Last year I taught myself decent conversational Italian fairly quickly before a trip to Italy. Inspired by nostr:nprofile1qyxhwumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmvqyv8wumn8ghj7urjv4kkjatd9ec8y6tdv9kzumn9wsq3gamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7qg4waehxw309aex2mrp0yhx6mmnw3ezuur4vgq3vamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwwpexjmtpdshxuet5qqsgydql3q4ka27d9wnlrmus4tvkrnc8ftc4h8h5fgyln54gl0a7dgsyrcvv9 recently sharing Language Transfer, here are a few thoughts on what works and what doesn't.

1. Your goal should be to establish some baseline in the language using apps/tools, and then focus on just getting as much exposure as possible.

2. Spaced repetition is a superpower. It's by far the most effective way to acquire new vocabulary, so you should focus on apps/tools that make use of spaced repetition. It works with your brain to help you introduce new words/phrases and then actually remember them.

3. Studying formal grammar is mostly a waste of time. Your brain will naturally fill in/learn the grammar rules once you have enough exposure. Don't waste time trying to memorize them.

4. Look up Stephen Krashen and his theory of language acquisition via comprehensible input. He believes (correctly, I think) that humans all have a natural ability to acquire language, and it comes via comprehensible input. Meaning we need regular exposure to the language at a level that allows us to decipher meaning as we're exposed to it. If you do this enough, you *will* learn the language. This is how all of us learned our first language, and it's how people most effectively learn second languages.

5. Forget about Duolingo. It's basically a game larping as a language tool. It's not very effective.

Apps that do work:

- Pimsleur (30 minute daily audio lessons that make use of spaced repetition and are good for building a baseline)

- Language Transfer (an amazing free resource that builds on the famous Michel Thomas method with some improvements)

- Lingvist (great for learning tons of new vocab via spaced repetition)

- Memrise (also great for vocab)

- Clozemaster (once you've established some basic knowledge, this is a great gamified way to improve)

Use those regularly for a few months and you'll build up a solid foundation. Once you have that, focus entirely on getting tons of exposure with comprehensible input via books, TV, podcasts, etc. There are even some tools/books that are built around this concept specifically, and they're very effective.

And if you're really committed, go live somewhere that your intended language is spoken and do a full immersion. You'll be astounded at the progress you make.