How I Learn Languages | 8 Tips for Success

Summary

In this informative video, the speaker shares valuable tips and strategies for effectively learning and maintaining new languages. With personal experience speaking Korean, English, and Spanish, the speaker emphasizes the importance of vocabulary acquisition through natural exposure and digital organization. They recommend using online resources, practicing with native speakers through platforms like italki, and embracing a trial-and-error approach to improve pronunciation and grammar. The video also highlights the significance of setting specific goals, engaging with media in the target language, and maintaining motivation throughout the language learning journey.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Learning vocabulary is foundational for language acquisition, and it's more effective to learn words naturally through reading or watching media rather than memorizing a dictionary.
• 📝 Maintaining a vocabulary list is crucial for language retention, and digital tools like Google Docs can be helpful for categorizing and visualizing words.
• 🔍 Utilizing multiple dictionaries per language can enhance understanding by presenting definitions in different ways.
• 📚 Online resources and apps like Quizlet, conjuguemos.com, and SparkNotes offer targeted help for specific language topics and are a viable alternative to traditional textbooks.
• 🗣️ Practicing with fluent speakers, such as friends, mentors, or tutors on platforms like italki, provides invaluable real-time feedback and accelerates language proficiency.
• 🎥 Engaging with media in the target language, including lifestyle vlogs, movies, and TV shows, can make learning more enjoyable and expose learners to realistic language use.
• 🎶 Listening to music and attempting to understand lyrics can help familiarize oneself with the sounds and rhythm of a language.
• 📖 Reading books in the target language, especially those familiar to the learner, can improve comprehension and vocabulary.
• 🗣️ Pronunciation practice involves imitation and can be enhanced by recording oneself and comparing with native speakers.
• 🌐 Considering dialects when learning a language is important; focusing on one dialect initially can streamline the learning process.
• 💪 Embracing mistakes as learning opportunities is essential for language growth, as they provide clarity and correction of misunderstandings.
• 🔄 Translating or transcribing content, such as TED Talks or YouTube videos, can help maintain and improve language skills while contributing to meaningful projects.
• 📓 Keeping a diary in the target language is a low-commitment, habitual activity that can sustain language fluency over time.
• 🚀 Staying motivated by setting specific, achievable goals and reminding oneself of the 'why' behind learning a language is key to maintaining progress and enthusiasm.

Q & A

What languages does the speaker speak and in what order did they learn them?

The speaker speaks Korean, English, and Spanish. Korean is their first language, English is their second language which they started learning when they moved to the US at the age of 10, and Spanish is the third language which they started learning in 7th grade.

What is the speaker's proficiency level in each language?

The speaker is most comfortable in Korean and English and is currently in the maintaining phase for these two languages. They are less comfortable with Spanish and hopes to improve it in the future.

Why did the speaker give up on memorizing the entire dictionary when learning English?

The speaker gave up on memorizing the entire dictionary because they weren't retaining most of the words and didn't know when to use them, making the effort inefficient and unproductive.

What is the speaker's recommendation for learning vocabulary?

The speaker recommends learning vocabulary naturally, such as by reading books, watching TV, or changing the language settings on devices to the target language. They also suggest creating a vocabulary list and categorizing words for easier memorization.

How does the speaker use technology to aid in language learning?

The speaker uses technology by changing device language settings to the target language, using Google Docs for organizing vocabulary lists, and utilizing online resources and apps like Quizlet, conjuguemos.com, and SparkNotes for targeted language study.

What is italki and how does it help with language learning?

italki is an online language learning platform that connects language learners with teachers from around the world through 1-on-1 online lessons. It offers learning opportunities in more than 150 languages with 20,000 tutors, providing a flexible and personalized learning experience.

Why is it important to listen and observe before speaking and writing in a new language?

Listening and observing are crucial as they allow learners to understand the context, pronunciation, and usage of words and phrases in the target language, which is essential for effective communication and language acquisition.

How can watching TV shows or movies in the target language help with language learning?

Watching TV shows or movies in the target language exposes learners to realistic and everyday language use, helps improve pronunciation, and can make learning more entertaining and engaging.

What is the significance of recording oneself while practicing pronunciation?

Recording oneself allows learners to listen to their own pronunciation and compare it with native speakers, enabling them to identify and correct their pronunciation errors and improve their speaking skills.

Why should learners focus on one dialect of a language when starting out?

Focusing on one dialect helps learners to establish a solid foundation in the language by mastering the specific pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary of that dialect before branching out to other variations of the language.

How does making mistakes contribute to language learning?

Making mistakes is an integral part of the learning process as it allows learners to identify their weaknesses, receive corrections, and remember the correct usage more vividly, thus reinforcing language acquisition.

What are some ways to maintain fluency in multiple languages?

Some ways to maintain fluency include translating or transcribing captions for websites, writing subtitles for videos, keeping a diary in the target language, and continuously engaging with the language through various media and social interactions.

What role does motivation play in the language learning process?

Motivation is crucial as it drives learners to persist through challenges, helps them to stay engaged with the language, and encourages them to set and achieve both short-term and long-term goals in their language learning journey.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Language Learning Strategies and Vocabulary Building

The speaker introduces their language learning journey, highlighting their proficiency in Korean, English, and Spanish. They discuss the initial phase of language learning, which often involves vocabulary acquisition. The speaker shares their past experience with attempting to memorize the dictionary and suggests a more natural approach to learning vocabulary through reading, watching TV, and changing device language settings. They emphasize the importance of context in understanding and using words effectively. Additionally, they recommend creating a digital vocabulary list using tools like Google Docs for organization and easy access. The speaker also advises using multiple dictionaries to understand word definitions from different perspectives and suggests revisiting and practicing with the words to enhance retention.

05:01

🌐 Utilizing Online Resources and Imitation in Language Learning

The speaker discusses the use of online resources for language learning, mentioning italki as a platform for connecting with language teachers worldwide. They highlight the benefits of having a guide or coach and the importance of practicing with fluent speakers for real-time feedback. The speaker also introduces the phrase 'Fake it till you make it,' emphasizing the role of imitation in language learning. They suggest various methods for exposure and practice, such as watching lifestyle vlogs, K-dramas, and using subtitles to improve comprehension and pronunciation. Listening to music, reading books, and engaging with social media in the target language are also recommended as effective ways to learn and maintain language skills.

10:05

🎙️ Advanced Language Learning Techniques and Motivation

The speaker delves into advanced techniques for language learning, including the use of recording apps to compare one's pronunciation with native speakers. They discuss the importance of choosing a specific dialect to study and the inevitability of making mistakes as part of the learning process. The speaker encourages learners to embrace errors as learning opportunities. They also suggest ways to maintain multiple languages, such as translating or transcribing captions, writing subtitles for YouTube videos, and keeping a diary in the target language. Lastly, the speaker emphasizes the importance of staying motivated by setting specific goals and breaking them down into smaller, achievable steps.

Keywords

💡Language Learning

Language learning is the process of acquiring proficiency in a new language. It is the central theme of the video, where the speaker shares personal experiences and strategies for learning and maintaining multiple languages. The video emphasizes the importance of vocabulary, practice, and exposure to the language through various media.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary refers to the set of words and phrases that make up a language. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses the importance of building vocabulary as the foundational step in language learning. The speaker also shares methods for learning vocabulary, such as reading books, watching TV, and using digital tools like Google Docs.

💡Proficiency

Proficiency in a language denotes the level of competence a person has in that language. The speaker mentions being most comfortable with Korean and English, indicating a high level of proficiency, while being in the 'maintaining phase' for these languages. The concept of proficiency is used to illustrate the speaker's journey and the varying levels of comfort with different languages.

💡Dialects

Dialects are variations of a language spoken in different regions. The video touches on the importance of choosing a specific dialect when learning a language, as different dialects can have distinct grammar and spelling rules. The speaker advises sticking with one dialect before branching out to others.

💡Pronunciation

Pronunciation is the way in which words are articulated when speaking a language. The video highlights pronunciation as a challenging aspect of language learning, especially for sounds that do not exist in one's native language. The speaker suggests methods such as recording oneself and comparing with native speakers to improve pronunciation.

💡Mistakes

Making mistakes is an inevitable part of the learning process, and the video encourages embracing them as opportunities for growth. The speaker shares personal anecdotes about making mistakes and how they have helped in solidifying correct usage in memory. The concept is used to foster a mindset of learning through trial and error.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the drive or desire that encourages someone to take action. In the context of language learning, the speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining motivation by setting specific goals and reflecting on the reasons for learning a language. The video suggests breaking down long-term goals into smaller, achievable steps to keep motivation high.

💡itadaki

Italki is an online language learning platform mentioned in the video as a resource for connecting with language teachers worldwide for personalized lessons. The platform is highlighted as a way to receive targeted help and real-time feedback, which can significantly improve language skills, especially in speaking and grammar.

💡Cultural Exposure

Cultural exposure refers to the experience of learning about and engaging with the customs, arts, and social behaviors of a particular culture. The video suggests using media like K-dramas, lifestyle vlogs, and social media to not only learn the language but also gain insights into the culture, making the learning process more engaging and authentic.

💡Repitition

Repetition is the act of repeating something to reinforce learning or to achieve a desired outcome. The video stresses the importance of repetition in language learning, particularly for vocabulary. It is presented as a key strategy for memorization and mastery of the language.

💡Real-time Feedback

Real-time feedback is immediate responses or comments provided as an action is performed. In the context of language learning, the video discusses how practicing with a fluent speaker can provide valuable real-time feedback, which is crucial for improving speaking and grammar skills.

Highlights

The speaker shares personal language learning experiences with Korean, English, and Spanish.

Advocates for learning vocabulary as the building blocks of language.

Discourages memorizing the entire dictionary and suggests natural vocabulary acquisition.

Recommends changing device language settings to the target language for contextual learning.

Emphasizes the importance of having a digital vocabulary list for easy access and categorization.

Suggests using multiple dictionaries for a comprehensive understanding of word meanings.

Advises revisiting vocabulary words and writing example sentences for better retention.

Mentions the use of online resources and apps for targeted language learning.

Highlights the benefits of practicing with native speakers for real-time feedback.

Introduces italki as a platform for connecting with language tutors worldwide.

Details italki's flexible scheduling and pay-per-lesson model suitable for busy individuals.

Promotes italki's special event for language lessons targeting kids and teenagers.

Coined phrase 'Fake it till you make it' as a language learning strategy.

Encourages listening and observing before speaking to understand language nuances.

Suggests using media in the target language to improve pronunciation and comprehension.

Recommends recording oneself to compare pronunciation with native speakers.

Advises focusing on one dialect to master it before exploring others.

Emphasizes the importance of making mistakes as part of the learning process.

Suggests translating or transcribing to maintain and improve language skills.

Proposes keeping a diary in the target language as a habit-forming exercise.

Stresses the importance of motivation and setting specific, achievable goals.

Transcripts

In today’s video, I wanted to share some tips and strategies for learning new languages

and maintaining them.

To give you a little bit of background, I speak Korean, English, and Spanish.

I moved to the US from Korea when I was 10-years old,

so my first language is Korean and my second is English.

Around 7th grade, I started learning Spanish and continued to take it in high school, but

forgot a lot of it in the past year, so I’m trying to get back into that.

In terms of proficiency, I would say I’m most comfortable in Korean and English and

I’m in the maintaining phase for these two, but less comfortable with Spanish and hope

to work on it in the future.

Language learning is still a work in progress for me, and a lot of the things I’ll go

over today are what I currently am doing as well.

When we first start with a language, a lot of us start by learning vocabulary, which

I think makes total sense.

Vocabs are building blocks of language and are super helpful to know before we start

doing anything else like writing or speaking.

So one of the first things I want to talk about is how I learn vocab including finding

words and making a vocab list.

What I used to do when learning English, which was really not a good idea looking back, was

trying to memorize the entire dictionary.

In middle school, I remember I got up to something like letter C and gave up because I wasn’t retaining

most of them, and I still didn’t know when to use the words.

Instead, I would suggest finding words more

naturally like by reading a book or watching TV.

Another simple way is to change the language setting on your devices to your target language.

This way, you know the context of where the vocab came from, how it fits into the rest

of the sentence, and it’ll just give you a better idea of when exactly to use that word.

You can also find words that are more modern and you’re more likely to use instead of

some really obscure word that no one has used since the 18th century.

It’s just more efficient to memorize words selectively and use your brain space on useful words.

Now that we’ve found the words, it’s time to organize them.

I highly highly highly recommend having a vocab list.

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a list or some other way of storing

these words.

I used to make my vocab list on paper, but I digitized it a few years ago so that I don’t

have to carry around a physical notebook or worry about running out of space.

I currently use Google Doc, and it’s been working out pretty nicely for me.

I like categorizing my words so that I can find specific words easily, and it helps me

memorize them when they’re clustered like this.

As you can see, some words also have a picture next to them to help visualize.

The key thing here is to try different setups and customizations to find the one that is most helpful.

When writing out the definitions, I recommend choosing a couple of dictionaries to consistently

look at.

I find it helpful to use around 2 dictionaries per language because I understand things better

when they’re explained to me in two different ways.

In addition to Google dictionary, for English, I use Merriam-Webster, for Korean, I use Naver

Dictionary, and for Spanish, I like Spanish dict and wordreference.com.

If it helps you, you can also write down translations in your first language.

The process of typing the words does force you to memorize them a little, but it’s

important to revisit the words once in a while, look at the definitions again, write example

sentences, so that you actually know when and how to use them.

Vocabulary is one of those things that are easy to learn but impossible to master.

We can’t really stop learning it because there’s so many words.

I think the key to studying vocab is repetition and keeping at it.

When I’m self-studying, I usually don’t use a specific textbook or a workbook because

there’s so much material online nowadays.

Many of the resources I use are the dictionaries I mentioned before.

A lot of dictionaries have other features like practice tools or articles with grammar

explanations.

I primarily read books and articles and watch videos to pick up on a language, and look

up phrases and pronunciations on a dictionary.

But when I need to work more on a specific topic, vocab, or grammar, I go on different

websites and apps like Quizlet, conjuguemos.com, and SparkNotes.

I really like these tools because they’re very targeted and offer specific help to whatever

you’re struggling with.

Studying with a book is good if you want a more structured learning experience, but it’s

more than possible to learn and improve off of these resources.

Another amazing resource is people.

If possible, I highly recommend practicing with a friend, a mentor, or anyone who you

can interact with in your target language.

I know this may not always be an available option, but something great about technology

is that you have different ways of finding those resources.

One of the tools I think would be helpful is italki.

italki is also our sponsor today and here is a brief message about them.

italki is an online language learning platform that connects language learners with teachers

all over the world through 1-on-1 online lessons.

They currently offer learning opportunities in more than 150 languages with 20,000 tutors,

who are native speakers and professional teachers.

Because there’s a large and diverse pool of teachers from all over the world, you can

find and work with ones from the cultures or with the dialects you want to learn more about.

As I mentioned before, I think having a guide or a coach to help you along the way can be

really helpful.

Practicing with another fluent person is one of the best things you can do to improve your

speaking and grammar as you can look to them as models and get realtime feedback.

One really convenient feature of italki is that there’s no rigid schedules or fixed

fees, which means that you can study at your own pace without a strict time commitment.

I think this feature is especially useful if you’re a college student or someone with

a busy or unpredictable schedule as you can set your own lesson times.

italki isn’t a subscription-based service and you pay per lesson, so you can attend

lessons anytime online.

I’m putting a link to sign up for free in the description, so you can check that out after

the video if you’re interested.

A special event I want to bring to your attention is language lessons for kids and teenagers.

From June 15th to the end of August, italki is partnering up with tutors who can teach

5-17 year-old students in Chinese, Spanish, and English.

Again, feel free to check out the link below to find out more about this.

Moving on to the next tip.

If you do take something away from this video, which I hope you will, let it be this phrase:

Fake it till you make it.

Learning a language, essentially, is imitation.

We’re replicating how people sound and how they communicate.

Although there’s a big emphasis on speaking and writing when learning a language, I think

it’s super important to listen and observe before you do anything else.

When we’re trying to imitate something, we have to really look at and analyze it first.

This can come from reading books, watching a movie, watching youtube, or anything that

exposes you to that language.

This is also where you can spice things up and make them more fun.

Personally, I’m a fan of lifestyle and baking vlogs on youtube, so I watch these, rotating

between different languages.

When you watch the things you would normally watch on Netflix or Youtube or anything else,

you can learn new words that pertain to your own interests and you’re more likely to

use in real life.

If you’re learning Korean, watching K-dramas can be both entertaining and educational.

They often use realistic and everyday language, so I would suggest checking that out if you

haven’t already.

I find videos and shows helpful in improving my pronunciation as I’m exposed to how native

speakers sound.

At first, you can turn the subtitles on to help with comprehension, and eventually, you

could try turning them off to see how much you understand.

Another one is listening to songs in different languages.

It’s hard to pick up the lyrics at first, but it does help open up your ears to what

the language sounds like.

If you really like a song, you could try memorizing or translating the lyrics for a more active learning.

Reading your favorite book in another language is a great exercise if you have more time.

I started reading 1Q84 in Spanish as Murakami is one of my favorite authors, and I’m pretty

familiar with the plot.

When I’m reading in general, I try to keep a balanced ratio of the languages that I read in.

For every English book, I might read a Korean book or something like that.

With Korean, I also read webtoons, which are online comics.

Lastly, social media is a great tool.

You could follow celebrities and accounts that tweet or post in the language you want

to learn.

It’s hard to know what people these days actually talk or text like just from textbooks

and educational material, so social media can show us a more realistic usage.

It's just a really good way to learn more about their culture as well.

I think pronunciation is one of, if not the most difficult part about learning a language.

Some sounds in one language simply don’t exist in other languages, and it can be really

hard to grasp what certain words are supposed to sound like.

But once again, pronunciation is imitation.

It’s listening to a lot of native speakers and trying to sound like them.

One thing I found really helpful in learning to pronounce things is by recording myself.

I use a simple recording app on my phone or sometimes the camera to listen to what I sound like

and compare my pronunciation to recordings of natives.

This way, you find patterns on how you’re saying specific things and can make adjustments

if needed.

When I’m learning to pronounce an individual word, I might also go on Google and search

“How to pronounce blank.”

It gives you the slower version as well, which is pretty nice of them.

Another thing you should consider is that there are different dialects in languages,

and you should probably pick one to study or begin with.

Sometimes, even the grammar and spelling can change with different dialects within the

same language.

This could look like using the same dictionary consistently or watching media with the same

dialect across.

I would say stick with one, really master that one, and if you want to branch out to

other regions, feel free to do that after.

This is more on your mindset when learning, but don't be afraid of making mistakes, especially

with pronunciation and grammar.

The more mistakes you make, the more you learn.

And this is really painful and embarrassing at the time, but the worse the mistake, and

the more times you make that mistake, the better it sticks in your mind.

I myself have made some traumatizing mistakes before, and after that, I usually don’t

make that same mistake again because it’s literally tattooed on my brain.

The moral of the story is that before getting it wrong and getting told that it's wrong,

you're not gonna know that it's wrong.

I think it's actually better to make more mistakes because then, you'll have the chance

to correct any possible misconceptions.

Learning a language is almost like a process of elimination.

What Google translate and books tell us can be really general, so the only way for us

to realize how and when to specifically say a word or a phrase is by trial and error and

human feedback.

If you're at a stage where you're comfortable with 2 or more languages and are looking to

maintain them, you could consider translating or transcribing captions for different websites

or archives.

TED Talk is the first one that comes to my mind, but there’s a lot of other opportunities

if you just google.

Most of the videos you’ll be working with on TED Talk are educational as well, so we're

learning new things on the way, contributing to meaningful projects, basically killing

3 birds with 1 stone.

Writing subtitles for my youtube videos helps me in the same way, keeping me on my toes

and encouraging me to keep learning, picking up new vocabs, and sustain my fluency.

A lot of youtubers leave a link in the description box where you can contribute to their translations,

so that's another thing you could explore.

Language is fast-evolving and there’s constantly new slangs and trends you might want to keep

yourself updated with.

Translating youtube videos could be a great way to help you with this.

Keeping a diary in your target language is another long-term activity that can help you

maintain that language.

Since keeping a diary or journaling tends to be a habitual thing, it’s a good way

to keep using a language, and it’s usually not a big time commitment.

You could take like 5 to 10 minutes each day writing a few sentences, or even just 1, and it’ll

keep that language fresher in your mind.

Lastly, it’s super important to stay motivated and excited about learning a language as it

CAN be a long process and there’s going to be times when you aren’t picking things

up as fast you’d like.

To keep yourself engaged and motivated, it helps to keep thinking about WHY you want

to learn this particular language.

Have a specific goal in mind, maybe you want to study or work abroad, travel without language

barriers, or learn about a new culture.

For me, most of my motivation came from wanting to read books in other languages

and being able to talk with my peers and others around me more fluently.

It also helps to break down those goals, which can be pretty broad and long-term, into smaller

steps.

This could look like watching a movie without subtitles, holding up a short conversation,

reading a book or keeping a diary in that language.

I think it’s important to pursue smaller short-term goals to allow yourself to feel

a more immediate gratification, all the while still having your final goal or dream at the

back of your mind.

This concludes today’s video on ways to learn languages more effectively.

I hope this was helpful, and another shoutout to italki for sponsoring this video.

See you next time!