Fluency Roots: thoughts on language learning.
These posts are ordered in order of recommended reading. It’s not necessary to read every post, but the topics do build on top of one another.
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What is fluency? What are we aiming for?
What is fluency? Fluency is a very overloaded term. For the purposes of this site, fluency simply means being able to speak smoothly in a given language, it doesn’t mean knowing every single word, being a native level, etc. The main components of “fluency”: This definition above is my own, everyone’s might be different, and…
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Pushing through barriers
I’m generally not an advocate of “pushing” when learning languages, it should be fun most of the time. The exception is when there is a domain (speaking, listening, etc.) that you have a goal to learn, but are afraid to take that step. For example, you might have a goal to learn speaking, but have…
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The biggest risk in language learning: quitting
This post might seem to conflict with the prior point on pushing through boundaries, read further to see the nuance. The biggest risk in language learning (especially when self-studying, not having a strict program or critical deadlines, etc.) is the risk of giving up. Giving up completely is far more detrimental than a bit of…
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How can language learning advice be generic?
It might not be intuitive that language learning advice can be generic. While most language learning programs are tailored to a specific language, aiming to explain grammar, vocabulary etc. for that specific language, there is actually a lot of common ground between languages also. Consider this – Everyone has a natural aptitude level to any…