hi there, Vladimir here
with another video about
how to learn English
language learning is a
multibillion dollar industry worldwide
and of course English takes
the lion’s share
In Japan alone,
the market of
English conversation schools
other language schools
is 3 billion dollars a year.
This is insane.
Insane considering
Japan is ranked 53rd on
EF English Proficiency Index.
In Korea
some English teachers make
Absolute insanity considering
how easy learning English is.
There are all these
language learning methods and
language learning apps with
strange and difficult names
perpetuating one of the biggest
language learning myths that:
there isn’t 1 single way
to learn a foreign language.
there isn’t 1 single most
optimal, most effective and
efficient way of learning
a foreign language.
The myth that
we differ in the way we learn languages
Find your own way
One of the biggest myths
about language learning
if everybody thought
there was only 1 way to learn then
language learning wouldn't be
a multibillion dollar business
And that’s pretty much the case with
the business of
weight loss
a multibillion dollar business
I’m talking about losing weight
not fitness
just the business of weight loss.
Why is it a multibillion dollar industry?
with new books, and
new methods, and new diets
every single year
Don’t people know how to lose weight?
There is 1 way, and 1 way only
for somebody to lose weight.
it follows this simple formula
inequality
calories burned
must be greater than
calories consumed
that’s it
calories out
must be greater than
calories in
the greater the difference
the faster you lose weight
it is as simple as that
it is a matter of biology
human physiology.
We all lose weight
the same way
Back to language learning
language learning follows
a similar formula:
time spent
with the target language
must be greater than
time spent
with the native language
the greater the difference
the faster you learn
that’s it
it is as simple as that.
it is a matter of biology
human physiology
we all learn the same way
you can’t cheat nature
where people get confused is
this term
time spent
by “time spent”
most people assume
Speaking
what we call Output
Speaking the language
speaking English
No, time spent means
Input
Input is
reading and listening to your
target language
Language in
Language is a tool for
getting Information
or if you prefer fancier words
Language is a tool for
acquiring Knowledge
Let me give you an analogy
language is like a spoon
what is a spoon?
a spoon is a tool
for putting food
into your mouth
into your body
Language is a tool
for putting information
into your brain.
so back to the formula
information input
in your target language
must be greater than
information input
in your native language
the greater the difference
the faster you learn
it is not just a matter of
time spent with your
target language,
but very much about
the quality of that time
the quality of that information
If you spend your time
watching language learning
videos on youtube
or studying lists of words,
or flipping through flashcards
or reading fake mini stories
you are wasting your time
it doesn’t count as
information input
because it’s not
good quality information
it is like eating junk food
weight loss inequality.
of course calories burned
must be greater than
calories consumed
but you need
good calories
you need well balanced,
nutritious diet.
Eating just
2 Big Macs a day
which is about 1100 calories
and then exercising and
burning off 1200 calories a day
will certainly lead to
weight loss but
it will be bad for your health
Same with language learning
Spending long hours watching
language learning videos on YouTube
flipping through flashcards
memorising lists of words
will certainly help you improve your English
but it will be bad for your
mental health
just like eating junk food
you need good quality information
the quality of the information you consume
will determine the quality
of the language you retain
the quality of the information you
read and listen will determine
the quality of the language you speak
Calories burned
must be greater than
calories consumed
eating good quality food
it’s biology,
human physiology.
Time spent reading and listening
to good quality information
in the foreign language
must be greater
much greater than time spent
reading and listening to
your native language.
Language is a tool for
getting information
knowledge
language = knowledge
Language doesn’t exist
without Knowledge
it is as simple as that
it’s biology
human physiology
we all learn the same way
you can't cheat nature
and there is one more thing
when it comes to
learning a language.
it is called dictionaries
monolingual dictionaries
it is a big part of
time spent
with the foreign language.
using bilingual dictionaries
or google translate
will make things equal
using monolingual dictionaries
will tip the scale
in the right direction
the thing is:
you need to know
what dictionaries to use
and more importantly
how to use them.
it’s a big part of what I teach
it is the only way to become
an independent learner
there aren’t many methods
there aren’t different types of learners
when it comes to
effectiveness
and efficiency
there is only 1 way
1 method
1 approach
Read and listen to interesting
and informative content
in your target language
as much as you can
and use monolingual dictionaries
