#learning

[clever-ludicrous]

How to Actually Learn a Language (Without Wasting Time)

Polyglots will do anything to sell you something, so here’s the fastest and most basic technique based on my research.

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Step 1 – Getting the Absolute Basics In

This is where most people already get lost. If you search social media for how to start, the advice isn’t necessarily bad, but it often makes you dependent on a single resource, usually an app that will eventually try to charge you. Duolingo, for example, has turned into a mega-corporation that perfected gamification to keep you on the app.

Remember: free apps make money by keeping you on their platform, not by helping you become fluent.

At this stage, the goal is not to gain conversational skills but to avoid overwhelming yourself and get a feel for what you’re actually getting into. All my recommended resources are free because I believe learning a language should be a basic right. I wouldn’t advise spending any money until you’re sure you’ll stick with it. Otherwise, it can turn into a toxic “but I paid for this, so I have to keep going” mindset that drains all the fun out of learning.

• Language Transfer – Highly recommended for Spanish, Arabic, Turkish, German, Greek, Italian, Swahili, and French.

• Textbooks – Simply search for [language] textbook PDF, or check LibGen and the Internet Archive. Don’t overthink which book to choose—it doesn’t matter much.

• Podcasts – Coffee Break is a solid choice for many languages.

• YouTube Channels – Join r/Learn[language] on Reddit and find recommendations.

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Step 2 – The 20/80 Principle

The idea is that 20% of words make up 80% of everyday speech.

What you’re going to do:

Search “Most common words [language] PDF”.

This list is now your best friend

For flashcards, I highly recommend AnkiPro. It lets you import pre-made lists for Anki/Quizlet and has an archive where you’ll definitely find the most common words. But it lacks audio. The real Anki program has it, but only on PC (unless you’re willing to pay $30 for the mobile app). Use AnkiPro for now—we’ll come back to repeating phrases later. In the meantime, find a YouTube video with the most common words pronounced, or use Google Translate for audio.

(Knowt is a free alternative for Quizlet if you prefer that)

These lists will spare you from learning unnecessary vocabulary at this stage. Spaced repetition (which Anki uses) can take longer, but it’s worth it because you want these words to stick. Anki will only introduce a small number of new words per day. Once you start new words, write phrases using them. Doesn’t matter if they’re random just try to use them.

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Step 3 – The First Breakup With the Language

This isn’t really a step, but I have to mention it. For me (and for other language learners I’ve talked to) this is where motivation crashes.

The dopamine rush is over. Your ego boost is gone. You’re stuck understanding just enough to notice how much you don’t understand, and topics are getting more complex. Everything feels overwhelming, and motivation drops.

This is normal. You have to push through it.

I’ll write a separate post on how I manage this phase, but for now:

• Take a step back and make sure you understand the basics.

• Find something that keeps you motivated.

• Consistency is key. Even if it’s just five minutes a day, do it. (Edit: You can search online for inspiration on scheduled plans. I found one that organizes language exercises into different categories based on how much time you have each day, which seems helpful. https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/s/sSGUtORurM

Personally, I used AI to create a weekly plan kind of as a last resort before giving up on the language, but try looking for pre-made ones first.)

I personally enjoyed story learning during this phase. And don’t forget the frequency lists are still your best friend. For story learning check out Olly Richards books!

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Step 4 – Immersion

Your brain needs active and passive immersion. The earlier steps were mostly active, and now you’ll start the fun part.

How to Immerse Yourself:

1. Join some kind of community.

• I enjoy Reddit/ r/lean[Language]. Do this in your target language, but also in the language you already speak. Post that you’re looking for a chat partner in your target language. The most people are nice, and the mean ones will just ghost you anyway.

2. Watch shows.

• Subtitles only in your target language or drop English subtitles ASAP.

3. Listen to podcasts.

4. Read

I personally dislike media made for kids (except on low-energy days). For real immersion, pick something for adults.

5. Translate, write, and speak.

Before this, you wrote simple sentences using vocabulary. Now, put them to work:

• Translate texts.

• Keep a diary.

• Write short stories.

• Complain about the language in the language.

It doesn’t matter, just use it.

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Step 5 – Speaking

Start speaking earlier than you think you’re ready. Trust me. This is probably where most people disagree with me. I do think you should start by focusing on input, but the importance of output isn’t talked about enough.

Now, the real Anki (or any program with phrases + audio) comes into play. At lower levels, it doesn’t make sense to just start talking, since you wouldn’t even be able to recognize your mistakes. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Repeat phrases out loud.

2. Record yourself speaking.

3. Compare your recording to the original audio and adjust your pronunciation.

If it’s a tonal language (or if you struggle with accents), start this even earlier.

Other Speaking Strategies:

• Shadowing – Repeat after native speakers.

• Reading aloud – Your own texts, books, anything.

• Talking to yourself.

• Talking to natives (if you’re brave).

I’m not here to fix social anxiety, but I am here to help with language learning, so just speak.

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Final Thoughts

• These steps overlap, and that’s fine.

• This is supposed to be fun. Learning just because you’re “too deep in” or because of school won’t cut it.

• If you’re lost, take a step back.

• I’m not a professional. I just think a straight answer is way too hard to find.

—

If you have anything to add, feel free to share.

[goodgrammaritan]

One time I didn't want to write a persuasive research essay in 11th grade advanced comp because I hated citing sources (still do tbh), so I wrote a persuasive essay on why I shouldn't have to do it. I don't remember exactly what I said, but I did the ethical, logical, and emotional appeals that were required for the persuasive part.

I got a 98 and didn't have to do any research.

Also in college I had a poetry paper I didn't want to spend much time on, so I wrote it in blank verse. When you're only doing ten syllables per line, it makes for a really short paper. I probably didn't write even half as much as my classmates. Prof loved it. Short on content and analysis, but it looked cool. Think I got a pretty good grade on that one as well.

I will expend effort to not expend effort.

Whenever I think about students using AI, I think about an essay I did in high school. Now see, we were reading The Grapes of Wrath, and I just couldn't do it. I got 25 pages in and my brain refused to read any more. I hated it. And its not like I hate the classics, I loved English class and I loved reading. I had even enjoyed Of Mice and Men, which I had read for fun. For some reason though, I absolutely could NOT read The Grapes of Wrath.

And it turned out I also couldn't watch the movie. I fell asleep in class both days we were watching it.

This, of course, meant I had to cheat on my essay.

And I got an A.

The essay was to compare the book and the movie and discuss the changes and how that affected the story.

Well it turned out Sparknotes had an entire section devoted to comparing and contrasting the book and the movie. Using that, and flipping to pages mentioned in Sparknotes to read sections of the book, I was able to bullshit an A paper.

But see the thing is, that this kind of 'cheating' still takes skills, you still learn things.

I had to know how to find the information I needed, I needed to be able to comprehend what sparknotes was saying and the analysis they did, I needed to know how to USE the information I read there to write an essay, I needed to know how to make sure none of it was marked as plagerized. I had to form an opinion on the sparknotes analysis so I could express my own opinions in the essay.

Was it cheating? Yeah, I didn't read the book or watch the movie. I used Sparknotes. It was a lot less work than if I had read the book and watched the movie and done it all myself.

The thing is though, I still had to use my fucking brain. Being able to bullshit an essay like that is a skill in and of itself that is useful. I exercised important skills, and even if it wasnt the intended way I still learned.

ChatGTP and other AI do not give that experience to people, people have to do nothing and gain nothing from it.

Using AI is absolutely different from other ways students have cheated in the past, and I stand by my opinion that its making students dumber, more helpless, and less capable.

However you feel about higher education, I think its undeniable that students using chatgtp is to their detriment. And by extension a detriment to anyone they work with or anyone who has to rely on them for something.

[elexuscal]

"what did students do before chatgpt?" well one time i forgot i had a history essay due at my 10am class the morning of so over the course of my 30 minute bus ride to school i awkwardly used by backpack as a desk, sped wrote the essay, and got an A on it.

six months later i re-read the essay prior to the final exam, went 'ohhhh yeah i remember this', got a question on that topic, and aced it.

point being that actually doing the work is how you learn the material and internalize it. ChatGPT can give you a short cut but it won't build you the the muscles.

[angelofthemornings]

A People's Education

I dropped out of school when I was thirteen due to epilepsy, schizoaffective disorder bipolar type, and an abusive home environment. Probably the 'tism didn't help much either. I have put together a curriculum for those in my position. If you didn't finish school or if your education was otherwise spotty, this resource is for you.

Some of this is free internet content, other things will need to be purchased - alternatively, if you don't mind piracy, I've made sure all recommended materials are on Anna's Archive (annas-archive.org) or via a link or linked torrent (I'll explain how to use torrents in the guide). You can therefore access everything in this guide for free.

Everything is ordered by subject and it begins with resources for learning study skills and developing abilities such as critical thinking and reading comprehension. (Recommendations from people who know more than I do about pedagogy are needed and welcome.) All resources were chosen for accessibility in the sense that even the history and literature are not too hard to read and should be pretty entertaining, and they don't build on each other so you can pick and choose. (I worry a little bit that this will only give people the *appearance* of an education, so I encourage you to search deeply into whatever interests you to the extent that you are able.) If some of this stuff is confusing or hard and you're not ready to tackle it yet, don't be afraid to come back later once your skills are better. Also, I've made a note of which materials are harder than others.

Please bear in mind that, although I've prepared the curriculum to the best of my ability, I'm a white American man and therefore this education is likely to be white, male, and Amerocentric. That and everyone creating a curriculum has an agenda; mine should be rather obvious. It may also be inaccurate: if this post takes off, I recommend you check the notes for people going "I have a PhD in this topic and that rec is full of BULLSHIT!" In general, if you have experience relative to the topic and there are issues (or recommendations!) please reblog and describe them as thoroughly as you like. I will add recommendations and notes of dissent to the document as they appear, but I won't be adding commentary to any additions (or getting into any arguments defending my choices), so think about them critically. I will add these recommendations and notes of dissent to the “commentary” section.

Share And Enjoy

(Please reblog, this took ages to put together.)

[studyanthropy]

100 Days of Productivity

Days 62-65/100

edited essay

re-edited essay

reviewed weekly tasks

research interview

committee meeting

meal prep

duolingo streak

[omgitsmeandyou-blog]

Poema No. 17

Decir que lo sufro

no sería tan sublime

como decir

que lo honro.

Porque no todo lo que duele

es castigo,

ni toda lágrima

es derrota.

Hay heridas

que merecen ser miradas

de frente,

como quien

reconoce

que ha amado de verdad.

[savagechickens]

Ignorance.

[bunbunshark]

Reading this

Hey! Seeing that you’re the resident rare PPG merch blog, I need your perspective. I know that the PPG video games aren’t very good but this one intrigued me because of how…mysterious it is. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps2/917583-powerpuff-girls-shock-of-ages

I have no idea if it was a real game that got cancelled or somebody made it up. I couldn’t find any prerelease info on it, or an archived announcement from any site - let alone GaneFAQs. Seriously, what is this game?

super sorry for the super late answer!

first of all, "resident rare ppg merch blog"?! you flatter me!

as for your question, it seems this really was a cancelled game! ive found the portfolio of Keith Erickson, an animator who worked on the game as well as the gba game mojo-jojo a go-go:

https://web.archive.org/web/20050219234557/http://raccoonlad.topcities.com/portfolio/port00.html

prop/location concepts

plus some storyboards!

not a clue on what this game would've entailed though! i don't think this game got far enough in production to warrant to have a public announcement on news articles which is why it's so mysterious! thanks for the ask!

[bootleg-nessie]

I FUCKING LOVE INFORMATION!!! I WANT TO LEARN EVERYTHING AND KNOW EVERYTHING!!!!! I WANT TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ABOUT LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING!!!!!! I AM UTTERLY CONSUMED BY MY THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[curiositysavesthecat]

*This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).

[desultory-suggestions]

Stopping yourself mid-conflict to change your perspective is allowed! It’s okay and normal to be mid argument with someone and realize you disagree with your own stance. Often I find myself and others caught up in trying to win the argument (not the point of arguments!) or too embarrassed to back down and be wrong. I promise there is so much more pride in going “Stop! I’m wrong. I hear you and I see how I wasn’t in the right and I want to amend my view” than digging your heels in.

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[shutinthenutouse]

[er-cryptid]

alright nerds--

^tried to include as many as possible

[in-tenebris-et-in-solitudine]

Master Your Emotions..