Ross' bit

Language tips for Intermediate

Recently I was asked for some resources for learning Dutch at an intermediate/advanced level. Rather than just list a bunch of textbooks and websites, I've written up some advice on how to actually do the language learning. Working smarter, not harder, etc.

Sorry if this was more than you were looking for.

Language is sounds

With the exception of sign languages, all languages are spoken. The words we read and write simply represent the sounds. We were speaking for many, many years before we ever invented writing systems.

Sadly, many people across the world are illiterate; it says something important that they can speak and listen, but cannot read or write. Research shows us that babies can hear and understand what we say long before they can speak, though we don't need science to tell us that they can speak long before they start learning the alphabet.

If it’s not clear already, speaking and listening are language, they are king and queen of communicating. Because language is sounds, and written words simply represent those sounds.

Perfecting how well you can understand what is spoken, and also the sounds that you speak, is key to perfecting your language ability. Mistakes that you make already will become fossilised and more difficult to correct, the longer you make them.

Tip 1: Deliberate Listening Practice

Find good quality audio from a speaker with a standard accent and listen to it deliberately. This is active listening.

Listen to a large chunk of it (some 3 to 5 minutes) all the way through. Try to understand as much as you can. Listen to it again a few times.

Try and write down the words you don’t recognise. If your listening skills are good and you at least understand the writing system, you will be able to make a good guess at how the word should be written, which will let you look it up if you wish.

For Dutch, the Tweede Kamer record their debates, committees, votes, plenary sessions and so on, and upload them to Debat Gemist; you may need to click "Zoek Debatten" on the top right to be able to find a list of possible debates.

Tip 2: All Dutch, All The Time

Don’t do something in another language if you can try it in Dutch! This applies everywhere:

Similarly, try passive listening link 1 link 2.; half-listening to Dutch podcasts, videos or even music whilst you do other things.

For this and the tip above, nothing beats a cheap pair or Bluetooth earphones. If you don't already have something suitable, something like these would be ideal. Keep them on you all the time, it will let you make use of any spare time you can: on public transport; at work whilst you are doing something easy or repetitive; before bedtime, etc.

By doing this, you are exposing yourself to the language's sounds over and over again. This is important for the reasons listed earlier on.

Tip 3: Try Chorusing And Shadowing

Chorusing and shadowing are two techniques to help you perfect the sounds of the language, both in your mind and in your voice.

The technique is basically just recording yourself repeatedly repeating native audio until you get it mostly perfect. The difference between chorusing and shadowing is largely just when you speak; either at the same time as the native audio, or directly after.

I will direct you to this website for some handy videos on how to do this.

It might seem strange to do this, but it is very effective.

Working Smart Beats Working Hard

Tip 4: Use Spaced Repetition Software (i.e. Anki)

So much has been written about SRS and Anki which is better than I could write, that I’ll just give you some one-liners and ask you to google them:

For a more detailed, algorithmic look at Anki and SRS, please see this amazing blog post.

Additionally, there are very many "Anki decks" which are available to download for free, many of which are of great quality (I have made a couple myself!) There are also some for sale but I would try your luck with free resources first.

By using these, you will optimise your time and effort, minimising the amount of time you need to spend studying by reviewing only what you need to to avoid forgetting, at the last possible moment.

Tip 5: A Little Bit Every Day Beats A Large Chunk Now And Then

Linked to the above, it’s far better to study a little often, than to wait until the weekend and then do some hours.

By all means, spend those hours on the weekend if you want, but not at the expense of those 15 minutes a day. 15 minutes a day should be your goal, every single day. It can be hard, but is definitely doable. Once you make a habit of it, it will be easier to stick to.

Only you know what suits your lifestyle, but this approach is proven to work, so try your best to make it work for you.

Tip 6: Try Memory Techniques

Again, I will defer to others who have written far more eloquently than I can about this topic, but learning in particular about how to build and use a memory palace is a very good idea.

Dr Lynne Kelly has authored a great book on the topic of memory techniques and the people over at the Art of Memory forum are very kind and helpful. Anthony Metivier has also written a great number of books on this topic; this one on German vocabulary would be very helpful learning [[Dutch]] too, since the memory techniques are language-agnostic and German is so similar to [[Dutch]] f these memory tools.

The Right Resources Last A Lifetime

Tip 7: find a teacher

Language may be one of the most difficult things to teach yourself

For one, it's not too easy to correct yourself. You can't just put some words into a calculator and check if they match some predetermined answer. Since there are often multiple ways to express the same idea, it can be hard to give useful question and answer sets.

Any good teacher will be able to correct you in realtime, helping to avoid fossilised mistakes. Good teachers have studied teaching and have studied learning, meaning that they should be able to help you determine what things to study and how best to approach it.

In the Netherlands, I can certainly recommend UvA Talen's group courses; I took their Chinese classes for some time, until the timing no longer suited my lifestyle.

Otherwise, italki.com lets you browse and select a language teacher for just about any language. Again, I use this too for Chinese; there will be Dutch teachers on their but they will be more expensive than the ones I am seeing!

Tip 8: buy the right textbooks

It goes without saying that you should certainly have a textbook. But which one? That is a difficult question to answer without having seen a lot of textbooks!

For Dutch, the website NT2.nl is best (by law, all books in Dutch sold new in the Netherlands must be priced the same, so don't bother shopping around).

Good luck, and have fun!

#dutch #language #learning