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Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It

Gabriel Wyner

4.11 · Rating details · 9,426 ratings · 1,034 reviews

The ultimate rapid language-learning guide! For those who’ve despaired of ever learning a foreign language, here, finally, is a book that will make the words stick. At thirty years old, Gabriel Wyner speaks six languages fluently. He didn’t learn them in school -- who does? -- rather, he learned them in the past few years, working on his own and practicing on the subway, ...more

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ebook, 336 pages

Published August 5th 2014 by Harmony

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Jan 30, 2018 ☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: memorabilia, to-reread, favorites, golden, educational

I am amazed that so much first-hand insight into language acquisition got packed into this tiny book!
There is a lot on the author's tools he developed. And while I get the why's, I simply don't like other people's tools. Besides, I am not a fan of flashcards, they don't work for me and they bore me and, as a result, I hate them passionately! Still, there are lots of other things to internalise and take out. Overall this is a pretty amazing book for polyglots and language buffs alike.
Q:
Language l ...more

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Mar 09, 2015 shanghao rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, stash, technique

I've never given much thought to language learning even though I took up some foreign languages as a hobby.

Gabriel breaks down the technicalities of effective language learning and shares some tips on what's needed to achieve long-lasting fluency:

(A) Learn pronunciation first
I wholeheartedly agree with this. Proper pronunciation and accent is the difference in being ripped off and getting a nice bargain at the local markets; this also applies to relationships with the locals.

(B) Study less, revi ...more

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Jul 07, 2017 Grace (BURTSBOOKS) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, favourites

Fluent forever? More like the Holy Bible of language learning.

@Anyone who has been struggling to learn a new language: READ THIS BOOK. IT IS SO INFORMATIVE AND EASILY COMPREHENSIBLE AND HELPFUL.

Everything you need to know is packed into this short little book. Backed with Wyner's real-life experiences and scientific experiments; this book provides you with all the tools and strategies you need to begin learning a new language. IT HAS HELPED ME SO MUCH.

UPDATE: IT'S EVEN BETTER THE SECOND TIME A ...more

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Feb 02, 2017 David Rubenstein rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: self-help

This is an excellent book about learning a foreign language as efficiently as possible. The author, Gabriel Wyner, has learned six languages to help himself in his career as an opera singer. The book is geared toward learning how to think in the target language. It is jam-packed with practical advice, on all aspects of learning a language, starting with pronunciation, then learning grammar, memorizing words, listening skills, and writing.

Wyner has excellent advice about making flash cards, and a This is an excellent book about learning a foreign language as efficiently as possible. The author, Gabriel Wyner, has learned six languages to help himself in his career as an opera singer. The book is geared toward learning how to think in the target language. It is jam-packed with practical advice, on all aspects of learning a language, starting with pronunciation, then learning grammar, memorizing words, listening skills, and writing.

Wyner has excellent advice about making flash cards, and about using the so-called "Spaced Repetition System." He recognizes the numerous apps available for using flash cards, and he recommends the Anki app. However, it is just as good to use old-fashioned index cards. But he strongly discourages people from using pre-made card decks. The reason is that half of the learning occurs when you make the cards yourself. He recommends using a word frequency list in your target language, to get the vocabulary you need as soon as possible.

The book contains lots of detailed recommendations about increasing one's listening skills. For example, Wyner recommends watching TV series in your target language, more than movies, because it is easier to figure out what is going on. But not comedy, since so much of the humor relies on the understanding of subtle puns and word-play.

Wyner gives lots of recommendations for learning speaking skills, such as the game of taboo. And, if you do not have a native speaker close at hand with whom to practice, he gives suggestions for a number of online web sites that can connect you with native speakers who are trying to learn your own language.

The detailed appendices at the back of the book contain a massive amount of information. Throughout, Wyner gives the reader all sorts of online references that can be very helpful for pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, ... the list goes on and on.

If you are interested in learning a foreign language--regardless of whether you are a complete beginner or an intermediate or advanced learner--this book can help you. ...more

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Jul 30, 2017 Christian rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, read-in-english

Just like Gabriel Wyner, I'm a self-directed language learner and sometimes lacking in modesty: I didn't learn much reading this book.

About half the content is about SRS, so if you already know & use it, this might serve as a ...review, at best. Now I'll admit most people don't know Anki, so it's definitely a good thing to write about it. There wasn't really a need to duplicate Wikipedia's article about SRS though. Same goes for the IPA. We get his condescendence:

The IPA is usually full of nast

The IPA is usually full of nasty technical jargon and it uses weird-looking symbols.

Thank you Mr. Brain. The rest is even more obvious, at least for the most part. Did you know that you could watch TV in your target language to help listening comprehension? Genius! Oh and btw, do not expect this to be actually useful to learn ANY language as the title says. Good luck finding TV shows, movies, audiobooks and frequency dictionaries in say, Mongolian (and it's not the most obscure language either).

The whole thing is made worst by the fact that he's a kid lol. And he writes stuff on the Internet like "I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here's How". It always come back to your definition of fluent, but he's selling his reheated stuff a lot. The book is filled with his experiences, like the time he said to his Russian friend: Hey, btw I speak Russian now. She was reportedly flabbergasted.

There's a section that I found completely wrong: at one point he suggests that if you had one hour to learn a language, you should learn to say one sentence perfectly. The alternative (being good, but with a bad accent) is described as more trouble. Why? Because in Paris, waiters are known to be rude if you say Bonjour wrong... omg not the Paris waiter thing again lol. It's basically the only example. Elsewhere it's better to understand more than speak without accent if you want to actually communicate and not just impress. He says:

An accurate accent is powerful because it is the ultimate gesture of empathy. It connects you to another person’s culture in a way that words never can, because you have bent your body as well as your mind to match that person’s culture.

Seriously? The ultimate gesture of empathy? From my experience with German, the better you are, the less compliments you receive. People eventually consider you as an immigrant.

Despite all the bad I have to say, I would probably have written something similar. So it's good information, but if you know what SRS and IPA are, I'd say don't bother. One thing I would have added is a chapter about motivation. It's always taken for granted that people stop learning because their methods are inefficient (grammar drilling, bad memorization, etc) and this book also focuses on the technical aspects, but on the long run, I think staying motivated should be #1 priority. Identify what really makes you want to learn (one example for me: the idea of me in the bus reading a German or a Japanese novel, completely vain I know!) and feed this dream (buying tons of books, renewing public transportation pass lol) despite the costs. ...more

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Mar 03, 2022 saïd rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2_nonfiction, linguistics

First, my credentials: I was raised in a multilingual household and spoke 3-4 languages regularly at home; I studied linguistics and language acquisition, with a focus in translation studies, which is the field in which I currently work; I consider myself CEFR level C2 (fluent) in 3 languages, C1 in 2, and B1-2 in at least 6 more. Most of these I was not formally taught; in fact the only languages I've specifically studied in a professional context are those which are considered "dead" languages First, my credentials: I was raised in a multilingual household and spoke 3-4 languages regularly at home; I studied linguistics and language acquisition, with a focus in translation studies, which is the field in which I currently work; I consider myself CEFR level C2 (fluent) in 3 languages, C1 in 2, and B1-2 in at least 6 more. Most of these I was not formally taught; in fact the only languages I've specifically studied in a professional context are those which are considered "dead" languages (such as Latin). This is not intended as bragging rights but rather background information to support my argument.

There is no singular universal "method" to rapid language acquisition; languages, and people, vary too greatly. There is also no 100% effective means of "never" forgetting something. I've been speaking my native language for decades and I still sometimes forget how it works. The human brain is fallible. In general, however, the most effective route to rapid language acquisition is total immersion, i.e., how infants and toddlers learn to communicate. Vocabulary is important, but learning syntax (viz. sentence structure and inflection) will have a greater effect; if you don't know the precise word for something, you can describe it or ask what it's called, but if you don't know how to form a question, you're SOL. Wyner's focus was primarily on SRS, which doesn't work for everybody (it definitely didn't work for me); much of the book felt like an introductory primer on how and why SRS works. Wyner also had a superiority complex that became annoying around 10 pages in—if you have a lot of patience for some guy trying very hard to sell you his products, you'll be fine, but if you, like me, easily get fed up with shilling, give this one a pass.

THE GOOD
Focus on the 600 or so most frequently used words in the target language and memorise those first. This is a good strategy at the A1 level, and also where language-learning apps such as Rosetta Stone or Duolingo will come in handy. I appreciated how Wyner stressed that he meant the most common words in the target language, not the superstrate (i.e., "the" won't be of much use if your target language is Mandarin Chinese).

THE BAD
Use visually oriented flashcards rather than direct vocabulary lists (i.e., a flashcard with a picture of a dog rather than the word "dog"). This depends on the person—while I could see it working for some people, it has the opposite effect for others, myself included. Mental interpretation between the target language and native language will continue to happen automatically, often for years after someone is able to speak comfortably in the target language, but the best and quickest way to switch is to converse regularly with native speakers, particularly extemporaneously.

THE UGLY
Pronunciation practice and the IPA will assist in accent acquisition. While this is technically true, I wouldn't recommend beginners dive right in with the IPA! It's incredibly complicated and will bore you to tears if you're trying to learn quickly. Instead, I'd recommend listening to music or podcasts and watching videos in your target language. Better yet, have conversations with native speakers who can correct your pronunciation. I also didn't care for Wyner's condescending attitude: "The IPA is usually full of nasty technical jargon and it uses weird-looking symbols." It's academic, so... duh? The average person will not be able to understand the IPA instinctively, because that's not its intention. It's like saying that beginning artists should attempt the next Sistine Chapel, then turn around and call them idiots for not understanding the difference between tempura and acrylic paint. The IPA is absolutely not necessary for language acquisition unless you're studying said language in an academic context. Watching a YouTube video of native speakers will be far simpler and more effective in conveying pronunciation.

I also disagreed with his definition of fluency (I do not, in fact, believe he is genuinely C1-level "fluent" in six languages, to be honest), and I disliked his uncomfortably elitist emphasis on accents. At one point, for example, he said that being able to say one sentence perfectly is better than being able to say many sentences poorly, because "in Paris, waiters are known to be rude if you say bonjour wrong." (This is a stupid stereotype that needs to die already. I'm sick of Americans acting like this.) The focus on accents also felt rather scummy at times, such as when Wyner expressed his opinion that:

An accurate accent is powerful because it is the ultimate gesture of empathy. It connects you to another person’s culture in a way that words never can, because you have bent your body as well as your mind to match that person’s culture. Anyone can learn "bawn-JURE" in a few seconds. To learn how bonjour fits your companion's mouth and tongue; to learn how to manipulate the muscles, the folds, and even the texture of your throat and lips to match your companion's—this is an unmistakable, undeniable, and irresistible gesture of care.

I disagree with basically every part of this. Imagine flipping this around and telling immigrants in the core anglosphere that they lack empathy because they still speak with the accent of their native languages. What absolute bullshit.

TL;DR Language acquisition is different for everybody. Listen to music, watch videos, read books in your target language, and study it academically. But—most importantly—talk to native speakers. ...more

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Aug 07, 2021 Paquita Maria Sanchez added it · review of another edition

Shelves: language-y, actuals-n-factuals

Essentially the book boils down to "neurons that fire together, wire together." He takes something I have always noticed when attempting to learn languages--the fact that any "in the wild" spotting of a foreign word I've been trying to memorize (meaning outside of the context of studying, whether in a book or a show or just some random thing on the internet) makes it stick in my long-term memory like magic.

He has systematized that approach and incorporated it into the Leitner System, which is b ...more

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May 30, 2018 Shalini rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, language-learn, favorites

This is an excellent book on effective language learning methods and resources that I would suggest every independent learner, regardless of their level of proficiency, to read at least once. It’s a comprehensive guide detailed about all the aspects of language learning - pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, listening and writing.

Few days ago, I was discussing this established “fact” with a colleague that how children are able to learn languages faster and better than adults. This is a popular my ...more

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Aug 11, 2014 JDK1962 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Rating this is a bit like rating a cookbook: how do you know it's a five star book until you've tried at least a statistically significant portion of the recipes? But even though I haven't tried learning a language using his approach (though I intend to), I've had enough experience with language learning to say that he seems to have the right attitude toward learning language, and has marshaled the right approach and the right tools. ...more

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Jun 16, 2021 Mustakim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, language-learning

I'm a book lover. My main reason of learning new languages is to read books of different languages.
This book is about some tools to make language learning more efficient. The tools are useful but I already knew most of them. And almost half (or more) of the book is about just one tool ‘SRS’. Sometimes the same thing repeated over and over.

But as a whole the book is quite good. If you are a very beginner of language learning I'll recommended this to you.

Rating - 4/5 ...more

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Sep 20, 2017 Deanna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: repeatable

Best book of its kind. Where was it when I was in school, or preparing for al those trips when I wanted to be able to ask for the bathroom without embarrassing myself?

This is not just a technique that works--I would call it a breakthrough, and I just contributed to the kickstarter for the app he is building to make it waiter for all of us who have been doing things the longer, harder way he describes in the book. But it's a really good book. Highly readable, smart, convincing without fluff and e ...more

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May 24, 2017 Lost Planet Airman rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Great for the motivated, self-directed learner. Also needs some time or one's own computer to be efficient. Overall, a good mix of theory and practice. Lighter than similar books on motivation. Now, onward to implement this! ...more

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Jun 27, 2017 WhatIReallyRead rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: narrated-by-author, linguistics, read-in-english, non-fiction, audiobook, self-help

I recommend this book to anyone who is searching for effective tools, approaches and resources for learning languages.

I'm no stranger to learning languages, being native in Russian and Ukrainian (as most people in my country are), fluent in English and intermediate in Spanish and French. I even studied Japanese for a few years as kid, though most of it is now forgotten. So, as you might imagine, having started learning my third language (English) at the age of 5, over the years I have developed ...more

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Feb 17, 2016 Leftbanker rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I’ve got good news and bad news about learning languages. The good news is that anyone can do it—everyone already does learn at least one language. The bad news is that it takes a long time and there are no shortcuts, no easy methods, and there are no “Learn French in 7 Days” miracles. Most of the people I know speak several languages and among my friends there are no geniuses or whiz kids; they all learned the long, hard way. Be consistent, do something every day even if it’s just a little, and ...more

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Nov 29, 2014 Jun Nguyễn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, pastime-skills, non-fiction, literature-linguistics, read-in-foreign-language

I intended to bought this book for my sister's graduation, but after reading its blurb, online review and some pages, I decided to keep it for myself. Sorry sis, but I felt no repentance :))))

Yet while reading this book, somehow the charm I felt back then just dissipated. Without any trace left. The author had a very good sense of humor indeed, yet it's still not enough to bring me back to the temptation of that day. Why? I don't know. It's not the first time such event has happened for me. Mayb ...more

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Nov 11, 2017 Radiantflux rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: languages, ebook

63rd book for 2017.

About five years ago I made the decision that I finally had to learn German after several failed attempts at German courses over the previous seven years. Perhaps because I had a psychology background I delved into the scientific literature, and looked at different learning techniques online, to come up with my own set of techniques for self learning. And it worked! In a fairly effortless way I systematically picked up the language, and now five years later I watch movies with 63rd book for 2017.

About five years ago I made the decision that I finally had to learn German after several failed attempts at German courses over the previous seven years. Perhaps because I had a psychology background I delved into the scientific literature, and looked at different learning techniques online, to come up with my own set of techniques for self learning. And it worked! In a fairly effortless way I systematically picked up the language, and now five years later I watch movies with close to 100% understanding, read books and newspapers, have conversations with people on the street on any topic I want. I would hesitate to say I am fluent. I still have a long way to go, but I am sure my German will continue to improve in a fairly effortless way.

The language learning community seems to be full of a lot of snake oil salesmen, often offering fluent language abilities within three months (e.g., Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World). A ridiculous claim when any reasonable claim of fluency would require someone to know *at least* 10000 words in their target language (something I challenge anyone to master in less than two-or-three years - and that's of course forgetting all grammar that must be learnt too).

Wyner doesn't do this. He offers a systematic approach to learning any language, and points to lots of useful online resources along the way.

In my opinion, learning a language involves two main stages: the first is learning enough grammar and vocabulary to watch TV and read books; the second stage is mainly about devouring lots of TV and books. Output, speaking and writing, mostly occurs in the latter stages.

Wyner's book is mostly about how to get to this second stage using smart flash cards. I did something similar, though not as deeply, and it worked really well, and so am very sympathetic to this approach.

I like his emphasis on learning pronunciation early on, which is something I didn't do, and which would have made some things easier. I like his use of visual images, sounds, and the IPA in his cards. That seems great. Where I would differ is the idea that you need to learn a lot of (any?) grammar via cards. Most of this will come naturally just by reading and listening.

My sense is that the techniques presented are mostly useful for learning the first 2000-3000 words in a language, after which use of native materials will take you the rest of the way to full fluency. So for an easier language for English speakers (like German or Spanish) this might take up first twelve months of study. After which you need to close your study deck and systematically start devouring the language.

Overall a very good book.

For another take on language learning, but someone who self-learnt 16 (?) languages I can strongly recommend Polyglot: How I Learn Languages by Kató Lomb. ...more

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Nov 01, 2016 My Tran added it · review of another edition

"At times, a foreign language can feel like a mask. It's a game of make-believe... In these moments, you occasionally catch yourself saying things you never would have said in *your native language*. You're more open. You speak more freely. After all, it's not really you, it's just a game.

But that's not quite true. It is you.
And you can only meet that side of yourself in a foreign language."
----
"Đôi khi, một ngoại ngữ có thể cảm thấy như là một chiếc mặt nạ. Đó là một trò chơi giả vờ... Trong n ...more

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Sep 24, 2017 Netta rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017

If this is your first (and only) book on language learning, it might be very useful. It’ll definitely help you to put in order diffrenet technics that you can use to learn language without pain and desperation. If you have your own successful experience in learning any foreign language, you may pass this book with no regrets. Though as a foreign language teacher by training I still prefer the method I was taught at university. Wyner wittily calls it "an uncontrollable torrent of grammatical desp ...more

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Oct 01, 2014 Walt Bristow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If you’ve ever struggled to learn another language, Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner should be the next book on your reading list. Wyner, an opera singer, learned the techniques of successfully learning another language by learning a number of languages. He now shares the secrets he learned along the way.

There are three keys Wyner eventually picked up that will help you learn another language. Learn pronunciation first. Don’t translate. Use spaced repetition systems. Those keys probably don’t rep If you’ve ever struggled to learn another language, Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner should be the next book on your reading list. Wyner, an opera singer, learned the techniques of successfully learning another language by learning a number of languages. He now shares the secrets he learned along the way.

There are three keys Wyner eventually picked up that will help you learn another language. Learn pronunciation first. Don’t translate. Use spaced repetition systems. Those keys probably don’t represent how you were taught to learn another language. And that’s probably why you were frustrated and didn’t learn that other language very well or very easily.

Wyner mentions those keys are the secret to Mormon missionaries being able to learn other languages. Most of those missionaries spend between 4 weeks and 12 weeks learning a new language. They are then thrown into another country where they have to communicate to survive. And they do. Having spent two years as a Mormon missionary in Germany and then having taught German to other Mormon missionaries after my mission, I can tell you that Wyner is right.

Consider each of those keys. The problem with not learning the correct pronunciation from the beginning is that it’s very hard to unlearn bad pronunciation. Think about someone you know who is trying to unlearn a thick regional American accent. It’s not easy.

Don’t translate. This means you’re not thinking, “What’s the German word for bird?” Instead, you see the image of a bird in your mind and you just know it is a “Vogel.” Wyner suggests, for example, that if you use flashcards, you use cards that have a picture on one side and the word for that picture in your new language on the other — no English. In other words, your mind learns to associate the image of a bird with the word “Vogel” instead of your brain translating “bird” to “Vogel.” It works. It really does.

Use spaced repetition systems. Science long ago showed that you’ll remember something better if you learn it today and then recall it at certain intervals thereafter. Learn it today. Check it tomorrow. Then a week later, then four weeks later, etc. I remember trying to do this with flashcards when I was in high school (years ago when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth). It was hard to keep track of which words and phrases I should be practicing today and how many days forward those cards should then be moved. It’s lots easier today – there’s an app for that. Those apps for your smartphone, tablet and desktop computer do all the heavy lifting for you. (By the way, this principle applies to learning anything – not just languages.)

The book itself is invaluable. However, Wyner has integrated much of what the book teaches into a website, fluent-forever.com, that provides resources to help you learn another language. You will find a list of the 625 most common words, pictures you can use for days of the week, for prepositions and for pronouns. You’ll discover ideas on how to use Google to come up with images (so you don’t have to translate). The website also offers a list of resources for learning a variety of languages – Thai or Arabic anyone? There are instructions on how to use those spaced repetition apps for your smartphone or tablet. And there is a shop where you can buy word lists, pronunciation helps and a variety of other tools to help you in your language-learning journey.

Is the book worth its price? Let’s just say I would have jumped at the chance to have this book when I was trying (unsuccessfully it turns out) to learn French in high school or when I learned German as a Mormon missionary (which was successful). I’ve started using Fluent Forever to improve my German. Maybe I’ll even try another language. Yes, it’s worth the price.

This review was based on a free copy of the book provided by bloggingforbooks.org. ...more

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Aug 14, 2017 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I'm having a bit of information overload. Now I'm going to go back and work through it one chapter at a time. It's an excellent system to learn as quickly as possible with as little effort as possible. There's a heavy emphasis on having fun, too. ...more

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Apr 03, 2019 Ida Sani rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An amazing resource full of tips and tricks for people who are interested in learning languages. I learned a lot from it!

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Jan 27, 2017 Tam rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fic

Quite interesting and makes me feel super motivated. Wyner offers a lot of useful resources for learners to take advantage of for many languages. He made so detailed guide on making flashcards, and compiled his own list of 625 words to start in any language, also found a bunch of books for some most popular languages. I'm very impressed. A little warning, again nothing magical and no shortcut here. You really have to work, and work hard, persistenly.

I totally agree with his approach, which is ro ...more

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Jan 12, 2018 Terri rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: linguistic-studies

This book helped me with my Spanish and I think he has some terrific ideas. I still think a good teacher is the best way to learn a new language but this book has some good insights and knowledge.

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Sep 02, 2017 Staci rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Somewhat flawed and ANNOYINGLY self-promotional, there are some good tidbits of advice:
--Make flashcards using images, not translations description

--Practice your flashcards according to the Leitner system or using an SRS (spaced repetition system) app; for physical flashcards, I simplify the Leitner system by only having five boxes/levels and basing my review schedule off the day of the month, practicing whatever levels would be a factor of that day's date (e.g. if it's the 18th, that would mean levels 1, 2, and 3; the 30th would be 1, 2, 3, and 5; etc.)
--Focus on learning the most common words in the language you're learning, not necessarily the most common in YOUR language (although you might also want to learn the most common words from your language in whatever language you're learning as they're likely to be words you'll want to say often, being words you most likely frequently use)
--Practice writing in your target language (and get it corrected)

I'm not so sure about the reading-a-book-in-the-target-language-while-listening-to-the-same-book-as-an-audiobook-in-that-language thing but I think it sounds like a very interesting idea to try. I also think that rather than watching a TV show dubbed in your target language, despite what Wyner says about modern improved dubbing techniques, it would probably be better to actually watch an original TV show in the target language (i.e. a German show if you're learning German, a Japanese show if you're learning Japanese, etc.) because then you'd also be more likely to be exposed to things in the culture that wouldn't be shown on your native-language TV shows.

Despite the fact that there is some pretty good advice in this book there were also times where I questioned Wyner's advice: sure, it seemed to work for him, but that's not to say that it would work for everybody and Wyner was not the best at pointing to research to back up his claims. Plus he mentions his website quite a lot; he also mentions italki and Middlebury College Language School enough to where you start to wonder if he's sponsored by them or something. ...more

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Dec 13, 2014 Aleksandar rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, non-fiction

I've been a language lover, and an avid Anki user for years, so I feel like this book was made for me.

Many of my cards had translations, but it never occurred to me that using images, and personal connections, would improve memory retention. It totally makes sense, though. As the saying goes, "neurons that fire together, wire together." I've since started doing this, and a few weeks later, I've noticed a statistically significant improvement in my Anki lapses. Something around 10-20%, although i ...more

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Apr 01, 2017 Adam Balshan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-best-in-category, language-acquisition

4.5 stars [Language Acquisition]
Writing: 4, Use: 5, Truth: 4.5.

This book surmounts, at last, Barry Farber's magnum opus of general language-learning. Farber still has the more fun and engaging book, but its datedness requires a 21st-century replacement. Wyner is now what I shall recommend for the determined language student.

Language acquisition books tend to have bombastic titles; Wyner actually delivers. He advocates a glorified flashcard system for learning living languages, but that methodol ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 Théo M. (bookswiththeo) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

A bit repetitive

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May 12, 2021 Isabelle | Nine Tale Vixen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nf-language-writing, wishlist

Having grown up bilingual and studied linguistics, I thought Wyner had a fantastic balance of practical tasks/suggestions and the science behind them — plus emphasis on efficiency over grinding (work smarter not harder), and some genuinely funny jokes too — even phonetics and IPA, which I've struggled with since my first Intro to Linguistics class, is presented in a really approachable way.

That makes this a really useful and (I'm anticipating) effective resource to customize your language learn ...more

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Mar 17, 2022 A Purple Life rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I wish this book had been released when I was in school. The author, Gabriel Wyner, explains how language is learned and how we can twist the things our brains are good at in our favor.

In every chapter he introduces tricks that have allowed him to learn so many languages and the shocking thing is: I have never heard of 90% of them. Never.

This book blew my fucking mind and I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone that's interested in learning another language. ...more

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Jan 30, 2017 Anıl Özselgin rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Just a waste of time.

First of all just repeating flash cards takes 30 minutes daily but preparing them takes really a lot of time. I prepared 1500 flash cards, in the way he describes. On average I spend 5 minutes for each card. Finding a related image, finding a description in the target language or finding an example sentence takes really a lot of time. Each week I prepared 40-50 flash cards. Instead of studying other materials I spend time on that. It didn't really add much value.

Techniques Just a waste of time.

First of all just repeating flash cards takes 30 minutes daily but preparing them takes really a lot of time. I prepared 1500 flash cards, in the way he describes. On average I spend 5 minutes for each card. Finding a related image, finding a description in the target language or finding an example sentence takes really a lot of time. Each week I prepared 40-50 flash cards. Instead of studying other materials I spend time on that. It didn't really add much value.

Techniques are not really time tested. These are just "claims" of the author. And just speaking 20 seconds German is not enough to claim being fluent in German. I can do that too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3MeH...

Monologues are not really showing you are fluent. It shows just you have basic proficiency. A1! Real fluency is sitting in a table with 3 natives speakers and trying to join their conversation.

Thing from easiest to hardest for a language learner:
- Preparing a 20 seconds monologue video and post it to youtube.
- Having a dialogue with another learner of the target language. His accent and words will be easier for you to understand.
- Having a dialogue with a native speaker who speaks slowly and uses basic words.
- Having a dialogue with a native speaker which uses real language.
- Having a lunch/dinner with native speakers and during their chat trying yo understand and speak. I still can not do that in German. And I bet author can not do that.

That book is just another polygot book. Like most polygots the author has just A1 level proficiency in most of the languages.

Let me tell you the story of one of my coworkers who is not a "polygot". He is speaking 4 different languages in the office when he speaks to a coworker fluently, for hours.
The guy is romanian, he speaks romanian with romanians in the office.
He spent his 12 years in spain, he speaks spanish with spanish people in the office. But not just chit chat, real business issues, long discussions.
When some managers come from France he speaks french with them. But for 1 hour and really fast. These managers can speak English.
And he speaks English with rest of the people.
Sometimes he speaks German but not fluent. And how did he learn these languages? The hard and long way: studying, living in these countries. That guy should write a book. And internet polygots should stop claiming they are fluent and try to teach us how to be a polygot. ...more

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About Gabriel Wyner

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Author and founder of Fluent Forever.

Over 1.5 million people have read my material to learn how to speak a foreign language and remember it forever. You may be searching for a way to successfully learn your first foreign language, or you may be looking for more efficient ways to learn your third or fourth language. I'm hoping to give you a set of tools to help accomplish eit ...more

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“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. —Nelson Mandela” — 13 likes

“An accurate accent is powerful because it is the ultimate gesture of empathy. It connects you to another person's culture in a way that words never can, because you have bent your body as well as your mind to match that person's culture. Anyone can learn "bawn-JURE" in a few seconds. To learn how bonjour fits your companion's mouth and tongue; to learn how to manipulate the muscles, the folds, and even the texture of your throat and lips to match your companion's -- this is an unmistakable, undeniable, and irresistable gesture of care.” — 5 likes

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