books on modeling and routines

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guiguixx1
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books on modeling and routines

Postby guiguixx1 » Thu Apr 27, 2017 7:34 pm

Hi guys!

I'm reading a lot about modelling and I'd like to find books with advice from the best language learners, how they do exactly (like their routine, with precise explanation of their learning methods), so that I can try to imitate certain aspects to improve my own method. Anthony Robbins, a motivational and public speaker, uses this method a lot and, as it seems, it gives increadible results. Are there any books that you could recommend? I already had Benny Lewis's book in mind, although I don't know what he deals in his book. Any recommendations? I've already read books like Babel No More and the Polyglot Project but they don't focus on routines and techniques that much...

Thanks in advance!
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Re: books on modeling and routines

Postby rdearman » Thu Apr 27, 2017 7:43 pm

Try reading the logs here. Many people outline their methods in their logs and update their progress.
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Re: books on modeling and routines

Postby the1whoknocks » Fri Apr 28, 2017 3:06 pm

It hasn’t been for lack of trying, but I am yet to find a book that presents detailed learning methods by famous polyglots. I think it's partly because it can be a hard thing to to. Even when someone asks me about something I do, I always feel like there is something I'm neglecting to mention, like there is always so much to relay. Anyway, there are a few books I’ve found very helpful for giving me a general framework to work from. In no particular order:

-1. How to Learn Any Language - I found the first chapter particularly helpful. I think one could read Iguanamon’s extensive post on the 'multi-track approach', and very well get everything they need.

-2. How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately - From what I remember, this book was less about how to learn and more about how to better use the language one has already acquired. I found it very useful for refining my routine. Reading this book actually gave me more confidence in the tutors I was using at the time because I could identify techniques they were using in this book. I picked up this book on recommendation from a language learner named Anthony Lauder; he might be a polyglot too. He does a much better job of talking about the book, and its author, here and mentions it briefly in this presentation he gave at a polyglot conference (starts at minute 33:00, although, i think the whole thing s worth a watch)..

-3. Language Master Key - There were a few things in this book, but I remember liking his idea for how one might approach aggressively increasing their vocabulary size in three weeks. In retrospect, the book has nothing groundbreaking, but as a beginner, it laid out what I considered to be very practical and actionable steps I could take to get on with learning. The author’s blog, has a few practical posts that are worth reading too.

-4. Fluent Forever I can’t recommend it because I didn’t follow it, nor read it entirely. I mention it only because you, or someone else reading, may be interested in taking a look and judging the book for yourselves based on other’s reviews. While it did have good tips on things like flashcard creation, it got a tad more technical than I cared for. At the heart of things, I’m pretty lazy and many of the things he suggested, while very useful, just seemed like they would require more effort than I cared to expend. :roll: It may work well for someone else, though.

-5. What do you need to learn a foreign language – This free book in PDF format can be found on the linked site under, ‘Recent Books’. Forum member Reienke introduced me to this book, and I was surprised by all the actionable advice it provided.

I read Benny’s book a while back. I did so very quickly, and never ended up owning a copy, so that may be influencing my lackluster enthusiasm for it. While I appreciate his perspective on language learning, and the initial interest he helped foster for me in language learning, to your question, I don’t that remember his book provided many actionable routines or ‘precise explanations’ of his learning method. To me, it’s a way to support him if you enjoy reading his blog, but frankly, it’s not a book I would qualify as a ‘must read’ and is not one I’d read past the beginner stage. One could learn everything they want about him by just reading his blog.

While none of these books really delved into routines and techniques as much as I would have liked, each of them, even Benny’s book in a way, had a significant impact with how I approach language learning today. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say I would put what I've read on this site against any of the books I mentioned above; for me, it just takes some digging around. With your experience, I’d imagine that the people on this forum would be the best resource for what you’re looking for. Plus, unlike books, I'm allowed follow-up questions like the one I asked in this thread yesterday. For me, it's too easy to spend hours browsing this and ‘the old site’ for routines and language learning inspiration, even before I was a registered member of either.

What did you think of Babel No More?
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Re: books on modeling and routines

Postby Stefan » Fri Apr 28, 2017 4:11 pm

Not exactly what you're looking for but you might want to skim Your Language Learning Strategy...In 50 Words or so.

Tim Ferriss did his regular thing by visiting language experts and combining everything into a challenge while writing about parts of it in one of his books. In the past, he has tried to optimise everything from learning to dance to learning to cook and everything between. The reactions on this forum were a bit critical if I recall correctly.
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Re: books on modeling and routines

Postby Cainntear » Fri Apr 28, 2017 4:27 pm

guiguixx1 wrote:I already had Benny Lewis's book in mind, although I don't know what he deals in his book.
Benny's book is an exercise in vagueness. He gives some superficial description about what he does, makes some grand assumptions, then moves on to something else. There's not enough detail to imitate his process. His writing has improved over the years, and he is slightly less likely to completely gloss over a major component of his learning, but it still happens. (He spent years loudly proclaiming that you don't have to study grammar, then thick piles of grammar books started appearing in his photos, and he said that he studies grammar but you don't have to study grammar, which is a bit odd when he's selling basically "learn like I do" advice.)
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Re: books on modeling and routines

Postby astromule » Fri Apr 28, 2017 4:31 pm

Success With Foreign Languages: Seven Who Achieved It and What Worked for Them, Earl W. Stevick comes to mind.
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