Rapid Language Acquisition: How To Learn A Language By Yourself Effectively

Getting Started

These are the steps I follow with any new language. Refined over 10 years and with 10 languages.

  1. Learn how to learn. 
  2. Find resources. 
  3. Input, input, input.
  4. Immerse from day 1. 
  5. Read/watch what I enjoy. 
  6. Learn to write by copying others. 
  7. Speak when I’m ready.

But the most important thing of it all: why do you want to learn this language? 

There’s no quick fix. Learning a language takes weeks – if not months/years – of consistent effort. (Which I happily recommend.)

The rewards: friends, cultural enrichment, a new perspective on life.

1. Learning how to learn

Learn like a child. Start with native material from day 1. 

Check both and find your own sweet spot. It doesn’t change the fact that you need input. And lots of it.

2. Beginner resources

Languages in the same script as your native language. 

Skip textbooks and dive straight into graded readers. Preferably with audio to get used to the sounds and melody of the language. 

Great starting points: 

Languages in foreign scripts. 

Learn the script first. Resources vary per language. (Tip for Japanese/Chinese: Remembering the Kanji/Hanzi and Kanji Koohii.) 

Learnt the script? Time to read & listen. My go-to beginner’s sources for foreign scripts: Assimil and Podcast101.

3. Input, input, input

Immerse yourself (in the culture). This can be done alongside the beginner resources and becomes the go-to after them.

Any words you want to learn? Remember efficiently with Anki (flashcard software). 

  • Always input sentences, never single words. You need the context. 
  • For the first ~1000 cards add a translation or explanation in a language you understand on the back of the card. Transition to monolingual dictionaries and cards (using only the target language) as soon as possible. Some languages have online children’s dictionaries that make the transition easier.
  • Tip: create your own decks. There’s a stronger emotional connection that aids retention and learning.

4. Immerse from day 1 (with content you enjoy)

Listen and read the things you enjoy. Not ABOUT the language, but IN the language. 

Any of the content I enjoy in steps 2 and 3 I add to my phone and listen to passively whenever I can. Passive listening is great to (1) get used to the sounds and (2) pick up nuances you missed on your first listen. But this only works with content you’ve listened to (actively, i.e. with attention) before. Do as much passive listening as you can (and enjoy).

In addition to the above, Spotify (podcasts) and YouTube are gold mines. Change the region in the app and find interesting content that native speakers watch, listen and reply to.

5. Learn to write by copying others

  • Ease into it with the bidirectional translation method of Luca Lampariello.
  • Copywork/handwrite the works of native speakers. Books, blogs and Twitter, whatever interests you. 
  • Make friends online with Tandem.

6. Speak when you’re ready

For introverts: shadow any audio you enjoy. Audiobooks, YouTube, Netflix. The world is your oyster. 

For extroverts: italki is the go-to.

7. Rinse-and-repeat

  • Get more native input. Ditch subtitles asap. 
  • Output whenever you want. Just want to read in a foreign language? Nobody’s stopping you. 
  • Know ~1000 words? Switch to monolingual dictionaries next time you look up a word. 
  • Use flashcards (Anki) for retention.
  • Increase the difficulty of your input as you progress. But remember: enjoyment comes first, second and last. Do what energizes you.

The next step: where to go from here

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I don’t have it all figured out but I learn, self-experiment and do my best to walk the slow march toward greatness with you.

Jim Bouman