Review of Easy Languages YouTube Channel

Have you ever struggled finding authentic learning material for your target language, or have spent countless hours trying to find material worth using? If you answered yes, then I would strongly recommend checking out the YouTube channel called Easy Languages, which is currently produced in over 30 languages. What is great about each language is that you learn it from the streets, allowing you to hear natives speak at their normal pace about whatever is on their mind. Instead of simply watching a 4-minute video completely in Russian when you are a beginner, English subtitles and a transliteration are provided as the host asks a question to people on the street. Thanks to this method of language-learning, you slowly start to associate sounds with words and words with meanings.

Before finding this YouTube channel, I had spent more hours than I am willing to admit trying to find a free resource that was more challenging than a textbook, but still understandable for Russian. Since I have only been taking it for two semesters, I wanted to find a YouTube channel whose goal was to find native speakers without translating everything that was being said.

I recently started seriously and religiously watching Easy Russian, but have found it to be extremely effective. The main reason why I like using it over other channels is, because each episode is based on just one question, such as "what makes you happy?", which allows you to focus your full attention on a specific topic, or to use thematic vocabulary. Instead of being all over the place, I can learn words such as "любовь" (love), or "жизнь" (life). Not only are these words useful and are used in everyday conversations, but I can also associate words in specific phrases, or in idiomatic expressions. In other words, you can slowly start expanding your vocabulary by associating words with meanings instead of learning words by themselves without any context on how they can be used, as you would typically do in high-school.

How I recommend using Easy Languages:

As I have already mentioned many times, what is most important is consistency and quality versus quantity when studying a language. Since Russian is the furthest removed from my native languages, it makes sense to spend the most amount of time on it, so that I can continue picking up its rhythms, its sounds, and its pronunciation. Since each episode is approximately 4 minutes, I would recommend watching it more than once.

When you watch it for the first time, make sure to write down any important, or unfamiliar words or phrases on a piece of paper, or in a noteboo­­­­k (the more organized you are, the faster you will eventually progress). After being satisfied with a good-sized list, re-watch it as many times as you feel necessary. Make sure to read the English subtitles, and transliterations as little as possible each time that you watch it, and try to focus on understanding entire phrases instead of individual words (ex: the ones that you wrote down that were new to you).

Remember that this channel can be used for any level. Whether you have no prior knowledge of your target language, or are close to native-sounding, you are bound to learn something new, considering that there is always room for improvement. I hope that you found this post helpful. Feel free to let me know what you think about it in the comments down below. 

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•  Easy Languages Website

Learning a Language Through Immersion

Have you ever wondered why you have not made much progress in a language, but have studied it extensively in school? Have you ever told yourself that you are “not good at languages?” If you answered yes to either, or to both of those questions, I hope that you gain a few words of wisdom from this post. As some of you may have already read in previous posts, I have always considered myself to be shy. It has taken me my entire life to slowly start pushing myself out of my comfort zone to start interacting with more people. As time has passed, I have learned to embrace making mistakes and to learn from them (feel free to read my post “Being Afraid of Making Mistakes in Another Language” if you want to know how you can get rid of your fear of being wrong when speaking a new language).

 

I believe that immersion has enabled me to make the most amount of progress in any language than all of the other methodologies that I have ever tried combined. This is the case, because it is not a traditional way of learning a language. Instead of memorizing tables, or vocabulary by using flashcards with the words in English on one side and with their translations on the other, you learn how to communicate and to understand what others are saying from the very beginning, which should be your end goal when learning any modern language. It is great if you can memorize the conjugations of the verb “ser” in Spanish, which means “to be”, but if you cannot say fluid sentences using this verb when speaking, that you have ultimately failed to do what your original intention was. This does not make you less smart than others, but it does give you a red flag that you should try to change your methodology.

As the video above says, you could consider my methodology of improving the languages that I already speak an “artificial immersion”, which I create for myself from the comfort of my room in college, or at home. What I mean by that is that I go out of my way, and create a schedule in which I incorporate several languages into my everyday life. What is amazing about this century is the fact that we have the world at our hands, and information at our fingertips with the simple click of a button. There are no longer any excuses to not be able to supplement, or to completely teach yourself a language from scratch. I argue that the most effective methodology is through immersion. 

What I do is I try to find articles, watch the news, watch YouTubers (feel free to read my post titled “Listen to YouTubers in Your Target Language” if you want to get suggestions on which foreign YouTubers I like to watch the most), and listen to music in my target languages. I watch films whenever I have time, especially in the languages that I am close to fluent in, as films are the ultimate test to whether or not you can understand idioms, regionalisms, dialects, and more complex vocabulary words and sentences. Keep in mind that you do not have to spend more than an hour a day per language if you do not have the time, or do not want to do so. It is oftentimes more effective to spend time on your target language for less time. What matters most is not the quantity, but rather the quality of how you spend your time.

Since I have not had a class in German since my senior year in high-school, I have spent most of my free time perfecting my German. I find that watching videos by German YouTubers has been the most effective method and has been the best use of my time so far. By doing so, I pick up words by associating words with sounds, or objects with their names. It is also a more organic and authentic way to review or to learn vocabulary, sentences, and idiomatic expressions, as they speak at a native pace. It is not rigid, or meant for language learners, but rather for people who live in countries whose native language is my target language. I also find it more rewarding when I understand 90% of what is being said after having done this for over a year, because I know that they speak at a normal native pace in their videos.

I also enjoy listening to songs in German, and looking up unknown words. The more times that listen to a song, the more words that I can sing by heart, and the more times that I look up words, the more words that I can understand. I also have my phone in German, so I am constantly reading in it, without making a conscious effort to do so. The little things and changes that you make are what count, not necessarily the amount of hours that you spend trying to cram information into your head. Consistency is a tip that you should take away from this. In other words, make yourself listen to what Germans would do or listen to in Germany instead of finding Rosetta Stone where everything is translated into your mother tongue. The sooner you make yourself start thinking, writing, reading, and speaking in the language in an immersive environment, the more comfortable you are going to feel about your capabilities.

Another way to immerse yourself that is a little harder to do is by attending a foreign language immersion camp, institute, or university for as little as a week up to a few years. It is ultimately up to you to decide how much time you would be willing to invest in assisting one of these programs. By interacting with locals, or with other students who are there to learn a common language, it will be less likely that you speak in, say English, if you do not share that common language. I went to Concordia Language Villages for 4 summers in Bemidji, Minnesota and had the privilege of going to 4 different language villages (French, German, Italian, and Russian) whose methodology was to be immersed in your target language from the moment in which you wake up until you go to sleep. I will write a post about my experience there in a few weeks, so be sure to stay tuned for it. I am also going to go to an institute soon, and am excited to share my experiences in a few months. Feel free to read my post “Taking Classes in Multiple Languages: My Experience and Advice” if you want to know how I immersed myself in several languages during this academic school-year in college.

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide how you want to perfect your language skills, but I encourage you to ask yourself whether or not you have been satisfied with your progress so far using another methodology, and to strongly consider starting to think of ways in which you can start to make languages a part of your life. It is a lot easier than you may think, and you will be amazed with the results that you will get over time. I can say that after 2 years of watching YouTubers in German, I can now understand at least 90% of what I watch. This is because I have consistently watched them, and have made myself learn about topics in which I am interested in languages that are not my mother tongues.

The Power of Language

Starting at a young age, I have been fortunate enough to be exposed to different kinds of people and places around the world. I will admit that, at the time, I did not think much about it and simply embraced it as an important part of my everyday life. Over a decade later, I am sharing my personal experiences and stories of what has arguably been the most powerful gift that I have ever received, and, that is the power of language.

Language is what I look forward to as soon as I get up in the morning and before I fall asleep at night. It is what keeps me motivated and what gives me drive in everything into which I put my energy and in everything that I want to accomplish. Language is what allows me to reach to communities and individuals that I otherwise would simply pass by without having any kind of interaction. 

Language is what allows me to be flexible, curious, independent, and a good teammate. Language is the glue that holds my family together. It is what keeps us alive, healthy, and positive. It gives up hope for a better tomorrow, hope that we will someday reunite despite the distance that separates us.

Language is what has set me apart from most of my classmates. It is the tool that I have used in order to hear others out in times of distress and in times of hopelessness. It is what I listen to whenever I am teary-eyed and miss my parents while at college. Language is what keeps me alive and what allows me to think about situations through different lenses. It is what could allow me to talk to over 1.4 billion of the world’s population. Now, that, is incomprehensible, powerful, and unique.

Throughout my life, and, especially now that I am an adult, I have had a hard time coming to terms with what I consider to be my identity. The United States considers me to be Hispanic or Latino, but, when someone asks me who or what I am, I respond that I am Colombian. As much as I want to fully consider myself Colombian, I have never lived there and mostly know about my homeland through my parents’ stories and through the trips that I have had, yet I do not completely feel American, and do not completely feel Colombian-American. One day, I talked to my mom about my confusion and asked her for advice. She said “Laura, if you do not consider yourself any of the above, you can tells others that you are a world citizen.” Although I only heard those words once, they completely changed my life. Whenever I feel lonely or frustrated with who or what I am, I say that I am a citizen of the world. I can say that because of my gift to communicate with many people around the world.

Now that my freshman year of college is almost coming to a close, I have never felt more like myself or happier than I do now. I no longer have to hide part of myself, or pretend to be someone with whom I do not feel comfortable. I have enjoyed going to German and to Russian Table on Tuesdays, to Italian and Spanish Table on Wednesdays, and to French Table on Thursdays. I have watched films, have eaten meals, have written, spoken, and read in 7 languages. I have written essays, read novels, have analyzed, and have had to think critically in 4 languages, and continue to keep in touch with my friends who live in over 20 states and 20 countries in 5 continents.

In high-school, my family hosted students from New Zealand and from Thailand, and have childhood friends from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. I am blessed to have gone to a bilingual elementary school for Spanish and English and to have studied 3 languages in high-school and 3 new ones in college. I have also become closer with the teaching assistants and professors from different countries by speaking to them in their mother tongues. It is what gave me a scholarship to college, it is the reason why I was recognized for academics in high-school, and it is why I am who I am today.

As the video above says, language is what bridges gaps in communication and in cultural exchange. Precise meanings of what you are trying to convey oftentimes get lost in translation, but feeling and thinking in another language can help you get beyond that. Language is what reaches to other people’s hearts and what allows you to have another shoulder on which to cry. I cry, ponder, question, respond, and react in a different language depending on the situation in which I am and with who I am. 

The beauty of it all is that I do not have to rely as heavily on someone else to get out of a situation, or to understand what is happening around me. Whenever I am in a diverse city, I overhear fragments of conversations around me, allowing me to have the world at my hands. I, along with other polyglots, are nowhere near perfect, but we do share something in common: the ability to reach out to others no matter what their needs are.

Now, more than ever, we need people to live in peace together, but we cannot even begin to solve our world’s problems if we cannot communicate with each other. Communication is what has bridged gaps and has taught me the importance of being patient and respectful of individuals who practice, believe, or think differently than I do. Over the years, I have learned to become more tolerant and adaptable to almost any kind of situation. Even a simple “have a nice day”, or “I hope that you feel better” can make all of the difference in the world and can brighten up somebody’s day. It can make someone who is homesick feel loved and welcomed, or can help someone escape his or her country. It is hard, time-consuming, and requires patience, but that is what makes it rewarding and worth it.

Language is by far the most powerful tool that my parents gave me and that I have fostered. It is not only a part of me, but it is also what I embrace. For better or for worse, I know that I can continue to bring individuals closer together and avoid confusion and misconceptions from taking place.

I believe that this world can become a happier place and know that we can change our lives and the lives of others by learning to respect each other. Language is what will ultimately make this dream become a reality.

Dream. Believe. Achieve. Now, that, is the power of language. I will end this post with my all-time favorite quote by Nelson Mandela: "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."