Shadowing Practice: 8 tips to Become Fluent in Any Language - Learn English Speaking with Video
Les maken...
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Hello.
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Today, I'm going to talk about how to speak Japanese.
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In English, I was really focused on the hard work and all the time.
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But, I don't think I was going to be able to learn Japanese.
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So the amount of time I've spent on textbook studying Japanese was a total of one semester back in high school.
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and then I did go to Japan and stay there for three months after graduating uni.
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But other than that, no textbook, no studying, just drama, anime, and talking to people, talking to Japanese people here and there,
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and I think that worked for me.
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And so today I want to talk about how I learned Japanese
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and managed to not forget over these years and how you can too.
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I can't see you in the middle of my life I'm always beside you
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I'm seeing you with your dreams I can't see you in the middle of my life
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Recently I went to Fukuoka and it just brought back a lot of good memories of when I was living in Japan.
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And I thought it would be a good time to talk about
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that memory and how I got to learn to speak the language.
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For the longest time when people ask me why I'm so good at languages, I would just say because I'm smart.
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And it wasn't until I stumbled upon this book called Fluent Forever by Gabriel Weiner.
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After I read the book, I realized that what I've been doing was actually the right way to learn the language.
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The book basically breaks down how your brain remembers things
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and how to use that to actually keep a language alive in your head.
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Today I want to share some of the principles from the book Fluent Forever
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while walking you through my own Japanese learning journey.
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so for this section of the video i want i'm going
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to walk you through the principles that's mentioned in the book there are eight principles
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and i'll walk you through them one by one
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number one is prioritize pronunciation early do you ever felt like
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all the words just sound the same to you like someone say this word to you
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and you repeat it exactly the way they did
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and they go um please try that's because as adults we experience phonic deafness
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so what does that mean
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that means our ears actually get used to the sounds of our own languages
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so we stop noticing ones that don't really exist
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if you don't train those sounds early on your brain can actually get stuck it's really hard to fix later
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so it's kind of like how a lot of japanese people it's really hard for them to pronounce the letter R, right?
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And I think for French -speaking people, there's this vowel that's pronounced as U, U, which exists in Chinese,
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but for a lot of English speakers, it's very, very, very difficult for them to even hear it.
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Do you hear it?
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Comment on me, let me know if you do.
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U, U.
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Anyways, by practicing similar sounding words and paying attention to the pitch, the rise, and the fall of the tones, you can actually train your ears to catch the differences and understand people better,
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as well as speaking more clearly.
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So for example, chopsticks versus bridge.
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Can you hear the difference?
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So yeah, what you can do is keep on practicing these similar sounding words.
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So the more you do that, you'll sound more natural, understand subtle differences, and you'll less likely have to fix that deeply ingrained pronunciation mistakes later,
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which can be very, very difficult.
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I think for me, whenever I start learning a language, it usually start.
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but just me watching stuff in that language i like the way it sounds
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so if i'm watching anime or drama i'll repeat after the characters yeah i don't know
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if you guys do
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that is it is it is it a weird thing to do i don't even know i do it secretly
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so i would love to know if anyone else also do
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that number two learn vocabulary with images not translations have you ever seen a a new word
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and caught yourself thinking okay so that means this in english you know
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that little extra steps slows you down
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and in real conversation it slows you down even more the trick is to connect words straight to pictures
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and feelings without english in the middle so for example
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if you see a dog train your brain to think oh
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that's an inu instantly the more you do this the faster your brain switches into japanese world by doing
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that you would you would think more directly in japanese
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no more sea dog think oh that's a dog in english and then translate to oh in japanese that's it
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so yeah try doing that it will make your thinking process
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and the whole speaking process a lot faster too number three leverage space repetition do you have any experience where
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when you study for a test
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and you remember exactly everything for it you null it on that day
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and then a week later you absolutely forget everything that's how
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languages slip away too unless you review it at the right times
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so there's a concept called the forgetting curves which shows
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that new info actually decays really fast like a steep slide but
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if you review it the information right before you're about to
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forget it the curves actually gets flatter each time you review it pushing them into long -term memory.
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So in other words, with review, you remember it longer and longer until it sticks with you.
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That way, instead of cramming and forgetting, you keep words for the long run.
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I think how it works for me is that when I learn a new word, because how much anime or Japanese drama they consume,
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before I forget it, usually this word will reappear somewhere.
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So I that repetition of reminding me of the word has really helped me to keep this memory in my head.
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So yeah, if you really don't have time to go through your flashcards or your vocab list, the least you can do,
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which is still very fun and effective, is to just watch something in Japanese.
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And if you watch it enough, those words will eventually stick with you.
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Number four, break down grammar into patterns you can use.
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If you think about how kids learn, they don't learn from grammar books.
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They learn from hearing the patterns again and again, until they just sound right.
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If you think about your own native language, you would realize that you can't really explain why this sentence works, why this grammar is right, it just sounds right to you.
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And that's how you should learn other languages too, in fact.
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brain learns language in chunks so grammar is absorbed from real examples
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and memorizing rule isn't as intuitive but seeing them in context do make them stick so one example would be
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like um i like something and just stop start plugging that in real words like Like,
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dog, movie, Japanese, 私は犬が好きです。私は映画が好きです。私は日本語が好きです。 Just keep doing that.
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The more you say it, the more it sounds right to you.
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And over time, your brains collect patterns naturally, and grammar just feels automatic instead, but forced.
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For me, whenever I'm speaking a language, I think there's no time to pause and structure the perfect sentence into your head.
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You just have to let it come out naturally.
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So for me, it's all about repeating things enough time until they sound right.
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The more I speak, the more it sticks, and the more confident I feel, and it turns into a positive loop.
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You know, all these principles I just talked about, pronunciation, images, space repetitions, they only really work if you actually find ways to incorporate that into your daily life.
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And that's where tools like Lingopi can be really helpful.
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It's a language learning platform that lets you pick up new languages by watching your favorite shows or movies.
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I watched Delicious and Dungeon earlier recently.
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There's this cute anime about a group of adventurers
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that goes into the dungeon to rescue their friend but
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because they didn't have enough money
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or time to eat food they have to be more resourceful
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and do whatever they can find in a dungeon is this slice -up like type of anime
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that just feels really nice to watch at the end of
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the day you know i wish i knew about this school earlier when i started learning japanese
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so basically every video has interactive subtitles and if you see
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or hear a word or grammar you don't know you can click it see the meaning
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and you can save it to review it for later it's amazing
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because I get to enjoy content and turn that downtime into a study session without even feeling studying.
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That means instead of just passively consuming, we're also actively building vocabularies and grammars at the same time.
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Isn't it just nice?
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If you want to give it a try, I'll put a link in the description and with that link you can start trying it out for free.
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Number five, personalize everything.
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As a hero, you won't remember this is a pen
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but you will remember I love ramen or I watch youtube every day.
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Why?
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Because it's about you.
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Our brains are wired to care more about things that feel personal.
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It's called the cell referential and encoding effect memories are strengthened
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when it's tied to your personal life
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so instead of memorying random textbook phrases make everything about your
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own life the language suddenly becomes something you can use right away not just something
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that you study make everything about yourself so much
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that japanese become your language not just abstract phrases not just things
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that you study on the textbook but real expressions of your daily life
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and this makes it stick faster
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and feel more meaningful number six six thing in the target language
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if you always translate in your head you'll feel slow and clumsy
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and sometimes the concept of the word may not even exist in the other language system fluency starts
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when you think directly in that language connect concepts straight to the words
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and over time it forges stronger neural pathways
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that means generally about your day talking to yourself
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and describing things you see in japanese even
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if it's really basic you're not just just make japanese part of your life like
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when you get hungry you can just say you know you
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can just start thinking in japanese start rewiring your brain to think in
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that language and the more you do that the more you stop mentally translating
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and start experiencing the world through japanese and your thoughts will flow naturally without english interfering
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i think this one is super big for me
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because this is something that i realized about language is that
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and i find it very interesting also
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that there are a lot of expressions just simply don't exist in another language for example
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when i try to translate chinese into english a lot of times i realized
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that there isn't an equivalent and it reminds me
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that language is just a vehicle for concepts and ideas
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and way of expressions or communications and
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because every culture has its own unique value system
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and way of communicating the things the way things get expressed
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and translated can be completely different so definitely try thinking in in
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that language it can be challenging but also very very rewarding
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and yeah it just feels like a very fun brain exercise
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number seven seven seven here's all four skills all together the
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lots of learners end up loop -sided they can read
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but cannot speak they can listen but freeze up
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when they start talking and so the solution best suggested by the author is
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that just mix them listen to podcasts read mangas, shadow sentences out loud, and write diaries.
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When you train all four skills together, listening, speaking, reading, writing, they feed into each other and your progress feel a lot more balanced.
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I had that problem as well.
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I think speaking was very difficult for me, but what really helped me start speaking though was
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when I went to Japan for three months after i graduated
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for a working holiday almost every day i would go help out the granny
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that cooked lunch for us talk to her with my very
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limited japanese um couple with some very limited sign languages at first i just i just wanted to help out
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because she seemed like a old granny
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and i felt bad for letting her cook lunch for everyone
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but i ended up learning so much from her
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and also got fit very very very well and put on
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so much weight i think i that was
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that was honestly the saddest i've ever been in my entire life number eight focus on frequency
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and relevance here's the secret not all words are worth your
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time usually a tiny group of common words will show up almost in almost every conversation
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while rare words barely even appear so basically a small number of words make up most real conversations.
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That means high -frequency vocabularies give you the best fluency payoff.
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Seeing words in repeated everyday contexts strengthen your memory much more than studying real ones.
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So instead of wasting energy on like squeak and pasta or parliament,
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start with everyday essentials like station, ticket, toilet, delicious.
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By focusing on words you will actually hear and use, you will understand 80 % of daily conversation way faster and feel much more fluent long before you know it all.
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So yeah, some of the suggestions that was given in the book is just start with the top 2 ,000 words roughly.
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So that would be relevant, equivalent to Japanese and 5 and 4 list.
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And just focus on the word
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that you know you probably use in real life station ticket toilet i really love this one
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because the more you speak the more you realize
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that with just a handful of useful words you can basically
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say anything you want i'm not kidding um you might not sound super sophisticated
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but people will understand you and that's what really matters right
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but honestly it there there's also a caveat that's also why
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my skills sometimes plateau i catch myself reusing the same word over
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and over again it's both good and bad
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but the truth is you don't need a massive vocabulary to start don't overwhelm yourself just start talking
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which leads me to my final point that the thing
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that helped me the most even english
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which is in my first language is to be creative stop
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translating don't waste time searching for perfect word just use simple words
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that you already know find another way to say the same thing for example
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if you don't know how to say is this seat taken you could also try is anyone sitting here
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or can i sit here or even just point
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and ask can i may i there are always multiple ways to get your message across
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and that's what i meant by being creative and fluency comes from
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that flow not from fancy vocabulary but from practice from
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that small confidence that you build
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which is what keeps you going actually most people quit
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because learning a language just feels so overwhelming and defeating
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but it's really not start small be creative
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and you'll discover just how fun it is to actually use the language after all language learning goes beyond memorization
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and study routines it's about discovering the many deeper things a
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language has to offer what pulls me in isn't only the sound
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or the ability to speak the language it's the people the culture the entire world behind.
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When you learn a new language, it feels like a new window opens inside you.
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Ideas, values, feelings flow in.
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Your inner world gets bigger.
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You see more, you feel more.
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Take the word komorebi for example.
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It means sound like filtering through leaves.
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In my first language, I didn't have a clear word for that.
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But once I learned it, And I start noticing it everywhere.
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And it's not just poetic words like this, it's also in the everyday rhythm of Japanese life and the o -motenashi,
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the care in Japanese service, and shokunin -no -kokoro, the pride in doing even the smallest things well.
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And that welcome when you come into a store, irashai -masai, and at the end with the big smile and about arigatouzaimashita.
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It's all of those things that tells you about something without ever actually telling you.
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Language is a vehicle of what the society is carrying, the ideas and the value and the mind.
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And at the end of the day, how fluent you are isn't just about how fast you can talk or how many vocabularies you know.
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It's also about letting Having the language lived where you live, in your walks, in your talks, in your quiet thoughts.
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Language isn't just something you study, it's perspective, something that lives inside your everyday life.
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I don't have to worry about words, but I don't have to worry about words.
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I don't have to worry about words.
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The important thing is to take care of each other.
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I'll take it to the end of the day, and I'll take it to the end of the day.
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Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les
Deze video bevat 227 zinnen en 2951 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 18:56. De spreker praat in een natuurlijk tempo van ongeveer 156 woorden per minuut, dicht bij een alledaags gesprek. 86% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken.
Belangrijke woorden in deze video
15 woorden uit de video die het leren waard zijn, met uitspraak en betekenis:
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| grammar zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | spraakkunst, grammatica |
| translate werkwoord | /tɹænzˈleɪt/ | vertalen, overzetten |
| vocabulary zelfstandig naamwoord | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | woordenschat, vocabulaire |
| anime zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈæn.ɪ.meɪ/ | anime |
| everyday bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ | alledaags |
| principle zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈpɹɪn.sɪ.pəl/ | principe, beginsel |
| textbook zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈtɛkst.bʊk/ | studieboek, handboek |
| fluent bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /ˈfluənt/ | vloeiend |
| naturally bijwoord | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | natuurlijk |
| dungeon zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈdʌn.d͡ʒən/ | kerker |
| pronunciation zelfstandig naamwoord | /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ | uitspraak |
| ear zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈɪə̯/ | oor |
| discover werkwoord | /dɪˈskʌvə/ | ontdekken |
| connect werkwoord | /kəˈnɛkt/ | verbinden |
| remind werkwoord | /ɹəˈmaɪnd/ | herinneren |
Phrasal verbs die je zult horen
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| break down werkwoord | stukgaan, kapot gaan | |
| end up werkwoord | belanden, terechtkomen | |
| come out werkwoord | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | uitkomen |
| pick up werkwoord | oppakken, optillen | |
| show up werkwoord | tentoonstellen |
Grammatica in deze video
De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:
| Structuur | In de video |
|---|---|
| Voorwaardelijke zinnen if + zin, will/would + werkwoord — een voorwaarde en het gevolg | if i'm watching anime or drama i'll repeat |
| Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet | was really focused · is absorbed · are wired |
| Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt | I've spent · has really helped · i've ever been |
Uitspraak om op te letten
De spreker gebruikt 53 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals don't, I'm, isn't. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.
- De “th”-klanken: strengthen /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/, rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/, pathway /ˈpæθˌweɪ/
- De klanken “sh” en “zh”: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, shadow /ˈʃædəʊ̯/, translation /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/, suggestion /səˈd͡ʒɛst.ʃən/
- Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, automatic /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/, communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/
Zo oefen je met deze video
- Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
- Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
- Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als grammar, translate, vocabulary.
Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?
Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.