Mihaela Claudia P

I am a polyglot, and I am now learning my eighth language, which is German. I started learning less than three months ago, studying one hour a day, and I am already approaching B1 level. This is the method I use, which I find very efficient.

In an increasingly AI-driven world, human talent and skills will become more and more valued. One of these skills is the ability to communicate with others in their own language without the use of technology. This skill is applicable in various scenarios, such as:

• Connecting with locals at a deeper level and making a good impression by speaking their language.
• Business purposes, where speaking with potential investors or collaborators in their own language without any help can make a huge difference and increase success rates.

Learning a new language can be daunting, but not if you do it the right way. Now, let me clarify: there isn’t an actual “right” way. When it comes to languages, the “right way” is the way that suits you. I do not appreciate those “gurus” who insist that you must follow a specific method because that’s how a language should be learned. Not quite! You need to find the method that works for you, no matter what the studies say.

Let me clarify this point as well. If you research the best methods to learn a new language, you’ll tend to see two main approaches:

1. Standard Method: Learn vocabulary, grammar, use flashcards, etc.
2. Immersion Method: Forget about grammar and vocabulary, and just focus on listening. Consume content in the desired language.

The second method has become more and more popular recently, with some claiming that the first method is just a business trying to sell books and courses and that it isn’t efficient. Also, people like the idea of learning a new language without the hassle of learning the grammar or the vocabulary. So, which method should you choose? It depends on your personality. I tend to stay in the middle.

Here’s my step-by-step process for learning a new language (all free):

1. Start with Pronunciation Videos:
   • I begin by watching videos about how different groups of letters are pronounced. For example, I learn how ‘ch’ is pronounced in German. This helps me get an idea of how certain words should sound.
2. Learn Basic Verbs and Conjugations:
   • Next, I look at the main verbs and their basic conjugations. Once you know how to conjugate one regular verb, you can apply that to others. I also review the conjugation of key irregular verbs. For tenses, I focus on the simple past, present, and future. I don’t obsess over every detail, but having a general understanding helps with the next steps.
3. Familiarize Yourself with Basic Vocabulary:
   • I have fun learning the main vocabulary, such as numbers, days, months, and time-related words.
4. Watch Simple Dialogue Videos:
   • I search for videos with very simple dialogues that are in English with German translations. Currently, I’m watching a video that is 6 hours and 22 minutes long, and I plan to watch it 4-5 times until I am familiar with all 2000 conversations. Watching shorter videos multiple times also helps. As you watch, you’ll start recognizing words that appear frequently.
5. Watch Movies in Multiple Languages:
   • This is the most important step. I watch a movie in English, then the same movie in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and finally German with corresponding subtitles. By the time I watch it in German, I am already familiar with the dialogue, which helps me understand the German subtitles and dubbing. If you’re not a polyglot, watch the movie twice in your language to get familiar with the dialogue, then in your desired language. I use Netflix, but any service that allows you to watch the same movie in multiple languages will work. Choose movies with simple dialogues, like romances or comedies. Also, I found really useful (even if feels a bit weird) turning on audio description. Audio Description is a service that provides additional commentary and narration to help visually impaired individuals understand and enjoy visual media, such as movies, TV shows, theatre performances, and even museum exhibits.

This method has been very effective for me, making the learning process enjoyable and efficient. One could argue that watching same videos and movies many times could be boring and annoying, but always remember the reason why you are doing it. You want to learn a new language, you are not just watching a movie, you are studying, it’s more of a task than just enjoying the movie.

Further tips:

This is my method. It’s very easy and, for me, very efficient. I have tried both methods mentioned, and while both work, the immersion method takes years (that’s how I learned Spanish). If you’re in a hurry to learn a new language, I wouldn’t recommend it as a standalone method. Mixing both methods can speed up the learning process.

Here’s an example: When you watch a movie, you often see verbs conjugated in various tenses. Without any grammar knowledge, it will take ages to recognize these words. You will think that you have no clue what that word means, when in reality it could be a verb that you know. For example, take the verb ESSEN (to eat), conjugated in past perfect ‘wir hatten gegessen‘ (we had eaten). If you had a basic understanding of verb conjugation, you would be able to understand that the word ‘gegessen‘ has something to do with the word ‘essen‘ and that is a verb conjugation.

When I started learning German, I went straight into watching movies, and it was a disaster. I stopped and created my own method. When I was ready to watch movies again, I could recognize conjugated verbs, even if I didn’t remember the exact translation. Knowing that it was a verb conjugated in a certain tense helped a lot. Additionally, nouns in German are capitalized. If you know this, when you see a capitalized word, you will know that it’s a noun. Little details like these ones, could be very useful if you have a deadline for learning a new language.

Long story short, here’s what I believe about learning a new language:

• Learn Grammar and Vocabulary First: Learning grammar and vocabulary to a certain degree before watching movies or videos in your chosen language is crucial if you want to speed up the process. If you are not in a hurry, you can use the second method, although it can be very frustrating at first since you won’t understand a single word.
• Effort is Required: There’s no such thing as learning a language in a lazy way, and it annoys me when people say that. Learning a new language requires effort, and if you are serious about it, you need to accept that. That being said, if you love languages and learning in general (like I do), it won’t seem that hard. Personally, I have fun learning German, and the more words I learn, the more interesting it becomes.
• Choose Your Method: Do not let anyone tell you that one method is better than another, even if they use strong arguments and claim that their method is backed by studies or research. Using the wrong method for you can slow you down and frustrate you, making you think that you are the problem (e.g., “I can’t learn this language, it’s so hard, I am too old for this”). Every language is learnable if you use the right method, personalized to what works best for you.

Thank you for reaching the end of my seventh blog post.