Embracing one's own accent and cultural identity is important in language learning.
Looking up unknown words while listening to podcasts, videos, or movies helps in expanding vocabulary.
Focusing on communication, vocabulary, and fluency is more effective than obsessing over grammar rules in language learning.
Deep dives
Keep your accent
Fabio shares a story of how he wanted to sound like a native English speaker but realized the importance of embracing his own accent and cultural identity.
Plant seeds
Fabio discusses the importance of looking up unknown words while listening to podcasts, videos, or movies, and how it helps in expanding vocabulary.
Speak like a native
Fabio challenges the idea that language learners should not worry about speaking like a native speaker and explores the importance of embracing one's own accent and cultural identity.
Don't worry about grammar
Fabio discusses the idea of not obsessing over grammar rules and instead focusing on communication, vocabulary, and fluency in order to learn a language effectively.
Importance of Comprehensible Input in Language Learning
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses the importance of comprehensible input in language learning. They share a personal story of reading a book in a foreign language without relying on dictionaries or language notes, demonstrating that understanding the general meaning of a text can greatly contribute to language acquisition. The speaker emphasizes that as long as learners can grasp the main ideas and context of what they are reading or listening to, they do not need to stop and constantly refer to external resources. This approach aligns with the comprehensible input theory, which suggests that exposure to content that learners mostly understand can facilitate unconscious language learning.
Different Approaches to Language Learning
The podcast also delves into the concept of approaching language learning with different strategies. The speakers use the analogy of a building with multiple entrances to highlight that there are various ways to acquire language skills. Traditional approaches, focusing on grammar and vocabulary study, represent the front entrance, while the approach of listening or reading without constant reference to dictionaries represents a side door. The podcast advocates for a positive mindset, regular engagement with the language, and appreciation of the different ways through which language learning can occur. The importance of not being too harsh on oneself in case of failures and gaps in language proficiency is also emphasized.
Fabio has written a book about language learning, based on his own personal experiences of learning English. Each chapter ends with the same sentence: βThis is how to learn a languageβ. But each chapter disagrees with the next. There are many ways to learn a language, and none of them is the only right way to do it.
In this episode, we talk all about this and Fabio shares some of his stories.
Fabio is the host of "Stolariod Stories" a self-development podcast which includes lots of lessons about learning English, and learning about life in general.
