Don't Just Learn a Language, Get Familiar with It.

It has occurred to me that the process of learning a language is not one of deliberately learning rules and words, but rather one of becoming familiar with a language, making another language a friend, whose traits and idiosyncrasies we appreciate and enjoy.

0:00 When learning a language you have to make the language a friend.
2:58 How I'm becomming familiar with Arabic and Persian.
3:56 How I split my language study with Arabic and Persian.
6:50 How benign neglect can benefit your language learning.

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My Podcast:

#languagelearning #languages #polyglot

[Thelinguist]

Have you experienced the feeling of getting closer to or more familiar with a language?

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Social Media

[johnday]

I love that Steve uses the Fast and the Furious crew as the example for a family.

[CouchPolyglot]

I think like, with friendship or family, you need an emotional connection to "keep it real". That is why music and media can be so helpful to learn a language in my opinion, because it gives us an emotional connection to the language

[flonkwonky]

I can really relate to what Steve is saying here. I was studying so hard for my French DELF exam, that I was getting super frustrated with my "lack of progress". Unfortunately, my exam was cancelled, so I took a break for a few weeks. Listening to a French podcast recently, I realised that I am actually not so bad at French after all. I guess exams make you focus on the stuff you don't know rather than what you DO know.

[pacobajito]

i Always noticed that If you stop learning a language for a little while and than start to learn it again, there is a clear improvement, above all in the listening. But I thought I was crazy :-) thanks for sharing

[stephencindrich]

I find a great comfort in listening to a favorite French podcast over and over again—days, weeks, even months apart. It can truly feel like coming home. Merci!

[heidiloesti]

I don't think it's nonsense, it's true for me as well. For the past two months I hadn't been doing much language learning, I just didn't have that feeling, but now slowly I'm getting back to it, and I don't think the break had been a problem. And I do learn two or three languages at the same time, so I can switch between them, but also in order to choose whether now I'd like to study the "easy" language or the "difficult" one, the "new" one or the "advanced" one. And you are definitely right, each language has its own personality, and listening to them after a break really is like meeting a friend again.

[frozenmadness]

I think it has to do with motivation, why you learn a language. If you really like it, you will do as much as you can that it "feels like home" at the end. But if it's only a tool, needed for work, it's enough to learn the basic of grammar, and the vocabulary needed for the task. And what the most people do in language classes at school, is not language learning, it's just learning stuff to pass the tests.

[ihavenoname]

That wasn't nonsense, Steve, on the contrary, I get that good feeling as well, of reconnecting with an old friend, and it's a good feeling, because it makes you realize the progress you have made! Happy learning every one! 📚📚

[andrewgray]

This is great advice. I often tell my students precisely this - just spend time with the language, even if you're understanding very little, just to get used to its sounds and intonation and perhaps catch a few vocabulary items in context. I've found that you can adapt the idea somewhat in a classroom setting to good effect. It can be liberating and motivating for younger and inexperienced language learners to be able to listen to the language and absorb some culture without "studying" the language.

[_ninja_nic]

Wow…. This one hit me emotionally… love that „picture“ you are using, Steve. Thank you!

[lucas]

Gracias Steve por ayudarme a aprender inglés, todavía tengo que practicar writing pero voy por buen camino.

[babybruv]

I feel that with Spanish, like an old friend. :) the first one always hits different. :)

[maggielemken]

Very very interesting. I find that with one language I alternate days for listening and writing material or vocabulary of grammar. Also I like to watch a video like yours on the concept of learning or videos about grammar. I also do have an epiphany moment every so often when I realize I have entered a new comprehension level. Keep making your videos

[rueavenue]

I had a similar experience with Italian and Norwegian. I found Norwegian a confronting palette cleanser. It revived my belief in my capacity to acquire languages enjoyably and showed me how much more of myself I can give to my Italian studies.

[robertknull]

I do something similar that you pointed out but instead of going to another language I use another app and then come back to the previous app it really seems to refresh and boost my learning.

[sultanmehmetfatih]

Hi, Professor Steve, you are the best teacher In the world 🌎

[regX]

You are absolutely corrrect,
Mr. Kaufmann!
I have to say that, whose than are learning languages, need to trait its target language not only like a friend, but like a lover!
Thanks a lot for your work!🙏👍

[anpcpro]

Thanks Steve. It's true that English language learners are listening to you. I'm one of them. 😊 God bless! 🙌

[lisaheinrich]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic! I think the distinction between these two different mindsets is very important, because if you only "study" something, it means that you see it as an object, as something outside of you, as something foreign. To really learn a language, you have to make it your own, your home. Then you don't get frustrated so easily because everything is already there, you just need the patience to let it grow.