are

so many videos on YouTube about oh what

it's like to be a Spaniard in Spain or

like a Latino in Spain uh what do they

do in Spain like it's very important

that you listen to this kind of stuff

and then the third category is what are

you doing in life in terms of work or

studies so if someone ask you oh what do

you do in life you would like to be able

to answer to this kind of question

because it's something that you will

enter basically forever in our society

so you want to listen to content podcast

interviews whatever or even TV show

dialogues where they're doing this where

they're answering this kind of

questions and for that YouTube is your

friend Google is your friend there are

so many books as well but I would

recommend more the listening Parts

because it builds your ear and also how

to pronounce words because if you start

reading from the beginning you you don't

have

the the kind of you don't have the

language in your brain to be able to

read it as a native or as a a person

learning Spanish because you will

basically try to read the language with

your English accent and it's the worst

that you can do like having an accent

and having a wrong

pronunciation it's completely different

like for example I'm talking to you

English I have a French accent but I'm

trying to at least respect the language

because if I speak with the French

accent it's not something really pretty

don't you think and I don't want you to

do the same in Spanish so so basically

it's the first uh important thing and

then what people are

underestimating and always forgetting is

to know the connectors in that long AG

like when we talk we're always thinking

about what what we're going to say or

doubting

hesitating and you need to be able to

recognize the small words to make it

natural in that

language so for example I'm just saying

so in English like so and then I'm

thinking you need to be able to have the

same in Spanish or in any language that

you're learning because it's what make

it like not robotic what people are

missing when they're learning is this

like especially in textbook it's the

worst because they don't have they have

like this kind of dialogue but it's like

robotic dialogue it's not very natural

so you need to have this kind of

connectors and the interaction basically

uh between the person you're talking to

and then your brain so I would recommend

to do two things every time you're

listening to a content in that language

even if you don't understand try to be

aware of that like when is the person

hesitating thinking and what do they do

like what do they say for example in

English like even the specific sounds

like in English there is like

the this kind of things you know it's

like so so there is the word and the

sound for example in Spanish is

different when they're hesitating they

say

like and in French they say um um it's

you see it's very different and that's

why people notice if you're a foreigner

or not like if you want to talk

naturally try to adopt this kind of

sounds so I would recommend to make a

list of all the connectors that you use

yourself when you talking your native

language so for example I use in English

so and but but

besides uh well this kind of stuff and

try to recognize them in the content

that you're learning in Spanish but also

try to research them like every time

like there are so many list of uh

connectors that people use and then from

knowing that list and then trying to

recognize them in the content you're

listening you will basically learn it

like listening to it a lot and you will

start to recognizing them everywhere

like literally everywhere besides the

common vocabulary that people use and so

it's very important that you have that

then depending on your objective in that

target language like what do you want to

do like do you want to be able to speak

fluently that language or do you want to

only use it in because you're traveling

to that country in that case the

objective is different and what I said

until now it's basically to learn that

language like cently but if you're only

for traveling just focus all your

content and basic sentences for that

traveling phase so you would watch

content about okay how do I ask where

should I go for da d da where should I

where should I go to see da da da how

much is this uh knowing a bit the

numbers uh what is the price what is the

place how can can can you help me this

kind of stuff can you bring the bill

please it's very important that you know

this kind of stuff when traveling so I

would recommend to just Orient yourself

to learn that kind of vocabulary and so

yeah that was it for today the tips of

the day and I hope it's very helpful and

I hope that your journey uh about

learning that language is very good

learning a language is basically all

about consistency and being like logical

about the way you're learning the

language like what I said like learning

the common words but at the same time it

doesn't have to be that difficult like

just listening to 10 to 15 minutes a day

of Spanish if it's the language you're

learning or any languages it's already

something and you're

basically creating the neurons in that

language you know and so don't give up

continue to learn that language and see

you next time for other tips