Language Learning
23 Dec 2021
Background
I enjoy learning languages. I find it both fascinating how the brain learns to parse what before were meaningless noises or squiggles, and how differently different languages are structured.
However, the ways I engage with language does not seem to match how many others do, or at least how it is commonly approached in most resources I find online, be it about language learning in general, or any particular language. This might be just a case of what is easy to produce or consume not being what is actually useful, or just due to me being autistic and therefore coming with a perspective that isn’t commonly catered towards.
Therefore, I’ve found myself developing my own way of approaching languages, which I would like to outline here.
Overview
Language learning is split into four disciplines.
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| Reading | Writing |
+-----------|----------|
| Listening | Speaking |
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I find it surprising how much, at least for me, these four skills are separate, especially along the Y-axis here (written vs. spoken). Just because I can read fluently in a language, doesn’t mean I can understand it when spoken, and just because I can understand a language, doesn’t mean I can express myself in it.
Though of course, at least along the X-axis, there is a dependency here. You can not really express yourself, if you can’t first comprehend whatever you are trying to say.
In terms of the other axis, in my experience, there isn’t really any dependency between the written and spoken form of a language. Instead, it’s important not to neglect either.
Since I much prefer reading over listening, I tend to approach a language in the order [Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking].
Motivation
Something I’ve found vital above all, is motivation. It doesn’t matter how good a technique is, or how suitable some material, if it bores or frustrates me, it’s not going to help me learn. There is some need for chores, and no matter what, sometimes I get frustrated, but at it’s core, there has to be something motivating me.
Of course there is the macro motivation of understanding a new language, but unfortunately, at least I find the process of language learning far too slow, for such a long term goal to keep me motivated. There has to be some micro motivation to whatever I am doing right now.
Therefore, against all recommendations, I tend to rather quickly dive into material far above my understanding. Instead, I take my time, going one sentence, one paragraph, one page, at a time, jumping into grammar explanations and vocabulary definitions as I go along. I take each sentence as a riddle to be solved.
The advantage of that approach, is that I enjoy it, the disadvantage, is that I encounter all vocabulary equally, from fundamental to obscure, and therefore will require more time to get familiar with common words and constructions, than if I had started out with simpler stories.