How to learn any language by yourself- Language tips from a polyglot

Summary

This guide offers a comprehensive method for learning a language at home, emphasizing the importance of choosing a language you enjoy. It suggests setting realistic goals and focusing on systems over goals for long-term success. The method involves watching videos in the target language, gradually removing subtitles, and summarizing content to build a 'second brain.' It also recommends consuming media, reading, and listening to music in the target language. For grammar and vocabulary, it advises using platforms like italki for feedback and Anki for effective learning through spaced repetition.

Takeaways

• 😀 Pick a language that you genuinely enjoy to make the learning process more enjoyable and less reliant on external motivation.
• 🎯 Set realistic goals and create systems to achieve them, focusing on the process rather than just the end result.
• 🌟 Start with a basic level of language knowledge, which can be easily achieved through language apps or lessons.
• 📺 Begin by watching videos in your target language with subtitles to get accustomed to the language.
• 📱 Consume all media in your target language and change your phone settings to immerse yourself in the language.
• 🎵 Listen to music in your target language to pick up new words and slang in a fun and engaging way.
• 🛑 Transition to watching videos without subtitles to challenge your comprehension and improve your listening skills.
• 📚 Start reading in your target language to expand your vocabulary and understanding of written content.
• 🔁 Watch videos at faster speeds to train your listening skills and adapt to different speaking speeds.
• 🔁 Consistently practice reading, summarizing, and watching videos to reinforce learning and build fluency.
• ⏰ Be prepared for a longer learning timeline, as becoming fluent through self-study can take a year or more.

Q & A

What is the first step in learning a language at home according to the guide?

The first step is picking a language that you enjoy, as it will make the learning process easier and more enjoyable.

Why is it important to enjoy the language you're learning?

Enjoying the language you're learning helps sustain your motivation and reduces the reliance on discipline alone, making the process less strenuous and more natural.

What is the role of goals in language learning as mentioned in the guide?

Goals are important to understand the amount of work required to achieve fluency, but it's more effective to focus on developing a system for consistent learning rather than just setting goals.

How does the guide suggest setting realistic language learning goals?

The guide suggests setting a goal and then thinking retrospectively about how much time you need to allocate daily to achieve it, adjusting the goal based on the realism of your daily commitment.

What is the significance of enjoying the content while learning a language?

Enjoying the content helps in maintaining interest and consistency in learning, making it easier to integrate the language into your daily routine.

How does consuming media in the target language aid in language acquisition?

Consuming media in the target language exposes you to the language in a natural context, helping you pick up new words and phrases, and get accustomed to the language's rhythm and syntax.

What is the method the guide suggests for learning a language without formal study?

The guide suggests a method that involves watching videos in the target language, starting with subtitles, then removing them, and summarizing the content in your own words to build a 'second brain' in that language.

Why is it recommended to watch videos at normal speed initially?

Watching videos at normal speed with subtitles helps in getting comfortable with the language and its nuances before attempting to understand it without subtitles.

How does the guide recommend summarizing content in the target language?

The guide recommends summarizing content in your own words without using a translator to practice thinking in the target language and reinforce learning.

What is the role of speed in video watching during language learning according to the guide?

The guide suggests watching videos at increased speeds to train listening skills and improve comprehension, starting with normal speed and gradually increasing to 1.5x or double speed.

How can italki be beneficial for language learners as mentioned in the guide?

Italki offers one-on-one lessons in various languages, providing opportunities for practice and receiving feedback from native speakers, which can be crucial for correcting mistakes and improving language skills.

What is the significance of using Anki for vocabulary learning as suggested in the guide?

Anki uses spaced repetition and active recall, which are effective learning methods for memorizing and retaining new vocabulary in a language.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Language Learning at Home: Choosing a Language

The paragraph emphasizes the importance of selecting a language that one enjoys when embarking on the journey to learn a new language at home. It highlights the struggle of learning German, which the speaker found difficult but persisted due to passion. The speaker advocates for a balance between discipline and enjoyment, suggesting that relying solely on discipline can be detrimental in the long run. The paragraph also touches on the concept of setting realistic goals and systems for language learning, referencing other videos for further insights on motivation and discipline, and atomic habits.

05:02

🎯 Setting Goals and Systems for Language Mastery

This paragraph delves into the process of setting goals and establishing systems for learning a language effectively. It discusses the idea of setting ambitious yet achievable goals and then working backward to determine the daily study commitment required. The speaker shares personal experiences with learning English and German, and the realization that setting realistic expectations is crucial for success. The paragraph introduces the concept of focusing on systems over goals, as suggested by the book 'Atomic Habits,' and encourages viewers to watch additional videos for a deeper understanding of this approach.

10:03

📚 My Method: Learning English Without Formal Study

The speaker outlines their personal method for learning English without formal study, which involves six steps. The first step is to choose engaging content to watch, such as YouTube videos or Netflix shows, with the emphasis on enjoying the content to facilitate language learning. The speaker shares their own experience of learning by watching makeup tutorials and suggests that consuming media exclusively in the target language is beneficial. This includes changing phone settings and listening to music in the target language. The paragraph also advises on the importance of summarizing content in one's own words to practice thinking in the new language without relying on translation.

🎬 Advanced Steps for Language Acquisition

Building on the initial steps, the paragraph introduces advanced methods for language learning. It suggests watching videos without subtitles to improve comprehension and encourages summarizing content in one's own words to strengthen language retention. The speaker also recommends reading in the target language and summarizing what has been read to further develop language skills. The paragraph outlines a gradual increase in the complexity of tasks, including watching videos at faster speeds to enhance listening skills, and maintaining a routine of at least one hour per day of language practice.

🚀 Overcoming Challenges and Enhancing Language Learning

This paragraph addresses potential drawbacks of the language learning method described, such as the lack of grammar study and the reliance on translation. The speaker acknowledges that not focusing on grammar can lead to mistakes and suggests seeking feedback to correct these issues. It promotes the use of italki for one-on-one lessons in various languages and highlights the benefits of flexible scheduling and pay-per-lesson options. The paragraph also introduces the use of Anki, an app that employs spaced repetition and active recall for effective vocabulary learning, and encourages viewers to explore different learning methods to find what works best for them.

Keywords

💡Language Learning

Language learning refers to the process of acquiring new languages, either through formal education or self-study. In the video, the focus is on self-study methods, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the process and making it a part of daily routine. The script mentions, 'if you don't enjoy that language it's gonna be super hard for you to learn,' highlighting the necessity of passion in language acquisition.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the internal drive that encourages individuals to pursue a goal or engage in an activity. The video discusses the role of motivation in language learning, suggesting that while discipline is crucial, relying solely on it can be detrimental in the long run. It is illustrated by the speaker's personal experience with learning German, where passion played a significant role.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the practice of training oneself to follow a set of rules or a pattern of behavior. In the context of the video, discipline is contrasted with motivation, with the speaker suggesting that while discipline is important, it should not be the sole reliance for learning a language. The video encourages finding enjoyment in the language to sustain the learning process without constant reliance on discipline.

💡Goal Setting

Goal setting is the process of identifying and defining objectives. The video emphasizes the importance of setting realistic goals for language learning, such as becoming fluent within a certain timeframe. The script advises, 'set yourself a goal and then think retrospectively,' which means planning backward from the desired outcome to determine the necessary daily commitment.

💡Systems

In the video, systems refer to the routines or habits that support the achievement of goals. The speaker suggests that focusing on systems, rather than just goals, is more effective for long-term success. The video mentions, 'if you only focus on your system instead and forget about the goal, you will succeed,' indicating that consistent daily actions are more critical than the end goal itself.

💡Media Consumption

Media consumption in the video pertains to the practice of engaging with media content in the target language. The script advises changing phone settings and consuming media like news apps, music, and videos in the language being learned. This strategy is used to immerse oneself in the language and pick up new vocabulary and phrases naturally.

💡Subtitling

Subtitling is the use of text to display the dialogue or commentary in a video. The video script describes a progression from watching videos with subtitles in the target language to watching without them, which helps in improving listening and comprehension skills. The speaker suggests starting with subtitles and then moving to watching videos without them to challenge and improve language skills.

💡Summarization

Summarization is the act of condensing information into a brief form while retaining the essential points. In the video, summarizing is recommended as a method to reinforce understanding after watching videos or reading texts in the target language. The speaker advises summarizing in one's own words without using a translator to practice thinking in the target language.

💡Speed Listening

Speed listening refers to the practice of listening to audio at faster than normal speeds to improve listening comprehension skills. The video suggests watching videos at 1.5 to double speed to train the ear to understand speech at various paces. This method is intended to enhance the listener's ability to comprehend the language more quickly.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary refers to the words known to a person or used in a language. The video discusses the importance of vocabulary acquisition in language learning and mentions the use of apps like Anki for effective vocabulary learning. The script highlights the use of spaced repetition and active recall strategies to improve vocabulary retention.

💡Feedback

Feedback in the context of the video refers to the responses or evaluations received from others, particularly native speakers or language teachers, to improve language skills. The speaker recommends platforms like italki for one-on-one lessons and feedback, which can help correct mistakes and improve language proficiency.

Highlights

Picking a language you enjoy is crucial for maintaining motivation and interest.

Discipline is essential, but relying solely on it can be detrimental in the long run.

Setting realistic goals is important for understanding the effort required to achieve them.

Focusing on systems rather than goals leads to success, as highlighted in the book 'Atomic Habits'.

The author shares their personal journey of learning English and German without formal study.

A basic level of language knowledge is necessary to start the author's self-study method.

Watching videos in the target language with subtitles helps in the initial stages of language learning.

Consuming media exclusively in the target language aids in language acquisition.

Listening to music in the target language can help with vocabulary and slang.

Removing subtitles and summarizing videos in your own words improves comprehension.

Reading in the target language enhances language skills and should be summarized to reinforce learning.

Watching videos at faster speeds trains listening skills and comprehension.

Continuous daily practice of reading, summarizing, and watching videos is key to fluency.

The author's method led to fluency in a year, a significant achievement compared to traditional language education.

Grammar study is not a focus of this method, which may lead to mistakes if used for academic purposes.

Receiving feedback from native speakers through platforms like italki is crucial for effective language learning.

Using Anki for vocabulary learning through spaced repetition and active recall is highly recommended.

Transcripts

therefore today i have an ultimate guide

for learning a language at home

so step one is obviously picking a

language

when it comes to picking a language it's

important to pick a language that you

enjoy because if you don't enjoy that

language it's gonna be super hard for

you to

learn for it spend hours and hours in

order to learn it when i was learning

german yes i was crying every single day

but i was so passionate about german

because i really love that language on

this channel as you might know we don't

rely on motivation because we don't need

motivation all we need is discipline but

always relying on your discipline maybe

in the long run can harm you therefore

it's important to pick something that is

fun for you so that you don't need to

rely on your motivation either on your

discipline because you're going to do

something that you truly enjoy if you

want to learn more about motivation and

discipline you can check this video out

so the step two is setting goals and

systems even though i think goals are

kind of pointless sometimes goals are

important in order to understand how

much of work you gotta put in in order

to achieve that goal so in order to do

that set yourself a goal and then think

retrospectively so let's say i want to

become fluent in english or i want to

become fluent in italian in a month

and so i'm gonna think retrospectively

which basically means looking backwards

so in order to get fluent in a month how

much do i need to study italian every

single day let's say it's eight hours

and i'm gonna think okay is this

realistic for me to study eight hours

every single day for a month the answer

is probably no i need to set my goal

once again because now i have a

realistic expectation of myself that i

cannot learn italian in a month

therefore i'm going to reset this goal

i'm only picking a goal in order to set

my system because as we know from a very

famous productivity slash habit making

book atomic habits rather than goals we

should focus on our systems instead if

you only focus on your goals and forget

about the system so the way that you're

going to achieve that goal you won't

succeed but if you only focus on your

system instead and forget about the goal

you will succeed if you want to learn

more about this i have video as well you

can watch it but anyways so step three

is the explanation of my method if you

haven't watched the video of mine which

just hit 1 million views i guess how i

learn english by myself without studying

at home video

i can't summarize it for you when it

comes to my story i learned english by

myself before starting my english

journey by my own of course i had

lessons english in our school english is

mandatory in most of the countries i

think it was around like 87 percent or

something and anyways in turkey it's

also mandatory so from the elementary

school until high school of course

you're gonna have english lessons but

the thing is i was able to understand

very basic stuff when it comes to

english like very basic daily

conversations

but i wasn't able to respond to him of

course i was able to say like you know

about very very very basic stuff

but i wasn't i wasn't this fluent nor i

wasn't able to explain something in

order to use my method you need a very

basic level of language knowledge but

it's like super easy to hit that goal so

don't be worried at all you can use

various language apps such as like

italki or other app in order to come to

that level but don't worry you can like

literally hit that level in a month or

so so there are six steps when it comes

to my method and step one is picking

something to watch if you don't know i

learn english by watching youtube videos

like several hours of youtube videos and

every single day you can basically start

with netflix or youtube or whatever you

enjoy it can be literally documentary or

films or animes and stuff but it's

important that's something that you

truly enjoy because as i said in order

to learn that language by your own you

gotta enjoy it and then step two is

watch them at normal speed so when

watching these videos you have to put

the subtitles on and you have to watch

at least one to two hours every single

day i was probably watching around like

three to four hours every single day of

youtube at the beginning i wasn't really

able to understand what they were saying

but

i was watching it anyways because i was

at that time addicted to makeup

tutorials in order to understand the

makeup tutorial you don't really need to

understand the language because you

literally like watching the techniques

and stuff so it might help if you're

into makeup but if you're not into

makeup you can literally pick something

else it's not important to understand at

the beginning it's important to getting

comfortable with that language and it's

important to make it a routine of your

like daily life so another things that

you have to do in the step two period is

that consuming media only in your target

language and change your phone settings

into your target language when i was

learning english and when i was learning

german i was only consuming media in

german therefore like i downloaded

several news apps and i was reading them

and also i was using my phone in german

so that i can like pick up new words

from the settings and you know from the

notifications and stuff it's a very

simple step but it's really important

and another thing that i can give is

that listening to music in your target

language when i was learning german i

was like super into german rap and i

don't really know most of the slangs

because of the german reps and i can

curse

pretty good in german because of raps i

don't know if this is a good tip but

anyways you know i

listen to music in your target language

i'm sure that you can learn new words

whether good or bad so now step three

watch the videos without subtitles at

normal speed at this point you have to

be understanding the videos without

subtitles at the beginning we started

with the subtitles and now you're going

to remove them and try to understand the

videos without the subtitles if you say

hey rudy how can i find the subtitles

you can just simply put your

auto subtitle generation in youtube if

you're using youtube and i'm shorter

than netflix they have subtitle options

as well watch these videos without

subtitles at least an hour and after

every single time you watch an episode

try to summarize it by your own words

you don't need to write them i mean it's

of course will be better for you if you

write and summarize them but

creating a lot of friction is not really

good we are trying to minimize the

friction of action when it comes to

self-studying you can explain it to your

imaginary friend and whenever you are

trying to summarize it in your own words

try not to use a translator because

we're trying to build a second brain in

that language so that you can think in

that language if you're translating

every single thing when you're talking

in your brain that means that you don't

have a second brain in that language if

you want to learn more about this like

second brain stuff i can make a video

about it let me know in the comments

down below so now step four is start to

read in your target language at this

point you have to be understanding the

videos without subs at normal speed so

now we're gonna start reading it can

literally be anything it doesn't have to

be something like beneficial for you it

can be magazines or it can be a blog

post about random things but these days

there are so many blog posts about like

very interesting and very there's so

many blog posts newsletters and there's

so many varieties of things free to read

to enjoy so i would highly highly

recommend subscribing to someone's

emails newsletter so as well as the

videos try to summarize after reading a

one chapter of thing or one

newsletter or one blog post or one news

try to summarize them in your own words

again we're trying not to use translator

and try to summarize them in your own

words and please keep continuing the

watching the videos so now step 5 is

watch the videos at

1.5 to double speed so this going to

train your listening quite a lot because

since you're listening the videos in

double speed you have to really focus on

the video in order to under that

language please keep reading and also

watch videos and step 6 is please

continue doing all of them reading

summarizing them afterwards and watching

videos every single day minimum of an

hour and then trying to summarizing him

in your own words it took me about a

year in order to become affluent in that

language i know a year seems quite a

long period of time but when you

consider that we literally get like

english education over 10 years maybe

more but not fluent and you can

literally become fluent in that language

by your own for free in

a year so i don't think that it's too

long even though this method seems to be

a very cool method of course there's

some cons of this method as i said we're

not using a translator and also we're

not really studying grammar at this

point as you probably might notice and

when you don't study grammar i picked up

the grammar pretty well but i know some

of my friends did this method but their

grammar literally sucks i do a lot of

grammar mistakes as well and if you're

learning that language in order to use

it in an academical field then this

might be a problem it's harder and

harder to fix those mistakes that you

learned in a wrong way so it's important

to learn them from the beginning in a

correct way and how we can do it it's

always important to get a good solid

feedback when you're learning something

and you can do it by using italki which

is today's sponsor in italki you can get

one-on-one lessons in more than 150

languages so they're are 150 languages

that you can pick and i think everybody

can find their target language in italki

so you might think that oh rudy is

recommending something expensive once

again and the thing is you can join the

italki community for free and you can do

free practices there you can also take

101 lessons in italki also if the money

is a problem italki offers special codes

and coupons time to time and especially

end of 2021 they're gonna do a lot of

discounts so don't forget to check him

out you can find a bunch of native

speakers on italki as well as the

certified native speakers who can give

you an effective feedback and also

another great thing about learning with

italki is that you don't need to stick

to and schedule you can literally book

the lessons according to your schedule

and especially if you're learning that

language at your home i think you don't

really want to stick to some sort of a

schedule right if you want to learn the

language at midnight you can literally

pick a teacher at midnight

in your time zone and you can have a

lesson if you're type of a person who

doesn't like to commit things you can

pay per lesson so you don't need to like

buy a bunch of lesson worry about if

you're gonna like him or not you can

pick a lesson pay for it and then take

the lesson and the next time you're

gonna decide if you want to continue

with that teacher or you can pick

another teacher and also there are

different learning methods in italki

like assets assessments and prompts and

etc so you can't find a learning method

that works for you because we all learn

in a different way what works for me

might not work for you so yeah thank you

italki for sponsoring this video now

let's talk about the vocabularies and

remembering the vocabularies even though

i didn't do anything special for

learning new vocabularies a great tip to

speed up your vocabulary learning like

span is using anki anki is an app which

you can use on iphone as well as on

android as well on your pc i think on pc

it's free

but when it comes to like iphones is of

course of course as always

you have to pay

it's a great app which practices space

repetition and active recall which are

the most effective science-based

learning methods i can make a video

about those if you guys want but ali

abdull has an amazing video about it

what you can check out but basically in

anki you can make flashcards and you can

make flashcards of these new

vocabularies that you're having hard

times learning about them and you can

practice them while like on bus waiting

for someone else

while you're on lou

and stuff so i highly highly recommend

it since anki app has a.i that literally

tracks uh which words you're struggling

and which words you easily learned it

can create some sort of a schedule

according to your learning so that you

can learn new vocabularies effectively i

highly recommend anki i really love it i

use it whenever i'm studying anatomy in

med school

so i totally recommend it i'll put every

single thing down description below so

that you can check him out i'm gonna

link all of the things about italki as

well thank you italki for sponsoring

this video and let me know if you have

any questions in the comments section

and let me see my next video bye

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