Accelerate Your Language Learning With This One Tip

Summary

In this insightful discussion, the founder of Glassa shares his top five habits for rapidly learning languages. He emphasizes the importance of mastering basic sentence structures and manipulative verbs to form a variety of sentences. The conversation also touches on the challenges of building language learning habits and maintaining focus amidst a busy lifestyle. The founder advocates for a disciplined approach to phone usage, prioritizing productivity over mindless scrolling, and stresses the significance of preparing for contingencies to minimize disruptions.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on important tasks and not getting distracted by unimportant things.
• 🌐 As the founder of Glassa, the speaker shares his philosophy that there are no emergencies, and one should prepare for every contingency.
• 💬 He suggests learning basic sentence structures and manipulative verbs as a fast way to acquire a new language.
• 🗣️ The speaker highlights the significance of practicing pronunciation and fluency through deliberate practice.
• 🧠 He talks about the mental approach of being open to discovering the differences in languages while learning.
• 🔄 The speaker admits to struggling with consistency due to his preference for variety and suggests finding what works best for each individual.
• 🌍 He mentions the benefits of learning in different environments and how it can aid memory retention.
• 📱 The speaker shares his habit of over-preparing language learning materials on his phone for use during travel.
• 🚫 He discusses the discipline of avoiding certain apps that can be time-draining and the importance of not being reactive to notifications.
• ⏰ The speaker advocates for a mindset shift where one questions the long-term importance of the tasks that demand immediate attention.

Q & A

What is the speaker's philosophy on handling disruptions and non-essential tasks?

The speaker believes in preparing for every contingency to avoid emergencies and dislikes being disturbed by unimportant things. They manage their time and focus on important tasks, setting specific times to check messages and avoiding distractions like social media apps.

How does the speaker approach language learning in terms of habit formation?

The speaker acknowledges the difficulty in forming habits, especially when they dislike doing the same thing every day. They suggest finding what works best for an individual, such as learning a language for a few months and then switching it up to maintain interest and avoid boredom.

What is the speaker's strategy for learning and practicing language on the go?

The speaker prepares language learning materials in advance on their phone and practices during spare moments like waiting for a flight or in transit. They also avoid checking certain apps that can be time-consuming and distract from their learning goals.

What are the top five habits for learning any language fast according to the speaker?

The speaker suggests starting with basic sentence structures and manipulative verbs that can be applied to various vocabulary words. They also emphasize the importance of deliberate practice for pronunciation and fluency, as well as memorizing vocabulary and applying it to sentence templates.

How does the speaker manage to learn multiple languages despite a busy and variable schedule?

The speaker overprepares by loading language learning materials onto their phone and finds time to practice during travel or in between meetings. They also avoid getting caught up in reactive behaviors and focus on tasks that align with their long-term goals.

What is the speaker's view on the necessity of checking social media apps frequently?

The speaker believes that frequent checking of social media apps like Instagram is often unnecessary and time-consuming. They have trained themselves to resist the urge to check these apps immediately and prioritize more productive activities.

How does the speaker handle the potential roadblocks in language learning?

The speaker identifies roadblocks such as the struggle to form habits and the need for variety. They overcome these by adapting their learning to their lifestyle, preparing materials in advance, and focusing on long-term goals rather than immediate distractions.

What advice does the speaker give for those who find it hard to resist the urge to check their phones frequently?

The speaker advises developing discipline and setting specific times to check messages and social media. They also suggest preparing for contingencies to reduce the need for constant phone checks and focusing on tasks that will be important in the long term.

How does the speaker's approach to language learning differ from traditional methods?

The speaker advocates for a more flexible and individualized approach to language learning, focusing on practical sentence structures and vocabulary that can be applied immediately. They also emphasize the importance of finding a learning rhythm that suits one's lifestyle rather than strict daily routines.

What is the significance of the speaker's mention of 'manipulative verbs' in language learning?

Manipulative verbs are significant because they can be used to form basic sentence structures that can be adapted with different vocabulary words. This strategy allows for rapid expansion of language capabilities at a foundational level.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Language Learning Strategies

The speaker, Michael, founder of Glassa, shares his top five habits for quickly learning any language. He emphasizes the importance of learning basic sentence structures and manipulative verbs that can be applied across different contexts. He suggests that mastering a few verbs and applying them to various vocabulary can lead to constructing hundreds of sentences, which is a fast way to achieve basic language proficiency. He also talks about the need for deliberate practice to improve pronunciation and fluency, and he advises learners to be open to discovering the unique structures of each language rather than assuming they will be similar to English.

05:03

🚀 Overcoming Habit Formation Challenges

Michael discusses the challenges he faces with habit formation, particularly his dislike for doing the same thing every day, which can lead to boredom. He shares his approach to language learning by switching between languages every few months to maintain variety. As a frequent traveler, he uses his time in different locations to aid memory training, associating the places with the language material he's learning. He also mentions his strategy of preparing language learning materials on his phone in advance for times when he's on the go, such as in a taxi or waiting at an airport, and his tendency to over-prepare to ensure he always has content to study.

10:04

📱 Managing Distractions and Prioritizing Learning

The conversation turns to how Michael manages distractions on his phone, particularly social media apps like Instagram. He admits to blocking out such apps to prevent time loss and focuses on urgent tasks first, such as messages and emails. He then prioritizes learning and reading over leisurely scrolling. Michael also shares his philosophy of not being reactive to notifications and the importance of being proactive in managing one's time and attention. He believes in preparing for every contingency to minimize emergencies, which allows him to focus on his tasks without constant phone checks.

15:05

🔄 Reflecting on Productivity and Life Philosophy

In the final paragraph, Michael's conversation with the interviewer concludes with a reflection on his productivity and life philosophy. He reiterates his approach to handling interruptions and the importance of focusing on tasks that will have a significant impact in the long term. He suggests evaluating the importance of current distractions by considering their relevance in 20 years, which helps him stay focused on his goals and accomplishments. The conversation ends on a note about the importance of having a clear vision and priorities in life.

Keywords

💡Habit

A habit refers to a routine or behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of developing habits for language learning, such as practicing pronunciation and vocabulary memorization. The video suggests that while habits are crucial, they should be flexible and adapted to the individual's lifestyle, as the speaker himself struggles with routine and prefers variety.

💡Language Learning

Language learning is the process of acquiring new languages, either as a native or second language. The video focuses on strategies for fast language acquisition, such as learning basic sentence structures and manipulative verbs that can be applied across different contexts. The speaker shares his philosophy on language learning, suggesting that preparation for contingencies and a proactive approach can facilitate the process.

💡Manipulative Verbs

Manipulative verbs are action verbs that involve direct manipulation of an object, such as 'put', 'give', or 'take'. The video highlights these verbs as foundational for constructing basic sentences in a new language. By mastering a few manipulative verbs, one can create various sentences with different vocabulary, which is a key strategy for rapid language learning.

💡Pronunciation

Pronunciation is the way in which a word or language is articulated when spoken. The video stresses the importance of deliberate practice for accent reduction and fluency in language learning. The speaker suggests that focused and repeated practice on pronunciation can significantly improve language skills in a short period.

💡Fluency

Fluency in language refers to the ability to speak or write with ease and without hesitation. The video discusses fluency training as a critical component of language learning, where the speaker recommends practicing sentences to achieve a natural flow and ease in speaking a new language.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary is the set of words that a person knows and can use in a particular language. In the context of the video, vocabulary is presented as a building block for language learning. The speaker advises memorizing vocabulary and integrating it into sentence structures to enhance language proficiency.

💡Disruptions

Disruptions refer to interruptions or disturbances that can divert one's attention from a task. The video talks about the speaker's dislike for disruptions and how he manages his digital interactions to minimize them, allowing him to focus on important tasks like language learning.

💡Contingencies

Contingencies are events or circumstances that could happen in the future and for which one prepares. The speaker in the video mentions preparing for every contingency as a philosophy to avoid emergencies, which allows him to focus on his goals without constant distractions from his phone or other immediate concerns.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency of an individual or system in producing desired outcomes. The video encourages a mindset shift towards productivity, suggesting that by managing distractions and focusing on meaningful activities, such as language learning, one can achieve more in less time.

💡Mindset Shift

A mindset shift is a change in one's attitude or perspective. The video discusses the importance of a mindset shift for individuals to prioritize productive activities over mindless scrolling or engaging with unimportant notifications on their phones, which can hinder language learning and other goal-oriented tasks.

💡Digital Discipline

Digital discipline refers to the ability to control one's use of digital devices and platforms to avoid distractions and maintain focus. The speaker in the video exemplifies digital discipline by managing his phone usage and app engagement to ensure that he can dedicate time to learning and other important activities without unnecessary interruptions.

Highlights

The importance of not being disturbed by unimportant things for productivity.

The philosophy of preparing for every contingency to avoid emergencies.

Top five habits for learning any language fast, with a focus on sentence structure.

Learning manipulative verbs as a template for sentence structure in new languages.

The strategy of applying vocabulary to basic sentence patterns for quick language learning.

The necessity of practicing pronunciation and fluency through deliberate practice.

The challenge of building habits for language learning and finding what works best for an individual.

The struggle with consistency in language learning due to a preference for variety.

Utilizing travel and changing environments as a tool for memory training.

The approach of over-preparing language learning materials for trips.

The idea of using downtime, like waiting for coffee or in transit, for language learning.

The impact of avoiding certain apps to prevent time drain and maintain focus.

Discipline in not opening certain apps that can disrupt the day's productivity.

The mindset shift needed to prioritize productive activities over social media scrolling.

The concept of not checking the phone frequently by preparing for contingencies.

The approach of responding to social media interactions at a delayed pace.

The rule of evaluating the long-term importance of current distractions.

Transcripts

I've accomplished a lot in my life and

I'm probably going to accomplish a lot

more just because I have this habit of I

don't like to be disturbed by

unimportant things but I also work with

the philosophy that there are no

emergencies you prepare for every

contingency you

should so Michael you're the founder of

glassa you speak dozens of languages can

you share what are the top five habits

for learning any language fast okay so

kind of depends on how deep you want to

go here with your own goals with the

language so if your goal of um being

able to acquire the basic structures of

the language I would say a set of

sentences that have the basic structure

of most sentence structures where you

could basically use that as a template

to apply any of the other vocabulary

that you're learning in the language so

what we have in in language is basically

what I like to call are like

manipulative verbs so a verb that

applies an action to something else for

example I put a book somewhere or I hit

something like I hit the book or I put

the book on the table or I give the book

to you those are three different

structures so one is I I hit the book

you could apply that same sentence to I

close the door I open the door close and

open I turn on the light I turn off the

light you know a lot of these things are

going to be uh using the same verbs in

in in a lot of different languages so um

when you say I put the book somewhere

you're using a location you're using

some sort of a direction as well or I

give something to you so if you just

learn for example um do give take need

uh and uh give and put you know several

of these verbs and you learn how to

apply the other words that attach to

that verb in the sentence you could come

up with probably a way to speak 100 or

more sentences by just adding a few

vocabulary words and so that would

probably be like the the fastest way to

acquire a language at the basic level so

you could use that and apply it to your

travels um and maybe I just need to

learn just enough Vietnamese to be able

to communicate in um in a travel

situation MH you know and so I think

that this same skill applies to all of

your language learning so it doesn't

matter if you're going to go really deep

with the language you can start there

and starting with those basic sent

sentence patterns and so starting there

can actually take you very far the next

thing would be of course um you need to

do a lot of practice with your uh

pronunciation and we talked earlier

about you know accent reduction and

these other things um viewers can check

out the other videos we've um posted but

the the most important thing here is

that with the accent reduction is that

you're doing a lot of deliberate

practice you're doing a lot of reps on

getting those sentences to sound fluent

and doing the your your fluency training

and so that doesn't have to take a lot

of time I mean you could you could do uh

a bunch of fluency training in a matter

of a few hours and over a few hours over

a week or so I mean you could get um

pretty good accent reduction and then

from there it's just memorizing a lot of

vocabulary and then applying the

vocabulary into the structure into the

template of the of the sentences that

you want to say so remember that like

all all the languages in the world they

have different uh sentence structure so

if you're asking a question in English

you're going to say do you do something

or does he do something and this word

does not exist in other languages you

don't ask except for maybe like polish I

guess polish has something similar to

English but you know other than English

and polish there aren't very many

languages that say do or does uh when

you're asking a question so um for a

Polish P person learning English they

would say oh that's just like polish

saying do you and does he you know um

but um for other languages they would be

learning English like why does English

have to add a do or does and so you have

to also think like whatever English does

don't assume that another language does

it so when I find that another language

does something that is similar to

English I'm always surprised oh it's

just like English I'm surprised that's

cool I always expect it to be different

in some way and so I think if you keep

the um the attitude of like I'm I want

to discover how this language is

different and then you find out oh it's

similar you're actually even um

pleasantly surprised that oh this is

going to be easier than I thought right

but if you always keep the attitude of

like oh it's going to be different you

want to discover what that difference is

then you're always going to find that

you're you have a great attitude and a

great motivation to learn more about the

language so over over the years learning

many different languages what were the

habits that you struggled with what were

the kind of the roadblocks uh that you

had to overcome before you could start

collect this more and more

languages some of the the roadblocks the

obstacles yeah like for example did you

have to put um Pro schedule language

learning time in your in your day every

day or what how did you over what were

some of the um let me just read this

what habits did you struggle with most

at first and how did you overcome them

the habits I I think that I I still

struggle with habits because for example

um I the kind of person who doesn't like

doing the same thing every every single

day MH and so I tend to like to look for

variety in my life and and and I try to

do different things on a daily basis so

building a habit where I'm doing the

exact same thing every single day tends

for me makes my life a little bit boring

so if I happen to be learning the same

language for a very long time I'll get

bored very quickly so I like to kind of

switch things up a bit so um I'll

typically learn a language for like

three months and I'll have to switch it

up a bit

and so you know the other thing is that

because I don't have um I travel a lot

now that the um the uh we're no longer

in in shutdown or anything around the

world I can I I tend to be um flying

around between Europe and Asia quite a

lot so

um I mean it we're we're only a couple

months into the year and I've already

been to like half a dozen countries M um

and so it it's I I spend a I like

sometimes I just like to wake up in a

different place and I think actually for

memory training it's actually good if

you if you are working on some skills

that you're working on and you're in a

different place you're in a different

environment because every time I think

back to the thing that I learned in that

particular place I can remember where I

was so those are often times good memory

cues and

so people like to say it's good to be

consistent and do the same things every

day and I think that every person is

built differently because I'm not that

kind of a person

so I think you have to find what works

in your life and what works best for you

so if you are the kind of person who has

that habit you're going to do great and

if you don't you just need to like what

I do is I I just keep in in the back of

my

mind I got to work on that language I'm

learning I got to find time today I'm

busy I'm running around these different

places I got to meet with this person I

got to meet with that person maybe I'll

do it when I'm in the taxi maybe I'll do

it on the way to the airport maybe I'll

do it when I'm waiting for the

airplane you just I I like to prepare

all my stuff in my cell phone in advance

before I leave the house or I'm going to

be away for a week in Thailand or I'm

going to be in Malaysia or I'm going to

prepare a bunch of stuff on the phone

that I'll do for the next week and a lot

of times I end up overpreparing and I

put more stuff in the phone I have like

these um note taking uh apps and stuff

like that and I'll just throw everything

in there I have my gloss app as well

that I'll I'll use but I'll I'll I'll

throw a bunch of stuff in there maybe

stuff that I want to read maybe stuff I

want to work on just throw everything in

there and often times I come back from

my trip and I didn't even get to all of

it mhm so I I tend to over prepare for

those trips and um just get everything

that I want to learn you know in there

well that's interesting cuz I think a

lot of people can relate to that where

it's really hard to form a new habit and

I think language learning is hard for

people because we we seem to think that

we have to De develop a habit and we're

so busy and we don't have time for that

um but what you're doing is you're

actually just putting it all on your

phone and when you're waiting at

Starbucks for your coffee you know you

you check it yeah and then I think overd

doing that even on the glosa app I can

just pull it pull it out and do like

five reps I don't have to do like the

sound and everything because I'll

disrupt other people but I you know I

don't wear headphones much so you know

it's just when wherever wherever I am

I'll I'll pull it out and I'll do it

yeah so yeah that I think that's very

inspiring because that means anyone can

do that yeah um rather than Doom

scrolling on Instagram you could

actually be pulling out your phone um

looking at Glasco or another yeah and

just learn a whole new language yeah

it's funny you mentioned Instagram

because um I have a a habit now of I

have basically apps on my phone that I I

basically have blocked out of my out of

my psyche it's just like there's the

Instagram app and I don't want to hit

that button cuz I knew it's it's as soon

as I hit it like an hour disappears yeah

cuz there's so much stuff that's going

on in there and it's stuff that I like

that I'm interested in cuz i' I followed

but I know that as soon as I hit it it's

going to be a time drain right so unless

I have like you know I'm I'm getting on

a a transportation device like an

airplane or I'm and I have five minutes

before I get there I might open it cuz

like oh I know in 5 minutes I'm going to

be closing this thing yeah um or if I'm

starting a a meeting in a couple minutes

I'm in in the taxi cab I might look at

something if I'm really that bored

actually I'm not ever that bored so yeah

like um usually Instagram like usually I

have messages I need to respond to I

have emails I need to read and those are

urgent things that I need to take care

first and then I'll move on to like my

learning and my reading stuff and if I

don't have anything there left to do

then maybe I'll open up a LinkedIn or an

Instagram but usually those are like the

last resort so would you say while

everyone or most people are scrolling

let's say I think my average screen time

was like 3 hours last time I checked

While most people are scrolling per day

per day um While most people are

scrolling three hours a day I can help

you with that you are you're actually

learning languages for that time yeah um

and so either that or I'm I'm reading up

on on other stuff that I find

interesting and I want to I want to be

able to read up on so yeah so why is it

so hard for most people to resist um

what's the mindset Shi mindset shift

that needs to happen for people to put

away all their apps and do something

more productive on their phone well

first of all I don't like uh disruptions

so my my cell phone is designed where I

can't take phone calls and I and even if

I get messages that come in I actually

have a specific time of day where I'll

open my messages and I'll check them so

it's not like like sometimes I'll

respond to a message and that person

responds to me right away but I don't

see it for a couple hours because I've

just I closed the message app and I have

I don't let those things come in and

disrupt me because I'm I'm doing my

thing and I'm busy with my thing or my

schedule or I'm filming with you and I

don't allow other things to disrupt me

while I'm focused on doing this thing

yeah today so um that's the first thing

the second thing there are apps that I

just don't want to open because I know

that they're going to

affect me for the rest of the day and

affect all of the things that I need to

get done so it's having a little bit of

discipline in that respect and the third

thing is

um uh since I do run a company I know

that there are people that are looking

for me and they have questions they need

to ask me and I and I need to be able I

need to keep in the back of my mind I

need to open up my apps to check with

those people on a regular basis during

work hours to make sure that everything

is is going okay because even their

messages I'm not going to receive them

right away right but I also work with

the philosophy that there are no

emergencies in life mhm you you prepare

for for

every every uh contingency right you

should prepare for every contingency in

life so there really shouldn't be

emergencies mhm and if there are I mean

we we learn from it and we work to

prevent those emergencies from happening

again in the future but when you get

older and older in life it's just like

you've built a lot of contingencies for

a lot of things to happen so so having

built those contingen

means that you know there won't be any

emergencies which means that should be

there shouldn't be which means that you

could actually not even look at your

phone for a long time because you've

already prepared for any anything that

might happen yeah whereas I feel like a

lot of people are very reactive to

things and that's why they're checking

their phone all the time well I think

that there are um they influencers on

websites like Instagram and and x and

whatever else

YouTube and they're they always need to

be you know they get a notification it

comes in they need open it and they need

to respond right away right right but um

I'll notice that like I'll watch a video

for example and I'll leave a

comment and then I'll I'll come back to

that video's com like somebody will

respond to my comment and I'll see it

six weeks later mhm and then I'll

respond to that person oh yeah yeah yeah

but it's been like 6 weeks right it's

like what's the rush I'm not in any Rush

are you in a rush I'm not in a rush but

I'll continue the conversation with them

but it just might take me some time yeah

just like dude I'm busy I got stuff to

do and that video whatever I responded

to was you know I'll probably see it

someday but it's just not it's not

really high on my priority list and so

even if I don't respond if I never

respond so be it it's just like you know

I got stuff to do in my life and I've

accomplished a lot in my life and I'm

probably going to accomplish a lot more

just because I have this habit of I

don't like to be disturbed by

unimportant things if you think about it

I there's a rule that I kind of work

with is

like the thing that's disturbing that

that wants your attention right now is

that thing going to be important to you

in 20

years you going to think in 20 years was

that thing like really important for

example my business has an issue that I

need to take care of today and in is

that going to affect my business's

outcome in 20 years or 10 years or 5

years if yes then I probably need to put

a lot of attention on it so that's kind

of My Philosophy with how I work with

things habits all these other things

yeah okay that's great