The 7 Systems I Use To Make Language Learning Bearable.

It’s almost sensible to say that I despise those that advocate fluency in a language after a short period.

I’ve never been the best learner, so naturally it takes me some time to get information in rather than automatically absorb it.

How I wish I had a photographic memory.

Your boy’s done good most of his life though, I've always been average with grades or results but I got the job done regardless.

Language learning is a whole other beast though.

I say this because my ‘why’ is so strong that I’m choosing to return to two languages daily rather than quit because it’s taking too long.

I'm aiming that at the 80% of people who quit because of that reason.

And maybe they quit because they want fluency quicker than Barry Allen.

But really and truly, if there was a hack to learning a language that fast, people would learn it for the sake of flexing.

Would you really use it to speak to others and have meaningful conversations?

Would you still appreciate the countries and cultures?

Why lie, I want to flex learning two languages, but my why is strong enough to move past that and understand that I can operate on a higher plane.

The work needs doing though.

I mean I’m at a grown age.

Sure when you're at school your parents force you to sit down and do your homework.

But really, after college, it’s all you.

You're on your own to shape your own learning and take accountability for how to take in the information.

The whole purpose of 'understanding" information and concepts in the education system can be bs as it’s mostly a memory test.

I say mostly, but you still need some basic intelligence sprinkled with good learning methods and some slight discipline to understand how you want your future to shape.

Enough of the bad memories.

This was written because I always hear the common question of 'where to start' for language learning.

Then I hear "Immerse yourself in the culture, books, TV shows, etc."

No one’s ever too specific.

It's because different things work for different people.

These are a system, a lifting aid that has helped me to understand concepts and take in vocabulary and grammar.

This is the list of methods that have worked the best for me.

1.Anki

This is how I've been able to pick up words in the most efficient way. 

For me, it's all about constant repetition. 

It's boring as hell having to go through 250+ flashcards for each language, and most of the time it's whole sentences as well as individual words. 

This equals multiple words picked up from a single card. 

This usually takes me 45 minutes to an hour if I do my whole stack in one go but I've been working on refining them by cutting cards I’ve had on there for a while or words I'm already familiar with.

Boring = consistency which usually gets the most progress.

2. Note-taking.

I write the transliteration for Arabic because it's faster than actually writing the Arabic letters.

While I did this at the start, having a good foundation from a young age of Arabic letters helped, being subjected to Islamic studies.

However, reading the Quran vs reading spoken Arabic is pretty different, so it can still be difficult to read.

This does help to reinforce certain concepts and vocab compared to typing out at times.

I don’t want any judgments about my handwriting as it’s pretty bad, but it's not meant to be pretty or aesthetic.

My job is to get it from pen to paper, break it down and then get it onto my flashcard app to get it in my head.

Simple tactics.

3. YouTube Videos.

A step up from podcasts as I can see the language being spoken and with subtitles too.

For French, when reading the translation I can understand around 70%, but what helps is hearing how the words are spoken.

Simple conversations about random things help me to see the words I know and then pick up new vocab such as adjectives or the way prepositions are used to connect words.

For Arabic, it's a bit harder but the courses in Levantine Arabic such as 'Learn Arabic with Manar' show the breakdown of grammar rules and common sentences used.

Short videos, quick notes and then refine and review.

That's powerful, especially to learn words for comprehension and conversations.

4. Weekly lessons.

It's always great investing in your learning.

My teacher's a G who understands my learning style, which is important.

I find myself usually dreading the sessions, but when they're over, I learn a lot.

I can confidently say that the speaking element of languages is the part of where I’m the least confident.

I know the words; it’s just constructing the sentences and following the rules of that language.

While French comes easier, it's taken a backseat as my secondary so I can focus on Arabic and improve on the speaking.

It's definitely worth investing outside of free resources.

5. Podcasts

I find it hard to pick up stuff from these as I can only hear the audio and understand like 20-40% for both languages.

It's very versatile to begin with as it helps you pick up and get adjusted to conversations about almost any topic in your target language.

Recently while listening to French conversations, I found free-flowing conversations are better for me because while picking up on average every 3-5 words per sentence, the rest can be deciphered.

Arabic comes a bit harder though, which is why I usually have it slowed down or watch TV shows with the subtitles.

It's a method that I probably use only when traveling or at the gym sometimes, due to the convenience.

6. Books/worksheets

Only ranked low because I actually don't read as much in my languages.

I have a French stories book which I usually neglect, focusing more on videos and flashcards.

I've only recently started to implement worksheets so I'll be able to combine notetaking and reading with this.

My tactic is usually to read and highlight any unfamiliar words or phrases, then add them to Anki until I'm familiar.

Once I'm a bit more adept, I'll have to add reading to my arsenal.

7. Language apps.

I added this here for jokes.

Not even valid at this point because I'm a prime hater for streaks.

It's good for beginners, I'll give it that but it weeds out those who are serious about language learning vs those who want to learn basic phrases.

Obviously no disrespect to individuals who struggle to learn with the other methods; maybe it helps you get accustomed to the learning process.

I found once you start to get that streak, you only really clock in to maintain it.

That dumb bird.

Simply not a good use of time.

The bottom line

My list = methods that work for me.

No perfect systems here, just stuff that helps me learn French and Arabic effectively.

You might find that it works upside down for you with this list.

Generally by doing most of these throughout my week, I’ve been able to pick up a lot more than usual.

I was initially on and off for around a year, but now for the last 4-6 months I’ve got a good system going.

Try it.

Experiment with it.

Get the needle moving.

You might enjoy one, a few or all of the learning methods.

Your challenge for this week: It doesn’t need to be a language. Part of chasing a creative win daily can be the element of learning.

• Try to use one of these systems for learning.

• If you have a note-taking system or a learning method, is there something you can do to refine it?

If you need some help with this or want to discuss it further, feel free to reach out on Instagram @liftlangleon.

If there’s any more detail you think I missed in regards to learning a language, you know where to find me.

Till next time, peace.

LiftLangLeon