Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It

Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It by Gabriel Wyner

Why can toddlers easily pick up a language, why adults struggle? Partially because we are doing it wrong. Toddlers are exposed to huge amounts of language. They are willing to try to make many mistakes. They try a lot. They learn the most common words and grammatical structures first. They don't have preconceived notions of sounds. As adults (or teens) we are often "too smart" for our own good and don't spend enough time practicing.

How can we resolve this? We have many tools available. Google image search and youtube videos can be helpful for informal exploration. RhinoSpike, Forvo and Foreign Service Institute are all useful free resources. The author also pitched his own Fluent Forever as a pay site. There is abundant media available in multiple languages. (Harry Potter was mentioned as a good example.) TV series are great because you get some familiarity. Music is not as good. (We often sing incorrect version of lyrics in our native language.)

Even with the best tools, we need to devote work and practice. It does take time. Full immersion is the best way to learn. Learning the most frequent vocabulary first is the best way to go. It lets us gradually build on that as we learn more. Speaking without an accent requires some "unlearning". Each language has its own phonemes that may differentiate in ways your mind is not used to. Practice and experience help. The author also encourages flash cards as well as some memory associations. Learning a language takes time and exposure.