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ravenlesslangblr · 5 years

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9 points about language learning and how I’m learning 20+ of them

I’ve had a few requests to write about how I learn my languages. To different degrees, there’s currently 20+ of them and I don’t see myself stopping yet. The thing is, learning languages comes really easily to me and I want to share, maybe it will be helpful to somebody else.

First, I’d like to have a look at first versus second language acquisition. I’m a linguist and I’m super interested in Child Language Acquisition. That however, has a critical age of 14 (or so I was always told) and is then no longer possible and any language learned after that age will never progress as quickly or can’t be learned perfectly. Well. I disagree. The simple difference is - first language acquisition is how you acquired your first language(s) as a child. By imitating, finding patterns, etc. Second language acquisition is what you know from language courses. Vocabulary, irregular verb tables, endless exercises. Now that we got some of the terminology off the table, let me see how I actually learn languages: 1) I utilise elements of the first language acquisition rather than second language I’ve only studied vocab a couple times at school, when I put them into Quizlet or when someone forced me to. I’ll get back to it in another point. I don’t learn patterns. I know there is one and I let the input do its magic of slithering into my head. Again, more on that in point 2. You always get told you’ll learn a language better when you’re thrown into the country where they speak it. And it’s so true because of the processes behind it. Because input and immersion are the keys and that’s how children learn, too.

2) I don’t cram languages. I process them.

Around langblrs, I keep seeing all the ‘crying over verb tables’, ‘trying to learn a 1000 words this week’ and the like. That may work for you, sure. But I’ve never done that. I did learn a few irregular verb patterns for German in class, but while I could recite them, it wasn’t helpful. In Irish, I sometimes still wonder which verb ‘An ndeachaigh tú?’ comes from. The thing is, you’re able to process language. You know this word is probably irregular. If you come across it and don’t know what the irregular form is, look it up. After you’ve looked it up for the tenth time, you’ll probably remember by then. Same with anything else. Don’t try to learn things by heart when it comes to languages. 3) Vocab?? Same rule applies here. I’ve only learned vocab at school and then a handful of times when I wasn’t too lazy to put it into Quizlet (which is fun and I learn something, but it’s more of a useful pastime than anything). When you read, just skip the words you don’t know and only really look them up if you can’t tell by context. NEVER translate vocabulary. I mean, sure, look up what it means, but don’t connect it to the word itself. Connect it to the meaning. Pictures work better. As for abstract words, imagine the concept. Just try not to bridge the meaning of the word with your native language. Languages in your brain are meant to be two separate units. Unless you’re working on a translation piece, they shouldn’t be ‘touching’. 4) I use example sentences for everything.

Grammar guides are useful but rather than learning all the rules at once, take it one step at a time and remember some example sentences and let them guide you through the grammar rule you need.

5) Input is everything. Output is hard, but you’re basically imitating input and utilizing patterns you know (or think you know). Let me give you an example. Let’s say I’m writing a piece on my daily routine, for example. I make use of the example sentences and try to tailor them to my own needs. Trial and error, if I make a mistake, it’s okay, if somebody points it out, I probably won’t make it next time. As I progress, I will gradually remove the mistake. Same goes to new words and new verbs. Use the input you’ve got. Does this verb sound like some other verb you’ve heard before? It’s might have a similar conjugation pattern. You can check it, you don’t have to.

6) Learning languages should NOT be stressful! I never stressed over learning a language. Sure, I’m frustrated that after a year and a half of learning Irish, I’m not 100% fluent, but I’ve never stressed over it. I’ve never cried over it. I’ve never cried over a language (I only cried after a French oral exam which I thought I failed). Don’t be hard on yourself and try learning through a method that’s not stressful. Watch videos for children. Read books for children. Write down cool things in your target language(s). 7) You’ve learned a language before. Why wouldn’t you be able to learn it now in a very similar way? This is basically me saying that I have little belief in the efficiency of pure second language acquisition. Maybe a few individuals can reach fluency by cramming a language, the thing is, I think that if we concentrate on processing instead of remembering, just like we did when we were children, we can reach better results in a shorter amount of time. Also, if this is your third or fourth language, compare to languages you already know. 8) I don’t start with basics. I start ‘somewhere’.

Delve into the language the second you’ve started. Are you overwhelmed? That’s fine! You’ll find your way around it. Start with word meanings, finding out what kind of sentences those are and then build your way around it. Don’t start saying ‘hello’ and ‘I’m from’. Those are cool, but usually, they are used in a different way when you actually go out and speak. You’ll get them along the way.

9) Don’t rely on instructions (only). Rely on yourself.

This is just my two cents. I’ve pieced this together trying to remember how I’ve learned what I’ve learned and comparing it to how others around me learned. Please, let me know if it makes any sense. I may edit this and post this again later if I have any more ideas. Feel free to contribute or to bombard me with questions. I’m happy to answer.

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student-succulent · 4 years

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I recently got an adorable fern at a plant shop along with a blu matcha latte. Feat. Studying at my campus library

#student-succulent #studyblr #study mode #studying #library time #studyspo #study inspiration #plant #rivkahlook #pinetreelookie #thekingsstudy #theonlysaylor #cyclicstudies #birchtreestudies #adelinestudies #studign

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hannybstudies · 5 years

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❀ keep on dreaming

#bujospo #bujo #my bujo #bullet journal #studyblr #studyspo #journal #seventh bujo #2019 #08122019 #heypat #lookrylie #lookraha #theonlysaylor #thekingsstudy #staedyhan #gloomstudy

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icarus-study · 5 years

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- ̗̀ 23092019 ̖́-

📑 last week’s september spread! i focused on more of neutral tones and i kinda liked it

🍂 did you guys participate in the Global Climate Change march??? i did !! it was in my city and we marched for a good cause. i urge you all to find an organisation and do the same. saving the planet is in our hands now.

🌩 this week i’m planning to finish a ton of my physics work so i hope the physics gods give me some energy phewww

also, SEVENTEEN’s new album is out and i’m just—

🎧 lie again - SEVENTEEN

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oatberrystudies · 5 years

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tagged along on my younger siblings college tours! we even visited my college but being back on campus just made me miss it more ):

#studyblr #adelinestudiess #heykenzie #gloomstudy #theonlysaylor #saylorlook #lookbuse #elleandhermione #michellenstudies #pltuo #itshannyb #studywithanna #mine #heypooh #smilegogh #it was nice to be back on campus tho #i have a countdown on my phone for when i go back #august 11th babyy

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snreads · 5 years

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Tips For Writing A Bilingual/Polylingual Character:

People who speak more than one language aren’t as likely to accidentally start speaking another language as they are made out to be. There are little slip-ups, however, that are more realistic. In my experience, this is what I think it’s more like when you know/have learned/are learning multiple languages:

Your character might use the wrong word when listing things! I’m very likely to sometimes use the wrong word for an item on my grocery list. Even if it’s just one or two items randomly on the list that are in another language, and I might not notice them until later or if someone points them out. Sometimes I’ll put the first letter, realize that I’m about to write the wrong word, and come up with something else I need that starts with the letter I accidentally wrote.

Sometimes sentences come out so wrong, but not necessarily because of a different learned language. More like it’s out of normal English word order and it sounds ridiculous. I obviously correct myself as soon as it happens and make a joke usually, but that happens a lot if I’m not thinking while talking or if I’m talking too fast. I get really embarrassed about it, especially because I’ve been around English for nineteen years lmao but not everyone does- and they shouldn’t be because they know more than one language and that’s so cool!

I forget words ALL the time. I will sit there and try and describe it or be like “the thingy”. Sometimes it will seem so obvious and it could literally be the dumbest thing, but I think it’s much more likely than just ‘switching’ into the wrong language for other people as well.

Think about your character’s problem words! I have a tendency to have to ask for confirmation on certain words, avoid using certain words, or think I’m spelling words incorrectly because of the way they look/sound seeming wrong to me. For example, I had to type ‘usually’ twice in the second bullet because it looked wrong. I have issues with other words like ceiling, separate, recommendation, etc. Sometimes when I write them out or type them they look wrong. I’ve also been told I pronounce certain words like ‘both’ and ‘tourist’ weirdly??

If one of your characters knows sign language, they might have a tendency to use their hands when talking, signing words they’re saying with small motions in front of their stomach, near hips, etc. Or some specific words they may sign while speaking frequently. For example, I have a tendency of using the “same” or “me too” sign a LOT while talking, more frequently than some other words I sometimes don’t realize I’m signing.

Sometimes with fatigue or caffeine-deprivation, I will accidentally almost start a sentence in the wrong language BUT I notice. I don’t sit there and try to talk to someone in the language not noticing, it’s more like I almost do and it’s a very quick ‘no, wrong’ in my brain.

I don’t experience this, but sometimes people learn certain subjects in certain languages, so they think about the subject in that language. Someone might learn math in their native language and never learn it in English, or astrology in a certain language, or maybe just science in general. Maybe they analyze literature in their native language.

Sometimes people speak a ‘franken-language’. My old art teacher married a man from Colombia and she speaks ‘Spanglish’ lmao. She knows a lot about Spanish, a lot of vocabulary, and they spend most of the year in Colombia, but she’s not fluent so sometimes her conversations are more like a bunch of parts from both languages put together.

There are a lot more! And every person is different, so remember that, but this list is getting very long so I’ll leave it at this for now. Feel free to add on!

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bujo-ie · 5 years

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5.18.19 - criminal law & investigations workshop, week 3/5

messing around with lighting and angles while on my lunch break during the criminal law workshop i’m in. not pictured: the amazing melt i had for lunch & the girls i bonded w after my second mock trial !!

🎶 1+1 = love // super junior d&e 📚 anna karenina // leo tolstoy

#jynsdesk #itshannyb #heypat #gloomstudy #adelinestudiess #studyblr #studyspo #studylustre #theonlysaylor #monarchstudies #bujo-ie

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faeinting · 5 years

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Hello my scrunchies 💜💜 here are some revision notes for my English exam!! I've been working on a painting and making a few timelapses and it looks super cool :) I'm very excited to show you all! Anywaysss how was your day?? Drop an ask if you want ✨

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thestudyfeels · 5 years

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If you're tired, read this. Please.

Hey, amigo.

It's hard, isn't it?

I know. Sometimes, it's painful too.

Sometimes you really wanna give up, throw the books, hide in a corner and never take any action again.

I understand. I really do.

But I'm not here to collaborate on the pity party. I'm not going to join in on the groaning challenge, or complain about how hard it is.

First, get this though. It is hard. I won't lie. It is worth groaning upon. Maybe one or two pity parties are affordable too.

Yet, there's a pact we've make together, and I'd like to remind you of it, before we talk further. New here? We call it the Shush Pact.

Don't do it. Don't complain. Don't whine. Don't give in so easily. Don't.

Go ahead. Make the pact. Now.

Go on! Do it.

Tell yourself, today's hard. Tiring. But, I won't give in to this. Nor will I complain and moan about it, and waste my energy. Not today, Amelia! Today's not that day.

Done?

Sure?

Okay. Let's go.

If you're tired.

If you're tired, exhausted of the hustle, and almost at your breaking point, I want you to remember how MUCH this means to you.

I don't know what’s driving you nuts. Maybe it's a math problem you just can't crack. The presentation due next week that isn't up to the mark. Maybe it's 3 gigantic books you have to read up on before your next theology class. Perhaps your business has come at a standstill, and you can't get it to grow. Or maybe you hate your job, and have finally, bravely, taken the step to work the 6 hours after you come home on building the art portfolio of your dreams, because in your heart, you've always been an artist. Maybe you're juggling three jobs and working late nights to save enough money to catch the dream bus.

I don't know. But I do know that it means a lot to you.

I know how passionate you're about this, and how much it means to you.

And yet, you're tired.

You're tired of it!

You're tired of studying so much. You're tired of DMing every business in town, to have none reply back. You're tired of working so much, handling so much, and you feel like you haven't had a break since you were a kid. You're tired of the pressure, you're tired of the hustle and you just… wanna quit.

Don't.

Please.

It's hard to be positive in this dark, numb time and you're starting to work mechanically, questioning your existence with every hour, but I have to make you understand! You're worth this! You're so worthy of this, my love.

Please don't quit.

Don't give up. It's hard, but seal those lips, and trust your gut. I know you can make it. You've worked so hard for this! You've struggled so much, invested in so many weeks of work, and right now, at your breaking point, I want you to realise that you're worthy. Of getting that grade, that degree, finding a job you love, your crazy ambitions of opening a flower shop… everything! All of it!

You deserve the world.

Listen to me. Open your ear and listen: you're tired, yes. But here's the truth. You're not done yet.

You've got so much to prove to yourself. So many identities to identify yourself with. Exams to slay, jobs to get, money to make, dreams to build, people to meet and love to spread.

Listen. There's more to this. There's more to YOU.

Don't give up now.

Not today.

You're not done yet.

Tiredness will pass, and I want you to just try pushing through this. Just try. You'll see you're so capable of winning and it'll blow your mind when you look back and realise the strength you truly possessed because you were able to push through.

Winning is your blood. It's your oxygen.

Tiredness is a toxic. A poison. You're not tired, you just think you are. When the human brain says it's done, it's actually got 70% more to give.

Don't forget. Your legacy awaits. If this truly means everything to you, if you've already put in hundreds of hours of work into this, PUSH THROUGH! You've got to, because your future self deserves a better life! Don't let them tell you that you need a break. A Hawaii vacation. They'll say you're getting nowhere and urge you to take a break.

You and me, we both know you don't need one. You just needed a reminder of your capabilities.

And I've given you that now.

Just remember, you're not done yet.

So fuck tiredness.

Go win.

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enjoying-ce · 5 years

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Summer vibes! I hope that my project will end this month, the temperature outside is always 35°C to 37°C 😭

#bullet journal #bulletjournalofalelie #bullet journal goals #bujoph #bujocommunity #bujolove #bujo spread #studyinspiration #milkystudies #journaling junkie #thekingsstudy #hannybstudies #einstetic #theonlysaylor #adelinestudiess #10yeols #katsdesk #studylustre

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ravenlesslangblr · 5 years

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Let’s bust a myth.

Irish is NOT hard. It is NOT hard to learn. It is NOT impossible to learn. Irish is actually quite an easy language. The keyword here is that it’s different. It’s a different kind of language. Not your Standard European Average language like German or French. There is a lot of influence from Semitic languages, which is attributed to either substratum, language contact and...coincidence? Here’s a list of reasons why Irish is not hard to learn. 1. It’s phonetic. Once you learn the rules of reading it, you can read almost any word, no matter how confusing and long it is. It’s phonetic. So each letter or group of letters correspond to one sound. There may be slight alterations in the various dialects, but you can’t go horribly wrong like you can in English.

2. It’s regular. There are only 11 irregular verbs and out of those, only 6 are pretty crazy and have to be looked out for, other than that, there are very few exceptions.

3. Look out for mutations Lenitions and eclipses. They mark grammatical meaning (like inflections do in other languages, for example) and they make a huge difference. Sometimes, there are disputes between dialects (ar an bhus and ar an mbus, i’m looking at you Ulster and Munster), but you’re not going to make a huge faux-pas when you say mo teaglach instead of mo theaglach. You’re going to be understood, you’ve just made a mistake. 4. The few resources there are are actually very good. I’m going to be posting about these in the crash courses I’m planning to do. 5. Look out for genitive Genitive is tricky and sneaky. But it can be looked up if you’re having trouble since again, it is very regular. 6. The Irish speakers are the most welcoming and supporting language community I’ve met No shade towards other communities (honestly, still scared of French people), but if you show just a little bit of knowledge of Irish, you will be praised and everybody is going to be so happy. If you make a mistake, no problem, everybody makes mistakes, you learn from mistakes. That’s the kind of approach I’ve experienced so far anyway. If fears of difficulty are keeping you from learning Irish, don’t let them. Irish is NOT hard and it’s not worth being scared of.

#irish #gaeilge #language learning #polyglot #multilingual #language #languages #langblr #studyblr #dutch-polyglot #theonlysaylor #coffeshops-and-notes #mine

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student-succulent · 4 years

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2.14.20: Happy Valentine’s Day!

I hope you are having a wonderful day! I spent most of the day at home but I wanted to share my very valentine’s themed bullet journal for the month!

If you didn’t know I have non-stop been thinking about Miss Honey from Matilda and how much I love her (I could make a whole post about it if you tell me too). So the theme this month is just pretty pink things and wanting to have the wonderful aesthetic and love that is Miss Honey.

#student-succulent #studyblr #bullet journal #bujo #february bujo #study inspiration #studying #studyspo #heypat #pinetreelookie #thekingsstudy #theonlysaylor #rivkahlook #adelinestudies #birchtreestudies #cyclicstudies #valentines bujo

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hannybstudies · 5 years

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had the afternoon off yesterday so I treated myself to a giant latte and sending happy mail to my pen pals! also, here's a glimpse of my tiny daily journal that I keep with me constantly; I love using it throughout my day!!

studygram // previous post

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icarus-study · 5 years

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- ̗̀ 18082019 ̖́-

went to my favourite local café with my best friend and had the best banana crêpes.

anygays,,,, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 1,009 followers 🥺🍃🌾🌋🌤

i promise to keep up with the content and make all of y’all’s day better if i can :) thank you thank you thank you for all the love and support. let’s keep moving forward on this journey together 🐾

🎧 midnight city - M83

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ohilily · 5 years

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03.19.2019 // lots of work ft. an email trying to get my group to be productive

You’d think that communications majors would be better at communicating.... I hate group projects because I always have to be the annoying person sending out emails like this and being kinda mean + salty. :// But! On a more positive note: my group members actually responded to my email this time! Also I’m feeling really happy and motivated lately. It’s amazing what a break can do for your mental health. :)

#studyblr #university studyblr #comm major #communications major #communications student #studyblr community #comm studyblr #study motivation #studyspiration #theonlysaylor #thekingsstudy #saylorlook #productivity #coffee #work #motivation #mine

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snreads · 5 years

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4 Eanáir 2019

I have to finish this spread but the last book from my little Christmas book haul just arrived! The Idiot by Dostoevsky. I’m super excited to read this whole pile of books :) My entire recent outlook is about bettering myself, for me and for my surroundings, so this journal spread is expressing that!

The little quote that says, “The sun, the moon, the trees, the shrubs, and the bugs,” is actually something that my dad said while we were talking about spirituality! I thought it sounded cute. Gonna make a quote image that’s signed ‘-Saylor’s Dad’ lol

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