{"id":2388,"date":"2011-04-04T17:48:58","date_gmt":"2011-04-04T16:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paulgoodchild.net\/blog\/?p=2388"},"modified":"2012-02-19T19:18:16","modified_gmt":"2012-02-19T19:18:16","slug":"learn-spanish-content-over-method-approach-to-language-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulgoodchild.me\/blog\/learn-spanish-content-over-method-approach-to-language-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn Spanish – content over method approach to language learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you haven’t figured it out by now, Tim Ferriss<\/a> is someone I pay close attention to. When he speaks, he’s worth listening to.\u00a0 It’ll almost always save you effort, money, and time.<\/p>\n

When Tim Ferriss learns a new skill, rather than jump straight into it, accepting the given standard of learning as the best way, he first de-constructs the task before him.\u00a0 This is certainly the approach he takes to learning languages<\/a> and he is conversationally fluent in many languages, including Spanish and Japanese.<\/p>\n

Instead of taking the traditional route of signing up to language schools, he breaks down a language with the help of native speakers and determines how difficult the path to fluency of that language will be before approaching it further.<\/p>\n

Language Learning Approach: Material over Method<\/h2>\n

When learning a language, materials are as important, if not more so, than the method.\u00a0 Using materials that you have an interest in and that stimulates you are better than those based on topics which are boring for you.<\/p>\n

Since language demands repetition to consolidate learning, while you might have the best method in the world, if you’re not interested in the content you wont repeatedly work with it. So you wont learn.<\/p>\n

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An approach to learning Spanish that works for me<\/h2>\n

18 months ago I was in Barcelona for 3 weeks, and for 2 of those weeks I took a language course.\u00a0 There was nothing wrong<\/em> with the course – the teachers were good, and the fellow students were nice.\u00a0 But for the time and money spent there, I just didn’t feel it was worth it in terms of language learned.<\/p>\n

Tim Ferriss gives 4 reasons why language schools are not<\/strong> an ideal<\/a> way to learn any language.\u00a0 The one that stands out to me is this:<\/p>\n

Conversation can be learned but not taught<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’m conversationally proficient in Japanese, but that’s after 6 years!\u00a0 My reading and aural comprehension is far better than my ability to produce either through writing or speaking.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because I bust my ass learning the script and the grammar, but shied away from speaking.<\/p>\n

I have changed my approach this time around for the way I learn Spanish.<\/p>\n

Now with Spanish I’m concentrating on listening with a regular sprinkling of grammar, and trying to speak where I can (and when my ego<\/a> gives way!).\u00a0 As Tim Ferriss (again) said, language learning is “ego crushing” and the best way is to just get out there and talk with the locals.<\/p>\n

Some Spanish language learning resources<\/h2>\n

I think the best way to learning languages is to mix it up and not focus on a single method.\u00a0 So here are all the resources I’m using to study Spanish – and they’re all free!<\/p>\n