Not sure what to write about when you're practicing writing in a new language? Here's a comprehensive, 16-page PDF with prompts and tips that will set you on the right track to start writing. Get it from my store here: www.buymeacoffee.com/lindiebotes/e/78666 Regardless of which level you are in the language(s) you're learning, this guide will be useful as it's packed with 112 writing prompts and activities, writing tips, a 7-step guide to success, and resources that will help you get the most out of your writing. What you'll get - Background information on the importance of writing in a foreign language - Tips for writing if you're not just ready yet - A 7-step guide to writing long-form pieces in a new language - 112 writing activities and writing prompts for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners of any language - Information on the relationship between writing and other language skills - Resources and ideas on where to get corrections on your writing - A discount code to book a personalized language coaching call with me to discuss your writing or general language learning methods
When people tell me I’m “talented” I remind them that anyone can do it. It’s a process, and I know the people I admire like you didn’t learn these languages overnight. Persistence is key. I also find I learn most from my mistakes. Dare to be brave and make a mistake 💜
Wow this was so motivating. I’m currently trying to learn Japanese and often feel overwhelmed. But stuff like this makes me feel like I’m more capable than I think 💛
One of my musical directors told me that I was skilled not talented, because anyone can be talented but only people who put the work in and are constantly trying to improve are skilled. Just thought I’d share the nugget of wisdom
@@alexanderkuplicki7788 yes! As a music major and someone who’s constantly working on improving in anyway possible… persistence. Persistence is key. Talent can only take you so far. It’s really persistence and having the self-discipline to keep on moving forward and build on your skills. Well said!
Ma’am you have been guiding my Korean language journey. Although I have been going at it for 4-5 years, my Korean is still young. I still thank you for your inspiration.
in brief: In this video, Lindy shares five common mistakes that language learners make and offers a bonus tip for success. The mistakes she discusses are: 1. Giving up too soon: Lindy emphasizes that language learning requires time, effort, and motivation, and it is not just about talent. She encourages viewers to be realistic about the process. 2. Too many resources: She advises against getting overwhelmed by the abundance of resources and instead suggests using what's available and starting small. 3. Being scared of making mistakes: Lindy recommends getting over the fear of making mistakes and finding safe spaces, like online tutoring or language exchange groups, to practice speaking. 4. Being tied to a method that you cannot change: She suggests being flexible with study plans and adopting an agile approach, allowing for reflection and improvement. 5. Learning vocabulary without context: Lindy warns against studying vocabulary without understanding its usage in context and encourages engagement with language materials at the learner's level. Bonus Tip: Consistency is key. Lindy emphasizes that small, consistent steps will lead to success in language learning.
Nadie habla de lo importante que es darle tiempo a tu cerebro para incorporar toda la información que aprendes. Puedes estudiar y aprender pero necesitas tiempo para realmente internalizar lo aprendido.
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Sí po, hay tanta gente que se siente culpable si no le pone el hombro sin cesar, como si aprender idiomas fuera una pega. Mientras tanto, resulta que ese estrés es incluso nocivo para el aprendizaje.
Y otra, por más que estudies todos los días, hay siempre estudiantes que con tan solo poco tiempo consigue alcanzar un nivel más alto que tienes tú. ¡Acepta que hay personas que aprenden con menos tiempo y deja la idea de compararte a los demas y trate ocuparte con tu desarrollo personal en la lengua!
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@@CanalSDR Y cuándo se tope con una persona así, hay que preguntarle qué métodos ocupa para hacerlo. Por experiencia propia y las experiencias de tantas otras personas que lo han hecho, yo afirmaría que los resultados tienen caleta más que ver con el qué y el cómo que con el cuánto.
@ Entiendo. me pasó y todavía pasa a mi también. Le pregunté a ese amigo como él consigue hablar tan bien el español, aúnque he comenzado a estudiar antes que él. Él dijo que yo debería leer periódicos y libros. yo, mirando novelas mexicanas, escribiendo un resumen de mi día en español. Hablando en frente de un espejo. Pero cuando hablo con nativos ( cara a cara o por teléfono con los clientes) y leyendo los periódicos y libros. Soy un desastre todavía. Yo me cobro mucho porque soy limitado de vocabulario. Así que, lo acepté que lo único que me puedo comparar es con quien fue ayer y seguir trabajando en mi desarrollo en elq español de a poquito. Sin alimentar ese sentimiento de compararme
This is SPOT on. Some of the best advice I've heard for people who want to learn a new language. I've been learning French and Swedish for 15 years and, while I'm "fluent" in both, I still see many areas where I could improve. However, I also tell people to not feel overwhelmed by the time commitment because you will start seeing improvements quickly and 15 years of practice and study does not mean 15 years of classes and vocabulary lists. It's travel and movies and books and making friends that all count as practice
Resource overload is REAL! I spend way too much time worrying about if what I'm using is optimal. It's a waste of time and energy. And strict schedules are a tough for me too because as soon as one day doesn't go exactly as planned it feels like I haven't done enough.
I'm totally guilty of the vocabulary list thing sometimes! I find that I tend to do it when I'm overwhelmed because it gives an immediate reward loop when I memorize a word. It feels more like measurable progress, which is comforting when it feels like I'm stuck in my progress at a certain point. I have found this more useful when I get the word list from a book I'm reading or a movie I watched or something though -- which goes straight back to your point about context. Context is everything.
As someone who has quit two languages because of making all these mistakes, trust her advice!! I am trying yet again with Mandarin Chinese and I hope I can get to intermediate level in a language for once!
Mandarin Chinese is so difficult ㅠㅠㅠ I always want to give up but it's such a beautiful language that I keep telling myself that I can do it . You can do it too!! let's keep going and not give up. Good luck ~~ 😊
In most videos, people talk about “Immersion” like moving to a new country but they are forgetting that not everyone can just pack their things and move to a new country in order to immerse themselves in a language they are learning. Sooo, would talking to a pet help? Because you are using the language. And pets do not judge you! 😊😊
When people talk about immersion, 99% of the time they don't mean going to a different country if they don't imply it. Talking to pets I don't think counts because you're only outputting words and immersion usually means you take in the language. What people mean by immersion, and what it really is is just watching a bunch of TV and movies in your target language, with target language subtitles. It is definitely the most effective way to learn the language, far more than any textbook or app like Duolingo. If you really want to become fluent in your TL, what I recommend is cutting out all textbooks/apps, and just getting 2-8 hours a day of consuming TL content (music doesn't count here unfortunately). Just make sure there are no English subtitles or anything else, because your brain will automatically take the path of least resistance and you won't learn at all.
@@reidjcsn thank you so much for your response! :) May I have your opinion about something? I have had people tell me to learn Spanish or French when I was never interested in those languages but I have prayed about which language to learn and I have been told by others to learn a language I enjoy.
@@kikithedisneyfan5607 Honestly it’s entirely up to you what language you want to learn. Personally I’m learning japanese because I like a lot of their TV and music, and I want to understand it without subtitles. You shouldn’t learn what other people tell you to if you don’t have any passion for it
Wow this was so motivating. I’m currently trying to learn Japanese and often feel overwhelmed. But stuff like this makes me feel like I’m more capable than I think 💛
Yeah Japanese can be overwhelming! I've been learning Japanese at university for 3 years (I'm currently in Japan), and would still only say that I'm around A2/B1 level. It's difficult but Japanese culture is so rewarding so it's definitely worth it!
Still trying to learn Spanish on my own. I found I comprehend the language better when I learn small phrases instead of a word list. Took me a long time to figure that out but I'm glad something is "clicking "...finally.
The biggest issue in my Korean journey for the last 2 years is that I have no patience and I want to be fluent right away. I get upset cause I can't understand Korean speakers but only understand them if they write it down. So I was lucky and found a Korean church and I have been going once a week and after service which is in Korean btw the members hang out together and speak in Korean and they have been incredibly nice and are willing to help me learning Korean. I am hoping the increased listening exposure helps me to understand Korean speakers better.
The making mistakes one is my biggest fear bc I have been harassed super badly to the point of panic attacks and depression worsening for any grammatical mistake I'd make in languages. It's something I still have a hard time about and am trying to fix it bc I miss how much I loved learning languages so passionately only for so many bullies to take that away from me.
Hey Lindie~ Just wanted to drop by and say how glad I am that you're back again!! You had/have such a huge impact on my language journey and your tips inspire me everytime😊 Hope you're doing a bit better and don't push yourself too hard^^ We will always be patient and wait for you, so take it slowly- one step at a time💖 Have a nice day!!
This video went over so many things that I've figured out over time. I'm glad others can watch this early on and not have to figure it out the hard way
Thanks so much for this video Lindie! I think another thing people should keep in mind is that language learning takes time so practicing patience is also important
It's so hard not to get hung up on mistakes in language learning. Knowing mistakes are perfectly natural, I still get frustrated by them. And I'm probably not alone in this. By the way, I love your new hair color and the matching profile picture!
Learning a bunch of words without context is so how we learn in school. That was the hardest habit to break for me 😔 every since though, I could learn so much easier and faster!
Thanks for a wonderful video! Everything you said about fear of making mistakes and sticking to a rigid plan is spot on for me. I've built a habit over the past 8 months of reading Japanese daily through LingQ. And I've moved from beginner material to children/YA novels. But now reading on LingQ is my comfort learning, because I know that I can look up words and figure out everything on the page before moving on. When I try listening practice I always get discouraged by not being able to keep up, and forget about speaking practice 😅 (my goal was to start by June... and here we are). I know I need to graduate to more difficult practice if I really want to make progress. When I learned French as a missionary in France, I was constantly bombarded with the language. At first it was very confusing and discouraging... but, after a few months my brain started to make sense of the noise, and I was able to understand better. Within 6 months I was holding meaningful conversations and following along to almost everything I was hearing. By the end of two years I was very comfortable with the language. So, I think my key mistake (and one you could add to this video) is "learn to be okay with not understanding everything," or "embrace the ambiguity." I've learned it once before, but it's really hard to get yourself to that point when you are self-studying and you can choose not to be uncomfortable. Thanks again for your thoughtful and uplifting content! :)
This motivated me enough to pick up learning Japanese again. Consistency is key but it gets overwhelming however I will try to start with very baby steps this time.
I haven't seen the full video yet but a good tip is to give yourself a break, when it's getting too hard and exhausting stop for a while, maybe a week then come back, don't force yourself, if it's hard, take a break but don't take a break for any minor hard thing, just do it when it get REALLY hard, i do this all the time and it works so good.
Oh my goodness, Lindie these things hit me hard. Thank you for being an inspiration to me. I always thought that I lack privilege to study but the reality is that I give up too soon without giving a try. Thanks a lot!
Some very valid points, specially too many resources. Thanks for the share. Plus, I do believe, some people have a natural talent for languages, for them it is very easy, for others, not so easy.
For many months I've been consistent with my listening of Chinese videos. I spend 20 mins of my day to listen to the language and it's so true, better build a foundation. I see my knowledge is spreading despite the fact I could do more, I know but I'm scared to get overwhelmed
kanalımın amacı sizleri cesaretlendirmek dediğinde duygulandım çünkü bunu gerçekten yapıyorsun dedim bizleri cesretlendiriyorsun 😍. seninle youtubeda tanışmak benim için büyük şanslardan biri seni seviyorum lindie 🥰
Currently learning Japanese, and the people who know about Japanese, know that it’s one of those more difficult languages (has informal and formal system for a lot of words, uses three different types of writing, Kanji, Katakana, Hiragana). But I’m starting with kanji, with a VERY small amount of the others sprinkled in
You are so right. Too many resources and inconsistency is where I failed with Korean. Being afraid to make mistakes is where I failed with Spanish. But now I am determined to learn Dutch. I just use duolingo for vocab, have 1 thorough grammar book, and am listening to podcasts with transcripts, music, and tv shows. I will probably get a tutor soon to practice speaking, but I have going 3 months strong practicing every day. And the talent points is so true. As a musician, people always through "talent" out since I play multiple instruments. No, I have gained skills in these instruments from years (over a decade) of dedicated practice. I view languages the same way
Idk if you have used Memrise, but I found it really helpful when learning some Dutch vocabulary. Although if you find Duolingo works for vocab then that's also great!
I'm still struggling (currently desperate to improve Japanese), but I'm finding most of my improvements come when I stop looking for results. Sounds completely counterintuitive, right? But, unlike practicing scales on a piano or understanding a new formula in mathematics or carefully increasing weights at the bench, I can't see or feel the improvements to second language learning practice in a few days or weeks. It tends to creep up slowly and surprisingly from my subconscious, so long as I keep exposing myself to the language consistently. There's a phrase that gets tossed around, "trust the process," but even that's so hard to grok when everything else in life seems to follow a more obvious cause-and-effect.
I feel you so much ! I’m also learning japanese and I’m in this weird stage where I’m not a super beginner anymore but I’m far away from intermediate. I make so many mistakes and dont understand natives speaking and I was getting super unmotivated to study. Then I decided to just to my basic routine and let it go and then boum after a few days of doing this, motivation came back, progress were seen, ahah ! Need to remember that when the next démotivation phase happen ;) Good luck to you !
I actually disagree with the idea of not using word lists, to some extent, though for me it depends on the language. For French I basically just jumped into reading native content as soon as possible and looked up words and phrases as I went, no word lists needed. But for Chinese it was a different story. I found reading Chinese to be incredibly slow and exhausting due to the thousands of characters, even with graded readers. I think this is because for each word you have to 1) memorize what it looks like, ie how are the characters written, 2) what is the pronunciation, which is not built into the characters, and 3) what does it mean. So instead of slogging my way through that I started doing word lists to simply get exposed to the characters I would see in native content, and it was incredibly helpful. Doing word lists basically removed step 1 from the equation , and step 2 was just a memory game. Step 3 was still best learned in context, though the list helped give a shadow of what the meaning could be. So I guess I find word lists to be a fantastic supplement, though of course not entirely sufficient. Also, and this is Chinese specific, learning words in word lists is basically an act of learning characters "in context", since the same characters are in a variety of words with various meanings. (PS for reference I am a native English speaker, this may not be needed for someone who speaks Japanese for example, since they would be familiar with using characters).
Vocab list is needed when u have limited time to take an exam or u r learning in a school/actual class. Spelling tests are almost always part of lessons. But I agree with all other pointers.
Great advice as always! I agree with the comment you made about adapting your study style as needed. When I have adapted and been consistent that’s when I have seen the most noticeable growth in my second language (Korean)
Speaking of making mistakes, I'll never forget the time I said "No vale la pene" to a lady at my taekwondo academy when I was speaking Spanish to her. The horror flashed across her face. Her son giggled. I had no idea what had happened til she was like "Ay, NO! la PENA. La PENA!" I figured out what I had said and then we died laughing for like five minutes. It was embarrassing, then it was hilarious. I'l never mix that word up again.
Thank you for having spilled the truth 💜 as a language tutor & polyglot, many of my students want to give up immediately because ''you speak more than nine languages and you have such a talent'' and what I always say is that it's just a matter of consistency, discipline, finding a learning method that suits you and not be afraid of making mistakes because they're our best teachers.
#2 Absolutely agree. Always looking for a better "system" or a better book or app. Basically a form of procrastination for me. I don't mind that I invested in a bunch of different ones because when I get bored or discouraged I have a lot of options for switching gears. But I had to learn that there is no one "perfect" way, no one complete resource. I remind myself not to mistake shopping around for a resource for actually studying.
Los mensajes que transmites siempre me parecen honestos, coherentes y llenos de la sabiduría que aporta la experiencia real. Tu camino con el coreano me ha inspirado a mí con el francés, gracias Lindie :)
Good to see you well Lindie! Thank you for all of the quick sneak-peeks into your notebooks! I am a huge fan of journalling, but have found it a chore recently. Your idea of 2-week sprints sounds refreshing-I can't wait to see how it goes. Cheers, and God bless you!
Nice simple video with good old fashioned advice. I think motivation is the key to learning a foreign language. If you’re “talented” or not it’s gonna still be a time sink. When people say oh you’re good at languages to me I try to tell them I’m just motivated over long periods of time. It’s painful and slow for me.
I am studying Japanese and I use a variety of methods including textbooks. I am also doing an online course with Smile Nihongo academy, I use Duolingo and Memrise if I am at work and on the way to work I listen to podcasts etc. I have been studying for two years now and I still feel like I am getting nowhere but then when I watch a Japanese show on Netflix, I realise I know more than I realise. I work 40 hours a week so I use different methods depending on how tired I am. I just have trouble translating it in my mind and speaking it. Your video has been so helpful - probably one of the best I have seen in a while - thank you.
Here's what I am guilty of: resource overload, not being consistent enough, and finding "shiny" new languages. I study Spanish pretty seriously, but also Turkish and Russian. Lindie, I am so jealous of your note taking abilities. 🙂
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The 'shiny new language' thing is something that you can also lean into a bit. On a certain level, every time you introduce yourself to the ways in which one language functions, you're also learning things about how OTHER languages operate. I reckon every bit of knowledge about any language is a new angle from which to approach every other language.
@ I agree! The experience kinda accumulates in a sense. I learnt Turkish as a kid and I'm pretty fluent in it now but the added benefits I found out when I was learning French and Persian (both if these still need serious work tho!) and now even in Korean. There are certain ideas such as politeness levels etc that just don't exist in English. When you have a framework for it from one language, then the new one doesn't seem so overwhelming. Also guilty of shiny new languages, I've been eyeing Russian for quite some time now but haven't got the guts to commit since I picked Korean over it
Thanks for your conclusion, I do have noticed these "mistakes", but I didn't summarized them. Now, I can share these tips with my fiends in a clearer way.
Lindie, I really appreciate your advice. I have been studying Korean for 8 months now and all I have to show for it was a list of words. I have sinced changed my strategy and now using the same list to form sentences.
I love that you can see the good part about agile. I'm a developer and I never have anything to say in the retros. But in language learning it does work well because it's important to look back and change what doesn't work.
Awesome video, thanks for the encouragement. It really does feel impossible to me sometimes, and then miraculously, something clicks and I’m like, ok, I am learning! 😁
Good points! However, I think giving up is not a bad habit if the reasons are good. For example, I gave up learning Latin because I thought I wasn’t using my time effectively. Then I revisited the language after over a year and I found a great app that changed my learning path completely. Resource overload…I think over time you learn to recognize if new resources are worth to be used. For me I try to find TH-cam channels / video services with lots of content with subtitles, preferably not just talking heads. Text with synchronized audio works for me, too. If I cannot find certain features from a new resource I ignore it immediately. I think it’s necessary to put some effort to find good resources but enough is enough. Afraid of mistakes…when you feel a bit (but not too) embarrassed the memory footprint is stronger. For example, I was a bit late on flight on Paris airport and asked a worker about my plane. He almost yelled at me in French: Vas-y! It didn’t feel so nice then but I haven’t forgotten these words and their meaning until now and this happened over 10 years ago. About strict schedules or methods…I tend to study on short sprints, too: 1) find a good resource, 2) use it, 3) do something else based on your changed level. If your assumption about the content turns out to be false then give up and do something else. I think the most essential thing is that 1) I take steps to the right direction, 2) the resource I’m using allows me to take lots of consistent small steps, and 3) I use my time effectively most of the time.
I agree with you about learning vocabulary in context. If you see words in context you can often guess their meaning correctly. However sometimes a sentence won't make sense because you think a word means one thing but it actually means something different (this happens to me when two words have a similar spelling and I get them confused). Either way once you check the meaning of the word you are likely to remember it because you associate it with a particular context.
How I started to actually understand Spanish was do nothing but listen to Pimsleur & podcasts everyday on my way to work for a few months. Pimsleur is expensive but got me started for a couple of months now I’ve moved on to free things like music & videos. Now I don’t feel so overwhelmed when using those resources.
Same this with being a classical musician… um yeah I’m pretty sure my talent came out of thin air.. after practicing 3-6 hours a day for 15 years.. 😒 it’s so much work to learn a language… ppl devalue our hard work that way…
Great advice Lindsey! I was feeling overwhelmed at first & thought I had to get every book or app for learning Japanese & now realized to narrow my options & with trial & error what works better. I’m touching back to improve on my Spanish & my learning methods are different for those two. Spanish I talk at home with family & hear it more & more easier to grasp now because it was my mother tongue compare & to Japanese where I don’t many people to talk to with this language & use more sources.
I have been subscribed to your channel for about a year and I’ve been learning Korean for about that same amount of time and I express how thankful I am for your channel and your content. It’s so helpful! When I first started my Korean language learning journey I made the mistake of having way too many resources and ended up scaling back to the main 2 that I use being Talk To Me In Korean and Memrise. I have some of the TTMIK textbooks because like you I love having something I can hold, write in and highlight too. Keep up the great work and I look forward to your next video.
Consistency is key, however also take breaks. I find that taking a break for a week or two, after a few months of daily activities or when you reach a plateau, in a language allows your brain to passively map the necessary neural pathways. In my experience I always come back stronger after a break.
Ik you might not have any experience yourself, but do you happen to know anything about learning a language with dysgraphia? It’s kind of like dyslexia but instead of making it hard to input language in my brain, it affects my ability to output it. It’s hard to stay motivated when I can’t even articulate concepts/thoughts, spell, or write well in my own native language as if it’s actually my native language. When I try to teach myself, I make a lot of textbook progress, but applying it on a conversational level or writing outside a prompt for more than a few sentences is even more difficult for me than the average learner and I feel like that’s the hardest part. I should be able to do at least some of that where I’m at, and I just can’t seem to be able to no matter how much I try, which makes the anxiety of trying 10000x worse each time I do try. I’ve been trying to learn Japanese (I feel in love with the culture via high school exchange programs) and handwriting is another struggle for me. I feel bad I type everything so I’m not learning how to write kanji but I honestly don’t think it’s possible for me. I tried for a solid year and being able to memorize stroke order means nothing if the strokes go in whichever direction they please lol.
That sounds frustrating. I don't know what your goals are in language learning, but I know I personally am most interested in the understanding and speaking/connecting with people aspect, and while I think the writing aspect is interesting, it is less of a priority for me. (I've been using Glossika and mainly use the listening and repeating feature, though one can do writing if wanted.) I've watched various polyglots' videos, and some suggest not worrying about the writing until later / focusing on the aspects that you are interested in. (I know, sometimes there are other situations/reasons why someone needs to learn the writing aspect, as for a job, etc.) I don't know what it's like for you at all, but I wish you well in figuring out ways you can pursue Japanese (/languages) in a way that works and stops being stressful!
The biggest "mistake" I see people making is insisting on an idea of perfection that simply doesn't exist. You can spend years studying a language and still mess up a preposition or verb agreement or forgetting some words and many people get angry or embarassed because of this, and that makes the process of learning a language, which is already a challenging task, something extremely frustrating.
Thanks so much for all your advice. I love how you help us while taking us with you in your learning languages journey. You're amazing and not afraid to change your perspective in a topic and tell us your views!
Some people do have a stronger knack for picking up new languages. But, perseverance can work wonders if it's not your strong suit. Of the two though (talent or perseverance) you'd probably luckier if you have perseverance because you can overcome a lot of hurdles this way.
I'll give it a go study English for so far and I want to say that you have right. I'm from Polen and honestly speaking is English is the first language with I have been learning. Of course I 'm trying because is my kids dream. I sheer enjoy because I understand how important is propertly self-motivation. I thought that is possible and I want to learn English before my daughter goes to school. Yes, when I was child I have a traum of foreign language (people launch of me and teacher too). Tell me that I don't have talent to do that... But I love speak English. Each day I 'm better than before. Thank you for energy and motivation to my study.
You can tell that Lindie is speaking out of years of experience and making mistakes herself and adjusting a hundred times. 🥰😃 I agree especially on the giving up part. I am always slightly amused, when people feel discouraged and shocked, that they do not speak a language fluently after 1 year of studying. When they put maybe just 300-500 hours into learning that specific language. Unless you do a intense language program of 8 hours, 6 days a week, you will not make it in that short amount of time.Especially, not when learning a language that is significantly different from your native language or any language you speak. So it is normal. You can come quite far in a year but if you are after just one year good in speaking for instance, you most likely lack majorly in other aspects, such as writing and vice versa. Best thing someone can do is to expect it to be a long ride and celebrate if the ride was shorter than expected.
I started studying Russian 11 1/2 years ago. I never really deducated myself to my studies enough to be able to actually speak it. Im watching this video right now because i am trying to become strategic in my studies and start studying every day again.
For me what I notice is I’ve been spending soooo much time watching all the “how to” videos rather than spending the time studying loll. That explains why I’m here.
I am guilty of being afraid to make mistakes and resource overload. I've tried so many apps even though I have a textbook that I haven't used that much. I feel like I am starting over again with the language because I didn't do it right (for me) the first time. I'm determined though. Thanks for making this video of common mistakes!
I notice so many people wanting an exact word by word translation between their dominant and target languages. As if the ways languages convey ideas were all carbon copies one from another. That is NOT going to happen. The worst part is that they get frustrated and demotivated when they find out the puzzle piece they have in their hands (the word) has to be smashed into the gap. It's not like that. Surrender. Give up. Embrace that things work differently in each language. Consume. Tons of input. Tons. There are no shortcuts and it's fine like that. It's not a race. Imitate natives. When you see they use something in an unexpected or illogical way for you, okay, allow yourself to be frustrated for a moment, but then, go on. Life continues and languages are not there to adapt to you, you're the one embarking in a humbling experience. Be flexible. Slowly, the things you find logical and illogical in the language will overlap more and more with the thought of natives.
Everything you said a quite approve except for list of vocabulary. (Maybe because i am guilty of it) I mean learning dumbly the most common words in languages can a simple approach and not every effective that's true, but if find learners who still 10 times after encountering the same word in same context still do know them. The problem here is they don't work on remembering/learning this word. A some point if hear it over and over one will learn it, that's true but however if one is actively learning and trying to reuse it than it will be much efficient. This were the list of vocabulary one builds in through it journey and learns it can be a good tool to progress. In a partisan of reviewing the thing you learned by using them. Else, thank you for your video they are so helpful when i am stuck on my language journey
I make the mistakes of not making a study plan, not being consistent, and scared of making mistakes and talking to new people! I have been learning Spanish off and on for years now and I really don’t feel like I’ve progressed very much because I make these mistakes
I already am taking 2 1/2 years polish lessons at university but after the first two semesters I just stopped learning frequently, eventhough I'm studying something related to the language!! I wouldn't know what to learn and how and - that's the main problem, i guess - WHY. I'm still trying to answer myself this question. Today I wanted to start again but I was overwhelmed by the question, what I should do first. I know that my mindset is toxic as well - I kinda feel ashamed that I still can't speak or read proper polish. Felt good to write it down here, luv ur videos btw :)
Perhaps start with something simple that you know you'll enjoy? Like reading a short story you like and just playfully reengage with the vocabulary and grammar. I think Polish is a very difficult language so kudos to you for trying to learn it 💜
@@joniking8697 Sorry I'm German ;) Made some Polish friends during university years and remembered thinking that Polish was not an easy language to study. I hope you'll find back to it with joy =)
@@anna-zw7ek Ach, das passt ja :D Ich hatte mich auf Polnisch bei dir für die Tipps und das Mutmachen bedankt :) Welche Sprachen interessieren dich, oder warum bist du auf Lindies Kanal? :)
@@joniking8697 haha cool ;) Lerne seit letztem Oktober Koreanisch und bin erst seit kurzem auf Lindies Kanal gestoßen. Habe in der Schule immer Sprachen gemocht und habe dann auch Germanistik studiert aber das ist jetzt schon einige Jahre her ;) Was studierst du denn und welche Sprachen sprichst du? :)
Not sure what to write about when you're practicing writing in a new language? Here's a comprehensive, 16-page PDF with prompts and tips that will set you on the right track to start writing. Get it from my store here: www.buymeacoffee.com/lindiebotes/e/78666
Regardless of which level you are in the language(s) you're learning, this guide will be useful as it's packed with 112 writing prompts and activities, writing tips, a 7-step guide to success, and resources that will help you get the most out of your writing.
What you'll get
- Background information on the importance of writing in a foreign language
- Tips for writing if you're not just ready yet
- A 7-step guide to writing long-form pieces in a new language
- 112 writing activities and writing prompts for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners of any language
- Information on the relationship between writing and other language skills
- Resources and ideas on where to get corrections on your writing
- A discount code to book a personalized language coaching call with me to discuss your writing or general language learning methods
When people tell me I’m “talented” I remind them that anyone can do it. It’s a process, and I know the people I admire like you didn’t learn these languages overnight. Persistence is key. I also find I learn most from my mistakes. Dare to be brave and make a mistake 💜
Wow this was so motivating. I’m currently trying to learn Japanese and often feel overwhelmed. But stuff like this makes me feel like I’m more capable than I think 💛
@@khalilahd. it’s honestly a lifelong journey, so enjoy it! Have fun 😄💕
TRUTH !!!
One of my musical directors told me that I was skilled not talented, because anyone can be talented but only people who put the work in and are constantly trying to improve are skilled. Just thought I’d share the nugget of wisdom
@@alexanderkuplicki7788 yes! As a music major and someone who’s constantly working on improving in anyway possible… persistence. Persistence is key. Talent can only take you so far. It’s really persistence and having the self-discipline to keep on moving forward and build on your skills. Well said!
Ma’am you have been guiding my Korean language journey. Although I have been going at it for 4-5 years, my Korean is still young. I still thank you for your inspiration.
She’s the reason I’m learning Japanese. So motivating 💛
in brief:
In this video, Lindy shares five common mistakes that language learners make and offers a bonus tip for success. The mistakes she discusses are:
1. Giving up too soon: Lindy emphasizes that language learning requires time, effort, and motivation, and it is not just about talent.
She encourages viewers to be realistic about the process.
2. Too many resources: She advises against getting overwhelmed by the abundance of resources and instead suggests using what's available and starting small.
3. Being scared of making mistakes: Lindy recommends getting over the fear of making mistakes and finding safe spaces, like online tutoring or language exchange groups, to practice speaking.
4. Being tied to a method that you cannot change: She suggests being flexible with study plans and adopting an agile approach, allowing for reflection and improvement.
5. Learning vocabulary without context: Lindy warns against studying vocabulary without understanding its usage in context and encourages engagement with language materials at the learner's level.
Bonus Tip: Consistency is key. Lindy emphasizes that small, consistent steps will lead to success in language learning.
Nadie habla de lo importante que es darle tiempo a tu cerebro para incorporar toda la información que aprendes. Puedes estudiar y aprender pero necesitas tiempo para realmente internalizar lo aprendido.
Sí po, hay tanta gente que se siente culpable si no le pone el hombro sin cesar, como si aprender idiomas fuera una pega. Mientras tanto, resulta que ese estrés es incluso nocivo para el aprendizaje.
Y otra, por más que estudies todos los días, hay siempre estudiantes que con tan solo poco tiempo consigue alcanzar un nivel más alto que tienes tú. ¡Acepta que hay personas que aprenden con menos tiempo y deja la idea de compararte a los demas y trate ocuparte con tu desarrollo personal en la lengua!
@@CanalSDR Y cuándo se tope con una persona así, hay que preguntarle qué métodos ocupa para hacerlo.
Por experiencia propia y las experiencias de tantas otras personas que lo han hecho, yo afirmaría que los resultados tienen caleta más que ver con el qué y el cómo que con el cuánto.
@ Entiendo. me pasó y todavía pasa a mi también. Le pregunté a ese amigo como él consigue hablar tan bien el español, aúnque he comenzado a estudiar antes que él. Él dijo que yo debería leer periódicos y libros. yo, mirando novelas mexicanas, escribiendo un resumen de mi día en español. Hablando en frente de un espejo. Pero cuando hablo con nativos ( cara a cara o por teléfono con los clientes) y leyendo los periódicos y libros. Soy un desastre todavía. Yo me cobro mucho porque soy limitado de vocabulario. Así que, lo acepté que lo único que me puedo comparar es con quien fue ayer y seguir trabajando en mi desarrollo en elq español de a poquito. Sin alimentar ese sentimiento de compararme
This is SPOT on. Some of the best advice I've heard for people who want to learn a new language.
I've been learning French and Swedish for 15 years and, while I'm "fluent" in both, I still see many areas where I could improve.
However, I also tell people to not feel overwhelmed by the time commitment because you will start seeing improvements quickly and 15 years of practice and study does not mean 15 years of classes and vocabulary lists. It's travel and movies and books and making friends that all count as practice
Resource overload is REAL! I spend way too much time worrying about if what I'm using is optimal. It's a waste of time and energy. And strict schedules are a tough for me too because as soon as one day doesn't go exactly as planned it feels like I haven't done enough.
I'm totally guilty of the vocabulary list thing sometimes! I find that I tend to do it when I'm overwhelmed because it gives an immediate reward loop when I memorize a word. It feels more like measurable progress, which is comforting when it feels like I'm stuck in my progress at a certain point. I have found this more useful when I get the word list from a book I'm reading or a movie I watched or something though -- which goes straight back to your point about context. Context is everything.
As someone who has quit two languages because of making all these mistakes, trust her advice!! I am trying yet again with Mandarin Chinese and I hope I can get to intermediate level in a language for once!
Mandarin Chinese is so difficult ㅠㅠㅠ I always want to give up but it's such a beautiful language that I keep telling myself that I can do it . You can do it too!! let's keep going and not give up. Good luck ~~ 😊
In most videos, people talk about “Immersion” like moving to a new country but they are forgetting that not everyone can just pack their things and move to a new country in order to immerse themselves in a language they are learning. Sooo, would talking to a pet help? Because you are using the language. And pets do not judge you! 😊😊
When people talk about immersion, 99% of the time they don't mean going to a different country if they don't imply it. Talking to pets I don't think counts because you're only outputting words and immersion usually means you take in the language. What people mean by immersion, and what it really is is just watching a bunch of TV and movies in your target language, with target language subtitles. It is definitely the most effective way to learn the language, far more than any textbook or app like Duolingo. If you really want to become fluent in your TL, what I recommend is cutting out all textbooks/apps, and just getting 2-8 hours a day of consuming TL content (music doesn't count here unfortunately). Just make sure there are no English subtitles or anything else, because your brain will automatically take the path of least resistance and you won't learn at all.
@@reidjcsn thank you so much for your response! :)
May I have your opinion about something? I have had people tell me to learn Spanish or French when I was never interested in those languages but I have prayed about which language to learn and I have been told by others to learn a language I enjoy.
@@kikithedisneyfan5607 Honestly it’s entirely up to you what language you want to learn. Personally I’m learning japanese because I like a lot of their TV and music, and I want to understand it without subtitles. You shouldn’t learn what other people tell you to if you don’t have any passion for it
@@reidjcsn thank you so much!!! 😊😊😊
@@reidjcsn If you're a beginner though, how would you be able to understand anything going on?
One of the most useful videos about language learning I've seen in a long time!
I absolutely agree, Lindie you always give the best advice, thank you so much
Wow this was so motivating. I’m currently trying to learn Japanese and often feel overwhelmed. But stuff like this makes me feel like I’m more capable than I think 💛
Yeah Japanese can be overwhelming! I've been learning Japanese at university for 3 years (I'm currently in Japan), and would still only say that I'm around A2/B1 level. It's difficult but Japanese culture is so rewarding so it's definitely worth it!
If you are interested in Japanese, I highly highly recommend a channel called "Cure Dolly"
がんばって 🤍 You can do it!
Welcome back! :)
Still trying to learn Spanish on my own. I found I comprehend the language better when I learn small phrases instead of a word list. Took me a long time to figure that out but I'm glad something is "clicking "...finally.
The biggest issue in my Korean journey for the last 2 years is that I have no patience and I want to be fluent right away. I get upset cause I can't understand Korean speakers but only understand them if they write it down. So I was lucky and found a Korean church and I have been going once a week and after service which is in Korean btw the members hang out together and speak in Korean and they have been incredibly nice and are willing to help me learning Korean. I am hoping the increased listening exposure helps me to understand Korean speakers better.
The making mistakes one is my biggest fear bc I have been harassed super badly to the point of panic attacks and depression worsening for any grammatical mistake I'd make in languages. It's something I still have a hard time about and am trying to fix it bc I miss how much I loved learning languages so passionately only for so many bullies to take that away from me.
Hey Lindie~
Just wanted to drop by and say how glad I am that you're back again!! You had/have such a huge impact on my language journey and your tips inspire me everytime😊 Hope you're doing a bit better and don't push yourself too hard^^ We will always be patient and wait for you, so take it slowly- one step at a time💖 Have a nice day!!
This video went over so many things that I've figured out over time. I'm glad others can watch this early on and not have to figure it out the hard way
Thanks so much for this video Lindie! I think another thing people should keep in mind is that language learning takes time so practicing patience is also important
Lindie's back! Thanks for the tips. I hope you are doing alright. With the burnout and all
It's so hard not to get hung up on mistakes in language learning.
Knowing mistakes are perfectly natural, I still get frustrated by them. And I'm probably not alone in this.
By the way, I love your new hair color and the matching profile picture!
Learning a bunch of words without context is so how we learn in school. That was the hardest habit to break for me 😔 every since though, I could learn so much easier and faster!
Thanks for a wonderful video! Everything you said about fear of making mistakes and sticking to a rigid plan is spot on for me.
I've built a habit over the past 8 months of reading Japanese daily through LingQ. And I've moved from beginner material to children/YA novels. But now reading on LingQ is my comfort learning, because I know that I can look up words and figure out everything on the page before moving on. When I try listening practice I always get discouraged by not being able to keep up, and forget about speaking practice 😅 (my goal was to start by June... and here we are). I know I need to graduate to more difficult practice if I really want to make progress.
When I learned French as a missionary in France, I was constantly bombarded with the language. At first it was very confusing and discouraging... but, after a few months my brain started to make sense of the noise, and I was able to understand better. Within 6 months I was holding meaningful conversations and following along to almost everything I was hearing. By the end of two years I was very comfortable with the language.
So, I think my key mistake (and one you could add to this video) is "learn to be okay with not understanding everything," or "embrace the ambiguity." I've learned it once before, but it's really hard to get yourself to that point when you are self-studying and you can choose not to be uncomfortable.
Thanks again for your thoughtful and uplifting content! :)
This motivated me enough to pick up learning Japanese again. Consistency is key but it gets overwhelming however I will try to start with very baby steps this time.
It's not all about talent, it's the detication, effort that You put into the learning process.. and of course enjoying what You're doing
Excellent video Lindie! I’m about to start learning Turkish (my 5th foreign language) and I will definitely keep these tips in mind!!
I think you should do a whole video on resource overload. It’s very, very real, especially with more commonly-spoken languages.
We love you Lindie, dont burnout but we love having videos. Maybe do some vlogs types, something easy to do???
I haven't seen the full video yet but a good tip is to give yourself a break, when it's getting too hard and exhausting stop for a while, maybe a week then come back, don't force yourself, if it's hard, take a break but don't take a break for any minor hard thing, just do it when it get REALLY hard, i do this all the time and it works so good.
I loved the video and identified a lot with the errors 1,2,4 and 5. Thank you so much for the advice!
So happy to see your lovely face pop up on our screens again! You’re such a joy! X
Oh my goodness, Lindie these things hit me hard. Thank you for being an inspiration to me. I always thought that I lack privilege to study but the reality is that I give up too soon without giving a try. Thanks a lot!
A fellow polyglot, yay~! Thank you for the useful video!
Some very valid points, specially too many resources. Thanks for the share. Plus, I do believe, some people have a natural talent for languages, for them it is very easy, for others, not so easy.
For many months I've been consistent with my listening of Chinese videos. I spend 20 mins of my day to listen to the language and it's so true, better build a foundation. I see my knowledge is spreading despite the fact I could do more, I know but I'm scared to get overwhelmed
kanalımın amacı sizleri cesaretlendirmek dediğinde duygulandım çünkü bunu gerçekten yapıyorsun dedim bizleri cesretlendiriyorsun 😍. seninle youtubeda tanışmak benim için büyük şanslardan biri seni seviyorum lindie 🥰
I missed you Lindie
Super happy that you're back!!😆
I'm so happy you're here!!!😊
Currently learning Japanese, and the people who know about Japanese, know that it’s one of those more difficult languages (has informal and formal system for a lot of words, uses three different types of writing, Kanji, Katakana, Hiragana).
But I’m starting with kanji, with a VERY small amount of the others sprinkled in
Did you start with Wanikani?
You are so right. Too many resources and inconsistency is where I failed with Korean. Being afraid to make mistakes is where I failed with Spanish. But now I am determined to learn Dutch. I just use duolingo for vocab, have 1 thorough grammar book, and am listening to podcasts with transcripts, music, and tv shows. I will probably get a tutor soon to practice speaking, but I have going 3 months strong practicing every day.
And the talent points is so true. As a musician, people always through "talent" out since I play multiple instruments. No, I have gained skills in these instruments from years (over a decade) of dedicated practice. I view languages the same way
Idk if you have used Memrise, but I found it really helpful when learning some Dutch vocabulary. Although if you find Duolingo works for vocab then that's also great!
I'm still struggling (currently desperate to improve Japanese), but I'm finding most of my improvements come when I stop looking for results. Sounds completely counterintuitive, right? But, unlike practicing scales on a piano or understanding a new formula in mathematics or carefully increasing weights at the bench, I can't see or feel the improvements to second language learning practice in a few days or weeks. It tends to creep up slowly and surprisingly from my subconscious, so long as I keep exposing myself to the language consistently. There's a phrase that gets tossed around, "trust the process," but even that's so hard to grok when everything else in life seems to follow a more obvious cause-and-effect.
I feel you so much ! I’m also learning japanese and I’m in this weird stage where I’m not a super beginner anymore but I’m far away from intermediate. I make so many mistakes and dont understand natives speaking and I was getting super unmotivated to study. Then I decided to just to my basic routine and let it go and then boum after a few days of doing this, motivation came back, progress were seen, ahah ! Need to remember that when the next démotivation phase happen ;) Good luck to you !
hope you doing good Lindie, nice to see you post again 💕
I actually disagree with the idea of not using word lists, to some extent, though for me it depends on the language. For French I basically just jumped into reading native content as soon as possible and looked up words and phrases as I went, no word lists needed. But for Chinese it was a different story. I found reading Chinese to be incredibly slow and exhausting due to the thousands of characters, even with graded readers. I think this is because for each word you have to 1) memorize what it looks like, ie how are the characters written, 2) what is the pronunciation, which is not built into the characters, and 3) what does it mean. So instead of slogging my way through that I started doing word lists to simply get exposed to the characters I would see in native content, and it was incredibly helpful. Doing word lists basically removed step 1 from the equation , and step 2 was just a memory game. Step 3 was still best learned in context, though the list helped give a shadow of what the meaning could be. So I guess I find word lists to be a fantastic supplement, though of course not entirely sufficient. Also, and this is Chinese specific, learning words in word lists is basically an act of learning characters "in context", since the same characters are in a variety of words with various meanings. (PS for reference I am a native English speaker, this may not be needed for someone who speaks Japanese for example, since they would be familiar with using characters).
From where are you learning these languages??
Vocab list is needed when u have limited time to take an exam or u r learning in a school/actual class. Spelling tests are almost always part of lessons. But I agree with all other pointers.
Great advice as always! I agree with the comment you made about adapting your study style as needed. When I have adapted and been consistent that’s when I have seen the most noticeable growth in my second language (Korean)
Speaking of making mistakes, I'll never forget the time I said "No vale la pene" to a lady at my taekwondo academy when I was speaking Spanish to her. The horror flashed across her face. Her son giggled. I had no idea what had happened til she was like "Ay, NO! la PENA. La PENA!" I figured out what I had said and then we died laughing for like five minutes. It was embarrassing, then it was hilarious. I'l never mix that word up again.
Wow, this content is so valuable!! Thank you. As a polyglot and philologist, I totally agree with you.
Thank you for having spilled the truth 💜 as a language tutor & polyglot, many of my students want to give up immediately because ''you speak more than nine languages and you have such a talent'' and what I always say is that it's just a matter of consistency, discipline, finding a learning method that suits you and not be afraid of making mistakes because they're our best teachers.
#2 Absolutely agree. Always looking for a better "system" or a better book or app. Basically a form of procrastination for me. I don't mind that I invested in a bunch of different ones because when I get bored or discouraged I have a lot of options for switching gears. But I had to learn that there is no one "perfect" way, no one complete resource. I remind myself not to mistake shopping around for a resource for actually studying.
I am going to apply the agile methodology for language lerning. I will use for my whole life during summer cause it makes sense !
Start with small achievable goals. This can go with anything!
@Arleta Włodarczyk 1 I have polish ancestry so my ancestors from way back & myself wish you the best with your book lol.
Just dropped to say that I miss you so much! I glad you're back and I hope you're in the best of health. Keep on spreading your wings!
I’m so happy to see a new video from you! But I’m also happy you took time of when you needed it :)
Los mensajes que transmites siempre me parecen honestos, coherentes y llenos de la sabiduría que aporta la experiencia real. Tu camino con el coreano me ha inspirado a mí con el francés, gracias Lindie :)
I lack consistency.
Glad I watched this concise video.
Good to see you well Lindie! Thank you for all of the quick sneak-peeks into your notebooks! I am a huge fan of journalling, but have found it a chore recently. Your idea of 2-week sprints sounds refreshing-I can't wait to see how it goes. Cheers, and God bless you!
Muchas gracias por este nuevo vídeo después de unos meses sin verte por aquí :) Unos consejos muy buenos! Drukkies ^_^
Nice simple video with good old fashioned advice. I think motivation is the key to learning a foreign language. If you’re “talented” or not it’s gonna still be a time sink. When people say oh you’re good at languages to me I try to tell them I’m just motivated over long periods of time. It’s painful and slow for me.
I am studying Japanese and I use a variety of methods including textbooks. I am also doing an online course with Smile Nihongo academy, I use Duolingo and Memrise if I am at work and on the way to work I listen to podcasts etc. I have been studying for two years now and I still feel like I am getting nowhere but then when I watch a Japanese show on Netflix, I realise I know more than I realise. I work 40 hours a week so I use different methods depending on how tired I am. I just have trouble translating it in my mind and speaking it. Your video has been so helpful - probably one of the best I have seen in a while - thank you.
Here's what I am guilty of: resource overload, not being consistent enough, and finding "shiny" new languages. I study Spanish pretty seriously, but also Turkish and Russian. Lindie, I am so jealous of your note taking abilities. 🙂
The 'shiny new language' thing is something that you can also lean into a bit. On a certain level, every time you introduce yourself to the ways in which one language functions, you're also learning things about how OTHER languages operate. I reckon every bit of knowledge about any language is a new angle from which to approach every other language.
@ I agree! The experience kinda accumulates in a sense. I learnt Turkish as a kid and I'm pretty fluent in it now but the added benefits I found out when I was learning French and Persian (both if these still need serious work tho!) and now even in Korean. There are certain ideas such as politeness levels etc that just don't exist in English. When you have a framework for it from one language, then the new one doesn't seem so overwhelming. Also guilty of shiny new languages, I've been eyeing Russian for quite some time now but haven't got the guts to commit since I picked Korean over it
Thanks for your conclusion, I do have noticed these "mistakes", but I didn't summarized them. Now, I can share these tips with my fiends in a clearer way.
Lindie, I really appreciate your advice. I have been studying Korean for 8 months now and all I have to show for it was a list of words. I have sinced changed my strategy and now using the same list to form sentences.
Perseverance is key people!
I love that you can see the good part about agile. I'm a developer and I never have anything to say in the retros. But in language learning it does work well because it's important to look back and change what doesn't work.
Loved this! So practical. And definitely loved the agile/scrum example. You were “speaking language”. Made total sense to me.
Whenever I feel discouraged about my language learning, I watch your videos and I'm back on track
Welcome back! I missed your videos so much, but I’m glad you took a break for yourself and came back when you were ready. :)
Thank you Lindie. I've made some of these mistakes but videos like these help me to keep moving forward and see it's ok
Do you have a video of how you track your progress in your journal
th-cam.com/video/9y-QvN_9u5o/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/aVAxmDSiotY/w-d-xo.html might help
Awesome video, thanks for the encouragement. It really does feel impossible to me sometimes, and then miraculously, something clicks and I’m like, ok, I am learning! 😁
So great to see you back, Lindie. I watch all your videos.
Good points! However, I think giving up is not a bad habit if the reasons are good. For example, I gave up learning Latin because I thought I wasn’t using my time effectively. Then I revisited the language after over a year and I found a great app that changed my learning path completely.
Resource overload…I think over time you learn to recognize if new resources are worth to be used. For me I try to find TH-cam channels / video services with lots of content with subtitles, preferably not just talking heads. Text with synchronized audio works for me, too. If I cannot find certain features from a new resource I ignore it immediately. I think it’s necessary to put some effort to find good resources but enough is enough.
Afraid of mistakes…when you feel a bit (but not too) embarrassed the memory footprint is stronger. For example, I was a bit late on flight on Paris airport and asked a worker about my plane. He almost yelled at me in French: Vas-y! It didn’t feel so nice then but I haven’t forgotten these words and their meaning until now and this happened over 10 years ago.
About strict schedules or methods…I tend to study on short sprints, too: 1) find a good resource, 2) use it, 3) do something else based on your changed level. If your assumption about the content turns out to be false then give up and do something else. I think the most essential thing is that 1) I take steps to the right direction, 2) the resource I’m using allows me to take lots of consistent small steps, and 3) I use my time effectively most of the time.
I agree with you about learning vocabulary in context. If you see words in context you can often guess their meaning correctly. However sometimes a sentence won't make sense because you think a word means one thing but it actually means something different (this happens to me when two words have a similar spelling and I get them confused). Either way once you check the meaning of the word you are likely to remember it because you associate it with a particular context.
How I started to actually understand Spanish was do nothing but listen to Pimsleur & podcasts everyday on my way to work for a few months. Pimsleur is expensive but got me started for a couple of months now I’ve moved on to free things like music & videos. Now I don’t feel so overwhelmed when using those resources.
Same this with being a classical musician… um yeah I’m pretty sure my talent came out of thin air.. after practicing 3-6 hours a day for 15 years.. 😒 it’s so much work to learn a language… ppl devalue our hard work that way…
You're really good! Glad you make these videos. Thank you.
Great advice Lindsey! I was feeling overwhelmed at first & thought I had to get every book or app for learning Japanese & now realized to narrow my options & with trial & error what works better. I’m touching back to improve on my Spanish & my learning methods are different for those two. Spanish I talk at home with family & hear it more & more easier to grasp now because it was my mother tongue compare & to Japanese where I don’t many people to talk to with this language & use more sources.
As a former language teacher, I deeply agree with you, Lindie!
I have been subscribed to your channel for about a year and I’ve been learning Korean for about that same amount of time and I express how thankful I am for your channel and your content. It’s so helpful! When I first started my Korean language learning journey I made the mistake of having way too many resources and ended up scaling back to the main 2 that I use being Talk To Me In Korean and Memrise. I have some of the TTMIK textbooks because like you I love having something I can hold, write in and highlight too. Keep up the great work and I look forward to your next video.
Consistency is key, however also take breaks.
I find that taking a break for a week or two, after a few months of daily activities or when you reach a plateau, in a language allows your brain to passively map the necessary neural pathways.
In my experience I always come back stronger after a break.
Ik you might not have any experience yourself, but do you happen to know anything about learning a language with dysgraphia? It’s kind of like dyslexia but instead of making it hard to input language in my brain, it affects my ability to output it.
It’s hard to stay motivated when I can’t even articulate concepts/thoughts, spell, or write well in my own native language as if it’s actually my native language.
When I try to teach myself, I make a lot of textbook progress, but applying it on a conversational level or writing outside a prompt for more than a few sentences is even more difficult for me than the average learner and I feel like that’s the hardest part. I should be able to do at least some of that where I’m at, and I just can’t seem to be able to no matter how much I try, which makes the anxiety of trying 10000x worse each time I do try.
I’ve been trying to learn Japanese (I feel in love with the culture via high school exchange programs) and handwriting is another struggle for me. I feel bad I type everything so I’m not learning how to write kanji but I honestly don’t think it’s possible for me. I tried for a solid year and being able to memorize stroke order means nothing if the strokes go in whichever direction they please lol.
That sounds frustrating.
I don't know what your goals are in language learning, but I know I personally am most interested in the understanding and speaking/connecting with people aspect, and while I think the writing aspect is interesting, it is less of a priority for me. (I've been using Glossika and mainly use the listening and repeating feature, though one can do writing if wanted.) I've watched various polyglots' videos, and some suggest not worrying about the writing until later / focusing on the aspects that you are interested in. (I know, sometimes there are other situations/reasons why someone needs to learn the writing aspect, as for a job, etc.)
I don't know what it's like for you at all, but I wish you well in figuring out ways you can pursue Japanese (/languages) in a way that works and stops being stressful!
The biggest "mistake" I see people making is insisting on an idea of perfection that simply doesn't exist. You can spend years studying a language and still mess up a preposition or verb agreement or forgetting some words and many people get angry or embarassed because of this, and that makes the process of learning a language, which is already a challenging task, something extremely frustrating.
Good to see you back Lindie. All the best from New Zealand.
Thanks so much for all your advice. I love how you help us while taking us with you in your learning languages journey. You're amazing and not afraid to change your perspective in a topic and tell us your views!
Some people do have a stronger knack for picking up new languages. But, perseverance can work wonders if it's not your strong suit. Of the two though (talent or perseverance) you'd probably luckier if you have perseverance because you can overcome a lot of hurdles this way.
I'll give it a go study English for so far and I want to say that you have right. I'm from Polen and honestly speaking is English is the first language with I have been learning. Of course I 'm trying because is my kids dream. I sheer enjoy because I understand how important is propertly self-motivation. I thought that is possible and I want to learn English before my daughter goes to school. Yes, when I was child I have a traum of foreign language (people launch of me and teacher too). Tell me that I don't have talent to do that... But I love speak English. Each day I 'm better than before. Thank you for energy and motivation to my study.
It's so nice to see you back! I missed your videos!
You can tell that Lindie is speaking out of years of experience and making mistakes herself and adjusting a hundred times. 🥰😃
I agree especially on the giving up part. I am always slightly amused, when people feel discouraged and shocked, that they do not speak a language fluently after 1 year of studying. When they put maybe just 300-500 hours into learning that specific language. Unless you do a intense language program of 8 hours, 6 days a week, you will not make it in that short amount of time.Especially, not when learning a language that is significantly different from your native language or any language you speak. So it is normal. You can come quite far in a year but if you are after just one year good in speaking for instance, you most likely lack majorly in other aspects, such as writing and vice versa. Best thing someone can do is to expect it to be a long ride and celebrate if the ride was shorter than expected.
I started studying Russian 11 1/2 years ago. I never really deducated myself to my studies enough to be able to actually speak it. Im watching this video right now because i am trying to become strategic in my studies and start studying every day again.
For me what I notice is I’ve been spending soooo much time watching all the “how to” videos rather than spending the time studying loll. That explains why I’m here.
Thank you so much Lindie!🙂 You are one of the most polyglots and your advice helps me a lot!😘
I am delighted that you are back:)
Missed you so much Lindie, and glad you're back 🤗❤
I really needed this... especially no.1. 감사합니다!
I am guilty of being afraid to make mistakes and resource overload. I've tried so many apps even though I have a textbook that I haven't used that much. I feel like I am starting over again with the language because I didn't do it right (for me) the first time. I'm determined though. Thanks for making this video of common mistakes!
I notice so many people wanting an exact word by word translation between their dominant and target languages. As if the ways languages convey ideas were all carbon copies one from another. That is NOT going to happen.
The worst part is that they get frustrated and demotivated when they find out the puzzle piece they have in their hands (the word) has to be smashed into the gap. It's not like that. Surrender. Give up. Embrace that things work differently in each language.
Consume. Tons of input. Tons. There are no shortcuts and it's fine like that. It's not a race.
Imitate natives. When you see they use something in an unexpected or illogical way for you, okay, allow yourself to be frustrated for a moment, but then, go on. Life continues and languages are not there to adapt to you, you're the one embarking in a humbling experience.
Be flexible. Slowly, the things you find logical and illogical in the language will overlap more and more with the thought of natives.
Everything you said a quite approve except for list of vocabulary. (Maybe because i am guilty of it) I mean learning dumbly the most common words in languages can a simple approach and not every effective that's true, but if find learners who still 10 times after encountering the same word in same context still do know them. The problem here is they don't work on remembering/learning this word. A some point if hear it over and over one will learn it, that's true but however if one is actively learning and trying to reuse it than it will be much efficient. This were the list of vocabulary one builds in through it journey and learns it can be a good tool to progress.
In a partisan of reviewing the thing you learned by using them. Else, thank you for your video they are so helpful when i am stuck on my language journey
I make the mistakes of not making a study plan, not being consistent, and scared of making mistakes and talking to new people! I have been learning Spanish off and on for years now and I really don’t feel like I’ve progressed very much because I make these mistakes
I already am taking 2 1/2 years polish lessons at university but after the first two semesters I just stopped learning frequently, eventhough I'm studying something related to the language!! I wouldn't know what to learn and how and - that's the main problem, i guess - WHY. I'm still trying to answer myself this question. Today I wanted to start again but I was overwhelmed by the question, what I should do first. I know that my mindset is toxic as well - I kinda feel ashamed that I still can't speak or read proper polish. Felt good to write it down here, luv ur videos btw :)
Perhaps start with something simple that you know you'll enjoy? Like reading a short story you like and just playfully reengage with the vocabulary and grammar. I think Polish is a very difficult language so kudos to you for trying to learn it 💜
@@anna-zw7ek Anna, bardzo dziękuję za komentarz! Myślę, że zupełnie masz rację, dzięki za pomysły! Polski jest i trudny i ładny
@@joniking8697 Sorry I'm German ;) Made some Polish friends during university years and remembered thinking that Polish was not an easy language to study. I hope you'll find back to it with joy =)
@@anna-zw7ek Ach, das passt ja :D Ich hatte mich auf Polnisch bei dir für die Tipps und das Mutmachen bedankt :) Welche Sprachen interessieren dich, oder warum bist du auf Lindies Kanal? :)
@@joniking8697 haha cool ;) Lerne seit letztem Oktober Koreanisch und bin erst seit kurzem auf Lindies Kanal gestoßen. Habe in der Schule immer Sprachen gemocht und habe dann auch Germanistik studiert aber das ist jetzt schon einige Jahre her ;) Was studierst du denn und welche Sprachen sprichst du? :)