There is also a linklist to other good resources for language learners. I hope the list will grow quickly over the next weeks and months. If you have something to contribute, please add your website to the list.

BTW, the words and sentences are taken from the online vocabulary learning tool Comprehencia. There you can extend your vocabulary with a system that goes beyond the standard Leitner or flash card system. The sentences on www.example-sentence.com and www.beispielsatz.de are part of the Challenge datasets in Comprehencia. The Challenge data sets on Comprehencia are divided into different levels and the learner has to unlock each stage with a vocabulary test.

This is the first post of a series of articles on how to boost ones motivation to learn a language — a challenge, that I have encountered myself for many times. Todays advice is…

Imagine outcome

This is a no-brainer for everyone familiar with project management, general motivation techniques, etc. but many people nevertheless spend a lot of their time with things that do not lead to any desirable outcome. They never really ask the question “Why am I doing this?” and therefore also don’t know the answer. That’s a pitty because these answers are an endless resource of motivation.

Why is Kevin learning Japanese? Because he loves Manga, the Japanese comics, and he would love to read them in their original version with Japanese writing. The outcome is: Kevin reads Japanese Manga. He bought a Japanese Manga and put it on his desk where he sees it every day to remind him of his goal.

Why is Mary learning French? Because she plans a journey to France together with her husband later this year. The outcome is: Mary and her husband are having a great time in France. Mary’s knowledge of the French language helps getting in contact with the local residents which adds a lot to this holiday. Mary put some stickers of French sights on the door of the fridge that remind her every day what a great time she will have with her husband in France.

Why is Peter learning business English? Because he believes that his negotiation skills in international projects will benefit from a richer vocabulary. This will make it easier for him to climb the corporate ladder. The outcome is: Peter has better chances in his job.

Why are you learning the language you learn?

Imagine you have mastered the language you learn. What would you do? How would this affect your life?

Imagine yourself…

• …sitting on the schoolyard and reading a Japanese Manga.
• …ordering a meal in France.
• …negotiating with an international partner.
• … (your story here)

Find a positve answer, imagine yourself in a situation that feels good and rewarding and put reminders to this outcome wherever you can.

What would you be able to do if you master the language you learn? Just imagine… NOW!

The sound of a language

It is impressive how efficiently our brain dissects sentences into words even when there are only few audible cues. That is, only if you are familiar with the language! Otherwise you will just hear one organic waveform. As an example, listen to this simple French sentence. This is the waveform:

Unless you understand French, you will have a hard time to hear all words separately. The native speaker combines the words with a natural flow that makes up the specific sound of a language.

If you only learn vocabulary by listening to single words, you will face a serious challenge when confronted with “the real thing”. You can study the pronunciation of single words diligently and nevertheless fail to understand a single sentence spoken by a native speaker. Therefore, it is very important to practice conversation in language courses or with friends who are native speakers. Listening to the example sentences while learning with Comprehencia is a good first step.

If you understand French, you will have no problems to “hear” all words separately. It is a free service your brain delivers in real-time: “Savez-vous la réponse à ma question?” which means “Do you know the answer to my question?”

Here is another example, a simple Japanese sentence. You can hear two blocks of words, but unless you know Japanese and are familiar with the way Japanese combine words, you will not be able to dissect the words of each block. The sentence is: “向こうにあるあれは何だ?” (mukou ni aru are wa nan da?) meaning “What is that over there?”

Bottom line: Get used to it!

Getting used to the sound of a foreign language is key to mastering the language. With video portals, language podcasts, voice over IP, social networks and many other things, it has never been easier.

There is only one small problem: it does not work.

“Wait”, you say, “these systems are in use all over the world. Teachers are preaching these approaches for decades. Millions of students use flash card systems to build vocabulary.”

Well, let me explain. First of all, a good learning system will help you store content in your long-term memory. But what is long-term memory? Wikipedia says:

“Long-term memory is memory, stored as meaning, that can last as little as 30 seconds or as long as decades”

“As little as 30 seconds” is not really what the average language learner is looking for. Of course, the words will be memorized for longer than just 30 seconds, but it is important to know that when scientists talk about “long-term memory” they do not necessarily talk about very long time spans. Long-term doesn’t mean “forever”.

Ask yourself: do you remember everything you have learned in school, in your French class, German class, Latin class? Certainly not. Even though you spent so much time and energy to study these things, they are not “burnt into your memory”. This is just the normal way our brain works. We forget content that is not in use for a longer time span.

Why does everybody use flash card systems, then?

Because they work… for some time. Using a standard flash card or Leitner system is MUCH better than using no learning system at all. These systems help learners build vocabulary very fast. Many learners are impressed and immediatelly convinced about the advantages of this approach. The problems arise as soon as the student takes a study break – which is quite normal nowadays, at least for an adult learner who has a job, a family… a life.

Words begin to vanish from the long-term memory after a few weeks or months. When the student finally returns to his flash card box to pick up learning again, the frustration sets in. Some words are lost and need to be reviewed again – but which ones? The static flash card system has no answer to this.

That was my exact motivation to develop an intelligent language learning system: I wanted a system that is as good as the flash card systems but that also helps pick up learning again after lengthy study breaks. The solution is complex but efficient.

The #1 rule of efficient marketing

The one rule you will find in every marketing book is:

“Tell your customers what they want to hear.”

Example: if you sell vitamin pills you should not market them with the slogan “Our pills are good for your health” but with something like “Take our pills and you will life ten years longer”. That’s not necessarily true but the customer doesn’t care and will buy the pills like crazy.

In the context of language learning… would you go for a product that says “You will learn fast, but then, you may also forget some content again, but our product helps you refresh what has vanished, so you can pick up learning quickly after a study break.”

Or would you choose one that simply says “This product burns vocabulary into your brain.”

Which product will sell like crazy? You see, this is my problem… not yours.

Learning Hiragana and Katakana should be the first step for everyone interested in the Japanese language. It is quickly learned and will pay back over time. It is also a prerequisite for anyone who wishes to learn Kanji, the Chinese characters used in the Japanese writing system. I learned the kana with a video that showed funny animations for each kana character. That video was part of a Japanese course I attended more than seven years ago and the video helped a lot to memorize the characters quickly.

This technique is adequate for the kana, because their number is relatively small and the student is confronted with kana in every lesson. This is not true for the kanji. Their number is huge and unless you are living in Japan, it is difficult to keep up with the level of repetition necessary to memorize them for a lifetime. There are many techniques to memorize words faster and to keep them memorized longer but the tendency to forget is a natural feature of the human brain and will most likely win in the end.

That’s one of the reasons why we need intelligent learning systems that take this tendency into account instead of treating the brain like a simple flash card box.

Language teachers and private tutors can utilize Comprehencia to store, organize, and distribute their word lists online. A new tutorial video (in German) introduces the basic steps to set up a study group, invite students into the group, and activate learning content. Students can import the word lists into their own pools in Comprehencia and build a large vocabulary over time.

No need to be a teacher to start a study group. Everyone can set up a “group” and invite others to join. I myself plan to start a virtual study group to prepare for the Japanese language proficiency test (JLPT 2) in 2008. It’s always easier and more fun to share a learning experience with others.

• How to study your own vocabulary

Comprehencia stores my own vocabulary online – forever. I can come back to my “knowledge base” and quickly reactivate my vocabulary – even after longer study breaks.

In this tutorial video I show how to import and study your own vocabulary in Comprehencia. Some users emailed me that the user interface is a bit complicated and they did not at first understand the difference between a “dataset” and a “pool”. Therefore, I simplified the interface and especially the start page after login. It is now much easier to generate a new dataset and import ones own vocabulary for direct study.

• Introduction to Comprehencia