Comments on: The Biggest Language-Learning Lesson I’ve Learned

By: Iris

Iris — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 16:07:54 +0000

Hi ,Noel,
Thank you very much for your comments, I think the best -way to learn a new language is to use it with native speakers, but very often they are not at hand. It depends where oneself lives! For example I can read a lot in English but is very scarce my comprehension when I listen somebody speaking English!
Best regards and thanks !

By: hoseyn

hoseyn — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 20:52:02 +0000

In reply to Sergio Rodrigues.

according to my favorite polyglot i agree with you
( i love you steve kufman 😉 )
steve is the best

By: Noel van Vliet

Noel van Vliet — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 00:03:21 +0000

In reply to Amy Whitney.

Great comment, Amy. Thanks.

I agree 100%.

This “skipping” or jumping ahead is a sign of our times I guess. It’s like people want the reward — speaking a new language — without actually putting in the work to earn it, i.e.: the back-end work.

By: Amy Whitney

Amy Whitney — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 19:42:20 +0000

Hi Noel! This is the first time I have found your website and blog. I completely agree with this article and I had the same experience and results after visiting Ecuador and Colombia for 3 months recently. Despite talking to people everyday, my level of speaking did not take off like a rocket, I was only able to use the words, verbs and grammar that I already new with more flow. The communication was still quite simple and I constantly felt limited in how I wanted to express myself.

Perhaps some people are able to pickup new words and absorb the language though speaking and listening but I am not one of those people. If I would have continued with my studying and vocab building while travelling, my results would have been 1000% more impressive.

I have a website helps intermediate to advanced English students and this is the concept I have been trying to explain to so many people that write to me saying ‘I just need a native speaker to talk with! That will solve all my English learning problems’. They are skipping the training aspect. It’s awesome to talk to native speakers to prove your ability to communicate but the majority of the ‘training’ should be done outside of conversations.

By: Noel van Vliet

Noel van Vliet — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 01:29:23 +0000

In reply to frank ferendo.

That’s great to hear, Frank. Thanks.

Yes, I’m convinced that you already need to be at a certain level to make conversing really work for you. If you are, then conversing is an excellent way to become fluent in what you know.

But even then, it’s most effective to keep doing a certain amount of back-end work. For example, I developed the “Saying the Unsaid” method. It’s a method in which you identify what you wanted to say but couldn’t say in a conversation and then using that in your back-end work, and eventually bringing it back to a conversation. BTW the report that explains this method is free for all Smart Language Learner subscribers.

Thanks so much for your comment. Always great to hear positive comments!
Noel

By: frank ferendo

frank ferendo — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 01:40:33 +0000

Finally someone saying something that makes sense. I kept hearing the experts say that you just have to immerse yourself in the language, speak, and listen. I live in Vietnam and have been studying for several years now. When people speak to me if I don’t know the word, I don’t know it. It means nothing to me. So, you are right, first you have to know words, and how they sound, then try to use the words in conversation. The problem is, when they start speaking back, if I don’t know the words, it’s a waste of time. So, you have to do lots and lots of back-end work before you can speak, and even more before you can listen and learn anything. Thanks, I feel a whole lot better after reading your article.

By: Noel van Vliet

Noel van Vliet — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 20:17:54 +0000

In reply to David Feigelson. Yes, repetition is key. I wrote a post about it here. However, not all repetition works for everyone. Technically, flashcards should be the ideal tool to learn vocab, but many people have trouble using them. I take it from what you're saying that what you are trying to improve is your listening comprehension? Or are more than 50% of the words you hear unfamiliar to you? If the latter is the case, then I think you're not using your time optimally. However, it could be that you can't stand learning in a more traditional way. Then this is the best way for you to learn. How you go about learning a language should IMO always depend on who you are (language-learner profile) and where you are (the stage you are in). If you like you can read more about it here. Thanks for the comment Noel

By: David Feigelson

David Feigelson — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:47:27 +0000

I agree that having the same conversations makes one feel like there is no progress being made. I experience this almost everytime I talk to a native speaker in Chinese. Perhaps it is a symptom of not challenging ourselves. I think moving to the next level in a foreign language can be scary, especially if one is studying on their own. I just find textbooks boring to work with. Lately I have listening to academic lectures on different aspects of Chinese culture in Chinese. I think the repetition is the key. The more I listen to them, the more my brain makes sense of what I am listening to. Would like to know your thoughts about this method.

By: Noel van Vliet

Noel van Vliet — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 17:40:06 +0000

In reply to Spanish courses. Exactly, the front end and the back end need each other. By using both we can learn a new language faster and better. Thanks!

By: Spanish courses

Spanish courses — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 15:09:43 +0000

I think immersion in the language really is vital for obtaining a better fluency but to really make the most of it you have to back it up by studying and also putting yourself in different situations that aren’t so day-to-day.