Gabriel Wyner

learn pronunciation first

spaced repetition systems

ten books, wrote seventy pages’ worth of essays, and my vocabulary grew to forty-five hundred words

We’ll make the most of your limited time, investigating which words to learn first, how to use mnemonics to memorize abstract concepts faster, and how to improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills as quickly and effectively as possible.

Still, stabbing friends with pointy metal objects resembles language learning more than you might think. Your goal in fencing is to stab people automatically. You spend time learning the names of the weapons and the rules of the game, and you drill the proper posture, every parry, riposte, and lunge. Finally, you play the game, hoping to reach that magical moment when you forget about the rules: Your arm moves of its own accord, you deftly parry your friend’s sword, and you stab him squarely in the chest. Point

The real challenge lies in finding a path that conforms to the demands of a busy life.

I hope to enable you to visit the peculiar world of language learning. In the process, you’ll better understand the inner workings of your mind and the minds of others. You’ll learn to speak a new language, too.

I encountered three basic keys to language learning:

1. Learn pronunciation first.

2. Don’t translate.

3. Use spaced repetition systems.

Singers learn the pronunciation of languages first because we need to sing

mastering the sounds of a language, our ears become attuned to those sounds, making vocabulary acquisition, listening comprehension, and speaking come much more quickly.