How best to learn a new language and speak it well

I speak ten languages and counting and here I share my tips on how to learn a new language well by focussing on your goals and avoiding common pitfalls and misconceptions. The information is presented in a humourous/humorous way, with some SFX for good measure.

0:00 Intro
0:10 You don't need to be a genius
1:01 Define your language goal
1:33 What are the implications of your goal?
2:00 Even if your goal is very broad, you still need to decide where to start.
2:25 A language is like a buffet lunch - start with the bits you most like.
2:56 Learn how to say what you want to say and to understand what you want to understand
3:26 Which skill are important to you?
3:39 How important is reading and writing the language to you?
4:10 Example of huge difference between spoken and written French
4:42 Languages with other writing systems
4:51 Cyrillic alphabet
5:12 Korean Hangeul
5:34 Chinese and Japanese
5:55 What does "I'm learning for it work" actually mean?
7:14 Stick to your own agenda and don't allow yourself to be sidetracked by course books, apps and teachers.
8:15 Avoid lessons which artificially present grammar points
8:33 No one cares about your daily routine!
8:49 Learning lists of vocabulary is a waste of time!
9:33 How language knowledge is stored in the brain
10:45 Language learnt in a linguistically authentic way stays in your brain forever
10:53 If you must memorize something, memorize phrases.
11:20 Learn through curiosity and remember through use.
11:51 The impact of testing on language teaching
12:16 Grammar as an important thing that you mustn't get wrong
12:38 Developing a healthier attitude to grammar
12:53 Grammar is there to help you, not to trap you.
13:03 Grammar is nothing to fear
13:30 How to decide is a grammar rule is useful

[jenesuispassanslavoir]

I’ve been learning Norwegian because I’m moving to Norway, and now I can not only sit in English silence but also Norwegian silence like the natives!

[jean-louismorgenthaler]

I'm French. I have been learning English seriously since 2003. That year, I travelled to the USA as a tourist and I was so utterly disappointed: I didn't understand people and they didn't understand my poorly spoken English. So I had to completely change my learning method and practice. That's my own challenge: I want to understand and be understood. Otherwise, what's the point to learn a language? And, in addition to this, learning English is fun.

[matteosposato]

The reason why I think this is a useful video is because it hints at a very important realisation, which I will try to summarise based on my own way of feeling it:

• Learning words is not language, it is a mnemonic exercise;
• Repeating phrases is not language, it is gymnastics for the mouth and vocal cords;
• Studying grammar is not language, it is knowledge about the language;
• Speaking by thinking about how to combine grammar rules, words and other things that have been memorised is not language, it is a logical exercise;
• Language happens when you are not thinking about language itself but rather about the message, be it while understanding the message or producing the message.

This last one is the state and the activity that we should be aiming for when learning a language.

In fact, the only aspect that I think this video is lacking is a stress on the importance of comprehensible input.
Cheers!

[maifreund]

I studied at the Universität Innsbruck 40-some years ago, after a year of intense German 1 in the USA that proved to provide only a tiny foothold in Deutsch.. I was so lost at first, but plugged away, deciphering phrases etc. veezeevissen was one that a prof used generously. I realized it was a 'throw-away phrase' "as you know." Everybody has them, and once understood, one needn't ever mentally translate them... Most troubling was not understanding the 'kindergarten phrases' used by the Hausfrau's 6 year old nephew - "pick up your room" etc. The neat part of German is the compound words. I worked on my Skoda, and had a great time at hardware and car parts stores expressing what I needed, by stacking words, sketching, and finally arriving at the right word or phrase with the clerks' help. Measuring tape (messen draht? Massband), n, Screwdriver (Schraubführer? Schraubzieher (screw puller? OK)). The Hallelujah moment was about 3 months in, when my thoughts upon waking up were in German... Years later I again got a taste of learning a language from my autistic son who struggles to find the words in English. He wanted more maple syrup for his waffles. He finally told me "waffle juice." A boy after my own heart!! Thanks for your video.

[tinfoilhomer]

An Aussie here, when I decided to learn Dutch for fun I threw myself in the deep end, I didn't know numbers or basic greetings when I arrived in Holland. After 3 months I had no confidence at all and was really down, after 4 I was able to get my point across, after 5 I was joking with friends, at 6 months I passed my Dutch high school exams. On the other hand is Chinese, which I studied at school to spite my parents three years before visiting the Netherlands. At the time I studied Chinese when I was bored and not in my free time. Ten years later I coincidentally found a job in a Chinese company and another year later I learned to enjoy the language, but can't tell a single joke! When I say I'm learning the language for work I mean we don't pass legal notes or chat about weekend hobbies, more often we're yelling over loud machinery about clearing oil spills and rat nests, I learn a lot about the lunch menu. So I'm confident in my ability to clean a factory in China or buy a meal, but not to talk about the weather or even ask for directions. I can read hundreds of characters but ask me to write them and you'll get a blank stare. The asymmetries in language acquisition are what I find so interesting and what has kept me motivated in my study of Mandarin.

[linguaphile]

I learn languages just for the fun of it. I love it when I understand things which were a closed book before. As an employee in a supermarket we have many customers who don't speak and understand my language very well. It is an awesome feeling when their faces brighten as you answer in their first language.

[rickpoynter]

Thanks very much Dave. Simple, clear and sensible. I'm a Kiwi of European descent, nearing 80 and find myself pleased and impressed with the progress made over recent decades in reversing the evolutionary direction of the Maori language, from headed for extinction, to a vibrant and healthy recovery. I'd love to become functional in "Te reo" (the tongue), but none of my feeble and ill advised start up attempts has ever made any real progress. Your comment about the importance of first determining why you want to learn the language, and what you want to be able to do with it, started to clear the fog. Having been born in NZ and lived most of my life here, I've inevitably picked up a certain amount of vocabulary. Lot's of places and geographic features have Maori names, which are generally very descriptive, so that provides a useful starting foundation.

I had decided that in my case, I needed to find a source of literal translations of Maori phrases and sentences into English, to understand the general grammatical structure. Either I haven't been able to find it yet, or it doesn't exist.

It would suit me better to use an on-line tutorial than to physically attend group night classes, or wade through text books, but again, I'm still looking for the "Goldilocks" option. The Duolingo app seems to enjoy good ratings, and although it does include one Polynesian language, Hawaiian, Maori is still a work in progress.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Incidentally, if you didn't ever play rugby, you should have. Your skill dodging those balls of fire, was exceptional!

[hakeem]

I want to learn Wolof because I move to Gambia and I like the way you taught the Wolof with the structure and it made it easy to understand, so please make more Wolof videos

[xfs_]

i would like to start learning american sign language alongside a few friends. none of us are Deaf or HoH, but we find the utility of a non-verbal language quite striking :-)

[rogerstone]

I have always advised that when learning a language (by whatever means you feel drawn to try) a very useful supplement is to find a radio station in that language, preferably a quiz show or phone-in, and have it on in the background. From time to time, repeat a phrase you have heard. This works best if you have no idea of the meaning of what was said, because you will now be training your ear to hear the sounds, and you'll be trying to copy the sounds you heard.

[flowerpt]

I'm learning Urdu because I had a vivid dream where people were speaking to me sternly in a language I didn't understand and I woke up and jotted it down phoenetically then spent several hours online listening to language samples and eventually Google Translate to figure out it was Urdu and what the message meant.
It was actually advice quite relevant to something I was going through ... so follow the breadcrumbs.
PS Your (delightful) phonetic emphasis reminds me so much of the Moss character on The IT Crowd that I wonder if you're from the same region.

[MariaFlores-qnyv]

I'm learning German and have several reasons 1) I love the language 2) my family has history with this language 3) my niece (2 years old) was born and lives in Germany and I would love for us to have another language to communicate by. <3


By the way! Loved the reference to the Flying Spaghetti Monster! xD

[DavidZennaro]

I think the first thing to appreciate when you are learning a new language is that people are not going to laugh at you. In fact, I have never experienced that in my life and I speak a number of languages (badly). Eg. I learned Spanish by speaking Italian with a Spanish accent in Gran Canaria and everybody was were helpful and patient with me. I made a lot of good friends that way. I don't make any mistakes in my mother tongue, Danish but I will do that in all other languages.

[cyrug]

Dave, am a Ugandan squarely a multilingual who speaks English, Luganda, Samia and some lutoro all local languages spoken here. But my love for learning new languages is sparkling, and now am focusing on kiswahili, not an easy one though.

[TokyoBlue]

I completely agree with you that there needs to be a reform in how languages are taught! So many times, I struggled in Spanish & French classes because it was, indeed, learning long lists of useless things like names of animals or colors, and only present tense. So all you can do is talk is like a child: “The cat is orange.” Rather than teaching you phrases you will actually use in a conversation!!

[rjendall]

Another very informative and entertaining post Dave. Keep them coming! Your enthusiasm for learning languages is infectious (in a non-pandemic way)!

[johninnapoli]

I'm learning Italian because I live and work, as an English teacher, in Naples. A mutual colleague, Roy Boardman, suggested this video. I love your presentation style. I found the whole thing really informative and very enjoyable. I'll be watching more of you, Dave. Many thanks for such a refreshing perspective!

[dannymars]

On grammar. Many people who speak English as a second language use “incorrect” grammar, hardly ever would anyone correct them. But almost universally they are understood despite this.
Very interesting.

[peteymax]

Go raibh mile maith agat Dáithí. Estoy aprendiendo español porque me encanta la lengua (no puedo decir porque) y también me gusta viajar por España. I have given up on learning lists of words or stock phrases out of context. I just listen to native speakers (the radio, series, etc.) and I attend a class which helps me build a foundation and apply my self-learning to everyday life. But lots of input has helped me. When I am in Spain I persevere with keeping interactions in Spanish as much as I can (the Spanish people are probably amongst the kindest Europeans to language learners, the French and the Germans tend not to be patient and the Dutch seem like they are purposefully unhelpful). Thanks as always.

[JewelsGraham]

😂 I absolutely loved the "grammar fireballs!" I can relate to having tried all the methods you shared and learning phrases is definitely the best approach. Vocabulary words and verb tenses will be picked up more naturally when you have a base to work from. Sorry for ending that sentence with a preposition ☄️