Language Learning

Ludwig Wittgenstein

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”

My Language Journey

Current Status

• Native: Chinese (Mandarin)
• Fluent: English
• Learning: Japanese, Spanish
• Interested: Korean, French

Learning Philosophy

Core Principles

1. Consistency > Intensity — Daily practice beats weekend cramming
2. Input > Output — Listen and read more than you speak
3. Context > Memorization — Learn words in sentences
4. Mistakes = Progress — Embrace errors as learning opportunities

Methods That Work

Spaced Repetition

The Forgetting Curve

Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered that memory decays exponentially:

$R=e^{-t/S}$

Where:

• $R$ = retention (memory strength)
• $t$ = time since learning
• $S$ = stability (memory strength)

SRS Implementation

I use Anki with custom decks:

• New cards: 20/day
• Review cards: All due
• Intervals: 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 days

Immersion Techniques

Daily Immersion

• Morning: Japanese podcast during commute
• Lunch: Spanish news articles
• Evening: Chinese drama or book
• Weekend: Language exchange meetup

Chinese (Native)

For Non-Native Learners

Chinese is my native language. Here are resources I recommend:

Character Learning

## Radicals (部首)
- 亻 (person) — 他, 你, 们
- 水 (water) — 河, 湖, 海
- 木 (wood) — 树, 林, 桌
- 口 (mouth) — 吃, 喝, 叫
 
## Tone Rules
1. First tone: mā (妈) — high, flat
2. Second tone: má (麻) — rising
3. Third tone: mǎ (马) — dipping
4. Fourth tone: mà (骂) — falling
5. Neutral tone: ma (吗) — light

Pronunciation Tip

Practice tones with minimal pairs:

• 买 (mǎi) = buy / 卖 (mài) = sell
• 问 (wèn) = ask / 吻 (wěn) = kiss

English

My English Journey

I started learning English seriously in college. Here’s what worked:

Vocabulary Building

Strategy	Example	Effectiveness
Root words	”un-” = not	High
Context reading	Books, articles	Very high
Word families	create, creation, creative	High
Collocations	”make a decision”	Very high

Grammar Focus

Common Mistakes

1. Articles — “the” vs “a” vs ”∅”
2. Prepositions — “depend on” not “depend to”
3. Verb tenses — Present perfect vs past simple
4. Word order — Adjective order matters

Adjective Order

Opinion > Size > Age > Shape > Color > Origin > Material > Purpose

Example: “a beautiful large old round red Italian wooden dining table”

Japanese

Learning Japanese

I’m currently at JLPT N3 level.

Writing Systems

## Hiragana (ひらがな)
あいうえお
かきくけこ
さしすせそ
 
## Katakana (カタカナ)
アイウエオ
カキクケコ
サシスセソ
 
## Kanji (漢字)
- 日 (sun/day)
- 月 (moon/month)
- 水 (water)
- 火 (fire)
- 木 (wood/tree)

Kanji Strategy

Learn radicals first, then build kanji from components:

• 森 (forest) = 木 (tree) × 3
• 休 (rest) = 亻 (person) + 木 (tree)

Spanish

Beginner Resources

• Duolingo — Daily practice
• Language Transfer — Grammar foundation
• News in Slow Spanish — Listening practice
• Language exchange — Conversation practice

Verb Conjugation

Tense	Example (hablar)	Translation
Present	hablo	I speak
Preterite	hablé	I spoke
Imperfect	hablaba	I used to speak
Future	hablaré	I will speak
Subjunctive	hable	(if) I speak

Subjunctive Mood

Spanish uses the subjunctive much more than English. Master it early!

Learning Tools

My Toolkit

• Anki — Spaced repetition
• Obsidian — Vocabulary notes
• Podcasts — Immersion
• Language exchange apps — Conversation practice
• Grammar books — Reference

Progress Tracking

2024 Goals

• Complete JLPT N3 study materials
• Read 5 books in Japanese
• Have 30-min conversation in Spanish
• Write 10 journal entries in English
• Learn 500 new Chinese characters

Study Schedule

Language	Daily Time	Focus	Method
Japanese	45 min	Kanji, grammar	Textbook + Anki
Spanish	30 min	Vocabulary, speaking	App + podcast
English	60 min	Reading, writing	Books + journal

Common Challenges

Pitfalls

1. Perfectionism — Fear of making mistakes
2. Inconsistency — Missing days breaks momentum
3. Passive learning — Not using the language
4. Comparison — Everyone learns differently

Overcoming Plateaus

• Change your method
• Set specific, measurable goals
• Find a language partner
• Consume content you enjoy

Language and Culture

Cultural Context

Language and culture are inseparable:

• Chinese: Honorifics reflect social hierarchy
• Japanese: Seasonal words in daily conversation
• Spanish: Regional dialects vary widely

See Also

• How I Take Notes — Organizing language notes
• My PKM System — Managing learning materials
• Travel Journal — Using languages while traveling
• Book Notes - Thinking Fast and Slow — Learning psychology

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*Tags: languages learning chinese english study