Decoding How to Learn any Language - Deepstash
Decoding How to Learn any Language

Decoding How to Learn any Language

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RICHARD RILEY

“We have strong evidence today that studying a foreign language has a ripple effect, helping to improve student performance in other subjects.” 

RICHARD RILEY

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Why Learn a New Language?

Why Learn a New Language?

🪧Learning a new language strengthens the brain. Studies show that bilingual people have better cognitive abilities and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s than monolinguals. But these are general benefits.

🎯To stay committed, you need a personal reason — something that speaks to you. Ask yourself: What would I love to do if I spoke this language?

Then ask: How long am I willing to focus on it?

📖For example, I want to learn English in six months so I can read Harry Potter in its original language. This kind of clear, personal goal keeps motivation alive — especially when you feel like giving up.

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CZECH PROVERB

 “You live a new life for every language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.”

CZECH PROVERB

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How Babies Learn Language Effortlessly

How Babies Learn Language Effortlessly

👶Babies don’t start with grammar — they mimic sounds, form words, and slowly absorb patterns through trial and error. Despite mistakes, they enjoy learning because it helps them connect.

💭Their subconscious naturally organizes words into categories — like people, objects, or actions. Unlike adults, they don’t cram vocabulary without structure.

💬Learning words without context is like mixing all grains in one bowl — it becomes hard to find what you need later.

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CHINESE PROVERB

“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.” 

CHINESE PROVERB

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A Man Who Solved an Ancient Language Experts Couldn't

A Man Who Solved an Ancient Language Experts Couldn't

🕵Mehmet Kuşman, an ordinary Turkish man, cracked the code of Urartian — a dead language that even experts struggled to solve. Driven by pure curiosity, he taught himself by traveling illegally to Iran, Armenia, and Syria to collect knowledge.

🔠He started by identifying the alphabet, then compared similar words across languages. Like a detective, he slowly pieced it all together.

🏛If one man can decode an ancient language, imagine what you can do with access to modern tools. All it takes is curiosity and a strong reason.

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LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN

“The limits of my languages means the limits of my world.”

LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN

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The 80/20 Language Rule: Learn the Words That Matter

The 80/20 Language Rule: Learn the Words That Matter

According to the 80/20 rule, 20% of what you learn gives you 80% of the results. In language learning, that vital 20% is vocabulary. Grammar and other elements matter, but words are what actually let you understand and communicate.

🤍As a multilingual learner, I focus on vocabulary first. I collect words from whatever material I'm using — like a movie — and organize them into a personal dictionary. Then I study grammar within that context.

You can use Obsidian for organizing words and Anki for spaced repetition flashcards. Learn smart , not by memorizing , but by focusing on what really matters.

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WILLIAM GIBSON

“Language is to the mind more than light is to the eye.” 

WILLIAM GIBSON

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Language Learning Hacks

Language Learning Hacks

Here are key tips to boost your language learning journey:

1. Find Your Purpose

A clear goal lights the path. Write your reason boldly on the first page of your notebook — it keeps you going when motivation fades.

2. Learn Vocabulary First

Words are like puzzle pieces. The more you collect — and the better you organize them — the faster you’ll see the big picture.

3. Practice Daily

Immerse yourself in the language. Read, listen, write, and speak a little every day. Like muscles, language grows with use.

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<p>4. Speak It!</p><p>Speaking...

4. Speak It!

Speaking activates real learning. Your brain starts to think in the new language when you express ideas out loud.

5. Make Mistakes

Mistakes are signs of growth. Treat them as challenges, not failures. Each one brings you closer to fluency.

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Mistakes: Your Path to Fluency

Mistakes: Your Path to Fluency

❌One flaw of modern education is how it punishes failure. We're taught to fear mistakes — and people often mock accents or slip-ups, making us hide instead of grow.

🔭But even great inventors made countless mistakes. It's part of learning — and part of being human. Speak your target language boldly, like you're wearing clown clothes. Let people laugh if they must — then ask them to correct you.

Having an accent isn’t shameful — it’s a badge of courage. Most who mock others speak only one language. You stepped outside your comfort zone to understand another world. That’s something to be proud of.

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📚 Example: Organized Nouns (N.)

📚 Example: Organized Nouns (N.)

1. Concrete Nouns (C.)



C1. Living Things

C1a. Humans — doctor, baby

C1b. Animals — eagle

C1c. Plants — bamboo

C2. Places

C2a. Natural Places — ocean

C2b. Man-Made Places — hospital

C2c. Geographical Locations — Asia, Mount Fuji

C3. Objects / Things

C3a. Tools & Equipment — knife

C3b. Furniture — shelf

C3c. Household Items — spoon, lamp

C3d. Technology — laptop

C3e. Clothing — jacket

C3f. Vehicles — truck

C4. Food & Drink

C4a. Fruits — mango,

C4b. Vegetables — spinach

C4c. Dishes — pasta

C4d. Drinks — tea

C5. Body & Health

C5a. Body Parts — hand, face

C5b. Organs — brain, lungs

C5c. Illnesses & Symptoms — fever, pain

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<p><strong>2. Abstract Nouns (...

2. Abstract Nouns (A.)

A1. Emotions & Feelings — love, joy

A2. States & Conditions — health, peace

A3. Qualities & Characteristics — honesty, kindness

A4. Time Concepts — hour, eternity

A5. Ideas & Beliefs — justice, religion

A6. Academic Fields — physics, math

A7. Events — war, wedding

A8. Social Concepts — culture, friendship

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🧠 This is just an example — feel free to adjust or expand it based on your learning needs. The goal is to sort vocabulary in a way that your brain can easily retrieve and connect them later.

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NOAM CHOMSKY

"A language is not just words. It's a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is. It's all embodied in a language."

NOAM CHOMSKY

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Conclusion: The Two Levels of Language

Conclusion: The Two Levels of Language

Many people spend years studying a language yet still struggle to express themselves when visiting a country where it’s spoken. Why? Because they’ve only learned it passively.

Language learning has two levels:

1. Passive Learning — gaining knowledge through input (listening & reading), often through courses.

2. Active Learning — using the language through output (speaking & writing), where real fluency develops.

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<p>Courses alone aren’t enough...

Courses alone aren’t enough. If you can’t have a conversation, do business, or even gossip in your target language, you haven’t truly learned it.

You can read all the books about how to ride a bike — but unless you actually ride one, you won’t know what it feels like. And when you do try, you’ll probably fall at first — just like you will with language. That’s not failure — it’s learning.

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IDEAS CURATED BY

fati_78vhn

Lifelong learner 📖✒ "Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." - Soren Kierkegaard SAPERE AUDE... Dare to know📚📝

CURATOR'S NOTE

"The journey of a thousand steps in learning a language begins with a single step. Let’s begin our journey by exploring how to learn a language."

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