SOFTWARE AND AI ARE PREVENTING YOU FROM LEARNING A LANGUAGE

As a language student, you have probably tried entrusting AI or some language-learning software with your learning somewhere down your path. Granted, many apps out there can be useful in acquiring basic vocabulary, and they can probably help you break the ice for the first week or so. After that, however, they soon become flawed and sloppy. And it couldn't be otherwise because they're machines.

I'm not going to name any names, so don't even ask. But let's take the one that starts with a D. and ends with -uolingo just because it's one of the most popular. You first begin with very simple sentences involving the verb "to be" regardless of the language. Then it goes on with quizzes, then exercises where you're supposed to repeat a single word, phrase, or sentence and a software checks your pronunciation. You soon realize that much of the vocabulary it makes you work with is completely useless--at least at the initial stage you find yourself in (we're talking words like 'wyzard' and other odd ones).

Anyway, you do the exercises, learn the extremely limited vocabulary it gives you along with incomplete verb forms and tenses, develop no method whatsoever, and then one day the whole app suddenly explodes in a flourish of bling-blings, fireworks, and congratulatory statements. You completed the first step. On you go to the next one, and you feel super-motivated. You're nailing it, you're on your way to learning a language!

Except that you're not. At level fifty-six, you feel like you're slumped. You realize you've reached a plateau. In fact, up to now you have learned nothing except for some scattered words here and there, a sentence or two that you struggle to remember--let alone repeat--and one or two forms of a couple of verbs (in one tense). You have nothing to even remotely get by on in any practical situation. Isn't that deceit? If you paid for the service, then, calling it a scam is not too far-fetched.

In the meanwhile, however, you started to lose faith. You're almost convinced that you and foreign languages are two worlds apart. In other words, you're now concluding you're inherently not good enough to learn a language and never will be. And once you start believing that, you won't easily snap out of it.

Then why are apps, AI, and language-learning software so appealing?

For one thing, they promise a lot, and everybody likes quantity. Then they promise it fast, and everybody likes to get it fast. Then they promise it easy, and oh don't we all like to get things effortlessly.

That's a great combo: everything, now, easy.

But here's the thing: if you know that everything, now, easy won't ever make you your first million, and that it sounds too good to be true for virtually everything else, then why would you expect to learn a language that way? Everything, now, easy is enemy number one of every job done well and of every success story.

I know you feel like you should take advantage of the technology, but that should be done smartly and with a method. AI and the types of software out there are never going to teach you a language; all they do is learning it so you don't have to. Software and AI are truly preventing you from learning a language.

So here's what you can--and should--do: ditch all language apps, delete D. and the one that starts with B. and ends with abbel--or anything that promises you a language in 30 days.

Then, get serious. Use YouTube to watch documentaries in your target language. If it's Italian, RAI has a website where you have partial access to programs, shows, and series in Italian. Browse online newspapers in Italian and read the articles you care about. You don't have to understand everything. Watch movies in Italian. If you don't have access to the new ones, watch the classics; you'll find them everywhere. Whenever you google something, if it's about anything Italian then make sure you read or watch it in Italian. If you're traveling to Italy, test yourself by reserving a hotel room or asking for information over the phone in Italian. And any speaking practice you do, always do it ALOUD.

I know what you're thinking: "it's hard. It's going to take me out of my comfort zone. And 'over the phone?' What are you thinking?"

Well, I'm thinking straight and free from delusions (about this, at least). And out of your comfort zone is exactly where you should be if you're going to learn.

So there's that.

And this is The JP Method.