Language Learning
Why Most Fail
and
How You Can Succeed

Fact:
The vast majority of
language learners fail
to reach fluency in
their target language
even after years and
years of study.

Test:
Is this because of their:
a) method
b) attitude
c) materials
d) all of the
above

The answer is d).
Nearly all learners fail because of
poor methods,
poor attitudes, and
poor materials.

Methods

Traditional language education fails
because it treats language
as an academic subject,
not the physical skill it truly is.

Learning
is like...

...memorizing parts of a car
engine and being able to explain
how it works.
It is a conscious process.

Acquisition is
like...

...being able to drive
but not necessarily knowing how
the car engine works.
It is a subconscious process.

Most people can never use a
language because they spend too
much time learning about the
language and not enough time
actually acquiring it.

So if traditional
methods are so
ineffective, why have
they survived
soooo long?

The Weight of Tradition

Though there have been many
“cosmetic” changes over the
years, languages have been taught in
the same basic way for millennia.

ce
a n
r
&
no Arrogance
Ig

Most people don’t know
(or won’t admit)
that there are better ways.

Vested Interests

Textbook publishers,
language schools,
teachers, and even
politicians, all benefit
financially from the
traditional education
status quo

Attitude

“In language learning
it is attitude, not aptitude,
that determines success.”
~Steve Kaufmann, creator of LingQ.com
So what kind of attitude do you
need to succeed in language
learning? One must be...

Interested!
The more you like the content, the
more you that will stick (and the
more time you will spend
with the language!)

Disciplined!
You won’t always feel
like learning. But if you
only do things when you
feel like it, you won’t get
very far.

Patient!
Language learning isn’t hard, but it
does take time. Progress in physical
skills can be hard to notice, so make
sure to record yourself every few
months.

Free of the ego!
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
When you do, be happy about it!
You have just made progress!

Materials

With so much FREE, high quality
language learning content available
online, there is no excuse to
consume boring content.

There are over 100,000 podcasts
series available today on a wide
range of topics and in all the
world’s major languages.
And with the advent of portable
media players, you can carry all
this content around with you.

“It’s too expensive”
and “I don’t have time”
are no longer valid excuses!

Happy
Learning!