Why you NEVER learned a second language in School - How to actually become FLUENT
Resumen
TLDRThis conversation dives into the intricacies of language learning, emphasizing the importance of exposure to meaningful language contexts rather than relying on traditional grammar-heavy approaches. The speakers critique standard methods of language instruction, suggesting that learners benefit most from comprehensible input, extensive reading, and engaging conversation. The discussion highlights the pitfalls of perfectionism and the need for practical language applications, alongside the role technology plays in modern language acquisition. Overall, they advocate for a more holistic, immersive approach to learning languages, encouraging consistent practice and authentic communication.
Para llevar
- 📚 Focus on massive exposure to language in meaningful contexts.
- 🗣️ Engage in conversation to practice speaking naturally.
- 💡 Learn grammar in context, not as a primary focus.
- 📖 Reading texts with familiar vocabulary aids comprehension.
- 🎮 Be cautious of gamification in language apps; they may not be effective.
- 🌍 Actively seek social interactions in the target language.
- 🧘♂️ Reduce perfectionism to allow for natural language learning.
- 🧑🏫 Look for tutors who emphasize low-pressure learning environments.
- 🌱 Focus on gradual, enjoyable learning rather than quick fixes.
- 🔍 Explore diverse media for input to enhance language skills.
Cronología
- 00:00:00 - 00:05:00
The discussion begins by critiqueing the title 'learn any language in 6 months', acknowledging that while learning a language can be accelerated with focused effort, individual learning curves can greatly vary based on language backgrounds.
- 00:05:00 - 00:10:00
Diane, a multilingual educator, shares her experience in training teachers to assist students who speak languages other than English, highlighting the challenges faced in US classrooms due to lack of effective language instruction methods.
- 00:10:00 - 00:15:00
The conversation addresses the widespread issue of graduates from language classes lacking practical language skills, attributing this to ineffective teaching methods, societal attitudes, and inadequate exposure to real-life language use.
- 00:15:00 - 00:20:00
They discuss the historical focus of language education on memorization and grammar over meaningful communication, noting that many traditional approaches do not foster practical language ability in real-world scenarios.
- 00:20:00 - 00:25:00
Exposure to language in contextual settings is emphasized as crucial for developing conversational skills, suggesting that immersion and meaningful interactions can lead to better retention and usage of the language.
- 00:25:00 - 00:30:00
There is a critique of traditional schooling, especially in the context of English-speaking countries, noting that students face lower motivation to learn due to the prevalence of English globally.
- 00:30:00 - 00:35:00
Diane mentions her experience with self-study in languages, pointing out the importance of consistent exposure to comprehensible input and how personal interests can motivate language acquisition more effectively than standard classroom methods.
- 00:35:00 - 00:40:00
The conversation shifts to the role of output in language learning, mentioning that early speaking should not be forced but practiced in a relaxed manner to avoid anxiety and foster comfort in communicating.
- 00:40:00 - 00:45:00
Writing in a target language is discussed as a useful tool for self-study, aiding in processing and refining thoughts but should not overshadow the importance of practical comprehension activities.
- 00:45:00 - 00:50:00
The effectiveness of reading and listening as input methods is highlighted, especially with the idea of extensive reading where the text should be mostly familiar words to aid comprehension and retention.
- 00:50:00 - 00:58:25
They conclude by discussing the significance of technology and resources in language learning, recognizing that while apps like Duolingo can provide some fun, they do not substitute for genuine language interaction and immersive experiences.
Mapa mental
Vídeo de preguntas y respuestas
What is the key to learning any language quickly?
Massive exposure to language in meaningful contexts is essential.
How can self-study be effectively approached for language learners?
Utilizing varied and comprehensible inputs while gradually increasing exposure to more challenging materials.
What role does grammar play in language learning?
Grammar should be learned in context and as needed, not as a primary focus.
Are language learning apps effective?
Apps can be fun but are often not comprehensive enough for full language acquisition.
What's a good way to maintain multiple languages?
Consistently engage with the languages in your daily life, avoiding English when possible.
How important is listening in language acquisition?
Listening is crucial for developing understanding and speaking abilities in a new language.
How does reading facilitate language learning?
Reading familiar texts helps improve vocabulary retention and comprehension.
What are common mistakes in language learning?
Perfectionism, focusing too much on grammar, and not seeking enough input.
What are effective strategies for finding a language tutor?
Look for tutors who emphasize comprehensible input and low-anxiety environments.
How can motivation impact language learning?
Motivation can significantly enhance learning, especially when using enjoyable materials.
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- 00:00:00I want to say it's it's a little bit of
- 00:00:01a click baity kind of title it's like
- 00:00:03learn any language in 6 months now if
- 00:00:05you only if that's all you're doing for
- 00:00:076 months I I okay you know some
- 00:00:09languages are going to take some folks
- 00:00:11more time because of the language
- 00:00:13background you have and how similar and
- 00:00:15these sorts of things but I think he has
- 00:00:16a lot of good ideas in there and one is
- 00:00:18massive uh quantities of exposure to
- 00:00:21language in meaningful context so input
- 00:00:31Diane how's it going good how are you
- 00:00:35I'm doing well I'm doing well today we
- 00:00:38are going to solve the language problem
- 00:00:40if that's even
- 00:00:42possible well you know what is is is
- 00:00:45funny it is not simple by no means
- 00:00:48however there are definitely as we
- 00:00:50talked about before this some things
- 00:00:53that can help and some things that
- 00:00:55probably we've been doing that probably
- 00:00:57aren't helping just like any Endeavor
- 00:00:59and that's all
- 00:01:00I'm seeking to do with these
- 00:01:02conversations so as there are some
- 00:01:05principles it's not yeah easy to solve
- 00:01:08but there are some things that we know
- 00:01:10do help and do hinder so yes okay
- 00:01:13perfect right and so why don't you tell
- 00:01:15everybody who you are and and uh why you
- 00:01:18have such a love of language sure um I
- 00:01:21have had a a number of different phases
- 00:01:23in my life at this point I most recently
- 00:01:26have been a university professor in
- 00:01:29multilingual education so I'm helping to
- 00:01:31train teachers to work with kids whose
- 00:01:35language first language might not be
- 00:01:37English so they're um being able to help
- 00:01:40adapt the way that they conduct
- 00:01:42instruction so those kids really succeed
- 00:01:44and get both the content learning and
- 00:01:46the language learning at the same time
- 00:01:48in a regular classroom in the US which
- 00:01:50is very challenging can you give us a
- 00:01:53good background of within modern
- 00:01:57language learning and teaching
- 00:02:00what's wrong why why how come
- 00:02:04nobody I speak to who's taken a language
- 00:02:07class for four to 6 years has any grasp
- 00:02:12of the language if they've come through
- 00:02:14General schooling sense and this is
- 00:02:17worldwide yeah yeah it's it's a very sad
- 00:02:21problem and occasionally folks like
- 00:02:24start there and then they succeed
- 00:02:26because they ended up doing something
- 00:02:28else they live in a place where the
- 00:02:30language was spoken they they got hooked
- 00:02:32on a TV series and they just binge
- 00:02:35watched that TV series and suddenly
- 00:02:36they're able to speak and like but then
- 00:02:40they don't go back and critique what
- 00:02:41happened in the school and so teachers
- 00:02:44keep reproducing this and maybe because
- 00:02:46of what you just said about Stakes being
- 00:02:48lower in like people are not usually
- 00:02:52dying because of language instruction
- 00:02:55not going well thankfully that's not the
- 00:02:57stakes that we're we're we're dealing
- 00:02:59with but in terms of functional
- 00:03:01communication ability where're we're we
- 00:03:03have a great potential and it's not
- 00:03:05being achieved in schools very well and
- 00:03:07I think there's a few reasons for that
- 00:03:11um I think there are some social factors
- 00:03:14just societally how how much do we
- 00:03:16prioritize this as societies but you're
- 00:03:19in Europe and I think they prioritize
- 00:03:21language much more but sometimes are not
- 00:03:23achieving through school um the kind of
- 00:03:26results that the time on task should
- 00:03:28show I think here in the
- 00:03:30us a lot of the traditional approach to
- 00:03:33language learning has been very focused
- 00:03:35on looking academic so that it feels
- 00:03:38more
- 00:03:39um it's like it has more Prestige I
- 00:03:42think in education language has been
- 00:03:45kind of shunted off to the side it's not
- 00:03:47looked on as as rigorous an academic
- 00:03:50Endeavor as like science or math or even
- 00:03:53writing in English classes um because
- 00:03:57some World language classes I think took
- 00:03:59took an approach that was very um I'll
- 00:04:03use the term behaviorism so BF Skinner
- 00:04:06kind of thing like do something repeat
- 00:04:08it make it into a habit and so you can
- 00:04:11kind of drill in just a few little bits
- 00:04:13of information in your head that way for
- 00:04:16a short time at least most people um
- 00:04:18some of them can retain it longer um but
- 00:04:20but most people will just be able to
- 00:04:23then tell you 20 years later like Ola K
- 00:04:27and yeah that kind of experience so like
- 00:04:29that sort of approach was used a lot and
- 00:04:32it still happens a lot so if you were
- 00:04:34used to having your teacher have you
- 00:04:36repeat after them if you were memorizing
- 00:04:39dialogues or at least reading them off
- 00:04:41the page and then your teacher treated
- 00:04:43that like well now you can go have a
- 00:04:45conversation with someone on that topic
- 00:04:47it's like you you were getting like um
- 00:04:51kind of little chunks that don't go
- 00:04:54anywhere and don't develop a system in
- 00:04:55your mind and so you had bits but they
- 00:04:59didn't all get pieced together and so
- 00:05:01your brain more easily loses those bits
- 00:05:03over time um the other problem I think
- 00:05:07is that we do a lot of language analysis
- 00:05:08and Linguistics in a language class
- 00:05:11rather than doing language development
- 00:05:13language acquisition in a language class
- 00:05:16and some of this is just I think
- 00:05:18historically people wanted to do
- 00:05:21different things with language in in 200
- 00:05:23years ago it wasn't as common for people
- 00:05:25to go around the world or have
- 00:05:27opportunity to speak and to listen to
- 00:05:29people from all over you read and so if
- 00:05:32you were going to take an approach that
- 00:05:33was good at helping you read and analyze
- 00:05:35grammar and really parse what does this
- 00:05:37really mean slowly and carefully you get
- 00:05:40grammar translation approach and that's
- 00:05:43helpful if what your goal is is just
- 00:05:45that but but again if your goal is like
- 00:05:48unrehearsed spontaneous ability to
- 00:05:51understand to interpret messages to
- 00:05:53express messages and to go back and
- 00:05:55forth between them so I'm going to refer
- 00:05:57like indirectly there to buildin patents
- 00:05:59definition of
- 00:06:01communication like that if that's the
- 00:06:03goal then we need to do things that
- 00:06:05produce that we need to actually do that
- 00:06:09in the classroom in a in a way that's
- 00:06:11going to really be sheltered and
- 00:06:14friendly to the students age and their
- 00:06:16prior proficiency level and all those
- 00:06:18sorts of things but um that's yeah how's
- 00:06:22how's that that is yes yes I mean you've
- 00:06:25done a great job of summoning it up
- 00:06:26because like we said it is massively
- 00:06:28complex and much like you said in having
- 00:06:32some discussions I understand what with
- 00:06:34the Americans Australians in the UK with
- 00:06:37the predominance of English in the world
- 00:06:39there's less motivation to do so and
- 00:06:41then you could just kind of like close
- 00:06:43the book oh okay Americans don't learn
- 00:06:45languages because they speak English and
- 00:06:47everybody speaks English so they don't
- 00:06:48care but then you like you said you I'm
- 00:06:50in I'm in Europe and over here in the
- 00:06:52Balkans right now in
- 00:06:55Croatia and yes people do hear they
- 00:06:58speak Croatian and majority do speak
- 00:07:00English but that's not what they studied
- 00:07:02in school they spent four to six years
- 00:07:04studying a lot of them German many
- 00:07:07French and once you come to that same
- 00:07:10they they're doing what you just said
- 00:07:11and that's what's happening in the
- 00:07:12course in their courses and been going
- 00:07:15on for some time now and so I would I
- 00:07:17would even go now to ask you an an
- 00:07:19interesting question I'm not sure if
- 00:07:21you've actually I'm sure you actually
- 00:07:23have some some data and experience with
- 00:07:25this the school system is one thing and
- 00:07:27I want to shift just for a second to
- 00:07:29talk about about selfstudy which is how
- 00:07:31like you said a lot of these people they
- 00:07:33may have started in school I could even
- 00:07:34say to some small degree I started
- 00:07:36Spanish in school but I was really I had
- 00:07:38a high Proficiency in Spanish and I took
- 00:07:40it for the easy a I Would by no means
- 00:07:43say that school taught me Spanish how
- 00:07:45would you like to see people go about
- 00:07:47selfstudy in learning a language yeah
- 00:07:51it's uh one of the people that I think
- 00:07:53sum sum it up pretty well I think is
- 00:07:55Chris Lonsdale I think he's from New
- 00:07:58Zealand it's like a
- 00:08:00I I want to say it's it's a little bit
- 00:08:01of a click baity kind of title it's like
- 00:08:03learn any language in six months now if
- 00:08:06you only if that's all you're doing for
- 00:08:08six months I I okay you know some
- 00:08:11languages are going to take some folks
- 00:08:12more time because of the language
- 00:08:14background you have and how similar and
- 00:08:16these sorts of things but I think he has
- 00:08:18a lot of good ideas in there and one is
- 00:08:20massive uh quantities of exposure to
- 00:08:23language in meaningful contexts so input
- 00:08:27um the but but you notice the way I that
- 00:08:30so sometimes I see people talk about
- 00:08:32comprehensible input as if it means um
- 00:08:36kind of what I described at the
- 00:08:37beginning where it was you know I've got
- 00:08:40this one conversation in a textbook and
- 00:08:41I'm going to just reread it and reread
- 00:08:43it and reread it like that's only giving
- 00:08:45you these little bricks it's not
- 00:08:48building a whole system so you need
- 00:08:51varied contexts of exposure to the same
- 00:08:54words and that sheltered kind of thing
- 00:08:56so you're not getting a barrage of all
- 00:08:59all the language but you're getting kind
- 00:09:01of a a carefully crafted curated version
- 00:09:04for you and to get that parents do it
- 00:09:06really well with their
- 00:09:08infants and some teachers do it some
- 00:09:12tutors do it some friends would do that
- 00:09:14so it's his idea is like it's a language
- 00:09:17parent that you want to be able to um
- 00:09:20somebody that's sympathetic to you cares
- 00:09:22about you willing to listen to you with
- 00:09:24just very very limited language skills
- 00:09:26and willing to talk to you in a way
- 00:09:28until you can understand them so that
- 00:09:30you're getting comprehensible input from
- 00:09:32that um
- 00:09:34so that is huge and that's like 85 to
- 00:09:3995% of the the issue I think um at least
- 00:09:44so yeah and then in terms of like
- 00:09:46developing your own ability to
- 00:09:49express this might take a little honing
- 00:09:51here and there I think but but basically
- 00:09:54it's getting lots and lots of
- 00:09:56opportunity to to hear a language you
- 00:09:58can understand
- 00:10:00and naturally to develop your ability to
- 00:10:03speak and respond in
- 00:10:05context and uh and what's amazing now is
- 00:10:08that the world we live in finding
- 00:10:11materials for those major languages is
- 00:10:13virtually simple a lot of them yeah if
- 00:10:16you know how to look yeah if you know
- 00:10:18how to look and that is a second issue
- 00:10:20that does have to continue to be
- 00:10:22addressed but the first issue like you
- 00:10:24said is if we take two students and we
- 00:10:28have one study the rules for language
- 00:10:30and we have another one essentially
- 00:10:31getting good input that they can
- 00:10:33understand uh in a relaxed State and
- 00:10:36then not feeling forced to do it and
- 00:10:38then we help them we ease them into
- 00:10:40certain subjects we keep them in one
- 00:10:42subject for a few days and then we move
- 00:10:44on out of that and leave that for a
- 00:10:45little bit and go over here and kind of
- 00:10:47shelter their their way understanding
- 00:10:49this system the two people after
- 00:10:52honestly a month and I've seen it
- 00:10:54actually because we do have a couple
- 00:10:55guys in our in our company that have
- 00:10:57moved over here and you know one guy not
- 00:11:00knowing what to do kind of just they we
- 00:11:02fall back on the traditional method
- 00:11:03because we don't know anything else
- 00:11:05exactly teachers do that too okay what
- 00:11:08you make sense yeah yeah yeah it's hard
- 00:11:11to get it without the experience of
- 00:11:13somebody guiding you through it because
- 00:11:14that you're your muscle memory is all
- 00:11:16about that whatever you grew up
- 00:11:18experiencing so yeah and so yeah the two
- 00:11:21the two the two are they're light years
- 00:11:23apart they're light years apart and it's
- 00:11:25it's amazing what you can do in very
- 00:11:27little short period of time obviously
- 00:11:28because the world we live in I know uh
- 00:11:31everything is learn this language in 3
- 00:11:33days and 7 days and whatever uh in 30
- 00:11:36days but it's actually quite crazy what
- 00:11:39you can do to your brain if you set it
- 00:11:41up especially within input you'll have a
- 00:11:44level of because it's so hard you have
- 00:11:46this anxious thing if you study the
- 00:11:48rules you're just trying to you're
- 00:11:49trying to you're trying to work on
- 00:11:51accuracy you're you're not doing it
- 00:11:53you're just not doing it and so yeah
- 00:11:55know can I can I throw a little bit of a
- 00:11:57third third angle cuz there are there
- 00:12:00are people who say you're right yeah
- 00:12:01this grammar study stuff memorization of
- 00:12:04grammar rules trying to apply grammar
- 00:12:05rules you're right that's that doesn't
- 00:12:07do it but input's just a model and what
- 00:12:09you really need to do is start hurry up
- 00:12:11and practice speaking and this one I
- 00:12:14don't know I you might think a little
- 00:12:15differently than I do on this and that's
- 00:12:17okay with me but
- 00:12:18the I see it the the hard push to early
- 00:12:24output is still a mistake if students
- 00:12:28are wanting to say things I think
- 00:12:30helping them understand the process of
- 00:12:32the whole picture of language
- 00:12:34acquisition is going to be more helpful
- 00:12:36not to shut them down absolutely not but
- 00:12:39if what they're thinking is I got to say
- 00:12:41it I got to say it I have to make myself
- 00:12:43talk more or I'm not going to get it
- 00:12:45like just relax a little bit and and
- 00:12:47trust a process that's going to maybe
- 00:12:49look a little uh look a little rough at
- 00:12:52first when you're first starting to
- 00:12:53speak I don't think that early speaking
- 00:12:55is a harm if you're letting it just kind
- 00:12:58of fall out of your mouth but if you're
- 00:13:01trying to really H now there's an
- 00:13:05exception and that is if you are about
- 00:13:07to travel somewhere or you know I've got
- 00:13:09to operate at a level beyond my real
- 00:13:12proficiency because I need to be able to
- 00:13:14ask where's the bathroom or I need to go
- 00:13:16up to that counter at the bank and and
- 00:13:19put my check into my new account like if
- 00:13:21you're in a place where you need to have
- 00:13:23this certain function you can drill that
- 00:13:25in again like that little bit it'll last
- 00:13:28with you for a little while but if what
- 00:13:30your goal is is to be able to
- 00:13:31communicate in the language in a
- 00:13:32holistic way and participate in the
- 00:13:35language Community rather than just you
- 00:13:38know targeted strikes to get something
- 00:13:40done um then then I think there's
- 00:13:43nothing like a really strong input based
- 00:13:46approach yeah I actually agree the thing
- 00:13:49where I use it and I this is probably
- 00:13:51similar to what you just said I guess I
- 00:13:53say it
- 00:13:54differently if you're talking you're not
- 00:13:56listening and you don't know the
- 00:13:58language so you have to shut
- 00:14:01up that's a great that's great you know
- 00:14:04you don't know the language and you
- 00:14:06can't tell them what the language is you
- 00:14:07have to listen first and so the
- 00:14:10overwhelming 95 I put myself with with I
- 00:14:14would say let's say a somewhat nurtured
- 00:14:17social ability and after so many
- 00:14:18languages yes I know I can break the
- 00:14:20rules and stuff like this but I'm I'm
- 00:14:22moving on to my 10th proficient language
- 00:14:25and so it doesn't the beginner rules
- 00:14:27don't necessarily apply to me but if I
- 00:14:29was TR trying to tell someone what I
- 00:14:31tell them output number one you you
- 00:14:34should be seeking to communicate because
- 00:14:36what you said about parents being great
- 00:14:37with their infants the kid wants to
- 00:14:40communicate they don't have the things
- 00:14:41but they might point they might nod yeah
- 00:14:44and that is what I think is great
- 00:14:46anything that that for your output
- 00:14:48that's giving you a connection to your
- 00:14:50input or allowing you to get more input
- 00:14:52that you understand that's what I
- 00:14:54consider good to do at the beginning but
- 00:14:57otherwise don't need to pron say this
- 00:15:00and do don't have to do any of that
- 00:15:01unless like you said I want to go there
- 00:15:03I'm going to a football game I want to
- 00:15:05know how to say who's that plane what
- 00:15:07time is it what's the score and then I
- 00:15:10think those things as you if you do
- 00:15:12happen to continue to be in those
- 00:15:13environments you might learn them
- 00:15:14quicker by engaging an output and input
- 00:15:17just because of that potentially but as
- 00:15:20an overall thing nothing takes you to
- 00:15:24another level than having that that
- 00:15:26input and what you said about listening
- 00:15:29you know I just shut up um I have a
- 00:15:31friend Reed rigs who says that you know
- 00:15:33too you're you're also kind of a jerk if
- 00:15:35you're always going around trying to
- 00:15:37talk at people like cuz I'm I'm here to
- 00:15:40practice my language you know that that
- 00:15:42phrase practicing language kind of gets
- 00:15:44to me because I think it's so often that
- 00:15:45sort of a thing like that and a
- 00:15:48misunderstanding of the way that you
- 00:15:50really develop language so completely I
- 00:15:52think I think like you said I think that
- 00:15:55output can do something for you to get
- 00:15:57something back and
- 00:15:59that kind of Silent or head nod sort of
- 00:16:03interaction with people counts that
- 00:16:06matters it it it I think it's great it
- 00:16:08keeps you engaged and you know it shows
- 00:16:11the other person that okay this level of
- 00:16:13communication that I'm using with you is
- 00:16:15working for you I see you understand I
- 00:16:17see you connect I see you you know maybe
- 00:16:19these little other little primer words
- 00:16:21like why or when you know and and that
- 00:16:24allows you to communicate and feel like
- 00:16:27you've won in a conversation and I think
- 00:16:28that's that's so important yeah yeah
- 00:16:30it's motiv motivational when it's like
- 00:16:33that what's that say it again it's
- 00:16:35motivational when you have reasons to do
- 00:16:37it like that huge thing versus
- 00:16:40demotivational where you're focused on
- 00:16:42accuracy and you production for its own
- 00:16:45sake yeah uh um now I would like to to
- 00:16:51to maybe go with the ideas of where do
- 00:16:54you where do you see writing and reading
- 00:16:57on your scill for input I mean obviously
- 00:16:59writing is not necessarily input
- 00:17:01obviously M where do you see reading and
- 00:17:05writing right um yeah here there is a
- 00:17:09lot of research on benefits from reading
- 00:17:12and I'm thinking of a whole book called
- 00:17:15reading in a second language by William
- 00:17:17gra um which I I love that book and I I
- 00:17:20joked afterwards that you know it could
- 00:17:23be a a drinking game where every time he
- 00:17:26says extensive reading in the book you
- 00:17:28know
- 00:17:29because every single chapter had at
- 00:17:31least one mention and one chapter was
- 00:17:32entirely about F okay so the the idea of
- 00:17:36getting that same kind of breadth of
- 00:17:38input in written form as you are getting
- 00:17:41orally I think is it's very solid and I
- 00:17:45think the difference there from
- 00:17:47listening is reading slows down you go
- 00:17:50at your own pace you have a little bit
- 00:17:52more control with it and so if if at all
- 00:17:55possible read in the language it does I
- 00:17:58think take some help in some languages
- 00:18:01even more than others and so if you are
- 00:18:03not reading in the same script
- 00:18:05approximately like if you're an English
- 00:18:07speaker and now you're reading in
- 00:18:10Spanish or in French or German you can
- 00:18:13think you're sounding out the words you
- 00:18:15still want to be able to connect it to
- 00:18:16what you've heard um but if you're
- 00:18:18looking at a new script you're probably
- 00:18:20going to need some help and so Arabic um
- 00:18:24Hebrew Greek things like that um Chinese
- 00:18:28and Japanese especially so where there's
- 00:18:31not you can't leverage your way in and
- 00:18:33then just sound it out in Chinese
- 00:18:36particularly um but but there are more
- 00:18:38burdensome ways to do that and then
- 00:18:40there are ways that are going to be a
- 00:18:42little more connected to your your oral
- 00:18:44language and your oral language and so I
- 00:18:46would look for those um so I I think
- 00:18:50regardless of the language it's going to
- 00:18:51be helpful and very powerful if you read
- 00:18:54texts again that are written at a level
- 00:18:56that is close to what you already can
- 00:18:59understand extremely well just a little
- 00:19:01bit of new stuff in there so that it's
- 00:19:04it's not demotivating but also so your
- 00:19:06brain is able to pick up a little bit
- 00:19:08and that like in the William grade book
- 00:19:10and research on extensive reading it's
- 00:19:1498% familiar words in a text which is
- 00:19:17way higher than most people think you
- 00:19:19some you know sometimes for a tolerance
- 00:19:21level some people don't mind so much a
- 00:19:24little lower than that but in terms of
- 00:19:26research of actual comprehension of a
- 00:19:28text
- 00:19:29and vocabulary development like if you
- 00:19:32look at Paul nation's work he does Lots
- 00:19:34on vocabulary acquisition and a lot of
- 00:19:37what he's pointing to is that kind of
- 00:19:38level of reading it's been done in
- 00:19:40Chinese too so Helen Chun did a study on
- 00:19:43the same kinds of issues and you know to
- 00:19:46get a reasonable level of reading
- 00:19:47comprehension after a text it was 98% of
- 00:19:50familiar words to the reader I'm trying
- 00:19:53to match while you say that I'm trying
- 00:19:54to match with the with the reading and
- 00:19:56stuff that I do I definitely give myself
- 00:19:58a little bit of leeway the place where I
- 00:20:00did it in order to level up because I we
- 00:20:03haven't even talked about it and we will
- 00:20:04but you know there are phases to
- 00:20:06language learning as we all know you're
- 00:20:07the complete beginner you're beginner
- 00:20:09you're intermediate or maybe even
- 00:20:10pre-intermediate if you want to get
- 00:20:11crazy intermediate and then there's that
- 00:20:14terrible Zone the intermediate slump is
- 00:20:17that what you're going to call it yeah
- 00:20:18oh my God you know a lot of people don't
- 00:20:22get there I think you know many people
- 00:20:24do if you're really into the language
- 00:20:25you will get there and you will
- 00:20:27understand hopefully because if you
- 00:20:29don't it's completely demotivating you
- 00:20:31will just hang out there and you run the
- 00:20:33risk of staying there forever if you
- 00:20:35don't change your stratey A lot of
- 00:20:38people do because they're busy you know
- 00:20:40they they got to the point where they
- 00:20:42can function in daily life that's where
- 00:20:44I think that low intermediate kind of
- 00:20:45thing is like you can get done what you
- 00:20:47need to for eating traveling you know
- 00:20:51but but in terms of like professional
- 00:20:53level or cultural things or things with
- 00:20:56a lot more specific vocabulary you're
- 00:20:58going to be left out at that point yeah
- 00:21:00yeah yeah it's just not going to happen
- 00:21:02and and so I was trying to match up what
- 00:21:04I did in Italian and I have some leeway
- 00:21:06because of Spanish and obviously English
- 00:21:08being my mother tongue and you know to
- 00:21:10some so I can figure out some words but
- 00:21:12I I think the I was somewhere recognized
- 00:21:16at at a certain point with Italian that
- 00:21:18I was there at this point where it's
- 00:21:19like I can't I can't listen to this
- 00:21:21political speech at all but I seem to be
- 00:21:24okay hanging out with friends like kind
- 00:21:26of you know in a setting yep that's in
- 00:21:30the actual scale the the US language
- 00:21:32Educators Association like they have a
- 00:21:35proficiency level thing I don't know how
- 00:21:36familiar you are with those but that
- 00:21:39that that is what they call the
- 00:21:40intermediate low intermediate mid kind
- 00:21:43of that that's the range where you're
- 00:21:44you got good daily life skills yes okay
- 00:21:48yeah and so I started reading and it's
- 00:21:50really funny because it the same thing
- 00:21:52will happen also just with the general
- 00:21:54input method is it's kind of like you
- 00:21:57wake up one day and you're like I
- 00:22:01understand and like my brain makes a
- 00:22:03switch it's just you know I'm sure if we
- 00:22:05could watch it in real time with the
- 00:22:07brain you could see the neurons firing
- 00:22:08and kind of being a little bit weaker
- 00:22:10and then and you continue to do this
- 00:22:12reading you continue to do this reading
- 00:22:13continue to this read and somehow at
- 00:22:14some point it becomes quite strong and
- 00:22:17as you start to read more and as you
- 00:22:18start to meet more more things from the
- 00:22:21language that you don't even know your
- 00:22:22ability to understand them or guess
- 00:22:25guess you know like that is is enormous
- 00:22:28it becomes enormous you become like a
- 00:22:29huge sponge and you can just jump into
- 00:22:32things that are completely unknown and
- 00:22:34and Come Away with those with that that
- 00:22:37conversation completely knowing and
- 00:22:38learning and even participating in the
- 00:22:41the whole whole thing and and reading
- 00:22:44definitely does whenever I know I need
- 00:22:46to to level up that's where I turn to a
- 00:22:49lot cool cool yeah that makes sense to
- 00:22:52me but I don't know if I've heard
- 00:22:53somebody say it that way yeah because
- 00:22:56there are a lot of things that one can
- 00:22:57do and it's not that I don't do that's
- 00:22:59the only thing that I do but i' I've
- 00:23:00noticed because I I do like to read
- 00:23:02which is another big point right if you
- 00:23:03don't like to read might be a big issue
- 00:23:05but I do uh I think if you don't like to
- 00:23:08read I I would say try audio books and
- 00:23:11follow the text yeah and like do
- 00:23:13something that's going to be the same
- 00:23:15kind of yeah yeah what do you think
- 00:23:18about uh journaling writing your
- 00:23:21thoughts when would you try and do that
- 00:23:24you know once again for the self-study
- 00:23:26person what do you think I know I have
- 00:23:28done that myself when I came back from
- 00:23:30China just because I wanted to force
- 00:23:32myself to think in Chinese after I came
- 00:23:34back to the States and I didn't have
- 00:23:35other opportunities yet hadn't found a
- 00:23:37Chinese Community to be a part of that
- 00:23:39sort of thing so um I mean for those
- 00:23:42reasons sure and if you enjoy
- 00:23:45handwriting write it by hand and if
- 00:23:47you're just you know if you want to type
- 00:23:50that's great but again I think it's more
- 00:23:53like that's where I would put it at a a
- 00:23:55smaller amount of of time MH um so it's
- 00:24:00it's forcing you to rethink and retrieve
- 00:24:02knowledge and it might help you show
- 00:24:05some spots that I I don't think I know
- 00:24:07how to say this right oh I feel
- 00:24:09unconfident about that so I'm going to
- 00:24:10go do something to hear that kind of
- 00:24:13content again um or I'm going to look
- 00:24:16that one up and see if did I phrase this
- 00:24:18in a way people are going to understand
- 00:24:19me or that sort of thing but um yeah so
- 00:24:24I that's if it's fun what great if it's
- 00:24:26yeah yeah it's it's definitely it's
- 00:24:27helpful do end up because of the the
- 00:24:30amount of languages that I have to do I
- 00:24:31will situations in my life are governed
- 00:24:34by certain languages certain notes and
- 00:24:37certain things they become and if you
- 00:24:40let them at first it's very annoying
- 00:24:41because you just want to write in
- 00:24:43whatever language is simple and easiest
- 00:24:46to you but if you force yourself with a
- 00:24:49you know a soft force it really becomes
- 00:24:53hard to move away from it when you when
- 00:24:56you're in a social situation or
- 00:24:57something you know you get like the
- 00:24:58mental habit there totally totally so I
- 00:25:01write I will write certain things this
- 00:25:02note it's an Italian and because I
- 00:25:04didn't want to lose uh my ability to
- 00:25:06read cilc when I moved to Serbia and
- 00:25:08moved away I would write my notes then
- 00:25:11in cilc and I would even challenge my
- 00:25:13brain even more because I maybe I'm a
- 00:25:15little crazy I would write in cilic
- 00:25:17sounding them out I would write with
- 00:25:19cilic Serbian letters but I would write
- 00:25:21in French wow yeah just to keep that
- 00:25:24writing script in your mind just to keep
- 00:25:27the script it's a double working a bit
- 00:25:28crazy you know uh but but it's it's it's
- 00:25:30a challenge and that's that's what I
- 00:25:32enjoyed that's a a language L right
- 00:25:35there yeah that's it I chose to do that
- 00:25:38that's not one yeah uh so what about
- 00:25:42grammar overall when do you have a look
- 00:25:46at anything or what are you thinking
- 00:25:47about because each language is different
- 00:25:49you know I mean Chinese for instance
- 00:25:52isn't going to deal with these long
- 00:25:54conjugation lists let's say right I love
- 00:25:57that what do you what do you think for
- 00:25:59people if they want to have a look at
- 00:26:01grammar or when they should if they feel
- 00:26:04a plateau maybe even I don't know yeah
- 00:26:06yeah again I think it's it where I I
- 00:26:09personally in teaching and where I want
- 00:26:12it myself as a learner that I find is is
- 00:26:15in the moment of need so is there
- 00:26:17something that's going to confuse you
- 00:26:19because wait why is it worded here this
- 00:26:22way or what is this going on with this
- 00:26:23form in the end of these words or or why
- 00:26:26is that word now in front of the verb
- 00:26:28instead you know like those sorts of
- 00:26:29questions if somebody can tell you oh
- 00:26:32this does this here to me that's the
- 00:26:34very best grammar instruction so it's
- 00:26:37really tied into meaning and it's in the
- 00:26:39moment of you're you're either confused
- 00:26:42by something or the teacher might even
- 00:26:44know uh if I don't note this thing they
- 00:26:47might misinterpret here and so those are
- 00:26:50the places that I really do it the most
- 00:26:52if you're trying to get to the level
- 00:26:54where now you're writing a message and
- 00:26:57you're like wait I I want to say this
- 00:26:59this this way uh is my message going to
- 00:27:02get clearly across well then I think
- 00:27:05checking like a a grammar Wiki or
- 00:27:07something like that or I've used chat
- 00:27:10GPT to Ed some of my Chinese so just to
- 00:27:13like proofread it like how clearly have
- 00:27:16I stated this and that was the prompt I
- 00:27:18gave it don't change the tone um but but
- 00:27:21um help point out anything that might
- 00:27:23not seem flowing and clear right and and
- 00:27:29I will sometimes get something back and
- 00:27:31it's often it's helpful to me cuz I
- 00:27:33understand that but like that wasn't the
- 00:27:35way I thought to say it so those kinds
- 00:27:37of issues where you're refining your
- 00:27:38writing you're confused by something you
- 00:27:41perceive in the language or you could be
- 00:27:44confused by it um and then just getting
- 00:27:47that over time over time over time again
- 00:27:49like that too I see as something that's
- 00:27:52statistical learning it's not once and
- 00:27:55done like I think that old school
- 00:27:58mindset was very much well now we've
- 00:28:00learned the present tense next year
- 00:28:02you'll learn the past tense the simple
- 00:28:04past and then you'll yeah and so I think
- 00:28:07that looking no it's it's a process over
- 00:28:11time yeah that's so great to call it in
- 00:28:14the moment of need and that is truly the
- 00:28:16best because then you're you're at your
- 00:28:18high you're at your highest motivation
- 00:28:20in order to understand the concept
- 00:28:21rather than when I just said today past
- 00:28:24participles tomorrow adjectives but not
- 00:28:27not normal ones when when they when they
- 00:28:28happened to be before the BB and after
- 00:28:30you know and and so yeah that's a great
- 00:28:33way to go about this uh so if anyone is
- 00:28:35is watching and listening to this if you
- 00:28:37haven't yet taken this method and I know
- 00:28:40it feels awkward to think I'm just going
- 00:28:42to leave grammar or leave trying to
- 00:28:44understand the rules which I I know is
- 00:28:46is hard for some to just think just
- 00:28:48ignore it just ignore it yeah and where
- 00:28:50I see it like the most often is somebody
- 00:28:52who's got a kind of analytical mind like
- 00:28:55honestly people who are Engineers or
- 00:28:56drawn to engineering Fields like a lot
- 00:28:59of folks like that they they want to
- 00:29:01have it be very clear unfortunately
- 00:29:03languages just aren't quite that clear
- 00:29:06so even if you get rules the you know
- 00:29:09English is famous for exceptions to
- 00:29:11rules but all languages are like that
- 00:29:13there's sort of General patterns you
- 00:29:15might perceive but don't lock in like
- 00:29:18see I I saw this thing now I'm going to
- 00:29:20produce it this way and it's always
- 00:29:21going to be like correct I know that is
- 00:29:25so so true too if you you allow me this
- 00:29:27is a story that I think you actually
- 00:29:30will appreciate that can actually lend
- 00:29:32something to maybe some of your your
- 00:29:34your learners I my early days because it
- 00:29:36was quite early learning German someone
- 00:29:38had told me or I had picked up somewhere
- 00:29:40that the grammar for German is a mess
- 00:29:42and quite difficult right word order
- 00:29:45changes and it's it's it's all over the
- 00:29:47place because of that I decided Well I
- 00:29:50will just attack the grammar hardcore
- 00:29:53I'll go straight in and I'll learn all
- 00:29:55the rules and I set myself back ages
- 00:29:59ages as far as speaking and
- 00:30:00communicating yeah what I still retain
- 00:30:03today because of my obsession with
- 00:30:06language and my the I knew that I would
- 00:30:08never stop and I continued to study
- 00:30:09German to this day
- 00:30:11um was I still I know I know these odd
- 00:30:15rules I know the dative you know I even
- 00:30:18dative I'm saying it in in
- 00:30:20German I know these little rules and
- 00:30:23things like that and so I can actually
- 00:30:26be my own chat
- 00:30:28and when I have a sentence I run through
- 00:30:30all the
- 00:30:32exceptions okay that's got to be ad
- 00:30:35dative preposition after it and but it's
- 00:30:38it's nothing I would ever want to yeah
- 00:30:40it's not a conver it doesn't work like
- 00:30:43I'm I'm proof of that it doesn't work I
- 00:30:45know the exceptions I know them but when
- 00:30:46I'm speaking I don't have time right
- 00:30:48it's only when I'm thinking before
- 00:30:49writing a message yeah that I get the
- 00:30:51luxury of doing so so yeah this is what
- 00:30:53stepen crashing calls the
- 00:30:55monitor like his his idea of like where
- 00:30:58that's when you have time to edit that's
- 00:31:00the only place that you really that kind
- 00:31:02of instruction can help so yeah yeah
- 00:31:05it's not in speaking it's not in
- 00:31:06listening it's maybe in editing and
- 00:31:09polishing something that you're
- 00:31:11preparing to present later yeah there
- 00:31:13you go yeah what do you what do you
- 00:31:15think about you just mentioned chat TPT
- 00:31:18so I want to actually there are two
- 00:31:20parts of technology that I want to go to
- 00:31:21let's first deal with chat GPT and how
- 00:31:23you would or do use that if for a
- 00:31:26beginner so regardless of what you
- 00:31:27obviously you're very you're excellent a
- 00:31:29Chinese what about a beginner do you
- 00:31:31have you found anything or what are your
- 00:31:33thoughts there yeah I I would have to
- 00:31:36know more about some AI options I hear
- 00:31:39people say that there are some that are
- 00:31:41good at like scaling down interaction
- 00:31:44and I I just don't remember the the name
- 00:31:46of it I haven't tried it where where I
- 00:31:49see the problems with chat GPT is asking
- 00:31:53grammar questions it last I heard it was
- 00:31:56still spouting back some things that are
- 00:31:58not
- 00:31:59reliable so yeah for Chinese anyway and
- 00:32:02again how how
- 00:32:04much where are they getting the
- 00:32:06information for that and I know that the
- 00:32:08model is getting better but I don't
- 00:32:10fully trust that kind of precise answer
- 00:32:13now I having said you know I'm using it
- 00:32:15to sort of edit my own polish my own
- 00:32:17writing but there I think you are going
- 00:32:19to get language samples when you're it
- 00:32:22can take a multiplicity of actual texts
- 00:32:24and compare what I've said to the way
- 00:32:26that others have put a similar idea but
- 00:32:29if it's going to be asking it for tell
- 00:32:32me why is this a thing in your own home
- 00:32:37language you know like well that's gonna
- 00:32:39kind of tough I don't I don't I don't
- 00:32:41trust it what I do think could be good
- 00:32:45maybe and it's maybe at that
- 00:32:47intermediate level where if you're
- 00:32:49getting if you want to converse so to
- 00:32:52speak in in the language that you're
- 00:32:54learning with an AI model I think that
- 00:32:56could be fun mhm but but it's not all
- 00:33:00that good at grading its content for you
- 00:33:03so if you're a total beginner I don't
- 00:33:06think that's the place to go I would
- 00:33:08look for like people on video talking to
- 00:33:11beginning
- 00:33:12Learners yeah those sorts of things yeah
- 00:33:15or people a teacher that does like very
- 00:33:18that kind of instruction especi or a
- 00:33:21friend a tutor somebody willing to talk
- 00:33:23to you simply somewhat repetitively so
- 00:33:26they like you said like don't leave the
- 00:33:28subject matter for a while stay on that
- 00:33:30so then you you're naturally Sheltering
- 00:33:32how many new words come up yeah so
- 00:33:35important and obviously I I agree the
- 00:33:38I've had
- 00:33:39it the problem that I have with it not
- 00:33:42obviously be Beyond not wanting to move
- 00:33:44towards a transhumanist future that's
- 00:33:46another thing but it's a mess you have
- 00:33:48to already understand how to learn
- 00:33:50language well if you want to try and do
- 00:33:53that and so the way that I see like if
- 00:33:55you're just a new beginner and you're
- 00:33:56just like I want to learn Spanish I live
- 00:33:57in America I have some some Hispanic
- 00:34:00speaking you know some Hispanic
- 00:34:02friends there's the other options are
- 00:34:06still light years ahead of whatever
- 00:34:08you're going to spend your one hour
- 00:34:09imagine you have one hour every day if
- 00:34:11whatever it is there's just no need
- 00:34:13that's just what I see and so to to not
- 00:34:16complicate it for everybody that's just
- 00:34:17what I've kind of been they're not
- 00:34:19better than us yet yeah so yeah I
- 00:34:23agree now the other part of Technology
- 00:34:25are apps and the love of
- 00:34:28dare I say Duolingo I was GNA say yeah
- 00:34:31yeah go ahead and say it I don't care
- 00:34:32about Duolingo I've talked to them they
- 00:34:34actually wanted to send me to and I'm
- 00:34:36not against dualingo by any means but
- 00:34:38I'm openly and obviously stating as I
- 00:34:41have many times on the channel you were
- 00:34:42not going to learn a language from
- 00:34:43dualingo nor do I truly believe that
- 00:34:45their whole goal is to get you to learn
- 00:34:47a language I think they want you to have
- 00:34:49a good time and there's nothing wrong
- 00:34:51with that for sure that's fine but don't
- 00:34:54think you're going to become proficient
- 00:34:55in any of those languages just by doing
- 00:34:58dualingo so apps for you I don't know
- 00:35:01where they place you know in the
- 00:35:02pantheon of things yeah I think dual
- 00:35:05lingo varies I tried using it for
- 00:35:07Vietnamese a year ago and it was really
- 00:35:12yeah it it got into the weeds too fast
- 00:35:14on grammar it wanted me to produce
- 00:35:16sentences perfectly with very specific
- 00:35:20grammatical features of like articles
- 00:35:22that were very specialized without
- 00:35:24telling you the grammar rules so on that
- 00:35:27case like they were asking for that kind
- 00:35:30of grammatical knowledge but they
- 00:35:31weren't teaching it to you so like I
- 00:35:33really couldn't you know so um and and
- 00:35:36lacked input on um multiple contexts and
- 00:35:39multiple so I could actually start to
- 00:35:40perceive through the input maybe it's
- 00:35:42going to be this one this time so um and
- 00:35:45they were using very unusual Words which
- 00:35:47might be fun I don't I don't mind that
- 00:35:50about dualingo like silly sentences I
- 00:35:52think that makes them memorable and
- 00:35:54makes it quirky and fun it and it
- 00:35:56doesn't mean that's all that you can say
- 00:35:57with the language but when it's like
- 00:36:01words like Ferris wheel and bat like the
- 00:36:04animal bat um in the first few lessons
- 00:36:08in Vietnamese I'm like please tell me
- 00:36:10wants needs uh goes likes like tell me
- 00:36:15words that I can get a lot of
- 00:36:16communicative power out of don't make me
- 00:36:18learn the word Ferris wheel no yeah and
- 00:36:21that's what they did so again like you
- 00:36:24know it depends on the language where I
- 00:36:26like dualingo is the podcasts which I
- 00:36:30think are only available in Spanish
- 00:36:31French and English and they they do a
- 00:36:34little trans languaging there's often
- 00:36:36like they're they're designed for
- 00:36:38someone who's maybe an English
- 00:36:40background or knows English and is using
- 00:36:42their English to access either the
- 00:36:44French or the Spanish I haven't heard
- 00:36:46the English ones I don't know how they
- 00:36:47do that if they have other languages in
- 00:36:50there but um the the content is more
- 00:36:52like a graded reading version of a
- 00:36:55really good NPR Podcast
- 00:36:58okay they interviews they're sort of
- 00:37:01like in-depth reporting but there's a
- 00:37:02lot of conversational language in there
- 00:37:05with other people and then occasionally
- 00:37:08there's a little bit of an orientation
- 00:37:10back using the English so like well as
- 00:37:13she was saying about her past we'll now
- 00:37:16explore with you know so it's just kind
- 00:37:18of keeping you on track so helping you
- 00:37:20through it I I like those I listen to
- 00:37:22the French ones sometimes because that's
- 00:37:24where my French is it's kind of that low
- 00:37:27intermediate sure sure that's
- 00:37:30fascinating I'll check that out I mean I
- 00:37:31know it's I know it's constantly
- 00:37:33changing right there multi-million
- 00:37:35dollar tech company so there's and
- 00:37:37they're at the Leading Edge I guess one
- 00:37:39has to say and so they're able to change
- 00:37:42things quite quickly so I know it's
- 00:37:43going to improve or change all the time
- 00:37:46yeah but I had I wish that I wish that
- 00:37:49apps and I mentioned this to you before
- 00:37:50too I wish that apps rather than relying
- 00:37:52on Linguistics as the pro approach that
- 00:37:56they they looked at like language
- 00:37:58acquisition as the approach to designing
- 00:38:01cuz I don't know of any app that's
- 00:38:04really directly going after the kinds of
- 00:38:07principles that we're talking about yeah
- 00:38:09yeah I know and it's it's funny because
- 00:38:11I wish that it existed and you know it's
- 00:38:13a daunting task and I would take it take
- 00:38:16it up but my desire and love of books
- 00:38:19and the tactile and stuff leads me to
- 00:38:22want to push people away there's such a
- 00:38:24there's such a I'm not a big person on
- 00:38:27FL
- 00:38:29cards at all um yeah okay yeah and I
- 00:38:34know for instance memorize which is
- 00:38:36another uh fairly popular company and
- 00:38:40and
- 00:38:41app the idea behind it I think is great
- 00:38:45and tremendous because you want it to be
- 00:38:46attached to kind of a situation like
- 00:38:48it's not just a word and so it's a level
- 00:38:50up from the traditional just here's a
- 00:38:52word go memorize this definition so I
- 00:38:55think there's something better there but
- 00:38:57the risk
- 00:38:58is it's really number one the as far as
- 00:39:01I'm concerned the biggest issue is just
- 00:39:03the gamification of it it's too nice and
- 00:39:06fun for me to just press the right
- 00:39:08answer and go to the next one get my
- 00:39:10dopamine hit I don't even know you know
- 00:39:13what is this bird okay boom and I just
- 00:39:16and you just move on and you're not
- 00:39:17doing the real work which is connecting
- 00:39:20it to whatever situation that you've
- 00:39:22you've made and so I find that to be one
- 00:39:25of the biggest issues in why I'm
- 00:39:27hesitant in wanting to do my own because
- 00:39:29I don't really know how I could separate
- 00:39:33myself from books tactile reading and
- 00:39:36the beauty of of of touching things and
- 00:39:39or people human interaction yeah in the
- 00:39:42app I'm you know maybe I'm naive but I
- 00:39:45don't know no I think so I think those
- 00:39:47are designed in fact the the
- 00:39:49gamification there is designed around
- 00:39:51that kind of repeated little dopamine
- 00:39:54reward and it's not as maybe as clearly
- 00:39:58felt in real life things but it's yeah I
- 00:40:03think it's more wholesome like yeah we
- 00:40:05can move away from our cell phones more
- 00:40:07hours in the day I think we'd be better
- 00:40:09and I say that as somebody's using my
- 00:40:11cell phone too much
- 00:40:12lately yeah I mean it's a balance right
- 00:40:14it's a beautiful thing all the people
- 00:40:16who I know who say that they they would
- 00:40:19prefer to have less of the cell phone
- 00:40:20they use it but they want we want to
- 00:40:22keep it as a tool we basically want to
- 00:40:24stop the world in around 1999 or so
- 00:40:27something like that 2001 I don't know
- 00:40:29whenever where we could we could use
- 00:40:31navigation and order some food but not
- 00:40:34have it basically be my entire brain
- 00:40:38yeah yeah have you heard of the anxious
- 00:40:40generation it's a book no not necess
- 00:40:43Jonathan height is it's recently got a
- 00:40:46lot of attention in the US especially in
- 00:40:48schools which are Banning kids cell
- 00:40:51phone use during class if not throughout
- 00:40:54the school day and it's on the rewiring
- 00:40:57of the brains of young people that
- 00:40:59really happened without any precedent
- 00:41:01and without any like what's it going to
- 00:41:02do to kids to have this kind of tool all
- 00:41:05day every day for 10 hours or however
- 00:41:08long so it's it's we're seeing what it's
- 00:41:11done and it's made people feel more
- 00:41:12isolated more lonely even while they're
- 00:41:15supposedly connecting to people um yeah
- 00:41:17yeah yeah well you're connected you're
- 00:41:19on social media I'm with my friends yeah
- 00:41:21right no okay well then all right so
- 00:41:24that that I was quite sure that that was
- 00:41:26probably where you were you were you
- 00:41:27were thinking with with apps and things
- 00:41:29like this uh you've got a few minutes
- 00:41:32and it's fun for you I I don't think
- 00:41:34it's usually harmful where where it does
- 00:41:37I mean it can actually set you back like
- 00:41:38you just said about German if if it's
- 00:41:41like English explanations of rules about
- 00:41:44the language then I don't think that
- 00:41:46that's a good use of your time
- 00:41:49especially as a beginner absolutely not
- 00:41:51yes right that's that's where I was
- 00:41:53going also with the flash cards is that
- 00:41:54I think there's a better use of your
- 00:41:56time not that you could use if you do
- 00:41:58what we have just spoken about and stay
- 00:42:00within that little bubble and you have
- 00:42:02those high frequency words and then also
- 00:42:04you would like to have a flash card but
- 00:42:06I just want you to go further than that
- 00:42:08maybe you write out the sentence that
- 00:42:09you wanted to use in it and the thing
- 00:42:11you you know so yeah exactly I agree
- 00:42:13it's like it it only gives you this
- 00:42:15little tiny angle on what that word
- 00:42:18means or how it's used and even if it's
- 00:42:20in a sentence example or something and
- 00:42:22so yeah it if it's leveraging you into
- 00:42:25being able to read more or to understand
- 00:42:28more of something then okay you know but
- 00:42:31but don't disconnect it from that or
- 00:42:33don't think of right flash card yeah
- 00:42:37it's yeah limited How would how would
- 00:42:39you would you go about learning or
- 00:42:41actually I should ask you first how have
- 00:42:44you gone about learning you just
- 00:42:45mentioned French how have you gone about
- 00:42:48learning more languages yourself and how
- 00:42:50have you seen it what sort of things
- 00:42:53have you seen come up as mistakes or
- 00:42:56issues for yourself in utilizing this
- 00:43:00meth uh perfectionism is kind of a thing
- 00:43:03I have yeah so some of that I can hinder
- 00:43:09like I I want to know every single word
- 00:43:11in the text or something sometimes I
- 00:43:14think that's fine but you know it it
- 00:43:16can't be this kind of obsessive I have
- 00:43:17to know every little piece of this to be
- 00:43:19able to get something from it like just
- 00:43:21relax a little bit more uh don't give
- 00:43:24yourself the really really hard thing
- 00:43:26because then you're going to you know 25
- 00:43:29new words is better than just five new
- 00:43:30words on a page no actually research
- 00:43:33says it's not go with the thing that
- 00:43:35feels a little more comfortable and you
- 00:43:37don't feel the learning as much but it
- 00:43:40is actually in it's more effective yes
- 00:43:43you're going to retain it you're going
- 00:43:44to stick with it you're going to build
- 00:43:46better mentally build better you know so
- 00:43:50um those were things that I have had to
- 00:43:53correct I think yeah but um my own
- 00:43:56Mandarin is primarily I guess I see now
- 00:44:00I'm I'm doing language maintenance with
- 00:44:02my Mandarin at this point because I'm
- 00:44:03not teaching it right now um so I am
- 00:44:06seeking to find a Chinese Church in the
- 00:44:09area um so opportunity to interact with
- 00:44:12folks and get to know them and then I am
- 00:44:15listening to podcasts designed for
- 00:44:17Learners when I need something that's
- 00:44:19light and I'm listening to podcasts
- 00:44:22designed for native speakers when I want
- 00:44:24to dive into something a little more and
- 00:44:26this is the case for me with English too
- 00:44:28like there are times where I'm like okay
- 00:44:29I'm not ready for that big heavy dose of
- 00:44:32a serious topic you know like so it's
- 00:44:35natural that in Chinese I would want a
- 00:44:38range of different things and I know how
- 00:44:40to find it because well that person is
- 00:44:42designing it for a more advanced learner
- 00:44:44that person is just talking to Everyday
- 00:44:47Chinese speakers around the world so I
- 00:44:50can choose you know which way I want to
- 00:44:52go with it finding things that I'm
- 00:44:54interested in I think has been
- 00:44:57sometimes a challenge like I I guess I
- 00:44:59don't share all the interest of typical
- 00:45:02social media in Chinese like I like
- 00:45:06sci-fi
- 00:45:07um yeah but I can find it now I can find
- 00:45:12it sure no one of the things that has
- 00:45:13been one of those perfectionist Let It
- 00:45:15Go kind of things has been in some of my
- 00:45:18first choices of novels to read in
- 00:45:20Chinese I initially was like I I bought
- 00:45:24all the books that were the native
- 00:45:26speaker I don't know the content it's
- 00:45:28only in Chinese it's not been translated
- 00:45:30and and I wanted to really dive into the
- 00:45:33really
- 00:45:34challenging but I don't know if it's
- 00:45:36interesting enough for me and it's going
- 00:45:37to be hard enough work at the stage that
- 00:45:40I bought those especially that like is
- 00:45:43it going to be worth my time so I have
- 00:45:45started from reading books in
- 00:45:48Translation that I know I do like I've
- 00:45:50read some I actually I've read almost
- 00:45:52all the Jane Austin Books in Chinese now
- 00:45:54okay not Mansfield park yet that's
- 00:45:56that's uh most people's least favorite
- 00:45:59of her work but it's just it's just
- 00:46:00dense and it's long and it it's
- 00:46:03beautifully done but um less likable
- 00:46:06characters maybe but but I read The
- 00:46:09Hobbit that was the first book that I
- 00:46:11read entirely in Chinese because and and
- 00:46:13all that helpful background knowledge
- 00:46:15from reading it in English before was
- 00:46:18great leverage for getting me into that
- 00:46:20and so I have read sci-fi directly in
- 00:46:22Chinese now um there's yeah I can tell
- 00:46:26you a you you want to know but sunti is
- 00:46:29the the name of the series they recently
- 00:46:31did a Netflix version okay we'll throw
- 00:46:33it up there I mean that's actually
- 00:46:34really important that there is because
- 00:46:36what I'm point that I I wanted to throw
- 00:46:38to you is something that I'm I'm working
- 00:46:40on and I'm I'm I'm working on my way of
- 00:46:41wording this uh and so you may be able
- 00:46:44to help me but what I've noticed is that
- 00:46:47because just like we said for instance I
- 00:46:49didn't I was unaware of 98% being one of
- 00:46:51the more ideal portions of reading I
- 00:46:54know that it's high though right I know
- 00:46:56that to not read text that I can
- 00:46:58understand half you wouldn't even get
- 00:46:59through it it's it's torturous for your
- 00:47:01brain everybody kind of that's picking
- 00:47:03out words that you recognize kind of
- 00:47:05thing you're not getting it's not
- 00:47:06reading yeah it's not reading and so but
- 00:47:09what I've noticed is once you do reach
- 00:47:11one of the things that will pull you up
- 00:47:13from it's possible to do with beginner I
- 00:47:15actually and I'm I'm I I don't know if
- 00:47:17I'm going to call this layering or
- 00:47:19leveling or what it is but if you have
- 00:47:22like we said created this shelter for
- 00:47:24yourself with an input and you're a
- 00:47:26let's I I'll start with the intermediate
- 00:47:27one and then you can you'll you you'll
- 00:47:29understand um or we'll see what you what
- 00:47:32you think but one of the things that I
- 00:47:35do that pulls me forward quicker if you
- 00:47:37wanted to go fast and and that's
- 00:47:39something I know everyone loves to
- 00:47:41do if you
- 00:47:43keep let's say 80% to 90% somewhere like
- 00:47:48that of your input in this range that we
- 00:47:50thought it's exactly what you just
- 00:47:52explained for Chinese what I would do in
- 00:47:55in any language that I would want to
- 00:47:56level up I'd spend 80 to 90% in my area
- 00:48:00and then 10 to 15% sometimes 20 later on
- 00:48:04uh in the evening potentially I would
- 00:48:07then spend at the level above where my
- 00:48:10comprehension level is less a little
- 00:48:13shaky it's kind of a little shaky and
- 00:48:15what I notice is that it pulls you it
- 00:48:17pulls you forward as long as you're
- 00:48:18doing all of the the day work within
- 00:48:21your stuff rather than just doing yeah
- 00:48:24and so what I noticed is that if you do
- 00:48:26that consistent stantly over a period of
- 00:48:287 Days 2 weeks 30 days and it's kind of
- 00:48:31becomes a habit to get at least you know
- 00:48:32your two hours or an hour of this in the
- 00:48:34morning and then 30 minutes to an hour
- 00:48:36of the shaky one later you get way for
- 00:48:40it because especially a language like
- 00:48:41French if we're talking about what you
- 00:48:43learn in the comprehensible input in
- 00:48:45text for what you will see in movies rap
- 00:48:48any music actually daily speak in Fr is
- 00:48:51wildly different it's the same in
- 00:48:53Chinese actually you know the Mumble the
- 00:48:55Mumble effect is huge
- 00:48:57uh in these languages same over here in
- 00:48:59the just they don't enunciate and so by
- 00:49:03getting your ear kind of trained to know
- 00:49:06that there's two different things going
- 00:49:08on made makes me go faster but I haven't
- 00:49:11pushed it on anyone else to try it
- 00:49:13interesting yeah because there's there's
- 00:49:14debate about like comprehensible input
- 00:49:17oriented people who talk about how
- 00:49:19should we carry out our language classes
- 00:49:21so there's like a um the uh automatic
- 00:49:25language growth LG is they would they
- 00:49:28would go I think leaning towards what
- 00:49:31you just described as as you know they
- 00:49:33want comprehensible input but they want
- 00:49:35it to be at a level that you're hearing
- 00:49:37the flow of the language you're hearing
- 00:49:39where the sounds drop out you're hearing
- 00:49:41the natural speech pace and so you're
- 00:49:43getting something different from
- 00:49:45developing word recognition and
- 00:49:48understanding how words are used in
- 00:49:49context at this statistical level but
- 00:49:52you are still getting something from it
- 00:49:55like you said if you've got the
- 00:49:56grounding in more comprehensible
- 00:49:59language skills yeah so I think there's
- 00:50:02there's value in that it's just not the
- 00:50:05same yeah yeah that's not the only thing
- 00:50:08that will probably get you there unless
- 00:50:10you have like an automatic language
- 00:50:12growth classes thousands of hours
- 00:50:14instead of just a 100 a year like we
- 00:50:17have usually in World language classes
- 00:50:18in the US like 100 to 150 is that's it
- 00:50:21so that's it wow so if you add it up
- 00:50:23it's only like 150 hours a year yeah you
- 00:50:26leave with nothing that's my biggest
- 00:50:28problem with it is just that they don't
- 00:50:30necessarily leave with nothing when
- 00:50:32you're doing it with these good
- 00:50:33principles behind it is incredible to me
- 00:50:36and so like the goal really of those
- 00:50:38language classes ultimately and this is
- 00:50:40a Steven crashing thing too but I think
- 00:50:42it really makes sense for schools in the
- 00:50:44US that have just limited time on task
- 00:50:46maybe middle school programs maybe just
- 00:50:48high school if you've got 100 150 hours
- 00:50:51a year and you can get them into that
- 00:50:53intermediate low kind of thing wow
- 00:50:55that's where they're an intermed or an
- 00:50:57independent reader and somebody who can
- 00:51:00start to consume things out in the world
- 00:51:02for themselves a little bit more easily
- 00:51:04than the beginner can so yeah that would
- 00:51:06change the world actually wouldn't it if
- 00:51:09everyone could get to an intermediate
- 00:51:11level which is the same place you get in
- 00:51:13math which is the same place you get in
- 00:51:15your English or whatever class you are
- 00:51:17at your essays everybody can write an
- 00:51:18average essay you generally get there
- 00:51:19with Biology and things like this you
- 00:51:21kind of you you grasp the concept of it
- 00:51:25you're not the specialist but you know
- 00:51:27if you're interested you know that
- 00:51:28that's the next step for you exactly
- 00:51:31exactly and that's completely lacking uh
- 00:51:34in the other place because you walk away
- 00:51:36generally speaking unless they're doing
- 00:51:37these in these things that we've said
- 00:51:38you're just not getting that I've run
- 00:51:41into some people who feel that a tutor
- 00:51:43should teach them the language and I
- 00:51:47think their hope is great if they're
- 00:51:49doing what you're doing
- 00:51:52m not a lot of tutors let's say
- 00:51:55obviously they don't have the qualific
- 00:51:56or the background that that that you
- 00:51:58would have but they will rely on what
- 00:52:01they learned in school they'll teach you
- 00:52:03about the language they'll correct you
- 00:52:04every 3 seconds they'll spend the time
- 00:52:05explaining grammar to the rule like and
- 00:52:07so an hour will go by and zero input has
- 00:52:10happened you know zero True Value and so
- 00:52:15how do you suggest people go about
- 00:52:18finding Tutors or what to do right in
- 00:52:22searching for tutors I would look for a
- 00:52:24few keywords and something like teaching
- 00:52:27through stories that's a good thing to
- 00:52:29look for um comprehensible input if they
- 00:52:32know to put a specific term there um
- 00:52:35input based there are a few terms for
- 00:52:39different kinds of language teaching
- 00:52:41methodology that might be helpful
- 00:52:43too I think that's a little less
- 00:52:46consistently carried out though meth
- 00:52:49it's funny that like meths are very
- 00:52:50prescriptive about this is the way we're
- 00:52:52going to do it but I find that's where
- 00:52:54it starts to get like I'm I'm looking
- 00:52:56for like what's the substance what's the
- 00:52:58thing that you're using you know cuz you
- 00:52:59can tell me you're doing that but you
- 00:53:01might not carry it out the way that yeah
- 00:53:04so um yeah those would be the the two
- 00:53:06things like story based comprehensible
- 00:53:09input um if somebody's saying something
- 00:53:11about low anxiety environment or like
- 00:53:16comfortable environment don't do a lot
- 00:53:17of Corrections yeah not because you
- 00:53:21don't want to have correct speech but
- 00:53:25because that's not where you get the
- 00:53:26correct speech from it's this like this
- 00:53:29Zen thing like you get you get your
- 00:53:31result not by doing the perfect speaking
- 00:53:35you get your result by hearing good
- 00:53:37speaking and gradually you start to
- 00:53:40produce a little bit more and it starts
- 00:53:41to approximate yes
- 00:53:44so yeah somebody that understands that
- 00:53:47process would be really helpful okay
- 00:53:50yeah yeah and it is counterintuitive and
- 00:53:52I know I see it with people who don't
- 00:53:54know anything about language learn
- 00:53:55they'll try and correct or they'll think
- 00:53:57they're helping oh no no no you say it
- 00:53:59like this if it number one I just hope
- 00:54:01you understood me that's all I was
- 00:54:03looking for I I feel like you're there
- 00:54:06you're raiding my language I've had this
- 00:54:07happen a lot yeah and and like even when
- 00:54:10it's a compliment it's
- 00:54:12like but I was trying to get an idea
- 00:54:15across did you hear what I said or are
- 00:54:17you just thinking about the way I
- 00:54:18sounded yeah I know yeah yeah I don't
- 00:54:20know if that's necessary and what a
- 00:54:22weird world it would be in uh you know
- 00:54:24to have grammar police even in your your
- 00:54:26people do it in their mother tongues as
- 00:54:28well but it's even worse in a second
- 00:54:30language because also that might be very
- 00:54:32important to you that I missed that
- 00:54:34point but might not be important to me
- 00:54:37and therefore I won't remember it uh
- 00:54:38it's not helping it's just breaking our
- 00:54:40flow and need to do is communicate think
- 00:54:42I found out who I don't want to be
- 00:54:43friends with yeah that's all you know um
- 00:54:48okay where should we have people if they
- 00:54:51want to see more obviously if they want
- 00:54:53to learn Chinese we already will have
- 00:54:55said this I already have said this in
- 00:54:56the post or in the in the intro where to
- 00:54:59go because you have a YouTube channel I
- 00:55:01do as well yes I do videos with my
- 00:55:03chickens in the backyard yes I know all
- 00:55:06about them I know all about them where
- 00:55:09they're fun where should people look
- 00:55:10what else besides that yeah um I have an
- 00:55:13old blog that is more oriented towards
- 00:55:15language teachers but there are some
- 00:55:17posts there that are about language
- 00:55:18learning and so independent language
- 00:55:21Learners might benefit especially if
- 00:55:23they're thinking of Mandarin I have some
- 00:55:25collections of graded reading in in
- 00:55:27Chinese linking to the places that those
- 00:55:29are for sale stuff like that um the
- 00:55:33YouTube channel um I I have a podcast
- 00:55:36with a friend Reed rigs we call it
- 00:55:39conversations about language teaching
- 00:55:41again it's more oriented towards the
- 00:55:43teaching Community but I think that some
- 00:55:45of the issues that we talk about come
- 00:55:47out because we're also language Learners
- 00:55:50um so there it's not Irrelevant for
- 00:55:52language learners but sure that would be
- 00:55:54another possibility um um I'm thinking
- 00:55:58beyond that I do a lot of stuff but it's
- 00:56:03yeah we'll link to it we'll link to yeah
- 00:56:06we'll link to all of this stuff I mean
- 00:56:07it's going to be fantastically
- 00:56:08interesting for everybody obviously oh
- 00:56:11one one I haven't always mentioned um if
- 00:56:14someone is a Chinese language learner
- 00:56:16and they're working with somebody and
- 00:56:18they want to try things that fit into
- 00:56:21this kind of Paradigm um I have a book
- 00:56:23that's for Chinese language teachers on
- 00:56:25different teaching strategies so there's
- 00:56:27some that are more focused on auditory
- 00:56:30input some more reading activities that
- 00:56:32are very whole class supported some more
- 00:56:36independent reading activities some
- 00:56:37writing how can you use that U
- 00:56:40assessment that kind of thing so if a if
- 00:56:42a learner was like oh I want to I want
- 00:56:45to find somebody that can do these sorts
- 00:56:47of things can we do this one you know
- 00:56:49like that they could actually do that I
- 00:56:51think with that book but wow it's an
- 00:56:53ebook so that's a different one okay
- 00:56:56well perfect yeah I mean you'll send us
- 00:56:57over all the all the links we'll put
- 00:56:59everything we'll put everything right
- 00:57:01there in the description and Diane thank
- 00:57:03you this has been obviously great well
- 00:57:05it's been very fun so yeah and I'm I am
- 00:57:09curious too about your ongoing like
- 00:57:11maintenance of multiple languages
- 00:57:13because so that was interesting for me
- 00:57:15to hear about too oh yeah I mean it's
- 00:57:18actually quite easy you have
- 00:57:21to it's hard at the beginning the whole
- 00:57:23entire thing is that you need to set up
- 00:57:26a life that way you can do it there's no
- 00:57:29way to maintain that level of language
- 00:57:31unless you've set up some places where
- 00:57:34you're speaking those languages so you
- 00:57:36don't have to really think about it yeah
- 00:57:37I chose to I choose not to speak English
- 00:57:40with the people who I know are
- 00:57:41proficient or native speakers in Italian
- 00:57:44and French and this and that depending
- 00:57:45on what the the stuff is and then my
- 00:57:48reading now has changed fantastically
- 00:57:50because once you can get to that level
- 00:57:52of Independent Learning and reading I'm
- 00:57:55reading a book on Bruce
- 00:57:56in Italian just because I bought it in
- 00:57:59Italy there's the power of the
- 00:58:01subconscious mind I'm reading in Spanish
- 00:58:03because why not right and so I avoid
- 00:58:06English as much as possible yeah uh and
- 00:58:10that is a tough thing to do but if
- 00:58:11you're a if you're a lifelong polyglot
- 00:58:14and something it's kind of a decision
- 00:58:16you just got to get used to yeah that
- 00:58:18makes sense
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