Be fluent in 6 months - first update

From the Author:

Dear All,
The blog has been permanently moved to wordpress. I'm not going to publish anything on the blogspot address any more, and I'll delete the blog within a week or two.
So if you'd still like to follow my posts (I hope you do), please visit the wordpress version and click follow there: teflreflections.wordpress.com You can also find regular updates on the posts on the new blog's FB page by clicking here.
Thanks for reading and commenting on the posts here, and I hope to see you soon on wordpress.
Best,

Marek Kiczkowiak

At the end of January I posted a series of three posts in which I discussed the idea that perhaps we can all learn languages much quicker than most people would have us think. Having reflected on my own learning experience (I speak 6 languages) and having seen and read about various polyglots, I first suggested that there are 5 language learning myths which prevent us from learning faster and achieving fluency by acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy. They are:

1. I haven't got the talent.
2. I'm too old.
3. I've got bad memory.
4. I need a complete immersion program abroad.
5. I haven't got enough time.

All 5 are only bad excuses which most of us tend to make at some point. And they all hamper our learning process. Here read more about why I think they're only bad excuses which stop you from ever achieving your language goals.

In the post that followed, I suggested a 5 step action plan based on positive and successful language learning experience me and other polyglots have had. They're quite simple and definitely not rocket science:

1. Make the language a useful tool.
2. Make mistakes.
3. Exposure is the key.
4. Use it or lose it.
5. A language parent/buddy.

Finally, as I'm a natural sceptic and a disbeliever in everything supernatural (and learning a language in 6 months seems such a feat), I decided to test the advice on myself. My mission has been to become fluent in Portuguese in 6 months. You can read more about it here (i.e. what I mean by fluent, why 6 months and why Portuguese).

And as I'm a language teacher, one of my main goals is to see whether I might discover any techniques or tricks which I can later use with my students to help them learn languages faster.

So it's been two months since my mission statement. I promised I'd give monthly updates, so I'm sorry you've had to wait for twice the time (if actually any of you have been waiting). You might be wondering then how far I got with my Portuguese. Well, here's a video of me speaking it so you can judge for yourself.

It's the first time that I've actually recorded a video, so please bear with me if it doesn't look or sound super slick. It'll be better next time round, I promise :)

 Here are some questions I thought most people might have after watching the video:

1. What did I say?

   Absolute gibberish! ;) I wanted to put subtitles but haven't figured out how yet, so if anyone knows, please let me know. I basically spoke about why I recorded the video, how I've been studying so far and what my sticking points are. I've probably amde hundreds of errors, so if you speak Portuguese, please point them out.

2. How much have I been studying?

   Depends. But in the strict sense of the word I haven't really been studying at all. I haven't got a grammar book and I don't go to language classes. On average I've probably done about 10 to 20mins a day, but there were two weeks when I couldn't study at all.

3. How have I been studying?

   I've been using Memrise (read my post about it here) to learn new words more effectively. So far I've probably learned around 600 hundred words and phrases, which is not bad for 8 weeks. I've done a small bit there on the basic conjugation of a few verbs to get an idea what it's about. I also watch Brazilian TV on the Internet regularly. I chose O Globo, because it seemed to have lots of free videos available. I'm also doing a language exchange, however, I've only managed to have 4 meeting so far, so definitely this is something I need to do more regularly.

Now it's a good time for me to reflect on the process to see what I've done well and what I can do better in the next couple of weeks.

1. It's going to be more difficult than I initially thought.

   Sorry to start with something a bit disheartening (note that I'm still convinced I can reach my goal). If you read my mission statement, you know I speak Spanish. It has been a definite advantage, as there are many words that are similar, but at the same time it's played against me a bit. At times I'm not sure whether I speak Portuguese or just Spanish with a Portuguese accent. A lesson I've learned is to notice the language patterns and use them to generate new words (for example, -ción is always (or almost) -são or -ção in Portuguese). However, overall it might be quite tricky to speak Portuguese without the influence of Spanish on it.

2. Make mistakes and pay attention to the corrections.

   Often students don't even notice that they are being corrected and just go on making the same mistakes over and over again. Of course, worrying too much about being 100% correct can be counter productive too. But I definitely think it's crucial to ask your language buddy to correct some of your errors (perhaps make it focused, e.g. past tense). And you should repeat the correct version a few times so it sticks. When you say the phrase you've had problems with again, be aware of the error you've been making and make a conscious effort to say it correctly.

3. Notice language patterns and imitate them.

   Noticing new language is also very important. If you hear a new phrase, ask what it means, record it if possible (I usually take a little notebook with me to the language exchange). The crucial part here is that you imitate this new language as soon as you get a chance. For example: A: The concert yesterday was class! B: Class? A: Yeah, it was brilliant. A: Oh. I went to a... class concert two weeks ago! It looks very straight forward but a lot of students don't take the opportunity to use the new language. The language kind of goes through one year and exits through the other. So the lesson here is: don't rely on the limited language that you have, but go beyond it. Imitate, imitate and imitate!

4. Out with grammar - in with vocabulary!

   Don't get me wrong. If you want to be 100% correct you might have to study some grammar at some point. However, I don't think it's as important as course books authors would have you believe. Especially at low levels.There are so many grammar points that are utterly useless for successful communication. My advice is to learn whole chunks of language or even whole utterances that carry communicative meaning (e.g. 'What's your name?' 'Can I have the bill, please?'). So far, I've picked up most of the grammar as I went along. Most importantly by repeating the patterns I hear on TV or from my language buddy (see point 2 and 3). For example, if I hear he's speaking about the past, I pay attention to how he conjugates the verbs, so I can quickly give it a shot myself.

5. Enjoy it!

   It's easier said than done, but a positive mindset is the key. Learning should be fun, so make it so. Choose topics that interest you (i.e. if you're crazy about cooking, start with food, cooking and restaurant vocabulary). And if you feel tired or demotivated, flick on a film or a short video. You don't always have to be consciously studying. Watching a fun video on youtube can be as good or even better than toiling over a boring grammar point.

Sticking points and action plan (apart from what I've already been doing):

1. Pronunciation.

   There are certain sounds that are very tricky for me. I've been trying to imitate how people speak. So far I think I'm definitely communicative and intelligible, but far from natural and correct pronunciation.

2. Do more language exchange.

   It's the key. Once a week is OK, but it doesn't give me as much practice as I need if I want to really be fluent in 6 months.

3. Watch videos with more natural/colloquial language.

   I've been watching mostly news and short journalistic reports and I can already understand almost everything. The problem is when people speak quickly on the street in a more unprepared and natural way.

4. Talk to myself.

   That's a tip one of the polyglots, Sid Efromovich gave in this video. He says he always talks to himself in the language he's learning in the shower (so nobody can hear him). It might sound silly or egocentric, but it gives you valuable practice and language rehearsal time, which together with normal language exchange can improve your fluency.

I'll try to post another update in about a month. If you have any questions or suggestions, please comment below. I'd  love to hear about your language learning experiences and whether you've found any of the tips helpful.

Tchau! Até mais!

Be fluent in a language in 6 months - mission impossible?

From the Author:

Dear All,
The blog has been permanently moved to teflreflections.wordpress.com This particular post can be found here: http://teflreflections.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/be-fluent-in-a-language-in-6-months-mission-impossible/ I'm not going to publish anything on the blogspot address any more, and I'll delete the blog within a week or two.
So if you'd still like to follow my posts (I hope you do), please visit the wordpress version and click follow there: teflreflections.wordpress.com You can also find regular updates on the posts on the new blog's FB page by clicking here.
Thanks for reading and commenting on the posts here, and I hope to see you soon on wordpress.
Best,

Marek Kiczkowiak

What I've learned from 4 polyglots - 5 steps to language fluency

From the Author:

Dear All,
The blog has been permanently moved to wordpress. I'm not going to publish anything on the blogspot address any more, and I'll delete the blog within a week or two.
So if you'd still like to follow my posts (I hope you do), please visit the wordpress version and click follow there: teflreflections.wordpress.com You can also find regular updates on the posts on the new blog's FB page by clicking here.
Thanks for reading and commenting on the posts here, and I hope to see you soon on wordpress.
Best,

Marek Kiczkowiak

In my last post I talked about 5 language learning myths which can hamper our efforts, decrease motivation or even make us abandon the hope of learning a language altogether. In this one I'd like to further explore the ideas Chris Lonsdale, Sid Efromovich and Benny Lewis talk about. I've also just come across a really interesting website by another polyglot, Richard Simcott. You can read more about him here.

They have all learned various languages relatively quickly and often on their own, i.e. not in a language school. They also believe that anyone can learn any language, as long as they put their mind to it, regardless of talent or lack thereof; a view I share with them.

Also, many of the tips they talk about are similar, although phrased in a slightly different way. So I thought it'd be a good idea to put all I've learned from them together, adding some of my own language learning experience, into 5 easy to follow steps.

1. Make the language a useful tool.

   Your mindset is the key here. If you're learning the language only because your boss will sack you if you don't, or because your parents will ground you, then you've got off on the wrong foot. Not that you can't make headway from fear of punishment. You can, but you'll hate every moment of it. Instead, find something that you LIKE about English (or your target language). Something that is meaningful and important for YOU, not for your teacher. There must be something about the language you're learning that you're really keen on (e.g. watching football games in English). Something that you can learn and use as a tool in your life (e.g. writing a really informal note for your English speaking flatmate). After all, what's the point of learning how to use a welding torch if you're never going to weld anything?! Make your first steps in the target language in the area that interests you, and which you feel comfortable in. You'll be much more likely to persevere. Your motivation will increase, and so will your progress rate.

2. Make mistakes

   Mistakes are great! Without them, you will stay in your comfort language zone forever. We adults tend to be incredibly worried about being 100% right all the time. Forget about it. Especially at the beginning. Play with the language. Experiment. And slip up. That's fine. Nobody's going to laugh, get annoyed or poke fun at you. Believe me. Native speakers will be delighted that you're trying to learn their language (especially if the language is as obscure as Polish, for instance). Focus on getting the meaning across first. But, get somebody to correct you once you feel comfortable with it. And DO pay attention to the correct version. Otherwise you might be forever repeating the basic mistakes.

3. Exposure is the key.

   Read and listen to the target language as much as you can. Ideally, all the time. Even if you think you're not getting any of it, you are. Bits and pieces will stay in your head, and you will get better very quickly. You will also get familiar with the sound of the language. For example, one of the reasons why the Dutch and the Scandinavians speak such good English, apart from excellent language classes in schools, is that all TV programs and films are shown in their original langauge and are hardly ever dubbed. Go on BBC and read a few news headlines or a short article. Get some graded Penguin readers to give yourself confidence. When watching a film or a video (a lot of youtube and all TED talks have this option) put the subtitles in the target language (NOT in your mother tongue) to make it easier for you. Learn the basic functional language, such as: How do you say _____ in English? Could you repeat that please? Note down the new expressions, check what they mean and...

4. Use it, or lose it

   Sounds so simple, but why don't most students ever follow this rule? Avoiding the new language and staying in the comfort zone is not going to get you anywhere. Listen in to how proficient speakers speakers speak and notice some expressions or phrases. Check or ask about their meaning and then use the new language as soon as you get a chance. You might get it wrong the first time, but you've tried. And nobody has laughed. So give it another go. I am convinced that I've been successful in learning languages partly because I often unconsciously (I'm more aware of it now) copy people's language mannerisms, and as a result, get more and more natural-sounding and proficient. Also, take however little you know in the language (10 adjectives x 10 nouns x 10 verbs gives you a THOUSAND possible combinations!) and use it as soon as you get a chance. Finally, find:

5. A language parent/buddy

   This can be your friend, teacher, lover, or anybody else. The key is that they are supportive and encouraging - creating a safe environment where you feel comfortable to practise, play with the language and make mistakes is the key. A good language parent should also be willing to correct your mistakes. Of course, not every single one of them - this can only be frustrating. You might want to tell your language buddy that you have problems with, for example, 3rd person "s". Or that you have just studied the subjunctive and you'd really like to focus on getting it right. Or perhaps a particular phonetic feature or a lexical set. This will focus the corrections and give you more relevant feedback. And please, DO pay attention to the corrections. One of the very common problems is that for a lot of students the corrections are like water off a duck's back. They simply either ignore them or overlook them, or don't care. Either way, the chances are you'll never progress. So make sure you're getting some decent feedback on the language from your language buddy, and that you pay attention to it. But also make sure that you're getting a chance to talk. After all, language IS communication! There are numerous organisations that facilitate language exchanges. One I've used is Polyglot. Check if there's a meeting in your town. You can also use on-line language learning communities such as Busuu.
   
   
   Now the big question is whether these 5 steps can lead you to language fluency (let's define it as strong B2 or weak C1 level) in 6 months (or shorter) as Benny and Chris claim in their videos. No doubt, following these tips can really boost your learning progress and help you make real headway. But becoming fluent in 6 months?
   
   The honest answer is: I don't know. Everything tells me that you need much longer than that. On the other hand, Chris and Benny are walking examples that it is indeed possible - of course, if we are to believe them, but I can't see why not.
   
   So I guess the only way to find out is to try it all out myself. And this is what I'm going to do. A little pseudo-scientific, language experiment on myself: "Get fluent in Portuguese before this summer." I'm going to define the objectives and roughly outline the procedure of the experiment in the next post. So stay tuned!
   
   And for now, forget about the 5 language myths and substitute them with the 5 steps to fluency.
   
   PS: I've just discovered this language learning forum. I haven't had the time to explore it yet, but it looks fascinating. Check it out and let me know what you think.

What I've learned from 3 polyglots - dispelling 5 language learning myths

From the Author:

Dear All,
The blog has been permanently moved to wordpress. I'm not going to publish anything on the blogspot address any more, and I'll delete the blog within a week or two.
So if you'd still like to follow my posts (I hope you do), please visit the wordpress version and click follow there: teflreflections.wordpress.com You can also find regular updates on the posts on the new blog's FB page by clicking here.
Thanks for reading and commenting on the posts here, and I hope to see you soon on wordpress.
Best,

Marek Kiczkowiak

I've gone quiet since my last post, but I haven't been completely idle. To the contrary.

I've become fascinated with polyglots and I've watched a couple of videos of different people who have learned a number of different languages, and have done so very quickly. By learning, I mean at least a strong B2 or weak C1 level, if we have to put a label on it. The three videos that have had the greatest impact on me are by Chris Lonsdale, Sid Efromovich and Benny Lewis.

All 3 of them come from different backgrounds, but they share one common thing: they've managed to learn various languages in a relatively quick time. For example, Chris became fluent in Chinese in 6 months and reached a native speaker level in 1 year. Sid got to a very advanced level in 3 languages in 3 years, whereas Benny is an absolute learning machine, and has learned a score of completely different languages, each in around 3 months.

I should make it clear right at the start, though, that I'm a sceptic - or perhaps a realist - and that all those fancy new-age, pseudo-scientific, pseudo-teaching miracle methods (e.g. hypnopaedia) have never really managed to convince me. So taking it all with a pinch of salt at the beginning, I started listening, and became completely hooked. If their stories are true - and I just can't see somebody lying so openly on a TED conference - then there's a lot we language learners and teachers could learn from them.

Common knowledge, backed by most teachers, language school owners, friends, parents and our own experience of having abysmally failed to learn a language at school tells us that you need many years of diligent (classroom) work to become fluent in a language, if you're ever going to get there. Or that the best way is through immersion in the country were the language is spoken. We are also told that the older you get, the more difficult learning a language becomes. And that you can't get to a native speaker level after a certain age (forget what the age was). A lot of us also like to think that they don't have the talent, or that their memory is bad - probably deadens the disappointment of not speaking the language.

But what about people, such as Chris, Sid and Benny (and many others), who have indeed learned a language (to varying degrees of fluency) in a remarkably short time. To make it even more interesting, Chris and Benny were over twenty when they set off to finally learn a foreign language, and especially the latter must be a walking embodiment of "I don't have a flare for languages", as he puts it himself.

So I became really curious: Is it really possible for the average, talent-lacking Joe? Can I do it too? Can anyone do it?

I'm convinced that the answer is a resounding, triple: YES, YES, YES!

In this post, I'd like to first debunk some common misconceptions about language learning, which stop us from being effective learners. The most common excuses people make (based on Chris Lonsdale, Benny Lewis and my own teaching experience) for not being able to learn a language are:

1. You need talent and I haven't got it.

   You don't. I believe that anyone can learn practically anything as long as they put their minds to it. You might just need to try a bit harder than the others, but it doesn't mean you can't. Just look at Benny Lewis - at 21 he miserably failed at learning Spanish while living in Spain, and couldn't speak a word of Irish Gaelic although he'd studied it for 10 years at school! He'd actually had problems learning English... Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Yet, he's now proficient in Spanish, German, French and communicative in a score of different languages, such as Czech, Gaelic and Arabic. If he could become fluent in a language, anyone can (no offence, Benny). Of course, talent might give you a slight advantage over the rest. A head start. But without hard work, talent will not get you far. And often it can just get in a way as a lame excuse for not trying harder.

2. You've got to start young, and I'm too old now.

   Again, not entirely true. It's a common myth that children have this incredible flair for picking up languages, whereas adults struggle and fail. While it's true that a child raised in a multilingual environment will be probably proficient in all the languages it is exposed to, it's going to take the child at least 4 or 5 years before they achieve it. And when it comes to sending kids to language schools, well, I just don't think it changes anything. It took me exactly 10 years to reach C2 level in English, starting at the age of 7 (with classes both in a language and in a public school). But as an adult it took me less than 2 years to reach the same level in Spanish (and a lot of it on my own). Why? Because I studied hard. I was motivated. I used the language almost every day. It is also commonly believed that after a certain age you won't acquire native pronunciation. There are countless examples (myself included) that prove the contrary. Finally, an interesting study done at Haifa University suggests that adults can learn much faster than children if put under the right conditions. So no, you're never too old. So, no, you're never to old to give a new language a try.

3. I've got a bad memory.

   Me too. Like a sieve. I never know where my keys are in the morning. I'm also really bad at remembering names of people and places. Does this mean I can't learn new words? Of course not. Yet, for a long time I was horrible at it. I hated memorising new vocabulary (might sound strange from somebody who speaks 5 languages), until I discovered that I was going about it in a wrong way, trying to cram endless, boring, black-and-white lists of words and their definitions or translations. Fortunately, there are better and more fun ways of doing it. For example, psychologists specialising in memory suggest we link the new word to an image or sound - the more bizarre the better. For example:
   
   

 Another crucial thing for retention is revision. If you want to keep the new word in your long term memory, you should revise the word at regular intervals, like in the example below:

       It's not rocket science, is it? But believe me, it really does work. You not only memorise and retain the new words much faster, but you also have fun in the process.
For more tips, check out my post on Memrise and this article.

     4. Language immersion is the key, but I can't travel at the moment.

Of course, ideally, you'd want to go to Brazil to learn Brazilian Portugese (and in the meantime get a tan and have plenty of fun and cachaça). An ideal unattainable for most. However, the technology and interconnectedness of our world allows you to completely soak up the language and the culture you're trying to learn from the comfort of your house. What's more, most big cities are much more multicultural than you'd think, and you can easily meet people who will be willing to chat with you in their native language, which can be much more fun and interesting than a language course. And a complete immersion mightn't necessarily be such a great idea, especially for complete beginners. Chris compares it to throwing somebody who can't swim at all into the deep end and waiting whether they're going to stay afloat. At best, it will scare you off trying to learn how to swim for a while.

    5. I need to devote a lot of time, which I haven't got.

Neither do I. I run my own business, write weekly blog posts, go to the gym, brush up on my German, read books and have a busy social life at the same time. My own experience tells me that if you really want to achieve something, you'll find the time to do it. More often than not, the language homework isn't done not for lack of time, but for lack of motivation. Or laziness. Or boredom. Or both. A good start, then, is to ditch right away whatever annoys you about the language you're trying to learn, and instead go for something that you're keen on (e.g. football in my case). Studying can, and must be fun. And remember, it doesn't take as much time as you might think. Start with 5 mins a day, slowly increasing it to 10, 15, and so on. When I was learning French on my own, I'd typically spend maybe 20 mins a day studying (usually revising new words or watching a video, or reading the news, which is not what most of us would consider really studying, i.e. doing grammar exercises; I was simply soaking up the language). Is this a lot? How much time do you spend on FB?

I've just realised that this post has become really long. so before I lose you, I'll end it here. Next time, I'm going to talk about 5 easy steps to become fluent in any language in 6 months. Afterwards, I'm going to outline how I'm planning to put these steps into practice myself and try to learn a new language before June. So stay tuned.