Update on My Language Learning Activities

Dear readers of this blog,

Long time no see! How are you?

This is a quick post to update you on what I've been doing in terms of language learning in recent years.

I started to learn Italian at the end of March 2018.

I embarked on this new journey with the Babbel Italian language learning course, and went through the beginner and intermediate levels over a little more than a year.

After that, I studied two textbooks on Italian grammar published in Japan, and right now I am learning my third textbook on Italian grammar, also written in Japanese.

How I approach my Italian studies is relatively simple.

Making use of the Anki flashcarding app, I create flash cards by inputting each Italian sentence that appears in my textbook and its English translation on either side of the card.

Then I try to memorize the Italian sentences one by one by looking at their English translations. The way it works is that, Anki shows me the English translation on the front side of the card, and I type in the Italian sentence on the flip side, in order to check if my input matches the original Italian sentence. I keep inputting the Italian sentence until I can get it right.

Anki has a convenient feature whereby you can check instantly whether you've correctly memorized a word/sentence by highlighting in red any discrepancy between your input and the correct answer. If your input matches the correct answer, your entry is displayed entirely in green.

Over the course of my language learning journey dating back decades, I've come to the conclusion that the three main pillars that support your proficiency in a foreign language are your knowledge in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Currently, I am focusing on studying grammar, with occasional practicing of pronunciation. I have yet to reach the stage where I can start learning Italian words in large numbers, but once I get the basics of Italian grammar down pat, I want to begin learning vocabulary in earnest. My goal is to become able to understand Italian novels from cover to cover without having to stop to look up words in the dictionary.

What I have been doing with my Italian studies is a far cry from what I did with my French learning 17 years ago. Back then, I didn't know about the importance of learning French grammar, and couldn't be bothered to study any grammar books, focusing instead on reading simple children's books with almost zero knowledge of grammar. Regrettably, that approach didn't work too well in the end.

I've definitely taken a lesson from that experience in learning French, and have taken a decidedly different approach to learning Italian, where I focus a great deal on building a strong foundation in grammar. I believe that a solid knowledge of grammar will enable me to make faster progress in Italian in the long run.

I am looking forward to becoming conversational in Italian within two years from now.

Will post updates on this blog from time to time going forward.

Have a nice new week ahead, everyone!