How can I learn a language without staring at a screen all day?

[BopBopBop]

How can I learn a language without staring at a screen all day?

Hi, I’m looking for some advice on how I can learn a language without staring at a screen all day.

My favourite activities are watching series and having classes or going to language events over Zoom. Also I use a lot of language learning apps like DuoLingo, SeedLang, LingQ, Rosetta Stone so that all makes a lot of time staring at screens. Also I am on several WriteStreak subs so that’s more time looking at screens.

Also I live in a country where my target languages aren’t spoken so if I want to talk to natives it has to be online.

What can I do to learn a language without looking at a screen?

I’ve thought of a few things but if anyone has any suggestions then please leave them in the comments

- Listening to podcasts
- Reading paper books
- Writing practice with a pen and paper

In person language exchanges are an option too but they’re hard to find where I live.

[DaveAgain]

What can I do to learn a language without looking at a screen?

I’ve thought of a few things but if anyone has any suggestions then please leave them in the comments

- Listening to podcasts
- Reading paper books
- Writing practice with a pen and paper

In person language exchanges are an option too but they’re hard to find where I live.

1. You could try to self-talk all your actions in the target language.

2. Memorise songs/poetry/stories in the target language.

[Xenops]

Watching her channel requires staring at a screen, but I know Lindie Botes does a lot of learning offscreen:

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCjVwBKqRh8ckPWhfD5UDKcg

[Walinator]

I would think the most obvious answer is books and textbooks. If you are in the beginning stages of learning the languages, there is usually a plethora of physical paper textbooks that can help you learn. If you are in the more advanced stages, physical books and novels in that language would definitely help.

[smallwhite]

By studying in the library using just the resources there. In HK we have course books, grammars, exercise books, reference books (lists and tables), and a few readers. The central library has a language lab with CD players + headphones, and Pimsleur and whatnot.

[iguanamon]

It would not be wise to eschew all the benefits of computers. There are screens and there are screens. A laptop and a tablet have lit screens. E-ink has the closest equivalent to paper there is available. I use an e-ink e-reader (kindle) and it is very much like paper. The advantages it has over paper are many-
I can carry hundreds of books with me.
I can read without eyestrain easily.
I can make notes.
I can hover over a word for a dictionary lookup.
With free open source Calibre software I can convert epubs and ocr'ed single page format pdf to kindle mobi format.
I can even make my own ebooks and convert them to kindle mobi format to read on my kindle.

With an e-reader, "staring at a screen" is much more like staring at a page of paper.

There are also e-ink tablets. Our member Ogrim uses an e-ink tablet (one without a backlit LCD screen). Since Ogrim wrote this post, the Remarkable 2 has been released and the price has dropped to $399 USD.

E-ink tablets vary in price and usefulness. Here is a list of the top 10 e-ink tablets available. Personally I use my traditional Android LCD tablets for reading pdf's in "night mode" which make for significantly less eyestrain and significantly less expense.

Or, you can send a pdf file from a DLI or FSI course to a printer and have it bound for whatever it costs a page to print it. You can burn the audio files to cd's or you can simply play them through a smart phone. Of course, you can buy physical course books and audio cd's/cassette tapes/lp vinyl records. Some "staring" at a screen will be needed to make things happen, but not much. It will cost more

Edited to provide a link and clarify ambiguity.

[tungemål]

Good question.
Somehow I can't seem to be able to study for even 5 minutes without resorting to the computer (or phone). While in the late 90s I studied Dutch without using a computer at all. The reason is of course that it is so much more convenient having the internet available while studying. But if you are prepared to use paper dictionaries and so on it is possible.

I also use the Kindle - can recommend it. I'm going to check out the Remarkable that Iguanamon writes about.

[Lawyer&Mom]

I have had the FSI French course printed and bound. It wasn’t cheap, but it’s worth it if you prefer paper. I did still use my phone to listen to the audio, which kept screen time temptation near…

[rdearman]

I have had the FSI French course printed and bound. It wasn’t cheap, but it’s worth it if you prefer paper. I did still use my phone to listen to the audio, which kept screen time temptation near…

I did a similar thing, but I just printed it all and then used a hole punch to fit it into one big folder.

[DaveAgain]

You could look at the events in your local area, is there anything with a Target Language connection? A band, a dance troop, a local choir doing a country-x themed performance?

You could visit a church service with a link to your target language: Greek orthodox, German, or Hispanic.

You could get a cookbook from your local library for country-x, or visit a local restaurant that has a connection with cuisine-x.

etc.