Category: GoldList Method

This is a place where I have collected materials about my system for learning languages called the GoldList method. I have started work on a book, which should be a useful addition to this, and in the near future, following on from my appearance speaking about this on “Dzien Dobry TVN” on 1st November 2009, I shall do a Polish film about the Gold List method, to help the large number of people who contacted me about it following the show.

Questions on the Goldlist methodology for university students

"Arabic Language" in the Arabic Al-B...
When studying Arabic or Hebrew using Goldlist, it is probably more comfortable to place the target language column to the right of the vehicle language column.

The following is a discussion that started with a PM on another forum, but the software in that forum baulked at something in my answer, but I was able to save it here, and I have the person’s permission to publish the correspondence. Which in a way is just as well as here it will benefit more people. The rest is the correspondence.

Hi, I’ll try and lace my answers in with your questions.

— Previous Private Message — Sent by :****** Sent : 16 December 2010 at 8:42am Hello, Sorry for bothering you with some trivial questions, but given that you have created the Goldlist method and learnt Russian, I thought you would be the best person to ask. I study Russian (and Arabic) at university, and although this forum is very good for methods on how to teach oneself a language, I find there aren’t that many resources for university students.

Fair comment. There seems to be less and less for University students, but only more taxes for them to be paying later on. I don’t know how Clegg looks at his face in the mirror.

My first question would be about the extent of the vocabulary I should ideally acquire at university. Indeed, I’m now on my year abroad (3rd years), and will shortly start using the Goldlist method, however, I’m a bit lost regarding the amount of vocabulary I should learn to reach a good degree level, and to some extent, fluency. Continue reading “Questions on the Goldlist methodology for university students” →

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The Goldlist Method and Kanji

Stroke order for the character 言 (word) shown ...
One technique for learning stroke order, this one's called Stendhal Method.

The following is my contribution from yesterday on how-to-learn-any-language.com .

Victor Berrjod wrote in the thread about the Goldlist method over on that excellent forum:

“I’m on my third day of using this method for Japanese, and while I know the meaning of most kanji already, knowing what readings to use is a problem. I have written 3 pages of 25 words each, with the furigana listed right next to the kanji. I realized that I’m sort of writing down 50 words this way. Would it be a better idea to have them separate, and maybe merge them when distilling if necessary?”

Excellent question. I don’t know whether I really answered, but I said how I use the Goldlist when it comes to Japanese and in particular Kanji.

The use of Goldlist for Japanese is not as straightforward as it is for many languages. I’ll tell you how I go about it, and you’ll see if there’s anything in there that can work for you. Continue reading “The Goldlist Method and Kanji” →

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Buy “The Polyglot Project” on Amazon via my aStore, or download e-book

If you have decided to buy one or more paper copies of this book – the ideal Christmas gift for the linguist in your life – it costs you the same – and makes a small commission for me which will offset the costs of this site a little bit.

The Polyglot Project - 42 contributors, 534 pages

http://astore.amazon.com/wwwusenetposc-20/detail/1453898247

If you would like to read this book, which was collaborated on free by all the contributors and will always be freely available to those who need it in electronic form, then the free version of this is on Docstocs and you can find the link to that on on the channel of the Editor which is http://www.youtube.com/syzygycc

The book is unique, there has never been as much practical linguist-to-linguist help in a single bound volume, and the volunteer nature of the writing has kept the cost of the book far below the price tag it would have if it had been produced commercially.

One of the contributors I am proud to say is myself, and you can find in the very last section how it came about that I was in a position to discover the Goldlist Method – the story has quite a few unexpected aspects in it, and many a linguist will find their experience reflected in it and in the stories of other polyglots featuring in the volume.

It should help the budding linguist to get and stay motivated, as well as to avoid ineffective study methods and save time and money. In these days where thousands of pounds are spent by many people on expensive courses and schools where they often are doomed to fail, it makes sense to read this book first – whether the free e-book or the cheap-as-possible paper form – and then decide on your strategy before committing your cash.

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Just a Few Days Away… (via SYZYGY ON LANGUAGES)

Hello All, The release date for the Polyglot Project is less than 10 days away. Officially, it’s November 15, 2010, but it may be sooner! A link to the complete, free PDF of the book will be posted here and on my YouTube Channel (syzygycc). It contains over 500 pages of the best language learning techniques, as explained by successful YouTube Polyglots and language learners. If you want to learn how to successfully learn a language or two (or ten … Read More

via SYZYGY ON LANGUAGES

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The concentrated vs the disconcentrated polyglot

Map showing the distribution of language famil...
Supertribal linguations in geographic space

I posted this on here today, when it seemed a fruitless discussion on what should be a fun activity, a play with words, was turning into the next Punic War, if you’ll pardon the Pun.

There’s more than one way to be a polyglot. Let’s allow the not-strictly-true-but-true-enough assumption that the average word in any linguist‘s portfolio takes the same time to learn, and let’s give a value of one minute to that.

Now, say one polyglot has learned 60,000 words taking 60,000 minutes of his life but these are divided over 60 languages. This Polylot speaks 60 languages with one thousand words in each language.

Another has learned 60,000 words taking 60,000 minutes of his life, but these words are concentrated into 4 languages. He speaks 4 languages with 15,000 words in each language.

Questions:

1. Which of these two polyglots has learned more language?

2. Which is the greater linguist and polyglot?

3. Who has worked harder?

4. Who has the greater achievement?

5. Who has the more impressive achievement?

6. Who gets more utility from his work?

Anyone who can answer these questions, kindly go ahead.
Because I can’t.

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