8 ways polyglots learn languages fast

In this video, you'll learn 8 ways polyglots learn languages fast.

My name is Olly Richards, and on this channel I document my experiments in foreign language acquisition:

• Rapid language learning
• Writing Chinese characters
• Languages and travel...on location!
• Daily study routines
• Advanced level tactics

📖 Learn a language through the power of story!

To see some of my previous experiments, why not try...

• Learn Italian in 3 months:

• Learn Thai in 14 Days:

• Daily Study Routines and Schedules

To ask me language questions, join my Facebook community:

Listen to the podcast:

...or search "I Will Teach You A Language" wherever you get your podcasts! (iTunes, Spotify, etc)

[Liopot]

Another useful tip is to use your time actually learning languages instead of watching videos about learning languages.

[tomrains]

This may sound nonsensical, but I find people overestimate what they can do in a year, but underestimate what they can do in 3. Commit for 3 years and stick to a good method and it will come.

[ooDOCoo]

Probably the MOST valuable thing he has said, is that you should NEVER hang yourself up on the grammar. Native speakers will still know what you are saying if you dont conjugate on the fly properly and over time they will correct you enough that it will come naturally to you. I always tell people this, DONT GET HUNG UP ON THE GRAMMAR. Learn to speak it first.

[darktealglasses]

1) have a goal in mind
2) develop your system of learning a language and trust it
3) don't worry about grammar
4) commit to the language in a long period of time
5) create social groups to speak more
6) find creative ways to learn
7) read a lot
8) find a romance partner to let you engage with the language on the emotional level

[ZachMikeMoller]

I agree that having a girlfriend helps immensely. I did that when I was learning Russian, with very good success. I would like to do it now that I am studying Korean. However, my wife is opposed, strongly. (I probably should say that my wife started off as my Russian girlfriend. We have been married for nearly thirty years, and she has strong feelings about Korean girlfriends.)

[alexeytsybyshev]

"Reading is your ticket to the highest levels in a language" --- [cries in 漢字]

[annaandrea]

Most polyglots understand that they have to start with the basic vocabulary of the language they are trying to learn and they will try to divide it into word groups/clusters. Most of the polyglots understand that languages are interconnected and related, and they will look for the proto-language, also called the mother language. It also helps quite a lot when polyglots make analogies and try to find similarities in the language family. They can even learn several languages at the same time... by doing so.

[jazzyeric]

Never really thought about learning a new language and it was not really on my bucket list as a future goal. Then, I met the Brazilian girl on Facebook who (still) does not speak a word of English. Fast forward 5 years, we are engaged and speaking fluent Portuguese is one of the most important things in my life! lol

[huesophie]

People say having a romantic partner who speaks your target language helps, but I have never really found it an important factor at all. I’m fluent in several languages and have learnt even some difficult ones like Korean (I’m an interpreter of Korean now). And I never had a romantic partner in my target languages. So please don’t feel like you have to or that you are screwed because ‘where the heck am i supposed to find that foreign speaking boyfriend’. It’s ok, just having friends works just as well :)

[nendoakuma]

There’s no substitute for years of studying and using a language. Rome wasn’t built in a day. People who are 70 years old tend to have larger vocabularies in their native language than people who are 35, as long as they consistently used the language.

[alexaphu]

I'm learning english by watching learning language video. So i got ways to learn english and also i can practise my listening. I think that's my system.

[parham]

As a polyglot, I usually don't watch language related videos, as you mentioned, but I watched this and was surprised to see how accurate each point was. The only thing I'd say is that the partner/bf/gf thing is obviously effective, because it's basically constant language input, which you could also get from friends, as someone mentioned below. However, language input is only effective if its comprehensible input, meaning you'd already need to be at a conversational level before your relationship with that person begins. They're not helping you "learn" the language, as much as they're helping you "improve" upon it.

[Bopsterjazz]

I think it's interesting that polyglots don't tend to get hung up on grammar. Just from personal experience, my native language is English and even though they tried to drill us on grammar in school, I never really bothered much with it and wound up with an English degree. So, yeah, grammar is definitely something you can pick up along the way, just by exposing yourself to the language.

[cluckygirl]

I’m on month 10 of learning Russian. Other than school learning of french snd german which I never then used, Russian is my first language I’m acquiring. I Fell upon a native Russian person 2 months ago and we now meet twice weekly on Skype for approximately 2 hours. This is a HUGE support and GREAT stimulation to keep learning. We are gradually getting to know how we can help each other and as an English person I can now see the similarities and differences in grammar learning between these 2 languages and this in itself is improving my understanding of English grammar. So finding a language partner has been a real benefit to my (on line free) learning courses. Mark Thomson, Russian Made Easy is excellent. Thank you. You’re an inspiration.

[svensvenforkedbeard]

This is definitely confirming what I am slowly starting to realise, this is sound advice and anyone would be unwise not to take it !

[thissunchild]

I learned Danish on my own by having the radio on all day. Didn't understand a word of it, but learned the rhythm of the language very well. I also borrowed children's audiobooks from the library starting with books for very young children and progressed right up to teenager level and then adult. People always comment not only on my fluency, but also the fact that I sound like a Dane

[OShaughnessyC]

The emotional aspect of the language learning is very important. You have to love or be attracted to the language. In my view, anyway.

[franciscogonzalezramirez]

I am a polyglot myself. I differ from what you said about grammar... I don't spend looot of time learning it, but I prefer to start there. Get a glimpse of how things are structured and what categories a particular language has, and how they relate to my L1 or any other languages I already know. I learn a lot by comparing languages in their vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation systems and by finding patterns. I hate learning by listening or reading little phrases where I can't see the language structure right away. However, my reasons for learning languages may differ from those of the majority of people. I am more interested in the languages as systems themselves rather than going to talk to people, which for me it comes as a secondary goal.

[bghall]

I’m going to start reading more!!! And you’re absolutely right about the romantic partner 😂 I pretty much failed Spanish in high school. Now later in life, my wife is from Colombia and I’m obsessed with learning Spanish. It’s only been a year and a half and I’m already in the B2-C1 realm according to tests.

[lunalieben]

Enjoyed these tips that reinforce some important aspects of language learning. Not focusing on and worrying about grammar is a big one for me. I've started listening to a lot of French and my intuitive familiarity with grammar is slowly starting to grow. I also like the tip about creating and trusting in your own methods because after absorbing so many tips over the last couple of years, I'm starting to get a routine going. Now I just have to stick to it and have faith! Thanks for the great content as always :)