Be an alien: The language learning mind shift that will make you a better learner
Languages have been my passion since forever (well, maybe since as soon as I got to do it voluntarily after school). I’ve tipped my toes, to different degrees of success into German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian in addition to English and my native Romanian.
I find myself voluntarily embarking on a new learning journey every few years, and I’ve been known to develop a number of ‘language crushes’, mainly due to observing attractive people speaking a language I don’t yet speak. I won’t judge if you won’t :)
I learned a few things in this journey, and today I’ll share some of these with the world, together with a fundamental mind shift for language learning that I’m calling ‘being an alien’. So here it goes, my top tips for language learning:
Tip number 1: Build a bubble
Exposure to the language, often and consistently is to me the number one way to ensure progress with minimum effort (not to say you won’t need to do more than this, but it’s definitely an important ‘hygiene factor’). Build a routine around your language, from listening to the radio in the morning as you get ready, to playing podcasts during your lunch walk, to watching films in the evening, all these are ways to create a ‘language bubble’ without even leaving your home (as it’s the case for a lot of us these days). If you get to spend time in the country where the language is spoken, even better, but not being able to definitely doesn’t stop you from building that artificial immersion experience so essential for learning.
How I build my language bubble:
8:00 Listen to the radio on my phone as I shower, brush my teeth and have breakfast
12:00 Go for a walk and listen to an audiobook/podcast in the target language
19:00 Watch an episode of a fun history show
Success factor: build in a little contact with the language every single day.
Tip number 2: Write, write, write
Language production is the best way to objectively assess your own progress, more so than comprehension. You start making real progress once you’re able to communicate effectively in a language, and that should start from Day 1. A simple sentence introducing yourself already counts as communication.
Writing is a great way to test yourself on this, and I’d argue is also a great excuse to squeeze in some creativity into your language learning journey. Published in 2015, ‘In Other Words’ by Jhumpa Lahiri is an autobiographical exploration written in Italian, where the author immersed itself in a new language and captured her learning progress in the book itself. A meta-exploration of sorts. Inspired by this, I started journalling in Italian, writing snippets of my life every week and exploring language production first hand. Give this a try perhaps, or play with other excuses to write about things you care about.
How I built a writing habit:
Every Saturday, I write a journal snippet and share it with my friend Elena, a native speaker and language passionate just as myself, for corrections and guidance
Success factor: Have a native speaker (preferably, one with an understanding of language, grammar etc) to check your texts and provide suggestions for improvement.
Tip number 3: Read books (yes you can) and don’t overthink it
You should start reading early on, and you definitely don’t need to wait until you understand over 90% of the content before diving into books. There may be some trial and error involved in finding the right level for you, but I can tell you that you don’t need to start with bi-lingual books (those that are written in your own and the target language). Start with maybe short books, non-fiction written in simple language, and, very importantly: don’t look up every word you don’t understand.
In the initial stages of learning, looking up every word you don’t understand is recipe for demotivation. Instead, try to follow the general lines of the story, and aim to read books where you understand largely where the story is going, without needing to get every single detail. A word of caution on reading: check pronunciation for new words you’re learning, so you don’t end up needing to un-learn words after 5–10 years of being convinced that a word is pronounced in a certain way (like some of us book worms with large vocabularies know)
How I build up a reading habit in a motivating way:
I start reading short books or graphic novels, aiming to follow the main storyline. If I don’t understand anything on the first page, then that book isn’t yet for me.
I look up only words that come up regularly and that I don’t know (that’s an indicator that word is frequently used and so important to know). I don’t look up every word I don’t understand.
I pick up books I’m interested in. Don’t choose a book about economics, even if it’s written in simple language, if you couldn’t care less about economics.
Tip number 4: Use subtitles the smart way
Same as reading, look up audio-visual content on topics that interest you. Preferably, expose yourself to content that’s originally created in your target language, as opposed to dubs etc. If you watch films, you may be tempted to add subtitles in your own language. DO NOT DO THAT. When learning a new language, the most important thing is reducing the ‘thinking time’ between the idea that you want to express and you actually expressing it. It may sound difficult to achieve, but training your brain to stop translating is actually the best and most important skill you can build. More on that in the ‘be an alien’ tip below.
How I watch content in the target language
I pick a topic that interests me, and a delivery that I like. Right now I’m watching a historical show called Ulisse, which explores key historical events and characters in storytelling-rich 2 hour episodes
Depending on the level, I either turn off captions/subtitles or select those in the target language. I check the subtitles for the spelling of words and to better make sense of phrasings.
Tip number 5: Be an alien
This is one of the absolute key mind shifts I found help in language learning, that is: language learning is a holistic exploration of a whole new world, and if you want to really understand it you’ll need to leave your own world behind.
Language isn’t just a set of words that correspond 1on1 to the words in your own language. Language is a full package made up of cultural complexities, ways of expressing oneself, ways of seeing the world, ways of relating to others. Approaching language learning through the lens of simply translating your own words and phrases into this new language is like trying to bake a cake using salt instead of sugar: it may look similar but it’s definitely not going to have the same properties and ‘feel’ (and will also taste awful).
That’s why the best approach to language learning is starting to see yourself as an alien exploring, and learning about a new world. As you learn a new language, you almost want to forget your own language, and instead approach the process as an exploration of all these pieces of the puzzle, of this new universe.
The first time I heard about the term ‘alien’ in a non-sci fi context (while getting a Thailand visa from the foreign embassy), I remember thinking it was a rather odd way to refer to people seeking to visit a new country. But beyond this rather strange bureaucratic term, there’s an element of truth and merit in thinking like an extraterrestrial creature when approaching language learning.
Being an alien is paying attention to the norms and rules of this new world, to the spoken and unspoken ways in which people express themselves, show emotions, express irony, sarcasm or humour. And copying that to best blend in.
This all may sound difficult at first, especially as it involves stopping your brain from translating all the time, but I guarantee you it is possible, and preferable.
That’s why the best of teachers start talking to students in the target language from day 1. Translating in your head is often seen as a shortcut, but it’s actually an extra step for your brain to run through when going from the ‘thing’ you want to express to you actually expressing it.
Instead of translating, use the pieces of the puzzle you already own (it can be just a few words or grammar concepts) to build sentences and phrases that fit with the way your new language is constructed. This again is something you can do from day 1.
How I make myself an alien:
As much as possible, I shut off my brain from translating. I build easy sentences using the words and grammar understanding I already possess. These phrases will get more complex as I progress in my learning.
I pay attention to how native speakers express themselves, how they fill the gaps between sentences, how they link these sentences, what ‘filler’ words they use, how their intonation works. I then copy that.
Tip number 6: Use (negative) emotions in your favour
If you’re learning a new language, you may or may not be terrified of making mistakes, especially in front of other people. I’m here to tell you, as many have done before, that mistakes are essential for language learning, but perhaps not quite from the lens you may have heard before.
Instead I want to look at mistakes as opportunities to use negative emotions in your favour! Being corrected (with measure) by your native friends can provide that dose of little embarrassment, just enough to map out a distinct emotional experience in your memory, which in turn will make sure you won’t make the same mistake again. Some of the best ways I got ‘unstuck’ from fundamental mistakes was by being corrected in public. I still remember that little internal ‘blushing’, and my language learning brain does too.
Embrace these moments as welcomed helpers, and don’t feel discouraged by them :)
End note: this article was a spontaneous piece of writing I put together on a Saturday morning, and is based on an equally spontaneous video I recorder that same day. The video is coming soon.
