The secrets of learning a new language | Lýdia Machová

I love learning foreign languages. In fact, I love it so much that I like to learn a new language every two years, currently working on my eighth one. When people find it out about me, they always ask me, how do you do that? What's your secret? And to be honest, for many years my answer would be, I don't know, I simply love learning languages. But people were never happy with that answer. They wanted to know why they are spending years trying to learn even one language, never achieving fluency, and here I come learning one language after another. They wanted to know the secret of polyglots, people who speak a lot of languages. And that made me wonder too, how do actually other polyglots do it? What do we have in common? And what is it that enables us to learn languages so much faster than other people? I decided to meet other people like me and find it out. The best place to meet a lot of polyglots is an event where hundreds of language lovers meet in one place to practice their languages.

我热爱学习外语。实际上，我非常喜欢学习外语，以至于每两年就要学一门新语言，目前我正在学第八种语言。当人们发现这一点时，他们总是问我，你是怎么做到的？你的秘诀是什么？老实说，多年来我的回答一直是，我不知道，我就是喜欢学语言。但是这个答案从来不能让人满意。他们想知道为什么他们花了多年时间学一门语言却总是达不到流利，而我却能一门接一门地学好。他们想知道多语者的秘密——那些会说很多语言的人。这也让我感到好奇，其他多语者是怎么做到的？我们有什么共同点？是什么让我们比其他人学语言更快？于是我决定去见其他和我一样的人，找出答案。见到许多多语者的最佳地点是一个活动，在那里有数百个语言爱好者聚集在一起练习他们的语言。

There's several of such polyglot events organized all around the world, and so I decided to go there and ask polyglots about the methods that they use. And so I met Benny from Ireland, who told me that his method is to start speaking from day one. He learns a few phrases from a travel, phrase book, and goes to meet native speakers and starts having conversations with them right away. He doesn't mind making even 200 mistakes a day because that's how he learns based on the feedback. And the best thing is he doesn't even need to travel a lot today because you can easily have conversations with native speakers from the comfort of your living room using websites. I also met Lukas from Brazil who had a really interesting method to learn Russian. He simply added 100 random Russian speakers on Skype as friends. And then, seriously, and then he opened a chat window with one of them and wrote hi in Russian.

世界各地都举行了许多这样的多语言活动，于是我决定去参加，并询问那些多语言者他们使用的方法。我遇到了来自爱尔兰的Benny，他告诉我，他的方法是从第一天就开始说。他从旅游短语书中学一些短语，然后去见母语者，并立即开始与他们对话。即使每天犯200个错误他也不介意，因为他就是通过反馈来学习的。最棒的是，如今他甚至不需要经常旅行，因为可以通过网站在家里与母语者轻松交谈。 我还遇到了来自巴西的Lukas，他有一个非常有趣的方法来学习俄语。他只是随便在Skype上加了100个俄语者为好友，然后，他真的这样做了，他打开一个聊天窗口，用俄语写了"你好"。

And the person replied, hi, how are you? Lukas copied this and put it into a text window with another person. And the person replied, I'm fine, thank you, and how are you? Lukas copied this back to the first person, and in this way he had two strangers have a conversation with each other without knowing about it. And soon he would start typing himself because he had so many of these conversations that he figured out how the Russian conversation usually starts. What an ingenious method, right? And then I met Polyglots who always start by imitating sounds of the language, and others who always learn the 500 most frequent words of the language. And yet others who always start by reading about the grammar. If I asked 100 different Polyglots, I heard 100 different approaches to learning languages.

然后那个人回复说：“嗨，你好吗？”卢卡斯把这句话复制粘贴到另一个人的聊天窗口中。那个新的人回复说：“我很好，谢谢，你呢？”卢卡斯又把这句话复制回第一个人那里。通过这种方式，他让两个陌生人开始了对话，而他们完全不知情。不久之后，他开始自己打字，因为他已经有了许多这样的对话，摸清了俄语对话的通常开场方式。这真是个巧妙的方法，对吧？后来我遇到了一些语言达人，他们总是通过模仿语言的发音来入手；还有一些人会先学习语言中使用频率最高的500个单词；再有一些人会从阅读语法开始。如果我问100个不同的语言达人，我就会听到100种不同的语言学习方法。

Everybody seems to have a unique way how they learn a language. And yet, we all come to the same result of speaking several languages fluently. And as I was listening to these Polyglots, telling me about their methods, it suddenly dawned on me. The one thing we all have in common is that we simply found ways how to enjoy the language learning process. All of these Polyglots were talking about language learning as if it was great fun. You should have seen their faces when they were showing me their colorful grammar charts and their carefully handmade flashcards. And there are statistics about learning vocabulary using apps, or even how they love to cook based on recipes in a foreign language. All of them use different methods, but they always make sure it's something that they personally enjoy.

每个人学习语言的方式似乎都独一无二。但最终，我们都能流利地说几种语言。当我听这些多语言者讲述他们的方法时，我突然意识到，我们都有一个共同点，那就是我们都找到了让学习语言变得有趣的方法。这些多语言者谈起学习语言时，好像在谈论一件非常有趣的事情。你应该看看他们展示自己色彩斑斓的语法图表和亲手制作的记忆卡片时的表情。他们甚至会使用应用程序来学习词汇，或者用外语菜谱来做饭。这些人使用的方法各不相同，但他们总是确保这些方法是他们自己所喜欢的。

I realized that this is actually how I learned languages myself. When I was learning Spanish, I was bored with the text in the textbook. I mean, who wants to read about Hossa asking about the directions to the train station, right? I wanted to read Harry Potter instead, because that was my favorite book as a child, and I had read it many times. So I got the Spanish translation of Harry Potter and started reading. And sure enough, I didn't understand almost anything at the beginning. But I kept on reading because I loved the book. And by the end of the book, I was able to follow it almost without any problems. And the same thing happened when I was learning German. I decided to watch France, my favorite sitcom in German. And again, at the beginning it was all just gibberish. I didn't know where one word finished and another one started. But I kept on watching every day because it's France, I can watch it in any language.

我意识到，这实际是我自己学习语言的方法。当我学习西班牙语时，我对课本里的内容感到无聊。比如，谁会想读赫萨问路去火车站之类的对话呢？我更想读《哈利·波特》，因为这是我小时候最喜欢的书，我已经读过很多遍了。所以我找到了《哈利·波特》的西班牙语翻译版，开始阅读。当然，一开始我几乎什么都看不懂。但我继续读下去，因为我喜欢这本书。到了最后，我几乎能毫不费力地理解整个故事。同样的事情也发生在我学习德语的时候。我决定看我最喜欢的情景喜剧《老友记》的德语版。起初，这些对话对我来说完全是天书，我根本分不清单词的前后。但我继续每天看，因为是《老友记》，我可以用任何语言看。

I love it so much. And after the second or third season, seriously, the dialogue started to make sense. I only realized this after meeting other polyglots. We are no geniuses, and we have no shortcut to learning languages. We simply found ways how to enjoy the process, how to turn language learning from a boring school subject into a pleasant activity which you don't mind doing every day.

我非常喜欢它。在第二或第三季后，说真的，对话开始变得有意义了。我是在遇到其他多语言者后才意识到这一点的。我们不是天才，也没有学语言的捷径。我们只是找到了如何享受这个过程的方法，把语言学习从一个无聊的学校科目变成了一项每天都愿意做的愉快活动。

If you don't like writing words down on paper, you can always type them in an app. If you don't like listening to boring textbook material, find interesting content on YouTube or in podcasts for any language. If you're a more introverted person and you can imagine speaking to native speakers right away, you can apply the method of self-talk. You can talk to yourself in the comfort of your room, describing your plans for the weekend, how your day has been, or even take a random picture from your phone and describe the picture to your imaginary friend.

如果你不喜欢把文字写在纸上，你可以随时在应用程序上打字。如果你不喜欢听枯燥的课本内容，可以在YouTube或播客上找到任何语言的有趣内容。如果你是一个更内向的人，而且一开始就能想象与母语者交流，可以尝试自言自语的方法。你可以在自己舒适的房间里自言自语，描述你的周末计划、你的一天过得怎样，或者甚至从手机里随便选一张照片，向你的想象中的朋友描述这张照片。

This is how polyglots learn languages. And the best news is it's available to anyone who's willing to take the learning into their own hands. So meeting other polyglots helped me realize that it is really crucial to find enjoyment in the process of learning languages, but also that joy in itself is not enough. If you want to achieve fluency in a foreign language, you'll also need to apply three more principles. First of all, you'll need effective methods. If you try to memorize a list of words for a test tomorrow, the words will be stored in your short-term memory, and you'll forget them after a few days.

这是多语言者学习语言的方式。最好的消息是，任何愿意自主学习的人都可以使用这种方法。与其他多语言者交流让我意识到，在学习语言的过程中找到乐趣非常重要，但仅有乐趣还不够。如果你想在外语上达到流利的水平，你还需要遵循另外三个原则。首先，你需要有效的方法。如果你只是为了明天的考试去记忆一串单词，这些单词会被储存在你的短期记忆中，几天后你就会忘掉它们。

If you, however, want to keep words long-term, you need to revise them in the course of a few days repeatedly using the so-called space repetition. You can use apps which are based on these systems, such as Anki or Memrise, or you can write lists of words in a notebook using the Gold List method, which is also very popular with many polyglots. If you're not sure which methods are effective and what is available out there, just check out Polyglots' YouTube channels and websites and get inspiration from them. If it works for them, it will most probably work for you too.

如果你想长期记住单词，你需要在几天内反复复习，这被称为空间重复。你可以使用基于这些系统的应用程序，比如Anki或Memrise，或者你可以使用Gold List方法在笔记本上写单词列表，这在多语者中也非常受欢迎。如果你不确定哪些方法有效，可以查看多语者的YouTube频道和网站，从他们那里获得灵感。如果这些方法对他们有效，那么对你也很可能会有效。

The third principle to follow is to create a system in your learning. We're all very busy and no one really has time to learn a language today. But we can create that time if we just plan a bit ahead. Can you wake up 15 minutes earlier than you normally do? That would be the perfect time to revise some vocabulary. Can you listen to a podcast on your way to work while driving? Well, that would be great to get some listening experience. There are so many things we can do without even planning that extra time, such as listening to podcasts on our way to work or doing our household chores.

第三个原则是为你的学习创建一个系统。我们都非常忙碌，今天几乎没有人有时间学习一门语言。但如果我们提前稍微计划一下，就可以创造出时间。你能比平时早起15分钟吗？那会是复习一些词汇的完美时间。你可以在开车上班的路上听播客吗？那将是获得一些听力经验的好方法。我们有很多事情可以做，而不需要额外安排时间，比如在上班路上听播客或做家务时听。

The important thing is to create a plan in the learning. I will practice speaking every Tuesday and Thursday with a friend for 20 minutes. I will listen to a YouTube video while having breakfast. If you create a system in your learning, you don't need to find that extra time because it will become a part of your everyday life. And finally, if you want to learn a language fluently, you need also a bit of patience. It's not possible to learn a language within two months, but it's definitely possible to make a visible improvement in two months if you learn in small chunks every day in a way to enjoy.

重要的是在学习中制定一个计划。我每周二和周四都会和朋友练习口语20分钟。早餐时，我会听YouTube视频。如果你在学习中创建一个系统，你不需要额外找时间，因为它会成为你日常生活的一部分。最后，如果你想流利地学习一门语言，你还需要一点耐心。在两个月内学会一门语言是不可能的，但如果你每天都以愉快的方式进行小块学习，两个月内肯定可以看到明显的进步。

And there is nothing that motivates us more than our own success. I vividly remember the moment when I understood the first joke in German when watching France. I was so happy and motivated that I just kept on watching that day two more episodes. And as I kept watching, I had more and more of those moments of understanding these little victories. And step by step, I got to a level where I could use the language freely and fluently to express anything. And this is a wonderful feeling.

没有什么比我们自己的成功更能激励我们。我清楚地记得，当我在看法国的时候，第一次听懂了一个德语笑话的那一刻。我高兴极了，并且因此充满了动力，于是那天我又接着看了两集。随着我不断观看，这样的小小胜利时刻越来越多。一步一步地，我达到了一个可以自由流利使用德语表达任何事情的水平。这是一种非常美妙的感觉。

I can't get enough of that feeling, and that's why I learned a language every two years. So this is the whole Polyglot secret. Find effective methods which you can use systematically over the period of some time in a way which you enjoy. And this is how Polyglot's learning language is within months, not years. Now, some of you may be thinking, that's all very nice to enjoy a language learning, but isn't the real secret that you Polyglots are just super talented and most of us aren't?

我对那种感觉总是欲罢不能，这也是为什么我每两年学一门新语言。这就是多语者的秘诀。找到一些你能系统性使用且你很享受的有效方法。通过这种方式，多语者能在几个月内学会一门语言，而不是几年。现在，有些人可能会想，享受学习语言固然不错，但真正的秘诀不就是你们多语者天赋异禀，而我们大多数人没有这种天赋吗？

Well, there's one thing I haven't told you about Benny and Lukas. Benny had 11 years of Irish, Gallic, and five years of German at school. Couldn't speak them at all when graduating. Up to the age of 21, he thought he didn't have the language gene, and he could not speak another language. Benny started to look for his way of learning languages, which was speaking to native speakers and getting feedback from them. And today, Benny can easily have a conversation in 10 languages.

好吧，有件事我还没告诉你关于Benny和Lukas的事。Benny在学校里学了11年的爱尔兰语、凯尔特语和5年的德语，但毕业时还是一句都不会说。直到21岁，他还认为自己没有语言天赋，不能说其他语言。后来，Benny开始寻找自己的语言学习方法，就是和母语者交流并获得反馈。到今天，Benny已经可以流利地用10种语言进行对话。

Lukas tried to learn English at school for 10 years. He was one of the worst students in class. His friends even made fun of him, gave him a Russian textbook as a joke, because they thought he would never learn that language or any language. And then Lukas started to experiment with methods, looking for his own way to learn. For example, by having SkypChat conversations with strangers.

卢卡斯在学校学了10年英语，但他是班上最差的学生之一。他的朋友甚至嘲笑他，开玩笑地送了他一本俄语课本，因为他们认为他不可能学会那门语言，或者任何其他语言。后来，卢卡斯开始尝试不同的方法，寻找自己的学习方式。比如，通过与陌生人进行通话聊天来练习。

And after just 10 years, Lukas is able to speak 11 languages fluently. Does that sound like a miracle? Well, I see such miracles every single day. As a language mentor, I help people learn languages by themselves. And I see this every day. People struggled with language learning for 5, 10, even 20 years.

仅仅用了10年时间，Lukas就能流利地说11种语言。这听起来像是个奇迹吗？其实，我每天都能见证这样的奇迹。作为一名语言导师，我帮助人们自学语言。我每天都看到这样的情况。有人在学习语言时困扰了5年、10年，甚至20年。

And then they suddenly take their learning into their own hands, start using materials, which they enjoy, more effective methods, or they start tracking their learning so that they can appreciate their own progress. And that's when suddenly they magically find the language talent that they were missing all their lives. So if you've also tried to learn a language and you gave up thinking it's too difficult or you don't have the language talent, give it another try.

然后他们突然自己掌握了学习的主动权，开始使用自己喜欢的材料，更有效的方法，或者开始跟踪自己的学习进度，这样他们就能看到自己的进步。就在那个时候，他们奇迹般地发现了自己一直以来缺失的语言天赋。所以，如果你也曾尝试学习一门语言，但因为觉得太难或认为自己没有语言天赋而放弃了，请再试一次。

Maybe you're also just one enjoyable method away from learning the language fluently. Maybe you're just one method away from becoming a polyglot. Thank you.

也许你只差一种有趣的方法就能流利地学会这门语言。也许你只差一种方法就能成为一名多语言者。谢谢。