The bestselling guide to learning a new language and remembering what you learned, now revised and updated“A brilliant and thoroughly modern guide . . . If you want a new language to stick, start here.”—Gary Marcus, cognitive psychologist and author of the New York Times bestseller Guitar ZeroGabriel Wyner speaks seven foreign languages fluently. He didn’t learn them in school—who does? Rather, he mastered each one on his own, drawing on free online resources, short practice sessions, and his knowledge of neuroscience and linguistics.
In
Fluent Forever, Wyner shares his foolproof method for learning any language. It starts by hacking the way your brain naturally encodes information. You’ll discover how to hear new sounds and train your tongue to produce them accurately. You’ll connect spellings and sounds to images so that you start thinking in a new language without translating. With spaced-repetition systems, you’ll build a foundation for your language in a week and learn hundreds of words a month—with just a few minutes of practice each day. This revised edition also shares fresh strategies that Wyner has refined over years of study. You’ll learn to
• use your interests to curate vocabulary that you’ll actually be excited to study
• fast-track fluency, with a new appendix devoted to conversation strategies with native speakers
• compile the best language-learning tool kit for your budget
• harness the science of motivation and habit building to turbocharge your progress
• find the perfect level of difficulty with reading and listening comprehension to stay engaged and avoid frustration
With suggestions for helpful study aids and a wealth of free resources, the intuitive techniques in this book will offer you the most efficient and rewarding way to learn a new language.
"Gabriel Wyner speaks seven languages fluently. He didn't learn them in school-who does? Rather, he mastered each one on his own, drawing on free online resources, quick daily practice sessions, and his knowledge of neuroscience and linguistics. In Fluent Forever, Gabe shares his foolproof method for learning any language. It starts by hacking the way your brain naturally encodes information. You'll begin by learning how to hear new sounds and training your tongue to produce them accurately. You'll connect spellings and sounds to images rather than rely on translation exercises so that you start thinking in a new language. With the help of spaced-repetition systems, you'll build a foundation for your language in one week and learn hundreds of words a month-with just a few minutes of practice each day. This revised edition also shares fresh strategies that Gabe has refined over years of study. You'll learn how to: Use your interests to curate vocabulary that you'll actually be excited to study; Pick up the subtleties of your target language by conversing with native speakers; Fast-track fluency with a new appendix devoted to conversation strategies with native speakers; Compile the best language-learning tool kit for your budget; Harness the science of motivation and habit building to turbocharge your progress; Find the perfect level of difficultly with reading and listening comprehension to stay engaged and avoid frustration"--