10 Language Learning Mistakes You’re Probably Making (And How to Fix Them)

[@Thelinguist]

The app I use to learn languages -> bit.ly/44gJIYX My 10 FREE secrets to language learning -> www.thelinguist.com Do you make any of the mistakes I mention in this video? If so, what are you doing to ensure you don’t continue to make those mistakes?

[@LaggodyTR]

Love from Türkiye

[@t.ht.h9607]

Could you make a bookshelf tour video?

[@e-genieclimatique]

in brief: In this video, Steve Kaufmann discusses 10 common mistakes in language learning that can hinder progress: 1. Unrealistic expectations: Don't expect to learn a language quickly; it takes time and dedication. 2. Expecting not to forget: Forgetting is a natural part of the learning process; accept it and keep moving forward. 3. Focusing too much on grammar rules: Learning grammar is important, but expecting to master it upfront is a mistake. Exposure to different contexts will help internalize rules. 4. Expecting immediate clarity: The language will become clearer over time; don't get frustrated if it doesn't happen right away. 5. Sticking to easy content: Push outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself with more difficult and interesting content. 6. Relying on a limited vocabulary: To have meaningful conversations and understand complex content, you need to expand your vocabulary. 7. Expecting to speak well without practice: In order to speak well, you need to speak a lot; don't be too hard on yourself if you can't speak as well as you'd like. 8. Fear of making mistakes: Don't be afraid to make mistakes when speaking; it's a natural part of learning. 9. Only speaking with non-native speakers: While this can be helpful, try to find opportunities to speak with native speakers to improve your language skills further. 10. Getting upset when native speakers reply in your language: Understand that they might feel more comfortable using their own language; focus on improving your skills to make them feel comfortable speaking in the language you're learning. By avoiding these mistakes, language learners can increase their chances of success.

[@海辉的思考空间]

课代表

[@putinisakiller8093]

You saved my time! Thanks a lot! 😊

[@GMRaphi]

Can't get over how Steve makes it so that, even while he's explaining that the journey is even harder than we already know it to be, his words fill you with hope and energy to continue your learning. 1A motivational content. Thank you Steve!

[@Tropical_Panda]

Thats such a good explanation of how it feels! Its quite reassuring.

[@NaturalLanguageLearning]

Biggest one is spending a lot of time watching polyglot videos and not enough actually learning the language.

[@FilipP88]

Actually it’s not a bad “mistake” if you’re learning English 😂 They always speak more English and use English subtitles for other languages

[@martiangulele5210]

😂😂😂

[@hilbert2547]

yes a lot of blabla from these guys

[@Gigusx]

@@hilbert2547 You've missed the point.

[@azanseq]

I totally agree

[@yana_1547]

A must-watch for everyone who's struggling with a foreign language!

[@clockchoker]

I wish more KZbin videos were like this. No annoying intro music, straight to the point, concise. You are a real influencer sir.

[@Rosie-chen]

Thank you Mr Kaufmann！作为一名中文系学生我对语言的规范性、准确性和文学性的追求其实都只局限于书面文字，但事实上“听”和“说”在实际工作里更为重要，我想我会努力提升自己说外语的信心，希望能有机会更好地与他人沟通🥰

[@p52893]

I hear people when they are angry watching hand movements and emotions to figure out if they are mad about their spouse or boss.

[@Rosie-chen]

@@p52893 I am kind of introverted person so I can suppress aggressive emotion inside my head……Its bad for my mental health because in the long term these emotion will become grief

[@vrmartin202]

One of your best and most encouraging commentaries!

[@KarlShreeves]

Thank you, Steve. Especially when it comes to not remembering what you "know," or suddenly having to recheck what you "already knew well," it's reassuring to know that those are normal. It makes it easier to avoid mistake #1 -- unrealistic expectations.

[@crazyconan28]

As you mentioned in previous videos, its a journey. I havent watched your vodeos in a long time and stumbled on this one on accident. I've gotten past the point of "looking for the best way to lear" and have been learning little by little consistently by taking opportunities to study with the internet, reading translated manga, playing text based games in Spanish, and other means. I will never be "fluent", but I am happy seeing where I am now compared to a year ago. I need to dive deeper as you mentioned in this video to help me pass barriers for listening like I had for reading, it's always a negative having to feel dunb, but we all start somewhere and we'll continue to improve only if we choose to keep trying.

[@housecaad8596]

I was 6months ago to studied english and 2 days i started with portugués,steve kaufmann you are my model for keep going! you are a good inspiration thank you!

[@Lexi-eg6yj]

Hey Steve, I’ve recently had the opportunity to free up time and space to finally dedicate effort into serious learning. My personal learning style might differ with some points you mention a little but the input stuff truly mirrored how I accidentally absorbed English. I felt the need to say thank you for all your time and effort making these videos and sharing them with us. Your channel has helped me be more confident in letting go of familiar languages and techniques into embracing my own tendencies. dove headfirst into the deep end of the far-fetched things I like and since then- it’s been night and day! I even got my own dad interested in xianxia by accident. My motivation to grow continues to surprise even me now, the harder things get! Thank you very much for everything.

[@jaekn]

Thanks, after a long time learning I needed to hear this.

[@Akinph]

That's simple and true. Explains why some people are or they think they are not good enough at language learning. It's a long way to go actually to master fluency in a language you're learning. Stop learning a language, just enjoy it and you will slowly and gradually improve.

[@valentinaegorova-vg7tb]

MANY THANKS! I WATCH YOUR VIDEOS EVERY MORNING. YOU HELP ME TO START A DAY INSPIRED AND VERY MOTIVATED ! BRAVO!!! PLEASE CONTINUE

[@luiszelaya3]

Hi Steve, you are such an inspiration, it is always a pleasure watching and enriching myself from the tips and knowledge you share with us! Such a priceless stream of knowledge!

[@ЕвгенийСкалич-ф9ж]

1. Unrealistic expectation 2. Thinking we won’t forget words or phrases that we learn 3. Trying to master the grammar 4. Expecting the language to become clear instantly 5. Staying with easy content for too long 6. Thinking we can get by with a few words 7. Expecting to speak well without speaking often 8. Being afraid of making mistakes 9. Not speaking with native speakers 10. Expecting native speakers to reply in the language we are learning

[@terrydickinson7252]

These videos are very helpful. I’ve been trying to learn Mandarin for the past nine years with little success but I haven’t given up! I’m in Taiwan and just struggled to order a coffee in Family Mart because of bad tones. Fortunately, English widely spoken in Taiwan so another customer understood.

[@josephqu579]

很棒，早知道这些在学语言时我就不会那么困扰了。

[@justinwr092]

Oh great sage and emminent language learner. We're so lucky to have you. I just hit 4k known words in Spanish on LingQ, and I'm having the time of my life. I just know that if I keep following your methods, I'll finally get a second language under my belt. Then it will be on to 3 and 4..!!

[@AlexDanH]

Thanks, Steve. I got a boost of optimism.

[@venomjsandoval9696]

Thank you so much Steve I've learning much with your videos. Again thanks. 😊

[@attilavarga1044]

This was me. I've understood everything from movies and podcasts. I've been able to learn new words from movies, and I didn't need to look them up. 500 pages long books? Easypeasy. But speak. No.... Nobody here knows english in my neighborhood or my colleges at my workplace. So never talked with anybody. My writing was good tho, thanks to various forums sites. Anyway... Somebody told me once, or saw this tip in a video... Read your texts and books loud. And this helped me a lot. Not so long ago a truck driver came to us from Poland. And he didn't spoke Hungarian, so we talked, about Poland, and my latest trip there, and more. Man that was so refreshing, but he was just one swallow....

[@EdwardLindon]

Gulp! I really hope that's a "One swallow does not a summer make" metaphor.

[@krzysztoftankielun582]

This video should be shown for everyone who want to start with learning language, but on the other hand not only for beginner. That rules are useful for students who are on the higher level too. You have to remeber it and remind every time when you doubt about your progress. Thatnks a lot!

[@benaffanamohamed2001]

Hi Steve , we want a vlog to See your daily routines to learn languages. Thank you Steve , I watch every video , it 's very wonderful. I am from Tunisia

[@luisalfredowalker67]

I watch too 😅

[@rubentriana1151]

Hace unos meses tenía la expectativa de que solo tenía que aprender 1000 palabras de una lengua extranjera para enterder y hablar lo suficiente. Qué equivocado estaba. Sin embargo, llevo un mes leyendo y escuchando contenido en LingQ y he mejorado de una manera que no creí que fuese posible en un mes. Ahora soy consciente de que debo aprender mucho vocabulario, leer y escuchar simultaneamente el mismo contenido todos los dias durante mucho tiempo. A pesar de ello me siento motivado y con las expectativas adecuadas, sé que lograré mi meta de aprender un nuevo idioma. Por último, les deseo a todos que está aprendiendo un nuevo idioma que disfruten del proceso y del progreso.

[@Kapi744]

Why listen to the same content?

[@alexanderhalloran]

@@Kapi744 I listed to the same content, but not necessarily repeatedly day after day. I will mix things up and return every few weeks. You'll often have better comprehension after picking up some other vocab and phrases.

[@LEARNJAPANESEWITHZEESHAN]

I always find useful advice from you. You are always helpful to me in Language learning.

[@michaelmonaghan8172]

Very helpful for where I’m at learning Italian, thank you

[@mehmet.albyrk]

Full of beneficial information thanx

[@music_observe]

Bro you have always been spot on , I realized you can learn sooo many vocabulary and sentences structure but at the end of the day you need at least 2 years to marinate in the language

[@mertmaralmojo]

Great points as always Steve! Learned a lot from this video. I appreciate it :3

[@huizilopoxtli9701]

I want to read nonfiction histories and biographies in French and German. My current method is to spend an hour reading French on one day, German the next day, and continue alternating. I'm reading mostly online news articles on a variety of topics in order to broaden my grasp of vocabulary. I hope eventually to be able to read books in French and German, and Spanish as well. Thank you for the videos, they inspire me to never surrender.

[@Tehui1974]

Good video Steve. Your advice has emphasised for me that I need to organise regular talking sessions with a tutor. I'm at a B2 / C1 level who listens and reads in my target language every day, but I need to increase my speaking opportunities.

[@jeng1395]

I recommend Baselang if you are studying Spanish. I am on there about 2.5 hours daily. It is awesome:)

[@fahadhussain66]

I have italki on my mind for this, since you commented 4 months ago, which source did you find helpful for it?

[@Tehui1974]

@@fahadhussain66 I met in person with a native speaker who's a qualified tutor.

[@amymills9228]

Your videos are so encouraging, thank you!

[@AlanJG178]

Thank you, 🙂for your insight, which has put my mind at rest, unrealistic expectations have plagued me. I made the mistake of starting my language learning with an intensive (into the deep end) language course in a classroom, which I believe set me back rather than forward, creating unrealistic expectations. And sadly not enough time was spent in the early learning phase as was want, which has led me to often jump back and forth between beginners and intermediate to catch up. I would strongly recommend to anyone, never to do an intensive language course! It's reassuring to realise that learning a language is a process of going over it again and again and again from different inputs before it sinks in, to essentially be patient.

[@helgastegh-thomeczek3276]

great and everything put in a nutshell this is all that can be said and simple enough for all to grasp

[@bornaerceg9984]

I'm actually learning how to learn (and teach) music by watching your videos! Thank you! ❤

[@deutsch.direkt]

Thanks Steve for the great video. I personally like learning proper grammar right from the start. But it is normal that you will mix up even the simple things you know by heart in spontaneous speech and will forget some points which need revision again and again. So it is not true what Michel Thomas used to say (what you understand, you know - and what you know, you don't forget).

[@Thunderedits2207]

Thank you so much Mr. Kaufmann

[@omartrachen6794]

Ive spent 13 years learning english, finally became C2 after 5 years beeing stuck at C1.. Now i started learning spanish... Wish me luck...

[@brittneymacgregor3807]

How exactly did you get from c1 to c2?

[@omartrachen6794]

​@@brittneymacgregor3807learning idioms ( how to use them correctly)... Listening to fast spoken english ( comedians and other fast talkers)... And speak a lot with a teacher....

[@danielgrassman2175]

Great tips! Thank you!

[@pauleff3312]

This is good advice - it takes a very long time to get absolutely soaked when you go out in a rain shower intentionally without a brolly

[@theaussieflame]

I love that analogy! Thank you!

[@tomtocz7284]

Enjoy the journey !!!

[@pedrocristobalfrancisco2186]

Thanks for all lesson

[@liyan8166]

I am trying to learn Dutch now and I notice that I am doing all of these mistakes😢but then I am pressured to learn fast to be able to join the workforce as soon as possible.Great video!😊

[@hadas1073]

Het gaat je lukken! 😊 groetjes uit Amsterdam

[@eurasiantreesparrow7547]

Great video. I'm glad you included mistake number 10. I used to have this problem while learning Spanish and used to get very frustrated. But you're right, people are under no obligation to speak Spanish to you just so you can practice.

[@alchemist_one]

the key words here being "just so you can practice". If you're in a Spanish speaking country and people refuse to deal with you in Spanish while you're trying to do basic things like open a bank account, buy clothes or order lunch, then I'd say that they're definitely in the wrong.

[@rominiyi1385]

@TheLinguist I am so impressed by your advice though I have only listened to three of your videos. A lot of things as you have mentioned can quite easily dent ones confidence when trying to learn another language, however, one of the most pernicious is the marketing lies of language learning product purveyors vowing to teach a language in 30 days or six months, or in 5 minutes a day, or in 15 minutes a day, etc; or so-called polyglots showing off on KZbin with videos of them speaking multiple languages in which novices have no way of verifying how well they they actually speak those languages. Belatedly, free language learning apps are now available after one has spent so much time and money ineffectually trying to learn another language. To be honest all that ineffectual language learning gave me a considerable head start eventually. However, I would have liked to have known the truth from the very beginning, even though I now realise that I would never ever stand the chance of learning this beautiful language without a powerful app to get me through CEFR stages A1 to the end of B1 at the very least. I have learnt from experience that language learning requires multi-year dedication to, and practice of a language that in my case I actually like the sound of and which I would like to speak fluently which means I am therefore naturally motivated to learn. It also internationaly renowned as a global and beautiful language. Language learning apps have also taught me that it is a very bad idea to try to learn two languages at once. I have tried this multiple times with multiple additional languages, and have always been forced to give the additional language up just after the end of the foundation stage which I reached in at least two experiments of this kind. People should never compare themselves to others as regards the ability to learn multiple languages as people do not know the circumstances in which those others have lived, one being having the advantage of mixed language parents and another being parents dragging their children along with them to live in another country for upwards of a decade and a half. It happened to me. I picked up a regional language of that country without even trying very hard and can speak it fluently, without having had any formal lessons in it whatsoever. Just people speaking it incessantly around me, on TV, on the radio, in church, etc., and me always asking the question 'what does that mean?', which you are allowed to do as a kid. This is why your honesty is so much appreciated by so many. Thanks to the internet as well, as now we have a universal medium on which the truth can get through to billions of people and strongly counteract the convincing lies, and the inevitable let down and disappointment generated by language learning product marketers. I watched a video or read an article a while ago about how this globally entrenched language learning marketing scam developed from the seventies or so in the age of mass marketing. It draws people in by promising them the impossible.

[@wannaknit]

I visited Japan last year and due to having made all of the mistakes you listed, had a very discouraging time which burned me out and pretty much destroyed my desire to learn the language. I felt like I had put in a lot of hours over five years, and had made it to about N4 level, but obviously when I got there, couldn't understand the most basic conversation with a combini clerk. Even though having some basic language did make travelling around a lot easier, it was still very demoralising.

[@theaussieflame]

That 'tyres hitting the road' moment is brutal. I am so sorry. Keep going!

[@medicjitsu7434]

I remember taking Spanish 30+ years ago on high school. My son is finishing a semester of Spanish now. One thing that has not changed is they still want to teach "proper spanish". I wish they would worry more about basics. At least the first semester or two.

[@mikenow3050]

My daughter lives in beautiful North Wales and her fiance is a fluent welsh speaker. I asked him some grammatical questions about the welsh language. He Did not have a clue. His reply was " Im not a teacher, I just know how to speak it."

[@samchangyz1974]

We need a video about how to use LinQ.

[@janvanveldhuizen]

I am a native Dutchman. Mistake 9 - speaking with natives - is so true. I work with an international group of people where English is our main language. My English is pretty good, but still, when having a one-on-one discussion with the native Brit in the group, I have the experience that my English sounds more native than when I am speaking with others. Apparently,, I am copying his way of speaking unconsciously. I am convinced that this works for any language that we try to speak.

[@jeremyhawkins5278]

I think the easy thing is interesting because for the last couple months I've been reading a comic and I started reading it because I just had an itch to read it, but this week even though I have a couple hundred chapters (maybe a week or two) left, it's just too easy and as a language learning tool, which is half the reason I'm reading it I'm not getting enough out of it.

[@EdwardLindon]

Number 10 really depends. I live in Taiwan, and some people run a mile when they think they have to speak English with me, while others insist on doing the easiest, most rote conversations in English (eg supermarket checkout). Coping strategies have varied over the years, from explicitly saying "Look, this is Taiwan. Can we speak Mandarin, please?" to just replying in Chinese and waiting for them to adjust. The latter usually works because, surprise surprise, I'm much much better at using numbers in Chinese than they are in English. But if they insist, i might ask them a nice long question in English using obscure vocabulary, lots of elision and hardcore mumbling, because guess what, I'm not here to help them practise their English either.

[@alchemist_one]

You should just tell them you're not a tourist, how long you've lived in Taiwan and that when they act like that it makes you feel like you'll always be an outsider no matter how long you live in Taiwan. Then ask them if they could please not emphasize race so much. 99.9% of people get it when it's put that way.

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

In my limited experience what Steve says is very true. My French comprehension is pretty good, and I can follow podcasts. I am following a German course and my German is supposedly B1. The course does not have enough repetition, so in reality I am not B1, and I construct sentences at a snail’s pace. Somehow I need to exercise the knowledge I have so that it becomes second nature. This means huge amounts of practice with the words and grammar I am supposed to know. I’m not sure how I will get that.

[@stephencindrich6787]

Excellent point! I’ve experienced the same thing. Patience remains the virtue.

[@AmoPerrosMás]

I've heard a few times now that it's a great idea to do a bit of journaling/writing in your target language. For example write out what you did today or what you are going to do tomorrow. They say it gets easier to start thinking in your target language if you do that.

[@chrolka6255]

My French course has an awesome feature: each lesson is recorded if someone is absent. Given that there are 6 people in the group, there are absences almost every time so we have almost each lesson recorded. This allows me to go back to certain lessons and just listen to them when I'm doing other things, like cooking or cleaning. I think it's great for vocab and grammar retention. It also allows me to listen to the mistakes I make regularly to try and avoid them next time, and I have noticed many useful phrases that my teacher uses which I don't focus on during the lessons because I am concentrated on understanding the message rather than dissecting locution.

[@n.hemavathi3451]

Thanks for your video. It was beneficial to me. I watched your video at the right. I can not overcome from my mistakes. I understand what you are saying the whole video. Sometimes I thought l want to change my process. I have been learning English for four years. I stuck the same problems. I can not overcome from my grammar.

[@English_Marathoner]

I totally agree with all of your opinions.👍

[@E_swi]

Gosh, there are things in English that I don’t even remember and it’s my first language. I couldn’t even remember what a predicate or preposition was. I don’t always remember the rule in regards to using commas either 😬

[@captainpugwash2317]

Me neither, never learn much at school. If someone ask me to write a letter ,there would be so many mistakes. And as for my spelling, that's really bad. If I was this bad in italian, which btw I am learning I would still be able to communicate and get my point across in my target language.All these grammar rules tbh put ppl off learning.

[@theaussieflame]

I've studied a degree with an English major (I'm a native speaker) and I'm the same. Don't ask me what all these things are, but I can use them perfectly 😂

[@mdj641]

Excellent video. Very helpful to me.

[@valentinaegorova-vg7tb]

MANY THANKS FOR YOUR VERY USEFUL VIDEOS. YOUR ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM ARE EXTREMELY MOTIVATING . BRAVO! 👏👏👏💪👨‍🎓❤🤗

[@tonyaharris6593]

Thanks, Steve, bc I have a big problem understanding the grammar. I get so frustrated I stop😞I need a Tudor

[@michaelrespicio5683]

Quite a few Japanese learners make these mistakes, and I often refer to them as "cultists"

[@theaussieflame]

I'm learning Japanese, and these people drive me crazy 🙄

[@jazzyeric21]

Great video. Really helpful.

[@ariohandoyo5973]

It's very commond when people reply In English not in in the languange that we are learning because simplely they don't know how to write a sentence in the languanfe that we are learning, but i'm learning English so, it's an advantange for me because many people online will reply me in English.😂

[@user-mrfrog]

Entièrement d'accord avec vos conseils! Merci!

[@Hello-yv5wq]

the last mistake is the most important one no one is responsible to speak the language you are learning, unless you hire them / pay them

[@axel_017]

So true! Thanks Steve!

[@SpanishwithRocio]

I agree 👍 Thanks for the video

[@seren7173]

Use aimed language to explain another aimed language's phrase can help a lot,it can help the learner review the vocabulary what they read before.(of course this is more difficult for beginner so dont push yoursel)

[@Brooks003]

Hello, I have a question about your system (reading and listening) I am very interested in this, how many hours, more or less, is necessary every day listening and reading? Maybe you can to do a video explain this. Thank you

[@NothingHereForYou]

I'll tell you what. Conjugations, grammar, and so forth, I can't explain it all. Don't even ask me to explain English sentence structure, because I'll get confused trying to explain it. English is my native language and I can articulate my thoughts clearly in it. So if you are trying to learn English don't get bogged down by all the rules. Just focus on learning the words you will need to understand and express yourself with. That's what we all do until we naturally pick it up.

[@A11v_g]

Thanks ❤ ese comentario me ayuda mucho

[@samewalt6486]

Many native speakers of English are not well educated and speak very informally with lots of slang and have a not very precise knowledge of grammar. Nobody learned to speak their native language by studying grammar.

[@budekins542]

Epic wisdom in this video.

[@mariamanuelareis8680]

Thank you so much, I love a lot your videos,realy help me😊

[@alwaysuseless]

The first time I went to Germany, my German was not very good, and everyone spoke to me in English. The second time I was there, my German was better, and almost everyone spoke to me in German. They could tell that I was an American who was enthusiastic about speaking German and they appreciated that. Als ich das erste Mal nach Deutschland ging, war mein Deutsch nicht sehr gut und alle sprachen mit mir Englisch. Als ich das zweite Mal dort war, war mein Deutsch besser und fast alle sprachen mit mir auf Deutsch. Sie merkten, dass ich ein Amerikaner war, der begeistert Deutsch sprach, und das schätzten sie.

[@solange5547]

Thank you for those advice

[@Мужчина-стерва]

8th is mine 😅 since 2016 I've been learning Japanese, and I tried to learn the more then I was able to

[@minervaaguiar7389]

So Accurate !!!🙏🏼

[@m17434]

Thank you, Steve,

[@majapekarcikova8870]

Thank you 🤩

[@romuloromano]

Thanks a lot, you‘re so great.

[@Kitiwake]

Stopping trying but searching for new material, or dropping reviews of old material is the worst mistake, imo.

[@vkyamen5788]

Thanks, Sir.

[@marcoarrieta4983]

I couldn't agree more with rule number 10. If you don't seem to understand or comfortably answer in my native language, I'm afraid I'm less likely to talk to you. It's just the way it is. That's why many people emphatize delaying output. On discord servers meant for language learning, it's really a golden rule. You waste people's time just because you didn't want to put in the effort for a longer period of time.

[@alchemist_one]

That's reasonable when the issue is language skills, but in some countries, people do this even to long-term immigrants who speak the local language much better than the locals speak English. In that case, it's very different. Imagine you're a Mexican in the US who speaks English at a solid B2/C1 level, trying to order food at a restaurant and the waiter keeps insisting on using their much inferior Spanish. It's just messed up and makes the immigrant feel like they'll always be an outsider. It's the same for a long-term western immigrant in Korea who speaks Korean well but is continually answered in (semi-broken) English... not the biggest crime in the world but definitely bad behavior.

[@johnnacke4134]

Steve, Do you feel that it is necessary to learn hiragana and katakana if you just want to be able to converse in Japanese?

[@abhinavchauhan7864]

Thats why you are the best

[@ukaszkuzma]

Great, but how to improve speaking language skills when you are on your own and there is no around native speaker ?

[@Thelinguist]

Try to find people to talk to online while continuing to increase comprehension and increase comprehension.

[@marcosantoniodasilva4100]

Greetings from Brazil

[@kingtau]

Ola, como vai!

[@marcosantoniodasilva4100]

@@kingtau oi

[@patfromamboy]

I’ve been studying Portuguese for 9 years now but I still can’t read or converse. I’ve visited Brasil 18 times but I still have to translate everything into English to understand. I practice every day with my girlfriend who only speaks Portuguese and I can’t understand her even though we’ve been practicing for 6 years now. Portuguese words don’t mean anything to me until I translate them into English.

[@jaclineheto8615]

You problem is laziness and ego problem. You always want to be perfect. 😂

[@patfromamboy]

@@jaclineheto8615 wrong, I spend several hours per day studying and practicing.

[@mrs.mokhova4235]

It is about me.. I forget what I have read or heard , it decreased my confidence significantly… stress and law self esteem in speaking as a result

[@putinisakiller8093]

Everyone does. If you want to remember something, you have to repeat it many times.

[@MarioRossiAncora]

My English is pretty much... I don't want to brag, but I can use it at almost a native speaker's level. I work daily in English, both spoken and written, and people don't know I'm not a native speaker until they hear my accent. And yet, I have to look up the word "fennel" every two months.

[@chosenfews]

Can you put Thai on the website would be awesome .

[@tesla4014]

Hello from uzbekistan

[@glumraidh]

The English learners I have here often don't speak the language even when they have the chance. They'd speak it only in class, sometimes only when forced to do so. Then they complain they can't speak it. 🙄

[@Gloomyheart6]

As a matter of fact, no one can master a foreign language unless he or she mingles with the native speakers. Because there are some specific rules that are essential to follow for learning that language which might not even exist in other languages. The language we speak as natives 80% include slang words, idioms and phrases and the language we learn as foreigners mostly consists of simple words revolving around grammatic structure. Moreover, the way the natives connect and blend the words in a sentence or a speech neither a foreign speaker can pronounce or understand while the natives are talking at a lightening speed. But a foreign language can be useful to a very good extent if we work hard.

[@Gigusx]

"Mingling with the native speakers" is just native-level content. It's not much different than listening to conversation podcasts, interviews, tv shows, etc. That's how you get to native-like level where even the blended and "lightning-speed" speech becomes comprehensible. There are very few subtleties that you can't pick up through enough exposure, and anything common will be commonly included in books and podcasts and tv and whatever else you like consuming. As for the use of slang, I don't know if you mean that 80% of people use slang or 80% of spoken language is slang, but only the former would be true (and still may be off). You get to understand slang the same way you get to understand anything else - exposure, and it can come from your own conversations or content that contains slang.

[@pierreabbat6157]

What if there are no native speakers? What if you're learning Latin, Ancient Greek, or Lojban? (There are two native speakers of Lojban that I know of, not enough to make a good mingling group.)

[@stewste4316]

great video

[@reptileclub8681]

I'm learning Chinese by speaking Chinese with people on hellotalk, and reading articles on linq, and listening to music (like 鄧紫棋，蔡依林, and 八三夭),

[@reptileclub8681]

I also write a journal in Mandarin

[@bishkekkyrgyzstan]

Thanks a lot.

[@pjdilip]

Respect you a lot, but have to add my two bits here... Sanskrit has always been taught through declension tables, there probably is no other way. They haven't made such tables for, say, Lithuanian or Russian...wonder why?

[@Irina-jm9rp]

Please can you specify exactly how many hours a day should be spent for speaking in order to speak well 😊

[@Thelinguist]

There are no rules. Often, whenever you get the chance. More than 3 times a week for sure.

[@Irina-jm9rp]

@@Thelinguist Thanks a lot! I've just started watching your videos and I found them very helpful

[@putinisakiller8093]

I think, a couple hours will be good. 😊

[@DylanBekker]

Any chance that there will be Vietnamese on LingQ in the future?

[@Thelinguist]

Still waiting for the mini-stories.