Don’t mind me just taking notes 📝 Listen often and repeat (using short stories) 1. Connecting with the language: getting a sense of the language and trying to understand how it works. This is done through LISTENING and READING. 2. Getting comfortable with the language: gaining a high level of comprehension and vocabulary. (Using Conversations & simple books - intermediate level) 3. Constant improvement: reading and listening with a good comfort and continuing to acquire new vocabulary.
@@WaaDoku If you are constantly using the language, the only vocabulary that you will forget is that that is not so useful for you. You will do not forget something that you use.
🔑 📝 Key points that I get from this video: 1.- When you start with a new language, it is necessary to listen OFTEN and REPEATEDLY to short stories. This repetition will lead you to get a sense of the language. The rhythm, the musicality, the sounds, the pauses... 2.- This first stage of language acquisition (the one mentioned above) can take 3 months or more depending on how difficult the language is for you. For example, Steve says that he went through this stage really quickly with his Persian but it took him a lot with his Arabic. 3.- The MOST IMPORTANT thing when you start in a language is INPUT. If you can understand the language, if you have a high level of comprehension, if you have sufficent vocabulary, the OUTPUT will come. So focus on INPUT. 4.- This INPUT doesn't have to be too difficult. Look for material that makes you feel comfortable with the language. Nonfiction books, History books, Geography books... Search for INPUT that makes you feel you can understand the language and motivates you to go on with the learning. 5.- Getting into the grammar rules right away is not efficient. It is better to experiment with the language and get curious about how things work. If you read grammar rules about things you have no experience about, you won't learn anything. Dive into the language and look for the grammar rules as they get into your way.
I have a good comprehension in Japanese because I watch alot of anime back then even now. So doing something what you like as an input is indeed enjoyable in learning a language. I'm currently learning Japanese, Korean and Spanish. 言葉の勉強負けないで下さい！화이팅 하세요!
@@dyasteen_1788 Well, there is a problem with Japanese, and I'm not talking that anime is not the best learning material. With Japanese, you need to go past beginner stage somehow, or you probably can't language at all. By watching anime I knew only a few words, that occur often and where over-exaggerated like baka. After learning with Pimsler, and when I was able to understand simple conversations it really accelerates ma learning, I don't think it can happen for watching anime solely.
He said "3 months, at an hour a day." You could probably shorten the overall time by adding more hours per day, so i'll try, probably, 3 hours per day. to shorten the overall time for the first stage.
I've noticed lots of comments about how long they've taken to reach a particular stage, because of Steve saying he reached a comfortable level in 9 months. Everyone learns a language at their own pace and methods are completely different. Don't compare yourself to anyone learning at a faster pace. The fact that we're even trying is great! We'll all get there in the end!
I really like this video. Steve stayed on topic, it was organized well, and he gave answers with a good amount of information. Hope to see more videos like this
My brother studied languages at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in California. The pace of study was intense. Students had to master the language course in 36-64 weeks. Psychologically it was very difficult, but fortunately he was helped by Yuriy Ivantsiv's book "Polyglot Notes. Practical tips for learning foreign languages”. The book " Polyglot Notes" became a desk book for my brother, because it has answers to all the problems that any student of a foreign language has to face. Thanks to the author of the channel for this interesting video! Good luck to everyone who studies a foreign language and wants to realize their full potential!
Love this video Steve. Enjoyed listening to it. In my opinion, for a part-time learner of a language far different than your own (Mandarin or Japanese for a European language speaker): Stage 1 - Dabbling (1 year) Stage 2 - Survival (1 year) Stage 3 - Competent (1 year) Stage 4 - Fluent (1 year) Stage 5 - Professionally competent to Native (1+ years) Adopted from MIA. I have studied Japanese for roughly one year and I can recognize and write roughly 2,000 kanji, can read roughly 1,000 kanji, know basic grammar, ~2000 words, and can understand 30 to 40% of basic adult Japanese content. I'm just hitting the one-year mark, so just transitioning into the survival stage. It has been a pleasure to take my time and really enjoy this language.
This looks right. It's taken me about 1 year of struggle and confusion to finally 'start' learning in a very enjoyable and mostly comfortable way. Only after 1 year of learning Russian I can understand about 30-70% of authentic adult material (depends on the topic, naturally), I can survive (kind of) in Russia, and I can converse with natives fine, my grammar is pretty decent and I know the most important words. But I still can't read normal material, I'm still using graded material and wouldn't put myself anything further than pre-intermediate. Maybe even just A2+. I'm hoping to achieve B1 by the end of 2019 and B2 by end of 2020... and then maybe C1 before 2022. I will be living in Russia though, so hopefully this speeds everything up a lot.
You guys are so brave! I'm a Romance language native speaker (Portuguese) learning another Romance language (French). I've been studying for about 45 days and I'd say I'm probably at Stage 2, looking to get Competent in the next couple of months. Would you say that acquisition of a closely related language to your own is about 4 times faster?
"I can recognize and write roughly 2,000 kanji" In a year? Wow. I'm no where near this. However, I dabble in both output and input, so my Kanji study-time is lacking a bit.
Steve, thank you so much for this lovely channel! I've gathered the most valuable insights for language learning through your newsletter, and it all has made me deeply impressed with how little we learn on language schools. Keep up with the amazing work! Warm regards :)
in brief: Steve Kaufman, a renowned polyglot, discusses his views on the question, "how long does it take to learn a language?" He breaks down language learning into three stages based on his experiences with Arabic, Persian, and other languages. 1. **Connecting with the Language**: This initial stage can take 60 to 90 hours or around three months of an hour a day. During this stage, it's crucial to listen often and repeatedly to simple stories and review vocabulary to start to get a sense of the language. This phase can vary based on the language's difficulty or dissimilarity to languages you already know. For instance, Kaufman found Arabic more difficult due to its complex grammar and different writing system. 2. **Getting Comfortable with the Language**: This stage is largely input-based and could take twice as long as the first stage - around six months. Here, one should continue listening to simple stories and start exploring more complex material to expand vocabulary and comprehension. It could be useful to find intermediate content such as casual conversations or non-fiction books with a simplified vocabulary. This stage may involve a higher frequency of interaction with a tutor, possibly twice a week. 3. **Constant Improvement**: After around nine months of consistent learning, one enters a stage of constant improvement where they can listen to or read almost anything of interest in the target language and continue to build vocabulary and understanding. This stage can go on indefinitely, depending on how much time one spends with the language. Kaufman also emphasizes that grammar, while important, should not be the initial focus as it can be intimidating for learners. Instead, he recommends that learners should first get a sense of the language and then explore grammar when they become curious about certain structures or patterns. The focus should be more on what we can acquire rather than what we can do. After these stages, the learner should have a good grasp of the language and be able to communicate effectively. In summary, Kaufman suggests that reaching a comfortable level in a language could take approximately nine months to a year, although it could vary depending on the language and the learner's background. His method focuses on acquiring the language, gradually building understanding, and increasing exposure to the language over time.
I really love your approach to languages! In my opinion, listening and reading are the most important skills to acquire any language. I´m currently learning English, German, and Korean.
I had an arabic class when i was 10th grade. The language is complicated, what i was grateful for was i know the writing system, i know how to write and read the characters. A year learning arabic in the class, i didn't get any level of proficiency. It's because i wasn't into arabic, the school curriculum compelled us to take arabic class, i didn't really enjoy utterly. The method to learn arabic that my teacher tried to adopt to students was dull and kinda ineffective as well. I'm grateful i found your channel so i get so many things to learn from you, especially in how to acquire languages. I hope my arabic teacher finds your channel and adopt your approach on learning languages.
Korean is my first language and Spanish is my second one. (I started learning Spanish when I was 20 years old and I am living in a Spanish -speaking country) English is my third language. I am currently learning Portuguese. After watching this video, I feel like I could learn more languages. This language acquisition theory encourages me to start with the Japanese too.
I'm teaching myself Thai and some of the suggestions put forward in this video I have been using in particular, the short stories. These have been a valuable experience for me as I need to translate in to Thai so I'm gaining a wealth of written and oral exercises.
i been trying to learn bahasa indonesia since november 2023, i have not been consistent because work ,life etc etc i been with lingq for a month i can see a difference in my journey, im hoping to learn this language ... thanks steve
I agree with his method of listening and reading. The more that you do, the more that you can pick up words spontaneously without context. I was watching a movie where they spoke a few words in Mandarin and wasn't expecting it, yet I caught what they said because my brain had gotten used to hearing it.
Yes. The short story is great. I listened to el principito (the little prince) every night when going to bed for 3 years. Every night something became clearer. Its at a good level for everyday conversation. I now listen in french portuguese and russian. It is amazing how the feeling of the story can change depending on the language.
@@ViniDio yup. Language pattern, rhythm, and intonations burnt into my subconscious, plus the story has many layers, there are many interpretations and things to get out of almost every line in that book. I went from 0 to fully fluent, every night it would make more n more sense as I began to understand the depth of meaning of each word. It was a really amazing experience as Spanish was my 1st new language to learn. I have gone on to do this with Portuguese and French, and it’s interesting the subtle differences that are present in each language in the translation, sometimes adding to parts sometimes brushing over them
@@LesserMoffHootkins it would be your method. I have a memory that is very short and always thought 0 capacity to learn a new language but if you find the right way to structure your learning and have discipline anyone can do it. I’m sure of that
as I said above after further discussion here, we are inclined to feel that the best thing to do is to make it easier for our users at LingQ to access good sources of content, podcasts, TH-cam videos and the like. This way the content is fresh up-to-date and authentic. Many podcasts are in fact conversational and more or less intermediate if we use a system like LingQ in order to read and save words and phrases. We are still trying to figure out how we can use the automatic transcription services to make podcasts, and up-to-date podcasts , available for our users to use as study material. We would not put this as content in our library but simply facilitate the user importing it as we do now with newspaper articles and similar content on the web. I think this will be more satisfactory than creating content which very quickly can become stale.
Dear Steve I made the same experience.After learning English for so many years I came to England and didn't understand a word.It took 3 days ,all of a sudden it happened I understood everyone, except cockney, it was wonderful .I'm still learning english but now I'm on a comfortable level, learning the difference between English and American. I enjoy listening to you .Now I learn Japanese and listen to your advice Thanks
Thanks for sharing the tips Steve. What makes it more convincing to me is that not only it is explained theoretically but also you applied it yourself in your language learning.
This is a very inspiring video for those who are learning any foreign language. I tech Spanish in USA and I use TPRS in my teaching. Students not only learn the language, but, they also enjoy the stories that we discuss. Comprehensible input makes the learning process more dynamic and entertaining.
Now I think about it, it really is true.. I am learning german and after about 3-4 months I felt like I'm in early stage 2, as what you call it. It's a self learning without sufficient output,and so I was wondering if I am learning it the right way.. Your video gives me the answer and I am very glad of it. Vielen Dank!
Hello Steve...this is my first comment, I'm glad to hear that you are going to learn Turkish. To me it is totally complicated.😵 My mother tongue is Thai, although I've been living in Turkey for a long time but I consider myself in B1 level,poor me.😭 The most difficult part of learning it that most foreigners around me have mentioned is the suffixes, you will see what I mean after you have started learning it. By the way, I do agree with you about learning grammar, I think when you get familiar with the language by speaking then you can start to focus on grammar in particular term that you are curious to. Good luck for your new challenge to learning Turkish. I'll follow your VDO to see how you are doing. Thank you for all extremely wonderful videos.
For a native Thai speaker, your English is very good! I've been learning Thai for 2 years. Can read and write but only now starting to understand conversations (talking). Can't speak very well, but as Steve said, after comprehension, speaking will come. Hope all goes well with your Turkish! Don't give up!!
@@chantalj8950 Thank you for your compliment to my English ability.😊 Beside that, I'm appreciate to hear that you've been learning Thai for 2 years. However, Thai language is one of the difficult language for many foreigners I guess, although I am a native Thai, I sometimes think that it is absolutely difficult, especially we have five tones to pronounce that you have to pronounce correctly otherwise the meaning can be changed if you mispronounced in each tone because they are just seems to be the same. So, Well Done! you don't give up on it... You're awesome.😄
@@NewMe-jl9ld Yes I agree, it's very difficult but the more I expose myself to Thai by watching dramas, TH-cam etc and read thai news articles, I'm developing a natural feel for the tones. I love Thailand, Thai people and culture and won't give up!! I look forward to going on a holiday again and practising what I've learned 😁
Thank you. Just to note: first stage, about 90 hours (based on 1 hour a day), three months; second stage, 6 months. The third stage, no end perfection.
You have a significant advantage over someone like him trying to learn Persian: the sheer amount of English you can be exposed to in your daily life if you use the internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_used_on_the_Internet#Internet_users_by_language Obviously your English is pretty good already if you're watching this video and writing comments on it. Just keep exposing yourself to native English speakers and it will continue to improve.
@@TheSpecialJ11 I know right XD. I'm learning Spanish right now and I struggle to write and even listen to a Spanish video without constantly pausing and repeating what has been said. All my life I've just been exposed to English, so I'm trying my best to immerse myself with as much Spanish content as I can.
See what podcasts you can find in Hong Kong and use the automatic transcription services on the web. We are not planning to create any podcasts of our own. But if you can find people to do so we will add them of course.
yes. One must "eat " the language, to make part of their routine. After digesting it, it will become part , a normal part of their lives. Thanks a lot.
Usually I have been learning most useful ways to acquire a language, but I forget it easily, I mean, sometimes I simply don't make enough struggle to follow up practising what I've learned!
Thanks you so much for giving us a true explanation about the stages of Language acquisition. I noticed much of your advice and then Iam making progress lately.
Hello, Steve, English is my second language, Croatian is my first. I wanted to give you a new term for language learning. I call the process “ assimilation”. I think that is the closest term for what happened in my case. Reading, with a dictionary by my side, going to lectures, more reading and constant listening.. I love LingQ and could not agree with you more about your method of learning. I am learning French now, just the way you suggest, and going through acquisition/assimilation process. Thank you so much. I am a permanent fan. ❤ Sanja
Absorbing a language is a process of osmosis . Let it sink in at a natural rate. We should give our brains more credit for remembering stuff we feel we've glossed over. It does, and will bubble up , and if it doesn't today perhaps it will tomorrow.
It makes perfect sense. I’ve followed a similar path in learning English and Italian. Now, as I dive into Chinese, I understand that speaking naturally and spontaneously will take time. That’s okay though, because as long as I continue to enjoy the learning process, I’m in no rush to become fluent in Chinese. I’m confident that with time and consistent practice, I’ll get there.
Nice point. Learning a language takes you to learn about the history and culture of the country(s) which speak that language. We become more respectful for who they are and how they view the world. Languages are all about being human.
@Fucking grass Everyone should care about grammar. The point of CI was to not give it as much priority when you're only starting and focusing more on getting input. When you have a large vocabulary of words and can form really basic sentences and conversation you should now start getting deeper into grammar as you notice that you can speak semi-fluently but constantly make grammatical mistakes. It's like my little brother right now who is 8 years old who knows how to speak Tagalog FLUENTLY with little to none grammar mistakes. I keep asking him if he knows grammar or even understands it. I asked him about progressive nouns and verbs, adverbs, grammar rules, preposition, types of adverbs. He gets really confused when I get deeper into it and can't remember the specific grammar rules. But when he speaks he doesn't notice he's literally using the grammar rules I just mentioned. We should never be at this stage forever but if you start out like this it's similar to how a native first learns his/her language.
I am a Turkish student who wants to learn English and the other languages that he wants, and nothing helps me as well as your videos Steve Kaufmann :) Thank you, I really appreciate it. I am acquiring language and also learning how can I learn better.
I like the tips you’ve given, here and elsewhere, regarding learning through your areas of interest. I love learning about history, regional cultures, and the linguistic and migratory history of different places. I read all about the language I’m learning in the language I’m learning, and all about the history of the people that speak it. Generally only the most technical material fatigues me (but this also fatigues me in my native language because I’m not a “professional” linguist so I encounter a lot of academic terminology that’s not familiar). Anyway, thanks for the insightful content!
This was a nice video, thanks Steve. I tried to put my memory of learning French over the past few years next to what you were saying. I'm now in the stage where I can enjoy books, films, series in French, understanding pretty much everything and slowly perfecting my language skills. This is very fulfilling as I can vividly remember being frustrated that my brain could not follow French conversations for example. However, and especially as I'm now studying Japanese and I'm at the stage where I'm nearly two years into the language but still cannot produce much, I feel that your time intervals of severals months are maybe a bit too short. Especially with reading (kanji), Japanese took me far longer to get used to, and right now I've been in the stage of 'getting comfortable in the language' for so long that it seems I'll never get past it. How many hours a day of studying did you take into account when you mentioned these time intervals of 3 months, the 4-9 months and then indefinitely?
no question that more time is required for Japanese. Also you need to have a separate commitment to learning the Chinese characters. I have had much more difficulty and have taken much longer in Arabic than in any language written in the Latin alphabet. On the other hand Persian, which is structurally similar to European languages has been much easier.
I went to Peru and made an ass out of myself for a little while. I understood the basics of what people were saying by the first week and could get a basic point across by the end of the first month. I spent a lot of time out in the city trying to talk to people so that probably made it faster. I also had a Spanish/English Bible and so that's how I learned a lot of basic words. I grew up in an area where a lot of people speak Spanish so I had heard a lot of it before I went there. I also took French in high school, which probably helped with some of the words that aren't similar to English ones. I think that learning similar languages becomes easier and easier the more of them you know. The first time I came back to the US from Peru, I heard some Latin and actually mistook it for Spanish. I thought it might be Spanish from Spain until I discovered it was Latin but the words made perfect sense to me. Then, the next time I was in Peru, I heard some Portuguese and, because I had taken French in high school and learned Spanish in Peru, the Portuguese made sense to me too. I wouldn't know how to say anything in Latin or Portuguese at this point but I can see how I could easily pick them up. I found it much easier to learn a new language by trying to absorb it the way a baby absorbs their first language rather than to take formal classes. Before I learned any other foreign language, I got the opportunity to go to France with a year of high school French under my belt. I found that it took me a long time to process what people were saying to me and a long time to say something to them. This is because I was using English as an intermediate in understanding the concepts of the communication. When I learned Spanish, I tried to associate the new words as much as possible to the ideas themselves rather than their English equivalent. I got to the point in Spanish where I could actually say things faster than I can in English. A lot of it is how the words roll off the tongue and the fact that there are words in Spanish that have to be expressed in several words in English. It doesn't make me a very good translator when it comes to translating things between people quickly in a conversation, but it might make me a better translator when it comes to translating the essence of what is being said or for translating something in writing. I spent a lot more time in Peru than I did in France so the comparison isn't perfect, but I still think it's better to associate the new words with concepts rather than words in another language. I think this is why I sometimes have dreams in Spanish but I never had a dream in French.
I think it can take the whole life. Everyday you'll learn something different in the target language which you're learning. To be honest, I don't worry so much about it, I've been just doing what I have to do, listening to English everyday and reading. That's it.
I think fine points of language are almost impossible to learn. Example: how do you explain the different meanings of "dude" as an expression. Like "Dude!" as in disappointment "Dude!" as congratulations, "Dude?" as in what are you doing? etc... I remember that one time I was with friends and a woman dropped a huge bag of coins that split open and went everywhere. I immediately yelled "Dude!" and it cracked my friends up. Hard to translate the senses of the thing. I really like your videos. They have very practical advice.
I watch Steve's videos whenever I need a boost and feel I'm getting nowhere with my language learning. I find it so tough. I don't know how Steve knows so many languages.
I don't know... I have studied Korean for about 13 years and can hardly speak. Maybe my age, speed of my mind etc. What I found hard is a sense of it feeling impossible and feeling you aren't making any progress. I found remembering enough vocab was so difficult. You have to make mnemonics in your mind, then you have to remember those. Korean you have so many endings that totally change the sound so that means listening and hearing is very difficult. I've since removed the pressure and have more of a sense of relaxing, watching a video and not worrying if I'm making progress. I think Steve making that point is very special. You start getting anxious it causes problems. I would get anxiety, headaches and so on brain fog i think through feeling I was shit at it, stupid or something. So when I hear of somebody under 30 speaking ten languages on TED X I think forget it. I think you can have a talent for languages. Still I'll do it and enjoy it in my own way.
Thank you for all the information Steve. As an Esl teacher I find it very useful and it totally describes my approach to learning languages. One thing I am curious about: What are your ideas about the stage of learning that is called “the plateau?” This is where most people stop improving..
I’ve set aside my German learning apps and instead focusing on reading and listening to short stories for children along with Google Translate. I personally find this more conducive to maintaining interest and motivation. Plus, I can acquire a lot more in less time. What Steve says here is the real deal.
Zanimljiv video. Sviđa mi se. Sve više me zanima jezik. Živim u Meksiku pa učim španjolski i tek sam počeo ruski. Pozdrav od hrvata u Meksiku. ( a bit of Croatian 😁)
Steve, I have watched lots of your videos, and they are very good. I think it would be helpful if you did a video on time, how to divide between learning and other duties. Thanks
A delight to listen to Steve Kaufmann even if I am an interpreter.I wouldn't mind having a knowledge of 16 and maybe more languages. Modify my lifestyle choices and be inspired by lingosteve and many other linguists.
Trying to get my mouth around some of the sounds is what I find most difficult. But I have native Korean friends who say it's even hard for them. So I don't feel so bad haha
Im dumb as hell and I learned Spanish , I was able to formulate sentences slowly in 3 months , at 6 months I was able to have conversation slowly , after year or so and after I was quite fluent. Just have patience with yourself. And keep to it and I promise you will learn to speak .
@@cashmoney5618 Yes dude... but learning italian for somebody that knows spanish is easier than learning "spanish" for somebody from poland... this is what I mean when I talk about background :)
@@italianoin7minuti im cambodian that lives in the u.s.a , I also speak my native language, l learned from four books , tv novelas and listening to Spanish music.
Don’t mind me just taking notes 📝
Listen often and repeat (using short stories)
1. Connecting with the language: getting a sense of the language and trying to understand how it works.
This is done through LISTENING and READING.
2. Getting comfortable with the language: gaining a high level of comprehension and vocabulary. (Using Conversations & simple books - intermediate level)
3. Constant improvement: reading and listening with a good comfort and continuing to acquire new vocabulary.
How about not forgetting old vocabulary? That's a first step for me lol
Where could I find short stories?
Beto Diaz ... kids cartoons like peppa pig for example
@@WaaDoku If you are constantly using the language, the only vocabulary that you will forget is that that is not so useful for you. You will do not forget something that you use.
stories are great that is what brain registers best
🔑 📝 Key points that I get from this video:
1.- When you start with a new language, it is necessary to listen OFTEN and REPEATEDLY to short stories. This repetition will lead you to get a sense of the language. The rhythm, the musicality, the sounds, the pauses...
2.- This first stage of language acquisition (the one mentioned above) can take 3 months or more depending on how difficult the language is for you. For example, Steve says that he went through this stage really quickly with his Persian but it took him a lot with his Arabic.
3.- The MOST IMPORTANT thing when you start in a language is INPUT. If you can understand the language, if you have a high level of comprehension, if you have sufficent vocabulary, the OUTPUT will come. So focus on INPUT.
4.- This INPUT doesn't have to be too difficult. Look for material that makes you feel comfortable with the language. Nonfiction books, History books, Geography books... Search for INPUT that makes you feel you can understand the language and motivates you to go on with the learning.
5.- Getting into the grammar rules right away is not efficient. It is better to experiment with the language and get curious about how things work. If you read grammar rules about things you have no experience about, you won't learn anything. Dive into the language and look for the grammar rules as they get into your way.
I have a good comprehension in Japanese because I watch alot of anime back then even now. So doing something what you like as an input is indeed enjoyable in learning a language. I'm currently learning Japanese, Korean and Spanish. 言葉の勉強負けないで下さい！화이팅 하세요!
@@dyasteen_1788 Well, there is a problem with Japanese, and I'm not talking that anime is not the best learning material. With Japanese, you need to go past beginner stage somehow, or you probably can't language at all. By watching anime I knew only a few words, that occur often and where over-exaggerated like baka. After learning with Pimsler, and when I was able to understand simple conversations it really accelerates ma learning, I don't think it can happen for watching anime solely.
He said "3 months, at an hour a day." You could probably shorten the overall time by adding more hours per day, so i'll try, probably, 3 hours per day. to shorten the overall time for the first stage.
YES focus on INPUT - EVEN in the background as you go about life
Thank you. Very helpful. What i feel right know
1st stage - Connecting with the language 1:30
2nd stage - Getting comfortable with the language 4:50
3rd stage - Constant improvement 9:54
I've noticed lots of comments about how long they've taken to reach a particular stage, because of Steve saying he reached a comfortable level in 9 months. Everyone learns a language at their own pace and methods are completely different. Don't compare yourself to anyone learning at a faster pace. The fact that we're even trying is great! We'll all get there in the end!
@HoneyNutMemeios yes good point, which I forgot to mention. Once you've learned one or more languages, makes it a lot easier to learn more.
I really like this video. Steve stayed on topic, it was organized well, and he gave answers with a good amount of information. Hope to see more videos like this
Underrated video
My brother studied languages at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in California. The pace of study was intense. Students had to master the language course in 36-64 weeks. Psychologically it was very difficult, but fortunately he was helped by Yuriy Ivantsiv's book "Polyglot Notes. Practical tips for learning foreign languages”. The book " Polyglot Notes" became a desk book for my brother, because it has answers to all the problems that any student of a foreign language has to face. Thanks to the author of the channel for this interesting video! Good luck to everyone who studies a foreign
language and wants to realize their full potential!
Thank you for the hint to this book.
Love this video Steve. Enjoyed listening to it.
In my opinion, for a part-time learner of a language far different than your own (Mandarin or Japanese for a European language speaker):
Stage 1 - Dabbling (1 year)
Stage 2 - Survival (1 year)
Stage 3 - Competent (1 year)
Stage 4 - Fluent (1 year)
Stage 5 - Professionally competent to Native (1+ years)
Adopted from MIA.
I have studied Japanese for roughly one year and I can recognize and write roughly 2,000 kanji, can read roughly 1,000 kanji, know basic grammar, ~2000 words, and can understand 30 to 40% of basic adult Japanese content. I'm just hitting the one-year mark, so just transitioning into the survival stage. It has been a pleasure to take my time and really enjoy this language.
This looks right. It's taken me about 1 year of struggle and confusion to finally 'start' learning in a very enjoyable and mostly comfortable way.
Only after 1 year of learning Russian I can understand about 30-70% of authentic adult material (depends on the topic, naturally), I can survive (kind of) in Russia, and I can converse with natives fine, my grammar is pretty decent and I know the most important words. But I still can't read normal material, I'm still using graded material and wouldn't put myself anything further than pre-intermediate. Maybe even just A2+.
I'm hoping to achieve B1 by the end of 2019 and B2 by end of 2020... and then maybe C1 before 2022.
I will be living in Russia though, so hopefully this speeds everything up a lot.
You guys are so brave! I'm a Romance language native speaker (Portuguese) learning another Romance language (French). I've been studying for about 45 days and I'd say I'm probably at Stage 2, looking to get Competent in the next couple of months. Would you say that acquisition of a closely related language to your own is about 4 times faster?
@@dreamsofjoy 2-4 times faster, yes.
@@dreamsofjoy exactly
"I can recognize and write roughly 2,000 kanji"
In a year? Wow. I'm no where near this. However, I dabble in both output and input, so my Kanji study-time is lacking a bit.
I agree this is a really solid video! Thank you for sharing this information.
Steve, thank you so much for this lovely channel! I've gathered the most valuable insights for language learning through your newsletter, and it all has made me deeply impressed with how little we learn on language schools. Keep up with the amazing work! Warm regards :)
in brief:
Steve Kaufman, a renowned polyglot, discusses his views on the question, "how long does it take to learn a language?"
He breaks down language learning into three stages based on his experiences with Arabic, Persian, and other languages.
1. **Connecting with the Language**: This initial stage can take 60 to 90 hours or around three months of an hour a day.
During this stage, it's crucial to listen often and repeatedly to simple stories and review vocabulary to start to get a sense of the language.
This phase can vary based on the language's difficulty or dissimilarity to languages you already know.
For instance, Kaufman found Arabic more difficult due to its complex grammar and different writing system.
2. **Getting Comfortable with the Language**: This stage is largely input-based and could take twice as long as the first stage - around six months. Here, one should continue listening to simple stories and start exploring more complex material to expand vocabulary and comprehension. It could be useful to find intermediate content such as casual conversations or non-fiction books with a simplified vocabulary. This stage may involve a higher frequency of interaction with a tutor, possibly twice a week.
3. **Constant Improvement**: After around nine months of consistent learning, one enters a stage of constant improvement where they can listen to or read almost anything of interest in the target language and continue to build vocabulary and understanding. This stage can go on indefinitely, depending on how much time one spends with the language.
Kaufman also emphasizes that grammar, while important, should not be the initial focus as it can be intimidating for learners. Instead, he recommends that learners should first get a sense of the language and then explore grammar when they become curious about certain structures or patterns.
The focus should be more on what we can acquire rather than what we can do.
After these stages, the learner should have a good grasp of the language and be able to communicate effectively.
In summary, Kaufman suggests that reaching a comfortable level in a language could take approximately nine months to a year, although it could vary depending on the language and the learner's background.
His method focuses on acquiring the language, gradually building understanding, and increasing exposure to the language over time.
By the way, this is one of (if not my most) favorite video on the steps to fluency. :)
I really love your approach to languages! In my opinion, listening and reading are the most important skills to acquire any language.
I´m currently learning English, German, and Korean.
I had an arabic class when i was 10th grade. The language is complicated, what i was grateful for was i know the writing system, i know how to write and read the characters. A year learning arabic in the class, i didn't get any level of proficiency. It's because i wasn't into arabic, the school curriculum compelled us to take arabic class, i didn't really enjoy utterly. The method to learn arabic that my teacher tried to adopt to students was dull and kinda ineffective as well. I'm grateful i found your channel so i get so many things to learn from you, especially in how to acquire languages. I hope my arabic teacher finds your channel and adopt your approach on learning languages.
Korean is my first language and Spanish is my second one. (I started learning Spanish when I was 20 years old and I am living in a Spanish -speaking country) English is my third language. I am currently learning Portuguese. After watching this video, I feel like I could learn more languages. This language acquisition theory encourages me to start with the Japanese too.
Help me with Korean I help you in Portuguese
nice one من وين انت؟
Congratulations, I am learning my second languague and hope finist it soon.
Eres asombrosa, hoy despues de 3 años cuantos idiomas ya sabes. Saludos.!
Ganbate
I'm teaching myself Thai and some of the suggestions put forward in this video I have been using in particular, the short stories. These have been a valuable experience for me as I need to translate in to Thai so I'm gaining a wealth of written and oral exercises.
i been trying to learn bahasa indonesia since november 2023, i have not been consistent because work ,life etc etc i been with lingq for a month i can see a difference in my journey, im hoping to learn this language ... thanks steve
It is nothing to apologize, Sir. It was the only pleasure to listen to your highly logical reflections about different stages. THANK YOU!
I agree with his method of listening and reading. The more that you do, the more that you can pick up words spontaneously without context. I was watching a movie where they spoke a few words in Mandarin and wasn't expecting it, yet I caught what they said because my brain had gotten used to hearing it.
Yes. The short story is great. I listened to el principito (the little prince) every night when going to bed for 3 years. Every night something became clearer. Its at a good level for everyday conversation. I now listen in french portuguese and russian. It is amazing how the feeling of the story can change depending on the language.
The same story for 3 years?! 😱
@@ViniDio in different languages
I bought that book in Spanish, and I can’t read it. I have no capacity for language learning.
@@ViniDio yup. Language pattern, rhythm, and intonations burnt into my subconscious, plus the story has many layers, there are many interpretations and things to get out of almost every line in that book.
I went from 0 to fully fluent, every night it would make more n more sense as I began to understand the depth of meaning of each word.
It was a really amazing experience as Spanish was my 1st new language to learn.
I have gone on to do this with Portuguese and French, and it’s interesting the subtle differences that are present in each language in the translation, sometimes adding to parts sometimes brushing over them
@@LesserMoffHootkins it would be your method. I have a memory that is very short and always thought 0 capacity to learn a new language but if you find the right way to structure your learning and have discipline anyone can do it. I’m sure of that
As a languages self learner as well as a teacher, I can attest to what you are saying, anecdote-based, they are all true.
I'm happy that I could understand at least 95% what you have said since my target language is English.
I would Definitely really like it if you guys started up the LingQ podcasts again. I love the Spanish and Chinese mandarin ones 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
as I said above after further discussion here, we are inclined to feel that the best thing to do is to make it easier for our users at LingQ to access good sources of content, podcasts, TH-cam videos and the like. This way the content is fresh up-to-date and authentic. Many podcasts are in fact conversational and more or less intermediate if we use a system like LingQ in order to read and save words and phrases. We are still trying to figure out how we can use the automatic transcription services to make podcasts, and up-to-date podcasts , available for our users to use as study material. We would not put this as content in our library but simply facilitate the user importing it as we do now with newspaper articles and similar content on the web. I think this will be more satisfactory than creating content which very quickly can become stale.
Thank you Steve! Your videos are wonderful! They have helped me through moments of feeling very discouraged in my language-learning journey.
Dear Steve I made the same experience.After learning English for so many years I came to England and didn't understand a word.It took 3 days ,all of a sudden it happened I understood everyone, except cockney, it was wonderful .I'm still learning english but now I'm on a comfortable level, learning the difference between English and American. I enjoy listening to you .Now I learn Japanese and listen to your advice Thanks
Merci pour cette vidéo, Steve. Je suis en train d’apprendre le français, et j’aime bien lire en français lorsque j’écoute l’audio du livre.
You have to take train to apprendre le français,?
@@sleepsmartsmashstress8705 Comedy master.
Thanks for sharing the tips Steve. What makes it more convincing to me is that not only it is explained theoretically but also you applied it yourself in your language learning.
Finally someone simply breaking down how they go about the task after having completed many iterations. This is how humankind improves!
This is a very inspiring video for those who are learning any foreign language. I tech Spanish in USA and I use TPRS in my teaching. Students not only learn the language, but, they also enjoy the stories that we discuss. Comprehensible input makes the learning process more dynamic and entertaining.
Very helpful advice! Learning my third language and every encouraged to keep on learning more.
Now I think about it, it really is true.. I am learning german and after about 3-4 months I felt like I'm in early stage 2, as what you call it. It's a self learning without sufficient output,and so I was wondering if I am learning it the right way.. Your video gives me the answer and I am very glad of it. Vielen Dank!
Thank you so much for this video, it really motivates me to get more into my german learning
journey.
how's ur german now man. i hope ur near fluency level by now
Hello Steve. I am Brazilian and I am learning with a.j hoge , he is a great teacher too. Thank you so much.
Hello Steve...this is my first comment, I'm glad to hear that you are going to learn Turkish. To me it is totally complicated.😵
My mother tongue is Thai, although I've been living in Turkey for a long time but I consider myself in B1 level,poor me.😭 The most difficult part of learning it that most foreigners around me have mentioned is the suffixes, you will see what I mean after you have started learning it.
By the way, I do agree with you about learning grammar, I think when you get familiar with the language by speaking then you can start to focus on grammar in particular term that you are curious to.
Good luck for your new challenge to learning Turkish. I'll follow your VDO to see how you are doing. Thank you for all extremely wonderful videos.
For a native Thai speaker, your English is very good! I've been learning Thai for 2 years. Can read and write but only now starting to understand conversations (talking). Can't speak very well, but as Steve said, after comprehension, speaking will come. Hope all goes well with your Turkish! Don't give up!!
@@chantalj8950 Thank you for your compliment to my English ability.😊
Beside that, I'm appreciate to hear that you've been learning Thai for
2 years. However, Thai language is one of the difficult language for many foreigners I guess, although I am a native Thai, I sometimes think that it is absolutely difficult, especially we have five tones to pronounce that you have to pronounce correctly otherwise the meaning can be changed if you mispronounced in each tone because they are just seems to be the same. So, Well Done! you don't give up on it... You're awesome.😄
@@NewMe-jl9ld Yes I agree, it's very difficult but the more I expose myself to Thai by watching dramas, TH-cam etc and read thai news articles, I'm developing a natural feel for the tones. I love Thailand, Thai people and culture and won't give up!! I look forward to going on a holiday again and practising what I've learned 😁
Thank you. Just to note: first stage, about 90 hours (based on 1 hour a day), three months; second stage, 6 months. The third stage, no end perfection.
Exact
he's learning like 5 languages and me here trying to learn english
looks like you got it
Lol
You have a significant advantage over someone like him trying to learn Persian: the sheer amount of English you can be exposed to in your daily life if you use the internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_used_on_the_Internet#Internet_users_by_language
Obviously your English is pretty good already if you're watching this video and writing comments on it. Just keep exposing yourself to native English speakers and it will continue to improve.
@@TheSpecialJ11 I know right XD. I'm learning Spanish right now and I struggle to write and even listen to a Spanish video without constantly pausing and repeating what has been said. All my life I've just been exposed to English, so I'm trying my best to immerse myself with as much Spanish content as I can.
I’m here. Not me here lol
Hi Steve, I've hit my LingQ goal every one of the 156 days you've had Cantonese. I would LOVE some Cantonese podcasts.
See what podcasts you can find in Hong Kong and use the automatic transcription services on the web. We are not planning to create any podcasts of our own. But if you can find people to do so we will add them of course.
I'm a native Cantonese and English speaker. Looking for exchange with native French and Japanese to do a swap....you speak either?
yes. One must "eat " the language, to make part of their routine. After digesting it, it will become part , a normal part of their lives. Thanks a lot.
شكرا لك على تقديمك لهذا المحتوى المفيد
تحياتي لك من العراق ❤️❤️❤️
항상 좋은 동영상 잘 보고 있습니다 :)
Thank you for your videos everytime for practical language learning
힘내요!
the best teacher
Thanks, Steve, for this video!
Usually I have been learning most useful ways to acquire a language, but I forget it easily, I mean, sometimes I simply don't make enough struggle to follow up practising what I've learned!
Thanks you so much for giving us a true explanation about the stages of Language acquisition. I noticed much of your advice and then Iam making progress lately.
Hello, Steve,
English is my second language, Croatian is my first. I wanted to give you a new term for language learning. I call the process “ assimilation”. I think that is the closest term for what happened in my case. Reading, with a dictionary by my side, going to lectures, more reading and constant listening.. I love LingQ and could not agree with you more about your method of learning.
I am learning French now, just the way you suggest, and going through acquisition/assimilation process. Thank you so much. I am a permanent fan. ❤ Sanja
Absorbing a language is a process of osmosis . Let it sink in at a natural rate. We should give our brains more credit for remembering stuff we feel we've glossed over. It does, and will bubble up , and if it doesn't today perhaps it will tomorrow.
Thanks for the long video! Your insight into language learning is very helpful. Thank you!
It makes perfect sense. I’ve followed a similar path in learning English and Italian. Now, as I dive into Chinese, I understand that speaking naturally and spontaneously will take time. That’s okay though, because as long as I continue to enjoy the learning process, I’m in no rush to become fluent in Chinese. I’m confident that with time and consistent practice, I’ll get there.
Excellent, steve is differentiated. I love your contents.
I think all this language learning makes the world slightly less war-like.
Nice point. Learning a language takes you to learn about the history and culture of the country(s) which speak that language. We become more respectful for who they are and how they view the world. Languages are all about being human.
Except between grammarians...
@Fucking grass Everyone should care about grammar. The point of CI was to not give it as much priority when you're only starting and focusing more on getting input. When you have a large vocabulary of words and can form really basic sentences and conversation you should now start getting deeper into grammar as you notice that you can speak semi-fluently but constantly make grammatical mistakes. It's like my little brother right now who is 8 years old who knows how to speak Tagalog FLUENTLY with little to none grammar mistakes. I keep asking him if he knows grammar or even understands it. I asked him about progressive nouns and verbs, adverbs, grammar rules, preposition, types of adverbs. He gets really confused when I get deeper into it and can't remember the specific grammar rules. But when he speaks he doesn't notice he's literally using the grammar rules I just mentioned. We should never be at this stage forever but if you start out like this it's similar to how a native first learns his/her language.
Make love /peace not war
"The more languages you speak, the more times you are human."
I am a Turkish student who wants to learn English and the other languages that he wants, and nothing helps me as well as your videos Steve Kaufmann :) Thank you, I really appreciate it. I am acquiring language and also learning how can I learn better.
What level have you reached ?
@@diariosdelextranjero How can I explain? I didn't take any test to measure.
I like the tips you’ve given, here and elsewhere, regarding learning through your areas of interest. I love learning about history, regional cultures, and the linguistic and migratory history of different places. I read all about the language I’m learning in the language I’m learning, and all about the history of the people that speak it. Generally only the most technical material fatigues me (but this also fatigues me in my native language because I’m not a “professional” linguist so I encounter a lot of academic terminology that’s not familiar). Anyway, thanks for the insightful content!
Reading song words is also very helpful to me. Usually the words are common words, and help me to find words in common usage.
Many thanks to Steve for valuable insights and advices.
I love your advice, you've been a huge help to me while learning languages.
Thanks for the great video Steve! You inspire me so much
This was a nice video, thanks Steve. I tried to put my memory of learning French over the past few years next to what you were saying. I'm now in the stage where I can enjoy books, films, series in French, understanding pretty much everything and slowly perfecting my language skills. This is very fulfilling as I can vividly remember being frustrated that my brain could not follow French conversations for example.
However, and especially as I'm now studying Japanese and I'm at the stage where I'm nearly two years into the language but still cannot produce much, I feel that your time intervals of severals months are maybe a bit too short. Especially with reading (kanji), Japanese took me far longer to get used to, and right now I've been in the stage of 'getting comfortable in the language' for so long that it seems I'll never get past it.
How many hours a day of studying did you take into account when you mentioned these time intervals of 3 months, the 4-9 months and then indefinitely?
no question that more time is required for Japanese. Also you need to have a separate commitment to learning the Chinese characters. I have had much more difficulty and have taken much longer in Arabic than in any language written in the Latin alphabet. On the other hand Persian, which is structurally similar to European languages has been much easier.
I went to Peru and made an ass out of myself for a little while. I understood the basics of what people were saying by the first week and could get a basic point across by the end of the first month. I spent a lot of time out in the city trying to talk to people so that probably made it faster. I also had a Spanish/English Bible and so that's how I learned a lot of basic words. I grew up in an area where a lot of people speak Spanish so I had heard a lot of it before I went there. I also took French in high school, which probably helped with some of the words that aren't similar to English ones. I think that learning similar languages becomes easier and easier the more of them you know. The first time I came back to the US from Peru, I heard some Latin and actually mistook it for Spanish. I thought it might be Spanish from Spain until I discovered it was Latin but the words made perfect sense to me. Then, the next time I was in Peru, I heard some Portuguese and, because I had taken French in high school and learned Spanish in Peru, the Portuguese made sense to me too. I wouldn't know how to say anything in Latin or Portuguese at this point but I can see how I could easily pick them up.
I found it much easier to learn a new language by trying to absorb it the way a baby absorbs their first language rather than to take formal classes. Before I learned any other foreign language, I got the opportunity to go to France with a year of high school French under my belt. I found that it took me a long time to process what people were saying to me and a long time to say something to them. This is because I was using English as an intermediate in understanding the concepts of the communication. When I learned Spanish, I tried to associate the new words as much as possible to the ideas themselves rather than their English equivalent. I got to the point in Spanish where I could actually say things faster than I can in English. A lot of it is how the words roll off the tongue and the fact that there are words in Spanish that have to be expressed in several words in English. It doesn't make me a very good translator when it comes to translating things between people quickly in a conversation, but it might make me a better translator when it comes to translating the essence of what is being said or for translating something in writing. I spent a lot more time in Peru than I did in France so the comparison isn't perfect, but I still think it's better to associate the new words with concepts rather than words in another language. I think this is why I sometimes have dreams in Spanish but I never had a dream in French.
Great video! This is exactly how Stephen krashen teaches and it is effective and works!
I think it can take the whole life. Everyday you'll learn something different in the target language which you're learning. To be honest, I don't worry so much about it, I've been just doing what I have to do, listening to English everyday and reading. That's it.
Try to read 100 books. I don't think you won't be fluent. Also, it won't take you forever :)
Thiago VloG whole life 🙄 you can say that about your native language
@@HeyyitsJasmine sorry ?
Wonderful content! Thanks for sharing your experience.
❤❤❤❤❤ i feel armed with this information. I’m going to try learning Spanish again. Thanks
I think fine points of language are almost impossible to learn. Example: how do you explain the different meanings of "dude" as an expression. Like "Dude!" as in disappointment "Dude!" as congratulations, "Dude?" as in what are you doing? etc... I remember that one time I was with friends and a woman dropped a huge bag of coins that split open and went everywhere. I immediately yelled "Dude!" and it cracked my friends up. Hard to translate the senses of the thing.
I really like your videos. They have very practical advice.
I just found this channel. Really appreciated what you shared.
I watch Steve's videos whenever I need a boost and feel I'm getting nowhere with my language learning.
I find it so tough. I don't know how Steve knows so many languages.
We all have these moments of demotivation I think, I also come back to hear some of Steve’s wisdom, always motivates me :)
Great explanation about acquisition. Something to contemplate when I begin to learn Dutch. Thanks handsome!
I don't know... I have studied Korean for about 13 years and can hardly speak. Maybe my age, speed of my mind etc. What I found hard is a sense of it feeling impossible and feeling you aren't making any progress. I found remembering enough vocab was so difficult. You have to make mnemonics in your mind, then you have to remember those. Korean you have so many endings that totally change the sound so that means listening and hearing is very difficult. I've since removed the pressure and have more of a sense of relaxing, watching a video and not worrying if I'm making progress. I think Steve making that point is very special. You start getting anxious it causes problems. I would get anxiety, headaches and so on brain fog i think through feeling I was shit at it, stupid or something. So when I hear of somebody under 30 speaking ten languages on TED X I think forget it. I think you can have a talent for languages. Still I'll do it and enjoy it in my own way.
Thank you so much for the very useful and effective technique.
You are a machine and a huge inspiration to me.
Thank you Steve, this is very useful perspective
Thank you for all the information Steve. As an Esl teacher I find it very useful and it totally describes my approach to learning languages. One thing I am curious about: What are your ideas about the stage of learning that is called “the plateau?” This is where most people stop improving..
I’ve set aside my German learning apps and instead focusing on reading and listening to short stories for children along with Google Translate. I personally find this more conducive to maintaining interest and motivation. Plus, I can acquire a lot more in less time. What Steve says here is the real deal.
Excellent video and explanations! Couldn't agree more!
Zanimljiv video. Sviđa mi se. Sve više me zanima jezik. Živim u Meksiku pa učim španjolski i tek sam počeo ruski. Pozdrav od hrvata u Meksiku. ( a bit of Croatian 😁)
This video is exactly where I am in my Persian. (Intermediate - such a long slog!!) Thanks!
you inspire me
Steve is Fantastic !!!😀
This is one of steve's most important videos
Thank you for this video, it was really helpful.
I am practicing English for 20 plus years and still learning.
SUMMARY: start language with SIMPLE stories (reading & listening); later, speak.
Спасибо большое, Стив! Это невероятно полезно! Thank you so much, Steve! It's so helpful!
I like these smaller and more focused videos.
Steve, I have watched lots of your videos, and they are very good. I think it would be helpful if you did a video on time, how to divide between learning and other duties. Thanks
Merci Steve pour tes conseils
Thank you. This is really helpful
Thank Mr Steve, useful tips, i m appreciated
great video. i'm having an awful hard time with linq but i'm going to keep trying to get used to it.
I love the journey of learn new language it’s soooo interesting
Please make a video speaking Portuguese,I'm a Brasilian and I like you're videos,they are so good😊 I can learn a lot and practice too.
Thanks for sharing!
A delight to listen to Steve Kaufmann even if I am an interpreter.I wouldn't mind having a knowledge of 16 and maybe more languages. Modify my lifestyle choices and be inspired by lingosteve and many other linguists.
It would be cool if they added conversations on the Lingq podcast, it definitely helps get through the intermediate level
We're working on getting more intermediate content.
That was so helpful, many thanks
Thank you for expressing so well everything I feel
at this stage of my language learning. You have helped me a lot , thank you very very much.
Very interesting and stimulating!
Wonderful video. Thank you!
Korean is kicking my ass at the moment lol... hopefully it'll start to kick in more quickly as time progresses
I feel you I’m in the same boat
Trying to get my mouth around some of the sounds is what I find most difficult. But I have native Korean friends who say it's even hard for them. So I don't feel so bad haha
At least there is so much interesting content out there for Korean.
You still doing it?
Thank you very much!
extremely useful for language learners, but..
it always depends from the background of the person learning the language.
Im dumb as hell and I learned Spanish , I was able to formulate sentences slowly in 3 months , at 6 months I was able to have conversation slowly , after year or so and after I was quite fluent. Just have patience with yourself. And keep to it and I promise you will learn to speak .
@@cashmoney5618 Yes dude...
but learning italian for somebody that knows spanish is easier than learning "spanish" for somebody from poland... this is what I mean when I talk about background :)
@@italianoin7minuti im cambodian that lives in the u.s.a , I also speak my native language, l learned from four books , tv novelas and listening to Spanish music.
Thank you!