Master of Memory: Accelerated learning, education, memorization - MMem 0396: What language should I use to learn new subjects?

Episode Date: September 14, 2015

Aiko is a native Japanese speaker with English as a second language. She is interested in using mnemonics to work on various areas of learning, but she wonders which language she should use. I give some thoughts on multiple approaches to compare. What do you want to learn? Leave your question at http://MasterOfMemory.com/. Music credit: Maurice Ravel’s String […]

Master of Memory 396. Welcome to Master of Memory. I'm Timothy, and I'm here to answer your accelerated learning questions every day and to inspire and empower you to learn anything you want to learn faster than ever. Aiko asked about using a non-native language to learn various topics. Aiko's native language is Japanese, and she has her second language as English. She's currently working on learning Spanish. But she's wondering if she pursues various areas of knowledge in her job and other areas of interest, which language would it be best to use to create the mnemonics

and to organize the learning project? Aiko remarks that she would like to spend more time thinking in English rather than Japanese. And she also points out that having learned Spanish through English rather than through Japanese has strengthened her English in the meantime, and so she's wondering if it would be worth it to use English or Spanish, her non-native languages, to work on these learning topics in order to strengthen her languages. So Aiko, I think that this is a great approach as long as you're fairly consistent in your learning project. For example, making your mnemonics. If you decide that a particular project uses mnemonics that are all based on English, then you're going to be sure not to get that mixed up

because if you may have some syllable or some object that is triggering a particular word and you don't remember which language that word is in, that can be a problem. So just be consistent. But as far as which language to choose for particular projects goes, I would suggest doing this. Since your work is in Japanese, you should probably use Japanese to approach learning projects that center around your work. In a case like that, the advantages of thinking more in English may not actually outweigh the drawbacks of having to spend extra time and effort trying to remember things between two languages when you're in a high-pressure situation. So I would suggest leaving anything that is strongly dependent on fast response in Japanese.

I would recommend leaving that in Japanese solely. But for other pursuits and for anything that you want to learn, since you seem to want to think more in English rather than in Japanese, I would suggest approaching everything you can outside of work in the world's most important language, which obviously is English. Yes, it will be extra work because instead of just creating a mnemonic for something, you may have to learn the word that will give you the mnemonic as well as the thing that you're learning. But if it's worth it to you, then I would say by all means do pursue that and do approach your learning projects from an English mindset so that you can actually spend more time thinking and speaking in English. And this applies to anyone

who's thinking about using particular languages for particular projects. Aiko is one of my accelerated Spanish students, and while we were working on Spanish, we were spending our time entirely in English and Spanish, and moving from English more into Spanish. And for that reason, she didn't have to think much in Japanese at all, and so it strengthened her English. But when she's at work, she'll want to spend time in that language because, and so it strengthened her English. But when she's at work, she'll want to spend time in that language because of that mindset. And so just think carefully about how you want to be thinking in any particular situation. Perhaps use English if you find that important to you for all subjects that aren't related to language learning, except for learning

English of course, and then just base the language that you choose around the context that you're learning in. Thanks for the question, Aiko. And for anyone listening, what do you want to learn? The world's knowledge can be yours. Leave your learning request at masterofmemory.com slash question, and I'll talk to you again soon.