for this presentation.

Loretta is in town from New York City

So I thought I would take advantage of that

and for anyone who's interested

to hear how she became fluent in Japanese.

L: Hi!

I'm going to talk today about Language Acquisition

and the idea of speaking, more than anything,

Because that's obviously one of the hardest things

that we all try to learn to do.

Writing, Listening, Reading...

those are all different functions but

speaking is particularly difficult most of the time.

And, it shouldn't be!

So, when I first started studying Japanese

I decided to start a YouTube channel

under the name "KemushiChan"

and one of the most common questions I got

now that I was publically speaking Japanese was:

"Why do you study Japanese?"

Why are you studying Japanese?

The answer to that has changed over time

but the was a theme. Basically,

this idea that:"I want to become fluent."

And it only dawned on me a year ago

which is basically 10 years into it,

I don't know what "being fluent" really meant.

I came to the point where I can speak conversationally

I can enjoy going out with friends

but when someone asks "Are you fluent?"

I still don't quite know

if the answer is yes or no.

I didn't even know what "being fluent" is.

But I think it's important for all of us to think of:

Why do you study language?

To think of the goal of what we're studing.

Not just saying "I want to be fluent!"

But what is it that you want to achieve

by studying language.

So I actually want to ask you guys.

Why do you study English?

That's a very big reason!

Like, to be an actor?

to be like... cool?

the personality?

English.... British?

English... American?

Any English is OK. :)

Well, like we said, basically,

the main topics that people tend to focus on are:

There are so many people who will say

"to be fluent!"

to be able to live in this world

and to be fluent

not having any obstacles.

But what is that?

We may not know what being fluent is

but we do know what it is

that get's in the way of becoming fluent.

We all have these common hurdles that we face.

So that's really what's difficult.

You can study all of these things

but still, what is the small bit that is correct?

And how do we keep using the correct ones

and not the incorrect ones.

What this is called is "Native Selection"

But this is something that we want to acquire.

We want to acquire that intuition.

"I know it sounds wrong but I don't know why."

We all try to acquire this skill

but that in itself is very difficult.

So I want to ask a quick little quiz!

But the other ones are a little awkward.

But if you ask a native speaker why

they may not know the rule or the reason

but you just know, that for some reason

these two sound wrong.

Here's another idea of Native Selection

this intuition for what sounds correct:

Past tense!:)

But still, native speakers just know

"Oh, it's HELD not HOLDED."

Another interesting one is this idea of Phonology

what we hear and know what's right and wrong.

For example, in English:

You know that that's not a word

but you know its possibly, it could be a word.

Whereas BNICK is not a word

and could not be a word in English

BNICK is not a sound that would be made in English.

In Japanese, I made these up,

"HASUMERU" ... is not a word.

but it could sounds like Japanese...

whereas, HA-MEU

it definitely can't be a word in Japanese

and it just doesn't even sound like one at all.

Even if these are nonsense

but they still sound possible.

and that intuition of "ITS POSSIBLE"

is what we're trying to zoom in on.

So how do native speakers know this?

Where does this intuition come from?

What is this actual ability that seems so impossible?

Here is our champion!

Noam Chomsky is a philosopher

that's known as the "Father of Modern Linguistics"

and he had this idea that

native speakers have sort of a machine

in their brain that knows exactly

it knows all the rules, this machine can

spit out all the words that are correct

and keep out all the words that are incorrect.

So what is it that's missing

from a non-native speaker?

What is this X-Factor that would make us native?

If it's this automated grammar machine

if it's knowing every rule like the back of your own hand

then maybe, just memorizing grammar

would be the way to become fluent?

Is that right?

NO!

It is NOT correct!

We have so many friends who study from textbooks

they study rules, they study grammar

but the first time they're in a natural speaking environment

Suddenly, all of that doesn't work.

It sounds strange

and that idea that GRAMMAR is not the key

is one confusing element because we think

if we study grammar, we'll be come fluent!

So what is this X-Factor difference?

Is it memorzing grammar?

Is it knowing vocabulary?

But a native child doesn't have a complete vocabulary

they don't know every word

but yet they're still fluent. They're native.

They still have an intuition in their head.

So it's not vocabulary either.

If native speakers don't know every word

and every grammar rule perfectly

Then what is fluency???

If it's not vocabulary or grammar

WHAT IS IT?!

I believe that it is that intuition

that idea that you know something is wrong

you hear it because you have a connection

in your brain of something you've heard in the past.

So for example,

you know that there's a certain

grammar or certain pattern

and you just apply new words

if it's a new vocabulary you can just

insert a new word and still understand

from the context of what you already know.

You have those connections.

There is also the idea of "Ritual Usage"

This basically means that there are

certain times when no matter what

even if the sentence is grammatically correct

it is still not correct in the situation.

For example,

If someone said "Will you marry me?"

This is a set phrase.

But if I said

"It is my deepest desire

to spend the rest of my life with you."

That's another way to say it

that you may not learn in a textbook.

But its situationally from a different context.

A different time, a different context.

For example, Slang.

There are many times

when you'll hear kids say 'WHAT'S UP?"

They may not necessarily

say that in formal situations

so the idea is that

you cannot just simply force yourself

to memorize these grammars and phrases.

And just become fluent.

You have to immerse yourself in these situations.

How do we get to this intuition?

How do we get to this fluency?

One of the most imporant things

that I found in my study

is the idea of realizing that goal

And being very specific with it.

So not just saying you want to be fluent

but specifically,

"I like to cook! "

So I want to be able to cook and explain how I cook

in Japanese.

Or "I like to Knit! "

I want to be able to knit a sweater

and talk about it in Japanese.

Something like that, this idea of

you know exactly why you're learning this language

and you so you do not waste time

it stays very personal

and exciting to you.

Language is personal.

It should always be personal.

and that's the best way

to keep it alive within yourself.

On top of that,

you have to improve your study methods.

Here we have 4 functions of language:

Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading.

Some of you may have heard this before.

But these two on the top

SPEAKING and WRITING are things you create.

These are all proactive.

Whereas LISTENING and READING

are all passive.

These are things where you sit and take it in.

And that's it.

End of story.

What really helped me with my studies.

was focusing mostly on active learning.

So no matter what,

even if I was reading something

I read it aloud.

If I was listening to something

I would still mouth along with it

or repeating.

Or doing something like that.

If you sit here and take in language.

But you never use the muscles

that actually need to produce the language.

If you never use your tongue to speak

if you only use your ears

it's not going to work.

These are separate!

So it's very important to make sure

to always be proactive

when you are studying.

Always bring in new sources.

And find ways to repeat them, mimic them

I have a lot of friends who will ask

How do you speak without thinking about it?

How do you speak without processing it.

It's because I'm NOT thinking.

It's in my tongue's muscle memory.

So I don't have to think!

it's a loss if the 1st time you say something

and you stutter is only because

you've never actually said it aloud before.

If you know the phrase

then you should be able to say it.

and the way to say that is to practice it.

Like Robert De Niro?

If he's your favorite,

then If I were you

I would copy him everyday.

I would copy his every word.

I would memorize his movies.

I would know the lines.

And somehow I would take him on

and become myself.

But that's how I do it.

Thank you! :)