How to Use Feedback to Learn any Language Faster and Better

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Timestamps:
00:01 - Introduction
00:32 - The 2 schools of thought
00:41 - How does feedback hurt?
01:00 - How can feedback help?
01:53 - How do we determine when feedback is useful or useless?
02:29 - Why skill level counts
03:53 - How I receive feedback for one of my strongest languages
04:31 - How you feel about feedback impacts your learning
06:18 - 3 tips on how to receive feedback with an open mind
06:55 - How feedback should be delivered
09:29 - Recap

[nathanhales]

Thank you Luca! The points made in this video are good. I would also add that, for me, it depends on what is be corrected and if the correction is expected and/or wanted. For example, I know I have a hard time pronouncing some sounds in my target language. Getting corrected doesn't help in that scenario at all, because I already know it's something I struggle with and I'm actively working on. (If, I'm working with a coach, that's a different story.) However, correction on word choice, word order, or grammar, if presented constructively, can be very beneficial.

[bhami]

I totally agree, Luca. I'm an American native English speaker. What I find fascinating is that often I am more aware of non-native mistakes when listening to someone like you, who speaks 99.9% American-quality English, and I'm less aware when listening to a heavy, obviously-foreign accent. This is because in general you, Luca, only make what I might consider a minor "mistake" (typically vowel quality or word choice) maybe once or twice per minute, so to me it might tend to stick out more.

Russian native, fluent English-language YouTuber Roman (NFKRZ) mentioned in his video about learning English, that one of his greatest difficulties was: not focusing on a specific regional accent (which to some degree is true in any language, but is of course especially challenging in English, with dozens of major accents and hundreds of variants spread around the world).

My general comment about your English-speaking accent, Luca, is that many of your Rs seem just a shade heavier and more sustained than the average American's. Perhaps it's a conscious or subconscious attempt to not be UK English, where so many Rs are dropped entirely? 😀

[bofbob]

The other day I wrote "¡Deféndete!" in a Spanish comments section. Literally just a typo, but someone was having a bad hair day and corrected me in all-caps lol. Funny bit is that then a bunch of other commenters joined in and started talking about how in some places of Lat Am they say "Defendete", not "Defiéndete", and they hate that that form isn't recognized by RAE, etc. Anyway, in the end I learned a lot from their discussion, even if the original correction was kind of rude and pointless. Always an opportunity to learn something! 🙂

[breakthelogic]

Based on my understanding, language learning is a kind of creating an empty space within ourselves and fill in the same with the language that we wish to acquire. Therein getting feedbacks takes a considerable part of filling which is negligible in no case. I'm in full accord with you. Absolutely, those we actively seek out make a significant improvement as long as the trigger comes out within us.
And one more thing, I've keenly observed your hand gesture (often catching the ring finger and pinkie) here and I'm curious to hear your brief explanatory words.
Keep inspiring☺

[InternationalBrit]

Thank you, Luca for another enlightening video. I have found that when being corrected, ego can get in the way! I have found a way of eliminating ego as much as possible. Also, I find many speakers of “minority” languages (such as Dutch or European Portuguese) are appreciative of the effort made and willingly and gently offer feedback.

[gabrielecauda]

I want to share an experience: when I started to learn French, at a certain point I decided to give up. Why? Because even if I said at my conversation partner that I was a beginner in French, he/she would keep me correcting at every single mistake. My instinctive reaction was to drop out the conversation, because I didn't want to be misunderstood. Moreover, I thought that my partner wasn't interested in having a conversation with me, but just giving me a free French class.

On contrary, when I speak Italian with a beginner student, I try not to correct every single mistake he/she makes. I'm not a teacher and I'm really bad at explaining these kind of things. However, when I notice that a mistake is repeated many times, then I try to repeat immediately the sentence in the correct way without interrupting his/her speech. As an example:

P: "L'altro giorno HO andato al mercato a fare la spesa" (mistake: use the verb "to have" as auxiliar with active compound verbs of movement)
Me: "Ok, quindi l'altro giorno SEI andato al mercato a fare la spesa. Cosa hai comprato?" (correction: use the verb "to be")

After a few times the person corrects itself and it doesn't feel upset for the mistake

Does someone else do the same?

[jacquelinesubia]

Thankyou Luca. I started getting feedback since yesterday in korean. Since I've been learning it for several months now, I started feeling confident enough to make my own sentences whenever I learn new grammar patterns and vocab. However I was a bit worried that they would be all wrong, and I was afraid that I could get discouraged or something, so I avoided asking for feedback. But once I started asking for corrections, it was quite the opposite, some natives were really nice providing examples of better ways to say certain phrases and even corrected my grammar mistakes. It was really fulfilling, and useful, since I'll try not to make the same mistakes again and start using the new phrases I learned from them.

[adriennludwig]

Szia Luca, szuper video, hasznos téma!
Köszönöm, te vagy az egyik legjobb coach.
Nagyon sokat tanultam tőled!
Üdvözlet Magyarországról 😀

[nicoledansby]

Luca, your background changed!... it was nice seeing the books in the background.

[rashidah]

Great video on an important topic! I agree with you that how beneficial feedback is depends a great deal on the delivery of the giver and the attitude of the receiver. I personally like feedback right from the beginning of my language learning. In the beginning, I especially want feedback on my pronunciation so that I develop good habits and don't practice and internalize the wrong way to pronounce words. The only times that I've found feedback negative is when a) the giver was being too nitpicky and correcting me on something that wasn't a mistake at all (but maybe just not the way that person would say it) or b) scolding me for something that is beyond my capabilities. In category A, the person is kind of treating me like a child and being dishonest, frankly, about what is a mistake. It's the same kind of thing that happens when someone turns proofreading into editing and changes the voice and style of the writer instead of focusing on actual mistakes. In category B, for example, a friend recently scolded me for translating an idea from English into Arabic and not "thinking like a native speaker." Mind you, I actually was repeating a sentence to her that I had said to one of my tutors and he hadn't told me that it sounded strange. It turned out that she hadn't listened to me long enough to understand what I was trying to say, so I continued, in Arabic, to elaborate on my point until she understood where I was coming from.

[germancasallas]

Grazie mille Luca dal tuo nuovo video è bello rivederti ❤

[TheMrmeou]

Feliz aprendizaje de idiomas! gracias por el feedback

[jhonatanqueiroz]

Great video Luca. Keep it up with these excellent videos. I look forward to watching the video you said you'd send here related to speaking practice. Have a good one!

[nendoakuma]

Another thing is that when you are trying to correct other people, try to be very humble. I’ve had a lot of experience editing advanced non-native learners’ writing, and while I did come across a lot of mistakes, there are definitely a lot of times that I thought something they wrote was wrong, but when I looked it up it did turn out that some people did say it that way and it was considered correct by pretty authoritative sources, I had just never heard it before.

[MR-dpvx]

I’m just here for Luca… 😅😘. And I’m in my German journey too. Great points, thank you!

[JA-jhgr]

Hi guyz hope you are well. This amazing guy Luca who I and many of you all have been watching him for years and we are still with him till because of his beneficial knowledge and experience that he shares. I don't know him personally but one thing I do know is that a person who takes out his time and shares these gems should at least get a like or a like with a comment with some good words. I think that's reasonable what do you think?

[EFoxVN]

Excellent content as usual. Thanks Luca 😊

[spanishconconsciencia]

¡Muy buen vídeo! Muchas gracias. Me ha gustado mucho, sobre todo cuando hablas del tema de los errores y como enfrentarnos a ellos. Escribo en español (mi idioma nativo) primero porque se que hablas muy bien mi idioma y segundo porque quiero que las personas comiencen (ya hay muchas, gracias a Dios) a comunicarse y a aprender también español (no solo inglés) He visto después de éste otros de tus videos muy interesantes (entre ellos el de como aprender cualquier idioma super rápido) y te lanzo una sugerencia: ¿podrías hacer un vídeo sobre como "hacer" para aprender un nuevo idioma sin arriesgarse a olvidar los que ya sabemos? Esta pregunta está enfocada a todos los políglotas que como yo a veces sienten culpa (una sensación rara, como si estuvieras poniendo los cuernos a los otros idiomas que sabes...) cuando están enfocados 24/7 al nuevo idioma para detrimento de los otros que ya saben. ¿Tú cómo lo haces? ¿alguna estrategia en especial? Gracias por tanta información de valor. ¡Que pases un buen día!

[kulik]

Fair point, can't disagree with you there

[Dude-lnpe]

Where is your new book?
I was waiting for it?