The secrets of learning a new language | Lýdia Machová

Want to learn a new language but feel daunted or unsure where to begin? You don't need some special talent or a "language gene," says Lýdia Machová. In an upbeat, inspiring talk, she reveals the secrets of polyglots (people who speak multiple languages) and shares four principles to help unlock your own hidden language talent — and have fun while doing it.

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36 Comments on The secrets of learning a new language | Lýdia Machová

  1. This is a pure platinum talk! I’m a language learning enthuziast and I hate to repeat myself, but… “This is a pure platinum talk!”

  2. 1. NEVER use another language as a reference language, e.g. textbooks where things are explained in English. Toddlers don’t do this, they just do it.
    2. Remember grammar is DESCRIPTIVE not PRESCRIPTIVE (except in formal writing and public speaking). We don’t think in terms of grammar natively we just speak without constructing. Our brains are wired for grammar, you don’t need to mechanically construct your speech through another language; it’s not just some big spreadsheet of matching words.
    3. How to program the new grammar into your brain? Learn as a child does. Our brains are pattern matching machines. Once you take the lead from your parents’ utterances you pick up the sounds and stricture instinctively.
    4. Start with imitating all the sounds; babble word fragments you hear. This trains your muscles and ear. Pre-recorded audio is helpful here.
    5. Tackle the top 5-10 verbs and learn them backwards and forwards with simple nouns and in all the common tenses. These tend to be the hardest as common verbs tend to be irregular. This is the critical step — training your brain for the new phrase structure. Having a native speaker guide for this step.
    6. Remember that language is a cultural skill. You can’t use any language properly unless you know the social context — you won’t use the proper pronouns and honorifics that every language has to address others. Some cultures have strict ways of speaking depending on the gender and social status so it’s important.
    7. Keep listening AND WATCHING videos as you need to match sounds with lip movements and body language. Dubbed content isn’t helpful I’ve found; it’s frustrating to deal with out of sync sounds.

  3. Every day i learn english in skype with teachers. Also i wath You Tube video. This is my first comment in inglish.
    I am proud by myself.

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