The only way to learn a language
The internet is a morphing war-zone with debates on what is the best way to learn a language.
Without wasting any of your time, I’m going to get straight into why I think Comprehensible Input is the only method you should be using to learn a language.
This is by no means a new discovery, please feel free to dig into the archives of language academia and explore the principles of language acquisition. The name Steven Krashen will pop up, he is what Moses is to the Christians, Muhammad to the Muslims and Buddha to the Buddhists. The Prophet who has brought us the gospel of language fluency, and I am one of his disciples on a mission to spread this Gospel.
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But before you dismiss me as a zealous fanatic, blind to the ways of others. Let me tell you what CI is, How it works and why you should be using it to learn a language.
CI is language materials that you can experience and understand nearly all of the content presented. In short, it is language learning material in your target language slightly above your abilities. That way, you understand most, but not all of it. So it is just the right level not too hard, and not too difficult. It is the Goldilocks zone of comprehension. Krashen famously stated, “We all acquire language in the same way: by understanding messages.”
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If you’re going to learn a new language, you need to practice using language materials that aren’t too hard or too easy. When your lessons are too easy, you get bored and stop paying attention. Learning becomes a chore. When they’re too hard, you struggle and give up. That’s why at the core of any successful language learning program, you need CI.
Children are a good example of how to learn a language, they acquire language in a fluid and seamless manner without anxiety and stress. Yes, I know their brains still have the plasticity to help them with the learning process. But attitude plays a bigger role in how they acquire the language.
So, the big question is how do kids do it? They play, yes that’s right… PLAY. They get a general understanding of grammatical structures and simply repeat and practice. Over time through repeated mistakes they start to avoid what is incorrect and reinforce the correct way of speaking.
The biggest problem with classroom settings is that they focus on rules and testing which creates a stressful environment for learners to perform. This takes away the most important element of acquiring a language which is play. Play is about making mistakes through trial and error, learning to find the correct path in a relaxed and pleasant manner.
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The biggest reason why most people fail to learn a new language is because the language classroom model totally sucks. You show up to a classroom with a room full of nervous, low level students who sit in a class for 45 minutes staring at a teacher and mumble things hoping they are correct.
The problem with this environment is that you pick up all the bad habits from the other students and your language foundation is built on infertile soil. After spending all that time, the only thing you walk away with are bad habits and a bruised ego. How can anyone reach fluency in such a stressful environment?
That is why CI works wonders, it provides a stress free environment for students to learn languages. The by-product of this is that students don’t only learn faster but they also enjoy it. But most importantly students will reach a proficient level and be able to converse confidently.
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Before I discovered CI, learning languages was a painful, cumbersome, monotonous task filled with drudgery. The most painful part of spending all that time and effort was that there were no results. I would end up not being able to use the language. That’s a pain which most students know all too well.
I’m here to tell you that there is a way out of your misery, The method of CI. So my advice to anyone looking to start learning a language, ask your teacher one question. Do you know the Comprehensible Input Method? If their answer is “NO” drop them like a hot potato. Life is too short and precious, to waste your time on things without any results.
