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Language
Learning Secrets

The Ultimate Guide to Achieving Fluency

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Table of Contents
Preface 5

Introduction 9

Chapter 1 Benefits of Learning a New Language 11

Become an expert at managing information 15

Improve your multi-tasking skills 16
Make your brain grow bigger 16
Keep focus against all distractions 17
Stay mentally young and healthy 17
See the world in a different way 18
Project confidence and determination 18

Chapter 2 Choosing a New Language 19

Speak to millions and become a citizen of the world 21

Find your first job or new career opportunities 24
Quickly learn a foreign language easy for English speakers 27
Get ahead in international business and access frontier markets 30
Work in foreign service and international non-profit organizations 32
Make it clear that you’re a true language geek 34
Retire in a cheap and peaceful country 35
Enjoy an endless supply of film and literary masterpieces 37

Chapter 3 Goal-setting and Motivation 39

Stop making excuses 40

Have a clear goal 42
Divide your study plan into steps 43
Leverage discipline and motivation 43
Make discipline work for you 47
Why can’t motivation and discipline be friends 50
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Chapter 4 Habit Building 52

The elements of the habit loop 54

How to enter the loop and instill a new habit 56
The 9 habits of successful language learners 59
Have a clear goal 60
Review before learning 61
Study a little everyday 62
Use the language for something you enjoy 63
Use science 64
Study and learn instead of searching for resources 64
Find a balance between consuming the language and using it 65
Fail often and learn from your mistakes 66
Imitate native speakers 67

Chapter 5 Avoiding Distractions 69

Proven ways to focus when studying 71

Stop eye strain 71
Stop unrelated tabs and apps 72
Block social media and other time wasters 74
A technique to help even the most distracted learners 76
Deal with loud traffic or noisy neighbours 78

Chapter 6 Choosing the Right Resources 80

Varied 82
Interactive 82
Realistic 83
Utilize neuroscience 83
Don’t believe false promises 84
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Chapter 7 Review and Practice 85

Spaced Repetition 86
Review 93
Deliberate Practice 93
Shadowing 96
Language Exchange 99
Language Tutors 102

Chapter 8 Certificates and Examinations 107

Choosing the right proficiency test 109

Preparing for language exams 111

Chapter 9 Language Learning Resources 112

Language Programs 114

Vocabulary 116
Speaking 116
Listening 118
Reading 119
Writing 120
Dictionaries 120
Miscellaneous 121

Conclusion 122

Bonus Offer 123

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Preface

I started my language learning journey many years ago, by moving to a new

country to teach the only language I knew (English). It was 2003 and I was a

novice English teacher who had just moved to South Korea. I was of course, a

little nervous at the time, but also super excited to begin this new adventure.

I had always wanted to travel the world, learn new cultures and meet

interesting people, but the thing I was most excited about was having the

opportunity to teach people something that could add value to their lives. It

was in Korea that I found my true calling. It brought me such joy to see people

get excited about learning a new phrase or gaining the confidence to try a new

sentence in English.

When I went to Korea, I knew I would be helping people, but I truly had no

idea how much learning a new language could affect a person’s life. It’s not

just about learning some new vocabulary. It’s about connecting with people

from a different culture. It’s about making friends, learning the history and

culture of a new country, enhancing your career options, and improving your

travel experiences.
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When you learn a new language, your whole world changes, you become

more accepting of other people’s ideas and beliefs. Travel becomes an

adventure, not just a trip. When you learn a new language, suddenly, doors

open in your career, giving you opportunities, you never thought possible.

Your pride and self confidence grow to a level where you feel you can do

anything.

I realized, I was offering all these opportunities through my teaching, and it felt

amazing! But I still wasn’t satisfied. I knew there were more effective ways for

my students to learn and I was determined to find them. That’s when I was

lucky enough to meet a new student who was also obsessed with finding the

best ways to learn languages. Every class, he would mention a new technique

that he found, or a new website with better grammar explanations, or a new

textbook with practise exams. And the rest of the students in class would

quickly write down the name of this new resource.

Unfortunately, my students began spending most of their time checking out

the latest language resource instead of actually studying. That’s when it hit

me. What my students needed more than anything was a complete study

plan, a roadmap to follow.

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The very next day, I began to interview all of my students. Asking them to

share the methods and resources they used and what they found effective

and ineffective. After I did that, I started to compile a list of the best tools,

methods and resources to use.

Then I started to create a document that could serve as a guide (a roadmap)

for anyone wanting to learn a new language. But I didn’t stop there. I then took

this document and turned it into an ebook. After that, I began to collect my

student’s email addresses to send out the roadmap. I was so excited!

But there was still a problem. Even though my students had the new

“roadmap to fluency,” most students didn’t follow the plan! I think for most

students, it was still just too much work to collect all the resources and tools

needed.

I’m ashamed to say, I ended up getting so frustrated that I decided to give up.

I had nothing to do with the language learning world or the road map for eight

long years. This continued until one day I discovered LinguaLift. And I realized

what had been missing from my language program all along. Yes, you need a

roadmap, resources, and knowledge of how to learn a language, but you also

need a platform that can effectively use these tools and resources and blend

them into a complete language learning system. That’s what LinguaLift does!
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I can now truly say, our language learning system provides the most effective

and efficient path to fluency. We have made such a positive impact on so

many people's lives in such a short time. It drives us to achieve more

everyday and to reach as many people as possible with this wonderful

language learning system.

That’s why we are in the process of developing as many languages as we can

over the next couple of years. That’s why we provide access to all languages

for one low price. And that’s why we have tutors available to guide you

through the curriculum and keep you motivated. Our job is to make you

succeed.

And in the end, all of this means I’m now able to positively affect more

people's lives than I ever thought possible.

I wish you all good luck on your language learning journey.

Sheldon Bixby

CEO

LinguaLift
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Introduction
Welcome to the first step on the road to fluency. We are so excited to have

this opportunity to join you on your journey.

The book you are about to read covers a wide range of topics, some of

which may not be of interest to all people. Each chapter is designed to

stand on its own to allow you to pick and choose what topics to explore. It

is our goal to be as comprehensive as possible to help as many people as

possible in achieving their goal of learning a new language.

We have recommendations for software and learning tools throughout the

book, and we do of course recommend some of our own products, but the

book is designed to give you the knowledge to make your own decisions

on what system would work best for you. The tools and software listed are

here because we feel they are the best options available in each category.

While some people may be very focused and motivated, in our experience,

we have found the main reason people are not successful in learning a

new language is not their capability, but their planning. When embarking on

a new journey, you need a map. This book will help you create your road

map to fluency.
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But self-learning is no easy task, especially if it’s your very first foreign

tongue. Where do you start? How do you motivate yourself? Which tools

will help you succeed?

Below, we’ve answered every question an aspiring language learner might

have, from setting goals and building good habits, through

recommendations of resources and learning techniques, all the way to your

first forays into using the language, and proficiency tests.

And be sure to check out our Bonus Offer at the end of the book, to move

you even closer to your language learning goals!

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Chapter 1

Benefits of Learning a

New Language
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Benefits of Learning a New Language

Millions of hard-working people all over the world put extreme amounts of

mental effort into learning languages and becoming bilingual.

The practical reasons are obvious. Being bilingual opens doors and creates

opportunities that wouldn't exist for a monolingual.

But sometimes, it is hard to motivate yourself to study when those tangible,

financial and social benefits don't immediately materialise. Rest assured

though! Even a little foreign language study can have amazing benefits for

your brain.

Science over the last decade, with the aid of new research techniques like

fMRI brain scans, has started to amass a large body of data building a picture

that there are many remarkable benefits to being bilingual.

Unfortunately, being bilingual wasn't always seen as a good thing. Many

policy makers, educators and uninformed commentators have tried to

convince us that learning a foreign language, especially from a young age,

has a detrimental effect on brain development. Wrong! They have claimed

that the interference caused by having competing languages fight for

dominance in one brain can hinder academic performance and intellectual

development.
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Science now says this interference is in fact strengthening bilinguals' brains

making them brighter, smarter and faster thinkers. Why?

Well, first you should realise that your brain is a very efficient organ. It likes to

find the quickest and easiest way to do things. Practice something enough

and your brain will start to take the driver’s seat.

You start to be able to do it without thinking. The networks in the brain that

allow you to do perform that particular skill get stronger and stronger. All good

right? However, this efficiency has a downside. Without a challenge, your

brain becomes lazy. Information likes to travel the path of least resistance.

The brain opts for the easiest route so it uses the simplest language possible

to get the job done.

A good example of the brain's love of efficiency is language change. If a

language is too complicated then the brain, over time, will simplify it.

An international team of linguists lead by the university of Zurich showed that

certain taxing language constructions will eventually be omitted from

languages. Think of how simple Italian is compared to Latin, or the use of

‘whom’ in English. Grammarians may gnash their teeth. Despite this, they

cannot compete with linguistic evolution's propensity for survival of the

simplest.
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Just speaking our own language doesn't give the brain the workout it needs.

This is where interference comes to the rescue! Interference is caused when

words compete in the brain. Two or more words fight for dominance and, like

in any war, no one really wins. Have you ever had a word on the tip-of-your-

tongue? You kept trying to say one word but couldn't stop thinking of another?

This is interference. When you relax and the brain calms down it can find the

word it wants. All that extra mental activity caused by words fighting is good

for you.

Interference, therefore, is the mental equivalent of adding some extra weight

at the gym. When two languages compete, it ultimately strengthens your

processing systems. The two languages fighting in your brain make it tougher,

stronger and expand its limits.

To understand these bilingual brain benefits, we must explain executive

function. Executive functions are the skills that help us organise and act on

information. Having good executive function helps us process, plan and

complete tasks effectively. Good impulse and emotional control, flexible

thinking, strong working memory, the ability to self monitor are all hallmarks of

someone with good executive function. Bilingual people have been shown to

have better developed executive function.

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Become an Expert at Managing Information

One consistent finding with experts across many fields is that if you are adept

in something you tend to respond slower to questions on that topic. This is

because experts take much more information into account when answering a

question. People who know little on a topic tend to reply faster precisely

because they don't know much about what they are talking about.

Unfortunately, in our world, it is the quick, uninformed people that get listened

to rather than the slow, thoughtful ones.

Bilinguals follow the slow-thinking pattern when they process information, and

are experts at managing conflicting information.

Psychologists at the University of Cleveland found that bilingual people are

slower to respond to stimuli, but outperform monolinguals on certain tasks.

Monolinguals act faster but are wrong. This finding may explain why in the

past people thought that being bilingual was an impediment to thinking.

Bilinguals looked like they were slower, but in fact, they were just being more

careful and not rushing into bad responses. They manage the information

methodically which allows them to get better results.

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Improve your Multitasking Skills

We live in a crazy, busy, multitasking world. Yet, we know multitasking is

ineffective. This is because every time you switch between tasks, your brain

has to reconfigure to the new task. The mental energy used to flip between

jobs is called a switch cost. Bilinguals, however, are accustomed to switching

between languages. Researchers at the University of Toronto suggest that

being bilingual trains the brain to be able to switch between tasks which

translates directly to improved flexibility in multitasking.

Make your Brain Grow Bigger

Want to become fluent in a language super fast? Then you might want to

consider becoming a Swedish army interpreter. Famously the Swedish army

takes young recruits with a passion for language learning and trains them,

from nothing, to speak Arabic, Russian or even Dari in little over a year.

Researchers at Lund University found that in the space of just three months of

intensive language study the recruits’ brains actually increase in size.

Intensive study makes your brain grow!

Growth was seen in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of these recruits.

What’s more, the amount of growth was directly related to how well the recruit

was doing—study harder and your brain grows more.

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Unfortunately, we can’t all join the Swedish Army, but we can all keep growing

with LinguaLift.

Keep Focus Against all Distractions

One very important executive function that children need to learn is the ability

to focus. As adults we too face a myriad of distractions. When the brain gets

used to hearing two or more languages it gets very good at filtering out the

one it isn't using at that moment. This skill is transferable.

Bilinguals are better at zeroing in on one thing while blocking out the stuff that

doesn't matter. Now stop checking Facebook notifications and get studying!

Stay Mentally Young and Healthy

Medical science is getting to the point where people can expect to have

healthy, active bodies well into old age. What science has yet to cure are the

many mental afflictions that threaten us as we get older. However, we can

stall and mitigate the effects of diseases like Alzheimer’s by becoming

bilingual. The evidence for this has been growing for years now.

The good news is that just like physical exercise, mental exercise has

immediate positive effects.

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Researchers at Penn State found that it took just six weeks of studying

Chinese for people’s brains to start getting stronger.

See the World in a Different Way

There is an old Slovakian expression - Every language learned is another life

lived. It is true on an experiential level for sure. Think of the worlds of art,

culture, people and ideas that open up for you once you learn another

language. The good news is, it also applies to the mental level.

Studies at the university of Newcastle have shown that Japanese-English

bilinguals are more likely to identify colours as different because there are

words like mizuiro (literally water blue, or light blue) in Japanese that English

speakers don't have. This is just one example of how learning a language

gives you new words and ideas with which to describe the world.

Project Confidence and Determination

One final thing you can count on is that if you meet someone who is bi-, tri- or

even multilingual you can make a pretty safe bet that they are also someone

you'd want to be friends with or even hire to work with you. Not only have they

demonstrated that they have the self and mental discipline to speak two or

more languages, they also probably possess the type of executive functions

that will make them an asset to any workplace.

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Chapter 2

Choosing a New Language

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Choosing a New Language

Precise numbers vary, but there are estimated to be around seven thousand

languages in the world. Whether it’s your first, second or tenth foreign tongue,

you are faced with the same fundamental question—which language should I

learn next?

The answer to the question will of course be different depending on your

circumstances. If you live in the Philippines and want to make yourself more

employable your best foreign language to learn will be different than if you

have a fiancé in Brazil.

To estimate your potential return on investment in language learning, you

must therefore first understand your learning goals and motivations.

Once you have clarified your objectives, read through the list below for some

pointers on how to choose the best language to achieve your goals.

1. Speak to millions and become a citizen of the world.

2. Find your first job or new career opportunities.

3. Quickly learn a foreign language easy for English speakers.

4. Get ahead in international business and access frontier markets.

5. Work in foreign service and international non-profit organizations.

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6. Make it clear that you're a true language geek.

7. Retire in a cheap and peaceful country.

8. Enjoy an endless supply of film and literary masterpieces.

Top languages to learn if you want to...

Speak to Millions and Become a Citizen of the World

An intuitive way of choosing which languages you should learn is to consider

the number of speakers they will allow you to communicate with.

The 10 most spoken languages by native speakers:

1. Mandarin Chinese
2. Spanish
3. English
4. Hindustani
5. Arabic
6. Bengali
7. Portuguese
8. Russian
9. Punjabi
10. Japanese

Source: Ethnologue
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That looks like a sensible list, but it fails to account for bilingual minorities,

countries with several official languages and foreign language education in

schools around the world. For example, nearly half of Arabic and Russian

speakers don't use the languages as their mother tongues.

Let's add second language speakers.

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The 10 languages by total speakers:

1. English
2. Mandarin Chinese
3. Arabic
4. Spanish
5. Hindustani
6. Russian
7. Bengali
8. Portuguese
9. Malay
10. French

Source: Ethnologue

This list is more useful, but still far from a definitive answer.

First, it's likely to change in the future. Indeed, French is predicted to become

the most spoken language in the world, above English and Mandarin, by

2050.
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Second, what do you care about 250 million Portuguese speakers if you never

visit Portugal or Brazil?

In other words, from the perspective of a learner, not all speakers are created

alike. You must look at the list above through the lens of your location and

future plans, which is where the following sections should help you.

Find your First Job or New Career Opportunities

Globalization has made all businesses international to some extent, and

employers will love to see a foreign language on your CV. As growing

businesses expand beyond their national borders, knowing a second

language can also fast-track you to promotion or even a generous expat

package.
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Let's start by looking at languages, employers in English-speaking countries

regard as the biggest assets to your CV.

The top 10 required languages by job postings in anglophone countries:

1. Spanish
2. Mandarin Chinese
3. French
4. German
5. Japanese
6. Portuguese
7. Russian
8. Korean
9. Arabic
10. Hindi

Source: Kiplinger

Of course, if you are thinking about your career, the accumulated bonuses

and median salary by language should also be of high interest.

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The 10 languages by median salary in anglophone countries:

1. Korean
2. Portuguese
3. German
4. Japanese
5. Arabic
6. French
7. Russian
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8. Spanish
9. Hindi
10. Mandarin Chinese

But, learning a new language is a big undertaking, and if your job search

starts in the coming months, you're unlikely to reach a level, employers would

find useful by then.

In that case, any language may be better than none, and the next section is

for you!

Quickly Learn a Foreign Language Easy for English Speakers

The benefits of learning a foreign language are far reaching and go beyond

the monetary. It doesn’t matter what language you choose, bilinguals process

information faster, develop Alzheimer's later, and tend to be more sensitive in

multicultural settings, which is the normal environment for most people these

days.

The most useful of truly simple languages for an English speaker

is Esperanto, a constructed language with highly regular grammar and

vocabulary, and over two million speakers worldwide. You can learn it in less

than 150 hours and if nothing else, it'll help you with other European tongues.
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If you just need a conversation starter, or if you made a bet that you will learn

a language in a set amount of time, you could go as simple as Toki Pona,

which you can learn in under 8 hours! You might never get to speak it in the

real world, but understanding the meaning of life in 120 words is valuable in its

own.

If you're on the lookout for a language that is quick to learn, but also useful

and interesting, take a good look at Malay. As an Asian language, it might

sound exotic, but it is in fact one of the world's easier languages to master!

Malay uses the Latin alphabet, the pronunciation can be picked up in no time,

and its grammar is straightforward with no conjugation, plural or tenses. Better

yet, it is spoken by over 270 million people across Southeast Asia!

Another option is Afrikaans, the language of South Africa with easy

pronunciation, no conjugation, and a wealth of shared vocabulary with

English. With some twenty million speakers, it is nothing to be frowned on,

and you can always use it as a gateway to learning Dutch—its parent

language.

Here is an illustration showing some of the languages that are closely related

to English
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Source: Voxy

Whichever language you pick, remember that motivation, focus, and the right

language learning habits have a much higher impact on your progress than

difference in vocabulary or grammar.

Also, if you're thinking of learning a more unusual tongue, keep in mind that

the language learning resources available may not be the same. While it can

be tempting to learn Africa's Hausa, it will be harder to find a good textbook or

tutor than it would be for, let’s say, Italian.

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Get ahead in International Business and access Frontier Markets

If you're more entrepreneurial and tempted to tap opportunities in developing

countries on your own, the languages you'll find useful are quite different from

what an employer at home may value.

You should consider languages spoken in countries with high growth and low

competition, and in which communication problems are one of the highest

barriers to entry.

Less than 10% of Russia's population speaks decent English, and even if you

don't believe in BRICS with all that's happening in the world today, the

language is equally useful across Eastern Europe and most of Central Asia.

It'll even help you get around Mongolia, which uses the Cyrillic script to write

their tongue.

Spanish is the easiest language of the developing world, useful if you're

looking to live or do business in the growing Latin world. Both South and

Central America offer great, affordable expat living, Paraguay and Ecuador

provide cheap agricultural land for business and a self-reliant lifestyle, and as

countries like Cuba and Venezuela open up, Spanish will only grow more

useful for working with rising nations.

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Arabic is the primary language of an insular but increasingly important market

of the Middle East and North Africa, ranging from highly developed Tunisia

and United Arab Emirates, to ultra-frontier states like Iraq and Yemen.

Learning the Arabic alphabet will also give you a head start on Farsi, the

language of Iran, a country with close to 80 million people, slowly opening up

to the outside world.

Finally, even though China is now one of the world's dominant economies,

less than 1% of its population speak English, and many regions outside

coastal areas remain untouched by multinational business. Chinese influence

has also expanded into Africa and Central Asia, providing further opportunities

to use Mandarin Chinese for social good and profit.

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Work in Foreign Service & International Non-profit Organizations

Whereas in business, languages remain an optional advantage, they can be a

minimum requirement if you want to volunteer abroad, join an intelligence

agency, serve on a diplomatic mission, or cooperate with the UN and OSCE.

Which language should you study if international relations or public service is

your calling?

The United Nations is one of the world’s largest employers of language

professionals, and all delegates and personnel are expected to know at least

one, and ideally several of the six official and working languages of the UN:

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish.

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These are also the official languages of most other international organizations,

such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the World Bank (WB), with

the addition of Japanese in the case of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The CIA is actively recruiting bilinguals and aims to double its multilingual

workforce in five years through monetary incentives and language

achievement awards (new employees can qualify for a hiring bonus of up to

$35,000!).

As part of the initiative, the agency announced eleven mission-critical

languages that will be the focus of their recruitment efforts.

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Mission-critical languages of the CIA:

1. Arabic
2. Dari
3. Chinese
4. Indonesian
5. Kurdish
6. Korean
7. Pushto (Pashtu)
8. Persian (Farsi)
9. Russian
10. Turkish
11. Urdu

Similarly, MI6 (Britain's Secret Intelligence Service) is seeking language

specialists fluent in Russian, Arabic and Mandarin as their top priority.

Make it clear that you're a true Language Geek

You may be one of those people for whom qualities like cultural intelligence,

resume padding and market access come only secondary in language

learning. What you seek is uniqueness of grammar, mystery of sounds and

the most mind-boggling syntax.

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The answer for you lies among indigenous languages which, according to

linguist David Crystal, “present us with ways of talking about the world that

have no counterpart in the well-known Western languages.”

95% of the world’s population speaks 5% of the world’s languages, so your

choice here is extensive. How about Inuktitut? This Eskimo-Aleut language is

agglutinative, ergative-absolutive and one of its writing systems is based on

glyphs. To give you a head start, here is the word for Saturday:

Naattingujalaarniaq.

Retire in a Cheap and Peaceful Country

Your needs as a young student or a middle-aged professional can be quite

different from when you retire. The good news? Retirement comes with the

flexibility to move abroad, possibly for the first time in your life!

Mixing data on everything from weather to retiree discounts with reports from

its global network of correspondents, International Living, a media company

specializing in retirement abroad, compiles an annual list of the best countries

for North American retirees.

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Top 10 countries on the Global Retirement Index:

Source: International Living

What's great about this list is that even though it spans the globe, only four

foreign languages are enough to get around all of them.

Better yet, three of them, Malay, Spanish and Portuguese, are very easy to

learn for an English speaker.

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Enjoy an endless supply of Film and Literary Masterpieces

So far, we've mostly considered very practical reasons for learning a specific

language, but many students choose a language with their heart, attracted by

a particular country and its culture.

If you haven't traveled around the world, it can nevertheless be difficult to

make a choice, even if your interests are romantic or intellectual.

For what it's worth, my vote goes to French, a language that gives you access

to some of the greatest thinkers in the world, many of the best regarded

filmographers, and world-class music no matter your favourite genre.

To prove my point, I'll leave you with two lists:

Nobel laureates in literature by country:

1. France (15)
2. United States (10)
3. United Kingdom (10)
4. Germany (8)
5. Sweden (8)
6. Italy (6)
7. Spain (6)
8. Poland (4)
9. Ireland (4)
10. Russia/USSR (4)
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Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film by country:

1. Italy (14)
2. France (12)
3. Spain (4)
4. Japan (4)
5. Russia/USSR (4)
6. Sweden (3)
7. Denmark (3)
8. Netherlands (3)
9. Hungary (2)
10. Germany (2)
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Chapter 3

Goal Setting and Motivation

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Goal Setting and Motivation

You’ve probably decided which language you want to learn already, and the

very fact that you are reading this book shows you’re sufficiently motivated to

start this journey. However, to achieve fluency, you’ll have to create the right

mindset.

Whether your motivation is intrinsic or extrinsic, in the beginning, you’ll be able

to do everything necessary to learn your new language through sheer

ambition and energy alone. However, before too long, you’re going to reach

some stumbling blocks and moments of self-doubt.

Rather than ignoring these difficulties and just hoping for the best, it’s a good

idea to start preparing in advance.

Stop Making Excuses

They say that human nature is about cooperation, creativity and freedom.

Nonsense! What separates us from our animal friends is first and foremost our

incredible ability to justify why we can’t do something—especially to

ourselves.
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So, before we talk about study plans, learning habits and resources, let’s

squash all the language learning myths once and for all.

“I’m too old to learn a new language.” — Theories which say that language

is best learnt before puberty have largely been disproved, and new research

shows that it’s never too late to learn a foreign language.

“I’m not good at languages.” — Talent plays only a small role in learning.

Stay focused, put in the time, find a supportive learning community, and you

will reach fluency!

“But I don’t have the time!” — You only need to study for 15 minutes a day,

and find another 10 minutes for review. What matters is focus and

consistency, as these will help you throughout your learning.

“What if I fail?” — Don’t look at mistakes as failures, but rather as immediate

opportunities to improve your language abilities.

And last but not least, “This isn’t the right time.” Well, it never will be…

unless you stop telling yourself why you can’t, and start learning! This time

next year, you’ll regret you didn’t start today.

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Have a Clear Goal

Those who write down their goals, accomplish significantly more than those

who don’t. We know this instinctively, and there are plenty of studies to prove

it.

Goal setting is especially important for self-learners because we need to stay

motivated through the time it takes to master a language.

A good language learning goal is:

Specific — Describe exactly what you want to accomplish. Bad: Read a book

in Russian. Good: Read Anna Karenina in Russian.

Meaningful — What are your passions? What activities do you enjoy? Bad:

Go to Japan. Good: Present in Japanese at TEDx Tokyo.

Challenging— A difficult goal makes you learn more efficiently. Bad: Order a

frappuccino in French. Good: Book catering for my wedding in Paris.

Do all you can to take your goal seriously and be sure to create some kind of

reminder to keep yourself on track.

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Divide Your Study Plan into Steps

Just like seeing a lighthouse in the distance, identifying your ultimate goal is

important, but remember that every step towards it counts.

First, divide the path to your goal into many small steps. Then focus on

the actions required to complete each step, and the behaviors that help you

progress through the list more efficiently.

More importantly, try to enjoy the journey as much as the end result.

At LinguaLift we encourage our users to think about their fluency as relative to

the situation in which they use the language. If you need to order a side of

potatoes in Germany, for example, and you do so in German, then for that

situation at least, you’re fluent. Cherish each small success you encounter in

your new language, even if each interaction doesn’t go exactly to plan.

Leverage Discipline and Motivation

Finding the right balance between external discipline and internal motivation

can be tough. But new research on procrastination suggests that not only are

discipline and motivation both important when completing a task, when

properly understood, they can reinforce each other in a positive feedback loop

that increases productivity and supports emotional and mental health.

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Positive vs. Negative Momentum

Procrastination is a fickle beast. We all have days when we just don’t feel like

being productive, no matter how much we usually enjoy and look forward to

mastering that quirky character or exciting new expression.

It’s a pervasive emotion that can cause us to freeze up and binge-watch

another season of Friends instead of meeting our goals, or to mindlessly flip

through flashcards instead of truly understanding what’s on them.

Procrastination can be thought of as negative momentum. You don’t feel like

doing something, or you don’t feel like you can do it well in your current frame

of mind, so you do something else, hoping you’ll feel better soon.

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But instead, you feel guilty or ashamed for skipping out on your

responsibilities. That makes you feel even worse about the project, which

makes you less motivated, and the downward spiral begins.

Identify your Trouble Spots

The key is to take control early on in the cycle. This requires getting to know

your own procrastination response. Do you sit down with every intention of

reviewing some vocabulary only to find yourself up to your ears in social

media an hour later? Or do you avoid your “work zone” altogether when you

know you should be doing something, procrastinating with other tasks like

cleaning instead?

Right before your usual procrastination cycle starts (or once you realize you’re

in the thick of it), do something active to stop the spiral.

Break the Cycle

If you’re still in the “I don’t feel like doing this” (or the “I can’t do it properly right

now”) phase, try doing a small, inconsequential chunk of your work rather than

tackling a big important piece. Review words you already know instead of

learning new ones.

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Play a language game for a few minutes instead of tackling a big lesson.

Telling yourself you only have to do a little bit and then you can stop is one

way to break a procrastination spiral before it even starts.

If you’re a little deeper in—say, to the guilt or shame stage—acknowledge

where you are and recognize that it’s not too late. You can try again. Instead

of berating yourself or retreating into distraction, take control of the negative

emotions and redirect them into something positive, like recognizing what you

still have the power to accomplish. It’s not hopeless—and you’re not

hopeless! This happens to everyone, and you can still accomplish your goals,

even if you have to reorganize them.

Bridge the Gap Between Intention and Action

Once you’ve recognized that you’re in a negative cycle, you can use discipline

to your advantage. This doesn’t have to be rote, forced repetition that ignores

your emotions. Use healthy, positive adjustments to help get yourself into a

better frame of mind.

Discipline can be as simple as showing up regularly, even when you don’t

think you can do a great job. It can mean doing one small piece even if you

can’t accomplish your whole goal.

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Make Discipline Work for You

When you start to feel unproductive or unmotivated, instead of doing

something that you hope will put you in a more productive frame of mind, do

something that you know will help you get to work. If you’re not sure where to

start, try one of the following ideas.

Once these small habits become permanent, they can actually increase your

motivation over time and prevent procrastination in the first place. Try these

methods of using discipline to your advantage—without letting it turn you into

a soulless robot.

1. Target small, actionable tasks

Don’t try to learn everything at once. Rather complete small, actionable goals

that you will barely notice in order to build positive momentum and increase

motivation through actually using the language.

For example, rather than learning the volitional case of an abstract group of

verbs, master just the verb ‘to want’, in just the specific context of ordering a

cup of your favourite tea or coffee.

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The smile on your barista's face when you make your first order in their native

language will shoot your motivation through the roof, and you can then easily

extend your skill to other verbs that follow a similar pattern.

2. Banish guilt

Guilt is an easy way to fall right back into the procrastination cycle. Celebrate

what you did accomplish, even if it was only a first step, and then get right

back to work like nothing ever happened. Don’t see mistakes as failure, but

rather an opportunity for success—a clear path to improving your fluency!

3. Take care of yourself

Remember that motivation (and whether you feel capable of completing a

task) is largely dependent on emotional state. Exhaustion, hunger, and

dehydration can hijack your emotions before you even try to start being

productive. Incorporating small changes that will improve your emotional

stability over time can play a big role in boosting your self-esteem and

motivation.
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Also remember to schedule enough downtime. Procrastinated downtime

makes you feel worse, but intentional laziness can leave you feeling refreshed

and ready to tackle the next challenge.

Find ways to recharge, whether it’s something ‘healthy’ like exercise, or

something that would normally trigger guilt, like watching TV or checking

Facebook. Engage in these activities intentionally, not mindlessly. Stress-

reduction techniques like meditation can also be helpful in clearing the mind,

getting a fresh start, and even resetting a procrastination cycle.

4. Set (the right kind of) deadlines

Deadlines that are far out can be counter-productive. Deadlines that feel more

urgent can break a procrastination cycle and “shock” you into action. This

could be setting a goal like getting in some extra review time before meeting

up with a friend to practice your new language or attending a cultural event.

External deadlines are often more effective than internal deadlines, so try

working with a partner or scheduling frequent meet-ups that will help you get

into gear. And remember: bite-size deadlines are better than deadlines for a

whole project, so break things up.

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5. Make it fun!

One study found that when a task was perceived as fun, not work, chronic

procrastinators completed it at the same rate as people who did not usually

procrastinate. Try reframing your goals and projects as something enjoyable

to jumpstart your efforts.

In our language learning app, each lesson ends with a section we call cake,

because, who doesn’t like cake? It’s just something fun for you to enjoy, an

excerpt from a book, a film recommendation, cultural insights, or the most

cute and bizarre videos on YouTube we could find. You can check it out here:

Start My Free Lesson

Not only does this inject some fun in reaching a simple goal, like finishing a

lesson, but it also encourages and motivates you to learn more because it

helps you associate learning with having fun.

Why can’t Motivation and Discipline be Friends?

When you feel procrastination setting in, instead of asking yourself if you feel

up to this task, remind yourself why it’s something you care about. Allow that

feeling to be stronger than whatever is stopping you—perfectionism, boredom,

distraction, fear, or simple tiredness.

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Remember that if your goal is worthwhile and will improve your life, it may

take some time for it to feel “worth it,” but that feeling will come. Whether

you’re learning a language to reconnect with your roots, find romance, get a

new job, or just to prove you can, keep showing up. If you keep at it even on

days when you feel good enough, that discipline alone can motivate a whole

host of benefits—even ones well beyond the joy of learning a language.

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Chapter 4

Habit-Building
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Habit Building

Now you’ve figured out a sustainable study schedule, and you’re starting to

make some good progress. It’s now crucial to instil lasting habits, if you don’t

want to waste all this effort.

Be it in life or in learning, we benefit from the positive effect of routines and

behaviours that we do with little to no thought whatsoever.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a

habit.

— Aristotle

Your brain constantly works behind the scenes to optimise your life and

transform your tasks into habits. That’s great, but it can’t always work

out which habits to form on its own. That’s when our subconscious needs a

little guidance.

Think of one skill that you’ve truly mastered. It can be anything—playing the

ukulele, making pasta, even trolling tech blog articles. What made you an

expert in your domain is not your upbringing, or even your motivation, but the

habits you’ve consciously or unconsciously formed throughout your life.

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Like learning to play an instrument, or getting fit for a marathon, learning a

language is a long-term goal that requires regular practice lest you fall behind

and eventually give up.

Many of us have tried to change our habits, or introduce new ones into our

lives, be it eating healthier, having a full night’s sleep every day, or watching

less TV. Many of us have also found ourselves back in the old routine a

couple of days later.

It’s not that we aren’t motivated enough, or that our habits are so strong that

we cannot change. We just don’t know how to approach the task in a way

that’s manageable and that sticks.

Below, is a simple, three-step process to successful habit forming for

language self-learners.

The Elements of the Habit Loop

In the appendix of the New York Times best-seller The Power of Habit: Why

We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Charles Duhigg distils every habit

forming process to three basic elements, which form The Habit Loop:
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The routine is the habit itself, the action you’d like to make an unconscious

and integral part of your life. The reward is what motivates you to complete

that action. And the trigger is the cue that tells your brain to proceed with the

action.

The moment you figure out each of these elements and break the cycle, you

become free from your negative habit. The moment you find the right cue

and make your brain expect and crave the reward, the action becomes

automatic, and your positive habit is formed.

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How to Enter the Loop and Instil a New Habit

Step 1: Break your goal into tiny habits

Studying a language is a huge undertaking and you’ve probably already

broken it up into a set of smaller goals such as learning the 500 most common

words, passing the intermediate level of a proficiency exam, or reading your

favourite novel in its original language.

Now it’s time to go even further and break these goals into what Stanford

University researcher BJ Fogg calls tiny habits. In his email course, he

describes it as a behaviour that:

• you do at least once a day

• takes less than 30 seconds

• requires very little effort

It’s important to start small. For example, you’re much more likely to succeed

in forming the habit of reading one newspaper headline than in reading one

page of a newspaper.

Over the following months, as you get used to your new behaviour and your

language improves, you can progressively expand your target to a paragraph,

then an article, then a spread, and eventually the whole journal.

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Step 2: Find an anchor to trigger the habit

An anchor is what BJ Fogg calls an existing behaviour that is already an

integral part of your life.

By linking your new tiny habit to an established behaviour, you create a

trigger that will trick your brain into unconsciously following through with a

specific action.

After I existing behaviour I will new tiny habit .

Here are some more practical examples:

After I turn on the kettle in the morning, I will tune in to the French radio

station.

After I start the dishwasher, I will read two headlines of a Japanese

newspaper.

After I brush my teeth at night, I will review a lesson in LinguaLift.

Ideal anchors are precise events (‘after I wash my hands,’ as opposed to ‘after

work’) that you engage in reliably every day at the same frequency as your

desired habit.
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Step 3: Celebrate every time you complete the habit

The reward is a crucial component of The Habit Loop which makes your brain

follow up on a habit, and gives you an injection of dopamine, brain’s pleasure

chemical released when you bring something to completion.

Fogg recommends making a little celebratory dance or shout out a loud “Oh,

yeah! I’m awesome!” every time you complete a task. Although effective, you

may find this to be a bit silly and awkward to do in public spaces, which could

lead to failing to reward yourself consistently.

Instead, you can do something small and inconspicuous like putting on a big

smile or tapping a simple tune with your foot. You could also treat yourself

with a tasty snack—just make sure that it’s healthy, or you might have to undo

this unintentional side-habit later on!

Tiny habits may sound too small to be useful, but what you’re learning is not

the habit itself (you likely know how to do it already!), but how to integrate the

new behaviour into your daily routine.

It’s important to realise that we tend to overestimate what we can do in one

day, but underestimate what we can do in one year. Start with a tiny habit,

and you’ll be surprised at the progress you’ll make in a few months time!
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Now that you know the secret to introducing new habits, here are some of the

most effective habits of successful language learners.

The 9 Habits of Successful Language Learners

It’s great to have a clear goal and a defined study plan, but you need to be

realistic and don’t try to learn too much at once.

In fact it’s rather like planning a sensible diet. Don’t make the same mistake

as many learners, who spend a few days scavenging for new resources then

partake in obsessive binge-learning, quickly burn out, and soon forget all

they’ve read.

You won’t learn a language in a single weekend, so it’s crucial to set up a

study routine that is challenging but sustainable in the long term.

You can also think of language learning as a fitness regimen: If you don’t work

out, you’ll never get stronger, but if you overdo it, your body becomes too

stressed and forces you to stop and you lose all your progress.
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Have you ever noticed the way some people are able to learn languages

effortlessly, getting to fluency faster with pen & paper than others do with a

bag-full of textbooks and a phone-full of learning apps?

Everything about their learning seems effortless, and every new word and

expression they learn is used with utmost confidence.

What is it about these individuals that sets them apart?

Every language learner strives for this effortlessly cool way of learning, where

study ceases to be a chore, and language usage becomes common day.

While it may seem like these individuals were born with a natural linguistic

talent, it actually comes down to a few simple habits these super-learners

integrate into their daily life.

Have a Clear Goal

We’ve already covered this in a previous section, but it can’t be stressed

enough. You need to be clear on why you want to learn a new language, what

level of fluency you hope to achieve, and when you want to accomplish this.
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These goals should be written down and if possible shared with a person you

trust who will support you along the way. Goals need to be written down. This

will keep you focused, motivated and hold you accountable.

Do all you can to take your goal seriously and be sure to create some kind of

reminder to keep yourself on track.

Review Before Learning

Always review first, even if it means you won’t have time or energy to learn

more. Effective language learners know that what you don’t review—you

forget forever, and forgetting means that all that time you’ve spent learning the

new word or expression has been put to waste.

That is why you should always prioritize review above learning and start

every study session by going over your past notes and flashcards.

That way, if halfway through you realize that you’re just too exhausted to

make the progress you hoped for, you’ve at least made sure you don’t regress

by activating all the connections already in your brain!

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Study a Little Every Day

When you try to learn long lists of vocabulary all at once, or leaf through a

textbook chapter after chapter without giving the necessary thought to the

information within, your brain looks at this as progress.

The problem is, that mental counter represents the number of words and

lessons you’ve seen, not the information you can actually use, or even

remember the next morning.

Binge learning is extremely motivating in the beginning, but consistently leads

to burnout when the rational part of your brain finally realizes that all this

euphoria was in fact unjustified.

Successful polyglots know that there is nothing more dangerous to lasting

progress than overworking yourself at the start of your learning journey.

To make steady progress, and eventually reach fluency in your target

language, study in small chunks every day, even if for just 5 or 10 minutes.
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Use the Language for something you Enjoy

Effective learners realize that you can’t learn a language without

motivation that comes from the prospect of using the language in the context

we’re passionate about.

If you love to cook, buy a cookbook in your target language and try some new

foods from that country. This is a great way to incorporate your interests into

your studying. Sarah, one of our LinguaLift users, enjoys Japanese

crocheting, and she’s making rapid progress by spotting words and grammar

points from our lessons in crocheting magazines she got while on a holiday in

Tokyo.

Whether your passion is video games, comic books, mountain climbing, or

political science, there’s always a way to bring your interests into your

language study.
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Use Science

Effective learners approach using the language as an art but learning the

language as hard science.

Although the scientific community is still debating some aspects of memory

and linguistics, that is no reason to resort to superstition and alchemy.

Many processes that occur in the brain of a language learner are well

understood, yet largely neglected in our educational system. As a self-learner,

you’re in a unique position to capitalize on all the latest findings and make use

of cutting-edge algorithms to boost your language abilities.

The Spaced Repetition System (SRS) is a powerful scientific based memory

technique that every language learner should be using. A complete

explanation of this system is covered in Chapter 7.

Study and Learn instead of Searching for Resources

(We’ve done that for you)

Don’t have a closet full of unopened textbooks, or a phone full of learning

apps.
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Effective language learners know that there’s no silver bullet to language

learning, so they don’t waste time searching for it. They choose an effective

method quickly and stick to it until there is a real need to change.

One mistake I myself fall victim to again and again is going on a shopping

spree for learning resources, only to realize that I’m spending more time

scavenging for new ways to learn than actually learning.

It’s good to choose a methodology that works for you, but it’s even more

important to do so fast and get back to learning.

Find a Balance Between Consuming the Language and Using it

Effective learners value output as much as input, and make sure to write or

say a word out loud for every word they read or listen to.

There are countless examples of language learners who spend all their time

cramming to learn vocabulary, only to find themselves at a loss for words

when thrown into a real-life conversation. Indeed, that’s exactly what happens

to most who go through the current K-12 curriculum.

There are also many people who dedicate every minute to speaking to friends

and blogging in their target language. Such students are often remarkably
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fluent in their specific topic of interest, or when they speak to their usual

group, but can struggle to produce a single coherent sentence outside of that

context.

No matter your ultimate goal, it is crucial to learn languages in a balanced

way. Reading and listening to native material on a diverse range of topics will

enrich your own expressiveness. Using new words and expressions you’ve

picked up from others will cement them in your memory.

Fail Often and Learn from your Mistakes

Effective learners value mistakes and misunderstandings as opportunity

to learn and improve.

Everyone remembers Henry Ford’s Model T. But what preceded it was a very

imperfect Model A. Ford’s mechanics gathered real-world insight into all its

deficiencies and fixed them one at a time before coming up with the icon of

the automotive history.

The only way to improve is to start using new expressions right after you learn

them, make mistakes, and use them to improve your abilities.

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It’s not a failure to use the wrong grammar or make a blatant spelling mistake.

The only true failure is when you don’t learn from the mistake or use it as an

excuse to give up.

Imitate Native Speakers

Effective learners mimic what expressions native speakers use in a given

context, how they pronounce them, and what gestures they choose to

reinforce their message.

Textbooks and dictionaries are great at teaching you what’s grammatically

correct, but they can’t guide you to speak naturally in day-to-day situations. An

expression that would give you full marks on a test, and pass every spell

check, may sound absolutely jarring in the real world.

The best way to learn the language as it is actually spoken is to put yourself in

contact with native speakers and listen carefully to what they say! Then note

the natural sentence patterns you hear and give it a try.

Next time you’re queuing up for a matcha latte, stop trying to imagine the

conversation you’ll have with the barista, and instead listen to the

conversations she’s having with other clients!

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With consistent application, following even a few of these steps will help you

work out an effective learning routine and instill habits that will naturally, may I

say almost effortlessly, result in rapid progress towards fluency.

This is a little unorthodox, but I would suggest going back and reading this

entire section again, before moving on. And when you review this section, be

sure to ask yourself how you can incorporate each habit into your language

study.

These habits are one of the most important aspects of any study plan.

At LinguaLift, we work with each student to create an individualized study plan

we call their “Road Map to Fluency,” to ensure their success. We feel so

strongly about the importance of these habits, they are a major part of every

study plan our language experts create.

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Chapter 5

Avoiding Distractions
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Avoiding Distractions

Even expert language learners with effective habits, dedication, and all the

right motivations can struggle to stick to their learning.

Sometimes, the obstacle comes from within, in which case the best solution is

often to take a break for a few days, meditate, and do some fun activities

unrelated to languages before getting back to your study routine.

More often, the distractions come from outside. We are exposed to more

information, and just pure noise than we have ever been, and this can make

concentrating on your learning a genuine struggle.

The first step towards an effective language learning routine is a study

environment that lets you focus on the task ahead.

Even the smallest interruptions can derail your learning, waste your time, and

even lead to mistakes. Fortunately, there are lots of neat little tools that can

alleviate some of these problems!

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Proven Ways to Focus when Studying

Stop Eye Strain

Of course, it’s best to go to sleep in your bed, not collapse on your keyboard,

and getting enough sleep is crucial to keep your brain in prime condition for

effective learning. But we all have studies, full time jobs, and families to attend

to, so burning the midnight oil can sometimes be the only option.

If your usual day involves staring at a computer screen from dawn till dusk,

you’re likely no stranger to eye strain, headaches and blurry vision at the end

of the day. Worse yet, all the blue light from your screen can make it a real

challenge to fall asleep!

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to relieve your tired

eyes. f.lux (Windows/OSX/Linux/IOS and Android), is simple software that

automatically changes the brightness and colour temperature throughout the

day, based on the sun outside.

When we stare into our computer screens, the blue light tricks our brains into

thinking it’s still daylight, which messes up our internal circadian rhythms (our

physiological response to light and darkness).

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After you install f.lux, your screen will look something like this:

The orange hue can feel weird at first, but you’ll get used to it in just a few

days, and it eliminates all the harmful effects like headaches and sleep

deprivation!

(And if you ever decide to watch a movie, or do some photo retouching, the

application makes it super easy to temporarily turn off the effect.)

Stop unrelated Tabs and Apps

If you’re anything like me, you always keep at least a few applications running

at all times, and countless tabs sit open in your browser.

And if you’re like me, you also regularly find yourself forgetting what you
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meant to do next, and then mindlessly switching between said tabs and

applications until you end up back on Facebook or some other black hole that

sucks up all your time.

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution for this too, and this time it’s even built

into your operating system!

Advanced Linux and Mac OSX users have sworn by ‘multiple desktops’ since

forever, and now Windows 10 users have access to the same useful feature.

Simply create a second virtual desktop and move over all that’s related to your

language learning. Anki, dictionary apps, worksheets, Language Learning

Secrets, your Road Map to Fluency—they all should be on your brand new

desktop.
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For your favourite language learning websites (I hope LinguaLift’s on the list!),

you can either separate the tabs into a new window (Ctrl + N) and move it to

your language desktop, or better yet, install a separate browser for your

language learning needs.

Block Social Media and other Time Wasters

Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube... they’re all veritable black holes that can

easily suck away hours of your time without you even noticing. Fortunately,

there’s a nifty piece of software that lets you analyze exactly how much time

you’ve killed on social media, and then rescue some of it by blocking the

offending websites during work hours!

The free version of Rescue Time is a good first step to get a better picture of

your browsing habits, but it’s the Premium edition where things get really

interesting.

You can log set up alerts to know when you spent a certain amount of time on

an activity, get positive feedback when you’ve concentrated on your work

successfully, and finally block websites at specific parts of the day, whether on

your desktop or Android device.

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A reverse approach, advocated by countless entrepreneurs and CEOs,

including Google’s Eric Schmidt, is to actually schedule your email and social

time on your calendar, then turn off all sounds & visual notifications (which

you should do in either case!) and only deal with these websites once or twice

per day.
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A Technique to help even the most Distracted Learners

Humans are naturally bad at paying attention for long intervals of time. No

matter how engaging the activity, our brains tend to start to wander after about

twenty minutes. The answer to this is learning in short bursts, while taking

frequent breaks to relax and get ready for the next hyper-focused study

session.

This is the basis of the Pomodoro technique, invented in the early 90s by

developer, entrepreneur, and author Francesco Cirillo, and named after the

tomato-shaped timer Carillo used to track his work as a university student.

To make use of the system, simply break down your study time into 20-minute

intervals, spaced out with short, 5-minute breaks. This trains your brain to

focus for short periods, and gives you a regular injection of dopamine, brain’s

pleasure chemical released when you bring something to completion.

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Illustration from pomodorotechnique.com

Though you could start with any old kitchen timer, there’s now a plethora of

simple, tomato-styled apps available for every platform,

including, Tomighty (Win/OSX/Linux), Pomodoro Timer (iOS)

and ClearFocus (Android). For a more robust, cross-platform solution I also

highly recommend focus booster (Web/Windows/OSX).

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The technique is of course also applicable outside of learning! Here at

LinguaLift, when we notice that our team is getting a little distracted and

jumping on every opportunity to talk about everything except work, we set a

cartoonish tomato timer on the table for a 20 minute work session to get

everyone back on track. Whoever distracts the sprint must pay for others’

lunch. It’s never happened so far!

Deal with Loud Traffic or Noisy Neighbours

The slightest sound can break the flow of your learning. Given how noisy the

world has become, it is often impossible to remain concentrated for longer

than a few minutes before your alarm goes off, the jackhammer starts

pounding on the street, or your neighbours decide to have make-up sex after

a rousing quarrel.

If moving is not an option, a great way to deal with the distractions is to buy

earplugs, or better yet, put on noise cancelling headphones with some

ambient music to mask the more unpredictable sounds.

There is also a lot of positive research on how music relates to mood,

productivity and learning. Most recently, a 2015 study found that ambient

noise, whether deliberately created, such as white noise, or naturally

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occurring, such as waves at a beach, improved subjects’ ability to

concentrate.

Though you could just turn on the fan, or relocate to the nearest Starbucks,

there’s also a smörgåsbord of noise generation tools available online. Many

people swear by generic white noise, but I personally prefer to get cozy with a

combination of rain, fireplace crackling and cafe chatter. Whatever your

interests, you can probably find a suitable ambient soundscape at noisli! Or

you can find some great collections on Spotify.

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Chapter 6

Choosing the Right

Resources
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Choosing the Right Resources

As I mentioned earlier, many people spend more time looking for new ways to

learn than on actually learning.

Of course, the right toolset can have a great effect on your language learning.

But all learning tools are worthless unless you use them.

You have to think of the learning methodology as a multiplier:

Awful methodology -1×

Weak methodology 1×
Good methodology 5×
Great methodology 10×

Let’s assume that you’ll learn for 3 years. How many words can you master?

Study once: 5
Study once a month: 180
Study once a week: 780
Study once a day: 5475

To learn a language, you need to multiply the two. You need to combine the

great methodology with great habits.

Even the best methodology requires daily practice if you want to reach

fluency.
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But first of all, how do you choose the first resource that will get you started?

And more importantly, how do you avoid sleazy affiliate salesmen trying to sell

you awful language software that’ll set you back many months?

We’ve included a list of the best language self-learning resources, in this

book, so I won’t make any specific recommendations in this section.

Instead, I’d like you to consider the general characteristics of a good self-
paced course, so you can select the best method from those sold in your
country that teaches your language of choice.

Varied

Any programme that has a fixed curriculum, or one specific method of

teaching a language is by its very nature unsuitable for self-language learners.

Whilst an experienced teacher can usually respond to the needs of any

student’s learning style by skilfully navigating any textbook, you shouldn’t

expect to have to mould to the methodology of the product. Look instead for a

sufficiently rich mix of content and teaching styles.

Interactive

Be warned: being asked to click a button isn’t interacting with the language,

only with the programme. Avoid any method that provides you only with

content and look for courses that expect you to use the language you are
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studying. This could be as simple as an audio course that gives time for you to

parrot back the sentences you hear, or as sophisticated as having a tutor who

assigns you homework to be checked, or who can set up a live video chat

appointment with you.

Realistic

Don’t sign up for a course that doesn’t meet your needs. Find out what kind of

level you can expect to reach and ask how long an average student takes to

reach this goal. If the course takes too long (say you have a vacation to that

country, or test before you’re likely going to reach that goal), then move on.

Likewise, if the expectation as to the amount of time you are expected to

commit every week is too much for you, then look elsewhere.

Utilize Neuroscience

Many of the processes that occur in the brain of a language learner are

already well understood, yet are largely neglected in our education system. As

a self-learner, you’re in a unique position to capitalise on all the latest findings

and make use of cutting-edge algorithms to boost your language abilities.

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The best language learning software, including LinguaLift, makes use

of spaced repetition algorithms (SRS) to activate your memory just as
it’s about to fade, and so optimising long-term retention.

Don't Believe False Promises

It’s important to remember that while there are lots of great products available

to help you learn a language, there are also a few products where the

marketing is much better than the actual content.

Any service that claims you will be fluent in a certain amount of time is

insincere. They don’t know who you are. They don’t know how much time you

can commit to studying. They have no idea about your learning styles, goals

or anything else about you. All they know is you have an interest in learning a

language, and a credit card.

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Chapter 7

Review and Practice

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Review and Practice

You know the science, you know the methods, you have the resources—now

what? Well, the learning won’t get done by itself. It can seem time-consuming

to absorb new information, but there are proven methods that can increase

the efficiency of that process.

The process of language acquisition is not separated into a phase of learning

and then a phase of knowing or using. We use every little bit of knowledge we

have as a steppingstone on the path, and we never stop moving forward.

Learning is a broad term and we tend to forget that it includes review and

practice. They aren’t extras, additions or mere learning-improvers, they are

the learning itself.

Performing these processes properly requires a mindful approach and

conscious repetition. But aren’t you excited about making efficient learning,

your new habit?

Spaced Repetition

Want to recall 92% of everything you learn? The Association for Psychological

Science thinks it’s easily the best way to study. Lawyers are using it to pass
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the Bar. Harvard Medical School students are using it to become better

doctors.

Is it a weird new tropical plant extract? A new pharmaceutical used by the rich

and famous? Some kind of “limitless” pill you’d see advertised at the bottom of

a dodgy website?

Actually, it’s a simple memory technique called SRS, or “Spaced Repetition

System,” that anyone can use right from the comfort of their own home—

completely legally!

We all know that short-term memory is easy to develop. Just repeat

something over and over, whether it’s a phone number or a list of verb

conjugations, and you’ll remember it perfectly for a few minutes, hours, or if

you’ve seen it before, possibly even a couple of days.

Transferring information into long-term memory is a bit more difficult. In the

late 19th century, Hermann Ebbinghaus, a German researcher, measured

how long it takes the average person to forget a list of random nonsense

words. It turns out that over 90% of the information disappears within a few

days. This is called the “forgetting curve.”

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This curve (and not just post-exam festivities) is why we can remember pages

upon pages of obscure facts right before we need them, and then remember

almost nothing a few weeks later.

Fortunately, there is a way to reinforce the information so that the brain is less

likely to forget it. The best way to improve recall, Ebbinghaus discovered, is to

test the information frequently—but not too frequently. In fact, the best time to

try to remember something is when it’s on the verge of being forgotten. That

strengthens the neural pathways associated with the information, preserving it

for a longer period of time.

Of course, there is a point of maximum effectiveness. Review too often, and

you’re wasting time. Review too seldom, and your memories begin to fade.
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There is a point of maximum efficiency for each individual, and it’s pretty darn

difficult to pinpoint on your own.

Thankfully, computers can help us figure that out. If you have a list of things

you want to remember—obscure medical terms, say, or Chinese characters—

a computer can test you with them every so often to see how well the

information is sticking. If you can’t remember it, the computer can shorten the

repeat time. If you remember it well, the computer lengthens the time until the

next review so that you’re always tested right as you’re about to forget for the

greatest impact.

Coupled with creative use of the new information (working in a lab or hospital

for medical students, having interesting conversations with locals for language

learners), this method can be a powerful weapon in the learner’s arsenal.

Over two dozen studies by Dr. Price Kerfoot, an Associate Professor of

Surgery at Harvard Medical School, conclude that it does. Prof. Gabe

Teninbaum, a Suffolk Law faculty member, agrees: “by using spaced

repetition, users are projected to remember 92 percent of the material … and

if that’s not enough, it ultimately takes less time to study and learn using

spaced repetition than other study methods.”

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Oddly enough, learning actually seems to be increased during testing, where

we’re forced to recall information ourselves, rather than studying, where we

simply review or re-read the material. That’s part of why SRS is so effective. It

forces our brains to make the connection and try to retrieve the information,

rather than just reminding us about it over and over.

This system is a bit counterintuitive and does require making a commitment to

review. Cramming for an exam, on the other hand, gives you instant results

and doesn’t require much set-up, even if you forget everything a few weeks

later.

It may take a little more time to set up a system to practice Spaced Repetition,

but it’s worth the effort. There are a few things you can do to make it more

effective:

• Break things up: If you need to learn something complex, like a language,
break it up into bite-sized pieces that can be reviewed individually.
• Make it a habit: If you’re in school or university, this is a bit easier. Just set
aside a bit of study time each day to review flashcards or an ongoing list of
material (you can add to it as time goes on).
• Learn in context: Don’t study just words and characters—put them in
context by using clear example sentences or other contextual aids.
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There are a few ways to start reaping the benefits of spaced repetition,
ranging from old school DIY methodologies to high-tech software based on
latest breakthroughs in science.

If you’re interested in a simple DIY method, you’ll probably enjoy the Leitner

system. Simply make five little boxes for your paper flashcards and move

them to the next level each time you remember the answer correctly. If you

fail, the flashcard goes back to the beginning. The higher the box number, the

less frequently you should review the flashcards it contains.

For those of you who don’t mind integrating some technology into your

studies, another easy-to-implement system is to schedule emails with material

you want to learn every few days. If you use Gmail, Boomerang can help you

do this quickly and easily.

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For a truly high-tech approach, there are spaced repetition software packages

available, such as the open-source flashcard system Anki. This application

works offline and offers a myriad of settings to play around with.

Unfortunately, this flexibility comes at the cost of convenience, as it also

requires you to manually write your own flashcards or work with amateur

shared decks that can be incomplete and prone to errors. But the advantages

of this system is well worth the effort. You can also check out Anki apps for

IOS and Android.

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We feel spaced repetition is so important, we designed LinguaLift specifically

to take advantage of this method with built-in sets of vocabulary for each

language using a spaced repetition algorithm. We’ve also incorporated our

writing lessons to take advantage of this system to help our students learn

Japanese kanji, and Russian Cyrillic.

If you don’t want to risk money on unproven techniques, dodgy memory aids,

or pseudo-illegal plant extracts—and you never want to have to cram for an

exam again—give Spaced Repetition a try. You might just remember why you

loved learning in the first place, and never forget anything ever again.

Review
This was mentioned before, but we are reviewing it so you don’t forget! What

you don’t review—you forget forever and forgetting means that all the time

you’ve spent learning the new words or expressions has been wasted.

That’s why you should always review before learning more, starting every

study session by going over your past notes and flashcards.

Deliberate Practice
Success in language learning doesn’t depend on talent. It’s a result of

choosing the right methods to learn and practice plus, let’s face it, hard work.
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You actually have to build up your abilities in order to reap the benefits. Even

Mozart trained long and hard from early childhood to attain skills that later

seemed to have come to him effortlessly.

Anders Ericsson’s research concluded that the rising standards in every

discipline from music to sports result from the fact that people learned how to

learn—not by focusing on the number of hours spent practicing but on the

quality and nature of the practice instead. He labelled this new

method deliberate practice. What are its components?

A well-defined goal: You have to focus on a very specific skill you want to

improve. For example: the pronunciation of the English sound “th”.

Mentors and coaches: Deliberate practice draws from the expertise of others

who have already achieved a similar goal. If there are individuals who have

already gone through the process you’re just starting, why not use their

experience?

Challenge: Deliberate practice places us out of our comfort zone. It

challenges you to try things that are just beyond your current abilities.

Errors: Obviously you’ll make errors when practicing a new skill, but

with deliberate practice you’ll find ways to eliminate them.

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The first two components don’t sound that scary, but the third one sends

shivers down your spine, doesn’t it? But you won’t climb any higher without

actually letting go and reaching higher. If you feel comfortable talking to a bus

driver in Spanish, continuing to do so you will simply increase your fluency

in… talking to a bus driver in Spanish. You won’t magically learn how to

interact with a doctor.

Experts are experts at maintaining high-levels of practice and

improving performance.

For your body to achieve a higher level of performance, you have to force it to

adapt to a new routine or environment. Similarly with the mind—in order to

attain fluency in a new skill, it must be challenged to interact in yet

unencountered circumstances. You will be basing your deliberate practice on

the knowledge you already have, but you’ll take a step further into an

unchartered territory. As with all such adventures, it is important to have a

guide, someone who will provide you with feedback on your trials and help

you to correct the errors.

Efficient learning is hard because it means packing the same amount of

progress into a shorter time. Make each minute of your study session count!
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Completing even just half of a challenging exercise is equivalent to completing

one at your regular level. Even if you feel you haven’t done as well as usual,

you have proven to yourself you’re closer to mastering the language than you

expected.

Shadowing

Shadowing is an advanced learning technique where you listen to a text in

your target language, and then speak it aloud at the same time as the native

speaker.

I had been using the method for a couple of years without using any specific

name to describe it, but later came upon a video by the remarkable scholar,

autodidact and polyglot Alexander Arguelles describing a similar technique

and calling it shadowing, which describes the process rather accurately.

How-to shadow

To start shadowing, you will need a pair of headphones, and an audio

recording in your target language, at your level of proficiency.

The ideal content is at natural speed, on engaging topics and with no artificial

pauses and no English.

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The basic concept is as follows:

• Listen to the audio/video a few times, without reading the transcript or

subtitles. You may have no idea what the conversation means, but that’s
okay at this point.
• Now try to speak along with the dialogue (again, without using the
transcript or subtitles)
• Next, use the subtitles and try to follow along with the conversation.
Repeat as many times as necessary until you can repeat at the same
speed as the recording.
• Finally, pick a couple of words that you need to look up the meaning of and
add them to your vocabulary list.

Make sure to speak loud and clear. If you’re not too self-conscious, this is a

great time to take a break from the computer screen and have a walk in the

park.

In fact, Arguelles argues that to learn effectively through shadowing, it is

crucial to observe these three points:

1. Walk outdoors as swiftly as possible.

Walking outdoors forces you to get comfortable using the language in unusual

settings, in a more automated way, while performing other activities. Just as

you do with your native language.

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2. Maintain perfectly upright posture.

Together with point №1, maintaining an upright posture increases oxygen

intake which further benefits your brain, and thus the learning process. It is

also one more thing you need to think of simultaneously, and will make you a

more confident speaker.

3. Articulate thoroughly in a loud, clear voice.

Good articulation is crucial if you want to perfect your pronunciation, and

together with №2, speaking in a loud, clear voice will trick your brain into

thinking that what you are learning is particularly important. Think of yourself

as an actor playing a part.

Proficiency through efficiency

You might have noticed a pattern here... each step works in tandem with each

other, and that is in fact the key to this technique, and intensive language

learning in general.

To make that jump from stagnating at a higher-beginner level to being able to

learn by actually using in day-to-day life you have to work more, and as there

are only that many hours in a day, it means that you have to learn more

efficiently by working on several skill-sets at once.

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Language Exchange

Today, it's incredibly easy to do a language exchange to help you study a

language. By language exchange, I mean getting together with a person who

speaks the language you're learning and helping each other out. You teach

them English while they teach you whatever language you're studying.

When I was first studying Japanese, it was tough to find Japanese practice

partners. I lived in the middle of the U.S. where there isn't so much diversity.

Now, there are websites where you can meet people to study with in-person,

on Skype or through email exchange.

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Language exchange can be very helpful in learning languages, but it can also

be a waste of time. Here are some tips I've culled from my experience on

making your language exchange fruitful.

Finding the right partner

The first challenge is finding the right partner who is a good fit for you. I

recommend finding someone with common interests, a common lifestyle

and/or near your age. This makes your lessons more fun and interesting

because you have a great deal to talk about.

One thing to consider is level. If you and your partner are about the same

level in your respective languages, this presents a nice challenge (you have to

communicate somehow) and makes things equal. If, like me, all of your

partners speak English better than you speak their language, the lesson will

likely be dominated by English.

Another thing about level to keep in mind is that it takes a great deal of

patience to teach a beginner. You'll be speaking slowly, repeating short

phrases and correcting very simple mistakes. You need to be up for that.

The best case scenario is to find someone who is actually a teacher of their

language or studying to become one. That's where I've had the greatest
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success. I have two partners who are both Spanish teachers and they

understand exactly where I need help.

Lesson details

Discuss lesson details before you get into anything else. Decide when, where,

how and at what frequency you'd like to carry out your lessons. This should be

upfront because if you can't meet, the rest is meaningless. You might be on

opposite sides of the earth and one of you has to wake up at 4am to talk.

At first, I wanted to schedule lessons with my language partners, all of whom

live in other countries. Then, I discovered that it actually works best for me to

get on Skype whenever I'm free or need a break from work, and say, 'Hey, are

you there?' My schedule changes fairly randomly so it's easier to meet my

partners that way as well. But this is something you should work out when

discussing details. Your partner may have a preference as well.

Making the most of your exchange

I think that language exchange should augment your study. It shouldn't be all

that you do. You should use it to practice what you're learning. It's a chance to

have a native speaker correct you or offer more natural ways of saying things.

Take good notes during your conversations.

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At the end of each talk with my partners, we choose a topic for next time. This

gives me a chance to prepare by looking up words and phrases I might use. I

recommend this especially if you're a beginner. For example, I arranged with

one partner to discuss how I started playing music. I looked up vocabulary

and past tense verb conjugations for words I might use.

I love language exchange because it involves using the real language. The

excitement of realizing you can understand or say what you want is a great

motivator to keep studying and working hard.

Language Tutors

Private language tutors are costly, but use them correctly, and they can mean

the difference between steady progress and a plateau.

That’s why we include access to self-study coaches and helpful language

tutors in our program. Having somebody who is invested in your learning, who

is familiar with, and can empathise with the kind of learning difficulties that you

are facing can mean that you’ll have a much better chance of getting to grips

with your target language. Start My Free Lesson

Although better value for money than college or a language school, private
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language tutors can be a costly way to learn a language if not used properly. If

you want a qualified, well-rated tutor, you should expect to be paying

anywhere between $20-40 depending on language being learned and

experience.

If you are using a paper textbook or some other unguided course, make sure

to find a good tutor on Italki to support you, and regularly submit samples of

your writing to Lang-8.

You’ll have a better chance of picking up native-like pronunciation, and you’ll

in general feel more motivated to succeed with the discipline of meeting with,

and being accountable to somebody. However, without some planning, and

clever use of your private tutor, you’ll soon find that your investment in your

education isn’t as effective as it could be.

Here are five mistakes to avoid when learning a language with a private tutor.

1) Using tutors as your only source of practice

Having a private tutor means you’ve got unrestricted access to a native, or

native-like speaker of your language. However, you shouldn’t forget that they

are just one of possibly millions of people who speak your language, and it’s

important to be exposed to a wide variety of native input. Do not think that

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your tutor is a substitute for real-life practice through face-to-face language

exchanges, diary entries on Lang-8, or even just enjoying music, films and

podcasts in your target language. Your tutor is there for the tricky stuff. For

general day-to-day speaking and writing practice, don’t pay a tutor.

2) Not setting a consistent schedule

One of the biggest advantages of a private tutor is the accountability that a

regularly scheduled meeting will bring. Whilst it might be tempting, especially

with a particularly easy-going tutor, to schedule meetings when you find a gap

in your schedule - it’s an easy way to burn out quickly. In my experience as a

private tutor, the students with whom I have a regular weekly time slot are the

ones who make the most rapid progress. Not only is the discipline useful to

keep your studies accountable, but it’s also helpful for your tutor to be able to

plan a suitable curriculum. Set a clear schedule with your tutor and make it

your top priority to stick to it.

3) Leaving the curriculum up to the tutors

If you pick a qualified tutor with a good degree of experience, it is likely that

they will have come across a learner like you before, and will have

suggestions for learning materials, textbooks and exercises. If, however, you

find that the lessons that you are taking are somehow ill-matched for your
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level, or don’t correspond to exactly the kind of material you want to learn: it’s

your responsibility to tell your tutor. A professional tutor will in no way be

offended if you ask them to speak a little less English to you, to give you extra

exercises, or to change the workbook you are using. Communicate your

needs to your teacher. This helps them to be more effective teachers.

4) Not reviewing post lesson

The two hours after your lesson are almost as critical as the time of your

lesson itself. Be sure to schedule lessons at times when you’re not likely to be

busy immediately after, to allow you to decompress and collect your thoughts

after the lesson. Be sure to review every piece of material that you went

through with your teacher, and re-write the notes that you took in a digestible

format. This process alone will ensure that the information you’ve learned will

transition to your long-term memory, but it shouldn’t stop there. Make sure

that in the time between lessons you’re constantly reviewing material, noting

questions that you’d like to bring up with your tutor next time. Make sure that

you consolidate and summarise everything you have covered during your

lesson.
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5) Not self-teaching between lessons

If you’re losing weight, you don’t just think about what you’re eating and how

active your lifestyle is at the time you meet your personal trainer. The same is

true for language learning. Most of your learning should be happening outside

of your scheduled lessons, and the lessons should be used only for the parts

of your study which can’t effectively be learned when you are by yourself, and

to provide a means of directing your self-study. Online tools such

as LinguaLift are perfect for this. Think of your lessons as a focus point for

your self-study.
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Chapter 8

Certificates and Exams

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Certificates and Examinations

Being accredited in a foreign language can have huge benefits. Some further

education courses require it, particularly those abroad, and it can look

impressive on your CV.

However, the ability to pass an exam should be a by product of your fluency,

not a target. What really matters is your ability to speak the language. What

use is a certificate for Tagalog if the next time you’re in the Philippines you

mumble and stutter when asked the most basic of questions?

Don't learn just for the sake of exams

I’ve talked above about the importance of motivation in your learning, but it’s

important to know that not all motivation is the same.

Intrinsic motivation comes from within; it’s borne out of personal interest

(such as loving anime).

Extrinsic motivation comes from outside; it’s a response to our desire to

achieve some sort of unrelated goal (such as getting a raise at work).

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Research shows that intrinsic motivation is much more powerful than extrinsic

because we learn faster and more efficiently when we’re genuinely interested

in learning a language for the sake of knowing it.

This is why language classes often produce lacklustre results. When you are

forced to learn a new language for the sake of passing exams, you are

operating entirely on extrinsic motivation, and are unlikely to retain any

language skills.

Choosing the Right Proficiency Test

Although we don’t recommend learning a language for the sake of exams,

proficiency tests can be one way of assessing your level, motivating yourself,

and getting a job!

Until recently, the language certification landscape was very fragmented.

Several different companies offered tests for each language, but these tests

were often mutually incompatible, had arbitrary expiration dates and fuzzy

guidelines that could change at any moment.

Some of these tests remain important, however, and it might still be a good

idea to take the IELTS(International English Language Testing System),

the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test), or the TORFL (Test of

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Russian as a Foreign Language) if you’re looking to work or study using these

languages.

But, if you don’t have a school or company in mind that requires such specific

credentials, you should consider CEFR instead.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages was first

defined in the early 90s, but it is not until recent years that it started to become

a de facto standard in the European Union, and around the world.

The major benefit of taking a CEFR-compatible exam is that you can reliably

compare your proficiency across different languages. This helps you get a

good feel of where you stand in each tongue; a factor that is also making the

framework increasingly popular among employers.

It’s also great that CEFR clearly divides the test into Listening, Reading,

Spoken Interaction, Spoken Production and Writing sections, giving you a

detailed view of your strengths and weaknesses.

Before you head to a testing centre, I recommend that you estimate your

proficiency level using the CEFR Self-Assessment Grid. It’s surprisingly

accurate, easy to follow, and can save you a few hundred dollars.
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Preparing for Language Exams

The most important thing to remember about language exams is that they are

actually the easiest exams in the world. Unlike a history, biology, or

economics test when you can stress yourself out about whether the topics you

have learned in depth will ‘come up’ in the exam, that fear never arises with a

language exam.

Your preparation should be focused on revising the words, phrases and

grammar points that you know, and are comfortable using but often make

mistakes with. There is no point in revising the easy stuff, nor is there any

advantage in trying to learn new words or grammar points the night before a

test—they’ll never stick. Rather, spend some time using your language,

identifying any silly mistakes you might make under the pressure of the exam,

and finding coping mechanisms for those very cases.

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Chapter 9

Language Learning
Resources
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Language Learning Resources

The title of this section was initially, 100 best resources. But like everything at
LinguaLift, we design things to save you time and effort. And there truly aren’t
100 high quality resources out there.

And like I said in my introduction, I discovered that searching for new

resources was one of the biggest time wasters new language learners faced.
So we didn’t want to throw a list of 100 resources at you to go and weed
through.

That’s why this list is much shorter than it could be. When you read through
you may be thinking, “Well what about this program, or that website?” Yes,
there are thousands of resources out there, some good, some bad. You could
easily spend 6 months just researching the best study methods, listening to
interviews, reading blogs and testing apps. But this would put you six months
behind in your language studies. Don’t waste your study time, and more
importantly, don’t waste your hard earned money buying a bunch of resource
materials.

To narrow down our list, we had to be ruthless in the sense, we only wanted
to list resources that we would use ourselves, and not provide you with a list
that would take you months to review. We decided 20 resources would be our
max. (There’s actually 21) After much deliberation, we are confident this list
gives you the absolute top resources that are available today.

And yes, we do list products and resources that are our competitors. We are
very confident in our language learning program and feel the value we provide
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is unmatched. We’ve also tried to find free resources where possible. We

believe a comprehensive language program like LinguaLift, is the backbone
for making great progress with your language study, but there are great
supplemental resources to take advantage of, most of which can be found for
free.

Language Programs
LINGUALIFT

OK, here comes my sales pitch! But seriously, if you’ve gotten this far in the
book, I think you have an idea of our learning philosophy and our commitment
to helping find the most effective learning methods.

Our language program is based on many of the techniques and methods

you’ve been reading about. Our language app is geared more towards serious
learners who want a complete language program with the guidance of a tutor.

After signing up for our program, our tutors will work with you to create your
own personalized, “Road Map to Fluency.” This is your personal study plan
that uses the techniques and methods outlined in Language Learning Secrets.

The app itself is great for a beginner or intermediate, with clear grammar
explanations, vocabulary & script learning tools, and a lot of cool cultural
insights that you don't get with most language programs. And of course, the
professional tutors that know the material.
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The tutors are available to answer any questions you might have. They can
help with grammar, suggest extra resources, and will even assign and correct
homework for those interested.

At the end of various lessons, students are encouraged to generate phrases

and sentences on their own, to send into their tutor. Using the newly acquired
vocabulary and language skills to generate your own content is a very
important part of the program.

The lessons are broken down into small 10 to 15 minute sections to keep
things interesting and to ensure you have enough time to study a little every
day. And of course, an algorithm using spaced repetition tracks your progress
through the course, so your review topics are geared specifically to your
needs. And we’ve just added a new shadowing section, so you don’t have to
spend time hunting for appropriate shadowing content.

Also unique to LinguaLift, we give you access to ALL our languages with your
subscription. We currently offer Spanish, French, Japanese, Russian and
Hebrew language courses, with English, German and Italian scheduled to be
released in 2022.

If you are serious about learning a new language, this is a complete program
that's worth checking out. LinguaLift

DUOLINGO

Duolingo has become one of the leading free language-learning websites on

the market. The methodology is far from perfect, (the lessons are written by
other users), but the overall experience is fun and engaging. We’ve found the
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website is more focused on quantity than quality, but if you need a free app,
Duolingo will teach you some basic language skills. However, one common
complaint is the program pulls random words together to make sentences that
doesn’t make sense. For example, “my horse collects teeth”, or “the roof is
made of dogs”. These aren’t phrases you need to learn in any language.

Vocabulary
ANKI

Anki uses the ‘spaced repetition system’ (SRS) to predict when you are about
to forget what you're learning, and remind you just before your memory fades
completely. Although there are many other SRS applications, Anki’s active
community and extensive flashcard deck library makes this one a particularly
good choice.

COOLJUGATOR

Can you guess from the name what it does? The site lists full conjugations of
verbs from over 35 languages. The verbs are accompanied by example
sentences, and information about usage.

Speaking
HELLOTALK

HelloTalk allows you to chat with native speakers all around the word by
exchanging text, voice messages, voice calls or video calls. The system has
an easy facility for correcting written messages, so you'll immediately get
feedback on your writing. When recording voice messages, HelloTalk relieves
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the stress of an immediate conversation (although you can also call people if
you wish) and on top of that, HelloTalk has a built-in dictionary.

ITALKI

Self-learning a language is great, but sometimes it's good to take a small

class or a one-on-one to catch up with a standardised test curriculum or brush
up on more formal language. Italki is the place to find an online tutor or
conversation partner who will do just that.

FORVO

Not quite sure how to pronounce Yokohama? Meeting your Russian pen-pal
for the first time and struggling to read his name? Forvo is a free collection of
pronunciation recordings for the vocabulary of every language, and is
recorded by volunteer native speakers around the world.

RHINOSPIKE

On the rare occasion that a particular word is not available on Forvo,

RhinoSpike is at your service. Simply enter whatever word you're struggling to
pronounce, and wait for a benevolent native to send you a recording from
across the globe. The service is especially useful for languages where
pronunciation changes according to the surrounding words and the wider
context of the sentence.
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Listening

LYRICS TRAINING

Careful with this one because it gets addictive even in your mother tongue!
Choose a favorite song and a level of difficulty then try to fill in the missing
words in the subtitles while the track is playing. Great way to improve your
listening skills and... typing speed!

TUNE IN

Radio is a great way to improve listening comprehension, acclimatise your ear

to regional dialects and accents, and simply keep your language up-to-date
while commuting or doing house chores. Tunein makes it easier than ever to,
well, tune in to thousands of radio stations around the world.

EASY LANGUAGES

The very friendly videos here present the basics of a big variety of languages,
featuring native speakers as teachers and also in conversation with the
presenters. Everything is done in casual reporter style.

YOUTUBE

Probably the best online resource for videos to watch in your target language.
Check out the International TV Section.

NETFLIX

Obviously useful for watching movies and tv programs from around the world.
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Reading

READLANG

This is a great website to practice your reading and build your vocabulary. The
basic premise of Readlang is to allow you to read any foreign language text
providing an immediate translation of a word or phrase you don’t know. When
you click an unknown word it magically appears in the language you set as
your native one. Upon clicking it again, it reverts to the original.

KINDLE

The great thing about using Kindle? When reading in your target language, if
you see a word you don’t understand, just hold the word to show its definition
and pronunciation.

LOCAL LIBRARY

Your library may not have a huge selection of books in your target language,
but more and more libraries are offering ebooks to download which you can
use with your Kindle. Remember, children’s books are a great place to start
for the beginning language learner.
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Writing

HELLOTALK

We’ve already listed this one in the Speaking section, but it’s also a very good
tool to practice your writing skills by texting native speakers, or posting
comments in your target language.

LANG-8

Write a short piece, get corrected by native speakers, and help others in
return. One of the first, and certainly the most successful sites of this kind. Try
to write regularly and take the time to understand the corrections and your
writing ability will improve in no time.

Dictionaries

LINGUEE

This website is indispensable when a traditional dictionary doesn't give you

enough context to figure out what the appropriate expression in a given
situation would be. Simply search for a word, expressions, or part of sentence
in your native language, to bring up a table highlighting your search phrase in
professionally translated documents, most often from government websites or
academic publications.

WORDREFERENCE

As the name suggests, this wordreference is home to an extensive collection

of dictionaries that are especially useful for looking up nuanced translations of
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set expressions and word groups. Even better, however, is the site's forum,
which hosts some very interesting discussions on language usage and
nuance. But remember, limit your time spent on forums. You can burn up
hours of available study time this way.

Miscellaneous
ONENOTE

A journal is a language learner's best friend, but as more and more aspects of
our lives turn digital, you may want to consider online alternatives. Onenote is
an excellent digital notebook application that syncs across all your devices
and allows you to easily combine typed text, handwritten notes, audio
recordings and even documents in a single entry.

Copyright Notice:

Feel free to share this book in its entirety. Send it to a friend, post it on social
media, or put a link in your blog post.
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Conclusion
There you have it. Our Language Learning Secrets, all in one neat package. I
hope you’ve gotten some valuable insights into the world of language learning
and feel inspired to move forward with your language goals.

If your target language is one of the languages we offer, please check out our
program. Just click on Start My Free Lesson. If your target language is not
available, it may be coming soon, so stay in contact.

We’re also working on some new surprises for the app that will incorporate
even more of our language learning secrets, and have some new contests we
will be starting at the beginning of each year to motivate and reward our
dedicated students.

Please keep in touch and share your language journey with us. We would love
to hear from you.

You can check out our website at www.lingualift.com

Send us an email at hello@lingualift.com

Or join our Facebook group: Language Learning Secrets (We love to see
videos of people learning their target language, or just sharing a study tip)

And please feel free to share a link so people can receive their own copy of
this book on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn

I hope to hear from everyone soon.

Good luck on your language journey!

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Added Bonus!
We’ve just recently decided to release our customized study plan (Our Road
Map to Fluency) to all our readers!

Until now, this has only been available to our paid subscribers. But we want to
help every language learner, achieve the results they desire.

To create the Map, we first send you a questionnaire to fill out. The questions
are designed to give us a clear picture of your study habits, your goals, your
schedule, and your motivation for learning a new language.

We then take this information and design the most efficient and effective path
to fluency for each individual person.

So here is our offer. (Absolutely NO Strings!)

Simply click on the link, fill out the questionnaire, and you’ll receive your very
own customized Road Map to Fluency.

This is one of the most valuable tools we give to our students, so

don’t miss out on this opportunity. This is the next step in your
language learning journey.