I dedicated my summer learning 3 languages.... | Tips on how to learn a new language

Summary

In this inspiring video, the speaker shares their summer journey of learning three new languages: Korean, Zulu, and French. They emphasize the importance of motivation and purpose in language learning, offering tips like understanding the writing system, watching media in the target language, and following vloggers for informal language exposure. Despite having a speech impediment, they encourage viewers that any progress is valuable. The video aims to document their progress and provide helpful tips for others on their language learning journey.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker dedicated their summer to learning three new languages: Korean, Zulu, and French.
• 📚 They primarily used the app 'dingo' for language learning but also explored other resources.
• 💡 The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a clear motivation for learning a language to stay focused and driven.
• 🌍 The speaker's personal motivation for learning Korean is to study abroad in Korea and for the fun of learning Zulu and French.
• 🔤 Learning the alphabet and writing system of a language is crucial, especially for Korean, according to the speaker.
• 📺 Watching media in the target language, such as dramas, shows, and travel vlogs, is suggested as an effective learning method.
• 🎙️ Engaging with podcasts and beginner conversations in the target language can also aid in language acquisition.
• 🗣️ The speaker acknowledges their speech impediment but encourages persistence despite any challenges.
• 🎥 Watching vloggers in the target language helps to learn informal language usage and common phrases.
• 🚀 Immersion in the language through various media is key to understanding everyday language rather than just textbook language.
• 📝 The speaker documents their language learning progress over three months and shares tips that helped them along the way.

Q & A

What did the speaker dedicate their summer to learning?

The speaker dedicated their summer to learning three new languages: Korean, Zulu, and French.

Which language is the speaker the farthest in learning according to the script?

The speaker is the farthest in learning Korean.

What was the speaker's primary motivation for learning Korean?

The speaker's primary motivation for learning Korean was to study abroad in Korea for college.

What role does motivation play in language learning according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, motivation is crucial in language learning as it determines how fast and dedicated one is to learning the language.

What was the speaker's approach to learning the basics of a new language?

The speaker's approach was to first get used to the writing system and alphabet of the language they were learning.

How did the speaker utilize media to aid in their language learning process?

The speaker watched dramas, shows, and vlogs in the target language, listened to podcasts, and observed YouTubers to immerse themselves in the language and its common usage.

What is the significance of watching vloggers in the language learning process according to the speaker?

Watching vloggers is significant because they use the language in an informal, everyday context, which helps the learner to understand and use common, non-textbook language.

What was the speaker's experience with learning French prior to the summer?

The speaker had prior experience with French, having taken it in high school, which gave them a head start in learning the language.

How did the speaker's speech impediment affect their language learning experience?

The speaker mentions that their speech impediment made speaking the new languages more challenging, but they emphasized that any progress is better than no progress.

What app did the speaker use for listening practice during their language learning?

The speaker used the app 'dingo' for listening practice.

How does the speaker feel about their pronunciation despite their speech impediment?

The speaker acknowledges that their pronunciation might not be the best due to their speech impediment, but they are willing to share their progress and tips with others.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Language Learning Journey: Summer Edition

The speaker shares their experience of learning three new languages over the summer: Korean, Zulu, and French. They emphasize the importance of motivation and having a clear reason for learning a language, which they attribute to their progress. The speaker also discusses the basics of learning a language, such as understanding the alphabet and writing system, and suggests using various resources like dramas, shows, and vlogs to immerse oneself in the language. They highlight the value of watching content in the target language to improve listening skills and gain exposure to informal language use.

05:02

🗣️ Reflecting on Progress and Pronunciation Challenges

In this paragraph, the speaker reflects on their progress in learning the three languages, acknowledging that they are not fluent but have made significant strides. They admit to the challenges they face with pronunciation due to a speech impediment and the lack of speaking practice, particularly from using an app like Dingo that focuses more on listening than speaking. The speaker concludes by expressing gratitude for the viewers' attention and sharing their intention to document their language learning journey and offer helpful tips.

Keywords

💡Language Learning

Language learning refers to the process of acquiring new languages. In the video, the speaker discusses their personal journey of learning three new languages—Korean, Zulu, and French—over the summer. The main theme revolves around the challenges and methods they used, such as using language learning apps and consuming media in the target languages.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. The speaker emphasizes the importance of motivation in language learning, mentioning that their drive to study abroad in Korea fueled their desire to learn Korean. Motivation is presented as a key factor that influences the pace and success of language learning.

💡Korean

Korean is one of the languages the speaker focused on learning. The speaker describes it as the language in which they made the most progress. They highlight the importance of understanding the writing system, Hangul, as a fundamental step in learning Korean. The language is associated with the speaker's goal of studying abroad in Korea.

💡Zulu

Zulu is another language the speaker tried to learn during the summer. Although they only started learning it three weeks prior to the video, Zulu is discussed in the context of its English-based alphabet, which made it relatively easier to pick up. The speaker used media and resources related to Zulu to enhance their learning experience.

💡French

French is the third language the speaker studied. Having some prior experience with French from high school gave the speaker an advantage in learning it. French is mentioned as a 'fun' language to learn, indicating that it wasn't as central to the speaker's goals as Korean was, but still a valuable part of their language learning journey.

💡Dingo

Dingo is likely a reference to a language learning app or platform used by the speaker. The app appears to focus more on listening skills rather than speaking practice, as the speaker mentions their lack of speaking practice as a result of using it. Dingo represents one of the resources the speaker relied on to learn the new languages.

💡Writing System

A writing system refers to the method of visually representing verbal communication. In the video, the speaker highlights the importance of getting accustomed to the writing system of the language one is learning, particularly mentioning the simplicity of the Korean writing system, Hangul, in comparison to others. Understanding the writing system is presented as a foundational step in language acquisition.

💡Media Consumption

Media consumption refers to the act of engaging with various forms of media, such as TV shows, podcasts, and YouTube videos. The speaker advocates for watching content in the target language as a way to immerse oneself in the language and learn its informal usage. This method is recommended as a practical way to enhance language comprehension and familiarity.

💡Progress

Progress is the forward or onward movement towards a destination or goal. In the context of the video, the speaker talks about the progress they made in learning the three languages, acknowledging that they are not yet fluent but have made significant strides within three months. Progress is depicted as a gradual and ongoing process that should be celebrated, regardless of the pace.

💡Speech Impediment

A speech impediment is a condition that makes it difficult to speak normally. The speaker mentions having a speech impediment, which adds an extra layer of challenge to their language learning journey. Despite this, they stress that making any progress is valuable, and they encourage others to keep trying even if speaking the new language is difficult.

Highlights

Dedicated summer to learning three new languages: Korean, Zulu, and French.

Utilized Dingo app and other resources for language learning.

Shared tips and resources to assist others in their language learning journey.

Emphasized the importance of motivation in language learning.

Personal motivation for learning Korean was to study abroad in Korea.

Learning French and Zulu was driven by a desire for fun and curiosity.

Highlighted the significance of understanding the writing system for Korean.

Shared experience with learning French from high school and its advantage.

Described Zulu's English-based alphabet as an easy start for learning.

Suggested watching dramas and shows in the target language for practice.

Recommended engaging with podcasts and beginner conversations in the new language.

Discussed the challenge of having a speech impediment while learning languages.

Encouraged persistence despite imperfections in language learning.

Advocated watching vloggers for informal language exposure and practice.

Noted the value of learning everyday language over textbook language.

Shared personal progress in learning the three languages over three months.

Acknowledged the limitations of language learning apps in speaking practice.

Ended with a personal note on the importance of any progress in language learning.

Transcripts

hello beautiful people today I wanted to

talk about how I dedicated my summer

learning three new languages and I

learned most of this on dingo but I also

have some other resources that I will be

talking about later into the video but I

just wanted to help you guys or I will

at least be trying to help you guys

learn and get farther into your language

learning Journey because I know for me

before these three months it was hard

because I was always distracted and

never dedicated but I'm just going to

give you some tips and some things that

I used I'm not fluent in none of these

languages but I did make a bunch of

progress Within These 3 months firstly I

wanted to talk about the languages that

I learned these within these three

months and I didn't start these

languages all at the same time but

within the 3 months I did try to learn

new things from these languages so the

languages that I learned this summer um

were Korean Zulu and French I am the

farthest in Korean right now and my

second farthest is French and my third

is Zulu so yeah the first thing when

you're learning a language I think the

most important thing is why you're

learning the language I think it would

be easier for you to learn a language if

you're trying to travel somewhere and

you're just really motivated to do it

because I feel like your motivation is

what's going to make you want to learn

it I personally I wanted to learn these

languages for fun but for Korean I

really want to study abroad and Korea

for my college so that's why I'm really

motivated to learn Korean or I just want

to travel there but for French and Zulu

they were just like extra languages to

learn because like why not learn other

languages I guess so yeah the first

thing I would say is figure out why you

want to learn the languages and and

that's probably going to determine how

fast and motivated you are to learn the

language next I want to talk about the

basics of learning a language and

obviously this varies from whatever

language you're trying to learn um for

me since Korean was my number top

language that I was learning the main

thing was um the alphabet and like the

writing system so I guess like it

depends on like what language you're

learning but you should get used to the

writing system first because obviously

you have to understand the writings and

what they're saying especially for

Korean I feel like the writing system

it's very simple to other languages

where there's like a whole bunch of

different uh languages not not languages

a whole bunch of different words and

like writings and stuff like that um for

Zulu and French I already had like one

up one French because I had took French

in high school and that was one thing

that obviously made me a little bit

better in French in Zulu I just started

learning it like maybe 3 weeks ago and

it it already has like a english-based

um alphabet so that was kind of easy for

me another tip that I would give

somebody who was learning another

language is watching things in the

language that you're trying to learn for

me I love watching kramas and I um I try

watching front shows and I like watching

stuff within like the Zulu media I like

watching people travel to anywhere that

speaks Zulu and I like seeing them

interact with people who actually speak

the language and I would just say like

get into stuff like podcast in that

language or just watch like beginner cuz

I see some YouTubers they make like

beginner conversations within a language

so like watch like whatever language

you're trying to learn um beginner

language and then that's also another

good way to practice the language that

you're trying to learn and for me it's

already kind of hard learning another

language because I do have a speech

impediment so I feel like even when I

speak it it's not as best as it could be

but as long as you're trying I feel like

any progress is better than progress

another thing that I would say and this

kind of goes with like watching the

media that's within the language that's

you're trying to learn is watching

vloggers because they're going to use

the language in like a not like a formal

way like some languages have like formal

and informal words and like

conversations but they're going to use

like the most not textbook words and

it's probably going to be more used with

like in the general conversations of the

language that you're trying to learn if

that makes any sense I'm sorry if this

does not make sense I'm trying my best

to explain um but like let's say I was

watching somebody who was a Korean

YouTuber and they're speaking in Korean

and they have English subtitles they're

they're not going to use textbook

language they're probably going to use

language that's probably most commonly

used and I find that that's really

helpful because if you go to like the

place of language that you're trying to

learn and you're speaking textbook

language they probably would understand

nine times out of 10 but it's just

better to immerse yourself into the the

language that's actually used every day

so yeah lastly I wanted to show you guys

how far I have gotten within the 3

months of trying to learn all three of

these languages um like I said I'm

nowhere near fluent and there were days

where I was

not as motivated as I should be but at

the same time like I said any progress

is better than no

progress and this is actually going to

be really Corning on my part because

within learning from dingo I it's more

of like a listening app instead of like

a talking app so I really didn't get the

chance to have like a speaking type

practice so my pronunciation is actually

going to be really bad just bear that in

mind so I'm sorry if it's is really bad

but you

know that means hello and I really just

wanted to make this video to just

document of how far I have gotten on my

languages and just to give little tips

that I have learned that helped me so

yeah thank you guys so much for watching