My ‘River’ Method of Learning Languages Works so Well, It’s Scary

Flow with the current, don’t fight it

Image generated by Microsoft AI with prompts by the author

Thanks to 2,000 plus hours of learning Finnish over 2 years, I discovered a strategy that works scary well for any language.

The only challenge is you’ll have to fight your instincts at the beginning. This strategy goes against all conventional logic. But once you see it working, you’ll never “swim upstream” in a language ever again.

The good news is this strategy is a supplement, not a replacement for your preferred language learning style. Keep your apps. Keep your textbooks. Keep your learner podcasts or “language tapes.” Study how you want to study.

You’re just going to change the order of operations a bit. These “hairline” moves are what make or break your language journey.

How I discovered this strategy with Finnish

The unique challenge of Finnish is its 3 languages: kirjakieli (written language), yleiskieli (standard language), and puhekieli (spoken language).

Finnish has several different spoken dialects, each with their unique grammar and vocabulary. To facilitate official communication, a universal language standard is used, which is kirjakieli. Yleiskieli is the spoken version of…