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What I tell people all the time: No matter what any online course tells you, you'll never go from 0 to fluent in "as little as 3 months". You just won't. You also won't *really* speak the language in only 30 days. No, you might learn some useful PHRASES in that time, but it's a massive stretch to consider that "speaking" the language because what most people mean when they say someone SPEAKS a language is...essentially, they aren't new to it - they don't parrot some phrases from a tourist handbook - they can have full, in-depth conversations with ease in that language. SO the reality is, there's no easy road. None. Zero. There are more efficient LEARNING methods but there is no way you are going to be lazy and just do 10 minutes a day and be fluent in 6 months. You won't. If that's all you're doing, you won't. Think about it: 10 minutes a day, 365 days a year is 3,650 minutes about 60.8 hours of study time. That amounts to basically one WEEK of studying 8 hours a day. If you study Chinese 8 hours a day for just a week, you will NOT be fluent or even really that much better off than where you started. Now if you did that 8 hours a day every day for a YEAR then yes, you could make tremendous progress. That's my point though. You need to put in the TIME and you need to put in the WORK. At the end of the day, it comes down to whether you are willing to push through the walls you run into when you start hitting diminishing returns on your studies. THAT is what kills most language learners before they ever REALLY learn to speak the language and makes them give up: Let me explain: suppose you know your FIRST word in a language. Let's say Chinese. You learn "hao" (3rd tone) which is "good". Well, obviously you can't just run around saying "good" in response to every scenario - that's very limiting. So you keep going. Let's say you learn 10 new words per day, every day for 100 days. That's 1,000 new words, assuming you retain ALL of them (most only retain 60 to 80% of what they learn so realistically you'd be at 600 to 800 words after 100 days in terms of what you ACTUALLY remember and know). But let's assume you retain ALL of them for the sake of argument. In that scenario you go from 1 to 1,000 words. You have effectively multiplied your vocabulary by 1,000 TIMES over what it was just 100 days ago. So of course at THIS point you feel like you're flying - AMAZING! SUCH PROGRESS! AWESOME! But watch what happens if you do that for another 100 days. Your vocabulary is now 2,000 words -assuming full retention (which never happens if you're only putting in 30 to 60 minutes a day - you NEED time for REPETITION to remember them all) - which is about the vocabulary of a 3 year old chinese child. Congrats. You sound like a babbling baby to native speakers. You have a lot of words - compared to what you used to anyway (the average adult native speaker knows 20,000 to 40,000 words and the average 10 year old knows 10,000 words) - and now you notice something: you've only DOUBLED your vocabulary after the same amount of effort. Repeating another 100 days, you reach 3,000 words - about the level of a 3 to 4 year old native speaker (the average 5 year old can recognize 5,000 words) - but NOW you've only increased by 150% instead of 200%. By the time you know 4,000 words you only increase by 125%. 5,000 words, 112.5%, and so on, until by the time you go from 9,000 to 10,000 words - the vocab of an average 10 year old native speaker (but you need grammar and reading skills too, you know, it's not all about memorizing word lists, so dont think it puts you on the level of a true native speaker yet) you basically only increase your vocabulary by only a little over 10% for the same amount of work that once made you vocabulary 1,000 times more. THEN if you want to talk about reaching the level of an adult NATIVE SPEAKER, you need 20,000 to 40,000 words. Talk about diminishing returns. This is the REAL grind. You'll feel like you're in intermediate/upper intermediate level FOREVER. You'll feel like you're running toward a mountain but that mountain never seems to get any closer, much less let you near the top of it. THAT is learning a new language. I've learned Chinese for nearly 15 years and I STILL - STILL TO THIS DAY - feel that way. You're never "done" learning a language if you take it seriously. Ever. It's just what you DO now. You LEARN. At some point you at least become FUNCTIONAL in t he language but if your goal is to speak like a NATIVE, well, for most people you can get 99% of the way there but that last 1% that would make native speakers think you were a full-blown Chinese person over the phone is REALLY elusive. Even NATIVE speakers never reach 100% mastery of their own native language though - you learn new words until the day you die in your native language - so don't feel TOO bad. Anyway, there are languages like Spanish that are EASIER to learn but don't for a minute mistake that for EASY. There's no easy button. There's no machine like in Battlefield Earth that you hook yourself up to and you can suddenly fluently speak a language. Doesn't happen. You are in for years of work. Either accept that or give up. That simple.
I relate to this comment. Learning Chinese for 10 years now, relatively literate and functional but still wouldn't ever call myself fluent by my standards. As you say, it just becomes a lifestyle/ingrained habit at some point to continually improve consciously.
Best comment I've ever read on TH-cam. I've been telling people this for years but they still come up with the usual "I'm gonna start a course after I've done XYZ." "I do a bit of DuoLingo every day." No, no it's fine, why not just admit it's not a priority and move on with your life?
I just wanted to thank you. Been trying so hard to learn Japanese for more than 2 years and felt like I was just not good at languages. I think maybe because everyone on TH-cam acts like you can just pick them up at the drop of a hat. But you’ve reassured me that I just have to keep plugging away. Also I might have expanded vocabulary beyond my foundation, so I think I’ll focus on solidifying that for a while.
If you want to give your learning approach a boost, try a search for "comprehensible input" and watch/read anything you can from Stephen Krashen, Steve Kaufmann, or Luca Lampariello.
You shouldn't study grammar AT ALL. Only consult it when you MEET them in authentic content made for natives, The WOEST place to learn a language is in a class, and the worst thing you can use is a textbook. Comprehensible Input IS a thing. That's how I've learned English (as a Brazilian), Italian and Japanese. And how I'm learning Vietnamese for over 3 years and Mandarin for a couple of months. But BEFORE that I FAILRD SPANISH (the closest language to mine) for TEN YEARS. For the greater part of my life I thought I had NO TALENT FOR LANGAUGES. And now I have 3 under my belt and 2 more o thrir way. That's how BAD the traditional method, proposed here, is. After failing for 10 years failing Spanish i was functional iItalian in 1 year and five in Japanese.
I learned a new language by reading a book I already read many years ago in my native language. I remembered some of the plot but none of the details. I was using a dictionary to translate every single word when I started. But every chapter was easier and by end of the book I needed the dictionary only very seldom. I think the whole process took me about 7 months (evenings almost every day). I learned about 80% of my vocabulary from that single book. I understood native speakers perfectly, could read newspapers, etc. Television helped with the speaking/pronunciation part of the language. After three years of that I was able to get a job in publishing using the new language.
reading books does not improve listening ability, especially with native speakers in daily convo. as someone who has learned another language, I know you're leaving out a lot of details.
@@cartapo2669 - Absolutely. Television and living in an environment with native speakers was important for that, but that part didn’t really require too much effort being surrounded by the new language. What was super difficult was to actually physically speak the language using my voice. For some reason, being able to fully understand what you are hearing or reading doesn’t prepare you to actually speak. That required practice in the field so to speak. One other unusual thing that happens later on is that your mind stops translating and starts thinking in the new language. I remember being aware of that one morning because it was so sudden. Everything else until that point happened gradually, but not that.
I think another point to mention is not to necessarily be dead set on fluency. I think if you just live and breathe the language and really enjoy it everything else will just be as it will be.
Hello professor, I've been following you since about 2016 and I just wanted you to know how grateful I am! I've learned Italian, French, Latin, Ancient Greek, and German! In that order. Thank you so much!
Thank you for a very honest video and giving an honest time frame! I have been studying French for awhile. I have heard so many times that you can learn French and you can speak french in 3 months etc. I find people/companies oversell their products and give a false hope. You start to doubt yourself when you reach the 3 month mark and you can barely manage introducing yourself! Thank you for being honest on the time frame! This is so much more encouraging than what I have encountered.
Hello, professor Arguelles. It's Gabriel from Brazil. I'm preparing to teach english but not on an advanced level, just to have a starting job while working teaching and communication skills. I would like to teach more advanced english in the future and also other languages like latin. But for now, that's what I can do. English is my most advanced language and I have developed a place for it in my heart. It is certainly more useful for research. The content is 95% of the times better than what I can find in my language. A few months ago I have sent you a letter through email asking for tips. Glad you responded it, professor. You told me to give you a feedback after some time. I don't have good news because I've been struggling to battle my lazy and incostant self. Although this is bad and probably disappointing, I'm certain that I'm going to conquer this battle. For I think about death, judgement, victory and glory and my impotence's paralyzing misery cannot stand in front of the glorious and divine light of Eternity. Memento mori and carpe diem turn my soul to the fear of being harvested unprepared. Divine grace inspires me, illuminating my conscience to cut off the arm that might be the cause of my fall. I know this might sound an exaggeration cause language is just another aspect of life but if we fail to answer our calling we fail life, therefore, the gravity of my words is of properly weight. I certainly am not the best writer, professor (yes, I'll admit I tried to write something good). So, I just wanted to tell you that you still inspire me a lot in my language studying. I'm not giving up. I'm certain soon after a few months I'll send you a positive message about my outcomes. Hope you're good, sir. Always watching your content.
I love the clear way you speak, I can understand 80% of your words because you speak clearly. I need to learn more vocabulary words but thanks people like you I'm able to practice, through a pleasant way, my listening skills.
I haven't listened to the video yet (I’m sure it is going to be very interesting) but I had to “like", because… who doesn’t like having a lovely cat on their lap! Wonderful!
Lying here with Covid, I was so pleased to discover all these videos. Very interesting and motivational. I have found a great deal of pleasure from my meagre lower intermediate Russian from the last couple of years of study. Being able to communicate a bit when travelling opens doors, creates friendships and gives a completely different perspective on the world. ps Merlin (I think that's his name) looks enthralled by your lectures. He listens to every word, but sometimes he looks angry at some of the things you say so perhaps he has some different opinions.
That was helpful and motivating for me to keep up the effort to learn Japanese. I live in Japan and am working towards the national exams for proficiency at the N2 level in one year from now. Hearing you describe the long arc of necessary effort to hit the goal of fluency makes me even more determined to roll up my sleeves and keep at it. It is certainly one of the hardest things I have ever attempted and there is no escaping the fact that it takes daily hard work. Ok! Back to the study! Thank you!
This is the best video I have seen on how to attain mastery of a language. It's both encouraging and realistic. I think many are discouraged by the fluent in two minutes approach. I do think that in the right circumstances you can make significant progress in a short amount of time and for sure there is something to be learned from different approaches, but it is just that, progress, not mastery. As far as getting "there", I think that if you do all that the professor describes you are definitely there, even if it does not feel like it. Isn't the nature of knowledge, the more you know about something the less you feel that you know the subject?
Thank you. He has returned to Columbia so we can't do another together. As soon as we have all the details about whether and how he will do the East Asian double major, I will let you know.
Hello professor! It’s James from China. I took the one class with you and I really enjoyed it. I’m here to let everyone know of the value and support that the language learning support group with professor Arguelles. The only reason I cannot attend is due to the 12/13 hour time difference with China. Such a shame. I hope that in the future there might be a way to attend class long term. I think what people fail to realize is the learning a language to fluency literally requires your brain to build new tissue, much in the same way you go to the gym and build muscle. This takes a lot of time. And dedication. I have a lot of other foreigners ask me how I “learned” Chinese and they ask me to teach them how to learn. Once I tell them what to do they never do it. They aren’t willing. And that’s okay.
Thank you, professor, for this great video! I am fluent in Russian and Azerbaijani and (always) on my way to improve English, Polish, Italian, German, French, Turkish and Spanish at the same time. Hope to be able to pass some language exams next year. By the way, the cat is extremely cool! :)
Thank you Alexander for your explanations and for your realism... Having misconceptions doesn't help anyone. Your honest statement shocks but above all wakes us up...:) Another educational video of great value...! THANKS
I am a huge fan of what you do and hope to follow your footsteps in the future with my personal pursuits in reaching my goals with foreign languages. However, based off what you have said in this video this basically means very very few people are truly fluent in any language apart from their own. I believe what you have described in this video is more like aspiring to obtain near mastery a language that is not ones native tongue rather than being fluent. Fluent as far as my understanding is a general word. I have seen this word mean something as vague as “being able to express oneself” (let’s say strictly using the target language without having to use other languages as a crutch), to such a level as you describe where someone has “near native level” capabilities. I for example became a medical interpreter in Spanish and passed the C2 level Cervantes test in less than a year of intense studying. This did not take 6 years as you had projected. Whether I am fluent or not, I can pick up a wide range of Spanish literature of the past hundred years and can read quite comfortably. Granted I cannot understand every single word, but also like you said these types of words are extremely rarely used outside of particular literature.
Thank you for the substantive comment. Clearly, if you can get a C2 after just one year of study, however diligent and intensive, then there is still a great deal more that you can and will learn over the years as you continue your immersion in Spanish.
Thank You Sir for sharing your expertise with us, I`ve been a subscriber for half a year and your videos has helped me to develop a more serious approach towards learning!
I always thought of dreaming in a second language as a magical level. And then I started dreaming in my second language. Those dreams were of concentrating really hard to speak and understand. They were the residues of the day’s activity bleeding into dream, and they were the most exhausting drams I’ve ever had.
You are so right! One should strive to speak the new language at the same level of education and culture as one's native language. And that takes time! I used to teach English in Mexico, and the first thing I had to do with my students, who were all university graduates, was to help them get rid of the lower class American accent that they had picked up from movies and from their trips across the border. They were really surprised when I mentioned that.
Yes, lack of even a concept of register in English is a weakness in many foreign learners who get quite good at a way of speaking that is just not appropriate for all occasions.
I came here because I was charmed by the cat ;) Very interesting video. I love languages and tried to learn some, but I am always missing someone to speak to so I am quite bad at talking and that annoys me. Exception is English (I am a naturally german speaker, the austrian version ;) ) which I am really good in. I tried russian (horrible grammar) and japanese (was good with the grammar but couldnt understand or talk much). Currently I learn italian, which I like a lot - and Italy is not very far from my country so I can visit often and use the language. I am fascinated by languages and grammar (yep, I like grammar - because of that I am a german teacher ;) ) and who knows what other languages I will learn. I surely got some advice here.
To be honest, based upon my experience with Spanish (minor at university) and serious self-study with Russian for 6 years now, i think these numbers are optimistic for the goal of near native, educated speaker.
Nice cat, i approve. I just got mad when people claim they reach fluency after 1-2 weeks...it's embarrassing. This is a great video man, I agree with you.
The FSI language categoríes are always used as a realistic time estimate for language learning. Have their estimates changed over time with improvements in technology such as video and audio resources, or is the intensive classroom environment the most eficiente method. Technology increases access but doesn't improve performance?
For me, the greatest obstacle to becoming even close to being fluent in a foreign language has always been the spoken language. I have not found it difficult to learn grammar and vocabulary. In fact, Latin was the easiest language class for me, because the instructors didn't care about pronunciation. On the other hand, even with languages that I have learned well enough to read books, there are still sounds that I find difficult to tell apart, native speakers often can't understand me when I try to speak to them in their language, and when I try to watch movies in the language, I can't understand much of what the actors are saying. It is frustrating when, after I have spent several years trying to get the pronunciation of a language right, people still tell me that I pronounce the language like English. I've noticed something similar with many people who moved to the United States a long time ago, such as adults who moved to the United States when they were young children who still speak English with a heavy accent and people who have lived in the United States for several decades who still struggle with spoken English. People who I have known whose spoken English is like that often have advanced degrees from American universities or have read English language literature extensively, such as someone who has read most of the books by Charles Dickens. On the other hand, there are also people who came to the United States fairly recently who speak English with an almost perfect American accent.
Thanks for sharing the detailed comment. Growing up watching American TV, games, etc., is what many people credit with the phenomenon you mention in the younger generation.
People now have many more tools to listen and absorb languages. And I can say that the older generations did not have these tools and unless you lived in the new country or the different country at a young age you are not going to have perfect pronunciation and it will take longer even to understand everything because you don't have a lot of means to acquire the language. Everything has changed today to make it easier for acquiring a language. Easier but the trajectory is still a long one and hard work for the majority of us I think
To add to the other answers, some people are audio learners, some people are visual learners predominantly. In language, audio learners have the advantage, in my opinion, and will reach fluency faster. Everything that we have been told about academics and books, applies to most other subjects except spoken language and music, perhaps. The grammar and the books are just support systems. So people who develop an ear for language fare better.
@@ahardy57 I think that there is a similar situation with music in that there are people who found it easy to learn to tell what music sounds by looking at a score, while other people, no matter how hard they try, will never be able to tell what music sounds like by looking at a score. I have known several people who have learned to read books in several languages (sometimes more than 10) who have never been able to learn the spoken languages well enough to have conversations with native speakers or watch movies in the foreign languages. There does seem to be a correlation between music ability and ability to learn to speak and listen to foreign languages. Some people that I know who are good at music find it easy to have excellent pronunciation in foreign languages.
If you don't have too much time to spend to language study you can become fluent in choosing a language that is much easier to learn than national languages., that is choose Esperanto and you will be able to experience the pleasure of being fluent.
The late stages of this plan are quite sensible, but why waste the time on early grammar education? Following Dr. Stephen Krashen's advice, it's ideal to learn the bare minimum by whatever means necessary in order to move on to reading and listening to simple material almost immediately. Less than a year into focusing on Dutch, albeit with lots of consistent hours, I'm reading my eighth novel, a translation of a 1000-page tome by Stephen King.
Thanks for sharing your experience and opinion. If you find learning grammar tedious and can dispense with it, all power to you. Most adults cannot acquire foreign languages in this fashion and many find the study of grammar fascinating.
@@ProfASAr I can certainly agree that many find it fascinating, but those of us who do are language nerds. However, the acquisition hypothesis that I'm referring to dictates that this is the ONLY way that any person of any age acquires a language, be it a first or tenth. Grammar is seen as a filter that we apply before speaking or writing, but it does nothing to assist in generating language to be filtered. I do apologize for how this must come across in a TH-cam comment thread by the way. It's all intended to be helpful.
Great video as always professor! How would you say one would modify these expectations/targets if the pursuit is for languages that are "Dead" (not the right word, but it gets the point across) such as Latin, Sanskrit, etc? Would it take less overall time to become "good" at them? For said languages, it seems that interactivity (a la speaking with other people) is at a minimum, and so they are more "reading" languages than anything else whereby you're often going one-way and consuming the texts.
No, Ahnaf, it can actually take more time because even if you only want to read them, you don't have anything to subvocalize, and with the two you mention, you can and should aspire to speak and think in them, but since there are so few people to converse with, it is harder to do this than with a living language.
If you want to delve into communicative resources I recommend Aleph with Beth & Alpha with Angela. Lovely videos teaching Biblical Hebrew & Koine Greek without English subtitles. PolyMATHY makes entertaining videos in Latin, but I haven’t seen that many. “So many trees, so little time” said the dog…
Very good video. I appreciate the honesty. In light of what you've said, what does this mean for those of us who aspire to fluency in a handful of living languages? Does it quite literally take double, triple, or quadruple the time?
I master Amazigh(Mediterranean/north African language), Arabic, and French! I spent 5 years trying to acquire English(That I found somehow easy given the amount of vocabulary already used in French)! I can watch series and read classics... without problems, but my writing and speaking are still poor and need some time to be enhanced...! The only thing I can tell is that language learning is not an easy task, it takes a lot of time, a looooot! I am sure the key is vocabulary, and I think that the best way to develop it is to take a book one already could have read in his native language and read it fully and try to grasp every word; this process can be applied just one time since most of any of the average sized books(Orwell's 1984 for exmp) generally contains more than 7000 unique words...
Hello Professor, thank you for sharing your time and knowledge with us. Would a person who wishes to improve his or her native language to higher levels of proficiency, such as proper grammar usage and increased vocabulary, need to evaluate themselves and pursue whichever level they are at as if they were learning the language anew?
Just my comment, I have a pretty high level of English (Native Speaker) and the only thing I did differently than others is that I read a lot, growing up. And I continued to read. Like he mentions it grows vocabulary and more sophisticated language usage. Often I'll love a word that isn't used often when speaking, and I'll try to work it in with a dear friend as he enjoys underused words too!
I'm having to brush up on my Spanish because our neighbors have become good friends. The husband is good enough in English but his wife is poor in English. She wanted to learn it and took classes but says it just never clicked so she gave up on it, which I totally get. I suspect the trainers she had were not good in teaching but not important. Be like someone coming to me to get them good at English. My goal is not being fluent but just being able to communicate with her when her husband is not around. Ha, I need to read more, but I'm just good enough we can get ideas across to each other. I was so disillusioned in high school and college my Spanish class would lead to greatness. I blame those "learn German with just ten minutes a day" you saw at bookstores. Plus no one ever laid it out like this that I can remember. People like to make things seem they are far easier than they are. Like I could just say ''It just come easy to me" if someone were to say my Spanish is impressive for an American. People fudge about the work they put in on languages. DON'T FALL FOR IT.
I think what's never really mentioned is a learner's mental state, life circumstances and so on. For example some people are more susceptible to noise, distractions, poor concentration. What's going on in your life? Are you tired, stressed and your mind is fixed on other things and so on. All that's very very difficult. In my experience you have to be very relaxed, basically happy and enjoying the learning and give up "goals". Big problem I found was the idea of mnemonics. You build up pictures to try to remember non western vocabulary but then they become a kind of soup in your brain. The word P'yo in Korea for example I would have to associate with Edgar Alan Poe but some sounds I never found a convincing mental image. The sound just didn't or refused to trigger a memory whereas other were very effective. I think you learn how unlike a computer the human brain is and how perhaps on a more intuitive, unconscious way things are recalled. We all know desperately trying to remember a word often blocks the mind, then later on the toilet or having a beer bingo...! You recall it perfectly. So that's how it is.
@@ProfASAr I think you are very honest to say to people complex languages take about twelve years. I think people see these books at the airport "Learn Japanese in Two Months" and are disillusioned. As you say a long journey with forks in the road.
Bonjour Professeur, Le français est ma langue maternelle et j'aimerais commencer à lire la littérature française. Que me conseillez-vous ? Faudrait-il que je commence par la littérature jeunesse ?
Hello. I've spent many hours during my childhood leveling up digital character skill trees. Very fun. But I'm learning, not that video games were a waste of time. But learning a language or an instrument is no different than a skill. And skills are very marketable. I'm 32 and have no marketable skills due to disability for the past 10 years. But yeah I want to learn Spanish on my own. And maybe take up piano lessons as marketable skills. I know what my problem is. I have too many interest. Anyway great video.
When we hear that the FSU estimates around 1000 hours for French/Spanish and 1500 for German, it's worth remembering that they pre-screen applicants for language aptitude. Plus many of their students already have at least one second language under their belt - which is known to accelerate learning. So for those of us with poor or average aptitude we should budget for longer - especially if we are tackling our first language project. And longer still, given that we won't have access to the skilled teaching and motivational ethos offered in an elite diplomatic language facility.
Dedication it's the only thing! I'd love to know how many languages does anyone can get master in the whole lifetime? Fluency doesn't mean that the person be a hyperpolyglot.
Hi, Mr. Arguelles, first of all, thank you for your conent! I've a question and i hope it's not bothersome to answer it. So, english is not my first language, i'd say that my vocabulary in English is even larger than in my native language, i can read any kind of text, listen to any kind of audio and have full comprehension of it without second-guessing any word. But, when i'm talking to someone in english, i've noticed that i commit mistakes quite frequently, i might conjugate a verb incorrectly or, some times, i might forget simple words when i'm trying to express something. What can i do to remedy this problem? Thank you in advance!
Really like the explanation of "how long did it take you to become a well educated native speaker?" 25 years. Do I think it will take that long? I hope not, but it's ok if it does. As long as we progress daily and enjoy what we're doing, no need to be so hard on ourselves. I remember when i didn't know more than "hola" and i couldn't even say it right. Now I have friends from all over the world, travel without a dictionary, and travel comfortably in a Spanish speaking country. It's not perfect, but i did it myself :)
Hmm. You don't need a masters or even a degree.. self educated is probably better, a disipline of mind and logic and knowledge about various advanced topics, maybe . Anyway, that and near native level ( C2 ) is indeed pretty hard long road .. I'd say most people would and could set the bar a bit lower than that. In my experience, the beginnings of anything resembling automatic use of a language doesn't start developing until B1, but B2 is usually usefully fluent level.. it's enough to get to what needs you personally have, from there... Just my opinion, but not many people can deal with or want C2 level.. it took me more than a decade to eventually get to roughly C2 in Japanese... I'm in a hurry to learn Korean faster than I did Japanese . Learning your 3rd language does logically go faster, mostly, but some things just can't . I think the process to get to B 1 CAN be done " faster " ( , at least versus what I did, the first time. ) So, I'm going to reach my initial goal of B1 in about 6 months. ( Total of 2.5 years..? ) ....but, realistically, the curve goes up sharply from there, especially if it's about C2.. I guess you could work really hard at it, and go faster, but without an urgent need, who would try..? Language for specific other goal or purpose would be more concrete.. just to be near native, is much too nebulous and meaningless a thing to lose sleep over. Short version, I think that B2 is a much more practical and achievable goal point. For most people that's quite achievable within 4 or 5 years, less if it's an easy language for you.
At a minimum-- 1) To obtain videos, books etc. in 1st language to teach 2 bd language in 2nd language to teach 1st language Always obtain materials + 2nd language examples to learn & 1st language translations + vice versa 2) To obtain websites &/or books of 1st & 2nd languages references grammars All these let us learn generic, common words, phrases, clauses, sentences that most languages have. But-- for each languages unique culture words, we must find websites, videos,articles, books, etc. Examples-Chinese yin & yang, qi,(energy + ), etc., Portuguese saudade, jeito brasileiro, axe, etc.
На своём пути изучения языка Я всё равно не имею достаточно мотивации. На данный момент есть только одна книга которую я хотел бы читать на английском, Это книга дзен гитара филипа судо. Моя идея заключается в том, Чтобы изучать каждый день эту книгу наизусть. Это именно та книга, Которую я хотел бы изучать наизусть. В конечном итоге я буду иметь в моей голове не просто английский, А любимую книгу. А английский будет как бонус. Вот такая идея. А для того чтобы получилось, попробую выделять Каждый день 4 часа. Мне нравится ваш фанатизм он меня подстёгивает и вдохновляет. Я бы сказал моя психология специфична поэтому мне сложно идти привычным методом изучения через учебники, Даже если учебники очень классные. Я должен знать, Что делаю что-то больше чем просто Изучение языка.
If after studying 10 hours a day for 6 months and you still can't be fluent, then maybe maybe something is wrong with the way the material is presented...just a thought. Whilist Xiaomanyc is one polar extreme... this video setting unrealistic expectations that it takes decade is another polar extreme. Both are equally detrimental for language learners imo.
Right now I'm attending a language high school so I'm learning 3 laugauges at the same time. How can I programm my mind to think in 3 lauguages simultaneosly?
you need to try conversation with a native speaker as much as you can along with reading in the language with a dictionary alongside, but nothing will help you learning as much as conversation with a native speaker doesn't even compare with courses as per efficiency, while speaking with lots and errors forcing yourself and pushing yourself to make the correct syntax, or to find the proper word, thats progress with capital P
Certainly conversing with natives is necessary for everyone at some stages of learning, but while for certain types of learners, it may be the most important thing (as you describe), for others, it is more to activate what they have learned by reading and studying.
Yes, certainly, there is. Write to me at my academy email. If this is a serious request and there are others who also want it, we could start something in October.
Perhaps you could ask Professor Argeulles to include Italian late medieval & Rinascimento early Italian women intellectual feminist authors. 1st known Christine de Pisane,, the 1st known professional woman writer & 1st feminist writer (in French.) Later, a group of Italian women who wrote in Italian developed-later English, French,etc See Wikipedia articles on 1) Christine de Pisane 2) Italian Rinascimento (feminist as part of title?) women authors. Buona fortuna!!
Que opinas de un chico en TH-cam que dice que paso de un nivel 0 a un nivel C1 en francés en 4 meses siendo su lengua materna catalán y español ? Yo creo que es 100% imposible 😕
Even following all of this tips it's not enough to become fluent. Native speakers drop letters and prepositions and mumble words, when they are talking. Ex: what are you going to do, it becomes whatcha gonna do. And they are not aware of it when they are talking, confusing non native speakers. Furthermore, they create they own words, they use non standard language, they know how to use thousands of idioms and phrasal verbs correctly, they know the exception of a grammar rule but don't know how explain it. Trying to becoming fluent in any language is being lost in the middle of the ocean where there is no end.
One needs good navigation skills, information, instruments, both in oceans of water & in oceans of words. For words, we can always at a minimum start by obtaining books &/or websites of reference grammars in 1 or more languages that we study. As William Shakespeare said somewhere, “There’s a method to this madness.”
Wanting to become fluent in a language and not living in a country where the language is spoken is like trying to become a millionaire working at a minimum wage job.
Indeed. Which is why I stressed this necessity at the end. But on the other hand, in and of itself it is not a guarantee that one will ever become fluent.
It doesn't have to be that way my friend. You can try to create an immersion type of environment for yourself and try to befriend some native speakers of that language. That's what I generally do.
Honestly? 🤔 like really? Nope 🤭🤭🤭 i wanna lesrn languages to be pretty. Cus dunno... it sort of kinda unlocks something 8n your brain or something? And i think itll keep me prettier... yeah.. speaking different languages? 😬 like and obviously if u soeak like syper cool? Well u r gonna be prettier? U know? 🤗
@@ProfASAr Thanks. By the way, I look at your Polyglot's Daily Workout now and then. It makes my goal of learning just ONE foreign language seem so much more attainable. If someone can learn 15 languages then surey I can learn one.
Your camera set up is providing forced perspective to make your cat appear to be MASSIVE. Like it looks like your cat is the size of a medium sized dog.
You shouldn't study grammar AT ALL. Only consult it when you MEET them in authentic content made for natives, The WOEST place to learn a language is in a class, and the worst thing you can use is a textbook. Comprehensible Input IS a thing. That's how I've learned English (as a Brazilian), Italian and Japanese. And how I'm learning Vietnamese for over 3 years and Mandarin for a couple of months. But BEFORE that I FAILRD SPANISH (the closest language to mine) for TEN YEARS. For the greater part of my life I thought I had NO TALENT FOR LANGAUGES. And now I have 3 under my belt and 2 more o thrir way. That's how BAD the traditional method, proposed here, is. After failing for 10 years failing Spanish i was functional iItalian in 1 year and five in Japanese.
@@ProfASAr although there ARE individual differences (mainly due to PERSONAL PREFERENCES, which plays a role in MOTIVATION) we are all HUMAN BEINGS and our brains are basically THE SAME. Specially in things like language learning which are wired in the primal parts of our brains because it's linked to SURVIVAL. Although, sure, there are many paths to the mountain, and some people walk with their legs pointed straight forward, some a little bit to the side, some may limp, and the size of our steps depend on how long our legs are, EACH AND EVERY one of us walk THE SAME. You do NOT walk poising you toes on the ground before your heels, but the other way around. Sure if you LIKE grammar (and a linguist like this) keep on doing it. BUT, our brains figures out rules in speech by massive exposure, guessing what the rules may be. The other way around the traditional method proposes. Sure, if knowing the rules beforehand makes you feel better it ill be fine. But you don't NEED it. It's not like you CAN'T do it. Once I was proficient "enough" in English I had the choice to teach English. Only THEN I was forced to learn the terms and concepts of grammar rules in English. To pass on my teaching certificate. I knew ZERO about it. It's like a baseball player and a physicist. The physicist may know exactly WHY if you throw the ball in a certain way it will make a curve instead of going straight. But unless he plays he cannot perform the movement even ONCE. The player can do it every time he wants to do so. Even having no idea about the science involved in it. Sure, if you LIKE the science behind it and want to learn it anyway go for it. But if your goal is to produce the language (throw the ball) you don't need that at all.
If you enjoy learning from my videos, then you might enjoy learning with me in my virtual academy. Registration is ongoing, so you could join a session next week to improve your abilities to read French, German, or Spanish literature, practice spoken Latin, learn to read Medieval languages, participate in Great Books discussion seminars, or get support for teaching yourself languages, including participation in study-with-me sessions: www.alexanderarguelles.com/ac...
The link takes me to a "that page can't be found" page on your website
@@NickSiekierski Something got cut off the end, try this: www.alexanderarguelles.com/academy/ and if it gets cut off again, once you are on the site, just click on Academy
What I tell people all the time:
No matter what any online course tells you, you'll never go from 0 to fluent in "as little as 3 months". You just won't. You also won't *really* speak the language in only 30 days. No, you might learn some useful PHRASES in that time, but it's a massive stretch to consider that "speaking" the language because what most people mean when they say someone SPEAKS a language is...essentially, they aren't new to it - they don't parrot some phrases from a tourist handbook - they can have full, in-depth conversations with ease in that language.
SO the reality is, there's no easy road. None. Zero. There are more efficient LEARNING methods but there is no way you are going to be lazy and just do 10 minutes a day and be fluent in 6 months. You won't. If that's all you're doing, you won't. Think about it: 10 minutes a day, 365 days a year is 3,650 minutes about 60.8 hours of study time. That amounts to basically one WEEK of studying 8 hours a day. If you study Chinese 8 hours a day for just a week, you will NOT be fluent or even really that much better off than where you started. Now if you did that 8 hours a day every day for a YEAR then yes, you could make tremendous progress.
That's my point though. You need to put in the TIME and you need to put in the WORK. At the end of the day, it comes down to whether you are willing to push through the walls you run into when you start hitting diminishing returns on your studies. THAT is what kills most language learners before they ever REALLY learn to speak the language and makes them give up:
Let me explain:
suppose you know your FIRST word in a language. Let's say Chinese. You learn "hao" (3rd tone) which is "good". Well, obviously you can't just run around saying "good" in response to every scenario - that's very limiting. So you keep going.
Let's say you learn 10 new words per day, every day for 100 days. That's 1,000 new words, assuming you retain ALL of them (most only retain 60 to 80% of what they learn so realistically you'd be at 600 to 800 words after 100 days in terms of what you ACTUALLY remember and know). But let's assume you retain ALL of them for the sake of argument.
In that scenario you go from 1 to 1,000 words. You have effectively multiplied your vocabulary by 1,000 TIMES over what it was just 100 days ago. So of course at THIS point you feel like you're flying - AMAZING! SUCH PROGRESS! AWESOME!
But watch what happens if you do that for another 100 days. Your vocabulary is now 2,000 words -assuming full retention (which never happens if you're only putting in 30 to 60 minutes a day - you NEED time for REPETITION to remember them all) - which is about the vocabulary of a 3 year old chinese child. Congrats. You sound like a babbling baby to native speakers. You have a lot of words - compared to what you used to anyway (the average adult native speaker knows 20,000 to 40,000 words and the average 10 year old knows 10,000 words) - and now you notice something: you've only DOUBLED your vocabulary after the same amount of effort.
Repeating another 100 days, you reach 3,000 words - about the level of a 3 to 4 year old native speaker (the average 5 year old can recognize 5,000 words) - but NOW you've only increased by 150% instead of 200%. By the time you know 4,000 words you only increase by 125%. 5,000 words, 112.5%, and so on, until by the time you go from 9,000 to 10,000 words - the vocab of an average 10 year old native speaker (but you need grammar and reading skills too, you know, it's not all about memorizing word lists, so dont think it puts you on the level of a true native speaker yet) you basically only increase your vocabulary by only a little over 10% for the same amount of work that once made you vocabulary 1,000 times more.
THEN if you want to talk about reaching the level of an adult NATIVE SPEAKER, you need 20,000 to 40,000 words. Talk about diminishing returns. This is the REAL grind. You'll feel like you're in intermediate/upper intermediate level FOREVER. You'll feel like you're running toward a mountain but that mountain never seems to get any closer, much less let you near the top of it. THAT is learning a new language.
I've learned Chinese for nearly 15 years and I STILL - STILL TO THIS DAY - feel that way. You're never "done" learning a language if you take it seriously. Ever. It's just what you DO now. You LEARN. At some point you at least become FUNCTIONAL in t he language but if your goal is to speak like a NATIVE, well, for most people you can get 99% of the way there but that last 1% that would make native speakers think you were a full-blown Chinese person over the phone is REALLY elusive. Even NATIVE speakers never reach 100% mastery of their own native language though - you learn new words until the day you die in your native language - so don't feel TOO bad.
Anyway, there are languages like Spanish that are EASIER to learn but don't for a minute mistake that for EASY. There's no easy button. There's no machine like in Battlefield Earth that you hook yourself up to and you can suddenly fluently speak a language. Doesn't happen. You are in for years of work. Either accept that or give up. That simple.
Thank you for the incredibly detailed analysis and computations. I hope those really interested in this topic take the time to read all you wrote.
I relate to this comment. Learning Chinese for 10 years now, relatively literate and functional but still wouldn't ever call myself fluent by my standards. As you say, it just becomes a lifestyle/ingrained habit at some point to continually improve consciously.
Well written text bro. I can relate, even though I've only been learning spanish for a little over a year.
Best comment I've ever read on TH-cam. I've been telling people this for years but they still come up with the usual "I'm gonna start a course after I've done XYZ." "I do a bit of DuoLingo every day." No, no it's fine, why not just admit it's not a priority and move on with your life?
In all earnestness, how many languages does the cat is fluent in?
If you listen carefully here, you should be able to hear: th-cam.com/video/vI3eoYg3hXU/w-d-xo.html
The cat speaks an archaic language - purrrrsan
Felinese
Meowish, Catanese
He speaks many languages purrfectly.
I just wanted to thank you. Been trying so hard to learn Japanese for more than 2 years and felt like I was just not good at languages. I think maybe because everyone on TH-cam acts like you can just pick them up at the drop of a hat. But you’ve reassured me that I just have to keep plugging away. Also I might have expanded vocabulary beyond my foundation, so I think I’ll focus on solidifying that for a while.
I am very pleased to have been of assistance. Best of success in your studies!
If you want to give your learning approach a boost, try a search for "comprehensible input" and watch/read anything you can from Stephen Krashen, Steve Kaufmann, or Luca Lampariello.
@@brandondetty3322 anyways, learning japanese it's a long trip. 4-5 years, even living in the country, to be decent.
You shouldn't study grammar AT ALL. Only consult it when you MEET them in authentic content made for natives, The WOEST place to learn a language is in a class, and the worst thing you can use is a textbook. Comprehensible Input IS a thing. That's how I've learned English (as a Brazilian), Italian and Japanese. And how I'm learning Vietnamese for over 3 years and Mandarin for a couple of months. But BEFORE that I FAILRD SPANISH (the closest language to mine) for TEN YEARS. For the greater part of my life I thought I had NO TALENT FOR LANGAUGES. And now I have 3 under my belt and 2 more o thrir way. That's how BAD the traditional method, proposed here, is. After failing for 10 years failing Spanish i was functional iItalian in 1 year and five in Japanese.
I learned a new language by reading a book I already read many years ago in my native language. I remembered some of the plot but none of the details. I was using a dictionary to translate every single word when I started. But every chapter was easier and by end of the book I needed the dictionary only very seldom. I think the whole process took me about 7 months (evenings almost every day). I learned about 80% of my vocabulary from that single book. I understood native speakers perfectly, could read newspapers, etc. Television helped with the speaking/pronunciation part of the language. After three years of that I was able to get a job in publishing using the new language.
Which language is your native one and which language were you learning?
@@oro7114 - my native language was Czech/Slovak and my acquired language was English.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
reading books does not improve listening ability, especially with native speakers in daily convo. as someone who has learned another language, I know you're leaving out a lot of details.
@@cartapo2669 - Absolutely. Television and living in an environment with native speakers was important for that, but that part didn’t really require too much effort being surrounded by the new language. What was super difficult was to actually physically speak the language using my voice. For some reason, being able to fully understand what you are hearing or reading doesn’t prepare you to actually speak. That required practice in the field so to speak. One other unusual thing that happens later on is that your mind stops translating and starts thinking in the new language. I remember being aware of that one morning because it was so sudden. Everything else until that point happened gradually, but not that.
I think another point to mention is not to necessarily be dead set on fluency. I think if you just live and breathe the language and really enjoy it everything else will just be as it will be.
Very good point!
Thanks! this is one of the most useful language learning videos on TH-cam. Not just telling people what they want to hear
Hello professor, I've been following you since about 2016 and I just wanted you to know how grateful I am! I've learned Italian, French, Latin, Ancient Greek, and German! In that order. Thank you so much!
You are very welcome. I am happy to have been of assistance.
Muchas gracias, profesor. Sus vídeos siempre me ayudan a mejorar la forma en la que ayudo a las personas a mejorar su español.
Y gracias por sus amables palabras de agradecimiento.
Thank you for a very honest video and giving an honest time frame! I have been studying French for awhile. I have heard so many times that you can learn French and you can speak french in 3 months etc. I find people/companies oversell their products and give a false hope. You start to doubt yourself when you reach the 3 month mark and you can barely manage introducing yourself! Thank you for being honest on the time frame! This is so much more encouraging than what I have encountered.
Thank you for your kind words. Realistic truth is the best policy.
Hello, professor Arguelles. It's Gabriel from Brazil. I'm preparing to teach english but not on an advanced level, just to have a starting job while working teaching and communication skills. I would like to teach more advanced english in the future and also other languages like latin. But for now, that's what I can do. English is my most advanced language and I have developed a place for it in my heart. It is certainly more useful for research. The content is 95% of the times better than what I can find in my language.
A few months ago I have sent you a letter through email asking for tips. Glad you responded it, professor. You told me to give you a feedback after some time. I don't have good news because I've been struggling to battle my lazy and incostant self. Although this is bad and probably disappointing, I'm certain that I'm going to conquer this battle. For I think about death, judgement, victory and glory and my impotence's paralyzing misery cannot stand in front of the glorious and divine light of Eternity. Memento mori and carpe diem turn my soul to the fear of being harvested unprepared. Divine grace inspires me, illuminating my conscience to cut off the arm that might be the cause of my fall. I know this might sound an exaggeration cause language is just another aspect of life but if we fail to answer our calling we fail life, therefore, the gravity of my words is of properly weight. I certainly am not the best writer, professor (yes, I'll admit I tried to write something good). So, I just wanted to tell you that you still inspire me a lot in my language studying. I'm not giving up. I'm certain soon after a few months I'll send you a positive message about my outcomes. Hope you're good, sir. Always watching your content.
Dear Gabriel, Thank you for following-up on my advice. I am sorry it did not go well at first, but often you need to try, try again.
I love the clear way you speak, I can understand 80% of your words because you speak clearly. I need to learn more vocabulary words but thanks people like you I'm able to practice, through a pleasant way, my listening skills.
You are very welcome.
I haven't listened to the video yet (I’m sure it is going to be very interesting) but I had to “like", because… who doesn’t like having a lovely cat on their lap! Wonderful!
I hope you have watched it by now and found it valuable!
Lying here with Covid, I was so pleased to discover all these videos. Very interesting and motivational.
I have found a great deal of pleasure from my meagre lower intermediate Russian from the last couple of years of study. Being able to communicate a bit when travelling opens doors, creates friendships and gives a completely different perspective on the world.
ps Merlin (I think that's his name) looks enthralled by your lectures. He listens to every word, but sometimes he looks angry at some of the things you say so perhaps he has some different opinions.
He is indeed my alter-ego, but we don't always see eye to eye.
That was helpful and motivating for me to keep up the effort to learn Japanese. I live in Japan and am working towards the national exams for proficiency at the N2 level in one year from now. Hearing you describe the long arc of necessary effort to hit the goal of fluency makes me even more determined to roll up my sleeves and keep at it. It is certainly one of the hardest things I have ever attempted and there is no escaping the fact that it takes daily hard work. Ok! Back to the study! Thank you!
You are very welcome. May you ace your exam!
This is the best video I have seen on how to attain mastery of a language. It's both encouraging and realistic. I think many are discouraged by the fluent in two minutes approach. I do think that in the right circumstances you can make significant progress in a short amount of time and for sure there is something to be learned from different approaches, but it is just that, progress, not mastery.
As far as getting "there", I think that if you do all that the professor describes you are definitely there, even if it does not feel like it. Isn't the nature of knowledge, the more you know about something the less you feel that you know the subject?
Thank you kindly!
This is one of my favorite videos you have posted, Professor. I have saved it in the “watch again” feature of TH-cam for later reference. Thank you!
You are so very welcome, Chad.
Hi Professor,
Will we see an update on your son's progress in Korean? Always fun to see real life examples of language learning :)
I asked that in another comment box. It may be that the son is now away from home at school. I hope he reached his goals with Korean in any event.
Thank you. He has returned to Columbia so we can't do another together. As soon as we have all the details about whether and how he will do the East Asian double major, I will let you know.
Hello professor! It’s James from China. I took the one class with you and I really enjoyed it. I’m here to let everyone know of the value and support that the language learning support group with professor Arguelles. The only reason I cannot attend is due to the 12/13 hour time difference with China. Such a shame. I hope that in the future there might be a way to attend class long term. I think what people fail to realize is the learning a language to fluency literally requires your brain to build new tissue, much in the same way you go to the gym and build muscle. This takes a lot of time. And dedication. I have a lot of other foreigners ask me how I “learned” Chinese and they ask me to teach them how to learn. Once I tell them what to do they never do it. They aren’t willing. And that’s okay.
Thank you, James, and hope to see you back some day!
Thank you, professor, for this great video! I am fluent in Russian and Azerbaijani and (always) on my way to improve English, Polish, Italian, German, French, Turkish and Spanish at the same time. Hope to be able to pass some language exams next year. By the way, the cat is extremely cool! :)
Merlin says thanks!
Thank you Alexander for your explanations and for your realism... Having misconceptions doesn't help anyone.
Your honest statement shocks but above all wakes us up...:)
Another educational video of great value...!
THANKS
You're very welcome. I hope it helps you better plan your coming years of study.
I am a huge fan of what you do and hope to follow your footsteps in the future with my personal pursuits in reaching my goals with foreign languages. However, based off what you have said in this video this basically means very very few people are truly fluent in any language apart from their own. I believe what you have described in this video is more like aspiring to obtain near mastery a language that is not ones native tongue rather than being fluent.
Fluent as far as my understanding is a general word. I have seen this word mean something as vague as “being able to express oneself” (let’s say strictly using the target language without having to use other languages as a crutch), to such a level as you describe where someone has “near native level” capabilities.
I for example became a medical interpreter in Spanish and passed the C2 level Cervantes test in less than a year of intense studying. This did not take 6 years as you had projected. Whether I am fluent or not, I can pick up a wide range of Spanish literature of the past hundred years and can read quite comfortably. Granted I cannot understand every single word, but also like you said these types of words are extremely rarely used outside of particular literature.
Thank you for the substantive comment. Clearly, if you can get a C2 after just one year of study, however diligent and intensive, then there is still a great deal more that you can and will learn over the years as you continue your immersion in Spanish.
Very nice video professor, always a pleasure to watch your videos and listen to you spew knowledge.
You are very welcome.
This is by far the best language related video I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot.
Thank you kindly!
ممنون اسکندر. شنیدن حقیقت را در مورد زمان لازم برای یاد گرفتن زبان جدید خیلی خوب است. 👍
بهترین موفقیت در مطالعات خود را از زبان فارسی.
Thank You Sir for sharing your expertise with us, I`ve been a subscriber for half a year and your videos has helped me to develop a more serious approach towards learning!
I am pleased to have been of assistance in your studies.
Thanks, Professor. Always appreciate your talks
And I thank you in turn for the appreciation.
I always thought of dreaming in a second language as a magical level. And then I started dreaming in my second language. Those dreams were of concentrating really hard to speak and understand. They were the residues of the day’s activity bleeding into dream, and they were the most exhausting drams I’ve ever had.
Sorry to hear this!
I've had a few of those also!
Amazing content sir! Greetings from Venezuela, from a Portuguese descendant :)
You are very welcome.
You are so right! One should strive to speak the new language at the same level of education and culture as one's native language. And that takes time! I used to teach English in Mexico, and the first thing I had to do with my students, who were all university graduates, was to help them get rid of the lower class American accent that they had picked up from movies and from their trips across the border. They were really surprised when I mentioned that.
Yes, lack of even a concept of register in English is a weakness in many foreign learners who get quite good at a way of speaking that is just not appropriate for all occasions.
Not sure I agree with this. Having an accent that is 'lower class' isn't a bad thing
@@quit-rt4vz That is not my experience, but if you are happy with that, peace be with you!
I came here because I was charmed by the cat ;) Very interesting video. I love languages and tried to learn some, but I am always missing someone to speak to so I am quite bad at talking and that annoys me. Exception is English (I am a naturally german speaker, the austrian version ;) ) which I am really good in. I tried russian (horrible grammar) and japanese (was good with the grammar but couldnt understand or talk much). Currently I learn italian, which I like a lot - and Italy is not very far from my country so I can visit often and use the language. I am fascinated by languages and grammar (yep, I like grammar - because of that I am a german teacher ;) ) and who knows what other languages I will learn. I surely got some advice here.
May the advice serve you well in your studies!
To be honest, based upon my experience with Spanish (minor at university) and serious self-study with Russian for 6 years now, i think these numbers are optimistic for the goal of near native, educated speaker.
Thank you for sharing your perspective and experience.
Nice cat, i approve. I just got mad when people claim they reach fluency after 1-2 weeks...it's embarrassing. This is a great video man, I agree with you.
Thank you kindly - glad to have been of assistance.
The FSI language categoríes are always used as a realistic time estimate for language learning. Have their estimates changed over time with improvements in technology such as video and audio resources, or is the intensive classroom environment the most eficiente method. Technology increases access but doesn't improve performance?
For me, the greatest obstacle to becoming even close to being fluent in a foreign language has always been the spoken language. I have not found it difficult to learn grammar and vocabulary. In fact, Latin was the easiest language class for me, because the instructors didn't care about pronunciation. On the other hand, even with languages that I have learned well enough to read books, there are still sounds that I find difficult to tell apart, native speakers often can't understand me when I try to speak to them in their language, and when I try to watch movies in the language, I can't understand much of what the actors are saying. It is frustrating when, after I have spent several years trying to get the pronunciation of a language right, people still tell me that I pronounce the language like English.
I've noticed something similar with many people who moved to the United States a long time ago, such as adults who moved to the United States when they were young children who still speak English with a heavy accent and people who have lived in the United States for several decades who still struggle with spoken English. People who I have known whose spoken English is like that often have advanced degrees from American universities or have read English language literature extensively, such as someone who has read most of the books by Charles Dickens. On the other hand, there are also people who came to the United States fairly recently who speak English with an almost perfect American accent.
Thanks for sharing the detailed comment. Growing up watching American TV, games, etc., is what many people credit with the phenomenon you mention in the younger generation.
People now have many more tools to listen and absorb languages. And I can say that the older generations did not have these tools and unless you lived in the new country or the different country at a young age you are not going to have perfect pronunciation and it will take longer even to understand everything because you don't have a lot of means to acquire the language. Everything has changed today to make it easier for acquiring a language. Easier but the trajectory is still a long one and hard work for the majority of us I think
To add to the other answers, some people are audio learners, some people are visual learners predominantly. In language, audio learners have the advantage, in my opinion, and will reach fluency faster. Everything that we have been told about academics and books, applies to most other subjects except spoken language and music, perhaps. The grammar and the books are just support systems.
So people who develop an ear for language fare better.
@@ahardy57 I think that there is a similar situation with music in that there are people who found it easy to learn to tell what music sounds by looking at a score, while other people, no matter how hard they try, will never be able to tell what music sounds like by looking at a score.
I have known several people who have learned to read books in several languages (sometimes more than 10) who have never been able to learn the spoken languages well enough to have conversations with native speakers or watch movies in the foreign languages.
There does seem to be a correlation between music ability and ability to learn to speak and listen to foreign languages. Some people that I know who are good at music find it easy to have excellent pronunciation in foreign languages.
Have you tried dictation? I think if you listen to something long enough and look for patterns, you will eventually find them.
If you don't have too much time to spend to language study you can become fluent in choosing a language that is much easier to learn than national languages., that is choose Esperanto and you will be able to experience the pleasure of being fluent.
Dankon!
The late stages of this plan are quite sensible, but why waste the time on early grammar education? Following Dr. Stephen Krashen's advice, it's ideal to learn the bare minimum by whatever means necessary in order to move on to reading and listening to simple material almost immediately. Less than a year into focusing on Dutch, albeit with lots of consistent hours, I'm reading my eighth novel, a translation of a 1000-page tome by Stephen King.
Thanks for sharing your experience and opinion. If you find learning grammar tedious and can dispense with it, all power to you. Most adults cannot acquire foreign languages in this fashion and many find the study of grammar fascinating.
@@ProfASAr I can certainly agree that many find it fascinating, but those of us who do are language nerds. However, the acquisition hypothesis that I'm referring to dictates that this is the ONLY way that any person of any age acquires a language, be it a first or tenth. Grammar is seen as a filter that we apply before speaking or writing, but it does nothing to assist in generating language to be filtered. I do apologize for how this must come across in a TH-cam comment thread by the way. It's all intended to be helpful.
Great video as always professor!
How would you say one would modify these expectations/targets if the pursuit is for languages that are "Dead" (not the right word, but it gets the point across) such as Latin, Sanskrit, etc? Would it take less overall time to become "good" at them?
For said languages, it seems that interactivity (a la speaking with other people) is at a minimum, and so they are more "reading" languages than anything else whereby you're often going one-way and consuming the texts.
No, Ahnaf, it can actually take more time because even if you only want to read them, you don't have anything to subvocalize, and with the two you mention, you can and should aspire to speak and think in them, but since there are so few people to converse with, it is harder to do this than with a living language.
If you want to delve into communicative resources I recommend Aleph with Beth & Alpha with Angela. Lovely videos teaching Biblical Hebrew & Koine Greek without English subtitles.
PolyMATHY makes entertaining videos in Latin, but I haven’t seen that many. “So many trees, so little time” said the dog…
Very good video. I appreciate the honesty. In light of what you've said, what does this mean for those of us who aspire to fluency in a handful of living languages? Does it quite literally take double, triple, or quadruple the time?
With experience the time required can be reduced, particularly with related languages.
I master Amazigh(Mediterranean/north African language), Arabic, and French! I spent 5 years trying to acquire English(That I found somehow easy given the amount of vocabulary already used in French)! I can watch series and read classics... without problems, but my writing and speaking are still poor and need some time to be enhanced...! The only thing I can tell is that language learning is not an easy task, it takes a lot of time, a looooot! I am sure the key is vocabulary, and I think that the best way to develop it is to take a book one already could have read in his native language and read it fully and try to grasp every word; this process can be applied just one time since most of any of the average sized books(Orwell's 1984 for exmp) generally contains more than 7000 unique words...
I concur that reading is key!
Hello Professor, thank you for sharing your time and knowledge with us. Would a person who wishes to improve his or her native language to higher levels of proficiency, such as proper grammar usage and increased vocabulary, need to evaluate themselves and pursue whichever level they are at as if they were learning the language anew?
Just my comment, I have a pretty high level of English (Native Speaker) and the only thing I did differently than others is that I read a lot, growing up. And I continued to read.
Like he mentions it grows vocabulary and more sophisticated language usage. Often I'll love a word that isn't used often when speaking, and I'll try to work it in with a dear friend as he enjoys underused words too!
Hello Phoneix Knight, Yoga Bliss Dance has already given a great answer.
I'm having to brush up on my Spanish because our neighbors have become good friends. The husband is good enough in English but his wife is poor in English. She wanted to learn it and took classes but says it just never clicked so she gave up on it, which I totally get. I suspect the trainers she had were not good in teaching but not important. Be like someone coming to me to get them good at English. My goal is not being fluent but just being able to communicate with her when her husband is not around. Ha, I need to read more, but I'm just good enough we can get ideas across to each other. I was so disillusioned in high school and college my Spanish class would lead to greatness. I blame those "learn German with just ten minutes a day" you saw at bookstores. Plus no one ever laid it out like this that I can remember. People like to make things seem they are far easier than they are. Like I could just say ''It just come easy to me" if someone were to say my Spanish is impressive for an American. People fudge about the work they put in on languages. DON'T FALL FOR IT.
Thank you for sharing your story and your detailed words of appreciation.
Enough to get by using the intelligence you already have much appreciated kind regards Worrell Robinson
You are very welcome.
Clicked because of the cat
Go watch him here then: th-cam.com/video/vI3eoYg3hXU/w-d-xo.html
Effluent best describes my fluency in languages other than ingrish .
Ha!
That is one huge cat i love it, oh and also great advice thanks.
You are very welcome on both counts!
I think what's never really mentioned is a learner's mental state, life circumstances and so on. For example some people are more susceptible to noise, distractions, poor concentration. What's going on in your life? Are you tired, stressed and your mind is fixed on other things and so on. All that's very very difficult. In my experience you have to be very relaxed, basically happy and enjoying the learning and give up "goals". Big problem I found was the idea of mnemonics. You build up pictures to try to remember non western vocabulary but then they become a kind of soup in your brain. The word P'yo in Korea for example I would have to associate with Edgar Alan Poe but some sounds I never found a convincing mental image. The sound just didn't or refused to trigger a memory whereas other were very effective. I think you learn how unlike a computer the human brain is and how perhaps on a more intuitive, unconscious way things are recalled. We all know desperately trying to remember a word often blocks the mind, then later on the toilet or having a beer bingo...! You recall it perfectly. So that's how it is.
Thank you for mentioning the importance of the mental state!
@@ProfASAr I think you are very honest to say to people complex languages take about twelve years. I think people see these books at the airport "Learn Japanese in Two Months" and are disillusioned. As you say a long journey with forks in the road.
Bonjour Professeur,
Le français est ma langue maternelle et j'aimerais commencer à lire la littérature française. Que me conseillez-vous ?
Faudrait-il que je commence par la littérature jeunesse ?
On peut toujours commencer par Jules Verne!
Hello. I've spent many hours during my childhood leveling up digital character skill trees. Very fun. But I'm learning, not that video games were a waste of time. But learning a language or an instrument is no different than a skill. And skills are very marketable. I'm 32 and have no marketable skills due to disability for the past 10 years. But yeah I want to learn Spanish on my own. And maybe take up piano lessons as marketable skills. I know what my problem is. I have too many interest. Anyway great video.
You are welcome and good luck in your Spanish studies.
Great info 💎👍 i lovee your cat 😺😊
Thank you!
When we hear that the FSU estimates around 1000 hours for French/Spanish and 1500 for German, it's worth remembering that they pre-screen applicants for language aptitude. Plus many of their students already have at least one second language under their belt - which is known to accelerate learning.
So for those of us with poor or average aptitude we should budget for longer - especially if we are tackling our first language project. And longer still, given that we won't have access to the skilled teaching and motivational ethos offered in an elite diplomatic language facility.
Thank you for sharing your calculations!
As much as 3800 for Japanese...
Dedication it's the only thing! I'd love to know how many languages does anyone can get master in the whole lifetime? Fluency doesn't mean that the person be a hyperpolyglot.
Dedication is indeed the key!
شكرا ☺️
كان من دواعي سروري.
Professor arguelles became a bond villain
Thanks for commenting.
Hi, Mr. Arguelles, first of all, thank you for your conent!
I've a question and i hope it's not bothersome to answer it.
So, english is not my first language, i'd say that my vocabulary in English is even larger than in my native language, i can read any kind of text, listen to any kind of audio and have full comprehension of it without second-guessing any word.
But, when i'm talking to someone in english, i've noticed that i commit mistakes quite frequently, i might conjugate a verb incorrectly or, some times, i might forget simple words when i'm trying to express something.
What can i do to remedy this problem?
Thank you in advance!
Deliberate practice, as I mention in the last stage of this video. Take one problem at a time and concentrate on eliminating it.
Really like the explanation of "how long did it take you to become a well educated native speaker?" 25 years. Do I think it will take that long? I hope not, but it's ok if it does. As long as we progress daily and enjoy what we're doing, no need to be so hard on ourselves.
I remember when i didn't know more than "hola" and i couldn't even say it right.
Now I have friends from all over the world, travel without a dictionary, and travel comfortably in a Spanish speaking country. It's not perfect, but i did it myself :)
Jordan, it sounds like you have a great attitude! Congratulations on what you have achieve so far and enjoy the rest of the journey!
Hmm. You don't need a masters or even a degree.. self educated is probably better, a disipline of mind and logic and knowledge about various advanced topics, maybe . Anyway, that and near native level ( C2 ) is indeed pretty hard long road .. I'd say most people would and could set the bar a bit lower than that. In my experience, the beginnings of anything resembling automatic use of a language doesn't start developing until B1, but B2 is usually usefully fluent level.. it's enough to get to what needs you personally have, from there... Just my opinion, but not many people can deal with or want C2 level.. it took me more than a decade to eventually get to roughly C2 in Japanese... I'm in a hurry to learn Korean faster than I did Japanese . Learning your 3rd language does logically go faster, mostly, but some things just can't . I think the process to get to B 1 CAN be done " faster " ( , at least versus what I did, the first time. ) So, I'm going to reach my initial goal of B1 in about 6 months. ( Total of 2.5 years..? ) ....but, realistically, the curve goes up sharply from there, especially if it's about C2.. I guess you could work really hard at it, and go faster, but without an urgent need, who would try..? Language for specific other goal or purpose would be more concrete.. just to be near native, is much too nebulous and meaningless a thing to lose sleep over. Short version, I think that B2 is a much more practical and achievable goal point. For most people that's quite achievable within 4 or 5 years, less if it's an easy language for you.
Thank you for the thoughtful and detailed comment.
Is Alexander a professor or at the minimal a Private teacher
??? I was a university professor for 30 years before opening my own academy.
Any tips on rare and endangered languages without extensive materials available?
I did a whole interview about that: th-cam.com/video/24rfMaXeTiU/w-d-xo.html
@@ProfASAr Wonderful, thank you.
I think . I look a nice cat
Watch this then: th-cam.com/video/vI3eoYg3hXU/w-d-xo.html
@@ProfASAr Thank you. you are trolling me. I like it.
Thank you professor for sharing, very enlightening. Tell your cat I said PssPss
Merlin says thank you and likewise.
Hello professor, is it possible to learn several languages in the same time?
Yes.
At a minimum--
1) To obtain videos, books etc. in 1st language to teach 2 bd language
in 2nd language to teach 1st
language
Always obtain materials + 2nd language examples to learn &
1st language translations
+ vice versa
2) To obtain websites &/or books of 1st & 2nd languages references grammars
All these let us learn generic, common words,
phrases, clauses, sentences that most languages have.
But-- for each languages unique culture
words, we must find websites, videos,articles,
books, etc.
Examples-Chinese yin &
yang, qi,(energy + ), etc.,
Portuguese saudade, jeito brasileiro, axe, etc.
На своём пути изучения языка Я всё равно не имею достаточно мотивации. На данный момент есть только одна книга которую я хотел бы читать на английском, Это книга дзен гитара филипа судо. Моя идея заключается в том, Чтобы изучать каждый день эту книгу наизусть. Это именно та книга, Которую я хотел бы изучать наизусть. В конечном итоге я буду иметь в моей голове не просто английский, А любимую книгу. А английский будет как бонус. Вот такая идея. А для того чтобы получилось, попробую выделять Каждый день 4 часа. Мне нравится ваш фанатизм он меня подстёгивает и вдохновляет. Я бы сказал моя психология специфична поэтому мне сложно идти привычным методом изучения через учебники, Даже если учебники очень классные. Я должен знать, Что делаю что-то больше чем просто Изучение языка.
Большое спасибо, что поделились своей точкой зрения.
If after studying 10 hours a day for 6 months and you still can't be fluent, then maybe maybe something is wrong with the way the material is presented...just a thought.
Whilist Xiaomanyc is one polar extreme... this video setting unrealistic expectations that it takes decade is another polar extreme. Both are equally detrimental for language learners imo.
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
I want to know how many languages the cat speaks...
Listen to him speaking some here: th-cam.com/video/vI3eoYg3hXU/w-d-xo.html
Right now I'm attending a language high school so I'm learning 3 laugauges at the same time. How can I programm my mind to think in 3 lauguages simultaneosly?
At the exact same time? Hmm...
you need to try conversation with a native speaker as much as you can along with reading in the language with a dictionary alongside, but nothing will help you learning as much as conversation with a native speaker doesn't even compare with courses as per efficiency, while speaking with lots and errors forcing yourself and pushing yourself to make the correct syntax, or to find the proper word, thats progress with capital P
Certainly conversing with natives is necessary for everyone at some stages of learning, but while for certain types of learners, it may be the most important thing (as you describe), for others, it is more to activate what they have learned by reading and studying.
excellent
Many many thanks
Ecce meta mea: latine loqui velociter optimeque
Bonam metam habes!
all good and well, but where can I find a cat exactly like that one?
He's pretty special so it will be hard, but here, we made this for you: th-cam.com/video/vI3eoYg3hXU/w-d-xo.html
Can you combine the autodidact method with an italki tutor ?
There are many possible permutations for learning.
Is there any possibility that you would add Italian Medieval literature to your academy?
Yes, certainly, there is. Write to me at my academy email. If this is a serious request and there are others who also want it, we could start something in October.
Perhaps you could ask Professor Argeulles to include Italian late medieval & Rinascimento
early Italian women intellectual feminist authors. 1st known Christine de Pisane,,
the 1st known professional woman writer & 1st feminist
writer (in French.)
Later, a group of Italian
women who wrote in Italian developed-later
English, French,etc
See Wikipedia articles on
1) Christine de Pisane
2) Italian Rinascimento
(feminist as part of title?)
women authors.
Buona fortuna!!
Que opinas de un chico en TH-cam que dice que paso de un nivel 0 a un nivel C1 en francés en 4 meses siendo su lengua materna catalán y español ? Yo creo que es 100% imposible 😕
Es bastante difícil creerlo.
I'm here for the cat😻😁
Watch this: th-cam.com/video/vI3eoYg3hXU/w-d-xo.html
No mention of the green owl anywhere 😂 - iykyk
???
@@ProfASAr ah! That was a reference to Duolingo and your lack of its mention was telling ！
that is a really big cat
He is not small, but it really is the camera angle.
The cat has transcended language. Also, the cat has no desire to communicate with us lesser beings (its captors), except for its most basic needs.
Who has captured whom?
Reality check. Thanks.
You are welcome!
If I listen to you without effort, am I fluent in English? :)
If you understand all that you hear, perhaps.
This cat can now speak 28 different languages, i know it... 😯😯😎🤫👍
Thanks for this!
You are Dr Claw. Admit it.
Whom are you addressing, me more my cat?
Even following all of this tips it's not enough to become fluent. Native speakers drop letters and prepositions and mumble words, when they are talking. Ex: what are you going to do, it becomes whatcha gonna do. And they are not aware of it when they are talking, confusing non native speakers. Furthermore, they create they own words, they use non standard language, they know how to use thousands of idioms and phrasal verbs correctly, they know the exception of a grammar rule but don't know how explain it. Trying to becoming fluent in any language is being lost in the middle of the ocean where there is no end.
Immersion solves that problem
Thanks for answering so succinctly, Jon.
One needs good navigation skills, information,
instruments, both in
oceans of water &
in oceans of words.
For words, we can always at a minimum
start by obtaining books
&/or websites of reference grammars in
1 or more languages that we study. As William
Shakespeare said somewhere, “There’s a method to this madness.”
Mr jinx on his lap 😂
Actually his name is Merlin...
Wanting to become fluent in a language and not living in a country where the language is spoken is like trying to become a millionaire working at a minimum wage job.
Indeed. Which is why I stressed this necessity at the end. But on the other hand, in and of itself it is not a guarantee that one will ever become fluent.
It doesn't have to be that way my friend. You can try to create an immersion type of environment for yourself and try to befriend some native speakers of that language. That's what I generally do.
FELES dormit et dormit, forsitan somniat
de paradiso poliglotorum ubi ille est rex
Z
Iam est rex in mundo meo...
So essentially the trivium model lol
Indeed!
Step One: Get a large cat that will keep you at your books!
Here he is full on: th-cam.com/video/vI3eoYg3hXU/w-d-xo.html
Honestly? 🤔 like really? Nope 🤭🤭🤭 i wanna lesrn languages to be pretty. Cus dunno... it sort of kinda unlocks something 8n your brain or something? And i think itll keep me prettier... yeah.. speaking different languages? 😬 like and obviously if u soeak like syper cool? Well u r gonna be prettier? U know? 🤗
???
@@ProfASAr I don't care about Being fluent... just learning
A language cannot be learnt fast.
CAT!
Looks catatonic!😽
Watch this: th-cam.com/video/vI3eoYg3hXU/w-d-xo.html
That's a giant cat.
He is pretty big (14 lbs, no fat), but it is also the camera angle.
@@ProfASAr Thanks. By the way, I look at your Polyglot's Daily Workout now and then. It makes my goal of learning just ONE foreign language seem so much more attainable. If someone can learn 15 languages then surey I can learn one.
Your camera set up is providing forced perspective to make your cat appear to be MASSIVE.
Like it looks like your cat is the size of a medium sized dog.
You shouldn't study grammar AT ALL. Only consult it when you MEET them in authentic content made for natives, The WOEST place to learn a language is in a class, and the worst thing you can use is a textbook. Comprehensible Input IS a thing. That's how I've learned English (as a Brazilian), Italian and Japanese. And how I'm learning Vietnamese for over 3 years and Mandarin for a couple of months. But BEFORE that I FAILRD SPANISH (the closest language to mine) for TEN YEARS. For the greater part of my life I thought I had NO TALENT FOR LANGAUGES. And now I have 3 under my belt and 2 more o thrir way. That's how BAD the traditional method, proposed here, is. After failing for 10 years failing Spanish i was functional iItalian in 1 year and five in Japanese.
Speak for yourself rather than assuming that all learners are like you. There are many paths up a mountain.
@@ProfASAr although there ARE individual differences (mainly due to PERSONAL PREFERENCES, which plays a role in MOTIVATION) we are all HUMAN BEINGS and our brains are basically THE SAME. Specially in things like language learning which are wired in the primal parts of our brains because it's linked to SURVIVAL. Although, sure, there are many paths to the mountain, and some people walk with their legs pointed straight forward, some a little bit to the side, some may limp, and the size of our steps depend on how long our legs are, EACH AND EVERY one of us walk THE SAME. You do NOT walk poising you toes on the ground before your heels, but the other way around. Sure if you LIKE grammar (and a linguist like this) keep on doing it. BUT, our brains figures out rules in speech by massive exposure, guessing what the rules may be. The other way around the traditional method proposes. Sure, if knowing the rules beforehand makes you feel better it ill be fine. But you don't NEED it. It's not like you CAN'T do it. Once I was proficient "enough" in English I had the choice to teach English. Only THEN I was forced to learn the terms and concepts of grammar rules in English. To pass on my teaching certificate. I knew ZERO about it.
It's like a baseball player and a physicist. The physicist may know exactly WHY if you throw the ball in a certain way it will make a curve instead of going straight. But unless he plays he cannot perform the movement even ONCE. The player can do it every time he wants to do so. Even having no idea about the science involved in it. Sure, if you LIKE the science behind it and want to learn it anyway go for it. But if your goal is to produce the language (throw the ball) you don't need that at all.