Language learning strategies.

Today, 1-23-2011, I read that Angela Merkel wants to hire qualified Spanish
unemployed people in the areas of engineering and telecommunications. I see a business
or survival opportunity: Who is going to teach German to the unemployed Spanish
engineers and telecommunications workers? This would presuppose that I could speak
German at an excellent level in about three years. The level is B1 or B2, with that level
you can aspire to various jobs as it seems... without limit of sector of activity.

Some personal history.-

1. Basque. I think it was in the 5th grade of EGB when Jose Mari gave us Basque
classes for the first time. I remember that I liked the drawings on the blackboard
and the phrases were very simple. The teacher was native. In Murumendi it was
Miss Conchi who taught us, she was a born motivator. At high school I
remember a young teacher with long hair and at COU a big man who placed a
lot of emphasis on reading and grammar. We see that all the teachers were
native and that I learned very little in 8 years. I think at most I would have a high
beginner's level of grammar. He understood very little and spoke a little after 9
years. At Euskaltegi all the teachers were native, they spoke constantly in
Basque , they did not translate , we studied two hours a week, they put a lot of
emphasis on grammar, they started from tables and did many fill-in-the-gap
exercises. I think sometimes we also did those exercises orally . Later they
emphasized the entzumena and finally the irakurmena and the idazmena. The
first time I took the EGA I failed because of the mintzamena. So I went to
Maizpide as a semi-boarding student, about 4 hours a day for a month and then I
obtained the EGA. Perhaps they should have placed more emphasis on the
entzumena . Radio Euskadi represents a magnificent opportunity for this.
Understanding I understand quite well, the EGA corresponds to the C1, but
speaking is difficult for me. I don't speak as fluently as I would like.

2. French. I had my first French classes in the 7th grade of EGB. I remember that
Professor Lorenzo played us a cassette in French and that Miguelito had a very
good ear and imitated the accent very well. I think that in 8th grade it was
Eustaquio who “taught” us French, which I find difficult because I think he
knew very little. I remember that he made us “read in French.”

3. English. When I went to high school I switched to English. In the 1st year of
BUP, most of us came into contact with English for the first time. The first
teacher we had was a man from Madrid who presented us with some newspaper
clippings with job offers in which we were asked to master English. He was an
extravagant guy who dressed in black and would point to chairs and other
objects saying /teibol/ , he used to put the tables together in small groups of four
students. He was there for a very short time, perhaps only a few months. Then
came Felicidad Romo, she was a recent graduate in English Philology who came
from the University of Salamanca. There was a student who spent the summer in
Ireland, he was very extroverted and naturally he was the one who spoke the
best English: / wan mariposita wo:l in the garden entra for le windou and
suddenly zas ostia piterflauen/. Santito had a natural devotion to English, one

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of his sisters had lived in London and translated all the songs he could from
English, and even then he was clear that he wanted to be a doctor like another of
his sisters. There were many of us in class, and the level was different. La Toba
studied French on his own, he already had a good level and now took advantage
of the possibility of studying English. I think some students also gave private
English classes. Feli gave us vocabulary lists and grammar rules with more
emphasis on the rule than on the usage . To make matters worse, at the end of
the course I didn't take exams that were pure translation. When it came to
examining, he did not have clear criteria. First he gave us an easy exam and at
the end of the course he already considered us to be translators . I didn't really
understand that a word was pronounced one way and written another way .
It was a mystery that made it tremendously difficult to write anything. He didn't
even talk to us about phonetics , I remember Bruce and Mary's book... that
they made us read; At the end of the book the irregular verbs appeared with the
phonetic transcription of the IPA.One more hieroglyph that no one explained to
me. In the third year of BUP and in the COU a young girl came, played tapes for
us and gave us writings in more vivid English. From suspense I went to notable
(7). He didn't tell us anything about phonetics either, but he put more emphasis
on listening. When I finished university I studied about two years of English in 4
private classes a week, I wanted to prepare for the first certificate. His
pronunciation was not perfect, he was a nice guy, he placed a lot of emphasis on
listening, we read and took the EOI tests.I remember that during that season I
used to buy speak up magazine. After studying with Tell me more, and taking
the Dialang exam, I obtained a high beginner level, listening stayed there. I
continued studying and listening to Vaughan radio and I obtained a B1 in
listening, in vocabulary, grammar and reading I gave almost a C1.

4. German. At all times I have studied on my own. I started with the Assimil, I
continued with an excellent 10 euro course from the Steiner brothers, I
continued with the Tell me more and I am following the Rosseta Stone in its 5
levels. My level is halfway to A2. All in all, in just two years and studying
almost half an hour a week, I have learned more than in 8 years of Basque
classes.

5. Latin and Greek. In the 2nd year of BUP I learned the declensions of Latin...
dead languages cannot be practiced even in the cemetery... but of course, the
study plans... At least I learned that it is a declension. In 3rd BUP the teacher
was very serious and insisted above all on translations and grammar. Greek was
something exotic, because the words were written differently, the teacher was
not demanding at all.

How long does it take to learn a language. -

People usually bullfight the question. What is meant by knowing a language? It is

clear that learning goes by levels.

1. Beginner. Master a basic vocabulary of about 1500-2000 words and basic

grammar. That's a bit of the idea of Special English. Understand and be
understood at 50% or below 50%.

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2. Intermediate. At a low intermediate level you will know how to move at a
survival level in the most important daily situations in life. The upper
intermediate level is the aspiration of the majority of students. It even allows
you to access the University. The vocabulary would be 5000 words and the
grammar more advanced. It is curious to speak you need between 1500-2000
words, to read you need a vocabulary of about 7,000 words. Understand and be
understood between 50% and 80%.
3. Advanced. It is very difficult to polish the mistakes and move forward, the
learning curve flattens. He understands perfectly. Understand 100% and be
understood by 90 %.

Regarding time, there seems to be a certain consensus among professionals on the

minimum 3000 hours of exposure and contact with the foreign language. However,
they recommend an exposure of 10,000 hours. It is a minimum of 8 hours a day for a
year to reach 3000 hours. Three and a half years at 8 hours a day to reach 10,000 hours.
The underlying idea is linguistic immersion: immersing yourself in the language.
Monica from the English blog tells us that listening to the First certificate requires 480
hours of audio (20 hours per month * 24 months). That means listening to English one
hour a day for two years including vacations. Mónica speaks clearly: starting from
scratch it takes between 3 or 4 years to obtain the First Certificate studying two hours a
day. At two years old you hear about 3,000 hours of your native language (about 4
hours a day). At 7 years old you will have listened to about 7,000 more hours in the next
5 years. (365*4=1460*7=10,220) And if you are bilingual, isn't that time reduced by
half? According to Stern (1983), a high number of hours of exposure to the target language
(around 5,000 ) is needed to acquire good command of it. Throughout primary and secondary
education, the student receives between 750 and 900 hours (less than 20% of what is necessary).

It is important to me to have a reference of the time necessary to meet the objectives. I

don't care at all about comparing myself to anyone. I am content to do the best I know
and can. I am content to improve myself.

Can a foreigner speak without an accent?

Richar Vaughan is a pessimist, he says that from the age of 5 it is impossible to speak
without an accent. However, Paul Winter, host of Vaughan radio, speaks almost without
an accent. He arrived in Spain in 1989, so he has been with us for 21 years. In one
program I heard a German woman with an English pronunciation that seemed perfect to
me. She also spoke her native language, French, because her partner was French, and
Spanish, because she lived in Spain. She was well travelled, having lived in London for
a few years. I think it can be done. In any case, it is not that important either; What
counts is knowing how to communicate.

Well, a child learns easily from his parents...but he also works for at least 5,000-10,000
hours. Of course he doesn't complain as much as adults.

Obstacles to overcome.-

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There are foreign languages that are pronounced one way and written another way
(English, French). Others, like German, are grammatically more complex (plural
formation, noun and adjective declensions, prepositions, irregular verbs...). You will
always have to acquire a vocabulary that may be more or less familiar (for example,
Italian or Portuguese will be easier than German or English, which have Germanic
roots). We see that there are three barriers: phonetics, semantics and grammatical .

The Powell Janulus strategy.-

1. Phonetics . It started with phonetics and had its own phonetic language for all
languages. I visualized how what the speaker said was written phonetically
(how do I see it?) . I imitated the speaker in second position, it was not just
about listening and repeating until reaching phonetic touch, it was about
reproducing facial expressions, gestures, movement, tone... I think it may make
sense to visualize how words are vocalized . I have a video of a teacher who
associates each letter with a word and each word with a gesture. How would I do
it? Robert Dilts very sharply points out that children get constant and immediate
feedback . I learned with a native.

Paul Winter on Radio Vaughan.

/Wi: ar going tu lu:k at meiking gud desishions ander presjur, wen wi: ar askt to
meik a desishion immidiatli. Well wi: hav som advais. Wot els ar wi: going to du:/

We are going to look at making good decisions under pressure, when we are asked
to make a decision immediately. Well, we have some advice. What else are we
going to do?

The IPA system does not satisfy me because computer keyboards do not follow it. So I
created my own system.

2. Semantics. The vocabulary of each language is associated with a state and a

form of identity, which is why the vocabularies are not confused. It went directly
from the sounds of words to personal experience: movements, actions, objects
and vivid colors. He didn't translate . It is something similar to the Rosseta
Stone system but more linked to personal experience. The brain gets meaning
differently when reading and listening. The trend in schools focuses on reading
and the logical thing, as children do, is to start by listening. What's more, some
cultures do not have writing but spoken language is an imperative. A deaf child
can learn to read but cannot learn to speak because he cannot hear, which
corroborates that the brain follows two different paths when reading and when
listening. I can resort to a visual image (Rosseta Stone), a sound (piano; bell), a
movement, an action, a gesture. AJ Hoges advises associating each word with a

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movement or a gesture. I am not a big fan of pure and simple translation (Tell
me more) for vocabulary (I admit to using the mother tongue as support). It is
about remembering past experiences or relating present experiences with
the word . Children learn by repeating phrases, not by isolated words : a
phrase, a question, a greeting. (TMM)

Objects and Actions.

Step 1. Choose six objects and six actions.

1) door - run
2) chair - jump
3) book - touch
4) wall - hold
5) ground - talk
6) window – write

Step 2. Ask the model to show the object or perform the action and then say the
word. Then the student imitates the pronunciation in second position . It would
be more like going from image to sound. It is something similar to what I do with
teach 2000, except that I start from the voice recording and include the phonetic
language, a visual image and the written language.

1) /do:r/ - /ran/
2 ) /tshe:r/- /bring/
3) /bu:k/- /touch/
4) /wo:l/- /hold/
5) /flo:r/- /spi.k/
6) /windou/-/rait/

Step 3. The model says and teaches the written word and the student must write
the word from memory. This is something I can easily achieve with teach 2000.

Step 4. The model says the word and the student points to the object or performs
the action .

Step 5. The student must master the combinations created by each object with
the remaining 6 actions. It is something similar to the Steiner brothers' grammar
tables but with an eye on vocabulary. For example, run to the door, bring the door
(make the gesture of bringing it), knock on the door, hold the door, talk to the door,
write on the door...

Step 6. The model can propose series of object-action pairs by adding articles and
conjunctions: run to the door and speak to the ground. Then you can expand the set
by adding more words and actions.

Adverbs and adjectives.-

Adjectives qualify the noun and adverbs modulate the verb.

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Adjectives.-

Step 1. Show three different objects that share the named quality:

1) Green pencil.
2) green chair
3) green ball

Step 2. Show two objects exactly the same except for the named quality.
1) Green pencil.
2) Red pencil.

Step 3. Present the words to the student, so that they can pronounce and write them.

Step 4. Test the student's understanding. Ask you to identify:

a) A different object that shares the named quality: green shirt.

b) A similar object that is distinguished by the named quality: blue pencil.

Adverbs.-

Step 1. Perform three actions that preserve the named quality.

1) walk quickly.
2) crawl quickly.
3) dance quickly.

Step 2. Give two examples of the same action varying the named quality.

1) walk quickly.
2) walk slowly.

Step 3. Present the words to the student so that they can pronounce and write them.

Step 4. Prove that the student has understood. Ask you to identify:

a) A different action that shares the named quality: running quickly.

b) The differences in qualities that are produced by varying that quality in an action
that the student has named: dancing slowly.

Addresses.-

Step 1. Set up an obstacle course, with chairs, books, boxes, etc.

Step 2. Teach the student basic directional signals: quickly/slowly, stop, forward,
back, left, right. Show the actions associated with each directional word.

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Step 3. The students get into pairs. One is blindfolded and the other acts as a guide
and will only be able to speak the foreign language. It will use only the directional
words of the second language.

Nominalizations, abstractions and unspecified verbs.-

Step 1. Present three examples of each case. For example three abstractions:
communication, love, relationship. Three nonspecific verbs: find, help, hurt, go.

Step 2. Present two examples that are similar, but differ in the type of category,
process, compound phrase or relationship: for example love (abstraction) and amar
(nonspecific verb)

Step 3. Repeat modeling…

Step 4. Make sure the student understands by asking him or her to provide examples
that do and do not correspond to the category, compound words, or process and
relationship named. For example: love (a kiss), an execution in the electric chair
(not love).

Idioms and set phrases.-

It is about capturing the underlying values in each culture:

USA: The wheel that squeaks the most is the one that lubricates the most: the
squeaky wheel gets the grease. Whoever stands out or stands out gets what they
need.

Japan: The highest nail is the one that receives the hardest hits.

Germany: You only have to work how many hours there are in a day, but the day
never ends.

Australia and New Zealand: The tallest poppy is the one cut first.

Logically, it is about putting the phrase in a context in which it makes sense.

Syntax (Grammar).-

Syntax is the part of grammar that studies how lower forms constitute higher units.
It connects with the Leibnitzian idea of the substitutability of equivalents:
subject+verb+predicate. Grammar is broader than the rules of correct use of a
language . We study:

a) How words are ordered to form a sentence. Affirmative, negative and

interrogative sentences . The boy runs to the chair; Does the child run to the chair?

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Run to the chair, child. Interrogative use is particularly important: interrogative
pronouns are key.

c) How verbs are conjugated . Regular and irregular verbs.

Step 1. Introduce 3-part sequences: subject-predicate-object and show the changes

in meaning by changing the order . The child runs to the chair, the chair runs to
the child.
Step 2. Distinguish grammatical errors from semantic errors. The chair runs towards
the child is well formed and grammatically correct, although it does not make sense.
The boy ran towards the chair. Although you can understand what is meant, it is
poorly said because the grammatical order has not been followed.

Step 3. Compare correct sequences with incorrect sequences. It is the method

followed by the BBC and the TMM. They start from a messy sentence and then you
have to form it correctly.

Step 4. Ask students to write correct and incorrect sequences.

Role playing games.-

Learning to speak English, German or French is very useful in this sense.

ASSIMIL METHOD.

Part of a comic situation of about 10 sentences . You have the translation next to it.
It emphasizes phonetics and listening from the beginning. Finally present some
phrases related to the vocabulary and an exercise. I don't like the notes in which
the vocabulary is presented . Grammar is introduced little by little and last .
There is a passive phase where you study the first 50 lessons and then you are
supposed to translate from Spanish to the language in question. The latter does not
seem appropriate to me. I think translation only makes sense when you master both
languages at the same level. You can reach a beginner level and it is fun.

TMM METHOD.-

They place special emphasis on phonetics , you have feedback on your

pronunciation. You can get the translation. Normally it presents a small situation
and extracts the vocabulary, the phrases, the phonetics, the syntax, working first on
listening and then on pronunciation. You have a lot of material. I have observed,
however, that it is a little lame: the results I have obtained indicate that it is lame in
terms of listening . It is advisable to listen to the audios repeatedly . YOU CAN
REACH AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL.

ROSSETA STONE METHOD.-

Associate the word heard with the image . Use phrases. He usually introduces a few
vignettes and then works: speaking, vocabulary, grammar, listening, writing. It

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doesn't explain any grammar . You can reach a beginner level. It is very
interactive, very contextual, very intuitive .

PIMSLEUR METHOD.-

It goes straight to the ear . Leave the writing for last. Introduce the vocabulary
little by little and repeating a sequence to facilitate learning . You can reach a
beginner level. It doesn't explain any grammar.

THE METHOD OF A THOUSAND WORDS.-

It follows the idea that with 1000 words you can master 80% of the vocabulary
necessary for a conversation. They recite the words to you, although it is boring, it
may be better than reading them.

THE EFFORTLESS METHOD OF AG HOGES.-

Its 7 keys:

1. Learn phrases. No words. Have fun.

2. Not consciously studying grammar. You unconsciously assimilate it with
little stories. Deep down you repeat a lot of grammar, a lot of questions,
a lot of answers, a lot of vocabulary...I forgot about the textbooks.
3. Listen to little stories and answer easy questions.
4. Learn languages.
5. Learn phrasal verbs.
6. Focus on listening to many correctly constructed sentences and not
on reading. Don't force speaking. To correct errors, it is best to develop
linguistic tact through intense exposure to the language. Correcting
errors can limit expression.
7. Use the 20/80 rule. No more than 3,000 words are used in a
conversation. It is best to focus on high-frequency words, phrases and
grammar .
8. Use lots of contractions.

It follows Krashen's suggestions: if you are exposed to a language and assimilate

it unconsciously in natural situations of use you acquire it, if you study it
consciously you end up not learning it. One thing is usage and another is the
grammatical rule. By exposing yourself to many well-formed sentences you have
positive evidence. Discovering your mistakes reveals negative evidence that can
restrict expression. It focuses on an intermediate level and seeks improvement. I find
it creative, innovative... although sometimes it can be tiresome. Here listening and
reading skills are considered as springboards to launch active skills: speaking and
writing. GOOD STRATEGIES FOR AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL. THEY CAN
BE VERY USEFUL TO LEARN OTHER LANGUAGES AS WELL.

In short, what matters is that you listen through a tube (receive a lot in put
understandable ). You don't need to be forced to speak. I think it is good to speak
little by little to form the necessary neural patterns in the brain and vocal cords. Of

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course that's not forcing. They insist that you speak naturally and that what you say
is understandable.

THE METHOD OF THE STEINER BROTHERS.-

It is very similar to ASSIMIL with the novelty that it introduces the grammar in
spoken form and then gives you the necessary explanations. It would be about
unconsciously assimilating the grammar so that it would then emerge
consciously .

SPECIAL METHOD ENGLISH.-

This is what teachers usually do, they use a reduced vocabulary and simple
grammatical expressions, they speak slowly...and more clearly.

TIM FERRISS METHOD.-

He talks about rebuilding the language, by rebuilding he means questioning the

presuppositions in use and looking for a more effective strategy. The fact is that I
have heard Tim Ferris speak Spanish and he does it very well…even in 5-6
languages . That has studied? Neuroscience . As it does? Applying neuroscience
principles and taking advantage of time.

A plan for three months.-

What is the OBJETIVE?:

Make yourself understood 100% and understand at least 95% in 1-3 months.

Why doesn't traditional teaching work?

The ideal system is based on three elements:

1. Efficiency or Priority. What to learn first? The answer is: the most used
words and sentences. If you choose the wrong material, it doesn't matter
if you study hard : it will be in vain . Cooks are nothing without recipes.
ATTACK THE IMPORTANT WORDS AND PHRASES FIRST.

2. Interest or Endeavor. Even if the material is great, if you don't

assimilate it and internalize it, it will be of no use to you . Filter the
material based on the likelihood that you will continually review it. The
review becomes monotonous, counterbalanced by the interest you feel
in the material you study. It is better to look for content that corresponds
to my interests in my native language. Use the new language as a vehicle
to learn more about topics of interest to you (comics, books...topics).
How can I study this material until I reach my fluency goals? It says
nothing about the frequency of review : AJ Hoges advocates in-depth

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study of at least 1 hour a day every week (7 days). Pimsleur follows an
interval system. STUDY FREQUENTLY TOPICS THAT YOU LIKE.

3. Efficiency or Process. How will I learn with the materials in the most
efficient way? It's a question that makes a lot of sense to me: How long
will it take me to learn this? 5000 hours, 3000 hours, 1000 hours? How
many years will it take me? There is no point in studying the appropriate
materials diligently if it is going to take 20 years to do this. It is about
remembering and recognizing words and phrases in the shortest time
possible. El Rosseta, Pimsleur, AJ Hoges, Flashcards? THE BEST
METHOD IS THE ONE THAT ALLOWS ME TO LEARN MORE IN
LESS TIME. IF THE METHOD DOESN'T WORK, I'LL LOOK FOR
ANOTHER OR REDEFINE THE ONE I HAVE.

In what order to study phonetics, vocabulary and grammar?

1. Phonetics. Sounds and transcriptions. I think we agree on this, it starts here.

The written language system is distinguished from the phonetic language
system of 50 or fewer sounds. In Chinese there are more than 50 sounds due to
variations in tone and they do not have a phonetic notation. Emphasizes starting
with a phonetic notation system. It asks teachers to write the words in the written
system and in a phonetic notation (IPA or similar). Take a walk through the
alphabet and ask them for an example of the use of each vowel and each
consonant. Then locate the most difficult vowels . It is usually 10 times more
difficult to become familiar with more difficult vowels than with new
consonants.

2. Vocabulary. Use the Pareto rule. Prioritize material based on frequency of

use . Here he cuts to the chase: he claims that you can learn 95% of the
vocabulary in 3 months, perhaps to reach 98% it will take you 10 years and you
will get a 1% improvement every 5 years; then it is better that you leave it and
dedicate yourself to something else. For the 1-3 week of study, it proposes the
100 most common words. It states that with 100 words you can understand 50%
and with the first 300 words 65% of written language. Articles and conjugations
are usually suppressed because they are learned by recognition (understanding)
but not by memory. Here he puts his finger on the sore point: frequency in
spoken language is not the same as frequency in written language . Above the
most common 300-500 words, I will have to think about topics of interest to
me . The important thing is that the topic is interesting to me even above the
new language. Here's the trick: I may not find much about cooking in the topics
of my interest but THE GRAMMAR is the same. A walk through vocabulary
in different contexts. It occurs to me that I could make up a story from
when I arrive at the airport, when I go to the hotel... etc. until learning a
language that allows me to survive to acquire vocabulary. Ferriss comes to
say that by reading you learn grammar through a tube. He first assimilates a
grammatical framework and then fills it with vocabulary . (It's a bit what AJ
Hoges does). I remember a video talking about a table of about 1000 Japanese
characters that was very useful. Could you imagine 1000 images of the most

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common words? Can I do it with Anki or Teach 2000? Is spoken grammar the
same as written grammar? My mirror answers me, not always.

3. Grammar. How is it possible to understand and be understood fluently in 2-12

months in several languages? Deconstructing them, choosing wisely and
abandoning some of them. Consider languages like a sport: there are certain
physical prerequisites (height), the rules (you have to hit the ball in baseball),
and determining how long it would take you to learn it: What are my tools and
what are the rules ? He advises looking for languages with similar sounds and
similar word constructions (3 months), rather than languages with a bunch of
new sounds that you can't distinguish (3 years). The 6 golden lines test. (1) Are
there new STRUCTURES that will postpone your fluency? (Subject-Verb-
Object, Subject-Object-Verb and declensions), (2 ) Are there some SOUNDS
(especially VOCABLES) that will double or triple the time to acquire fluency ?
(3) How similar are the languages that I already understand? Can I RELY ON
AND LEVERAGE on them or can they INTERFERE with each other? Will the
acquisition of a new language involve erasing others already learned? (For
example, the structure of Spanish and Portuguese is very similar) (4) Will it be
difficult to become fluent in that new language? How much time and effort will
it take? Am I willing to pay that price?

The apple is red. The Apple is red. Die Apfel is rot . Sagarra gorria da .
It's John's apple. It's John's apple . Das ist Johns Apfel . Johnen sagarra gives .
I give John the apple. I give the apple to John . Ich gebe John den Apfel . Joni
sagarra ematen diot.
We give him the apple. We give him the apple . Geben wir ihm den Apfel . Berari
sagarra ematen diogu.
We want to give him the apple. We want to give you the apple. Wir woolen geben
ihm die Apfel. Berari sagarra eman nahi diogu .
He gives it to him. He gives it to him . Er gibt is ihm. Berari ematen dio.
She gives it to him. She gives to him . Sie gibt es ihm . Emakumea gizonari ematen
dio.

He works with native speakers while flying. I have used the Babylonian translator to
translate into German.

 How are verbs conjugated according to gender (masculine or feminine) and

number (singular or plural)?
 Where are direct objects, indirect objects, and pronouns (it, him) put ?
 How do you continue these negative/interrogative sentences? How do you
deny? How do you ask? Is it denied with a word not, no, kein, nicht, ez.. ez.?
How do you ask? Is there investment ? And if times change)?

 What is the main SVO structure like in English and Spanish? SOV in Japanese
“I the apple eat ”? Are the verbs at the end like in Basque and sometimes in
German?
 Are there many dreaded noun-adjective cases (declensions)? In German and
Basque, yes.

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I must give it to him. I must give it to him . Ich muss is ihm geben. Gizonari
eman behar diot.
I want to give it to her. I want to give it to her. Ich will is ihr geben .
Emakumeari eman nahi diot.

 Are there auxiliary verbs (to want, need, have to, should) ? (In Spanish I
want/need/have to/should. + infinitive) Does the ending of each verb change?
 Are there irregular verbs? How do they change? How do they change more
frequently? (for example take 6 and learn the variations)?

As you very correctly observe, this will not help you speak per se, but it will help
you TRAIN THE WHEELS OF EXPRESSION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
EXCELLENT.

How to resurrect what you learned from your L2?

If you had a medium or high level you can recover it in 4 weeks or less if you approach
methodically. Would you rather study 4 hours a week to see that you don't improve or
study 2 hours a day for 1-3 weeks and regain the fluency you had? The goal is to have a
decent conversation:

1.Days 1-7: Watch two hours of German movies with English subtitles for two hours a
day, every afternoon of the week.

2.Days 3+: 10-20 pages of Manga for 30 minutes every morning and before going to
bed.

3.On the plane: read a phrase book in its entirety to remember the most common
phrases (45 minutes of study alternated with 15 minutes of rest to take advantage of the
so-called primacy and recency effect).

4.At destination: continue with the Manga and review the reference grammar as
needed. Use an electronic dictionary to reactivate conversational vocabulary that is
familiar but not understood.

5.Weeks 2-3 : 30 to 60 flashcards a day. It seems like a lot but most of it has already
been covered in steps 1-3 using active recall (English to German) collecting flashcard
sets of the most frequently used words and simple everyday phrases. Start with the flash
cards after three or four days in Germany (The rascal is going to the Oktoberfest!)

The sooner you start reactivating your L2, instead of leaving it for an unspecific future,
the better, you will have more free time and the less diluted your linguistic skills will be
when you need them.

Don't worry about recovering your L2 if you have achieved real fluency. They are in the
warehouse with the covers on.

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 ASSOCIATE THE VOCABULARY HEARD WITH IMAGES OR
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
 STUDY WORDS, PHRASES (1000), VERBS (100) AND HIGH
FREQUENCY GRAMMAR. It's something I'm already doing. I'll work
a little harder with the most common phrases in American English.
ENGLISHSPEAK.COM. I have downloaded some grammar books for
children that may respond to high-frequency grammar (there is also the
Chilean army manual to extract the beginner and advanced structures).
 LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN. RADIO THROUGH A TUBE.
 HAVE MY OWN PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION. IF I HAVE
SUBTITLES I HAVE A VISUAL CRUTCH AND THEN I CAN
REMOVE IT.
 READ WHILE LISTENING. AUDIOBOOKS.
 HAVE A USUAL VOCABULARY OF ABOUT 3000 WORDS. GO
GAINING VOCABULARY (SUBTITLES).
 HAVE A VOCABULARY OF ABOUT 7000 WORDS TO READ.
READ LITTLE BY LITTLE AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.
 REPEAT AFFIRMATIONS, DENIALS AND QUESTIONS UNTIL
YOU VOMIT THEM... UNTIL THEY EMERGE INTO THE
CONSCIOUSNESS.
 BE PATIENT: IT TAKES AT LEAST 5000 HOURS TO MASTER A
LANGUAGE WELL . IT'S NORMAL THAT AT FIRST YOU DON'T
UNDERSTAND THEM.

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