30 Day Language Challenge RENEWED (2020 Version)

From my 2012 original post: As an American, I’m embarrassed by our serious inability to speak languages. It’s not our fault that the North American continent is a predominantly English language continent and Europe is a predominantly multi-lingual continent. But I’m embarrassed nonetheless whenever I hear people from a different country forgiving Americans for not understanding their language or stumbling through their customs like a rhino on a rampage. It’s sad that even with a bachelor’s degree in any language, we can hardly make claims to “know” a language other than English. That’s why, based on the teachings and concepts of Barry Farber and A.G. Hawke, I came up with this 30-day language challenge. I don’t think it’s impossible or improbably to assume that given the right motivation and right materials, one could, within 30 days, learn a new language. Obviously, no one can become a “Native” speaker of any language they aren’t a native speaker of, but I believe that within 30 days, any person with a sound mind and clear focus, could learn enough of any language to be beyond the help of any “100-level” or “First Year” college language course. I’m inspired by the amount of language advertisements I’ve seen on the internet these days to take on this challenge myself to prove it.

About Me

I have been around for a while. I started this blog and the “30 Day Language Challenge” in 2012. I don’t know if this makes me the first person to think of this, which I doubt very seriously, but it’s been a thing I’ve been up to since. The above statement still holds true. It still embarrasses me how little we know in the US and so I keep challenging myself. And so I’m at it again, this time with something a little closer to home, and while I doubt anyone will read this blog, I’m using it to hold myself accountable.

I have been living my life with my wife, my dog, and my freemasonry a little comfortably, and now its time to learn Spanish. Because there are much more opportunities for me to speak Spanish in my daily life than there has ever been with Indonesian, Russian, or Mandarin, I feel like this will hold a little better. I mean, there are some willing coworkers who are native Spanish speakers and some vendors that I occasionally interact with that are the same.

THE PROGRAM (2020 Edition)

The program that I compiled works like this: Follow the rules, study often, overwhelm your brain, and become a speaker in 30 days. It requires a series of materials and a serious effort – no slackers accepted. Here’s what I (you) need for the program to work:

• Notebook
• Blank 3x5 cards
• A coursebook in the target language.
• A language APP that includes actual conversations (Pimsleur is good for this)
• A Language APP that has Phrases and words (like Duolingo). If you can’t find one you like, I recommend a book.
• A Grammar Book (can be PDF). There’s no substitute (I’ve tried), and things like PDFs can be forgotten, but having a thick tome on the desk will remind you to study.
• A Quick Reference sheet
• Newspaper or Magazine
• Language challenge games (There’s a bunch of these out there now)
• Movies and music in the target language
• Highlighter pens

Rules for learning the language

1. Never take a day off
2. Utilize all hidden moments to review 3x5 cards, listen to the conversations, or hit up the app (Hidden Moments are the moments where you are not doing anything, like waiting for food at a restaurant, driving, or laying in bed scrolling through facebook)
3. Set aside at least 30 clear minutes a day to update your 3x5 cards on the language or to read more lesson from your book
4. Study a few vocabulary words from the previous day each morning when you wake (This gets harder as you learn more, but it’s important)
5. Study a few vocabulary words from the day before going to sleep each night (Duolingo lets you review, which is cool)
6. Use Harry Lorayne's magic memory aid - Tell a story to remember the words your studying. Ex. In Indonesia, my family all lives in one roomah. (Rumah=Family)
7. Study words together with opposites, it's easy to remember (hot/cold, etc.)
8. Pick conversations with other speakers of the language with gusto. Have no fear, boldly go into it like you’re picking a fight. 
9. Use Word-Denial games (Don't let yourself have dessert until you can remember a word, etc.)
10. Don't study profanity, but do study idiomatic phrases
11. Keep it simple at first, don't try to outpace yourself by knowing words like "megalomaniac."
12. Try to find a community within your town that speaks the target language natively (or close) and find reasons to hang out with them (go to their restaurant, etc.)
13. Choose to listen to the target language music instead of your own when listening to music. Better yet, choose to listen and interact with the language audio instead of music
14. Remember to interact with language audio, none of them work without interaction
15. Watch Target Language movies or TV rather than English (this is easy with streaming services)
16. For the first 30 days, live, breath, and eat your target language

So, for the next 30 days, I’m going to blog a day at a time. This is keep myself in check more than anything else, but if it helps someone, than great.