#AskSteve

For me, the number of words you know is the clearest sign of where you really are in a language. But I don't get there by drilling word lists or grinding through spaced repetition. I pick up most of my vocabulary by reading and listening to things I actually find interesting, and I only review in quick, low-pressure ways. Forgetting words and stumbling doesn't worry me, it's all part of getting better. How do you like to review the words you're learning?

🔥 Learn languages like I do: https://www.lingq.com/learn-languages-like-steve-kaufmann?utm_source=yt&utm_medium=desc&utm_campaign=syt&utm_content=UOpvIXpFnj0 CC subtitles available in multiple languages. Today I want to talk about the state of flow — that feeling of being completely absorbed in what you're doing — and how you can use it to become a better language learner. ⏲️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 What is the state of flow? 2:04 Choosing meaningful, challenging content 3:57 Building up to flow: the scaffolding process 5:45 Staying in flow: values, variety and pacing 9:24 My Persian experiment with NotebookLM 📺 WATCH NEXT: https://youtu.be/bXuJ-q03bGw?si=LIm7yc9N2022GzOr https://youtu.be/mPiwdoyUeoA?si=y2X9uweuGdrJErMZ 🎙️ LISTEN TO MY PODCAST: Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/3iZsbic Apple: https://apple.co/3z1F1lD Google: https://bit.ly/2W3DYmK Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TbcX8ilVmVTi6jdQVHuwK 💡 LEARN MORE: Get my 10 Secrets of Language Learning: https://www.thelinguist.com Download my FREE grammar guides: https://www.lingq.com/en/grammar-resource/ Join the LingQ Discord server: https://discord.gg/ShPTjyhwTN Read my language learning blog on The Linguist: https://bit.ly/2MW83Ab Read the LingQ language learning blog: https://bit.ly/35yvaqK ✅ FOLLOW ME: My Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/lingosteve_ My TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lingosteve

After 60+ years of learning languages, here's the truth about low frequency words: you can't flashcard your way through them. There are tens of thousands of them, each one showing up only now and again, and a word drilled with no context around it just won't stick. I've tried, many times, in many languages. What works is meeting those words where they actually live — in the books, podcasts, and videos you already want to consume. The context does the heavy lifting, and if a word matters to what you enjoy, you'll meet it again until it's simply yours. So stop forcing rare words into your head — read more, listen more, and let them come to you.

Language learning isn't a solo journey—it's a team sport. The more you learn together, the further everyone goes. 🚀

A lot of people pick up Sudoku or solitaire to keep their minds active as they get older. I understand the appeal, but after decades of learning languages, I'm convinced nothing else comes close. Language learning connects you to new sounds, new people, new places, and even your own memories, all at once. At 80, it's still the activity that keeps me feeling engaged and alive. What do you do to keep your brain active?

🔥 Learn languages like I do: https://www.lingq.com/learn-languages-like-steve-kaufmann?utm_source=yt&utm_medium=desc&utm_campaign=syt&utm_content=BhpSVO7At6A CC subtitles available in multiple languages. Vocabulary is the clearest measure of your level in any language, so here is how I acquire and review words, and why I skip most of the popular methods. ⏲️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Why words are the key measure of your level 1:10 What it really means to know a word 3:30 The frequency problem and specialized vocabulary 4:40 Why I avoid most vocabulary strategies, including SRS 5:20 How I actually review vocabulary, and why forgetting helps 📺 WATCH NEXT: https://youtu.be/NQZYL39JEFo?si=6fI0pHQnHoFdVnzz https://youtu.be/ac1f8qa30Bg?si=-jdBBSn7fjfCSyhh 🎙️ LISTEN TO MY PODCAST: Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/3iZsbic Apple: https://apple.co/3z1F1lD Google: https://bit.ly/2W3DYmK Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TbcX8ilVmVTi6jdQVHuwK 💡 LEARN MORE: Get my 10 Secrets of Language Learning: https://www.thelinguist.com Download my FREE grammar guides: https://www.lingq.com/en/grammar-resource/ Join the LingQ Discord server: https://discord.gg/ShPTjyhwTN Read my language learning blog on The Linguist: https://bit.ly/2MW83Ab Read the LingQ language learning blog: https://bit.ly/35yvaqK ✅ FOLLOW ME: My Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/lingosteve_ My TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lingosteve

In language learning, should we push ourselves or always pursue comfort? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

🔥 Learn languages like I do: https://www.lingq.com/learn-languages-like-steve-kaufmann?utm_source=yt&utm_medium=desc&utm_campaign=syt&utm_content=q8DrEwZ-vDE CC subtitles available in multiple languages. At 80, I'm still learning languages every day, and I'm convinced it does more for your brain than any Sudoku puzzle ever could. ⏲️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Language learning or Sudoku? 00:34 Is the information age a good thing? 02:28 The connections language learning creates 04:06 Learning with others at LingQ 04:58 Keeping your brain sharp into old age 📺 WATCH NEXT: https://youtu.be/3zVpk12Uz0U https://youtu.be/-QV9kz2-fD0 📌 SOURCES: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/speaking-two-languages-better-brain-sudoko 🎙️ LISTEN TO MY PODCAST: Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/3iZsbic Apple: https://apple.co/3z1F1lD Google: https://bit.ly/2W3DYmK Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TbcX8ilVmVTi6jdQVHuwK 💡 LEARN MORE: Get my 10 Secrets of Language Learning: https://www.thelinguist.com Download my FREE grammar guides: https://www.lingq.com/en/grammar-resource/ Join the LingQ Discord server: https://discord.gg/ShPTjyhwTN Read my language learning blog on The Linguist: https://bit.ly/2MW83Ab Read the LingQ language learning blog: https://bit.ly/35yvaqK ✅ FOLLOW ME: My Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/lingosteve_ My TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCez-2shYlHQY3LfILBuDYqQ

I've often heard — and even said — that to learn a language, you have to get outside your comfort zone. But looking back at the book I wrote in 2003, I realized my approach has always been the opposite: we don't leave our comfort zone, we move it with us, like a snail carrying its shell. Comfort is why I choose familiar content, build passive vocabulary before speaking, and use whatever assists make writing easier. The goal is to become comfortable in more and more difficult situations, not to suffer through them. Do you learn better when you're comfortable, or do you need a bit of pressure?

I have never been a fan of flashcards and in this video I explain why.

🔥 Learn languages like I do: https://www.lingq.com/learn-languages-like-steve-kaufmann?utm_source=yt&utm_medium=desc&utm_campaign=syt&utm_content=pFZrSI7UjWI CC subtitles available in multiple languages. Everyone says you have to leave your comfort zone to learn a language, but is it really true? ⏲️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Rethinking the comfort zone 0:45 - What I wrote back in 2003: mindset and your own language world 3:03 - Comfort in practice: compelling input and reading 4:20 - Passive vocabulary, speaking and writing 7:08 - When to push yourself: intensity and concentrated exposure 📺 WATCH NEXT: https://youtu.be/bXuJ-q03bGw?si=XLkqzI9H_is9Nrwa https://youtu.be/mPiwdoyUeoA?si=oFdk71PKCLCE_sEW 🎙️ LISTEN TO MY PODCAST: Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/3iZsbic Apple: https://apple.co/3z1F1lD Google: https://bit.ly/2W3DYmK Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TbcX8ilVmVTi6jdQVHuwK 💡 LEARN MORE: Get my 10 Secrets of Language Learning: https://www.thelinguist.com Download my FREE grammar guides: https://www.lingq.com/en/grammar-resource/ Join the LingQ Discord server: https://discord.gg/ShPTjyhwTN Read my language learning blog on The Linguist: https://bit.ly/2MW83Ab Read the LingQ language learning blog: https://bit.ly/35yvaqK ✅ FOLLOW ME: My Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/lingosteve_ My TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lingosteve