Rating Language Learning Methods
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Rating Language Learning Methods

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In the past 5, 6, or 7 years, I've tried (out) different language learning methods, and I'm going to rate (them) how useful they are on a scale from 1 to 10.

  • Reliable feedback: One of the most important things, especially if you're an advanced language learner, is to get quality feedback quickly. 9/10
  • Reading: One of the best ways to get ahead in language learning, especially if you're at a lower intermediate level. 8/10 Writing: Writing daily improved my English significantly in such a short time. You can also receive reliable feedback easily. 9/10
  • Listening: Listening to various materials is crucial to improve your English comprehension skills. 7.5/10
  • Speaking: Speaking with anyone will enhance your language skills. I started by talking to non-natives, which helped me improve a lot. I became fluent within 3-4 months after I started speaking daily. 8.5/10 Speaking to natives: Slightly overrated, in my experience. You won't always pick up as much from natives as people might think. 7/10
  • Living in a target language (TL) country: I lived in the UK for 3-4 months. It's a bit overrated—you can get a similar experience by using Preply. Also too much work for a relatively simple goal (language learning) 7/10
  • Accent practice: A humbling but very useful experience. 8/10
  • Watching movies in English: Highly beneficial for beginners. 7/10
  • Drops: It's okay for learning new words, but it won't revolutionize your skills. 5.5/10
  • Duolingo: Meh. 2/10
  • Living with a native speaker: Surprisingly, it's less useful than you'd expect. You’ll learn a bit, but you won’t get much-structured feedback. Don't date choose a roommate or date with someone just because of their target language :D 5.5/10
  • ChatGPT: Helpful for correcting written grammar. I recommend asking for explanations and taking everything with a grain of salt. 7.5/10
  • Music: 6/10
  • Conversation apps: I've used several, but they aren’t very useful. 4/10
  • One-on-one classes on Preply: You can hire English teachers here. It’s helpful if you don’t have people to talk to in your target language, though the teachers are often not very knowledgeable. 7/10
  • Traditional school: I don’t like it much. It takes a lot of time for minimal results. You can pick up bad habits from other students, and there’s limited individual attention in large classes. 4/10

Did I forget something?

In short, if you want to improve your TL as fast as you can do the big 4 daily:

Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking.

Maybe do some accent practice as well.

Headline image by stergro on Unsplash

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