Fluent in 3 months

What Hacker News says

1. dddddavidddddDec 2019
   I've found Benny Lewis's book 'Fluent in 3 months' helpful. My main takeaway was that practice directed to the intended skill is most effective. With language learning it's usually speaking, hence this should be prioritized in your learning. Likewise, speaking with people is an effective motivation because it motivates learning as much as performance. I'm a native English speaker, have studied French for a few years and now studying at a French-language university.
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2. lytefmNov 2020
   Having learned a tiny bit of Finnish myself, I totally agree with your points. And actually the „controversial” advices b), d) and f) combined with tips like a), c) and h) is very much what popular polyglots like Benny Lewis („fluent in 3 months“) teach for language learning in general if your goal is to actually speak the language.
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3. andaiNov 2018
   Content! Find video (movies, series), audio (-books, radio, podcasts).

   The best way is to get exposed to the language as much as possible (some people prefer humans for this, some people prefer multimedia), and then you can use Anki on the side.

   For example, I'm recently watching Fullmetal Alchemist in Japanese. I don't speak Japanese, but I've picked up 50 or so phrases. Sometimes I get a phrase stuck in my head without knowing what it means, or I'll wonder how to say something (that I know I've heard but forgot), and later that day my brain will dig up the answer from the depths (essentially a much longer version of the 'active recall' that Anki uses).

   I'm a big fan of the Input Hypothesis (Stephen Krashen) which says the best way to learn a language is "input before output", in other words, immerse yourself in the language for a long period (say, 6-12 months) before trying to produce output (writing or speaking).

   In this way, by the time you speak or write, you will know what it sounds like, how the grammar works, and will be able to self-correct, rather than forming bad habits.

   We all know people who've lived in a country for decades and their grammar & pronunciation is awful despite constant use. The argument here is that they were forced to produce output (speak) before they were ready (got enough input to develop a workable model of the language), and were not corrected, typically out of politeness.

   The key point is that the brain does this modeling on its own, given the input. Explicit learning (eg. Anki) is unnecessary, but it does "cement" knowledge and accelerates things.

   If you'd like to read more on this, AJATT (All Japanese All the Time) is a great blog (a bit rambly though) on this method and also goes into spaced repetition quite a bit.

   "You don't learn a language, you get used to it."

   http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/

   On the other end of the spectrum you have the exact opposite approach, traveling and going out to pubs and speaking the language from day 1: Benny Lewis, Fluent in 3 Months

   https://www.fluentin3months.com/

   It's basically introvert versus extrovert.

   They disagree on whether output comes first or last, but they agree that you want to get as much input as possible.

   Happy hacking :)

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4. andaiNov 2018
   Benny Lewis (Fluent in 3 Months[1]) says he doesn't speak English, if people try to switch. His approach is basically go to pubs and try to speak from day 1.

   On the other end there's Khatzumoto (All Japanese All The Time[0]) who spoke as late as possible, getting as much exposure as possible first (had Japanese audio on 24 hours a day for 18 months).

   After 18 months of "input-first" learning, he did a phone interview with a Japanese company and was treated as a native speaker (and hired and moved to Japan).

   Benny's method is about getting a "workable" level as quickly as possible (at the risk of forming bad habits in accent early on, misusing grammar & vocabulary).

   Khatzumoto's method (based on linguist Stephen Krashen's Input Hypothesis) is about getting a solid model for the language, which the brain builds naturally through constant exposure, before speaking or writing a great deal.

   For more on these methods check out their respective sites. As an introvert I prefer the "listen first, speak only when necessary" approach, rather than "go out and make an ass of yourself from day 1" :)

   [0]: https://ajatt.com/

   [1]: https://fi3m.com/

   No affiliation, but I have great respect for both, and have benefited from their advice tremendously.

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5. wallflowerDec 2017
   If you really want to learn a language, you can. However, throw your assumptions about learning a language in X months or Y years. It's really up to your actions. And it gets harder until you learn your first language, then you can "ladder" (learn a 3rd language by using your 2nd language, not your 1st language).

   There is a lot of snake oil sold out there. Similar to self-help, they all sell the wishful idea that you can learn language without strain or effort. That is not the case... if you are over the age of about nine. Before the age of nine, almost every human has the ability to pick up multiple languages without effort. As you transition into adulthood, that ability diminishes, until it is an effort. Yes, there are people who can pick up a language without effort like my friend in Canada who can speak many languages after just having spent about a month or two in a place where they speak it. However, for the vast majority, it is not going to be easy.

   "Ultimately, it's not about the number of months or years [that you study], but the number of minutes every day that you devote to this challenge. These minutes are what truly count."

   -Benny Lewis, "Fluent in 3 Months"

   Remember language is to communicate. If you can communicate, express emotions, tell people about your day, ask people about their life that might be enough. Yes, you might not know the 10 ways to express the nuances of an emotion like excitement. But you might know the one generic word.

   Reading Harry Potter or the original novels that are so popular that they were translated into English in your new language might take more time. Ask yourself if you really want to be able to do that.

   Going to see a comedy show in your 2nd language is not going to be fun. You'll be knocked off your presumed language level ability perch. You likely won't understand anything, likely. That is because humor is quite possible the highest form of any language.

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6. cbovisOct 2014
   Recently read:

   Fluent in 3 Months - Benny Lewis

   Currently reading:

   The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger

   Looking forward to:

   Dataclysm: Who We Are (When We Think No One's Looking)

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