How I became fluent in English (my 3 strategies)

Summary

In this informative video, Lewis from The Language Scientist shares his personal journey to fluency in English without living in an English-speaking country. Born and raised in Tahiti, a French-speaking region, Lewis struggled with English despite seven years of schooling. He emphasizes the importance of repetitive listening to podcasts and movies, which significantly improved his listening and speaking skills. Lewis also details his strategy of immersing himself in English by switching his digital environment and social interactions to English. Lastly, he recommends using tools like LingQ to ensure that the language input is comprehensible, a tip he wishes he had known earlier. His story is an inspiration for language learners worldwide, proving that fluency is achievable with dedication and the right strategies.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Lewis is a native French speaker from Tahiti, French Polynesia, and has achieved fluency in English without living in an English-speaking country.
• 🕶 Lewis wears orange glasses in the evening to protect his eyes from blue light, as it's dark outside at 7 p.m. in his location.
• 📚 After seven years of studying English in school, Lewis still struggled with conversation and understanding English media, highlighting the insufficiency of traditional education for fluency.
• 🔄 The first strategy Lewis used for learning English was 'repetitive listening', which he believes significantly contributed to his fluency.
• 🎧 Lewis would listen to English podcasts and watch movies repeatedly, exposing himself to the same words and grammatical structures multiple times.
• 💡 The second strategy was 'making the switch' to living as if in an English-speaking country, which involved using English for all daily activities and interactions.
• 🌐 Lewis switched his computer and smartphone languages to English and sought out English content to immerse himself in the language.
• 📈 Lewis emphasizes that achieving fluency requires thousands of hours of dedicated practice, with no shortcuts or hacks available.
• 📚 The third strategy, which Lewis wishes he had used, involves ensuring that the language input is 'comprehensible', using tools like LingQ to assist with understanding.
• 🔗 Lewis recommends using LingQ, a language learning tool that helps make content more understandable by providing translations and explanations.
• 📘 Lewis suggests using LingQ to prepare for watching English TV shows or movies by reading subtitles first to understand the vocabulary and context.

Q & A

Why is Willis wearing orange glasses in the video?

Willis is wearing orange glasses because it's 7 p.m. and dark outside, and he doesn't want to get the blue light.

What is Willis' native language and where was he raised?

Willis is a native French speaker and was raised in Tahiti, French Polynesia.

Why did Willis feel the need to improve his English skills despite studying it for seven years in school?

Willis realized that his English level was low after struggling to have a proper conversation with native speakers and not understanding English TV shows and movies.

What is one of the strategies Willis used to improve his English listening and speaking skills?

One of the strategies Willis used is repetitive listening, which involves listening to the same content multiple times over a long period.

How did Willis change his lifestyle to immerse himself in the English language?

Willis switched his entire lifestyle to act as if he was living in an English-speaking country by using English for all his online searches, reading, listening, and speaking activities.

What is the third strategy that Willis wishes he had used while learning English?

The third strategy is using a tool like LingQ to ensure that the input he receives is comprehensible, which would have made his learning process more efficient.

Why is comprehensible input important for language learning according to Willis?

Comprehensible input is important because it allows learners to understand and benefit from the language content they are exposed to, making the learning process more effective.

How does Willis suggest using LingQ to improve English learning?

Willis suggests using LingQ's Chrome extension to import subtitles of TV shows or movies, allowing learners to do assisted reading and understand vocabulary and sentences before watching.

What is the main takeaway from Willis' experience in learning English to a fluent level?

The main takeaway is that becoming fluent in a language requires a significant amount of time and effort, with strategies like repetitive listening and immersing oneself in the language being key to success.

What is the website Willis recommends for more information on language learning strategies?

Willis recommends the website languagescientist.com for more information on language learning strategies.