You suck at learning languages and heres why Pt. 1: Your methods suck

If you are reading this you probably suck at language learning. Why do you suck? Well, the answer can be complicated, but don’t think you are alone, I too suck to a certain degree. I could go as far as to say most of us who have studied or are actively studying a foreign language in some capacity of the discipline are making preventable mistakes that are holding you back from achieving our goals sooner. Yes, we suck, but there is hope for all of us…even you!

Your methods suck

So you are learning a new language, great! Where are you going to start? What methods will you use? What are the best resources? The flood of questions from beginners is never ending. Part of the problem is that there are too many options. Im not saying every resource or method is bad, but there is a definite scarcity of good, academic resources. Its not that difficult to distinguish the good from the bad either. As a language learner, enthusiast, addict, whatever stage of the process you consider yourself to be, I urge you to be academic in all aspects of your pursuits. This doesn’t mean writing elaborate paper on the evolution of Japanese syntax, this means going beyond just learning vocabulary and their definitions. Its about understanding the language’s structure, the aspects that make it unique, how the material in your hands is applicable outside of your house, classroom, etc… The more you invest into a deeper understanding of the language, the more you will be rewarded. Again, I’ am not suggesting you start understanding how Shakespearian English has been translated into the language you are learning, the key to language learning is taking things step by step ( I will get back to this a little later ).

There is no end all be all, ultimate method or resource. Any material on its own is inefficient, and ineffective for a rounded understanding of a language. If you are serious about achieving proficiency you should have a variety or resources aimed at each aspect of the language. Books aimed at: vocabulary, grammar, cultural contexts and applications, and dictionaries. The hardest part of starting to learn a language is the right set or resources that will work for you and your goals.

SRS’s are becoming increasingly popular with language learners these days. From Memrise to Anki, digital flash cards are improving the rate of reviewing and learning. This of course has its positive and negative affects. The biggest upside I have seen, as mentioned before, is the ability to find courses customized around a certain textbook, or vocabulary list at your finger tips. Its fast, free, and serves its inherent purposes quite well. There are a lot of misconceptions and misuses to these methods as well. You will not learn a language by simply flashing cards with vocabulary words by your eyes on a daily basis. Well, you actually might, but it will probably take you much longer than it should. One of the biggest mistakes I see, and one of those biggest pieces of advice that I give to students who study with me are that you must study everything in context. If there was a 10 commandments for language learning, this would be somewhere on that list.

Studying in context, what does this mean you ask? Make optimal use of your SRS. Download decks where your vocabulary is introduced and reviewed with sentences that use the word in multiple settings. This kills several birds with one stone and is miles above just beating words in their definitions into your head over and over again. Have a deck like this? Read the sentences out-loud; and you just killed another bird. You might have PETA coming to your door wondering why you are so cruel to our flying friends, but you are expanding your understanding of the language using grammar and terminology while practicing speech in the contexts of natural, applicable contexts.

Coming in part 2: Unrealistic Expectation

Heisig’s RTK: How it works and who it’s for

For most student beginning their journey into any language, the plethora of available resources is often overwhelming. The questions: what works? whats the best? where should I start? are probably the top three questions I get from people starting out on their Japanese language journey. One of the daunting tasks that most think about first is tackling Kanji (Chinese characters that were imported into Japan). James Heisig’s kanji learning series “Remember the Kanji” is one of the most popular resources available whose sole focus is increasing the ability to recognize and remember kanji. The books provide its readers with a series of stories that are typically based upon each characters radical (smaller character components that are combined to make new characters). RTK 1 essentially serves to provide a means to learn the 常用漢字 Joyoukanji (2,136 Kanji set by the Japanese government standard for adult literacy). Its now without its flaws, but most importantly its not for everyone, at least not in a students initial stages of language learning.

Who RTK is for:

Its often thought that RTK is for everyone and realistically it can be. However, it would serve as nothing short of frustrating for anyone who has little to know concept of how Chinese characters work, anyone can open RTK and begin to memorize Kanji using his method. One of the inherent flaws are while you will learn how to recognize and understand each characters meaning, the information can often be superfluous. In addition to the “excessive” way he describes each character, the biggest problem I have with this method is its absence of any information that allows the reader to actually READ the kanji.

Unfortunately you wont find that information anywhere inside of RTK. Then again, thats not his goal, but this is ultimately why I don’t recommend anyone below a Intermediate (JLPT 3/2) level as a serious study aide.

RTK doe not provide readings and is essentially just an interpretation to the way you should memorize the meanings. There is no review of Japanese/Sino-Japanese readings. Each character is also explained in isolation giving little to no context to their applicable uses as you naturally find them within a native text.

A random excerpt from RTK 1

1988 篤 (bamboo + a team of horses [16]); fervent

Im not sure how this helps me, someone who has a strong understanding of the language’s inner works or a beginner for that matter. I can understand this text being extremely useful if recognition is the primary goal, however there are better methods that would benefit a student in understanding characters as well as other aspects of the language which English speakers struggle with just as much.

Guys, its a divining rod. [Excerpt taken from the free sample offered on the RTK website]

Take what I say with a grain of salt, but in my years studying Japanese and other languages, learning from context has the best return-on-investment when it comes to your study time (This includes just memorizing vocabulary from your beloved Anki/Memrise Flashcards as well. You know who you are). For these reason I am a firm believer that RTK is better suited for those who are already familiar with Kanji and want a better way to recognize and recall individual characteristics in English. The lack of synergy between this and other common learning methods only extends my beliefs that the system is not as effective as it could be. Completing RTK without any knowledge of how to read the Characters you have learned will definitely be frustrating when you are going to add all of the 音読み (Onyomi: Japanese adapted Chinese pronunciations for character compounds) and 訓読み (Native Japanese readings). If you choose to disregard my advice, at least have a good dictionary by your side when completing this method.

If you are new to RTK and might be interested in trying it out for yourself, you can view a sample of the book here. Don’t forget to support RTK and James Heisig if you feel compelled to try out this Kanji learning method.

Learn a language in just 30 minutes a day.

Let me start off by commenting on the title of this article. Sensationalist and blatant exaggerations are marketing modes that, without a doubt, are a leading method to catch an audience’s attention. I’m not here to dissect marketing and business strategies, however, the dramatization of a products details are without a doubt vital to the initial success as well as the longevity of many business models. Given the understanding basic business models the focus will now shift over to language learning.

For anyone that has attempted to learn a language on their own they have almost undoubtedly come across a few major companies that dominate the self-study supplement market. Rosetta Stone, Assimil, Teach Yourself etc… what most of these companies have in common are their aim to convince you, the consumer, that with a set amount of time per day or week you will become “fluent” in a language. It is at this point in which most of my own personal views and understandings begin to clash with not only the pitch of these language programs, but the actual methodology employed by these companies in their attempt to keep their promises. It is almost undeniable that nearly every craft requires not only a certain amount of aptitude and dedication, but also a concise approach towards gradually advancing in proficiency. Having been studying linguistics and foreign languages for a few years now im glad to say that I have jumped a few hurdles and put many of the failures that a independent student goes through attempting to educate themselves. From those failures and now seven on and off years of serious language learning it has become clear that there are definite ways to learn and improve language aptitude.

When studying a language there should always be set short as well as long term goals set before the process even begins. You must first ask yourself how much time you have to dedicate to learning the language(s). A general consensus amongst language learners and teachers is that constant immersion and exposure are integral to retaining information, but also for the constant development of language related abilities (speech, vocabulary, grammar, semantics).  Then set some sort of long-term goal, often called milestones or breakthroughs, these are important towards measuring whether or not you are on par with your short-term goals and overall goals. The key here is being consistent. Now on to the reason why limited, short term programs do not lead to fluency.

There are many interpretations of what fluency in a language actually is. One of the best scales is the Common European Framework of References for Language [1] . Renown for their research it is a very detailed method in which aptitude and proficiency are targeted based upon specific contexts and particularity. An easier measurement to equate fluency would be the ability to understand, develop, interpret, and convey ideas within a language. This could mean anything from explaining the definition of a word in a separate context from its original meaning to explaining technical concepts such as science to another.

Now before you say “Hey I can tell someone how to get from A to B in a foreign language, that makes me fluent doesn’t it?”, Well the honest answer is yes and no, mostly no. Again each student must have his or her own goals. If it were simply up to me everyone would be studying linguistics as a prerequisite to even attempting to learn a language other than his or her native tongue.  What is clear is that to be successful in any facet of life you must be set up for success. What these programs do are set you up for a half assed attempt at allowing you to be successful down the road, especially if you don’t have a background in linguistics or language learning.

Many of these programs do offer some of the keys to language learning, repetition on a regular basis being a prime attraction, the fundamental and ultimate flaws lie in the content provided in the system. These programs offer linear and restricted lessons that are counterintuitive to the pragmatic methods that institutions of higher education would offer for the same course. Such systems are more to the likes of an advanced phrasebook than a real system to independently study a foreign language. Not to say that certain methodologies implemented in a post secondary classroom aren’t without their flaws, but the primary reason why people are unsuccessful cannot always be attributed to the instructor or its environment. A majority of the burden must be placed on the student themselves.

While it is not technically impossible to learn with only 30 minutes a day (assuming that the student is doing so not only efficiently, but on a very regular basis) its highly unlikely that this process would yield any mentionable short or long term results. Going from little to no language learning experience to adapting any methodology is a difficult process if one’s mind is so new to the process. The reason why so many new members of the community gravitate towards such programs can arguably be attributed to an unrealistic expectation of the amount of work needed to produce their desired results. To many of these people the language learning process unfortunately turns into a race to the finish line rather than a journey of experiences.

References

[1] http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp