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8 Ideas for Maximizing Your Language Learning Journey
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8 Ideas for MaximizingYour Language Learning Journey
8 Ideas that will help you be more efficient more effective and have more fun learning another language
by Aaron G Myers
As I often say at The Everyday Language Learnerrsquos blog I have yet to meet anyone who didnrsquot think learning another language was a good idea If you are reading this I suspect that you feel the same Perhaps yoursquove already learned a few languages Maybe you have the itch to begin your first
Regardless everyone can learn another language People all over the world have done it and are doing it on a regular basis The fact of the matter remains that most of the world already knows two or more languages For most it is normal
But if you are like me if you grew up monolingual in a monolingual society the idea of learning a second language can seem more than a bit daunting It was for me
My year of German in college fifteen years ago was just north of futile Ten years of learning Spanish on my own were educational - and a lot more successful So by the time I started learning Turkish in 2008 I had figured out some tough lessons received some great training for being an independent language learner and was ready to learn the language on my own and learn it well
With German I was slogging through with little success For Spanish I was working hard but making slow steady progress With Turkish though I began to have fun excited by the progress and prospect of
2THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Letrsquos get serious about learning another language
mastering the language There are a lot of reasons for the difference but in this short article I would like to share with you eight ideas that I think will help you maximize your language learning They did for me
I will try to be clear and succinct in describing these eight ideas I donrsquot want to tie up too much of your time here If you feel the need to read a bit more I have included a little extra reading at the end of each section Feel free to click on these and the link will take you to a post I have written about the topic at the blog As you read these feel free to share them with your friends or leave a comment Both would be appreciated
Okay letrsquos get started
1 Elect Yourself PresidentPerhaps the most important step toward maximizing your language learning experience is in making the choice to take charge of your own learning You have to take responsibility You and you alone know what works best for you know your own learning style your personality and the the things about which you are passionate
There are lots of folks out there ready to tell you that this or that method is the very best for language learning Some will tell you that language school is the only way to go Others that language schools were created somewhere in the darkest pits of hell And depending on your personality and learning style both may be right
There is no silver bullet for learning another language I wish there were There are however a whole bunch of lead bullets which combined together can
3THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
help you create a personal language learning program that will allow you to successfully learn another language on your own terms
When you elect yourself president of your language learning journey you put yourself in control Any good president will listen to his or her advisors listen to different perspectives even experiment a bit with different ideas - but in the end it is the president who makes the final decision on what will or wonrsquot work
extra readingFind Your StyleThe Worlds Best Language Learning Method
2 Control The FlowAs a language learner you want to quickly take control of the flow of the input you are receiving as a learner Input is any message in the language written or spoken We use input to learn the language when we hear a word and make a connection in our minds to the wordrsquos meaning
If we read or hear something in the language and we understand nothing if itrsquos just sound or letters on a page with no meaning - we wonrsquot learn anything It will be impossible to acquire the language
If on the other hand we hear something in the language that is presented in a way that demonstrates the meaning - we give our brains a chance to make connections to the meaning of the sounds and letters we are hearing or seeing
4THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
As an example I have used elsewhere if in my first months here in Istanbul I were to have turned on the radio and listened to a program about brain science there would have been very little that I would have made any connection to and I would have gained very little from the time spent listening It would have just been sounds
If on the other hand I had turned on CNBC on Saturday morning and sat down with my two kids to watch the cartoon ldquoDora the Explorerrdquo I would have seen Dora running down the road as she told us she was running running running down the road Dora narrates nearly everything she does she interacts with the viewer with the same questions again and again and in general says words repeatedly as the objects spoken of are highlighted on the screen Even without knowing much Turkish I was able to understand much of what Dora was talking about and learned a lot of new words expressions and grammar forms while watching
So it is important that you work hard to control the flow of the input you will receive This is mostly about the choices you make choosing a comic book to read before a novel choosing to watch your favorite movie dubbed in the language over a news program about the political situation in the country It is about taking steps to set the parameters to build background knowledge and to take control of the input you receive
extra readingComprehensible Input25 Ways to Find Comprehensible Input
5THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
3 Hit It From All SidesOne way to make more connections quicker with the new words concepts grammar structures and expressions of a new language is to hit the language from all sides We need to enter the language from a variety of directions
We do this through reading and writing and listening and speaking Through reviewing flashcards and reading comic books and writing stories and watching movies and studying a grammar book
As a learner give yourself as many opportunities to be exposed to the things you are learning as you can This is best done by obtaining massive amounts of input from a variety of sources
If for example you have a new word on a flashcard which you review a few times each day and then you come across the word in the book you are reading and later hear it used in a song you are listening to you have given your mind a whole lot of repetition and created a stronger and more nuanced connection to that word This will move the word more quickly into your usable vocabulary and will speed the learning process
extra readingMulti Entry
4 Integrate That ReviewI probably shouldnrsquot admit it but I was a C average student in high school You see school didnrsquot work out for me because they actually wanted me to study to interrupt my life of fun and adventure to study The nerve
6THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
What I needed was a way to review all of that stuff while I was having fun I needed to integrate my learning into my life As a language learner figuring out how to do this has made a tremendous difference in the amount of time I am able to put into learning Turkish
Integrating review is about creating systems that take the work out of studying Systems that fit into the flow of my day that donrsquot require me to set aside large chunks of time for study that create efficient ways to capture and review new material and more quickly move it from my short term to long term memory
Donrsquot get me wrong You will still need to study But in order to maximize that study time and have fewer ldquoI remember learning this oncerdquo moments integrated review is a must
extra readingIntegrated Review - the video tutorial with examplesLanguage Learning Tip Using Flashcards EffectivelyHandcrafted Audio for Remembering What You Learn
5 Fill the FridgeIf you have ever made a New Yearrsquos resolution to eat healthier and failed it could because you failed to fill the fridge It is a great goal but if you fail to clean out all the bad food from your shelves and fridge and then in turn fill them full of healthy food and only healthy food it will be difficult to overcome the urge to eat the Twinkie that still stares out at you from itrsquos corner of the
7THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
cupboard If you want a snack and there is only healthy food in the house then it is easy to choose healthy food1
As a language learner you too want to fill your home with those things that will support your language learning If your movie drawer is filled with hundreds of great movies in your native language and only two in the target language - two that you have seen so many times yoursquove grown to hate them - you wonrsquot be watching movies as part of your language learning
If you have an itch to put in some time with the language but your only language material is upstairs in the back bedroom you may be more apt to just go back to another funny Youtube video But if their is a copy of a target language edition of your favorite magazine on the end table a bookshelf full of target language reading material across the room and a stereo loaded up with great music - in the target language of course - you will greatly increase your chances of putting in the time
A rich language learning environment is something that you can build By doing so you will greatly increase the amount of exposure you have to the language and give yourself a better chance to be successful Immersion in todayrsquos world is more a matter of choice than it is of location Do what you can to surround yourself with the language
extra readingCreating a Personal Language Learning CultureCreate a Target Language Bubble Join Facebook
8THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
1 This idea of filling the fridge with healthy food comes from a great blog post called ldquoBad Goal Good Goalrdquo which can be found at All Japanese All The Time
6 One More Minute DadOne sure sign that my son is having fun is the frantic plea for ldquoOne more minute dadrdquo The game is just too much fun to quit right then The imaginative adventure too compelling Canrsquot he just have one more minute
I suspect that you too have had your adult versions of ldquoone more minute dadrdquo You lay in bed until 200 AM to finish the book yoursquove been reading You walk in ten minutes late to work with an excuse about bad traffic when really you were sitting in your car in the parking lot listening to the closing minutes of a World Cup qualifier match
Joy is a powerful emotion Finding things we enJOY then is an important part of maximizing the language learning journey Tap into your passions your hobbies and the things you love for your language learning
Learning a language is unique in that we can learn it through any topic we choose If you want to learn math or world history - you have to study math and world history
But if you want to learn French and you love rock climbing you can make rock climbing the topic through which you learn French If you want to learn Turkish and you love scrap booking you can read scrap booking blogs in Turkish And if you are Timothy Ferris and you want to learn Japanese so you can compete competitively in Judo in Japan - and you donrsquot want to get killed - you can get a book teaching Judo written in only in Japanese2
9THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
2 Timothy Ferrisʼs blog post How to Learn Any Language in Three Months at his blog The Four Hour Work Week Interesting article
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
As I often say at The Everyday Language Learnerrsquos blog I have yet to meet anyone who didnrsquot think learning another language was a good idea If you are reading this I suspect that you feel the same Perhaps yoursquove already learned a few languages Maybe you have the itch to begin your first
Regardless everyone can learn another language People all over the world have done it and are doing it on a regular basis The fact of the matter remains that most of the world already knows two or more languages For most it is normal
But if you are like me if you grew up monolingual in a monolingual society the idea of learning a second language can seem more than a bit daunting It was for me
My year of German in college fifteen years ago was just north of futile Ten years of learning Spanish on my own were educational - and a lot more successful So by the time I started learning Turkish in 2008 I had figured out some tough lessons received some great training for being an independent language learner and was ready to learn the language on my own and learn it well
With German I was slogging through with little success For Spanish I was working hard but making slow steady progress With Turkish though I began to have fun excited by the progress and prospect of
2THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Letrsquos get serious about learning another language
mastering the language There are a lot of reasons for the difference but in this short article I would like to share with you eight ideas that I think will help you maximize your language learning They did for me
I will try to be clear and succinct in describing these eight ideas I donrsquot want to tie up too much of your time here If you feel the need to read a bit more I have included a little extra reading at the end of each section Feel free to click on these and the link will take you to a post I have written about the topic at the blog As you read these feel free to share them with your friends or leave a comment Both would be appreciated
Okay letrsquos get started
1 Elect Yourself PresidentPerhaps the most important step toward maximizing your language learning experience is in making the choice to take charge of your own learning You have to take responsibility You and you alone know what works best for you know your own learning style your personality and the the things about which you are passionate
There are lots of folks out there ready to tell you that this or that method is the very best for language learning Some will tell you that language school is the only way to go Others that language schools were created somewhere in the darkest pits of hell And depending on your personality and learning style both may be right
There is no silver bullet for learning another language I wish there were There are however a whole bunch of lead bullets which combined together can
3THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
help you create a personal language learning program that will allow you to successfully learn another language on your own terms
When you elect yourself president of your language learning journey you put yourself in control Any good president will listen to his or her advisors listen to different perspectives even experiment a bit with different ideas - but in the end it is the president who makes the final decision on what will or wonrsquot work
extra readingFind Your StyleThe Worlds Best Language Learning Method
2 Control The FlowAs a language learner you want to quickly take control of the flow of the input you are receiving as a learner Input is any message in the language written or spoken We use input to learn the language when we hear a word and make a connection in our minds to the wordrsquos meaning
If we read or hear something in the language and we understand nothing if itrsquos just sound or letters on a page with no meaning - we wonrsquot learn anything It will be impossible to acquire the language
If on the other hand we hear something in the language that is presented in a way that demonstrates the meaning - we give our brains a chance to make connections to the meaning of the sounds and letters we are hearing or seeing
4THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
As an example I have used elsewhere if in my first months here in Istanbul I were to have turned on the radio and listened to a program about brain science there would have been very little that I would have made any connection to and I would have gained very little from the time spent listening It would have just been sounds
If on the other hand I had turned on CNBC on Saturday morning and sat down with my two kids to watch the cartoon ldquoDora the Explorerrdquo I would have seen Dora running down the road as she told us she was running running running down the road Dora narrates nearly everything she does she interacts with the viewer with the same questions again and again and in general says words repeatedly as the objects spoken of are highlighted on the screen Even without knowing much Turkish I was able to understand much of what Dora was talking about and learned a lot of new words expressions and grammar forms while watching
So it is important that you work hard to control the flow of the input you will receive This is mostly about the choices you make choosing a comic book to read before a novel choosing to watch your favorite movie dubbed in the language over a news program about the political situation in the country It is about taking steps to set the parameters to build background knowledge and to take control of the input you receive
extra readingComprehensible Input25 Ways to Find Comprehensible Input
5THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
3 Hit It From All SidesOne way to make more connections quicker with the new words concepts grammar structures and expressions of a new language is to hit the language from all sides We need to enter the language from a variety of directions
We do this through reading and writing and listening and speaking Through reviewing flashcards and reading comic books and writing stories and watching movies and studying a grammar book
As a learner give yourself as many opportunities to be exposed to the things you are learning as you can This is best done by obtaining massive amounts of input from a variety of sources
If for example you have a new word on a flashcard which you review a few times each day and then you come across the word in the book you are reading and later hear it used in a song you are listening to you have given your mind a whole lot of repetition and created a stronger and more nuanced connection to that word This will move the word more quickly into your usable vocabulary and will speed the learning process
extra readingMulti Entry
4 Integrate That ReviewI probably shouldnrsquot admit it but I was a C average student in high school You see school didnrsquot work out for me because they actually wanted me to study to interrupt my life of fun and adventure to study The nerve
6THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
What I needed was a way to review all of that stuff while I was having fun I needed to integrate my learning into my life As a language learner figuring out how to do this has made a tremendous difference in the amount of time I am able to put into learning Turkish
Integrating review is about creating systems that take the work out of studying Systems that fit into the flow of my day that donrsquot require me to set aside large chunks of time for study that create efficient ways to capture and review new material and more quickly move it from my short term to long term memory
Donrsquot get me wrong You will still need to study But in order to maximize that study time and have fewer ldquoI remember learning this oncerdquo moments integrated review is a must
extra readingIntegrated Review - the video tutorial with examplesLanguage Learning Tip Using Flashcards EffectivelyHandcrafted Audio for Remembering What You Learn
5 Fill the FridgeIf you have ever made a New Yearrsquos resolution to eat healthier and failed it could because you failed to fill the fridge It is a great goal but if you fail to clean out all the bad food from your shelves and fridge and then in turn fill them full of healthy food and only healthy food it will be difficult to overcome the urge to eat the Twinkie that still stares out at you from itrsquos corner of the
7THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
cupboard If you want a snack and there is only healthy food in the house then it is easy to choose healthy food1
As a language learner you too want to fill your home with those things that will support your language learning If your movie drawer is filled with hundreds of great movies in your native language and only two in the target language - two that you have seen so many times yoursquove grown to hate them - you wonrsquot be watching movies as part of your language learning
If you have an itch to put in some time with the language but your only language material is upstairs in the back bedroom you may be more apt to just go back to another funny Youtube video But if their is a copy of a target language edition of your favorite magazine on the end table a bookshelf full of target language reading material across the room and a stereo loaded up with great music - in the target language of course - you will greatly increase your chances of putting in the time
A rich language learning environment is something that you can build By doing so you will greatly increase the amount of exposure you have to the language and give yourself a better chance to be successful Immersion in todayrsquos world is more a matter of choice than it is of location Do what you can to surround yourself with the language
extra readingCreating a Personal Language Learning CultureCreate a Target Language Bubble Join Facebook
8THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
1 This idea of filling the fridge with healthy food comes from a great blog post called ldquoBad Goal Good Goalrdquo which can be found at All Japanese All The Time
6 One More Minute DadOne sure sign that my son is having fun is the frantic plea for ldquoOne more minute dadrdquo The game is just too much fun to quit right then The imaginative adventure too compelling Canrsquot he just have one more minute
I suspect that you too have had your adult versions of ldquoone more minute dadrdquo You lay in bed until 200 AM to finish the book yoursquove been reading You walk in ten minutes late to work with an excuse about bad traffic when really you were sitting in your car in the parking lot listening to the closing minutes of a World Cup qualifier match
Joy is a powerful emotion Finding things we enJOY then is an important part of maximizing the language learning journey Tap into your passions your hobbies and the things you love for your language learning
Learning a language is unique in that we can learn it through any topic we choose If you want to learn math or world history - you have to study math and world history
But if you want to learn French and you love rock climbing you can make rock climbing the topic through which you learn French If you want to learn Turkish and you love scrap booking you can read scrap booking blogs in Turkish And if you are Timothy Ferris and you want to learn Japanese so you can compete competitively in Judo in Japan - and you donrsquot want to get killed - you can get a book teaching Judo written in only in Japanese2
9THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
2 Timothy Ferrisʼs blog post How to Learn Any Language in Three Months at his blog The Four Hour Work Week Interesting article
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
mastering the language There are a lot of reasons for the difference but in this short article I would like to share with you eight ideas that I think will help you maximize your language learning They did for me
I will try to be clear and succinct in describing these eight ideas I donrsquot want to tie up too much of your time here If you feel the need to read a bit more I have included a little extra reading at the end of each section Feel free to click on these and the link will take you to a post I have written about the topic at the blog As you read these feel free to share them with your friends or leave a comment Both would be appreciated
Okay letrsquos get started
1 Elect Yourself PresidentPerhaps the most important step toward maximizing your language learning experience is in making the choice to take charge of your own learning You have to take responsibility You and you alone know what works best for you know your own learning style your personality and the the things about which you are passionate
There are lots of folks out there ready to tell you that this or that method is the very best for language learning Some will tell you that language school is the only way to go Others that language schools were created somewhere in the darkest pits of hell And depending on your personality and learning style both may be right
There is no silver bullet for learning another language I wish there were There are however a whole bunch of lead bullets which combined together can
3THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
help you create a personal language learning program that will allow you to successfully learn another language on your own terms
When you elect yourself president of your language learning journey you put yourself in control Any good president will listen to his or her advisors listen to different perspectives even experiment a bit with different ideas - but in the end it is the president who makes the final decision on what will or wonrsquot work
extra readingFind Your StyleThe Worlds Best Language Learning Method
2 Control The FlowAs a language learner you want to quickly take control of the flow of the input you are receiving as a learner Input is any message in the language written or spoken We use input to learn the language when we hear a word and make a connection in our minds to the wordrsquos meaning
If we read or hear something in the language and we understand nothing if itrsquos just sound or letters on a page with no meaning - we wonrsquot learn anything It will be impossible to acquire the language
If on the other hand we hear something in the language that is presented in a way that demonstrates the meaning - we give our brains a chance to make connections to the meaning of the sounds and letters we are hearing or seeing
4THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
As an example I have used elsewhere if in my first months here in Istanbul I were to have turned on the radio and listened to a program about brain science there would have been very little that I would have made any connection to and I would have gained very little from the time spent listening It would have just been sounds
If on the other hand I had turned on CNBC on Saturday morning and sat down with my two kids to watch the cartoon ldquoDora the Explorerrdquo I would have seen Dora running down the road as she told us she was running running running down the road Dora narrates nearly everything she does she interacts with the viewer with the same questions again and again and in general says words repeatedly as the objects spoken of are highlighted on the screen Even without knowing much Turkish I was able to understand much of what Dora was talking about and learned a lot of new words expressions and grammar forms while watching
So it is important that you work hard to control the flow of the input you will receive This is mostly about the choices you make choosing a comic book to read before a novel choosing to watch your favorite movie dubbed in the language over a news program about the political situation in the country It is about taking steps to set the parameters to build background knowledge and to take control of the input you receive
extra readingComprehensible Input25 Ways to Find Comprehensible Input
5THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
3 Hit It From All SidesOne way to make more connections quicker with the new words concepts grammar structures and expressions of a new language is to hit the language from all sides We need to enter the language from a variety of directions
We do this through reading and writing and listening and speaking Through reviewing flashcards and reading comic books and writing stories and watching movies and studying a grammar book
As a learner give yourself as many opportunities to be exposed to the things you are learning as you can This is best done by obtaining massive amounts of input from a variety of sources
If for example you have a new word on a flashcard which you review a few times each day and then you come across the word in the book you are reading and later hear it used in a song you are listening to you have given your mind a whole lot of repetition and created a stronger and more nuanced connection to that word This will move the word more quickly into your usable vocabulary and will speed the learning process
extra readingMulti Entry
4 Integrate That ReviewI probably shouldnrsquot admit it but I was a C average student in high school You see school didnrsquot work out for me because they actually wanted me to study to interrupt my life of fun and adventure to study The nerve
6THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
What I needed was a way to review all of that stuff while I was having fun I needed to integrate my learning into my life As a language learner figuring out how to do this has made a tremendous difference in the amount of time I am able to put into learning Turkish
Integrating review is about creating systems that take the work out of studying Systems that fit into the flow of my day that donrsquot require me to set aside large chunks of time for study that create efficient ways to capture and review new material and more quickly move it from my short term to long term memory
Donrsquot get me wrong You will still need to study But in order to maximize that study time and have fewer ldquoI remember learning this oncerdquo moments integrated review is a must
extra readingIntegrated Review - the video tutorial with examplesLanguage Learning Tip Using Flashcards EffectivelyHandcrafted Audio for Remembering What You Learn
5 Fill the FridgeIf you have ever made a New Yearrsquos resolution to eat healthier and failed it could because you failed to fill the fridge It is a great goal but if you fail to clean out all the bad food from your shelves and fridge and then in turn fill them full of healthy food and only healthy food it will be difficult to overcome the urge to eat the Twinkie that still stares out at you from itrsquos corner of the
7THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
cupboard If you want a snack and there is only healthy food in the house then it is easy to choose healthy food1
As a language learner you too want to fill your home with those things that will support your language learning If your movie drawer is filled with hundreds of great movies in your native language and only two in the target language - two that you have seen so many times yoursquove grown to hate them - you wonrsquot be watching movies as part of your language learning
If you have an itch to put in some time with the language but your only language material is upstairs in the back bedroom you may be more apt to just go back to another funny Youtube video But if their is a copy of a target language edition of your favorite magazine on the end table a bookshelf full of target language reading material across the room and a stereo loaded up with great music - in the target language of course - you will greatly increase your chances of putting in the time
A rich language learning environment is something that you can build By doing so you will greatly increase the amount of exposure you have to the language and give yourself a better chance to be successful Immersion in todayrsquos world is more a matter of choice than it is of location Do what you can to surround yourself with the language
extra readingCreating a Personal Language Learning CultureCreate a Target Language Bubble Join Facebook
8THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
1 This idea of filling the fridge with healthy food comes from a great blog post called ldquoBad Goal Good Goalrdquo which can be found at All Japanese All The Time
6 One More Minute DadOne sure sign that my son is having fun is the frantic plea for ldquoOne more minute dadrdquo The game is just too much fun to quit right then The imaginative adventure too compelling Canrsquot he just have one more minute
I suspect that you too have had your adult versions of ldquoone more minute dadrdquo You lay in bed until 200 AM to finish the book yoursquove been reading You walk in ten minutes late to work with an excuse about bad traffic when really you were sitting in your car in the parking lot listening to the closing minutes of a World Cup qualifier match
Joy is a powerful emotion Finding things we enJOY then is an important part of maximizing the language learning journey Tap into your passions your hobbies and the things you love for your language learning
Learning a language is unique in that we can learn it through any topic we choose If you want to learn math or world history - you have to study math and world history
But if you want to learn French and you love rock climbing you can make rock climbing the topic through which you learn French If you want to learn Turkish and you love scrap booking you can read scrap booking blogs in Turkish And if you are Timothy Ferris and you want to learn Japanese so you can compete competitively in Judo in Japan - and you donrsquot want to get killed - you can get a book teaching Judo written in only in Japanese2
9THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
2 Timothy Ferrisʼs blog post How to Learn Any Language in Three Months at his blog The Four Hour Work Week Interesting article
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
help you create a personal language learning program that will allow you to successfully learn another language on your own terms
When you elect yourself president of your language learning journey you put yourself in control Any good president will listen to his or her advisors listen to different perspectives even experiment a bit with different ideas - but in the end it is the president who makes the final decision on what will or wonrsquot work
extra readingFind Your StyleThe Worlds Best Language Learning Method
2 Control The FlowAs a language learner you want to quickly take control of the flow of the input you are receiving as a learner Input is any message in the language written or spoken We use input to learn the language when we hear a word and make a connection in our minds to the wordrsquos meaning
If we read or hear something in the language and we understand nothing if itrsquos just sound or letters on a page with no meaning - we wonrsquot learn anything It will be impossible to acquire the language
If on the other hand we hear something in the language that is presented in a way that demonstrates the meaning - we give our brains a chance to make connections to the meaning of the sounds and letters we are hearing or seeing
4THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
As an example I have used elsewhere if in my first months here in Istanbul I were to have turned on the radio and listened to a program about brain science there would have been very little that I would have made any connection to and I would have gained very little from the time spent listening It would have just been sounds
If on the other hand I had turned on CNBC on Saturday morning and sat down with my two kids to watch the cartoon ldquoDora the Explorerrdquo I would have seen Dora running down the road as she told us she was running running running down the road Dora narrates nearly everything she does she interacts with the viewer with the same questions again and again and in general says words repeatedly as the objects spoken of are highlighted on the screen Even without knowing much Turkish I was able to understand much of what Dora was talking about and learned a lot of new words expressions and grammar forms while watching
So it is important that you work hard to control the flow of the input you will receive This is mostly about the choices you make choosing a comic book to read before a novel choosing to watch your favorite movie dubbed in the language over a news program about the political situation in the country It is about taking steps to set the parameters to build background knowledge and to take control of the input you receive
extra readingComprehensible Input25 Ways to Find Comprehensible Input
5THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
3 Hit It From All SidesOne way to make more connections quicker with the new words concepts grammar structures and expressions of a new language is to hit the language from all sides We need to enter the language from a variety of directions
We do this through reading and writing and listening and speaking Through reviewing flashcards and reading comic books and writing stories and watching movies and studying a grammar book
As a learner give yourself as many opportunities to be exposed to the things you are learning as you can This is best done by obtaining massive amounts of input from a variety of sources
If for example you have a new word on a flashcard which you review a few times each day and then you come across the word in the book you are reading and later hear it used in a song you are listening to you have given your mind a whole lot of repetition and created a stronger and more nuanced connection to that word This will move the word more quickly into your usable vocabulary and will speed the learning process
extra readingMulti Entry
4 Integrate That ReviewI probably shouldnrsquot admit it but I was a C average student in high school You see school didnrsquot work out for me because they actually wanted me to study to interrupt my life of fun and adventure to study The nerve
6THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
What I needed was a way to review all of that stuff while I was having fun I needed to integrate my learning into my life As a language learner figuring out how to do this has made a tremendous difference in the amount of time I am able to put into learning Turkish
Integrating review is about creating systems that take the work out of studying Systems that fit into the flow of my day that donrsquot require me to set aside large chunks of time for study that create efficient ways to capture and review new material and more quickly move it from my short term to long term memory
Donrsquot get me wrong You will still need to study But in order to maximize that study time and have fewer ldquoI remember learning this oncerdquo moments integrated review is a must
extra readingIntegrated Review - the video tutorial with examplesLanguage Learning Tip Using Flashcards EffectivelyHandcrafted Audio for Remembering What You Learn
5 Fill the FridgeIf you have ever made a New Yearrsquos resolution to eat healthier and failed it could because you failed to fill the fridge It is a great goal but if you fail to clean out all the bad food from your shelves and fridge and then in turn fill them full of healthy food and only healthy food it will be difficult to overcome the urge to eat the Twinkie that still stares out at you from itrsquos corner of the
7THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
cupboard If you want a snack and there is only healthy food in the house then it is easy to choose healthy food1
As a language learner you too want to fill your home with those things that will support your language learning If your movie drawer is filled with hundreds of great movies in your native language and only two in the target language - two that you have seen so many times yoursquove grown to hate them - you wonrsquot be watching movies as part of your language learning
If you have an itch to put in some time with the language but your only language material is upstairs in the back bedroom you may be more apt to just go back to another funny Youtube video But if their is a copy of a target language edition of your favorite magazine on the end table a bookshelf full of target language reading material across the room and a stereo loaded up with great music - in the target language of course - you will greatly increase your chances of putting in the time
A rich language learning environment is something that you can build By doing so you will greatly increase the amount of exposure you have to the language and give yourself a better chance to be successful Immersion in todayrsquos world is more a matter of choice than it is of location Do what you can to surround yourself with the language
extra readingCreating a Personal Language Learning CultureCreate a Target Language Bubble Join Facebook
8THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
1 This idea of filling the fridge with healthy food comes from a great blog post called ldquoBad Goal Good Goalrdquo which can be found at All Japanese All The Time
6 One More Minute DadOne sure sign that my son is having fun is the frantic plea for ldquoOne more minute dadrdquo The game is just too much fun to quit right then The imaginative adventure too compelling Canrsquot he just have one more minute
I suspect that you too have had your adult versions of ldquoone more minute dadrdquo You lay in bed until 200 AM to finish the book yoursquove been reading You walk in ten minutes late to work with an excuse about bad traffic when really you were sitting in your car in the parking lot listening to the closing minutes of a World Cup qualifier match
Joy is a powerful emotion Finding things we enJOY then is an important part of maximizing the language learning journey Tap into your passions your hobbies and the things you love for your language learning
Learning a language is unique in that we can learn it through any topic we choose If you want to learn math or world history - you have to study math and world history
But if you want to learn French and you love rock climbing you can make rock climbing the topic through which you learn French If you want to learn Turkish and you love scrap booking you can read scrap booking blogs in Turkish And if you are Timothy Ferris and you want to learn Japanese so you can compete competitively in Judo in Japan - and you donrsquot want to get killed - you can get a book teaching Judo written in only in Japanese2
9THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
2 Timothy Ferrisʼs blog post How to Learn Any Language in Three Months at his blog The Four Hour Work Week Interesting article
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
As an example I have used elsewhere if in my first months here in Istanbul I were to have turned on the radio and listened to a program about brain science there would have been very little that I would have made any connection to and I would have gained very little from the time spent listening It would have just been sounds
If on the other hand I had turned on CNBC on Saturday morning and sat down with my two kids to watch the cartoon ldquoDora the Explorerrdquo I would have seen Dora running down the road as she told us she was running running running down the road Dora narrates nearly everything she does she interacts with the viewer with the same questions again and again and in general says words repeatedly as the objects spoken of are highlighted on the screen Even without knowing much Turkish I was able to understand much of what Dora was talking about and learned a lot of new words expressions and grammar forms while watching
So it is important that you work hard to control the flow of the input you will receive This is mostly about the choices you make choosing a comic book to read before a novel choosing to watch your favorite movie dubbed in the language over a news program about the political situation in the country It is about taking steps to set the parameters to build background knowledge and to take control of the input you receive
extra readingComprehensible Input25 Ways to Find Comprehensible Input
5THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
3 Hit It From All SidesOne way to make more connections quicker with the new words concepts grammar structures and expressions of a new language is to hit the language from all sides We need to enter the language from a variety of directions
We do this through reading and writing and listening and speaking Through reviewing flashcards and reading comic books and writing stories and watching movies and studying a grammar book
As a learner give yourself as many opportunities to be exposed to the things you are learning as you can This is best done by obtaining massive amounts of input from a variety of sources
If for example you have a new word on a flashcard which you review a few times each day and then you come across the word in the book you are reading and later hear it used in a song you are listening to you have given your mind a whole lot of repetition and created a stronger and more nuanced connection to that word This will move the word more quickly into your usable vocabulary and will speed the learning process
extra readingMulti Entry
4 Integrate That ReviewI probably shouldnrsquot admit it but I was a C average student in high school You see school didnrsquot work out for me because they actually wanted me to study to interrupt my life of fun and adventure to study The nerve
6THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
What I needed was a way to review all of that stuff while I was having fun I needed to integrate my learning into my life As a language learner figuring out how to do this has made a tremendous difference in the amount of time I am able to put into learning Turkish
Integrating review is about creating systems that take the work out of studying Systems that fit into the flow of my day that donrsquot require me to set aside large chunks of time for study that create efficient ways to capture and review new material and more quickly move it from my short term to long term memory
Donrsquot get me wrong You will still need to study But in order to maximize that study time and have fewer ldquoI remember learning this oncerdquo moments integrated review is a must
extra readingIntegrated Review - the video tutorial with examplesLanguage Learning Tip Using Flashcards EffectivelyHandcrafted Audio for Remembering What You Learn
5 Fill the FridgeIf you have ever made a New Yearrsquos resolution to eat healthier and failed it could because you failed to fill the fridge It is a great goal but if you fail to clean out all the bad food from your shelves and fridge and then in turn fill them full of healthy food and only healthy food it will be difficult to overcome the urge to eat the Twinkie that still stares out at you from itrsquos corner of the
7THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
cupboard If you want a snack and there is only healthy food in the house then it is easy to choose healthy food1
As a language learner you too want to fill your home with those things that will support your language learning If your movie drawer is filled with hundreds of great movies in your native language and only two in the target language - two that you have seen so many times yoursquove grown to hate them - you wonrsquot be watching movies as part of your language learning
If you have an itch to put in some time with the language but your only language material is upstairs in the back bedroom you may be more apt to just go back to another funny Youtube video But if their is a copy of a target language edition of your favorite magazine on the end table a bookshelf full of target language reading material across the room and a stereo loaded up with great music - in the target language of course - you will greatly increase your chances of putting in the time
A rich language learning environment is something that you can build By doing so you will greatly increase the amount of exposure you have to the language and give yourself a better chance to be successful Immersion in todayrsquos world is more a matter of choice than it is of location Do what you can to surround yourself with the language
extra readingCreating a Personal Language Learning CultureCreate a Target Language Bubble Join Facebook
8THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
1 This idea of filling the fridge with healthy food comes from a great blog post called ldquoBad Goal Good Goalrdquo which can be found at All Japanese All The Time
6 One More Minute DadOne sure sign that my son is having fun is the frantic plea for ldquoOne more minute dadrdquo The game is just too much fun to quit right then The imaginative adventure too compelling Canrsquot he just have one more minute
I suspect that you too have had your adult versions of ldquoone more minute dadrdquo You lay in bed until 200 AM to finish the book yoursquove been reading You walk in ten minutes late to work with an excuse about bad traffic when really you were sitting in your car in the parking lot listening to the closing minutes of a World Cup qualifier match
Joy is a powerful emotion Finding things we enJOY then is an important part of maximizing the language learning journey Tap into your passions your hobbies and the things you love for your language learning
Learning a language is unique in that we can learn it through any topic we choose If you want to learn math or world history - you have to study math and world history
But if you want to learn French and you love rock climbing you can make rock climbing the topic through which you learn French If you want to learn Turkish and you love scrap booking you can read scrap booking blogs in Turkish And if you are Timothy Ferris and you want to learn Japanese so you can compete competitively in Judo in Japan - and you donrsquot want to get killed - you can get a book teaching Judo written in only in Japanese2
9THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
2 Timothy Ferrisʼs blog post How to Learn Any Language in Three Months at his blog The Four Hour Work Week Interesting article
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
3 Hit It From All SidesOne way to make more connections quicker with the new words concepts grammar structures and expressions of a new language is to hit the language from all sides We need to enter the language from a variety of directions
We do this through reading and writing and listening and speaking Through reviewing flashcards and reading comic books and writing stories and watching movies and studying a grammar book
As a learner give yourself as many opportunities to be exposed to the things you are learning as you can This is best done by obtaining massive amounts of input from a variety of sources
If for example you have a new word on a flashcard which you review a few times each day and then you come across the word in the book you are reading and later hear it used in a song you are listening to you have given your mind a whole lot of repetition and created a stronger and more nuanced connection to that word This will move the word more quickly into your usable vocabulary and will speed the learning process
extra readingMulti Entry
4 Integrate That ReviewI probably shouldnrsquot admit it but I was a C average student in high school You see school didnrsquot work out for me because they actually wanted me to study to interrupt my life of fun and adventure to study The nerve
6THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
What I needed was a way to review all of that stuff while I was having fun I needed to integrate my learning into my life As a language learner figuring out how to do this has made a tremendous difference in the amount of time I am able to put into learning Turkish
Integrating review is about creating systems that take the work out of studying Systems that fit into the flow of my day that donrsquot require me to set aside large chunks of time for study that create efficient ways to capture and review new material and more quickly move it from my short term to long term memory
Donrsquot get me wrong You will still need to study But in order to maximize that study time and have fewer ldquoI remember learning this oncerdquo moments integrated review is a must
extra readingIntegrated Review - the video tutorial with examplesLanguage Learning Tip Using Flashcards EffectivelyHandcrafted Audio for Remembering What You Learn
5 Fill the FridgeIf you have ever made a New Yearrsquos resolution to eat healthier and failed it could because you failed to fill the fridge It is a great goal but if you fail to clean out all the bad food from your shelves and fridge and then in turn fill them full of healthy food and only healthy food it will be difficult to overcome the urge to eat the Twinkie that still stares out at you from itrsquos corner of the
7THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
cupboard If you want a snack and there is only healthy food in the house then it is easy to choose healthy food1
As a language learner you too want to fill your home with those things that will support your language learning If your movie drawer is filled with hundreds of great movies in your native language and only two in the target language - two that you have seen so many times yoursquove grown to hate them - you wonrsquot be watching movies as part of your language learning
If you have an itch to put in some time with the language but your only language material is upstairs in the back bedroom you may be more apt to just go back to another funny Youtube video But if their is a copy of a target language edition of your favorite magazine on the end table a bookshelf full of target language reading material across the room and a stereo loaded up with great music - in the target language of course - you will greatly increase your chances of putting in the time
A rich language learning environment is something that you can build By doing so you will greatly increase the amount of exposure you have to the language and give yourself a better chance to be successful Immersion in todayrsquos world is more a matter of choice than it is of location Do what you can to surround yourself with the language
extra readingCreating a Personal Language Learning CultureCreate a Target Language Bubble Join Facebook
8THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
1 This idea of filling the fridge with healthy food comes from a great blog post called ldquoBad Goal Good Goalrdquo which can be found at All Japanese All The Time
6 One More Minute DadOne sure sign that my son is having fun is the frantic plea for ldquoOne more minute dadrdquo The game is just too much fun to quit right then The imaginative adventure too compelling Canrsquot he just have one more minute
I suspect that you too have had your adult versions of ldquoone more minute dadrdquo You lay in bed until 200 AM to finish the book yoursquove been reading You walk in ten minutes late to work with an excuse about bad traffic when really you were sitting in your car in the parking lot listening to the closing minutes of a World Cup qualifier match
Joy is a powerful emotion Finding things we enJOY then is an important part of maximizing the language learning journey Tap into your passions your hobbies and the things you love for your language learning
Learning a language is unique in that we can learn it through any topic we choose If you want to learn math or world history - you have to study math and world history
But if you want to learn French and you love rock climbing you can make rock climbing the topic through which you learn French If you want to learn Turkish and you love scrap booking you can read scrap booking blogs in Turkish And if you are Timothy Ferris and you want to learn Japanese so you can compete competitively in Judo in Japan - and you donrsquot want to get killed - you can get a book teaching Judo written in only in Japanese2
9THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
2 Timothy Ferrisʼs blog post How to Learn Any Language in Three Months at his blog The Four Hour Work Week Interesting article
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
What I needed was a way to review all of that stuff while I was having fun I needed to integrate my learning into my life As a language learner figuring out how to do this has made a tremendous difference in the amount of time I am able to put into learning Turkish
Integrating review is about creating systems that take the work out of studying Systems that fit into the flow of my day that donrsquot require me to set aside large chunks of time for study that create efficient ways to capture and review new material and more quickly move it from my short term to long term memory
Donrsquot get me wrong You will still need to study But in order to maximize that study time and have fewer ldquoI remember learning this oncerdquo moments integrated review is a must
extra readingIntegrated Review - the video tutorial with examplesLanguage Learning Tip Using Flashcards EffectivelyHandcrafted Audio for Remembering What You Learn
5 Fill the FridgeIf you have ever made a New Yearrsquos resolution to eat healthier and failed it could because you failed to fill the fridge It is a great goal but if you fail to clean out all the bad food from your shelves and fridge and then in turn fill them full of healthy food and only healthy food it will be difficult to overcome the urge to eat the Twinkie that still stares out at you from itrsquos corner of the
7THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
cupboard If you want a snack and there is only healthy food in the house then it is easy to choose healthy food1
As a language learner you too want to fill your home with those things that will support your language learning If your movie drawer is filled with hundreds of great movies in your native language and only two in the target language - two that you have seen so many times yoursquove grown to hate them - you wonrsquot be watching movies as part of your language learning
If you have an itch to put in some time with the language but your only language material is upstairs in the back bedroom you may be more apt to just go back to another funny Youtube video But if their is a copy of a target language edition of your favorite magazine on the end table a bookshelf full of target language reading material across the room and a stereo loaded up with great music - in the target language of course - you will greatly increase your chances of putting in the time
A rich language learning environment is something that you can build By doing so you will greatly increase the amount of exposure you have to the language and give yourself a better chance to be successful Immersion in todayrsquos world is more a matter of choice than it is of location Do what you can to surround yourself with the language
extra readingCreating a Personal Language Learning CultureCreate a Target Language Bubble Join Facebook
8THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
1 This idea of filling the fridge with healthy food comes from a great blog post called ldquoBad Goal Good Goalrdquo which can be found at All Japanese All The Time
6 One More Minute DadOne sure sign that my son is having fun is the frantic plea for ldquoOne more minute dadrdquo The game is just too much fun to quit right then The imaginative adventure too compelling Canrsquot he just have one more minute
I suspect that you too have had your adult versions of ldquoone more minute dadrdquo You lay in bed until 200 AM to finish the book yoursquove been reading You walk in ten minutes late to work with an excuse about bad traffic when really you were sitting in your car in the parking lot listening to the closing minutes of a World Cup qualifier match
Joy is a powerful emotion Finding things we enJOY then is an important part of maximizing the language learning journey Tap into your passions your hobbies and the things you love for your language learning
Learning a language is unique in that we can learn it through any topic we choose If you want to learn math or world history - you have to study math and world history
But if you want to learn French and you love rock climbing you can make rock climbing the topic through which you learn French If you want to learn Turkish and you love scrap booking you can read scrap booking blogs in Turkish And if you are Timothy Ferris and you want to learn Japanese so you can compete competitively in Judo in Japan - and you donrsquot want to get killed - you can get a book teaching Judo written in only in Japanese2
9THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
2 Timothy Ferrisʼs blog post How to Learn Any Language in Three Months at his blog The Four Hour Work Week Interesting article
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
cupboard If you want a snack and there is only healthy food in the house then it is easy to choose healthy food1
As a language learner you too want to fill your home with those things that will support your language learning If your movie drawer is filled with hundreds of great movies in your native language and only two in the target language - two that you have seen so many times yoursquove grown to hate them - you wonrsquot be watching movies as part of your language learning
If you have an itch to put in some time with the language but your only language material is upstairs in the back bedroom you may be more apt to just go back to another funny Youtube video But if their is a copy of a target language edition of your favorite magazine on the end table a bookshelf full of target language reading material across the room and a stereo loaded up with great music - in the target language of course - you will greatly increase your chances of putting in the time
A rich language learning environment is something that you can build By doing so you will greatly increase the amount of exposure you have to the language and give yourself a better chance to be successful Immersion in todayrsquos world is more a matter of choice than it is of location Do what you can to surround yourself with the language
extra readingCreating a Personal Language Learning CultureCreate a Target Language Bubble Join Facebook
8THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
1 This idea of filling the fridge with healthy food comes from a great blog post called ldquoBad Goal Good Goalrdquo which can be found at All Japanese All The Time
6 One More Minute DadOne sure sign that my son is having fun is the frantic plea for ldquoOne more minute dadrdquo The game is just too much fun to quit right then The imaginative adventure too compelling Canrsquot he just have one more minute
I suspect that you too have had your adult versions of ldquoone more minute dadrdquo You lay in bed until 200 AM to finish the book yoursquove been reading You walk in ten minutes late to work with an excuse about bad traffic when really you were sitting in your car in the parking lot listening to the closing minutes of a World Cup qualifier match
Joy is a powerful emotion Finding things we enJOY then is an important part of maximizing the language learning journey Tap into your passions your hobbies and the things you love for your language learning
Learning a language is unique in that we can learn it through any topic we choose If you want to learn math or world history - you have to study math and world history
But if you want to learn French and you love rock climbing you can make rock climbing the topic through which you learn French If you want to learn Turkish and you love scrap booking you can read scrap booking blogs in Turkish And if you are Timothy Ferris and you want to learn Japanese so you can compete competitively in Judo in Japan - and you donrsquot want to get killed - you can get a book teaching Judo written in only in Japanese2
9THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
2 Timothy Ferrisʼs blog post How to Learn Any Language in Three Months at his blog The Four Hour Work Week Interesting article
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
6 One More Minute DadOne sure sign that my son is having fun is the frantic plea for ldquoOne more minute dadrdquo The game is just too much fun to quit right then The imaginative adventure too compelling Canrsquot he just have one more minute
I suspect that you too have had your adult versions of ldquoone more minute dadrdquo You lay in bed until 200 AM to finish the book yoursquove been reading You walk in ten minutes late to work with an excuse about bad traffic when really you were sitting in your car in the parking lot listening to the closing minutes of a World Cup qualifier match
Joy is a powerful emotion Finding things we enJOY then is an important part of maximizing the language learning journey Tap into your passions your hobbies and the things you love for your language learning
Learning a language is unique in that we can learn it through any topic we choose If you want to learn math or world history - you have to study math and world history
But if you want to learn French and you love rock climbing you can make rock climbing the topic through which you learn French If you want to learn Turkish and you love scrap booking you can read scrap booking blogs in Turkish And if you are Timothy Ferris and you want to learn Japanese so you can compete competitively in Judo in Japan - and you donrsquot want to get killed - you can get a book teaching Judo written in only in Japanese2
9THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
2 Timothy Ferrisʼs blog post How to Learn Any Language in Three Months at his blog The Four Hour Work Week Interesting article
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
So identify the things that make you come alive that you love that make you say ldquoone more minute dadrdquo and then find those topics in the target language
extra readingTraditional Study verses Plain Ole Fun
7 Will You Be My FriendWhy do you want to learn this language If you are like me it is primarily because you want to be able to speak with native speakers of the language It is because of the people
For this reason you need to find native speaking friends You need to find them and you need to find them now There is no time like the present
If you are an expat living overseas you probably already have some If not get out the front door and find some
If you are in your home country it may be a bit more difficult but it is not impossible There are most likely native speakers in a city near you The city of Charlotte North Carolina in the states for example is reported to have speakers of 160 different languages Thatrsquos in a city of just 2 million people
But if you canrsquot find someone to sit down and buy a cup of coffee for you can at least find friends online There are scores of websites dedicated to helping language learners connect with those who speak their target language You just need to sign up and get started
10THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
You need to build friendships for a number of reasons First and foremost is purpose We all do better when we have a sense of purpose in what we are doing and a friend who speaks the language will do much to connect us to that purpose
A second reason is for encouragement Your co-workers probably donrsquot care that you want to learn another language They may think it a neat idea but will lend little in the way of encouragement A native speaking friend however cares immensely You are working to learn their language their mother tongue and they will be your biggest fan
So work to make friends in the target language from day one
extra reading12 Resources for Finding Language PartnersDestiny + Experience = Powerful Language Learning
8 Partner UpIt has often been said that the true measure of a man is found in what he does when he is alone There is a lot of truth to that dictum and so I want to encourage you to not go on the language learning journey alone
If I am honest with myself I am lazier and less focused than I let on Accountability then is a great remedy for my own shortcomings
11THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Finding others to share in the language learning journey is not only a great source of accountability but also of encouragement The writer of Ecclesiastes says it best perhaps
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work If one falls down his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up
Your best bet then would be to learn another language with a friend or two Together you can encourage one another and keep one another accountable to stay the course Together you can head down to China town or the Mexican grocery store or that authentic Kurdish restaurant to make some new friends and practice speaking and listening And you will always learn from one another
Lacking a friend to join you on the journey consider the Fluent in Three Months forum where you can post your ldquolanguage missionrdquo keep a log of your progress share your ideas and learn from others who are learning your target language
Few of us have the steel in our souls to achieve our goals purely on our own Find a partner a friend or co-worker with whom you can sojourn on this journey toward fluency in another language
extra readingFluent in Three Months Forum
12THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Some Final ThoughtsI want to begin these closing thoughts by thanking you for joining the Everyday Language Learner community and for taking the time to read this short article I hope it has been empowering and encouraging and I look forward to continuing to be a part of your language learning journey I hope you will take a moment to share The Everyday Language Learner with your friends on Facebook Twitter or by just standing up wherever you are at and making announcement-)
Thanks so much for reading and blessings on your language learning journey
-Aaron
You can also keep up to date with all things EDLL by following along on
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogle+
Stumble Upon
13THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
A Few Resources
If you are at a place of needing more direction as you begin to learn another language consider signing up for The Ten Week Journey It is a free email course designed to walk you into self-directed language learning
Click on this link to learn more about The Ten Week Journey
If you have been on the language learning journey for a while but have at times run out of steam then you may want to check out my free ebook Sustaining It was written to help you create maintain and protect your motivation commitment and attitude toward learning another language
Click this link to read Sustaining now
Finally I want to encourage you to be sure and explore the blog and see what other great resources are available to help you as you learn another language A few pages you may be interested in are
Language Learning Activities This page is filled with activities you can use to learn the language in personal study with a native speaking helper or out in the community
Language Specific Page This page - filled with flags - has links to resources for each of the languages found there If the language you are learning is not present send me a nasty email and Irsquoll get on it right away
14THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
Getting Started Resources This page hosts links to loads of language learning resources that can be found online most for free
I do have two ebooks for sale Check them out if you would like (And remember you can receive a 30 discount by using the discount code newmember30)
Click here to learn about The Guide To Self-Assessment
Click here to learn about the Guide to Getting Started
(The First Class edition of the Guide to Getting Started includes the Guide to Self-Assessment 3 great interviews with everyday language learners 20 audio lessons planning
worksheets and more)
_________________
15THE EVERYDAY LANGUAGE LEARNER
