How to Learn a Language Using Comprehensible Input

Jumping head first into a completely new mental model of language learning can be overwhelming. This video series is designed to help you understand the basics of the input based method and how to get started.

1. What is Comprehensible Input?

In our first video we discuss the basics of what comprehensible input is and how it works.

2. How Should it Feel to Listen?

It can feel funny at first to listen to content in a language you’re not familiar with and not understand everything. But this is normal and expected. It’s how your brain learns. In this video we discuss what comprehensible input should feel like.

3. The Importance of Compelling Content

In this video I discuss why content can’t just be comprehensible, it needs to be compelling. When content bores you, you can become distracted and the content you’re listening to can end up shooting right past you.

4. But What About Grammar & Vocab?

A natural question for those coming from a more traditional language learning approach is “but what about grammar and vocabulary?” In this video I discuss how these come naturally through exposure to comprehensible input.

5. Why Speaking Isn’t as Important as You Think

A lot of language courses focus on having you speak early before you really understand the language. In input based learning, speaking is thought of as a natural product of acquiring the language. Here I explain how this works.

6. How Long Does it Take to Learn a Language?

Our perspectives on how long it takes to learn a language are warped heavily by ‘shocking the natives’ content. In this video I dispel the myths and explain how long it actually takes to become comfortable in your target language.

7. What is Crosstalk?

Crosstalk is input based learning at its best. In this video I explain a bit about what it is and how it works.