ianfitzpatrick/language_acq.txt

## language_acq.txt
Three background things:
1. Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition:
https://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash-english.html
Pretty much boils down to:
- Excessive-self monitoring and learning via grammar-first (see: duolingo) makes language acquisition way harder.
- We learn language via comprehensible input, “i + 1”, you need to find input that is + 1 past what you already know
- Stress, doubt, and basically being afraid to fuck up also kill language acquisition.
Here’s a lecture on his theories if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3lv7ExApHM&t=101s
Edit: Actually, this may be a better video. I’m having trouble finding one where he succinctly goes through his theories:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn2k8I8by8o
2. Barbara Oakley’s a mind for numbers
https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU
This book distills a lot of study habits into something that is pretty useful for language study and (not rote) memorization. I think you probably know a lot of this either explicitly or intuitively already but the points I find most useful for language are:
- Learn new words/language first in a context (best: language partner, next best: language lesson that is giving you i + 1)
- Memorization is not bad, as it gives you quick access to information that you can then have access to to use in real world context. (Once it’s reinforced there, then memorization will no longer be required). But flash cards are utterly inefficient, so use Anki or similar spaced repetition software that simulates how your brain moves memories from outer cortex to inner overtime as it becomes more remembered (I am for sure butchering the science here)
- Interleaving vs. blocking studying….blocking is “I’m gonna memorize a list of verbs”, interleaving is “I’m gonna study everything is one big random pile.” Sometimes you need to study blocking in initial phase just to become familiar with new words, but interleaving study is way superior as it creates sort of entangled neural pathways, which means there’s “more than one road” to get to the information.
There’s probably other stuff from that book I’m forgetting.
3. This book has shaped a lot of my language approach, but it’s more applicable to someone like you who is actually living in a foreign country.
http://missionarytraining.org/main/DOWNLDS/LANGUAGE.PDF
Language Acquisition Made Practical. It was written bh this pair of by christian missionaries in the 70s or 80s, and it’s basically “how to learn a language when you don’t have a textbook.” But really, it’s an extremely structured guide to learning language with a language partner. Way ahead of it’s time, you can now find a bunch of people on youtube suggesting a similar approach like this dude:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=illApgaLgGA&t=167s
They are calling it “the natural method” now I think.
OKAY hopefully I am not unloading too much theory on you here, but it took me a while to stumble on all this, and trying to save you the learning curve :stuck_out_tongue: (edited)
now the actual tools
Ian Fitzpatrick:robot_face: 11:17 AM
ANKI
--
I think you are familiar with Anki, but just in case:
https://apps.ankiweb.net
I also bought the $40 iPhone app ages ago, to me, totally worth it. It’s insanely powerful and yet completely inscrutable to setup at first. But once you have it going, it’s great.
My main use for it is to reinforce and have “access” to what I already know. Anki is basically a way between language exposure sessions to firm up what you have learned, so you have a chance to use it again.
I don’t have a language partner at the moment (planning to start in a few weeks), so for now that means I listen to an episode of this podcast “Coffee Break Italian”, make Anki cards (actually miraculously someone has already made them for this podcast me, there’s a repository of public Anki cards online), practice them, and then re-listen to the podcast once I have the words or phrases relatively firmed up.
Anki cards also allow to add audio and pictures, which you should do as much as possible. The less english the better. Pictures are easy for nouns, hard for everything else (what’s a picture for “very” or “I would like”?)
To get audio in your cards, for simple single words you can use this site: https://forvo.com  it’s a huge archive of native speakers saying words, I assume they have Dutch.
If you register, you can download the files as mp3s and drag them into Anki.
For longer phrases, I am lucky in the cards I am currently using include pre-generated google text so speech. At least in Italian, google’s text to speech has gotten pretty f’ing good. I”m not sure how to generate my own audio files using google yet though.
Edit: One another note on Anki, and this is something I just realized lately. Anki lets you make cards with a two-for-the-price-of-one template if you want (front and reverse, they call it) so if the front of my anki card is “lavoro” and the back is “work”, i actually get two cards. One with lavoro on the front, and one with “work” on the front.
However, I’ve realized that these kinds of recall are not equal. Really, you want to be able to remember what you want to say, not just recognize a word. The former is more difficult but more meaningful recall. (edited)
PODCAST:
I’m sort of the opinion that you should use multiple language texts, not just one thing. Right now sort of my “main thing” is this podcast called Coffee Break Italian that brings you up from no Italian, to seasons worth of pretty solid intermediate level Italian. It happens to be extremely well produced and I love it. Hopefully you can find something similiar for Dutch.
LANGUAGE APPS:
I’m down on Duo Lingo :disappointed: . I haven’t used it extensively, but I did for a couple of weeks and found at least with Italian, it’s focus on grammar first is very un-Krasheny :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
I like the app Memrise, it’s purely “teaching you the basics you need to get around” at first, starts with greetings, and builds you up from there. A little grammar but not much.
In other languages they actually have video of people saying the words or phrases, which is huge. Unfortunately they haven’t done it for Dutch yet. (edited)
Ian Fitzpatrick:robot_face: 11:32 AM
LANGUAGE PARTNER:
For sure an in-person language partner is ideal. However, with schedules and stuff it can be hard, so online language partner (or really, tutor, you are just paying them for their time) can be more practical.
https://www.italki.com/
iTalk is super popular, however I looked and there’s only like one Dutch tutor on there. So that’s not great.
A few days ago I did look to see if there were other sites that had more Dutch people, and dang I did find one, but I am spacing on what it was called. There’s a few sites like iTalki, I’m sure you could sleuth one out that has Dutch tutors.
https://www.tandem.net
https://www.verbling.com
OTHER:
Language Learning for Netflix:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/language-learning-with-ne/hoombieeljmmljlkjmnheibnpciblicm?hl=en
This is that Chrome plugin I mentioned that turns foreign language Netflix into a talking picture book you can leaf through a page at a time, with a built in dictionary and word shelf. It’s nuts.
However I think the trick here is finding input with Netflix that is i+1 for comprehensible input.
Reverso Context:
https://context.reverso.net/translation/
This is a way to look up words, and gives you a list of the word in sentences, with your target language as well as english translation. Super handy for making Anki cards or understanding the real meaning of a word and how to practically use it. (edited)
OKAY that’s the end of my novel i think, but i feel like i am forgetting some stuff for sure
Ian Fitzpatrick:robot_face: 12:11 PM
Yep, I remembered a few things. This book:
Lexicarry
https://www.prolinguaassociates.com/Lexicarry/index.html
Sooooo useful if you end up with an in-person language partner. But also nice for Anki flash cards too. It’s a picture book of all the common beginner words, scenarios, wants, needs, etc. that we all encounter. It’s a way to cut translating between English and your target language out of the equation, and use pictures.
TPR (Total Physical Response)
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/total-physical-response-tpr
Not a book but a sort of method I have used with the above Lexicarry book in the past. Especially useful for learning verbs. When I met with a Chinese language partner oh so many years ago, I used Lexicarry and had him or me actually act out certain verbs, like he would say “pull the suitcase” or “push the box” in Chinese, and I would do those things. Any time you can incorporate physical response, even if it’s completely artificial, it helps with retention and sort of manufactures and artificial context. (edited)

prolinguaassociates.com
Lexicarry
ESL Materials, Pro Lingua Associates, publishers of language materials
	Three background things:
	1. Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition:
	https://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash-english.html
	Pretty much boils down to:
	- Excessive-self monitoring and learning via grammar-first (see: duolingo) makes language acquisition way harder.
	- We learn language via comprehensible input, “i + 1”, you need to find input that is + 1 past what you already know
	- Stress, doubt, and basically being afraid to fuck up also kill language acquisition.
	Here’s a lecture on his theories if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3lv7ExApHM&t=101s
	Edit: Actually, this may be a better video. I’m having trouble finding one where he succinctly goes through his theories:
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn2k8I8by8o
	2. Barbara Oakley’s a mind for numbers
	https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU
	This book distills a lot of study habits into something that is pretty useful for language study and (not rote) memorization. I think you probably know a lot of this either explicitly or intuitively already but the points I find most useful for language are:
	- Learn new words/language first in a context (best: language partner, next best: language lesson that is giving you i + 1)
	- Memorization is not bad, as it gives you quick access to information that you can then have access to to use in real world context. (Once it’s reinforced there, then memorization will no longer be required). But flash cards are utterly inefficient, so use Anki or similar spaced repetition software that simulates how your brain moves memories from outer cortex to inner overtime as it becomes more remembered (I am for sure butchering the science here)
	- Interleaving vs. blocking studying….blocking is “I’m gonna memorize a list of verbs”, interleaving is “I’m gonna study everything is one big random pile.” Sometimes you need to study blocking in initial phase just to become familiar with new words, but interleaving study is way superior as it creates sort of entangled neural pathways, which means there’s “more than one road” to get to the information.
	There’s probably other stuff from that book I’m forgetting.
	3. This book has shaped a lot of my language approach, but it’s more applicable to someone like you who is actually living in a foreign country.
	http://missionarytraining.org/main/DOWNLDS/LANGUAGE.PDF
	Language Acquisition Made Practical. It was written bh this pair of by christian missionaries in the 70s or 80s, and it’s basically “how to learn a language when you don’t have a textbook.” But really, it’s an extremely structured guide to learning language with a language partner. Way ahead of it’s time, you can now find a bunch of people on youtube suggesting a similar approach like this dude:
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=illApgaLgGA&t=167s
	They are calling it “the natural method” now I think.
	OKAY hopefully I am not unloading too much theory on you here, but it took me a while to stumble on all this, and trying to save you the learning curve :stuck_out_tongue: (edited)
	now the actual tools
	Ian Fitzpatrick:robot_face: 11:17 AM
	ANKI
	--
	I think you are familiar with Anki, but just in case:
	https://apps.ankiweb.net
	I also bought the $40 iPhone app ages ago, to me, totally worth it. It’s insanely powerful and yet completely inscrutable to setup at first. But once you have it going, it’s great.
	My main use for it is to reinforce and have “access” to what I already know. Anki is basically a way between language exposure sessions to firm up what you have learned, so you have a chance to use it again.
	I don’t have a language partner at the moment (planning to start in a few weeks), so for now that means I listen to an episode of this podcast “Coffee Break Italian”, make Anki cards (actually miraculously someone has already made them for this podcast me, there’s a repository of public Anki cards online), practice them, and then re-listen to the podcast once I have the words or phrases relatively firmed up.
	Anki cards also allow to add audio and pictures, which you should do as much as possible. The less english the better. Pictures are easy for nouns, hard for everything else (what’s a picture for “very” or “I would like”?)
	To get audio in your cards, for simple single words you can use this site: https://forvo.com it’s a huge archive of native speakers saying words, I assume they have Dutch.
	If you register, you can download the files as mp3s and drag them into Anki.
	For longer phrases, I am lucky in the cards I am currently using include pre-generated google text so speech. At least in Italian, google’s text to speech has gotten pretty f’ing good. I”m not sure how to generate my own audio files using google yet though.
	Edit: One another note on Anki, and this is something I just realized lately. Anki lets you make cards with a two-for-the-price-of-one template if you want (front and reverse, they call it) so if the front of my anki card is “lavoro” and the back is “work”, i actually get two cards. One with lavoro on the front, and one with “work” on the front.
	However, I’ve realized that these kinds of recall are not equal. Really, you want to be able to remember what you want to say, not just recognize a word. The former is more difficult but more meaningful recall. (edited)
	PODCAST:
	I’m sort of the opinion that you should use multiple language texts, not just one thing. Right now sort of my “main thing” is this podcast called Coffee Break Italian that brings you up from no Italian, to seasons worth of pretty solid intermediate level Italian. It happens to be extremely well produced and I love it. Hopefully you can find something similiar for Dutch.
	LANGUAGE APPS:
	I’m down on Duo Lingo :disappointed: . I haven’t used it extensively, but I did for a couple of weeks and found at least with Italian, it’s focus on grammar first is very un-Krasheny :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
	I like the app Memrise, it’s purely “teaching you the basics you need to get around” at first, starts with greetings, and builds you up from there. A little grammar but not much.
	In other languages they actually have video of people saying the words or phrases, which is huge. Unfortunately they haven’t done it for Dutch yet. (edited)
	Ian Fitzpatrick:robot_face: 11:32 AM
	LANGUAGE PARTNER:
	For sure an in-person language partner is ideal. However, with schedules and stuff it can be hard, so online language partner (or really, tutor, you are just paying them for their time) can be more practical.
	https://www.italki.com/
	iTalk is super popular, however I looked and there’s only like one Dutch tutor on there. So that’s not great.
	A few days ago I did look to see if there were other sites that had more Dutch people, and dang I did find one, but I am spacing on what it was called. There’s a few sites like iTalki, I’m sure you could sleuth one out that has Dutch tutors.
	https://www.tandem.net
	https://www.verbling.com
	OTHER:
	Language Learning for Netflix:
	https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/language-learning-with-ne/hoombieeljmmljlkjmnheibnpciblicm?hl=en
	This is that Chrome plugin I mentioned that turns foreign language Netflix into a talking picture book you can leaf through a page at a time, with a built in dictionary and word shelf. It’s nuts.
	However I think the trick here is finding input with Netflix that is i+1 for comprehensible input.
	Reverso Context:
	https://context.reverso.net/translation/
	This is a way to look up words, and gives you a list of the word in sentences, with your target language as well as english translation. Super handy for making Anki cards or understanding the real meaning of a word and how to practically use it. (edited)
	OKAY that’s the end of my novel i think, but i feel like i am forgetting some stuff for sure
	Ian Fitzpatrick:robot_face: 12:11 PM
	Yep, I remembered a few things. This book:
	Lexicarry
	https://www.prolinguaassociates.com/Lexicarry/index.html
	Sooooo useful if you end up with an in-person language partner. But also nice for Anki flash cards too. It’s a picture book of all the common beginner words, scenarios, wants, needs, etc. that we all encounter. It’s a way to cut translating between English and your target language out of the equation, and use pictures.
	TPR (Total Physical Response)
	http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/total-physical-response-tpr
	Not a book but a sort of method I have used with the above Lexicarry book in the past. Especially useful for learning verbs. When I met with a Chinese language partner oh so many years ago, I used Lexicarry and had him or me actually act out certain verbs, like he would say “pull the suitcase” or “push the box” in Chinese, and I would do those things. Any time you can incorporate physical response, even if it’s completely artificial, it helps with retention and sort of manufactures and artificial context. (edited)

	prolinguaassociates.com
	Lexicarry
	ESL Materials, Pro Lingua Associates, publishers of language materials