{"id":47837,"date":"2023-05-26T09:14:17","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T14:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=47837"},"modified":"2023-05-27T04:50:12","modified_gmt":"2023-05-27T09:50:12","slug":"learning-new-languages-have-we-been-doing-it-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/learning-new-languages-have-we-been-doing-it-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning New Languages: Have we been doing it wrong?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am so excited to write this blog addressing one of our most common reader requests: how to learn new languages.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re anything like me, perhaps you grew up learning (or attempting to learn) a second language in school. I did French in school from grade 4 to grade 10, but never during that time did I get to a conversational level, much less retain enough of what I learned to be anywhere near conversational today.<\/p>\n

My kids are in French immersion so I have had an opportunity to reinvigorate my French and use what I know to help them with their homework and reading. I understand the rules and have a rudimentary understanding of the language and I would probably do okay on a written test. But when it comes to speaking it or comprehending what someone else is saying? Nope, not a chance. My brain is way too busy in translation and conjugation mode for that.<\/p>\n

My husband has had a similar issue using Duolingo to try and learn Spanish. His review is basically the same as what I mentioned above \u2013 there\u2019s a lot of rules and word learning but it doesn\u2019t seem to follow a natural progression and is missing the conversation aspect. And I think that\u2019s where a lot of people end up when they try to learn a new language. The focus on \u201crules\u201d keeps us stuck in the theoretical, unable to transition to real world exchanges with real people.<\/p>\n

And you don\u2019t have to take my word for it. A study by The Guardian in 2014 found that 8 out of 10 language students could do no more than understand basic phrases, so, clearly, when it comes to learning languages, we are doing something wrong.<\/p>\n

Introducing a better way to learn<\/strong><\/h2>\n

And that is what is so exciting about the language programs I am going to share with you today \u2013 they completely transform our traditional understanding of how to learn new languages. With Spanish Uncovered, Grammar Hero and Conversations<\/em> you will learn through stories in a natural, almost passive way. Pretty different philosophy than drilling word lists and grammar rules, huh?<\/p>\n

Spanish Uncovered (Beginner)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Introducing Spanish Uncovered<\/em><\/a>, our top selling language course and a must-have for any current or potential expats looking to check out life in Latin America.<\/p>\n

Spanish Uncovered<\/em> is a comprehensive online course designed for beginner Spanish learners or what are dubbed false-beginners, who are people who have learned some Spanish but haven\u2019t reached conversational fluency. I\u2019d probably put myself and my husband in that category for our French and Spanish, respectively, and I would guess many of our Escape Artist readers find themselves in a similar boat!<\/p>\n

What is really cool about Spanish Uncovered<\/em> and why it is so different is that it focuses on what its creator, Olly Richards (no relation), refers to as Story Learning. Story Learning is the process of learning a language through stories, just as we learned to speak our native language growing up.<\/p>\n

This is in contrast to what Olly calls the \u201cParrot Problem\u201d, which is how most of us learned in school with memorization of various words, rules and phrases. We commit it to our short-term memory and repeat it as needed, but it never really sticks and you are definitely in no position to be using it in an actual conversation. Most current Spanish-language courses and apps (looking at you, Duolingo!) still use that method today.<\/p>\n

Spanish Uncovered<\/em> is based around a 20-chapter story in simple Spanish, and includes everything learners need to go from the complete beginner level to intermediate level Spanish. The course includes dozens of video lessons and exercises to help learners improve every aspect of their Spanish, including:<\/p>\n