I sat with my friend Geert in Izy Coffee today.  He has been dedicated to learning Turkish so he can have free flowing conversations with his girlfriend.

I asked Geert for advice about learning a new language.  He accepted my invitation. 

Wisdom proceedth …

1.  Spaced Repetition

Spending an hour learning something and then returning to it a week later is useless.  Instead spend a few minutes each day absorbing the new stuff.  And if you forget some of yesterday’s learnings, that’s fine.

I thought of my efforts to start learning Dutch on the Babbel app.  It’s been two weeks since I looked at it.  I studied the words for I, you, he, she, we, you and they.  And today?  I remember nothing.

2.  The Feynman Method

Richard Feynman was an American physicist.  He said that to learn something you’ve been taught, teach it to someone else.  Speak it to a friend or to the mirror.

Here’s the guy:

Since Geert was sitting in front of me, I chose him.  I told him the instructions that my cello teacher gave me last Thursday.  The main points:

A.  Curve the fingers of the left hand so they don’t buzz on the string next door

B.  If you’re alternating notes on two strings, and one of the notes is an open string (no finger pressed), leave the fingers on the other string rather than lifting them off

C.  Use the full bow, from the tip to the nut, for a more flowing sound

Geert isn’t a cellist but he basically understood.  I felt the power of speaking something into existence.  I’m used to doing this by writing, but the oral expression was shaking up my brain cells.

3.  Create a Pressure Cooker

Put yourself under some stress.  Feel your commitment to the new.  Spaced repetition – every day – accomplishes this nicely.  And look for other ways to have pressure be your friend.

4.  Create a Lifestyle

This daily practice becomes a part of who I am.  I commit to the learning.

***

It’s like writing.  Virtually every day

Feels good