Laagaagc Lcara|ag

WHY MOST FAIL & HOW YOU CAN SUCCEED

bg Jcha Fc/hcr|agham
LanguageMastery.com
Tc Prcb|cm
Most language learners fail
to reach even a modicum of uency
despite years of formal study.
If an adult fails to learn a foreign language (and most do),
most of us assume they simply dont study hard enough or
just arent good at languages. Its certainly true that some
learners are lazy, and given the same methods, certain folks
tend to pick up languages faster than others. But neither of
these is the real issue; both are but symptoms of the
underlying problem...
Tc Sappcd Caa:c
Tc Rca| Caa:c
The real root cause is not laziness or a lack of language
aptitude, but rather the crappy triumvirate
of traditional language learning:
Crappg
Mc/hcd:
1
Crappg
Ma/cr|a|:
2
Crappg
A//|/adc:
3
Crappg Mc/hcd:
Despite their poor track record and the widespread availability
of far better options, most language study is still focused on 3
highly ineective, inecient, and painful methods:
Grammar-
Traa:|a/|ca
A
Rc/c
Mcmcra/|ca
B C
S/aadardcd
Tc:/|ag
1
Grammar-Traa:|a/|ca
This academic approach focuses on memorizing grammar
rules and vocab lists, and translating written passages to and
from ones native language. It was originally used for
studying dead languages like Latin, but came to be applied
to modern spoken languages as well. Its a highly inecient
means to reach oral uency as shown by the vast majority of
students who emerge from ten plus years of grammar-based
formal instruction unable to speak the language well if at all.
A
Yca dc ac/ havc /c kacw grammar
/c cbcg grammar.
~ Barry Farber
Author of How to Learn Any Language
Laagaagc |: Iaaa/c
Grammar-translation fails because it treats
language as a set of facts to memorize,
not the innate biological system
it truly is. Nobody learns to drive by
reading the cars owners manual,
yet that is precisely the way
most people try to learn
foreign languages.
Laagaagc |: ac/ a ra|/ara| ar/|far/ /ha/
wc |cara /hc wag wc |cara /c /c|| /|mc
cr hcw /hc fcdcra| gcvcramca/ wcrk:.
Laagaagc |: a rcmp|o, :pcr|a|cd :k|||,
wh|rh dcvc|cp: |a /hc rh||d :pca/aacca:|g,
w|/hca/ rca:r|ca: ccr/ cr fcrma| |a:/rar/|ca,
dcp|cgcd w|/hca/ awarcac::
cf |/: aadcr|g|ag |cg|r
~ Stephen Pinker
Harvard Linguist, Author of The Language Instinct & How the Mind Works
Rc/c Mcmcrg
Trying to commit a new word to memory by writing it out
hundreds of times is not only boring, but also highly
ineective. It may work to memorize a set of facts or gures
for tomorrows test, but this approach does not lead to long-
term retention. Moreover, rote memory only worksif it
works at allfor explicit information, not the tacit
knowledge required to understand and speak a language.
B
Oh, /hc Mcmcr|c:...
Grammar-translation and rote memory approaches attempt
to force feed language facts into declarative memory. This
can work for memorizing the capital of Namibia or a list of
Spanish words out of context, but it does not work for building
procedural memories, the kind that allows you to actually
use words in context or produce grammatical sentences.
Dr. Stephen Krashen denes this distinction well in his
Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis.
Lcara|ag v:. Arqa|:|/|ca
Learning is like knowing
all the parts of a car,
but not knowing
how to drive.
I/ |: a Cca:r|ca: Prcrc::
Arqa|:|/|ca...
...is like being able to drive
but not necessarily knowing
how the car works.
I/ |: a Sab-Cca:r|ca: Prcrc::
Arqa|:|/|ca |: Hardw|rcd
Humans have been acquiring languages for hundreds of
thousands of years without any help from textbooks or
grammar teachers. This is because the ability to acquire
languages is hardwired into our genes. The language
acquisition process happens automatically ifand this is a
big ifyou get sucient exposure to a language and enough
practice using it. This is precisely what happened when you
were a baby, and can happen even faster as an adult.
Ada|/: Caa Lcara Fa:/cr
Contrary to popular belief, adults are actually better, or at
least faster, language learners than children. We grown ups
have three main advantages over ankle biters:
Adults have the power of choice
Adults have learned how to learn
Adults have big vocabularies to draw upon
Tc Pcwcr cf Chc|rc
The freedom to choose what you learn, why you learn, and
how you learn signicantly increases motivation, enjoyment,
and retention. Most people develop a hatred for foreign
languages in school because they have no control over any of
these choices. If language courses were optional, both
enjoyment and prociency would signicantly rise.
Ada|/: Kacw Hcw /c Lcara
You have already learned how to drive, operate the printer at
work, program the clock on your DVD player, and x that toilet
that keeps running for some reason. You learned all of these
things more quickly than any child could because you have
already learned so many other things. Every task you learn
helps you learn other tasks. And every language you delve
into makes the next one that much easier to learn.
Ada|/: Havc B|g Vcraba|ar|c:
Infants must rst develop basic cognitive functions before
they can begin acquiring the language around them (what
Steven Pinker calls mentalese). Assuming you dont have
brain damage, adults already have fully developed mentalese
and a massive vocabulary to draw from. You already know the
meaning of photosynthesis; you need simply learn its
equivalent in a foreign language.
Tc:/, Tc:/, Tc:/!
As the late Peter Drucker said, What gets measured, gets
managed. This is sage advice, but what you measure, and
how you measure it, is extremely important. Standardized
language tests are poor assessment tools because:
Tests dont measure what really matters.
Test preparation distracts from uency-building tasks.
C
Mca:ar|ag Wha/ Ma//cr:
Formal tests are not a good way to measure ones ability to
use a foreign language in real communication. Not only do
they focus on exceptions and overly formal usage, but they
tend to assess ones knowledge of the language, not ones
ability to communicate in it. The only true assessment is the
ability to understand, and be understood by, native speakers.
Tc:/ Prcp |: a D|:/rar/|ca
Test prep books and classes focus almost exclusively on
declarative memorization, not the procedural memories that
actually lead to uency. If you spend your time actually
acquiring the language, you will do better on standardized
tests and be able to actually use what you learn
long after the test is over.
Crappg Ma/cr|a|:
Even though modern learners can access heaps of free,
interesting materials online, most language learners still use
traditional textbooks and readers. Instead of boring, generic,
text-only print materials, the smart learner chooses:
Ia/crc:/|ag,
Targc/cd Cca/ca/
A
Aad|c Ovcr
To/ Cca/ca/
B
D|g|/a| Ovcr
Pr|a/ Cca/ca/
C
2
Chcc Cca/ca/ Carc||g
There is no better way to improve both enjoyment and
ecacy than choosing materials that t your specic interests,
goals, and needs. This is perhaps the greatest disadvantage of
traditional classroom-based learning where you are stuck
with whatever materials and topics your teacher happens to
choose. Independent learners have no excuse to study boring,
generic materials. There are currently 150,000+ podcasts
available; just choose one that ts your specic interests.
A
Aad|c > To/
Reading tends to be less intimidating for adult learners since
you have time to think your way through the language. But
you get better at what you practice, and reading alone does
very little to help improve your listening and speaking
abilities. A good solution is choosing podcasts with
transcripts, or getting both the audio and text version of a
book. That way you can listen rst and then check your
understanding with the text.
B
D|g|/a| Ma/cr|a|:
I have an almost fetish-level attraction to good old-fashioned
paper books, but when it comes to language learning, digital
materials trump paper for 3 important reasons:
Digital materials are faster
Digital materials are more portable
Digital materials are cheaper (and often free)
C
D|g|/a| Ma/cr|a|: Arc Fa:/cr
Looking up unknown words you encounter in paper books,
newspapers, or magazines is slow and laborious. Worse yet,
when you rely on a notebook or pad to write these words and
denitions down, you risk misplacing all your hard work.
A far faster option is using the built-in dictionaries on Kindle
and iBooks, popup browser dictionaries like Rikaichan,
or online dictionaries like Google Translate, Tatoeba, or
Tangorin (which allows you to export words to Anki!)
D|g|/a| = Pcr/ab|c
Its a lot lighter to carry around bits instead of atoms. Most
smartphones and tablets can store more reading and listening
content than you could get through in a lifetime. Instead of
killing your back and wasting valuable space in your bag,
carry your foreign language content in digital format instead.
That way youll never have an excuse not to study when
hidden moments arise.
Harac::|ag gcar h|ddca mcmca/:, /hc c/hcrw|:c
mcaa|ag|c:: :rrap: cf /|mc gcad acvcr acrma||g
/h|ak cf pa//|ag /c prar/|ra| a:c, aad a:|ag /hcm fcr
|aagaagc :/adgcvca |f |/: ac mcrc /haa cca, /ca,
cr vc :crcad: a/ a /|mcraa /ara gca |a/c a
/r|amphaa/ /cr/c|:c.
~ Barry Farber
Author of How to Learn Any Language
B|/: Arc Chcapcr /haa A/cm:
Due to their much lower production and distribution costs,
eBooks, streaming videos, and MP3s tend to be much cheaper
than print books, DVDs, and CDs, or even free. Why spend
hundreds of dollars on Rosetta Stone or language classes
when you can watch free YouTube videos, download free
podcasts, or talk to native speakers on Skype?
Crappg A//|/adc:
Perhaps the greatest obstacle of all is ones attitude toward
language learning. Until you can move past the following 3
misconceptions, even the best methods and materials wont
get you very far.
Laagaagc:
arc D|ra|/
A
I Sark a/
Laagaagc:
B
I Dca/
Havc Tmc
C
3
Ia |aagaagc |cara|ag |/ |: a//|/adc, ac/ ap/|/adc,
/ha/ dc/crm|ac: :arrc::.
~ Steve Kaufman
Creator of LingQ.com & author of The Way of The Linguist
Laagaagc: Arc D|ra|/
As Benny the Irish Polyglot points out in his Speak from Day 1
course, foreign languages are not dicult, they are just
dierent. The more time you spend with a language, the
more familiar it becomes. This may sound like mere semantics,
but ones outlook signicantly changes ones outcome.
Yca dca'/ |cara a |aagaagc, gca gc/ a:cd /c |/.
~ Khatzumoto, All Japanese All the Time
I Sark a/ Laagaagc:
Being good at languages is only a factor when you study
using the crappy, conscious, declarative memory methods
discussed earlier. When you follow a natural, input and output
based approach, your brain does the work for you.
You simply need to show up.
80 pcrrca/ cf :arrc:: |: :hcw|ag ap.
~ Woody Allen
I Dca/ Havc Tmc
I dont doubt that you are indeed busy, but the cold, hard
truth is that even the busiest person always nds time to do
things they want to do. So if you catch yourself saying I really
want to learn a language, but Im simply too busy right now,
you need to do some honest reection and see if you are truly
strapped for time or just failing to put rst things rst.
M/ /h|ag: makc ac d|crcarc.
Bc|ag ba:g |: a fcrm cf |a|ac::|ag /h|ak|ag
aad |ad|:rr|m|aa/c ar/|ca.
~ Tim Ferriss
Author of The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body & The 4-Hour Chef
Ncw Gc/ Gc|ag!
Dont wait for the right time to begin your language learning
adventure. The perfect timing will never come. Take the rst
steps toward foreign language uency right now:
Choose interesting, targeted, digital materials
Maximize exposure to the language throughout your day
Prioritize language learning & believe you will succeed
Fcr mcrc /|p:, /cc|:, aad /crh
/c |cara |aagaagc: /hc a wag, v|:|/:
LanguageMastery.com
Copyright John Fotheringham 2013