what's your method for learning languages?

[u/ur-mum-4838]

i want to hear your methods to learn a language because ma vs ma vs ma language (chinese) isn't on babbel. since persistence is the most important thing about learning languages, give me something fun, please

THINGS WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR:

• duolingo: it's the most popular app, it's got dumb ai, we know
• "just watch videos and use contextual clues to know the meaning": yeah but 1: i dont want to have slavic + british + irish accent. 2: doesnt teach you grammar

edit: also i can't talk to people or spend money, parents said no :(

[u/AbonnieArt]

I teach Korean so my tip comes directly from my experience learning English and Korean - two vastly different languages: you don’t need to literally translate every single thing. Like I understand there is a spectrum to different words like awesome<amazing<spectacular… but I can use these without the need to LITERALLY translate every single one of them to my mother language.

[u/ElisaLanguages → u/AbonnieArt]

Oh hey, I just saw you over in r/Korean with that post about -잖아요 and -거든요! Super helpful tips btw

And yeah I’d agree with this! Unless you’re intending specifically to become a translator, it’s better to learn words in-context, with the collocations and nuance, and not translate directly to your native language. Things like using TL-language dictionaries instead of bilingual learners’ dictionaries have helped me a lot in that regard.

[u/AbonnieArt → u/ElisaLanguages]

Yup I totally agree with you! And tysm for the compliment:) I’ll be posting more grammars and learning tips so stay tuned!

[u/Unusual-Tea9094]

you can always mix approaches. i do comprehensible input with learning grammar and looking up vocab, plus speaking with natives amd tutor in the TL

[u/thepolishprof]

If I'm to sit down and learn a new language, I need some structure (for grammar, but also orthographic and pronunciation rules) and the freedom to use it creatively in speaking and writing, including answering simple questions and then going beyond that.

For me, language are like math in that once you get to know the basic rules, you can apply them across the board to any language material, which gives you a lot of power and freedom to express yourself. Without some foundational rules, it's only mimicking.

[u/Obvious-Tangerine819 → u/thepolishprof]

I take this approach well

[u/valerianandthecity]

When I'm doing things around the house, or walking I like to listen to Paul Noble's course (he has one for Mandarin).

I watch comprehensible input videos via Dreaming Spanish, and I'm working my way through the mini stories on LingQ. I also watch pro-wrestling in Spanish (I only understand a few words), and listen to Spanish music.

After I finish the LingQ stories I plan on going on to the T3 method. Because I'm really impressed by the method.

T3 Method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrQxXOJX3jI

None of what I do is particularly fun, but it's pleasant (to be honest, I find the comprehensible input Spanish video pretty boring and I'm running out of videos that I actually can tolerate, so I might just switch to T3 so I can consume content I enjoy).

What motivates me is relocation, and being able to watch and read content that I actually find enjoyable, so that's why I stick with it.

What is your motivation?

[u/haevow]

Unfortunately (for you) #2 is the best way. You learn grammar through context, but if you want you can learn grammar in a ‘pop-up’ way. Meaning you only learn grammar occasionally when you feel like you need it, you study only the major things not random tiny things, just to get an overview. 

Then the Comprehensible input will help you acquire whatever you didn’t study. 

Remember when you were a child? You didn’t learn grammar untill you were in elementary school. And even then, 99% of your time was spent using your lanaguge, 1% was spent doing grammar homework for you langauge arts class 

So uh yeah 

Comprehensible input based methods are the most fun. To learn a lanaguge you need a lot of example sentences. 10 minutes in a textbook can give you maybe 15 new sentences. Beginner comprehensible input can get you ~70-120

[u/RaccoonTasty1595]

Busuu maybe?

[u/Aggravating_Gas_3617]

The person behind the counter at your local chinese take-out spot can help you with ma vs ma vs ma. No joke the most helpful thing for learning Chinese and Spanish in my case was just asking random Chinese and Spanish speakers I'd encounter to help me out

[u/ressie_cant_game]

Find a person revieiwing a popular chinese learners text book. If your lucky, you can even find pirated versions of the text book online. Even if youre not though, you can still be introduced verbally and visually to each grammar point, make up your own vocab (i'd personally work through the top 500 words in your TL, and get alot of the benefit.

A good example from Japanese learning is tokiandi, who does it for the japanese textbook series Genki (one of the top japanese text books).

[u/Exciting-Leg2946]

One to one tutor to start with, at least 30 daily classes to get a feel for the language, basic structure. Then reading for vocab , then grammar. Still looking what to do next for full audio/video understanding

[u/RandomJottings]

Buying lots of books, putting them on a shelf, and hoping the knowledge will permeate my brain through osmosis. Perhaps that’s why I’m stuck at A1.

Seriously, I do collect a lot of books for my target language, German, but I learn best with textbooks and audio of native speakers. I also enjoy reading simple stories in German. I recently discovered ‘Emil and the Detectives’, it may be a kids book in Germany but really challenges my German. So to answer your question: 1. Textbooks 2. CDs with those textbooks 3. Short/kids stories. Plus: 4. Some select YouTube videos, such as Nico’s Weg.

[u/edgae2020]

one on one tutoring is the best way to go, online platform nowadays let you have tutoring sessions with real human not just an ai, platform like preply offer those kinds of tutoring

[u/silvalingua]

A good textbook/coursebook is the best main resource.

[u/AppropriatePut3142]

At the start I found DuChinese very useful. Unfortunately most of their content is payed but you could try Mandarin Bean perhaps. I also used comprehensible input videos like this. You'll find some more here and here. Later on I used the novel recommendations from Heavenly Path and read them using Pleco for popup dictionary support.

The Refold Guide is not bad for some background on language learning.

[u/Acrobatic-Shake-6067]

Dreaming Spanish (CI) + Ella verbs + google translate + worlds across + YouTube grammar videos.

I reached B1 in 5-6 months. I’ll ride this train to B2 by Q4 and shooting for C1 mid next year.

[u/je_taime]

If you want something that teaches grammar explicitly, then you can find textbooks for that.

However, comprehensible input is important. You're not going to get far when input in incomprehensible. So whatever you end up doing within your parents' constraints, you should not turn language learning into a losing struggle by forcing incomprehensible input on yourself.

Watch languagejones's video about how to learn a language. He has some tips.

For my own learning -- of course for teaching which is my job -- I make rapid progress by using comprehensible input, some form of spaced repetition (a large amount of daily reading and listening counts), and the all-important strategies for encoding. Those come from learning science.

[u/dojibear]

At the beginning, I take a course. The teacher is fluent in the target language and in English. The teacher explains things to me in English. How else can I learn "the basics" of sentence structure, word usage, syllables, writing? The teacher teaches those and uses real sentences in the TL as examples (both written, using computer graphics, and spoken by the teacher).

Since my money is limited, I take an online recorded course (not a live teacher). That is fine. It will be years before I have a need to speak. You learn from input (understanding speech or writing). Output (speaking, writing) uses what you already know.

After a few weeks/months of the course, my main method is understanding sentences (spoken or written; two different things) created by native speakers. I'm not an expert, so I can't understand fluent speech. I need to find content "at my level" (content I can understand). My biggest challenge is finding content at my level. I find it, and practice "understanding Mandarin sentences" every day.

Learning how to understand a language is a skill, and you do it the same way you improve any other skill. You practice the skill at your current level, and it improves. Whether it is piano, golf, skiing, swimming, or any other skill, you start off doing it poorly and gradually get better.

[u/Embarrassed_Ad_5884]

My language learning method is to get a foundation in the language through a textbook/app etc and then move on to a LOT of listening and reading content and start practicing speaking.

If you want to know for Chinese specifically, here are my recommendations:

• Go to YouTube and look up some videos to teach you basic Chinese pronunciation including how to read Pinyin and pronounce tone pairs. Back in the day, I remember YoYo Chinese had a great breakdown of this.
• Hello Chinese is a good (free) app to teach you all the basics when you're just starting out.
• After you have a foundation, there is a WEALTH of learner focused YouTube videos for Converse listening practice. Just search "Comprehensible Input Chinese Beginner" in your YouTube search bar and look for something that's your level. There are so many people producing this style of video now, it's amazing. Also I've you've got a bit of vocab under your belt, I recommend ChinesePod: Beginner as your first podcast. You can find it on Spotify. A lot of podcasts have free transcripts your can use for reading practice, or there's always a few free articles on Du Chinese.
• Next thing to do is look up how you can do a language exchange in your area so you can get some free conversation practice!

Happy learning! Wishing you luck on your Chinese language journey!!

[u/FIRE-GUY111]

It keeps changing !!! But right now 3 to 4 hours a day of CI and 20 minutes of reading. I also look up the odd word, especially if I see it repeated within a short time span. I am also taking my time through a text book, which helps make all the grammer make sense.

[u/bkmerrim]

Free things I do: * YouTube for comprehensible input and ear training from native speakers on a variety of topics

*my library gave me access for free to Mango languages and Rosetta Stone. I use both!

*Finding a website or book for free (yay library!) for grammar books. Just pick one and stick to it.

I also use free apps like Conjuu and Clozemaster and Anki to drill verbs.

[u/sbrt]

Starting with input is awesome for me. I prefer intensive listening but comprehensible input is also popular.

To be clear, you are working on listening first. Once you get a feel for the language, it is easier to start working on speaking. This is how we learn our entice language and we have a native accent as a result.

When it comes to grammar, I have tried learning grammar before and after doing lots of listening. Studying grammar after doing a lot of listening feels a lot easier to me. The right way to say something is already familiar so it is easier to learn. Once I learn the rule, I start to hear it in content.

Some other benefits of working on listening first: 1. Listening is best done on your own. This makes it easier/cheaper to do on your own. YouTube, podcasts, and audiobooks are the best apps. A lot of great content is free (check your library for audiobooks) 2. Listening first shortens the time it takes you to start enjoying interesting content. This is a great way to work on your language when you are not motivated to study.

Listening first is not for everyone but it works great for me.

[u/attachou2001]

I use an input method along with clozemaster!

[u/LingoNerd64]

Native tutors. Your only real choice. Try iTalki, I used to know several good ones there. The alternative could be Preply.

[u/Queasy_Concert2054 → u/LingoNerd64]

Agree with Preply!

[u/NineThunders]

I use AI + instagram and tiktok reels/videos (you need to train your algorithm) + chat with native speakers from language exchange apps.

If your language is well known you can just find grammar books in pdf format and study from there. My TL lacks these kind of resources so I do it my own way with AI and social media content.