How to learn a language FAST and never forget it

Summary

This video offers strategies to prevent language forgetting, emphasizing the importance of immersion through listening to media and engaging in daily speaking practice. It recommends using platforms like Lingoda for structured language lessons and incorporating reading and writing to reinforce learning, ultimately achieving fluency.

Takeaways

• 📚 Immerse yourself in the language as much as possible to help your brain remember it better.
• 🎧 Listen to YouTube videos, films, TV shows, audiobooks, and podcasts in the target language during your commute for voluntary exposure.
• 📝 Summarize what you learn in a few sentences to reinforce learning and improve recall.
• 🗣️ Incorporate speaking practice into your daily routine to improve language fluency.
• 👥 Speak with native speakers to avoid learning incorrect language and to receive valuable feedback.
• 🏫 Consider taking language lessons with platforms like Lingoda for structured learning and real-life conversation practice.
• 📈 Use flashcards to reinforce learning and make recalling words easier.
• 📚 Read extensively in the target language to learn new vocabulary and understand sentence structures.
• 📖 Choose books you enjoy in the target language and listen to audiobooks to improve reading speed and comprehension.
• ✍️ Write extensively in the language to reactivate memories and neural pathways, focusing on self-directed writing for personalized learning.
• 🔍 Use online platforms to find native speakers who can correct your writing and provide feedback.
• 🔑 Practice writing in the language as much as possible to review and reinforce your knowledge.

Q & A

What is a common frustration among language learners?

A common frustration among language learners is spending a significant amount of time learning a language only to forget it completely later.

What is the key to remembering a language according to the video?

The key to remembering a language is to immerse yourself in it as much as possible, as repetition helps information stick to your memory.

Why is voluntary exposure important in language learning?

Voluntary exposure is important in language learning because it requires a clear system and willpower, and it's key to reaching fluency in any language, especially when living in a country where the language isn't spoken.

What are some ways to achieve voluntary exposure to a language?

Some ways to achieve voluntary exposure include listening to YouTube videos, films, TV shows, audiobooks, and podcasts in the language you're learning during your daily commute.

How can summarizing what you have learned help in language learning?

Summarizing what you have learned is an effective way to reinforce your learning and improve your recall, as it helps you stay focused and get the results you want.

Why is incorporating speaking practice into your daily routine beneficial for language learning?

Incorporating speaking practice into your daily routine is beneficial because the more you speak, the more you will be able to recall, and eventually, your fluency will return.

What is the advantage of speaking with native speakers in language learning?

Speaking with native speakers helps avoid learning incorrect language and making the same mistakes as non-native speakers, thus enhancing your language proficiency.

What is a Lingoda language lesson like and how does it help in language learning?

Lingoda language lessons are 16 minutes long, online, and live. They focus on speaking and real-life conversations, learning grammar structures, and provide feedback from the teacher, which helps improve language skills.

What are the benefits of participating in a Sprint or Super Sprint with Lingoda?

Participating in a Sprint or Super Sprint allows you to take lessons intensively and see big progress quickly. Completing the challenge and following all the rules can also earn you cashback incentives, which keeps you accountable and motivated.

How can reading extensively in a foreign language help in language learning?

Reading extensively in a foreign language helps by exposing you to new vocabulary and sentence structures, improving your understanding of how the language is used in context, and enhancing your overall language proficiency.

What role does writing extensively in a language play in language learning?

Writing extensively in a language helps reactivate long dormant memories and neural pathways, trains you to use language patterns, and allows you to learn precisely what bits of language you're missing, especially with corrections from native speakers.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Immersion and Exposure for Language Retention

This paragraph discusses the common issue of forgetting a language after learning it and suggests that immersion is key to retention. The brain retains information better when it's repeated, and voluntary exposure through listening to media in the target language during commutes can be beneficial. Summarizing what is learned after listening to episodes or chapters is recommended to reinforce learning. The paragraph also introduces the concept of using daily commutes for language learning and emphasizes the importance of speaking practice with native speakers to improve fluency, mentioning Lingoda's language lessons as a resource.

05:02

📚 Enhancing Language Skills Through Reading and Writing

The second paragraph focuses on the importance of reading and writing in language learning. It suggests starting with easy-to-read books in the target language, such as the Harry Potter series, and using audiobooks to improve reading speed and comprehension. The paragraph highlights the benefits of reading for pleasure and learning new vocabulary without the need to understand every word. It also touches on the value of writing extensively in the target language to reactivate memories and neural pathways, and the importance of receiving corrections from native speakers. The paragraph concludes by recommending Lingoda's reading lessons and the use of writing as a personalized language learning tool.

Keywords

💡Immersion

Immersion refers to the process of surrounding oneself with a language to facilitate learning. In the video, it is emphasized as a crucial method for retaining a language. The script mentions that immersing in a language helps the brain decide which information to hold onto, suggesting that repeated exposure is key to memory retention. An example is listening to media in the target language during a daily commute.

💡Voluntary Exposure

Voluntary exposure is the intentional act of seeking out opportunities to engage with a language, especially in environments where the language is not naturally spoken. The video discusses this as a necessary step for language fluency, requiring a system and willpower. It is exemplified by listening to podcasts or watching films in the target language, which helps in reinforcing learning.

💡Fluency

Fluency in a language is the ability to speak, write, and understand the language easily and effortlessly. The video script highlights fluency as a goal of language learning, achievable through consistent practice and exposure. It is mentioned in the context of using lingoda's language lessons to improve speaking skills and regain fluency.

💡Lingoda

Lingoda is a language learning platform mentioned in the script, offering short, live online classes with native-speaking tutors. It is used as an example of a resource that can help learners achieve fluency by practicing speaking and learning grammar in a real-life context. The platform is also associated with the Sprint and Super Sprint challenges, which are intensive learning programs.

💡Sprint

In the context of the video, a Sprint is a two-month learning challenge on the Lingoda platform where learners take intensive lessons to make significant progress quickly. It is one of the methods suggested for maintaining and improving language skills, with the potential for earning cashback incentives upon completion.

💡Frequency List

A frequency list is a tool used in language learning that ranks words based on how often they appear in the language. The video suggests using this list to identify and learn new vocabulary, particularly by discussing unfamiliar words with a tutor. It is a practical method for enhancing vocabulary and conversational skills.

💡Anki Flashcards

Anki flashcards are a digital flashcard system that uses spaced repetition to help learners memorize information more effectively. The video recommends creating these flashcards from new vocabulary learned during language lessons, which aids in long-term retention and recall.

💡Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret written text. The video emphasizes reading as a method for learning new vocabulary and understanding sentence structures. It suggests reading a lot and as fast as possible, using context to learn new words, and starting with familiar stories to facilitate comprehension.

💡Audiobooks

Audiobooks are recordings of books read aloud, which the video recommends as a tool for language learning. They help in understanding how the language sounds and can be used in conjunction with reading to enhance comprehension. The script mentions that audiobooks allow listeners to focus on the story rather than individual words.

💡Writing

Writing in a language is a method for activating dormant memories and reinforcing language skills. The video suggests writing about topics of interest or future plans to personalize the language learning process. It also highlights the importance of receiving corrections from native speakers to improve writing skills effectively.

💡Native Speakers

Native speakers are individuals who have grown up speaking a language as their first language. The video emphasizes the importance of interacting with native speakers to avoid learning incorrect language forms and to improve fluency. It mentions platforms like Lingoda where learners can practice speaking with native tutors.

Highlights

Forgetting a language you've learned can be frustrating, but there are methods to prevent this.

Immersing yourself in a language is crucial for remembering it.

The brain retains information better when it is repeated frequently.

Voluntary exposure to a foreign language is necessary when living in a non-native speaking country.

Listening to media in the target language during commutes can be an effective way to practice.

Summarizing what you learn from listening to language content can reinforce memory.

Balancing input and output in language learning is essential for better retention.

Utilizing commute time for language learning can transform daily routines into learning opportunities.

Incorporating speaking practice into daily routines can significantly improve language proficiency.

Engaging with native speakers is key to avoiding learning incorrect language forms.

Lingoda offers language lessons that focus on speaking and real-life conversations.

Lingoda's classes are short, online, and live, providing immediate feedback and correction.

Participating in Lingoda's Sprints can lead to quick language learning progress.

Lingoda's curriculum intertwines language learning with cultural context for a more immersive experience.

Completing Lingoda's Sprint Challenge can earn you cashback, providing motivation and accountability.

Using a frequency list can help initiate conversations and learn new vocabulary.

Creating Anki flashcards from new vocabulary can enhance language retention.

Reading extensively in a foreign language can be an effective way to learn new words and understand sentence structures.

Starting with easy-to-read books in the target language can make language learning more enjoyable.

Listening to audiobooks while reading can improve language comprehension and reading speed.

Lingoda offers reading lessons with native speaking tutors to enhance language learning.

Writing extensively in a foreign language can reactivate dormant memories and neural pathways.

Self-directed writing in a foreign language is a personalized way to learn specific language components.

Getting corrections on writing from native speakers is crucial for language improvement.

Using online platforms like Lingoda to get feedback on writing can be beneficial for language learners.

Practicing writing in a foreign language as much as possible is an excellent way to reinforce language knowledge.

Transcripts

have you ever spent a significant amount

of time learning a language only to

forget it completely later it's a

frustrating experience but it's all too

common despite the effort it takes to

learn a language forgetting it can

happen effortlessly luckily there are

methods to prevent this from happening

let's explore some of them together in

this video one of the most important

things you need to do to remember a

language is to immerse yourself in it as

much as possible your brain has a system

to decide which information to hold and

which to forget the more you repeat a

piece of information the better it

sticks to your memory however when it

comes to foreign languages exposure

doesn't happen naturally if you're

living in a country where that language

isn't spoken this is where voluntary

exposure comes in voluntary exposure

requires a clear system and willpower

but it's key to reaching fluency in any

language one of the easiest way to

achieve this is to listen to YouTube

videos films TV shows audiobooks

podcasts in the language you're learning

on your daily commute the average

American spends 55 minutes commuting to

work making it perfect time to get

exposure to your target language by

defining when and what you're going to

listen to you will be more likely to

stay focused and get the results you

want once you listen to an episode or a

chapter summarize what you have learned

in a couple of sentences this is an

effective way to reinforce your learning

and improve your recall learning is all

about inputting and outputting by doing

both you will be able to remember more

and more with each passing day don't

waste your commute time on mindless

activities like scrolling when you can

use it to benefit yourself and learn a

new language with a little bit of effort

and dedication you can turn your daily

commit into valuable learning

opportunity that will help you achieve

fluency in your target language one of

the quickest way to improve your

language prophecy is by incorporating

speaking practice into your daily

routine the more you speak the more you

will be able to recall and eventually

your fluency will return it's important

to speak with native speakers to avoid

learning in card language and making the

same mistakes as non-native speakers if

you are looking for a great way to

practice with native speakers consider

taking lingoda's language lessons and

speaking with their tutors the classes

are 16 minutes long online and also live

in those lesson you end three to four

classmates will focus on speaking and

real life conversations as well as

learning grammar structures and your

teacher will give you feedback after the

lesson what you can improve and lets you

know what you're already good at it's

important to focus on reiterials and use

the vocabulary list provided by the

tutor you can also turn each mistake you

make and every new word you'll learn

into flashcards this will help reinforce

your learning and make it easier to

recall words later the Sprints are two

month learning challenges where you take

lessons intensively and see big progress

quickly there are two type of Sprints

you can either do Sprint or Super Sprint

lingua teaches four languages group and

private 101 English German French and

Spanish the curriculum is intertwined

with cultural context in real life

language so you can learn the slang

expressions and phrases that native

speakers actually use they can help you

reach conversational level in just two

months and connect with a community so

if you're planning to travel somewhere

else it's the perfect option after

realizing how much German I've forgotten

over the years I took a class to refresh

my knowledge and as a Fulton Creator

it's convenient to be able to choose the

day and time that works best for me I'm

planning to take 15 lessons per month to

get back on track with my German and the

lessons were so fun that it made me want

to study German even more you can follow

the structured curriculum or choose your

classes in your own way additionally if

you complete the spring Challenge and

follow all the rules you can earn a 50

cashback for the Sprint and 100 cashback

for your super Sprint this is a great

incentive to keep you accountable and

motivated to continue click the link

below for more information and use my

code for 20 euros or 25 of your Sprint

registration another helpful tool is a

frequency list you can use this list as

a conversation starter with your tutor

find words you don't know or you're not

familiar with and discuss them with your

tutor make make as many mistakes as you

can and ask your tutor to help you

correct them after discussing the words

with your tutor turn the vocabulary you

would like to learn into Anki flashcards

if you're interested in learning how to

create effective Anki flashcards check

out my free language course in the

description below I have a lesson where

I explain step by step how to create

anky flashcards effectively and help you

improve your language learning learning

new vocabularies or remembering them

doesn't have to be daunting in fact most

of us learn the vast majority of our

native languages worse through Reading

and we can do the same for foreign

language remember we don't need to make

ourselves read really hard books and

look up lots of words in the dictionary

instead we can learn new words just by

understanding how they are used in a

sentence often we learn a new word about

one of ten times we see it we might get

it right away or we might understand it

over time or with the context reading a

lot and as fast as you can is the best

way to learn more words every time you

read a big book like one from Tolstoy or

Twilight you will learn between 300 to 5

500 new books you will also learn a lot

about how sentences work the cool thing

is you don't have to start with hard

books you can start with anything you

like to read the Harry Potter books for

example are written in almost 70

languages and you can find easy to read

love stories or mystery books in every

language pick something you will enjoy

for your first book try to find the

story you already know like a book you

read before or a movie you've seen you

can also listen to an audiobook while

you read which will help you read faster

and understand how the language sounds

audiobooks also let you focus on the

story instead of trying to understand

every single word you don't always need

to know what every word means when you

read books you can ignore the words you

don't know and just enjoy the story as

you read you will learn a lot of new

words understand more about the language

and have fun too if you want to practice

reading with native speakers you can

find reading lessons on the lingoda

platform you will be given a text and

with an experienced native speaking

tutor and three to four other

participants you will break down the

text re read it discuss it learn new

vocabulary and explore new topics the

great thing is that your tutor will

teach you how to effectively read a text

and how not to focus on unnecessary

vocabulary if you're struggling to

figure out which words are important and

which are not these lessons can help you

out writing extensively in that language

can help to reactivate long dormant

memories and neural Pathways you can

write about whatever you want to learn

if you want to learn how to order food

in Italy then write about food

self-directed writing is the ultimate

personalized language class the moment

you try to write about your future trip

without the word trip or future words

you'll learn precisely what bits of

language you're missing writing also

trains you to take the patterns you've

already memorized and actually you use

them this is where you learn to take raw

information and turn into language you

can't learn much from writing without

the source of Corrections you need a

native speaker to come in and tell you

how to say whatever you want to say

fortunately you can find these native

speakers on online like platform like

lingora your tutor will correct your

writing and won't give you a feedback

once you have someone to fix your

mistakes your goal in writing is to make

mistakes you don't need to write a

perfect essay and in fact you will learn

more if you write fast and make few

mistakes try to say what you want to say

and if you don't have the word or

grammar to say it then use Google

Translate or chat GPT to help once you

get your Corrections you will figure out

precisely where your problems are and

you will learn how a native speaker

would express the same ideas this is the

best kind of Hub you could ask for and

it's based on your own writing and

thoughts so it's easier to remember than

anything you could find in a grammar

book but every mistake you get fixed

into your flashcards that way you will

never forget a fix if you're not sure

what to write you can look at lingual

lessons there are a lot of topics you

can choose from you can schedule a class

before the class you will have the

access to the materials because lingoda

gives access to them and you can try to

write as much as possible using the

learning material when you join the

lesson you already know a bit about the

topic and you're more likely to

understand and remember what you have

learned from the Lesson by writing as

much as possible in the language you

will be forcing your brain to recall

grammar rules so calorie idiomatic

expressions and more which can be an

excellent way to reinforce your

understanding of the language ultimately

there is no better way to review and

reinforce your knowledge of a language

than by practicing writing in that

language as much as possible hopefully

these tips help you out and don't forget

to check out the links in the

description below so see you next time