What Does It Mean To Learn A Language?

What does it mean to learn a language?

This is a question that I have asked myself often over the last decade that I have been learning new languages. In practice, to me this question relates to a number of related ideas. What do I actually have to do to acquire a new tongue? At what point do I know a language? What are the requirements for child-level fluency?

I have specifically asked this question from the perspective of improving how I learn languages. The more effective my method for learning a language, the more quickly that I can learn a language. These skills transfer over to anything, because in my opinion, learning a language is a perfect archetype of our ability to learn anything.

Lessons From Our Native Tongue

In my work on languages, my touchstone was always my native tongue, English. Everything related back to English. Every difference in a new language, noticed in contrast to how it “normally” is.

In addition to endless sentences, and definitions in my head when trying to get words of the sentences. Endless iterations resembling the form: “The Japanese word katana means (specific type of) sword in English.” “The Japanese words kuchisabishii means lonely-mouth in English … which means the longing to have something in ones mouth, or eating carelessly.” And so on.

Specifically, I always compared my Language Learning Process to how I learned English — and how I learn English. Since it made sense that how a fluent person, an expert in their language, improves their skills, should be modelled by the beginner language learner.

Luckily, I am both. An expert and beginner. So I thought consistently on how I continue to improve my language skills, and my language learning skills.

The answer to both questions is essentially the same:

1. Use the language — Speak, Journal, Converse, Write.
2. Reading — the written form of a language. Expand your knowledge, vocabulary with it, and fluency through ever deeper context. (Passive Learning but can be Active Learning too, if deconstruct and take notes.)
3. Listening — to conversation, movies, tv, audiobooks, etcetera. This is passive learning.

We use language when we speak, converse, and in some way express ourselves. We also use language in another way when we read and listen to language. When we can hear language when we listen to content (whether that is listening to music, audiobooks, YT stories or watching Netflix, Prime, Disney+, YT, etc).

To be able to do this with comprehension is to know a language, so that should answer the question of what it means to learn a language. The path should be dictated by the goal.

Reading books is the principle source through which I developed vocabulary. I read increasingly challenging, technical books and learned the definitions of many words. I never used flashcards. And my language itself (maybe not vocab specifically, but the more important inflections of the language) is influenced as much through writing, taking notes, journaling, Netflix and the like.

This is fundamentally how people learn language. As a kid, you learn how people really talk around your friends, and the subtle differences between talking polite in public, and unfiltered when its just a couple of you.

Two facts over time became clear to me:

1. It became clear to me that immersion in the language itself is what is most important. Not necessarily literal immersion, but in the content we choose to learn, the stories we consume. Find a book, tv show, anime, manga, movie, audiobook (preferably something with audio at first) and learn it one line at a time. This really is probably the best way. Something you love, which you come back to watch, read or listen to again and again.
2. I kept coming back to the fact that I almost never use flashcards in English, except when I am learning a new discipline. Early on I realized that learning vocab is very inefficient, so I learned sentences instead (grammar, vocab, and speaking all in one). However, it took me a long time to realize that the best way to use flashcards is to learn a lot quickly. Rather than study 5000+ sentences, learn how to navigate, order at a restaurant, talk about the weather, or music in a few days — and never touch those flashcards again. You wouldn’t study flashcards in your native tongue for 5 years that say “Ohh, the weather is nice today, isn’t it?” No. I didn’t think so.

The Essence of What It Means To Learn A Language

In the end, To Know A Language Means To Use It. Just like in your native tongue. Consuming content in that language for education and enjoyment, and speaking the language.

Humans have a tendency to make things complicated — but they don’t have to be. All you need to do is begin consuming media in your target language with intention.

Pick one single thing that made an impact on you in that language. Ideally something with audio at first, like a popular tv show or movie (something on Netflix with English and native-language subtitles for example, and you can figure out the words line-by-line in a notebook). Book with the audiobook pair are probably the best. It takes much longer though. A TV show or anime is good too.)

The whole point is to be able to be able to enjoy a piece of content, and then build on it from there. That is what a language is. Don’t overcomplicate it. The point isn’t to be able to order at a restaurant, or ask for directions, but to know the food and say what you like, dislike, and want, essentially, and simply to understand directions.

On top of moving through your Chosen Content, create and memorize Flashcard Modules in a good system. Learn Directions (Politics, Food, Geography, History, etc) all at once, in pieces as you go. As modules.

In time, you will understand what is written or spoken, and be able to speak to some degree. That is what it means to learn a language.