7 Bullet Points About Languages - Week 28
Hi everybody,
I hope your week was marvelous!
This past week really was for me, as I made real progress in reading my Korean novel (only 40 pages left!) and dug deeper in the process of making Haiku. It was a week full of discoveries and I loved it.
As mentioned last week, I've reflected on how to make the newsletter better for you and prepared this survey. It shouldn't take more than a minute so please fill it in if you want to receive a better newsletter each week!
Alright, let's dive right in!
Each week, I share 7 things that could be useful to your learning odyssey. I hope they can help you improve your journey, tickle your curiosity, and inspire you to keep exploring.
One video: The Biggest Myth In Education — By Veritasium
This video about learning styles is magnificent. I absolutely love videos and articles that debunk the myth that some of us have a "learning style." I even wrote an article about it a while back. If you've never thought about it or if you think you learn better in one way, you should watch this video to change your mind.
One article I read: From Zero To Conversational French In Six Months — How Harry Potter Helped Me Do It— By Elsa Price
Loved this piece from Elsa. It's another one of those "here's how I did it" and they're all interesting. This one picked my interest because it's particularly clear and her love for the French language can be felt. Her method, while intense for those who don't have as much time, works. There's no doubt about it.
One article I wrote: You Can Always Improve Your Language but Is It Really What You Need?
I've brought most of my languages to a high level but regularly ask myself "should I really keep learning it?" It's important to regularly reflect on what you want to do with a language. Sometimes, it's okay to put it aside. Have a read and take a moment to think about what you want to do with yours!
One podcast episode: Dr. Andrew Huberman — A Neurobiologist on Optimizing Sleep, Performance, and Testosterone ― Tim Ferriss
When I saw Huberman's name pop up, I jump on the episode. A conversation between the two had to be interesting. And it was! While not about language learning, this interview goes over a lot of topics, including learning. A few parts might even surprise you, such as the impact of light on mood and learning! Listen to all of it, you won't regret it.
One tool to try: Duolingo Events
Every language learner has heard about Duolingo but I was very surprised to discover the existence of Duolingo Events recently! With free online meetings for all languages regularly, this can be a great opportunity to practice speaking. I haven't tried it yet but plan to do so soon!
One quote to ponder: “Language is not a genetic gift, it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club-the community of speakers of that language.” ― Frank Smith
One biweekly challenge for the weeks ahead: Record yourself 1 minute a day
As a reminder, the current biweekly challenge is about practicing speaking every day by recording ourselves. I've been answering the questions from Fingtam Language's 30-day challenge for now but may change this second week.
I, unfortunately, did it only once every two days the first half of the week, but always pushed myself to catch up on the ones I missed. Speaking Korean out loud for the first time in a while made me realize how much I've lost my capacity to naturally link words one after another.
Let me know how it went for you by sending me a mail at barra.mathias@gmail.com!
As always, thanks for reading!
Mathias Barra
For more of my articles, you can find them here.