Why you don’t feel progress in language learning | 10+ years of experience tells how to solve it

Anyone can be slow at learning languages.
By overlooking the whole learning curve, I will explain why you feel slow and when to break it through.
Hope it helps your language learning.

⌚️Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:30 1. Learning Curve
00:58 2. Beginning Stage
01:45 3. Intermediate Stage
05:45 4. Blowing-up Stage
06:13 5. Summary

| Comprehensible Input |

-Language acquisition occurs only when comprehension of real message occurs.
-The best method: input methods supplying comprehensible input in pressure-free situations.
-With the help of context or extra-linguistic information, we acquire language that contains structure a bit beyond our current level.
-Production ability emerges.

*source
Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition
Stephen D. Krashen
Posted: 2004-03-20

| Definition of being fluent I agree to |
"If you can use the language in a way you are not uncomfortable,
and the person listening to you is not uncomfortable, then you are fluent."
*around 41:15

| 🖼️Photos / 🎶Sound Effects / Assets |

| 🎵BGMs |
🔸Educational Project by Pumpupthemind

🔸Morning Thoughts by Hotham

🔸Miami Sunset by JAK

🔸Tropical Flavor by Aftertune
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0

#languagelearning
#learnenglish
#learnjapanese
#學英文

[tbountybay]

So true!! It takes time for the brain to get used to the language and then it gets easier and easier for the brain to hold onto words.

[anwela]

I am learning English in school, but something that has been helping me a lot is watching videos in English, now I am about a B1 in English

[Dareios]

It‘s important to take breaks. The brain needs time to process information.

[tori]

BTW, I bet you get this tons of times but your English is so good that it's hard to believe you've acquired that level of fluency without having lived abroad for years. Kudos for that.

[MCJSA]

This has also been my experience. I have learned several languages to high levels of fluency and the progression Nate describes is exactly what I experienced each time as well. Once at university, I was set a book to read in French, L'Ecume des Jours by Boris Vian, a well known work of surrealist fiction. Being surreal did not help. It was painful at first since I insisted on looking up every word I didn't know. Soon enough, though, I gave up and just read, trusting that I'd understand enough. And the more I read, the more I understood. Later, I had similar experiences learning Italian and Arabic. This is "comprehensible" input and Krashen, by the way, is a major scholar in applied linguistics and English foreign language teaching. Comprehensible doesn't mean simple or dumbed down. It just means what is comfortable to you, or better, tolerably uncomfortable. Always work just beyond your level of competency. That is Vygotsky, but he's another story.

[muskyoxes]

One reason i don't feel progress is because i see hundreds of comments saying "I learned a new language in six months, it was so easy!" or "All i did was watch shows in my target language at advanced difficulty level from day one and it just worked!"

[AristizabalixGrimm]

As someone who's learning six languages (including Japanese), I find so much of this to be true.
I've heard many people in YouTube's linguosphere talking about learning a language versus acquiring a language; but I believe I've found a balance.
See, here's the thing. Acquisition is preferable, but part of that is due to it being a rare occurrence. It doesn't happen when we want it to happen. Like all things in nature, it happens when it happens. Nevertheless, deliberate learning can ease the process by preparing our brain for acquisition.
A language class teaches you the rules of the language. And this is good. If you wish to play a game and win, you must first know the rules. That's how you win. However, just knowing the rules is obviously insufficient. Once you know them, you must play the game often so that said rules become second nature (what we might call the "second brain").
Looking at it this way, acquisition may occur when we apply what we have learned in authentic, non-didactic contexts. In other words, once you've learned the grammatical rules of a language (and this process is in of itself lengthy because there'll always be something new), it is paramount to go out and consume content in said language. In doing so, you will experience first-hand all the rules you learned being applied in a natural, almost sub-conscious way. As these experiences build, they will allow for moments of acquisition.
So, yes. We should learn grammar and vocabulary. What we should not do is stop there. We should then interact with content in our target language in order to truly engrain the rules into our subconscious, reaching a point where everything becomes natural. With discipline, time, and plenty of rest in-between, we can then reach that point of explosion as described in the video.
In fact, I would go one step further and say that the moment of "explosion" is the precise moment in which all the things we have learned and seen in real contexts become second nature in our minds and our brains begin to acquire new information much faster because all the foundational learning we did finally set in.

[phantom]

Your "second brain" concept is very insightful — I feel that is exactly where I am in acquiring my second language. I feel like I'm at the far end of the intermediate level, about to start a rapid climb in fluency. I struggled so long with grammar, syntax, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc. but somehow reached a point (second brain) where the language is starting to feel effortless. I'm not forcing myself to understand, it's just happening! It's very exciting!

I also agree 100% with your chart: progress is NOT linear! To those acquiring another language: persevere! Keep your eyes on the prize and develop that "second brain"! 👍

New subscriber here, will watch your other videos — well done! 👍🙂

[Arzomagus]

I find it fascinating that while watching this video, I realized why my progress was so fast many years ago while studying French--I subconsciously had the goal of getting a "second brain" in French. Thinking in & consuming the language constantly truly is the fastest way to make progress. At that time, I almost only listened to French music, watched French documentaries--everything I did was in French! It got me to a point where I could switch between them almost with ease. Hopefully I can get there again!

[chookiessss]

Awesome video! I had the exact same experience with Spanish: insanely slow snail pace progress at the beginning; more perceptable progress during the intermediate phase but still the sense of feeling overwhelmed by how much you don't know; and then suddenly it's soooo much easier to understand things and it gets rapidly easier. Hitting that 2nd brain stage makes all the initial effort so worth it!

[daleh]

One of the best videos I’ve seen on learning a second language! Unlike so many other videos, he does a fantastic job of explaining the learning curve and gives language learners specific goals. And, he keeps it to a reasonable length. Thank you! I feel so much better about my language (Mandarin) journey after watching this!

[agoodler]

I hope become fluent in English someday. I like to study with texts in English. I've been doing for 1 year and 5 months, here from Brazil and on my own. It's not easy, but as long as you keep it up, you definitely learn it. Regardless of my english isn't fluent yet or I'm bad at speakin, I can do things that I never imagined doing before. I read mangas in English and watch videos as yours. That's incredible. On my channel I have some videos trying speak in English as well. That's a skill that I have some trouble. Nice video!

[JamesColemanChess]

Sometimes I doubt I even have a first brain when it comes to language learning but I’ll definitely stick with it because it’s fun. Nice video and congratulations on reaching a very good level of English!

[jejudo]

Bro you looks like Saitama from OPM. You're invincible! 🇯🇵

[SparklingDracs]

This was very encouraging. I’ve been frustrated in an intermediate plateau but this is helpful to reframe how progress works. Thank you!

[xed]

Great video! I’m a year into Russian and I feel brain dead when anyone talks to me but I still know the words.

[CosmoSkerry]

One day your channel will have an explosion too. Keep up the good content.

[crosem]

i really appreciate this way of framing language acquisition!

ive been learning both korean and spanish for years and have been frustrated about being stuck in the intermediate stage, and you're totally right that part of the issue is a lack of a specific goal. but the "second brain" concept makes perfect sense! i think it's the same reason why it's easier to keep speaking after you've warmed up a bit, or why unique words that don't have a direct translation in your native language sometimes stick better than others. I will definitely be trying to adopt this into my approach.

(and as other commenters already said, your English is very impressive, kudos to you!)

[PLevi-nrkk]

This was very helpful, this concept of second brain just blows me away because some months ago i literally started to think in english naturally, like without translating it, although with some mistakes, now i wanna do the same with french

[janemisshela]

Thanks! This is so useful! I can feel that I currently get closer to that second brain in Norwegian. It takes lots of time, effort & energy. Especially when you don’t live in the target language country. But this video helped me to get more understanding that it’s normal & reasonable pathway to achieve 🙌🏼