Today,
we will start a series where I will be sharing my personal tricks and
strategies for learning 21 languages. If you are impatient, I recommend my book
“The GO Method” (see link below). However, whereas in the book you will get a
general system on how to structure your learning, here I will reveal what
worked for me personally.
Let
us start by mentioning what I did not do.
-
Excessive
time-pressure. I never really bothered about learning a language in one month,
like many language courses promise.
-
I
almost never took language courses.
-
I
did not use language apps.
-
I
never followed special techniques for accelerated learning.
-
I
did not depend on visiting countries where the respective languages are spoken.
-
I
usually do not get upset when making mistakes or receiving bad feedback.
-
I
almost never use textbooks, nor do I make grammar exercises.
What
did help me?
Tipp
1: Keeping it simple
At
present, I set myself the challenge to learn Azerbaijani and Dutch to be able
to have a weekly podcast in each of them within twelve months. Let us take the
first language. My only tools are: an Azerbaijani-English dictionary, a slim
textbook on the basic grammar, access to talk radio, Google translate (for
periodical checks on sentence structure) and Wikipedia. With that support, I
use a few basic techniques about which I will tell you more in this series.
The
essential question is: what tools and material do I really need? Most language
learners start frantically collecting textbooks, overconsuming Youtube videos
and gambling away their precious time with various apps. The bottom-line is: to
learn a language I need vocabulary, rules on how to transform and combine
words, and practice in producing my own sentences.
(to
be continued)
The GO Method
“I have been living in Germany for years.
I have gone through all the levels and sustained the necessary exams.
Nonetheless, I still make too many mistakes as to get a serious employment in
my profession.”
It is easy to start a foreign language. It
takes only practice and living abroad to get fluent. To learn the last (!) 5%
and to speak without mistakes, however, you will need completely different
approach.
The GO Method helps you get rid of your
chronic grammar and pronunciation mistakes by applying psychology and
principles of quality management.
We offer corrective courses for some
languages, as well a general system for improving your use of any language. We
support companies in improving the language proficiency of key employees.
Gerhard J. Ohrband
Psychologist and polyglot from Hamburg
/Germany (*1979). Married, one son. MA in psychology from the University of
Hamburg. More than 15 years of experience as a university lecturer in
psychology as well as a consultant for UNICEF, Terre des Hommes, IOM, the EU
and private companies. Coordinator of the GO Method network, with
representatives in more than 90 countries worldwide.
Contact
Send us an
e-mail: Gerhard.j.ohrband@gmail.com
If you want to save time in learning a
foreign language without a teacher, please check out my book “The GO Method”
on Amazon.
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