U.S. Diplomats' Unique Language Learning Method for Proficiency

U.S. diplomats master foreign languages through an intensive, unique method for rapid, effective communication.

### Effective Language Learning: A Unique Method for Rapid Acquisition
* 🗣 U.S. special diplomatic personnel utilize a unique language acquisition method developed at the Foreign Service Institute to achieve **native-level skills quickly** due to the demands of their missions.
* 📚 This study method involves a systematic approach that includes **topic selection**, **intensive speaking practice**, and **iterative upgrading of language skills** throughout the week.
* 🔍 In the preparation phase, learners choose a focused topic once a week, ensuring it is **relevant to their conversational needs**, such as **remote work** in this example.
* ✍ The first step is to practice speaking about the chosen topic without using dictionaries, which helps identify **current skills and areas for improvement**, emphasizing **communication over grammatical accuracy**.
* 💻 The second step involves **gathering input materials** from websites or videos related to the topic, allowing learners to **organize useful expressions** that will aid in future conversations.
* 🔄 The third step focuses on **memorizing and practicing these expressions in chunks**, promoting **more natural speech patterns** rather than rote memorization of complete sentences.
* 🚀 This method enhances retention and understanding of complex grammar through familiar contexts, making it easier to **integrate new knowledge into existing frameworks** in the brain.
* 📅 With just 100 days left in the year, the speaker encourages **consistent daily practice** using this effective study method to ensure a **rewarding and fulfilling year ahead**.

U.S. special diplomatic personnel do not typically learn foreign languages in the conventional way. They have a unique method for language acquisition. This study method was developed at the Foreign Service Institute, where these special diplomats receive their training. They cannot afford to waste time; they need to achieve native-level foreign language skills in a very short period. They have their missions to fulfill, and for those missions, they need the ability to use their foreign language skills to, in a sense, overwhelm the native speakers they interact with and adjust the situation accordingly. So today, we will also learn this study method together. I frequently use this method with my students. While it is quite an intensive study approach, it is effective and leads to real improvements in English proficiency. Therefore, it serves as the foundation for this program.

First, I will show you the original study method. After that, I will present an upgraded approach that makes this study method easier using the latest technology. Once I have explained the study method, I will tell you exactly why you should use it and what benefits you can gain from it. Finally, I will provide some tips for this study method. 

So, let's start by studying with the original method. We need to gather our materials and get ready to study. In the preparation phase, step zero, you need to choose a topic. You only need to do this step once a week because we will practice upgrading the same topic throughout the week. However, you should not choose a topic that is too broad. It’s better to select a more focused, smaller topic. Also, if I have the opportunity to meet a native speaker, it’s advisable to choose a topic that I might actually use in conversation.

So, in my case, I chose the topic of remote work. This is because I often work from home, and it has brought many challenges when I actually meet people. Therefore, choose a small topic, something that I might actually use in conversation. Now, the first step! Imagine there is someone else in front of me, and I will try to speak as long as possible about the topic I have chosen. You shouldn’t check any dictionaries or translators without preparation. This is important because I need to know what my current skills are. I also need to understand what I need and what I lack, and by having a conversation or giving a speech, I will immediately feel what I am missing. And when giving a speech, please, please do not think about mistakes. We should not think about mistakes while practicing speaking.

We need to think about communication. So, when I practice like this, even if I make grammatical mistakes, it's okay as long as the other person can understand what I'm trying to say. Now, let me give it a try. But here's the problem: I already speak English, so I can give this kind of speech anytime. Therefore, if I just rely on my current skills, it might not be obvious that I'm upgrading. So, let's create a speech with sentences that an intermediate learner might use. I've been working from home for many years, and I don't really like it. I only like that I don't have to commute. But when I was working in the office, I usually finished at 6 PM or 7 PM. And after finishing, I could relax; I could take a rest. But after working from home, I don't feel I can finish at 6 or 7 PM. I always work until late at night. And I feel I can never take a break. So I feel really tired. Well, an intermediate learner might have expressed something like this. So, intermediate level learners might have similar experiences when they want to express their thoughts.

It can be expressed simply in such straightforward sentences, but it’s not easy to accurately and precisely convey exactly what I want to say. This is because we lack precise expressions and a bit more sophisticated grammar, which means we can’t express what we want as we wish. Therefore, we are going to upgrade our speech now. This second step is about upgrading our English skills. When we try to improve our foreign language skills, it doesn’t happen by thinking in our heads and creating something. The materials for this upgrade come from outside, through English input, and we activate those materials in that way. So, we need to find input materials related to our topic now. For this study method, I will use input materials.

Sometimes I use YouTube videos, but I think using websites is the simplest option. I will find websites related to the topic I selected and read the articles on those websites, organizing expressions that I think will be helpful for me. And there’s nothing particularly special about the websites; I just search on Google to find articles related to my topic. Since my topic is about working from home, I will search using keywords like work from home and disadvantages since many people struggle with remote work. I will search for articles this way. After finding articles, I will write down and organize expressions that I might use regarding working from home in my notes. Since I have already done some speaking practice and I'm interested in the topic, it will be easy for me to feel, Oh, I can express it this way too. In this process, you will be able to organize many useful expressions related to working from home.

And so, the expressions I've organized will be continuously used in the next steps and in the future as we upgrade them. In this stage, we are only organizing; the learning will take place in the next stage. However, the problem arises when I try to study with lower-level learners, as reading websites can be difficult. So, what I do is find a website, copy the text, and ask ChatGPT to simplify it. This way, the content remains the same, but ChatGPT replaces difficult words or expressions with simpler words and easier expressions. So, it's better to do it this way. Don't directly ask ChatGPT to create content for you, as it often doesn't turn out satisfactorily. Instead, take proper content from a website and simply ask ChatGPT to simplify it for you.

If I can read at a level I understand, it will yield very good input material. While reading the content of this website, I was able to gather many useful expressions for conversations about remote work. However, we haven't mastered these expressions just by writing them down in a vocabulary list. So now, in the third step, we need to learn the expressions we've covered today to some extent. Memorization is the best approach. However, if memorization doesn't suit your study style, I think it would be good to read the expressions written here a couple of times and practice them a bit. So, in this third step, we will learn these expressions. As you can see, I don't write down the entire sentences in my vocabulary list. Many people misunderstand this part. When you write the entire sentence, it becomes difficult to memorize.

When we speak, we don't talk word by word. We also don't speak sentence by sentence. We speak in chunks, phrases, or clusters of words. So, we connect two expressions to create a sentence or, while speaking a sentence, we incorporate expressions we've learned. In this way, we combine the expressions and clusters of words we know to form sentences. For example, maintain a healthy work-life balance, I need to maintain a healthy work-life balance, may cause you to feel overworked, and I always feel overworked. After learning the new expressions today, we will start again from step one. We will do an iterative process and go back to step one to practice upgraded speaking on the same topic. We will begin from the first step. This time, I will practice using the new expressions I learned: I've been working from home for a long time, and It's difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

So, you end up working until late at night. Therefore, the second speech has been slightly upgraded. However, it will still be lacking. So, we are going to upgrade it a bit more. And what do we need for the upgrade? We need to input new materials and practice to activate those materials. So now, in the second step, we will input and bring in new materials on the same topic, continuing with the same theme! Therefore, the expressions will be repeated continuously in various situations. Now, the second step is finished. Again, while reading the website, I wrote down useful expressions that can be used when speaking about this topic in my vocabulary list. So now, we will move to the step of learning these expressions. Physically apart from. You are physically apart from your colleagues. But no one is interrupting. No one is interrupting. And I have to say I do enjoy the freedom and flexibility.

To overcome this, you need to remove disruptions. But there are so many things I hate about it. Well, let's start with the things I like about it. Regularly organize your workspace. I need to regularly organize my workspace. When I was working in the office, I would finish at 6, and it was easy to shift gears. I could physically step away from work. But after I started working from home without the structure of an office day, I find it really difficult to switch off in the evening. I can't get out of the work mindset. Because of this, the line between my work life and my home life is totally blurred. First, you need to identify your priority tasks. As many of our viewers know, we are currently conducting a 300-day English study challenge. So, for those participating in the challenge, if you want to improve your speaking skills more quickly, it’s good to use this study method. And as the main sponsor of the 300-day challenge, Speak is supporting us. Since many of our viewers are using Speak, I will show you how to use this study method with the Speak app, because when you use Speak, you can apply the same study method.

We can do it faster and more easily. We can get help right from the topic selection. As you know, Speak offers a wide variety of speaking practice types, and we will use this Language Island strategy during our practice. Click on 'Topics' and then click the 'Advanced' button. Here, you'll find topics like 'AI and Free Talking.' It's important to choose a very small topic when doing this practice. If you look here, all of them are small topics. So, you can choose one of them to practice. Today, let's talk about the topic of 'Remote Work.' 

Now, the first step is to have a conversation about the chosen topic without any preparation. During the conversation, there will probably be many words and expressions that I need but don't know. That's normal. In fact, during our first conversation, we often realize what we are missing.

You need to know what you need, right? Instead of worrying about it separately, if we have a conversation, I can immediately understand what I need. So, the first conversation will probably be simpler and shorter than I expected. And there will likely be many mistakes. But don't stress too much because we will be upgrading continuously over the week. So, it doesn't matter what my skills are right now. What's important is how much my skills will improve by the end of the week. So, please don't feel too stressed. 

Have you been working from home recently? What do you think about it? I've been working from home for over 10 years, and I really hate it. I understand. I worked from home during the pandemic, and it felt lonely. What do you miss most about working in an office? It's really difficult to maintain a work-life balance. What about you? It was great chatting with you today. Have a wonderful day! 

In the second step, we will find input materials on this topic and use those materials to...

We were upgrading our skills, and when using Speak, there is no need to look for separate materials. This is because the conversation we had with a native speaker provides very valuable input. Therefore, I will use what Speak told me as input material. One of the advantages of Speak is that we can review the conversations we had with it. If you want, there is an option to save the conversation itself, making it very easy to review later. However, this time, I would like you to write down some notes on paper or on a computer. This is because when we practice speaking again, we will refer to the notes we made here. So now, while looking at the conversation that Speak had with me, I will consider what I can learn from it when I talk about this topic.

I will check if there are any words or phrases that might be helpful for me. The phrase hard to switch off seems to be something I need. So, if necessary, I will write it down in my notebook. Set a schedule also seems like a useful phrase. I think I will often use the expression set specific work hours. I can also use this. So, while looking at what Speak told me, I have noted down words and expressions that might help me when I talk about this topic next time. In the third step, I will read the useful expressions I noted down from the conversation I just had with Speak two or three times. While reading, I will think about how I can effectively use these new expressions when having a conversation on the same topic next time. I will practice the expressions I learned while talking with Speak.

Now, I will start from Step 1 again. So, I will have a conversation about the same topic as before. This time, I will try to use as many of the new expressions I learned as possible. Of course, I may not be able to use all of them, but I will do my best. Nobody sets a schedule. I dislike a long commute. I tried to set specific work hours. I need to set strict work hours. They often run overtime. If I can't finish all my work... I tried to resolve most issues over... I struggle to set boundaries. So, there are a lot of last-minute adjustments. Because it's easy to update. If you look closely, this study method is a complete rocket-level speed learning technique because the principles used in this method are ideally suited to brain learning. As we study with this method, we will encounter many new vocabulary expressions and grammar. However, the key is whether this new knowledge can stay in our minds. When our brain encounters new knowledge, that new knowledge interacts with the existing knowledge in our heads.

If it is unrelated, it doesn't stick in our minds and is difficult to remember. However, when we study using this method, we repeatedly go through the first, second, and third steps. Each time we revisit the same topic, our knowledge system and knowledge network about that topic become more firmly established in our minds. So, when we encounter new knowledge related to this topic, that new information easily integrates into the existing knowledge and network in our brains, making the speed of memorization about ten times faster. You may have experienced this: you have studied and possess that knowledge, but because you studied it in such a passive way, it remains as passive knowledge. Later, when you want to use it, you find that you can't, because we have this passive knowledge.

In order to actually use what you've learned later on, you need to activate it somehow. However, learners often don't do this and aren't sure how to go about it. This study method inherently includes activation elements. So, as we learn new knowledge, we immediately activate and use it, which means that when the time comes for you to actually use it, you will be able to do so. 

From my perspective, the most important advantage is that when we become familiar with a particular topic, we can understand difficult grammar or nuanced meanings much more easily through that familiar topic. This is because complex grammar or difficult nuances are hard to grasp through explanations alone. We can learn these complicated linguistic structures or nuances more effectively when the surrounding context is familiar; then, those difficult grammar points will stand out to us, just like putting together a puzzle.

To solve a difficult puzzle, the surrounding pieces need to be in place first. When the surrounding pieces are familiar and properly arranged, the final challenging piece becomes more apparent. However, if the topic is unfamiliar and there are difficult words and expressions around, the complex grammar will not stand out. Since we have already learned this topic repeatedly, the words, expressions, and surrounding context are familiar, making it easier to notice the difficult grammar when it appears. If we understand complex grammar through a familiar topic, we can carry that understanding over to different topics in the future. Thus, I use this method to work through one topic, then move on to the second, and then the third.

As I move on, my knowledge is snowballing. However, to truly experience what I just mentioned, you need to study using this method. And do you know? There are exactly 100 days left until the end of this year. So, if you haven't yet made 2024 a valuable and fulfilling year, if you study a little bit every day using this intensive and effective study method for the next 100 days, you can definitely make 2024 a rewarding year. This is your last chance; we shouldn't wait until New Year's Day. The only way to meaningfully change our lives is to change or add habits in our daily routine. And let me give you a tip: in the first step, the speaking stage, you have the vocabulary you wrote down from your input materials.

You can practice by looking at useful words and expressions. However, this is not about creating sentences in advance and reading them. It's also not about memorizing complete sentences for speaking practice. This exercise involves immediately composing sentences in your head and speaking them out loud. The most challenging part is composing sentences on the spot while speaking; it can lead to buffering and cognitive overload, which is difficult. However, this kind of practice is necessary for improvement later on. You can use a vocabulary list and apply those expressions in your head while speaking. But again, it's not about preparing sentences in advance for speaking practice. Additionally, from September 23rd to 30th, there is a special promotion for Speak. If you're interested, please check the details in the more information section or in the pinned comments.

미국 특수 외교관들이 외국어를 빠르게 배우는 특별한 방법 알려드릴게요 [300 project]

런던에서 온 런던쌤이에요~

2008년부터 지금까지 한국에서 살고 있어요. 이 채널은 영어를 공부하시는 분들을 위해서 영상을 제작해서 공유해드립니다. 정기적으로 라이브도 진행하고 있어서, 편하게 참여하고 질문하시면 됩니닷~♬

성인이 되어서야 영어를 배웠어요. 그리고 한참 뒤에 한국어를 배웠어요. 그러는 과정에서 한국 분들이 영어를 배울 때 얼마나 고생하는지, 어떤 포인트에서 힘들어하는지, 그리고 어떻게 쉽고 편하게 습득할 수 있을지를 조금이나마 알고 있다고 생각을 해요. 

그런 노하우와 방법 등을 공유해드리기 위해서 채널을 만들었어요.

☞ 영어 비원어민, 영어 원어민화 되다
☞ 성인이 되어서 배운 영어로 런던에서 대학교를 다니다 (Computer Science 우수생 졸업)
☞ 런던대학에서 한국 역사 & 어학을 배우다
☞ 영어 교육 (선생님) 자격증 TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) 획득 (우수생)
☞ 한국어능력시험 최상급 (6급) 획득
☞ 한국의 A 국립대학교 정치외교학과 석사 (한국어로 수업, 그리고 한국어로 논문 작성 및 발표 / 한국정치사)
☞ 현직 프로 통번역가로 활동 (한/영)

비즈니스 문의: london.teacher7@gmail.com


런던쌤

Unique Language Acquisition Method for U.

special diplomatic personnel use a unique and intensive method for language acquisition, developed at the Foreign Service Institute, to achieve native-level skills quickly.

The approach involves selecting a focused topic, practicing speaking without relying on dictionaries, and prioritizing communication over perfect grammar.

The method is effective in improving language proficiency and is also being upgraded with the latest technology for easier learning.

Improving English skills requires external input, such as articles from websites, rather than just thinking in one's head.

The author plans to search for articles related to working from home and organize helpful expressions in their notes.

To assist lower-level learners, the author uses ChatGPT to simplify difficult texts from websites, making the content more accessible.

Upgrading Speaking Skills Through Iterative Practice

Speaking is done in chunks and phrases, not word by word.

The process involves combining learned expressions to form sentences, with a focus on maintaining a healthy work-life balance while working from home.

The practice includes inputting new materials and using a vocabulary list to learn useful expressions, ultimately leading to a conversation about the chosen topic of 'Remote Work' without preparation.

The initial conversation with Speak will be simple and short, with a focus on skill improvement over the week.

Working from home for over 10 years has been challenging, with difficulties in maintaining a work-life balance.

Speak offers valuable input through conversations, with the option to review and save them for later use, while also providing useful phrases and expressions for future discussions.

The study method emphasizes setting strict work hours and resolving issues efficiently, while also allowing for last-minute adjustments.

It uses a repetitive approach to reinforce knowledge, making memorization ten times faster by integrating new information with existing knowledge.

The method also includes activation elements, allowing learners to immediately use new knowledge, which helps them retain and apply it effectively later on.

A familiar and properly arranged context makes it easier to understand difficult grammar.

Repeatedly learning a topic helps snowball knowledge for future subjects.

The next 100 days offer a chance to make 2024 fulfilling through daily study, with a focus on on-the-spot sentence composition for speaking practice.