background preloader

How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language in 1 Hour (Plus: A Favor)

How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language in 1 Hour (Plus: A Favor)
Deconstructing Arabic in 45 Minutes Conversational Russian in 60 minutes? This post is by request. How long does it take to learn Chinese or Japanese vs. Spanish or Irish Gaelic? I would argue less than an hour. Here’s the reasoning… Before you invest (or waste) hundreds and thousands of hours on a language, you should deconstruct it. So far, I’ve deconstructed Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Norwegian, Irish Gaelic, Korean, and perhaps a dozen others. How is it possible to become conversationally fluent in one of these languages in 2-12 months? Consider a new language like a new sport. There are certain physical prerequisites (height is an advantage in basketball), rules (a runner must touch the bases in baseball), and so on that determine if you can become proficient at all, and—if so—how long it will take. Languages are no different. Six Lines of Gold Here are a few questions that I apply from the outset. 1. 2. 3. 4. The apple is red.

How to Learn Any Language in 3 Months The Okano Isao judo textbook I used to learn Japanese grammar. Post reading time: 15 minutes. Language learning need not be complicated. Principles of cognitive neuroscience and time management can be applied to attain conversational fluency (here defined as 95%+ comprehension and 100% expressive abilities) in 1-3 months. Some background on my language obsession, from an earlier post on learning outside of classes: From the academic environments of Princeton University (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian) and the Middlebury Language Schools (Japanese), to the disappointing results observed as a curriculum designer at Berlitz International (Japanese, English), I have sought for more than 10 years to answer a simple question: why do most language classes simply not work? The ideal system — and progression — is based on three elements in this order… 1. Effectiveness, adherence, and efficiency refer to the “what”, “why”, and “how” of learning a target language, respectively. Ganbare!

Start Your Day in 33 Different Ways Mornings are underrated. I consider them fundamental for the whole diurnal experience. What you do in the very first moments of your morning will fundamentally and inexorably shape your entire day. Most of the time you spend your mornings by routinely performing some habits, on auto pilot. Consciously inserting your intentions in these very first moments will have a huge effect. Here are at least 33 ways in which you can transform your days by only spending 5 minutes every morning. 1. I love the morning stillness and the unspoken promise of something ready to start. 2. And do nothing. 3. Point your mind to something you’re really grateful for and stay there. 4. Regardless of the current season. 5. You’re going to spot it pretty easily if you put your mind to it. 6. Write an answer to an old question, do part of a small chore, move an object out of somebody’s way. 7. Empty your mind and isolate from your environment. 8. 9. Like in getting physical. 10. 11. Let go. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

How to Resurrect Your High School Spanish… or Any Language (Plus: Be on the CBS Early Show!) Oktoberfest is good for reactivating German but bad for livers. ((c) Dave77459)How can you possibly maintain fluency in two foreign languages — let alone five or six — if the opportunities to use them are months or years apart? In 20 minutes, I leave from JFK for Iceland, then Scotland, and then a circle in Europe that will include Oktoberfest in Munich. Germany is strategic, as I want to “reactivate” my German before the media tour there. Few topics provoke more anxiety and depression in language lovers than the prospect of forgetting a hard-earned language. After you return to your English-dominated homeland, how do you maintain your newfound skills, which seem to have yogurt-like expiration dates? It is easier, and much more time-efficient, to catch up versus keep up. Why struggle to maintain a foreign tongue in the US, for example, when you most often gain nothing more than bad habits? 1. 2. 4. 5. Don’t fear losing languages if you’ve attained real fluency.

The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers :: Meetings - StumbleUpon This is a repository of the most up-to-date versions of Deviant's lock diagrams and animations. Seen in all of the TOOOL educational materials and slide decks, these files are all released under the Creative Commons license. You are free to use any of them for non-commercial purposes, as long as they are properly attributed and the same freedom for others is maintained in all derivative works. Please note that these diagrams have evolved and developed over time. Lock Basics and Mechanical Operation How pin tumblers are arranged and how locks operate (or fail to) with conventional keys Introduction to Lockpicking Overview of why lock picking is possible and the use of basic pick tools Manipulation-Resistant Locks Spool pins, mushroom pins, and other ways of increasing security Diagrams of Bumping Attacks Animations showing how snapping guns and bump keys work Key Impressioning Many detailed, step-by-step diagrams and animations detailing the process of key impressioning Master Diagrams

40 Photo-Illustrated Questions to Refocus Your Mind Asking the right questions is the answer… It’s not the answers you get from others that will help you, but the questions you ask of yourself. Here are 40 thought-provoking questions to help you refresh and refocus your thinking: Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Also, check out our sister site, Thought Questions, for more photo-illustrated questions like these; and check out The Book of Questions if you’re interested in reading even more inspiring, thought-provoking questions.Title photo by: Helga Weber For all other photo credits please refer to ThoughtQuestions.com Related 40 Questions Everyone is Afraid to Ask Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. April 13, 2012 In "Aspirations" 40 Questions that Will Quiet Your Mind Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers … because asking the right questions is the answer. August 5, 2015 In "Happiness" 25 Photo-Illustrated Reminders to Help You Find Happiness

Echoes of War Sergei Larenkov His photographs of the siege of Leningrad and St. Petersburg really got lots of name on internet and are famous too. so we present some really nice photographs by sergei, where past and present meet in Moscow, Berlin, Vienna, Prague.. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Place Of Mine | Apartments, Condos, Houses and Homes for Rent | Search for rental listings

Related: