I'm a believer that most busy people (like me) can commit to 1 hour a day of language learning and / or exposure. A good time to clock up the hours is by listening to podcasts when people are commuting, grocery shopping or walking outside or doing other daily activities. It's not difficult to find time to watch a 30 minute in the evening to watch a TV programme in your target language. Ultimately, it comes down to what people prioritise.
If you're a beginner, it's hard to find a show or podcast (or book) in your target language that's enjoyable that you can even partially understand. However, I think once you know the basics, this works great!
@@lilliank3542 this is very true. spanish students like me are spoiled, but not every language has entertaining content that you can somewhat understand. I do think passive listening to things a little more advanced help with this though. you just slowly get better at understanding more complicated things.
My approach is it to aquire the basics as fast as possible. I learn with a single ressource for one until three months (depending on the difficulty of the language.) This affords to put several hours each day into studying. I'm not locking on the clock but it might be up to three hours. Once I finished my ressource I have the basics or in the best case I'm already at a bottom intermediate level (B1). Then I start to immerse myself into the language on using Media such as RUclips or TV channels. But I spent less time than in the first phase. The first phase is highly intensive. I think once you have a B1 one hour a day is very good. Half an hour is the minimum.
Yes I’m agree, first of all I’m sorry for my English. I still learning English and when I have reached the level B1, now I’m just keep reading books 📚 and I’m very happy.
I agree with you about the first phase when you acquire the basics of the language. But once you enter B1 it is hard to hold back from total immersion. I am entering that phase and I am so excited to move on. The first phase is like hiking into the wilderness to get to some abstract place on a map. Now that I have reached this new world I just want to use the language and explore: books, podcasts, movies and conversation.
Many people talk about the minimum. My mistake was learning too much, 4-5 hours a day, seven days a week. Some days, eight hours or more. After 1.5 years, I took a full day off, and the following day I had so much clarity. I think the brain needs time to process/absorb. I try to keep my learning down to two hours a day if possible now. I live a life of nearly 100% leisure, so I find myself falling back into my Russian learning, and I feel it's detrimental to my progress to study so much . Less is more everyone! We can't speed up the process. You're doing good at one hour a day. Don't make my mistakes
@@lazyyethealthy9230 I'm a minimalist who is very lazy. I retired at 32. I'm 49 now, been on the road for 16yrs living in 94 countries. Cheaper to live out here than Chicago! Weatlh accumulation/preservaion is about defense, not offense. It's so much easier to not spend 1000usd than to go out and earn another 1000usd
I'm living in the philippines and want to get fluent fairly fast. I do not currently study the language but I'm researching how I should go about learning this language as fast a possible. I think it might be easier for me because once I get a little bit of the language under my belt I can use it any time I want by going outside, to the store, or the beach or anyplace as Im surrounded by native speakers willing to interact with me . Anyway thinking about what you say about "less is better" and maybe that's true (Def 8 hours a day sounds like too much) but also I think learning passively (without doing, or actively speaking with another native) might be something that could really hold people back. Learning over and over and over without actually doing it in a real life situation can be a drag and often wont show the progress you have made from day to day. I guess my point is I'm not sure if "Less is more" or not but doing any kind of learning when your not actually in a real life situation can be tedious and you are not forced (Or perhaps not interested) to remember. what you learn If you are actually speaking with different people daily I would think the body/mind would have much more motivation to retain the information long term. I agree there is a time to take breaks and absorb what you learn, but its hard to know what is the best amount of time to learn as quickly as possible, and of course this will very from person to person depending on a multitude of factors. I guess i'll eventually figure out a balance as I currently have unlimited time each day to learn this language I want to study as much as possible but I dont want to end up actually learning less by studying more. My best guess right now is studying in moderation to learn vocabulary and pronunciation alone at home is great, but rapid progress will probably be made if i go out and talk to different people each day consistently..
Right, I used to just listen to podcasts and watch videos too in my target language but of course, it would develop just mostly my listening skills. We need a different approach when we want to be a fluent speaker, and a different one when we want to focus on writing. Comprehension perhaps, always comes first. We understand a text in our target language when we read. We understand a native speaker (if he doesn't speak too fast) but the problem comes when we formulate our own sentences... As for me, it takes quite a lot of sitting down and scribbling till I find the right words to express what I want to say (in an essay, for example) then a couple of seconds to organize my thoughts in the language before I speak (since I'm in intermediate level). Love the vibe of your video!
Hmmm. I feel like people who say this, and most do, have GROSSLY underestimated just how much input is needed to make a smooth (ish) transition to output, without it being painfully hard (which it is in 99% of cases). Learners who do 1-2 hours a day, with the occasional day off, aren't going to have nearly enough of the language inside of them to be able to output. But I've witnessed and heard of people who do an hour/day for 6 months and wonder why they can't speak fluently, or even comfortably. If you're hearing your native language more than your target language each day, you're doing it wrong, if any kind of "fluent" output is your goal. Of course, when I say "wrong," what I mean is that it will not lead to a solid output level, it's just nowhere near enough. 99% of people don't have the time to get the kind of input required, so they turn to other methods i.e grammar study and output practice, but there is little evidence this works well (if at all), which is likely why 99% of people suck at outputting their target language. Sure, you can do your practice (having had little input) and know how to say basic set phrases and responses, but that's not what anyone is really aiming for, certainly not those who are serious. The bottom line is that the dropout rate for language learning is ASTRONOMICAL, and most of those who quit, or dramatically take their foot off the gas, are the one's who haven't given themselves a chance by failing to give themselves MASSIVE input. They're essentially fighting a losing battle, in the hope that one day, with their 1 hour/day study + 30 minute "practice," they'll eventually speak fluently - they won't. Most of those who say they do are either lying, have massively overestimated their level, or else they've failed to mention/realise the amount of input they've had along the way. BTW, that remaining 1% who do have the time and spend it immersed in MASSIVE input... They're the one's who end up with a very high level of output ability. I know that's counter-intuitive, but it's true. But again, if you don't have time (who does?) then aiming for a basic level of conversational ability is probably a nice goal, and you can probably do some of that through "speaking practice" but you'd do MUCH better if you just increased your input, by a LOT... Time permitting.
@@futurez12 it depends, you can develop a good output with a poor input as well, of course you won't understand when people talk to you but well you can talk lol 😂😂
@@roguelites5225 the problem is people think they need to spend 8 hours studying...but that will just turn into a burnout. Of course you need to study for maximum efficiency but you need too allow your brain to be flooded with the language you are learning. Studying allows you to understand the language but you need to acquire the language to understand others.
I just wanted to tell you how much I've appreciated this site. I've had to learn three languages fluently as an adult for various reasons, a) lived in my teens and early twenties in Spanish-speaking countries, b) as an adult have worked exclusively in French-speaking environments and am now c) gearing up over the last two years to move to Germany with my German-speaking husband and soon-to-be born German child. I've had to use all your tips to study and learn these languages while working full time (in that language), so thanks for the help and please keep it up. (Lol yes talking to yourself is key).
Thanks for sharing, Caitlin! It sounds like you've had a beautifully colourful life so far, you must have so many great stories. And CONGRATULATIONS on your soon-to-be born child, that's so exciting. I wish you so much happiness and continued success! ❤️
I learn 2-4 hours a day, 6-8 at the weekend. I do it because I love it. I find studying languages half of hour or only 1 hour inefficient. I feel like it brings me nowhere.
I just came across your channel and I’m here to say, if the rest of your content is as valuable as this you sir are incredibly underrated! It’s hard to find someone who offers this much value in a video. It seems the majority of content creators are pushing the learn a language in a week rhetoric. It’s refreshing to watch content from someone who wishes to offer sincere advice on ways to improve the language learning journey.
You seem to have a knack for hitting topics right when I need them. Just coming off a week or so break after about a month of more intense study on top of more hours/week working, so this topic is perfect as I look at a more balanced schedule all around. Another great video!
interesting take Robin, I also think it becomes a lot less important on what you do once you start getting to a higher level because everything starts to become equally "unimportant" because you have already learnt everything that will give you the biggest returns like a verb tense.
I like what you have to say about this topic. It's all about what we do with the time we have. I personally only have between 30 minutes to an hour to learn a foreign language a day. Glad to know that there is a highly skilled language learner who sees the nuances instead of just giving a purely black or white answer. By the way, I am loving your background. It makes me feel like I am hanging out with a friend, talking about language learning. 😊
Robin, I just came across your channel last week and I must say it's quickly become one of my favourite language learning channels on RUclips (along with InnerFrench, Steve Kaufmann and Olly Richards) keep up the good work man!
I'm learning english, and as a working mom of two kids it's not easy to find the time for practise, but i try to be consistant and working every day, when i don't have time i just put on my headphones when i'm cooking or like today listning to 20 min to youtube video before sleeping.
30 mins French 20 min Tagalog Not including listening since even active listening isn't as exhausting Actually I'd like to fully focus on French before devoting to Tagalog, but im in a situation where I'd need both
Robin you give the most amazing and honest tips about language learning I always watch your videos when I don't feel like I'll ever make progress, so thank you!
The way you analysed this topic is amazing. I think that we come to a point in this process of language learning that we need to take care in order not to have a burnout. I guess putting a limit is crucial when you are experienced. For beginners the important is having a threshold to be achieved everyday. That's a complex theme right? Your content is amazing! Food for thought! Stay safe! ;-)
Anything less than 30 mins is too heavily weighted with “warm up” time. It takes me 30 mins just to get through a warm up stage when my brain becomes more used to processing the new language. This is especially important if the writing system is completely different (e.g. Russian or Arabic). I think an hour per day is really a good goal. That’s an hour per language.
How do i fit my schedule in 1 hour study ? If I watch just one episode it takes almost 1 hour. I spend my day doing binge-watching. If I spend just one hour per day, then why everbody keep saying "absorb the language"? How can I absorb the language just studying 1 hour per day?
Good video 👍! I'm rotating between languages, but I try to get 30 minutes of speaking each day in each language and some vocabulary repetition each day! :-)
Many teachers advise 30 minutes a day of routine practice : repetition, listening, reading, writing, etc. But it's impossible to do these tasks without encountering some problem which often requires hours of research to solve.
I do this 3 times a week for Spanish and Mandarin for 1 hour like my college days. 30-45 minutes for each of them and off days I polish the tones for Mandarin. Spanish is easier for me since I learned that growing up so I focus more on mandarin.
This is a very timely topic for me as I'm creating a new daily schedule this week! If only that dumb job didn't get in the way lol. I'm very curious about "output drills". Could one be practicing verb conjugation: "I'm going, you're going, he's going" and "I went, you went, he went"? I've been wondering about ways to cement grammar and then you mentioned the topic! Thank you for another excellent video!
I do drilling by writing sometimes a diary. Or just vocalizing sentences with the same pattern. This works pretty well for your brain and muscle memory.
Hello. Thank you for your video. I’ve been studying German for 7 month all my myself, I am b1 now, but I think I am so slow because of this you mentioned, my method it is not the best. I will definitely try what you said. Obrigado de novo, acabei de te conhecer pelo Easy German 😊
well, please correct me if i am wrong or pessimist.I recently read about learning a new language and getting a good level on it.It was saying If you spend 1 hour a day it will take 750 days, and if you study 2 hours you will be getting this point half of time which is 375 days (1 yearish).So at this point i guess if we study half an hour or 1 hour "as a golden choice" we need 2-4 years to become good at the language.So then, i guess it depends on your goal in terms of which level you want to achieve the language and how long time you have in total.I really wonder your ideas about this @Robin MacPherson:)
Glad I stumbled upon this video when I did; think I have been doing waaaay too much listening (active and passive) for my overall trajectory to be well-rounded
Daqui a 20 ou 30 anos quando eu estiver fluente em 8 ou 9 idiomas, meus filhos vão me perguntar "Pai, como você consegue falar tantas línguas diferentes?"... eu vou virar pra elas e dizer: "Filhos, a verdade é que eu estava lá quando Robin MacPherson ainda tinha apenas 6.62k de inscritos e dava as melhores dicas sobre aprender idiomas que a humanidade pôde conceber".
@@sterlynx4894 Dica é uma palavra bem usada. Prepare-se para começar a vê-la em todos os lugares a partir de agora hahahaha Algumas vezes as pessoas também usam "pista" como sinônimo. Tipo, "me dá uma pista" que soa igual a "me dá uma dica". Contudo, "pista" também pode ser sinônimo de "estrada/ rodovia", como por exemplo "Pista de corrida" (Speedway). Se precisar usar, use Dica, mas se ouvir Pista por aí, já sabe que pode significar Dica. Abraço!!
As a Spanish and French speaker I kind of understand, "how am I going to learn so many languages when Robin is sitting here with only 6.6k subs giving the `best dicas`(tips or hints or tricks) imaginable within the realm of human knowledge.
@@RonaldMcPaul Pretty close, but what i've said was something like "In the future my children will ask me 'Dad, how could you learn so many languages?' and I'll say 'I was there, when Robin gave us the best hints ever". I can't translate everything exactly the same way, because I do write very formal in Portuguese, even in RUclips's comment, and my English is not enough to follow it 😅 But you did a really great job understanding what i wrote in Portuguese just using the French and the Spanish as support🖒👏
What is realistically the best way to start at 0 in a language? I see a lot of polyglot videos going over their courses and methods, but a lot of them are not clear on how they really started. A lot of the course videos that are shown in the polyglot videos are mostly of polyglots showing of their collection of language learning books and they never really solidify the question of where to start from 0.
Tricia Sutton absolutely not!! 😀 but have no fear, I’m editing right now! Sorry, it’s been a truly insane week. I’m trying my best to get back ahead of schedule!
Awesome tips, Robin! Your videos are often very timely. Thank you! I do have a question. How can one get a good handle on their target language's syntax? I understand the languages I'm learning pretty well, except I keep stumbling over the syntax. I tend to have to fight to not resort to English syntax. So what type of things can I do during my practice/study time to improve in this area?
Lots and lots of new videos are coming soon! ☀️ I posted 3 videos during December/Jan, but working on lots more now, including many more really nice language videos 😄 Thanks for enjoying my past videos in the meantime, and for your patience!
I just found you through RUclips suggestions. I am also a language fanatic. English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian so far...Where are you originally from?
If you can use the language in your everyday life you will improve. I play Japanese chess and I like anime and Japanese cars. I often watch vintage Japanese car reviews or read Japanese Chess books. (Shogi books). This has helped alot. I’m 16 so I spend upwards of 4 hours a day studying. On weekends and summers I can sometimes spend 12. However I take a 20 minute break every hour so I still have time to do whatever I want.
Hey Robin , I like your style.This video was really pertinent to my study ,as I what would be described as a typical first time language learner. As it happens I started Learning Mandarin about 6 months ago & am now studying about 1 hour a day , therefore I'm really interested in your Mandarin learning experience. Is there a possibility that you may do something related to Mandarin Hanzi learning?
Hey Bruce, from my experience with Mandarin & Japanese, I noticed an improvement in my speaking, listening and general fluency when I delayed hanzi. After a certain time I started with characters (intermediate) and it was way easier to consume. Each to their own but I notice a lot of people jump straight in to characters Good luck!
If someone was to study one hour per day; do you think it is better to study one hour all at once, or to break it up into 2, 30 minute sessions, or 4, 15 minutes sessions? I prefer 4, 15 minutes sessions through out the day.
The truth is no one can answer that for you. Why? because we all learn a little differently. If it works for you then stick to it. What works for one person can work just as well for another. But it can also not work for someone else. It just depends some people learn better in different ways. No one knows you better than yourself.
I find that when first learning a language, 15 minutes is the most I can do at any one time. After that my brain has reached max challenge. As I progress in the language the study time becomes longer. I would say that once you find your mind starting to wander, get fatigued, or start making more mistakes in your practice, then take a break.
Hey, Robin as someone who is learning three languages I take it you should spend the most time in your target language but spend time on others as well?
I’m studying Portuguese, I mean this with all respect. You’re video begins with lots of photos, as well as watching you sip your cappuccino, which for me was a distraction. All the best.
Amanda it’s SUPER SUPER SUPER EXCITING!!!!!!!! I almost filmed an update/preview #2 last week. There have been 15-20 people testing it for just over 3 weeks and it’s going AMAZINGLY WELL!!!!! It’s honestly just astounding how much the platform has grown and improved since the first preview I showed!!!!
I’ll try to think what the best format would be for creating an update video this next week. I’m dying to get the beta testing started (there are more than 400 people on the waiting list now!!!) and there are just two main things left that I need to finish now before getting that volume of people on the platform
Would it be smart to break the hour in parts throughout the day? For example 20/20/20 or 30/30 depending on my schedule? Also what sort of French television would you suggest for a beginner/intermediate learner? Thanks in advance
about TV shows I would recommend to you watch "the circle" or "10 pour cent". they isn't short but I think they have a basic and good vocab to start with
J G. If that works better with your schedule that’s totally fine. It’s about learning smartly. So if you are more focused and engaged doing it like that, go for it! ☺️
hi, I want to learn 2 languages at once. one of them I'm at B1 level, and the other one I would start it from zero... let's say I have 5 hours a day. How much time you think should I spend in each other language?
@Henry Pinkney yeah, maybe that's wouldn't be a good idea... ty for reply me. but I have one more question and I'd be very thankful if you could answer it. I'm really struggling with my abilities of speaking, do you have any advice for me improve it? like, I can understand a lot of things in English even witting a bit, but when it comes to speaks, I can't do it at all
@Henry Pinkney I don't think it matters too much. Your brain doesn't have a capacity for language learning. I've been doing several in a year and have been getting what I've wanted out of it. Fluency is subjective. It can't really be counted in years.
Jeronimo Herrera Active listening is when you are engaged and paying attention! Passive listening is when you are playing something maybe music or a podcast in the background but not really paying attention. Hope that helps! I am also a passionate language learner! ☺️
@@Wramos03 look all the things that you have to study and put it in some order to do every day, look for a method for increase your vocabulary, and listen podcasts, videos on youtube, watch series....
Are you trying to "waffle on" to get the golden 10 minute mark for maximum ad revenue? Because the first 7 minutes, your not saying anything that couldn't have been said in 15 seconds. Either way, thanks for "trying" to add value and do some good, but the "nuanced" message could have been condensed into a one minute video. Not meant to be harsh, but if you have the viewer in mind when creating a video, you should at very minimum try to respect his or her time.
It's actually very interesting that you would make such an assumption, Malik, because in fact I have disabled all "mid-reel" ads from my videos because I feel my viewer's experience and time are more valuable than maximizing my ad revenue - but I guess you didn't think of that, did you? I'm sorry that you felt my video didn't contain as much value as you would have liked. 99% of the feedback I get from thousands of people is incredibly positive and I try my best every single day to keep improving and increasing the value I can give all those people who are kind enough to spend their time watching my content. So thank you for providing your own perspective and helping me continue improving 😊 I think I would just suggest thinking twice before being so bold as to assume you know the motive behind a well-meaning creator's work. Especially one who has invested literally thousands upon thousands of hours in providing free content and value to my audience for virtually no income so far over 6 years.
@@RobinMacPhersonFilms don’t listen to those who speak ignorant this video is great I liked it a lot if people don’t like it they can simply create their own or watch your video. People can be negative but most are positive I like what you do it helped me I’m learning one language and going to study 1-2 hours at least 5 days a week and rest for 1-2 days thx buddy you do great job
I found this video through youtube suggestion. This man speaks so fast that a Foreigner can understand nothing even with subtitles. I really do not speak so fast even my mother tongue . Perhaps he was in such a hurry...:)
![[Special Clip] ATEEZ(에이티즈) 홍중 'Why Do You Love'](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/I6XYXQKN_pY/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm a believer that most busy people (like me) can commit to 1 hour a day of language learning and / or exposure. A good time to clock up the hours is by listening to podcasts when people are commuting, grocery shopping or walking outside or doing other daily activities. It's not difficult to find time to watch a 30 minute in the evening to watch a TV programme in your target language. Ultimately, it comes down to what people prioritise.
If you're a beginner, it's hard to find a show or podcast (or book) in your target language that's enjoyable that you can even partially understand. However, I think once you know the basics, this works great!
@@lilliank3542 this is very true. spanish students like me are spoiled, but not every language has entertaining content that you can somewhat understand. I do think passive listening to things a little more advanced help with this though. you just slowly get better at understanding more complicated things.
My approach is it to aquire the basics as fast as possible. I learn with a single ressource for one until three months (depending on the difficulty of the language.) This affords to put several hours each day into studying. I'm not locking on the clock but it might be up to three hours. Once I finished my ressource I have the basics or in the best case I'm already at a bottom intermediate level (B1). Then I start to immerse myself into the language on using Media such as RUclips or TV channels. But I spent less time than in the first phase. The first phase is highly intensive. I think once you have a B1 one hour a day is very good. Half an hour is the minimum.
Really like the approach. I'll def give it a try!
Yes I’m agree, first of all I’m sorry for my English. I still learning English and when I have reached the level B1, now I’m just keep reading books 📚 and I’m very happy.
@@kenzatazi2366 You are doing very well! 😊
@@rainastor4789 Oh thank you, that makes me happy !!!
I agree with you about the first phase when you acquire the basics of the language. But once you enter B1 it is hard to hold back from total immersion. I am entering that phase and I am so excited to move on. The first phase is like hiking into the wilderness to get to some abstract place on a map. Now that I have reached this new world I just want to use the language and explore: books, podcasts, movies and conversation.
Many people talk about the minimum. My mistake was learning too much, 4-5 hours a day, seven days a week. Some days, eight hours or more. After 1.5 years, I took a full day off, and the following day I had so much clarity. I think the brain needs time to process/absorb. I try to keep my learning down to two hours a day if possible now. I live a life of nearly 100% leisure, so I find myself falling back into my Russian learning, and I feel it's detrimental to my progress to study so much
.
Less is more everyone! We can't speed up the process. You're doing good at one hour a day. Don't make my mistakes
Can I ask you how you manage to live a life of 100% leisure? Just curious.
And jealous.
@@lazyyethealthy9230 I'm a minimalist who is very lazy. I retired at 32. I'm 49 now, been on the road for 16yrs living in 94 countries. Cheaper to live out here than Chicago!
Weatlh accumulation/preservaion is about defense, not offense. It's so much easier to not spend 1000usd than to go out and earn another 1000usd
So you think it was lost time?
@@autentyk5735 Yes. Not effective. Less is more. An hour a day is better than four
I'm living in the philippines and want to get fluent fairly fast. I do not currently study the language but I'm researching how I should go about learning this language as fast a possible. I think it might be easier for me because once I get a little bit of the language under my belt I can use it any time I want by going outside, to the store, or the beach or anyplace as Im surrounded by native speakers willing to interact with me . Anyway thinking about what you say about "less is better" and maybe that's true (Def 8 hours a day sounds like too much) but also I think learning passively (without doing, or actively speaking with another native) might be something that could really hold people back. Learning over and over and over without actually doing it in a real life situation can be a drag and often wont show the progress you have made from day to day. I guess my point is I'm not sure if "Less is more" or not but doing any kind of learning when your not actually in a real life situation can be tedious and you are not forced (Or perhaps not interested) to remember. what you learn If you are actually speaking with different people daily I would think the body/mind would have much more motivation to retain the information long term. I agree there is a time to take breaks and absorb what you learn, but its hard to know what is the best amount of time to learn as quickly as possible, and of course this will very from person to person depending on a multitude of factors. I guess i'll eventually figure out a balance as I currently have unlimited time each day to learn this language I want to study as much as possible but I dont want to end up actually learning less by studying more. My best guess right now is studying in moderation to learn vocabulary and pronunciation alone at home is great, but rapid progress will probably be made if i go out and talk to different people each day consistently..
Right, I used to just listen to podcasts and watch videos too in my target language but of course, it would develop just mostly my listening skills. We need a different approach when we want to be a fluent speaker, and a different one when we want to focus on writing.
Comprehension perhaps, always comes first. We understand a text in our target language when we read. We understand a native speaker (if he doesn't speak too fast) but the problem comes when we formulate our own sentences... As for me, it takes quite a lot of sitting down and scribbling till I find the right words to express what I want to say (in an essay, for example) then a couple of seconds to organize my thoughts in the language before I speak (since I'm in intermediate level).
Love the vibe of your video!
Hmmm. I feel like people who say this, and most do, have GROSSLY underestimated just how much input is needed to make a smooth (ish) transition to output, without it being painfully hard (which it is in 99% of cases). Learners who do 1-2 hours a day, with the occasional day off, aren't going to have nearly enough of the language inside of them to be able to output.
But I've witnessed and heard of people who do an hour/day for 6 months and wonder why they can't speak fluently, or even comfortably. If you're hearing your native language more than your target language each day, you're doing it wrong, if any kind of "fluent" output is your goal. Of course, when I say "wrong," what I mean is that it will not lead to a solid output level, it's just nowhere near enough.
99% of people don't have the time to get the kind of input required, so they turn to other methods i.e grammar study and output practice, but there is little evidence this works well (if at all), which is likely why 99% of people suck at outputting their target language. Sure, you can do your practice (having had little input) and know how to say basic set phrases and responses, but that's not what anyone is really aiming for, certainly not those who are serious.
The bottom line is that the dropout rate for language learning is ASTRONOMICAL, and most of those who quit, or dramatically take their foot off the gas, are the one's who haven't given themselves a chance by failing to give themselves MASSIVE input. They're essentially fighting a losing battle, in the hope that one day, with their 1 hour/day study + 30 minute "practice," they'll eventually speak fluently - they won't. Most of those who say they do are either lying, have massively overestimated their level, or else they've failed to mention/realise the amount of input they've had along the way.
BTW, that remaining 1% who do have the time and spend it immersed in MASSIVE input... They're the one's who end up with a very high level of output ability. I know that's counter-intuitive, but it's true. But again, if you don't have time (who does?) then aiming for a basic level of conversational ability is probably a nice goal, and you can probably do some of that through "speaking practice" but you'd do MUCH better if you just increased your input, by a LOT... Time permitting.
Times&Spaces you CAN learn a language in a lot less time than your implying though i do agree 1-2 hours isn’t enough
Spend 1 hour studying and the rest of the day just enjoying the language
@@futurez12 it depends, you can develop a good output with a poor input as well, of course you won't understand when people talk to you but well you can talk lol 😂😂
@@roguelites5225 the problem is people think they need to spend 8 hours studying...but that will just turn into a burnout. Of course you need to study for maximum efficiency but you need too allow your brain to be flooded with the language you are learning. Studying allows you to understand the language but you need to acquire the language to understand others.
I just wanted to tell you how much I've appreciated this site. I've had to learn three languages fluently as an adult for various reasons, a) lived in my teens and early twenties in Spanish-speaking countries, b) as an adult have worked exclusively in French-speaking environments and am now c) gearing up over the last two years to move to Germany with my German-speaking husband and soon-to-be born German child. I've had to use all your tips to study and learn these languages while working full time (in that language), so thanks for the help and please keep it up. (Lol yes talking to yourself is key).
Thanks for sharing, Caitlin! It sounds like you've had a beautifully colourful life so far, you must have so many great stories. And CONGRATULATIONS on your soon-to-be born child, that's so exciting. I wish you so much happiness and continued success! ❤️
I learn 2-4 hours a day, 6-8 at the weekend. I do it because I love it. I find studying languages half of hour or only 1 hour inefficient. I feel like it brings me nowhere.
I agree
Can we talk about how his hair looks so gorgeous?
If you must. You start.
Diego Willian No!
@@paulybarr 🤣
Thank you for that!
about as gorgeous as wolverine from the xmen
He'd look great with a buzz cut, or a flattop.
15 minutes per day for a year will get you close to A2, I'd say study 1 hour and watch content the rest of the day...the more you consume the best.
I just came across your channel and I’m here to say, if the rest of your content is as valuable as this you sir are incredibly underrated! It’s hard to find someone who offers this much value in a video. It seems the majority of content creators are pushing the learn a language in a week rhetoric. It’s refreshing to watch content from someone who wishes to offer sincere advice on ways to improve the language learning journey.
You seem to have a knack for hitting topics right when I need them. Just coming off a week or so break after about a month of more intense study on top of more hours/week working, so this topic is perfect as I look at a more balanced schedule all around. Another great video!
interesting take Robin, I also think it becomes a lot less important on what you do once you start getting to a higher level because everything starts to become equally "unimportant" because you have already learnt everything that will give you the biggest returns like a verb tense.
I really recommend listening to a pimsleur lesson a day and reading in your target language after you learn the alphabet
True, I like pimsleur but I also get input from RUclips and even duolingo. I create sentences in my mind and create a monologue😊
I like what you have to say about this topic. It's all about what we do with the time we have. I personally only have between 30 minutes to an hour to learn a foreign language a day. Glad to know that there is a highly skilled language learner who sees the nuances instead of just giving a purely black or white answer.
By the way, I am loving your background. It makes me feel like I am hanging out with a friend, talking about language learning. 😊
Robin, I just came across your channel last week and I must say it's quickly become one of my favourite language learning channels on RUclips (along with InnerFrench, Steve Kaufmann and Olly Richards) keep up the good work man!
Hi, Robin! I found out that at my level of English just listening to you helps me to study the language.
I'm learning english, and as a working mom of two kids it's not easy to find the time for practise, but i try to be consistant and working every day, when i don't have time i just put on my headphones when i'm cooking or like today listning to 20 min to youtube video before sleeping.
30 mins French
20 min Tagalog
Not including listening since even active listening isn't as exhausting
Actually I'd like to fully focus on French before devoting to Tagalog, but im in a situation where I'd need both
Robin you give the most amazing and honest tips about language learning I always watch your videos when I don't feel like I'll ever make progress, so thank you!
The way you analysed this topic is amazing. I think that we come to a point in this process of language learning that we need to take care in order not to have a burnout. I guess putting a limit is crucial when you are experienced. For beginners the important is having a threshold to be achieved everyday. That's a complex theme right?
Your content is amazing! Food for thought! Stay safe! ;-)
You call 30 minutes to an hour a "realistic" time for busy people :D .
With work and family I am happy to manage 20 minutes a day.
"Anything is better than nothing". You are at least doing something that most people are not doing at all.
Anything less than 30 mins is too heavily weighted with “warm up” time. It takes me 30 mins just to get through a warm up stage when my brain becomes more used to processing the new language. This is especially important if the writing system is completely different (e.g. Russian or Arabic). I think an hour per day is really a good goal. That’s an hour per language.
You probably have 4 hours of dead time every day.
Get up early.
Great video! I could just read all day long, but I need to be prioritizing speaking more. 😂🤓
Your channel is pure gold. This video (or maybe the whole channel??) helped me realize I need to change my learning strategy ASAP. Thanks a ton!
I am looking for such tips , really useful
How do i fit my schedule in 1 hour study ? If I watch just one episode it takes almost 1 hour. I spend my day doing binge-watching. If I spend just one hour per day, then why everbody keep saying "absorb the language"? How can I absorb the language just studying 1 hour per day?
It was very helpful.
I appreciate your help.
You have my unshakable respects.
A new fan from Algeria🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿 🙂
Good video 👍! I'm rotating between languages, but I try to get 30 minutes of speaking each day in each language and some vocabulary repetition each day! :-)
Every day i spend near 1 hour. Basically listening. When go sleeping some time reading
Many teachers advise 30 minutes a day of routine practice : repetition, listening, reading, writing, etc. But it's impossible to do these tasks without encountering some problem which often requires hours of research to solve.
Many teachers don't actually speak that language they teach ..they just know the grammar
I do this 3 times a week for Spanish and Mandarin for 1 hour like my college days. 30-45 minutes for each of them and off days I polish the tones for Mandarin. Spanish is easier for me since I learned that growing up so I focus more on mandarin.
This is a very timely topic for me as I'm creating a new daily schedule this week! If only that dumb job didn't get in the way lol. I'm very curious about "output drills". Could one be practicing verb conjugation: "I'm going, you're going, he's going" and "I went, you went, he went"? I've been wondering about ways to cement grammar and then you mentioned the topic! Thank you for another excellent video!
CandaceP Can you share what you do exactly? I'm very interested!! Screenshots? Sutton.tricia1@gmail.com ❤️
I do drilling by writing sometimes a diary. Or just vocalizing sentences with the same pattern. This works pretty well for your brain and muscle memory.
Hello. Thank you for your video. I’ve been studying German for 7 month all my myself, I am b1 now, but I think I am so slow because of this you mentioned, my method it is not the best. I will definitely try what you said. Obrigado de novo, acabei de te conhecer pelo Easy German 😊
What do you do during your dedicated study time? I always considered reading and listening as “studying” 😅
Best video about this topic~ Thank you!
well, please correct me if i am wrong or pessimist.I recently read about learning a new language and getting a good level on it.It was saying If you spend 1 hour a day it will take 750 days, and if you study 2 hours you will be getting this point half of time which is 375 days (1 yearish).So at this point i guess if we study half an hour or 1 hour "as a golden choice" we need 2-4 years to become good at the language.So then, i guess it depends on your goal in terms of which level you want to achieve the language and how long time you have in total.I really wonder your ideas about this @Robin MacPherson:)
Glad I stumbled upon this video when I did; think I have been doing waaaay too much listening (active and passive) for my overall trajectory to be well-rounded
Daqui a 20 ou 30 anos quando eu estiver fluente em 8 ou 9 idiomas, meus filhos vão me perguntar "Pai, como você consegue falar tantas línguas diferentes?"... eu vou virar pra elas e dizer: "Filhos, a verdade é que eu estava lá quando Robin MacPherson ainda tinha apenas 6.62k de inscritos e dava as melhores dicas sobre aprender idiomas que a humanidade pôde conceber".
Incrível haushusa. Obrigado, eu acabei de aprender uma nova palavra “dica”. Estou aprendendo português
@@sterlynx4894 Dica é uma palavra bem usada. Prepare-se para começar a vê-la em todos os lugares a partir de agora hahahaha
Algumas vezes as pessoas também usam "pista" como sinônimo. Tipo, "me dá uma pista" que soa igual a "me dá uma dica". Contudo, "pista" também pode ser sinônimo de "estrada/ rodovia", como por exemplo "Pista de corrida" (Speedway). Se precisar usar, use Dica, mas se ouvir Pista por aí, já sabe que pode significar Dica.
Abraço!!
As a Spanish and French speaker I kind of understand, "how am I going to learn so many languages when Robin is sitting here with only 6.6k subs giving the `best dicas`(tips or hints or tricks) imaginable within the realm of human knowledge.
@@RonaldMcPaul Pretty close, but what i've said was something like "In the future my children will ask me 'Dad, how could you learn so many languages?' and I'll say 'I was there, when Robin gave us the best hints ever".
I can't translate everything exactly the same way, because I do write very formal in Portuguese, even in RUclips's comment, and my English is not enough to follow it 😅 But you did a really great job understanding what i wrote in Portuguese just using the French and the Spanish as support🖒👏
Sim kkkkkkk também pretendo fazer o mesmo skksksks
What is realistically the best way to start at 0 in a language? I see a lot of polyglot videos going over their courses and methods, but a lot of them are not clear on how they really started. A lot of the course videos that are shown in the polyglot videos are mostly of polyglots showing of their collection of language learning books and they never really solidify the question of where to start from 0.
Ikenna made a pretty good video on this topic. I don't remember which one, though. You can look up his channel.
I recommend checking out Glossika. They have a RUclips channel. Really helped me with Japanese
@@cndcpwll persian is on my list. ♥ Glossika
Literally do anything, then evaluate that and see where to proceed from there
You my good sir have gained another subscriber 😎
It was helpful. Thanks.
Can you do bookshelf tours, please.
All is fine
Does Wednesday still count as Wednesday if there's no Robin video 🤔?
Tricia Sutton absolutely not!! 😀 but have no fear, I’m editing right now! Sorry, it’s been a truly insane week. I’m trying my best to get back ahead of schedule!
Done!!!
Awesome tips, Robin! Your videos are often very timely. Thank you!
I do have a question. How can one get a good handle on their target language's syntax? I understand the languages I'm learning pretty well, except I keep stumbling over the syntax. I tend to have to fight to not resort to English syntax. So what type of things can I do during my practice/study time to improve in this area?
Just trying to find new video from Robin ( start working, what's app with ny favourite polyglot blogger)
Lots and lots of new videos are coming soon! ☀️ I posted 3 videos during December/Jan, but working on lots more now, including many more really nice language videos 😄 Thanks for enjoying my past videos in the meantime, and for your patience!
I just found you through RUclips suggestions. I am also a language fanatic. English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian so far...Where are you originally from?
Thanks a lot.
If you can use the language in your everyday life you will improve. I play Japanese chess and I like anime and Japanese cars.
I often watch vintage Japanese car reviews or read Japanese Chess books. (Shogi books).
This has helped alot. I’m 16 so I spend upwards of 4 hours a day studying. On weekends and summers I can sometimes spend 12.
However I take a 20 minute break every hour so I still have time to do whatever I want.
Hey Robin , I like your style.This video was really pertinent to my study ,as I what would be described as a typical first time language learner.
As it happens I started Learning Mandarin about 6 months ago & am now studying about 1 hour a day , therefore I'm really interested in your Mandarin learning experience. Is there a possibility that you may do something related to Mandarin Hanzi learning?
Hey Bruce, from my experience with Mandarin & Japanese, I noticed an improvement in my speaking, listening and general fluency when I delayed hanzi. After a certain time I started with characters (intermediate) and it was way easier to consume.
Each to their own but I notice a lot of people jump straight in to characters
Good luck!
If someone was to study one hour per day; do you think it is better to study one hour all at once, or to break it up into 2, 30 minute sessions, or 4, 15 minutes sessions?
I prefer 4, 15 minutes sessions through out the day.
I need at least 30 minutes because of startup/transition time, but that's just me and Robin would know way better.
The truth is no one can answer that for you. Why? because we all learn a little differently. If it works for you then stick to it. What works for one person can work just as well for another. But it can also not work for someone else. It just depends some people learn better in different ways. No one knows you better than yourself.
I find that when first learning a language, 15 minutes is the most I can do at any one time. After that my brain has reached max challenge. As I progress in the language the study time becomes longer. I would say that once you find your mind starting to wander, get fatigued, or start making more mistakes in your practice, then take a break.
Pls make a video about your Japanese learning experience
Hey, Robin as someone who is learning three languages I take it you should spend the most time in your target language but spend time on others as well?
I’m studying Portuguese, I mean this with all respect. You’re video begins with lots of photos, as well as watching you sip your cappuccino, which for me was a distraction. All the best.
good luck with portuguese! I'm brazilian and if u need help, I'm here! :)
Hello friend ! Thanks for the video its interested
I usually do about 2 and a half hours a day
i'm looking foward to updates on journaly and what you've been doing on it.
Amanda it’s SUPER SUPER SUPER EXCITING!!!!!!!! I almost filmed an update/preview #2 last week. There have been 15-20 people testing it for just over 3 weeks and it’s going AMAZINGLY WELL!!!!! It’s honestly just astounding how much the platform has grown and improved since the first preview I showed!!!!
I’ll try to think what the best format would be for creating an update video this next week. I’m dying to get the beta testing started (there are more than 400 people on the waiting list now!!!) and there are just two main things left that I need to finish now before getting that volume of people on the platform
Hi just came across your channel and love your videos! Wondering what your schedule is like for early stage language learning?
Which English accent is this? I'm kind of confused. It sounds like American with British twang, but sometimes it's like British with American twang.
Maybe cornish accent
I was quite certain he's American. Maybe it's just his voice and not an accent mix. He sounds completely American to me
No, he’s a Brit!
Would it be smart to break the hour in parts throughout the day? For example 20/20/20 or 30/30 depending on my schedule? Also what sort of French television would you suggest for a beginner/intermediate learner? Thanks in advance
about TV shows I would recommend to you watch "the circle" or "10 pour cent". they isn't short but I think they have a basic and good vocab to start with
Va voir tout.tv sur l internet
J G. If that works better with your schedule that’s totally fine. It’s about learning smartly. So if you are more focused and engaged doing it like that, go for it! ☺️
Very happy Monday
我真的很好奇你讲中文会带什么样的口音 hhh 😁
In another video you mentioned that you study spanish 3 days and french 3 days...Is it effective???I qould realy like to try it!!
hi, I want to learn 2 languages at once. one of them I'm at B1 level, and the other one I would start it from zero... let's say I have 5 hours a day. How much time you think should I spend in each other language?
@Henry Pinkney yeah, maybe
that's wouldn't be a good idea... ty for reply me. but I have one more question and I'd be very thankful if you could answer it. I'm really struggling with my abilities of speaking, do you have any advice for me improve it? like, I can understand a lot of things in English even witting a bit, but when it comes to speaks, I can't do it at all
@Henry Pinkney I don't think it matters too much. Your brain doesn't have a capacity for language learning. I've been doing several in a year and have been getting what I've wanted out of it. Fluency is subjective. It can't really be counted in years.
Henry Pinkney Wow I got it! This was very helpful! Ty so much
J TK just for curious, but how much time a day did dedicated to each language?
@Henry Pinkney In college you learn multiple subjects at once and many times the studying is way more grueling than language learning.
thanks a lot!
The picture amm the package yammy
What do you think about Steve Kaufmann ?
I’ve never been this early before
Hi, nice video.
What do you mean with active and passive listening?
Jeronimo Herrera Active listening is when you are engaged and paying attention! Passive listening is when you are playing something maybe music or a podcast in the background but not really paying attention. Hope that helps! I am also a passionate language learner! ☺️
@@LearnEnglishwithCamille Great thanks you!!
🅸 🆃🅷🅸🅽🅺 🆃🅷🅴 🆀🆄🅰🅻🅸🆃🆈
🅾🅵 🆃🅷🅴 🆃🅸🅼🅴 🆂🅿🅴🅽🆃 🅸🆂
🅼🅾🆁🅴 🅸🅼🅿🅾🆁🆃🅰🅽🆃
🆃🅷🅰🅽 🆃🅷🅴 🆀🆄🅰🅽🆃🅸🆃🆈
Do Italians have more hand gestures than him ?
He must have Italian roots.
He might break the mug :-)
He's moving his hands like a magician would do, in italy, we have developed an entire "hand gesture language"🤣🤣🤣
Thank you
And here I am spending 4 hours a day feeling like a chump ha
I really like your content, but I can't watch. Too much hands movements. This becomes a distraction. =)
Thanks for your comment Joana, I’m glad you like my content ☺️🙏🏼✨ I hope you find a channel that you can watch
I'm wondering if he has a lisp as well when speaking other languages.
Does he actually have a lisp? I can't hear it at all.
I liked your content but I feel this video could have been about 8 minutes
Longer than last time.
Awesome
Interesting video,
could you give your perspective to which degree artificial intelligence will makes language learning obsolete?
thx so much
Robin - what do you mean by input?
Listening and reading interesting content
Drink your coffee
not clear and not much use
I've studied 5/6 hours per day, i am seeking very results
And what is your routine?
@@Wramos03 First of all, I learn 10 new words in context, I study texts, I watch many series and TV shows, and I speak with myself hahaha
Gabriel Guetner hhahaha I’m studying too but i don’t know how to make a plan🤣 I just repeat episodes and videos over and over again
@@Wramos03 look all the things that you have to study and put it in some order to do every day, look for a method for increase your vocabulary, and listen podcasts, videos on youtube, watch series....
Are you trying to "waffle on" to get the golden 10 minute mark for maximum ad revenue?
Because the first 7 minutes, your not saying anything that couldn't have been said in 15 seconds.
Either way, thanks for "trying" to add value and do some good, but the "nuanced" message could have been condensed into a one minute video.
Not meant to be harsh, but if you have the viewer in mind when creating a video, you should at very minimum try to respect his or her time.
It's actually very interesting that you would make such an assumption, Malik, because in fact I have disabled all "mid-reel" ads from my videos because I feel my viewer's experience and time are more valuable than maximizing my ad revenue - but I guess you didn't think of that, did you?
I'm sorry that you felt my video didn't contain as much value as you would have liked. 99% of the feedback I get from thousands of people is incredibly positive and I try my best every single day to keep improving and increasing the value I can give all those people who are kind enough to spend their time watching my content.
So thank you for providing your own perspective and helping me continue improving 😊 I think I would just suggest thinking twice before being so bold as to assume you know the motive behind a well-meaning creator's work. Especially one who has invested literally thousands upon thousands of hours in providing free content and value to my audience for virtually no income so far over 6 years.
@@RobinMacPhersonFilms don’t listen to those who speak ignorant this video is great I liked it a lot if people don’t like it they can simply create their own or watch your video. People can be negative but most are positive I like what you do it helped me I’m learning one language and going to study 1-2 hours at least 5 days a week and rest for 1-2 days thx buddy you do great job
I found this video through youtube suggestion. This man speaks so fast that a Foreigner can understand nothing even with subtitles. I really do not speak so fast even my mother tongue . Perhaps he was in such a hurry...:)
He's speaking my native language, at average speed and the subtitles are exactly what he's saying
@@liscatcat8756 ok. If this is 'the normal speed' , perhaps in my country we speak our language more slowly. Bye.
@@joytriviani where are you from ?
@@liscatcat8756 I am from Italy
Whaaaat? I played 2x speed because he's so slow. The italians i've met actually speaked way faster than me, weird...
Hola , I'm second btw