7 Bullet Points About Languages - Week 50
Hey everybody,
I hope your week was marvelous!
Updates
This week was a good one but not a language one for me!
I spent quite some time organizing my brother’s last-minute bachelor party with his friends and then it happened this Saturday. It was a success so no regrets there!
Between that and some other tasks as the year gets to a close, I barely did any active study this week.
I only played about 30 minutes of Genshin Impact daily (15 minutes in Chinese and 15 in Korean). I read a few pages of a new Korean novel (Almond) and surprisingly understood quite a bit without a dictionary!
I also listened to a really good Thai radio in the background for hours daily. I used Shazam to find the certain songs I enjoyed and then found them on Spotify. I listened to some songs, like this one, on repeat while trying to read the lyrics in Thai. It’s helping a lot in recognizing the letters fast—or at least less slowly!
On a side note, I’ve also fallen back into a book collection I loved when I was younger: The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist. I read it in French while younger but am now rereading it in English, rediscovering its incredible universe. Surprisingly enough, I am also learning quite a few words in English! Words liked “to guffaw,” “to bay,” or countless words related to boats. Another proof there’s always something new to learn!
Alrighty then. Let's dive in!
7 Bullet Points
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: Can You Ever TRULY Understand Native Content In A Foreign Language? — By Robin MacPherson
Will Robin ever stop putting out great videos? I sometimes wonder if he’s even capable of making bad videos. Not that I’m complaining! In this video, Robin answers a worry everybody goes through and explains the answer through his story with Chinese and Japanese.
Robin put his finger on an important yet often overlooked aspect of speaking a language: anticipating what’s going to be said. It’s an important skill to develop but there’s only one way to get it: give it time!
One article I read: Why intrinsic motivation in education is not a silver bullet — Chad Morris (Lingo Legend)
I loved this article because it brought up an idea I hadn’t thought of. Intrinsic motivation’s negative side. Well, the fact that it’s not enough at least. This article helped me realize external triggers can also be positive.
If you have an iPhone, don’t hesitate to check out the beta of Lingo Legend, a game app that could make learning languages a lot more accessible!
One article I wrote: Four Ways to Improve Your Language Without Actively Studying It
I love learning languages but studying isn’t always fun. That’s why I also spend a lot of time getting better through without using a textbook or even sitting down. In this piece, I shared 4 simple ways you could make your journey to fluency even more amazing. Don’t miss out on such an opportunity!
One podcast episode: Advantages to learning multiple languages simultaneously and the disadvantages— By The Unconventional Polyglot
This week, it’s two for one! In these two short episodes, the host discusses a topic I love: learning multiple languages at the same time. I’ve done it for a decade and can attest he’s right. The hardest part of learning multiple languages is to keep your expectations under check. If you do that successfully, you’ll be on a magical journey!
One tool to try: Refold Discord
Well, Refold isn’t a tool but a method and community built by YouTuber MattvsJapan. Whether you follow his method or not, its Discord servers are full of amazing resources and tips in all kinds of languages.
12 of them have their own servers with specific channels by type of resources or topics. Then there are dozens of other languages with a few channels where people help each other. There’s no better way to say it, it’s a treasure trove.
One quote to ponder: “Our best work is the work we find ourselves doing, when there is no obligation to do so.” — Naval Ravikant
Current biweekly challenge: Set your 2022 goals
And plan how you'll reach them! Of course, no pressure here. Goals change. But for them to be able to, you have to set some first!
Why choose your 2022 so early? Because you're not over-confident yet! At the very end of the year, we choose to make huge changes and then give up. Instead, make reasonable goals and leave space for bonus growth. 📈
Review of the first week of the current challenge:
This week, I focused on predicting next year. I know, tough to do, especially since I’m still unsure of which country I’ll be in during 2022
A few languages will definitely stay as a part of my life: Japanese, Korean, and Chinese won’t go anywhere. I’ll most probably spend a bit of time in Thailand too, so Thai will be an important part of the beginning of 2022. Apart from that, Burmese and German will certainly make a comeback at one point. And I’ll surely have a go at a new language just for the excitement of discovering a new language. We’ll see which one though!
One thing is sure though. After spending 2021 mostly locked at home and barely speaking my languages out loud, I want to make 2022 the exact opposite. I want to focus a lot more on speaking. For my advanced languages, that’ll mean going to meetups or participating in online calls.
Let me know how your goal-setting’s going for you!
Let me know how it went for you!
As always, thanks for reading!
Mathias Barra
For more of my articles, you can find them here.