Ex-Professor Reveals Way to REALLY Learn Languages (according to science)

Dr Jeff McQuillan was a student of Dr Stephen Krashen and has written extensively about how we learn languages. Here he shares some of the research to help learners of second languages.

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About me:
I tried for about 10 years on and off to learn Chinese. Like most people who try to learn a language I got nowhere. I watched all the YouTube videos of polyglots and it felt like they had something I didn't. Eventually the penny dropped and I realised anyone really can learn a new language if they have the right approach. My goal is to help others achieve their aim of learning a foreign language

[bbryant]

I found that watching childrens tv shows in the language i was studying was a huge help

[DAB-]

There is really excellent advice in this video.

I'm a native English speaker. I am fluent (C2) in Italian and almost fluent (C1 on a good day, B2 on a bad one) in French.

I learnt both languages as an adult.

The following are really notes for myself.

The idea in this video is to focus on acquisition and meaning. The essential "incremental" part comes when you encounter the same word in a variety of contexts.

Inevitably you will come across a more unusual word and you will look it up then imediately forget it - even if you carefully write it down and try to memorise it. However, if you keep coming across a word in different contexts you are much more likely to remember it, and, for that, you need to concentrate on *acquisition*.

The more you read and the more you listen, the more likely it is you will come across the same words in different contexts. (Note to self) Incremental acquisition is also key to being able to recognise what is common and what isn't. For example "pigro" and "indolente" both mean "lazy" in Italian, but you will almost never hear an Italian saying "indolente".

Read and listen *a lot*, to understand which of these two Italian words (and there are of course others which mean "lazy") would be most appropriate to describe "lazy" in a given context. Get there by continually bashing your head against the wall (reading and listening, reading and listening, reading and listening). The word enters your brain in the end and, slowly but surely, the word "pigro" starts to sound right when you see a teenager lounging on a sofa, but "indolente" doesn't.

I would add that everyone makes mistakes, even in their native language. It's absolutely fine to make mistakes in a foreign language - it's almost expected of you. If people want to speak to you they will, even if you don't conjugate your verbs properly. However, if you haven't done any practice with *acquistion* and don't understand anything people say to you, the conversation will end rather quickly.

Comprehension is key.

EDIT: to add to above, in case I gave the impression that you can learn a language by just reading and listening. You should have at least a basic idea of the grammar of your target language. You should understand the basic concepts of classes of words: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, etc. This will make life *much* easier for you.
Verbs are quite complex in French and Italian, and in many other languages too. At the very least, if you don't know what a verb is, then brush up on your grammar before trying to learn another language.

[halynaryf]

I used to be a tutor, and the most frustrating thing was when I'd assess a new student, give them resources, and encourage them to start acquiring language outside the comfort of a textbook. Sadly, adult students often refused to put on a podcast in the background or read one news article a week, instead asking for adapted materials and grammar exercises. Children are easier in this regard because they don't know how much they don't know. I now want to focus on expanding my own knowledge. I'd love to acquire a new language.

[maicolc]

It is scientifically proven that the most effective way to learn a language is - a girlfriend

[paulmcguinness]

You can mock flashcards all you like but they have been essential to me for one thing - MEMORY. The latter was my biggest frustration in learning French when I started 10 years ago. I use Anki flashcards, (as do most medical students!), because you can listen to 1, 000 podcasts in French and still have little recall of good vocabulary and expressions when you need it - I know because I tried. Of course, my flashcards are entirely based around sentences that put everything in context, along with useful definitions and synonyms. Don't ignore BASIC LEARNING like these "experts" suggest.

[amarug]

Being frustrated about the lockdowns I started learning Japanese to entertain myself. Also I wanna prank my wife next week in Japan on holiday (she has no idea). I really just used videos on Youtube, free materials, podcasts etc. I am a math guy, dunno much about languages, but how hard can it be? Started by memorizing the 1000 most frequent words and all the basic grammar that makes the core structure of the language to build a scaffold that would help bootstrap the acquisition process. From then on I just listened to material, read stuff, met tandem partners and occasionally took a lesson on italki to get a "review" on my progress and pressure test my skills on difficult topics. I reached the point now that I understand almost everything even when people talk very unclearly and quickly and I can talk about most topics without too many issues, even things like politics and science. Let's see how my wife reacts next week when I dash out rapid Japanese somewhere in a small village in Gifu 😂

[todesque]

The most important part of this interview comes right at the very end. Adults must learn to be patient. Certainly in the West, adults are in a rush. Language acquisition, however, is a tortoise vs. hare situation. Slow and steady wins the race. I saw an ad headline many many years ago which read: GET RICH SLOW. Really grabbed my attention and stuck with me. Same could be said of language acquisition: LEARN RUSSIAN SLOW. Or LEARN JAPANESE SLOW. Give the brain oceans and oceans of content. Oceans. Your brain will figure it out in time and learn to swim. The only thing we as adults need to do is (a) show up everyday and (b) find enjoyable content that's at our level, or very slightly above our level. Then give the process TIME.

[mikeymileos]

I've been learning Japanese thru acquisition and while it has helped me to learn a bunch of stuff, pulling back and spending a few hours to learn about Japanese verb conjugation helped me immensely. My acquisition was based on formal Japanese and the verbs had already been changed and I didn't understand AT ALL how the dictionary verb connected to the polite Japanese use of it AT ALL. Now that I have learned verb conjugation, I can understand the same verb in so many different ways. When I start hearing and acquiring them it's going to make so much more sense now

[GenkoKenja]

“You should be focusing on acquisition”

Well yes….but for certain languages there can be no hope of acquiring if there is no conscious learning first (or at least in parallel). What I know about Italian (being both an English and Spanish native) I learned from just exposure to the language. What I know about Japanese couldn’t have been possible without first learning the ins and outs of the language…I was exposing to it while at the same time making a conscious effort to learn (since I was learning vocabulary, Kanji and grammar at the same time as I was doing immersion)…same thing for Korean.


Learning a language is not the same process for any language….there will always be things that work for one and not the other…for example, for Japanese, I was so obsessed from day 1 that I could immerse in native level content from like 2 months into learning because I would not mind looking at the same sentence for 20 minutes…fast forward 4 years later and I can now understand everything at a very high level almost without having to stop to look up things…In contrast, with Korean, I just cant do it…I can’t do immersion (even aimed at language learners) until I have the basics down because I get overwhelmed so quickly its not even funny….

So yes…I agree that acquisition is the way to learn, but sometimes there just can’t be any unconscious learning without some deliberate learning…sometimes they can happen at the same time, other times one has to happen before the other can take place

[EcomCarl]

his emphasis on language acquisition through comprehensible input is a game-changer for adult learners. It's a reminder that immersion and meaningful interaction, rather than rote memorization, are key to truly mastering a new language. 🧠

[myeverything]

this professor has well articulated precisely what i have been experiencing and wanting to express for the longest time. i learned english purely by acquisition and without learning a single grammar rule, i’m level c1 now. i’m learning german now using the learning method and i’m failing by my unconscious mind slipping wrong things for not having time to stop and think before speaking.

[SPEAKLANGUAGESTRAVELTHEWORLD]

I’m so happy I randomly watched your video. I have always said that acquisition is the way to go, from experience, (not knowing anything about scientific studies on the subject) but have always come across so many people against my theory. I grew up bilingual, speaking Italian & English, and was lucky enough to start learning French in an experimental class at primary school in the UK where all we did was roleplays - no reading or writing (and certainly no grammar). So at secondary school I started from scratch with traditional methods but had already acquired a good feel for the language. I also studied German there with traditional methods but it was only when we moved to Germany that I got a feel for the language and improved my pronunciation and grammar without too much effort, due to exposure. As an adult I unexpectedly found myself having to learn Spanish and had no time for formal lessons so started using audio-cassettes in the car, language videos and children’s books to acquire the language. As I started travelling regularly to Spain I picked up a lot just paying attention to what I heard, saw and read, using a dictionary only when really necessary. During my holidays I did do a few grammar exercises just to improve but I had mostly acquired the structures subconsciously again from exposure. The result was that within a year I was able to make phone calls to offices (the hardest because there are no facial expressions nor gestures to emphasise meaning) and make myself understood despite making many mistakes. My comprehension of full-speed spoken Spanish is now 95%, yet my own spoken Spanish is probably upper A2 - lower B1 level. This is the reason why it’s difficult to say what level students are - the level may not be uniform. In any case I’m delighted to know that my experience ‘acquiring’ languages rather than formally studying them is backed by science and that I can be more confident that my teaching methodology is on the right track. Thank you very much!!

[lightluxor]

This is how I did Italian and French. Though flash cards and grammar are supplemental. So take assimil to start, then read books and watch Netflix films without subtitles. Read ease stuff and build up. Watch interesting films, have fun. After 2 years, get one on one speaking training. Avoid grammar exercises. Have fun. You will be fluent.

[susanhenry]

Thank you both for this interview. It is a spot on summary of all that I've experienced as a teacher and learner of languages (30 years). Best explanations of all the bits & pieces that make up language learning when all we want to do is find "the one" method that will give us the target language on a platter.

[HollowJesters]

I've been learning French for a couple of years, using Duolingo, Hello Talk, researching grammar rules, memorising conjugation rules, watching shows in french with english subtitles and a tutor for the last few months. I've heard this comprehensible input/learning via story praised as the golden method for learning a language by multiple different educators and I totally agree it's a completely necessary tool as I can read, write and speak fairly well in French, but am utterly useless at comprehending whilst listening.

What I have an issue with however, is the overlooking of the challenges with this method. His example of 'I have two hands' in Spanish was great, but in reality where am I suppose to get this content? Especially if I have zero comprehension of a language in the first place. Surely conscious learning is completely necessary and very effective at least when a complete beginner?

I'm at a point where I can have pretty good conversations on Hello Talk (using translate every now and then for some words and phrases) and can almost watch French shows with French subtitles, but it's consistent conscious learning that has got me to this point where I'm almost ready for comprehensible input to be the most effective aspect of my learning.

[harunhernandez]

Comprehensible input is vital, but it's not the only factor in language learning. Learners also need feedback and motivation to improve their speaking skills and accuracy. While comprehensible input helps with understanding, it may not guarantee grammatical correctness or mastery of language details. Feedback from native speakers and consistent practice are essential for learners to develop fluency and confidence in speaking

[juliabobbin]

I’m absolutely loving these series of interviews, Matt!
As a first time, second language learner (3 years with Italian) I’m a disciple of ‘Comprehensible Input’ as a means of acquiring language.
I was lurking on a Duolingo for Italian language learners page and someone posted “Good news bad news...
I finished Duolingo, still can't understand an Italian speaker”. Which is explicit language learning in a nutshell, really.

I applaud anyone who learns a language, no matter what means they choose, because language learning is so beneficial in so many aspects of our lives! But getting to a point now where I can read a book or watch a video in Italian and understand almost of all of it, and reflect back on how not so many years ago I thought language learning was impossible unless you were a child in a bilingual household or ridiculously smart (I.e. not me) I can’t help but marvel at how effective and simple it is all thanks to comprehensible input ! It requires lots of input and lots of time with that input, but it works. And what a wonderful thing it is.

Thanks again for a great video!

[menethilarthas]

I believe this is one of the most helpful youtube video for language learners. What Dr Jeff McQuillan told is truly enlightening!

[MB-czzg]

00:02 Focus on acquisition, not commercial programs, for language learning.
02:16 Language acquisition through understanding
04:32 Look for language materials that provide rich and comprehensible language rather than just focusing on memorization
06:55 Focus on meaning over form while learning languages.
09:03 Focus on acquiring language rather than monitoring it
11:06 Focus on understanding 95% for effective language acquisition
13:03 Vocabulary is acquired through comprehensible messages and understanding the language.
15:19 Vocabulary is acquired incrementally through repeated exposure to words.
17:13 Memorizing vocabulary explicitly is not very useful in language learning.
19:15 Shift from memorized words to rich instruction for efficient language learning
21:05 Lower your expectations and enjoy the learning process.
22:51 Language acquisition takes time, be realistic in your expectations
Crafted by Merlin AI.

[jackvieiraoficial]

Man, I absolutely LOVE Dr. Jeff McQuillan and Dr. Lucy Tse. I started listening to their podcast about 10 years ago, and it was the very first time I really improved my listening and speaking skills. They are the best, period!
I don't have words to express how much they mean to me... I know this might sound like an awkward comment, but I had to say it!