This article is Part 4 of the 5 part series on learning a language (click any of the following for “Part 1: Why it is never too late”, “Part 2: Myths of language learning” , “Part 3: Routine for the complete beginner”, “Part 4: The routine for the intermediate level”, “Part 5: Advanced routine and learning another”, and the companion piece and review of the LingQ language application here.)
So you have a base, or, you were once fluent and would like to recapture some of that magic. This article can help.
Before I begin, it will help to familiarize yourself with some of the terminology I outlined in Part 2.
Intermediate advancements to your fluency are easy gains
Once you’re here, it is fun! If you’re just trying to brush up, it is equally enjoyable. You’ll really be amazed at how quickly it comes back. All of this has to do with the brain; once those neural networks are created, they just need to be strengthened.
You can imagine language learning as a footpath in the woods. The more you use the target language, the wider the footpath becomes. Eventually, you’ll have a six lane highway, and those networks aren’t going anywhere. The learning is subconscious not conscious. As discussed in Part 2, this is the only way to learn a language. Once the data becomes implicit in your brain, the process requires less effort. You’re over the critical learning period (or as Kauffman puts it, the steep blade of the upside down hockey stick).
In Part 3 I introduced the idea of RRLR (Rote, Read, Listen, Repeat). It is worth noting that the LingQ application is used almost exclusively at this stage. That, and of course, encounters with actual speakers, radio, and television that might present themselves in your target language.
For a quick run through on how to use LingQ, you can check out this article. For brevity’s sake, I will not be discussing in detail how I use the application (other than using the terms “reading, listening, and repeating”) here.
There are two major deviations from the RRLR with the Intermediate Routine:
(1) Scrap the ROTE
You may have heard me alluding to this in Part 3, but Rote is a COMPLETE waste of time once you have a base. I was reluctant to even include it in the beginner routine; however, I see some value in learning the infinitive of some verbs before diving into a conjugated mess with LingQ. Over time, however, things start to click naturally. This is the beauty of having such refined evolutionary linguistic hardware.
Rote is gratifying in the sense that you feel that you have “accomplished” something. It also is something beginners feel they need. To avoid a motivation collapse in the beginning, rote is a way to build confidence. It has no practical use in the subconscious process of language learning (see Part 2).
Why? Because once you pass the critical learning period, and are listening and reading material consistently, you will encounter the same words over and over again in context which does the same thing as Rote but better.
The in context is key: As you advance, the only way you will remember complex syntactic structures or confusing lexical items is in the context in which they are read. This is associative learning. The brain is great at creating associative memories and links. Learning in isolation is counter to how we have evolved to learn language (or learn anything, for that matter).
(2) Reverse the READ and LISTEN requirements
Ok, so now you have been actively listening to material for awhile. When you read before you listen—in order to allow you to have Comprehensible Input (as previously discussed in part 1-3)—you will inevitably begin to predict and anticipate what is coming in the audio material. In the beginning this is reassuring. It can also assist you in understanding the meaning of the sounds without having a total understanding of the form (syntax, grammar etc).
You will want to get away from reading first in your target language as you advance. Why? Because spoken language is spontaneous. In real life, you aren’t going to have any cues from your speaker other than a few hand gestures.
You must now work on actively listening to spontaneous information.
Hopefully at this level you have enough of a base where you can catch 60% or more of what is said. After the first listen (or maybe two in a row), read the material (with the requisite translation) so you know what you’re listening to in order to fill in the gaps. Then finish the last R, with Repeat (and repeat until you catch it all). Over time you’ll get closer and closer to that 100% mark on the first or second listen. Now you’re talking fluency!
(3) Supplement with short novel material
So in my LingQ review here, I discuss where to start for Lingq. Truthfully, to get myself to the self propelling level of intermediate, all I needed was one book. I listened to and read this one book over 30 times. The application parses it out into small clips to be read and listened to. This took a few months and a lot of work—but it worked! I ended up reading the same book with my next language as well.
Reading the same material can get old. I was motivated by the progress. Some people may need different stimuli. Once I reached a level where I could understand 50-60% of spontaneous material, I found different sources. In the Canadian context, this was the news in French. There is plenty of material online depending on your target language. LingQ has a huge supply as well. The application allows you to import your own content as well which makes the app, in my opinion, pretty perfect.
(4) Read Out loud!
This was a big one for me. In Part 2 I mentioned how Comprehensible Input is everything! But eventually you want to spread your wings and start speaking with native speakers.
This can be intimidating if your accent is lagging. One of the turning points for me, which Kaufman and others recommended, was practicing my pronunciation by reading out loud. I was in a rut after almost two years learning french. I could not, for the life of me, get a francophone Canadian to engage in a conversation with me. Now most francophone Canadians are very bilingual. The second they would hear that anglo twang, boom, the conversation would go right into english… I thought to myself, how am I to improve my accent if I am not speaking?
The answer is to read out loud.
Reading out loud allows you to work on your accent in a controlled setting, one word at a time. The LingQ app is great for this. I was able to work on making my accent as close to that of a native speakers as possible by referencing the audio clip while reading a lesson. You will want to treat reading out loud much like you did the listening and reading portions of RRLD: do not move on to a new lesson/clip until you have mastered the pronunciation of each word in that lesson/clip. This will be tedious!! But, theoretically, if you master one word at a time, and read a 5,000 word book, you will have mastered 5,000 words in context by the end.
The tongue is the only thing that needs to be broken in. You’re building muscles as well as synapses when you learn a new language.
Part of the reason why it is easier for younger people to take on accents is that they are able to learn the phonology all at once for the first time; their native language doesn’t inhibit their ability to receive input and produce similar output.
There is no point reading out loud with incorrect pronunciation. Like learning an improper golf swing, you’ll have a harder time correcting your shot later down the line. Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent. Learn correctly once, and the rest is history. If you are really hardcore, you can record yourself and compare the recording to the audio sample on the app.
Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent.
This part is quite fun and gratifying, actually. You begin to see your accent change and your pronunciation improve. The gains are equally quick. With an improved accent comes increased confidence. This is so important when you encounter a native speaker.
I have met native speakers in French where the hook is in the first 20 seconds. If you sound native for that initial introduction, 9 times out of 10 they will stay in your target language.
When you are confident that you sound like a native speaker then you will be more willing to use that language when you get the opportunity.
Those individuals that you use the language with will be more willing to converse as well. Win, win! This segues well into the last point of this article.
(5) Take the chances when you get them
This is pretty self explanatory: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Use your new skill. Flex those muscles. Test out those wings! Have no shame.
I cannot tell you how much time I spent worrying about whether my French was “good enough”. Nonsense! The key to command is confidence. If you’re worried about what others may think, or if you are insecure about your level of fluency, just remember: these are all self-imposed limitations.
In fact, Stephen Krashen (the linguist responsible for the Input Hypothesis), speaks about the Affective Filter. According to the Affective Filter hypothesis certain emotions (anxiety, self-doubt being the big ones) interfere with the acquisition and language learning process; in essence, they function as a filter between the speaker and the listener that reduces the amount of language input the listener comprehends. These negative emotions prevent efficient processing of the language input. For example, by reading out loud you can actually aid your input by working on your output. Like most things in life, it seems confidence is key!
You will encounter many speakers of your language par hasard. When you do, you must must must use the opportunity. Once the small chat is mastered, you can devote your time to expanding your vocabulary so you can discuss more advanced subject matter.
These are my suggestions for the intermediate language learner. Click here for my suggestions when you get to a more advanced level in the language.
Al holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Arts Double Major in Linguistics & Political Studies from the University of Manitoba. He is currently working in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Al has a passion for language, meditation, health, travelling, business and tech. Al is one of the co-founders of ThoughtNotion. You can connect with him on his personal site or on LinkedIn.
