Throughout the almost 20 years I’ve studied languages, I’ve seen hundreds (if not thousands) of different resources.
Language textbooks. Bilingual readers. Apps. Videos series.
You name it. I’ve heard of it or something quite similar.
There’s an abundance of choice, often overwhelming. Add to this a wide array of “study techniques” or whatever you call them and you get an infinite number of combinations you could try, with most people directing you towards a few more popular than others.
Some recommended resources are great. The New Practical Chinese Reader (NPCR) is a great series for learning Chinese. Talk To Me In Korean (TTMIK) is incredible for Korean. For Japanese, I’ve heard many people recommend the Genki series but some, like me, prefer the just-as-good Minna No Nihongo series.
Still, these are learning-focused series. You can also find other more aimed at immersion, such as the Slow German and so on series or even actually TV shows.
When I started learning Mandarin in 2012, people were recommending The Voice of China so I watched tons of it.
Some immersion-focused communities, like Refold, have full documents gathering their recommendations. Look at this one for Chinese and tell me that’s not a lot.
Sure, great resources, but a lot nonetheless.
And finally, you have the recommended-yet-must-be-avoided resources. I put Duolingo and other such apps, as well as all these “learn while you sleep videos.”1
But there’s one other resource you’ve gotta try.
The one nobody knows
Now, let me be clear. Well-known resources have the obvious advantage they’re easy to find and often clear in how you’re supposed to use them.
But I’ve got a soft spot for lesser-known resources. They’ve got a bunch of advantages worth taking into account.
First, because they’re rarer, there’s no expectation. No “I must use it that way because people say it’s the most effective method.” No “I should finish one lesson per XX because that’s what’s recommended online.” No shame if you didn’t understand an explanation and can’t find anyone online reporting the same trouble.
You can have fun with it.
For the past two weeks, I’ve kept using the NPCR textbook but have been spending much more time with a textbook for Mandarin I bought in Japan on a whim: 日記を書いて身に着ける中国語 (something akin to meaning Learning Chinese by Writing a Diary).
I’m not (currently)2 writing a diary in Chinese but instead opening it more or less at random to find patterns and topics I’d like to be able to talk and write about. It’s filled with different ways to connect thoughts as well as vocabulary about every basic daily life topic.
And since it doesn’t have any audio, I’m entering in ElevenLabs a few sentences and listening to an AI recording of them tens of times as I write them down and read out loud to practice my rhythm and tones. Here’s one example:
I doubt it’s how I was supposed to use it but I love it and that’s what matters.
Lesser-known resources are a gamble. Some are great. Some aren’t. There’s a risk, one you may not be willing to take. But there’s a silver lining:
Every language-learning resource can be made incredibly fun and useful.
Hell, I’m sure even Duolingo can be turned into a somewhat useful tool if you use it as extra support. I don’t think it’s worth the hassle—especially considering how much people and its system will push you to use it like everybody else—, but I still think it’s possible.
Final thoughts
Anyway. What I’m trying to say is simple.
Next time you fall upon a resource that attracts you for some reason,3 don’t overthink it and check every comment, review, and so on online. Grab it and give it a go.
Make it yours.
Just like you’re making the language yours as you’re learning it.
Is there any not-well-known resource you’d recommend to anybody for your target language(s)? Let me know which (especially if it’s one of my target languages 🤭)!
If you’re curious, yes, I did do that for about a month 11 years ago. My Japanese didn’t get better during that time. Nor did my sleep.
But will likely do it in the next few months (weeks?) if things continue this way.
It could be the cover, the images, the colors, the organization of its content, or just the fact that something attracted your gaze.
Every morning I get 15 minutes of double points, so I go to the SPEAK section and am given 10 sentences to speak in each section I use them to perfect my pronunciation. I use YouTube videos such as the ones on Diphthongs and other pronunciation but they don’t give much practices. I attend a live class at the library biweekly and can see the improvement when it’s my turn to red aloud from the book we are doing . Much less correction. I’ll keep trying to get my money’s worth out of Dúo . Only a few months to go.
I believe learning a language for me is an intimate experience. I am learning a part of history through it. Every word having its origin story, helps me dive into the unkown. And while resources are helpful to many, I like creating my own path while learning them.