
Ask HN: Learning a New Language Effectively - 5107h
I&#x27;m trying to learn Esperanto, but I found that Duolingo jumps directly into translations and vocabulary. Is there a good way to learn a new language from a more theoretical point of view i.e. by understanding the foundational principles upon which it was designed?<p>I would also appreciate recommendations for experimental languages with interesting syntactic&#x2F;semantic properties that I can explore.
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throw51319
You need:

1\. A desire to learn it. Learn to shape that desire. Like I want to go to
Colombia to talk to hot girls, etc. It can be a straight grind at times, so
you want to feel like it's gonna be worth it.

2\. Start learning phrases you can use from day 1. Pimsleur is good because it
teaches you almost perfect pronunciation from the beginning. Pronunciation is
more important in some languages than others, but most importantly it gets you
in the mindset/vibe of that language.

3\. Structured lessons. Duolingo is alright just to start. Assimil is good
once you're around A2 or higher. It would be good, as another person
mentioned, to learn the general grammatical structure. You don't need to be a
wiz, but you will have enough to _infer_ the correct way to construct what you
want to say.

4\. Natural exposure. Go to a language meetup, have a regular Skype tutoring
session twice or 3 times a week. Or of course go live in the country. This
makes speaking it part of your life.

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Jugurtha
> _Is there a good way to learn a new language from a more theoretical point
> of view i.e. by understanding the foundational principles upon which it was
> designed?_

No. Schools follow this method. I doubt anyone acquired a language in school.

I have acquired 3~4 languages, having practically nothing in common, before
ever going to school at age six. (Kabyle, French, Algerian, and Arabic.
Algerian is a mix of Arabic, Kabyle, French, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, and
Arabic but with a structure closer to Hebrew than to Modern Standard Arabic,
and is unintelligible in the "Arab world")

What has worked for me is content consumption. Reading/watching/listening to
content in my target language about topics that interest me. I will read about
whatever I usually read about, just in my target language.

Language acquisition can be tedious, doing it through topics that do not
interest you is a sure way to give up.

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gosuri
The scope of Duolingo is very limited. I think it's well established that most
courses get you to somewhere around A2, B1 at best, which is just enough to be
a bit challenging, but not enough to make you able to expand your knowledge on
your own.

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toto445
>Is there a good way to learn a new language from a more theoretical point of
view i.e. by understanding the foundational principles upon which it was
designed?

Languages (apart maybe from Esperanto) are not designed but evolve
organically.

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hreahbrea5haeh
I can't really say this advice applies that well to Esperanto, but my
experience which seems shared by Youtuber polyglots [1] [2] is as such:

1) Grammar tables. You don't have to memorize them, but getting "Pareto
proficiency" with all the grammar concepts makes everything go so much easier.
Tae Kim's guide for Japanese is the holy grail of this, despite having some
minor issues. A good textbook serves the same purpose but you have to skip the
fluff

2) Reading, news articles to books, social media, etc. The more personally
interesting, the better. Look up every word.

3) Conversation, even if its just other learners, for me once I use a word in
a conversation it never leaves me

Things that didn't seem effective for me: listening (sorry Pimsleur), Anki
(never sticks), practice/review sections of textbooks

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3wiEHX8QdU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3wiEHX8QdU)

[2]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjZMomXs35Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjZMomXs35Q)

~~~
juped
I wish more language textbooks were set up like classical language textbooks -
I have Wheelock for Latin, Groton for Greek. Grammar and authentic texts. Both
have companion volumes with more authentic texts.

