Learning a Language by Ear

When you’re not improving as much as you’d like to, it could be that you’re practicing wrong! Let’s take a step back and reevaluate the language learning staple: flashcards. Find out how you can maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of your flashcards using evidence-based techniques and software.

Transcript

1. LEARNING A
   LANGUAGE BY
   EAR
   LENA MORITA
   

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2. @mirka
   Raised bilingually in Japan

   (Japanese/English)
   Co-Director at

   Women Who Code Tokyo
   Software Engineer at Automattic
   LENA MORITA
   

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3. @mirka
   Uruguay
   United States
   Spain (living in UK)
   Slovakia
   Romania
   Japan
   Philippines
   MY TEAMMATES
   BY COUNTRY
   

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4. @mirka
   NAMING THINGS
   WEB+DB PRESS VOL. 110
   

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5. BAD AT LANGUAGES?
   

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6. SCHOOL
   DIDN’T WORK
   

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7. TEXTBOOKS
   DIDN’T WORK
   

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8. 2017
   READY TO TRY AGAIN
   

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9. @mirka
   THINGS I WAS “BAD” AT
   Piano
   Mastering Piano Technique

   by Seymour Fink
   

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10. @mirka
    THINGS I WAS “BAD” AT
    Programming
    AppleScript 1-2-3

    by Sal Soghoian
    JavaScript:

    The Definitive Guide

    by David Flanagan
    

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11. @mirka
    I’M PROBABLY JUST DOING IT WRONG
    BAD AT ____?
    

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12. @mirka
    LANGUAGE SKILLS
    Produce Understand
    Written Writing ✏ Reading
    Spoken Speaking Listening $
    

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13. @mirka
    LANGUAGE SKILLS
    Produce Understand
    Written Writing ✏ Reading
    Spoken Speaking Listening $
    

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14. BUILDING VOCABULARY
    WITH TEXT-FREE
    FLASHCARDS
    LARGELY INSPIRED BY GABRIEL WYNER’S “FLUENT FOREVER” METHOD
    

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15. @mirka
    “SRS”
    SPACED REPETITION SYSTEM
    We forget new information very fast
    The “forgetting curve” flattens out

    with each successive review
    Each review can be spaced out

    in longer intervals
    OSMOSIS.ORG
    

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16. @mirka
    APPS.ANKIWEB.NET
    ANKI
    Open source
    Cross-platform
    Has more features than you will ever use
    

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17. @mirka
    WORD 㲗 TRANSLATION
    TYPICAL FLASHCARD
    consecutive
    Front
    ʢதஅͳ͠Ͱʣ࿈ଓͨ͠,

    Ҿ͖ଓ͍ͯى͜Δ
    Back
    

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18. @mirka
    WORD 㲗 TRANSLATION
    TYPICAL FLASHCARD
    Hard to memorize
    Associates imperfect translations

    rather than concepts
    Ignores pronunciation
    consecutive
    ʢதஅͳ͠Ͱʣ࿈ଓͨ͠,

    Ҿ͖ଓ͍ͯى͜Δ
    

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19. @mirka
    — GABRIEL WYNER
    PRONUNCIATION IS
    IMPORTANT
    

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20. @mirka
    PRONUNCIATION IS IMPORTANT
    Necessary to understand spoken words

    → Minimal pairs: rock/lock, cut/cat, den/then, etc.
    Repetition on a bad foundation

    reinforces bad habits
    Learn it first!
    

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21. @mirka
    AUDIO 㲗 IMAGES
    TEXT-FREE FLASHCARDS
    Front Back
    

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22. COMPREHENSION
    

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23. PRODUCTION
    

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24. LET’S

    MAKE OUR

    FLASHCARD
    

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25. @mirka
    ENCOUNTER
    STEP 1
    Keep track of new words you encounter

    in a note app like Evernote
    

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26. @mirka
    LEARN
    STEP 2
    When back at your computer,

    pick a word from the list
    Learn what it means
    

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27. @mirka
    ILLUSTRATE
    STEP 3
    Google Image Search is your friend
    Find an image that resonates

    with you
    Images for abate
    

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28. @mirka
    PRONOUNCE
    STEP 4
    Download an audio clip,

    either from a real speaker or

    a text-to-speech (TTS) system
    forvo.com — Real speakers
    soundoftext.com — TTS
    %
    %
    

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29. LaunchBar
    

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30. Return spoken string as audio file
    

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31. Return spoken string as audio file
    

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32. @mirka
    HOW MUCH DID I LEARN?
    1800+ words/phrases
    93% are mature

    (in long-term memory)
    Average review interval is 1.6 years

    (will likely remember for at least that long)
    

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33. @mirka
    
    

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34. @mirka
    MORE WAYS TO LEARN BY EAR
    Pimsleur — Basic grammar, building reflexes
    italki — Conversation practice
    

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35. THANKS

    FOR
    LISTENING
    

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