Fluent Forever (Revised Edition): How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It

I've been dabbling in learning a second language for some time now, and always seem to lose steam. I had tried various text books, audio courses, and Anki decks that I found in Anki's database, but never made much progress. That's where Mr. Wyner's book came in. I was initially skeptical, but elected to risk the twelve bucks for a copy after I read a guest post by Wyner on Tim Ferriss' site. In short, it's worth every penny. Other reviews detail what the book is made up of, so for brevity I won't include a detailed list. This book's value, in my opinion, lies in the breadth of techniques Wyner offers the reader. I'm familiar with immersion programs like Middlebury, websites like iTalki, and mnemonic devices, including the PAO system used by memory athletes. However, awareness of such things has only come after years of slogging around on the net, reading books here and there, and talking with professors at my college. Wyner's book would have shaved years off of my own journey into languages, and he includes many more resources I wasn't aware of that are worth the price of the book alone (and that's not even including the FREE resources he links to on his website). Where Wyner truly shines is his mastery of Anki's software. I have used Anki for some basic vocab stuff before, and had made some flashcards for classes before, but nothing nearly so in-depth as what he recommends. Wyner is truly an Anki-ninja, and clearly one of the beneficent ninjas, as he not only extolls its proper use, but also provides tutorials on how to maximize Anki so that one entry can become up to six flashcards, but also how to make web browsers to the mindless work for you. The icing on the cake is the emphasis on auditory and pronunciation training. By focusing on repeatedly testing minimal pairs (words that are *almost* the same that non-native speakers might not hear the difference between), Wyner asserts that we can indeed begin to hear the difference between speech sounds that we had been unable to distinguish before. He demonstrates how to make Anki cards for this sort of practice, but he's also in the process of creating "pronunciation trainers" that work within the Anki framework. I don't mind saying that I've pre-purchased the Russian trainer, which will hopefully be out soon. In closing, this book is a great asset for language learners of all sorts. The author wisely avoids getting bogged down in cases, tenses, declensions, etc, as each language has its own unique set of rules to learn. Instead, he brings to light a number of efficient and effective tools that help the learner to spend their time wisely. Having added about a hundred new words into my Russian vocabulary this week through efficient learning, I'm motivated to learn more.

This is an extraordinarily powerful method for building vocabulary, which is easily the most important part of learning a second language. I’ve been trying to teach myself German over the last six years with little success. (My wife was born in Germany, and we visit every other year). After 5 months of practice 2 or more hours a day with the methods described in this book, I consistently score at advanced levels (C1) on various online tests. The author provides detailed and clear instructions, including videos, on how to use the Anki flashcard software (which is an amazing product in its own right). Using images, sound and even emotion, he shows you how to learn vocabulary so that it truly “sticks.” He also shows how to learn basic grammar without memorizing rules, and his website has a forum where you can get more information from other users. Perhaps most importantly, his methods are moderately fun. At the same time, he does not over promise. He doesn’t claim you can attain mastery in a short time, and he encourages the additional use of other methods. (Sentence based methods have also helped me - Foreign Service recordings from the 60’s and Pimsleur). To make the most of the book, you should also buy the intro 650 word list and the pronunciation trainer - another $20 but still cheaper than most other methods. My only minor criticism is that, even with the Applescript he provides, making the learning cards takes me about 4-6 minutes a word instead of the 2-3 minutes he suggests. It may not sound like much, but by the time you have cards for 2000 words, that is a huge time difference (80 or so hours vs. 150 actual hours). Making the cards is more than 50% of the learning process, so this is by no means lost time, but I do wish I could make them faster. The key question in learning a second language is which method is most efficient. Any method will improve your skills with enough time invested. I can safely say I have tried 10-12 distinct techniques (Rosetta Stone, Memrise, Duo Lingo, Babel etc.), and nothing comes close to the progress I have made with Forever Fluent.

This is a good find for anyone serious about language learning. After bumbling around I had probably come up with about two thirds of the same sort of process described here, and it has certainly saved me a lot of trouble in finding websites (I never was very good at searching the net). It's always nice to have help from someone who has been before you. I really am appreciating the section on using the free Anki flashcard software which I had not known about. It's probably the best free electronic flashcard program out there (at least of the ones that work with Windows), that I know of, and the instructions are helpful. I absolutely agree with the author's basic premise that one cannot learn a language properly without knowing the sounds. Instead of paper flashcards, you can use the electronic ones and even add audio clips. This, along with the Microsoft keyboard Layout Creator, is enabling me to become paper-free and has saved me from a roomful of stacks of paper and notebooks already. (The dictionaries take up quite enough space, thank you!) The MSKLC program enabled me to make one general keyboard for Western European Languages by defining "dead keys", so all I have to do now is switch between one multilingual keyboard and the one for my non-Western language. I mention this because he does not address typing issues in this book, and it is a necessary consideration, especially (for example) when faced with the possibility of having to spend months learning how to write a right-to-left script, and considering that the handwritten forms in some languages differ significantly from the printed ones. And good luck trying to find a textbook on how to do that longhand! So the typing issue is very important. He also discusses using the IPA. I would also recommend the IPA Handbook for anyone looking for the computer codes for the IPA symbols. But for those who have trouble going to the new technology, he also describes how to set up regular paper flashcards, too. According to the author, if one uses paper flashcards, knowing how to use the IPA is even more important. Although the book seems a bit wordy and possibly repetitive at first, it is organized to get the concepts across, which are needed to understand WHY some methods work and others don't.. I really think a young person in school could benefit from a lot of the information here and use it to make more effective use of his study time. The core of the book is really about the effective use of a Spaced Repetition System. An SRS system such as the Anki cards can be used for most any subject, not just languages. The book is really a good buy for the money. It appears the author is planning to generate his real income from the language-training packages he is developing for the phonetics for various languages. I cannot comment on those as he is not working on any packages for a language that I am interested in, according to the website. The language-training packages sound like a phenomenally good idea, though, but as far as it concerns anyone not interested in the ones on the list, he would have to do it the hard way and find a really accurate list of the IPA symbols for his language and learn the sounds from one of the various websites that have IPA sound clips. And find some good lists of words paired up for contrasting "Twin" or sounds or "minimal pairs" and hopefully find a native speaker who can record them for you. Which is what the internet is supposed to be good for: helping you find things, -- and people. I was introduced to the IPA through "Pronounce it Perfectly in French." The Barron's series would work for anyone interested of course, in what they have to offer. So there is a market out there for putting together audio materials for languages other than French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, and Portuguese! In the meantime, I guess we have to do it the hard way. This book is, I think, encouraging for a beginner and also helpful for those who have failed attempts at language learning and couldn't understand why they failed. It certainly helped me when I seemed to have become absolutely stuck in trying to use the internet to find resources for learning my chosen (non-European) language. It certainly gave me a nice boost.

I loved this book! It’s clear, motivating, and full of practical strategies that make language learning feel achievable. I’ve been listening during my commute, and it’s the perfect companion — easy to follow yet packed with useful insights. I’m especially excited to explore the author’s online resources to put the techniques into practice. Highly recommend for anyone serious about learning (and remembering) a new language!

I am giving this book 5 stars, even though I am only halfway through the book, and I have some suggestions that I hope Mr. Wyner can use to make this approach even better! This book is unique because it is written from the perspective of the language learner (as opposed to the teacher). Other reviews detail Mr. Wyner's method, so I will describe my thoughts. I am a native English speaker, and as an adult, I started to learn Italian in my late 20s (and was told I would never be able to learn to roll my r's). I experienced the things Mr. Wyner described, such as (1) learning the incorrect Italian pronunciation, then having to re-learn the correct pronunciation (I eventually learned to roll my r's) and (2) realizing that translating from English to Italian was holding me back and making the effort to think/communicate solely in Italian. Mr. Wyner is clearly very observant and astute to have noticed what works best AND to develop this method! It is a wonderful and practical book! I have two suggestions that would make Mr. Wyner's approach even better, so here they are: Many adults that want to learn another language face time constraints and have trouble attending formal classes. Given this constraint, my first suggestion would be for Mr. Wyner to outline a handy "cheat sheet" and recommended time table of his method, for example: " (1) obtain the list of most frequently used words (which will take 1 hour to find it online), then (2) make flashcards with sounds (which will take 8 hours) and work on these 15 minutes each day, etc...". My second suggestion would be for Mr. Wyner to outline alternative resources for people who don't have time to make flashcards (or he could sell his materials as part of an overall package). For example, since listening to pronunciation is key, I found a free app named Italian Verbs (with a big V) that pronounces each verb conjugation; I have also been looking for dictionary apps with pronunciation that allow you to save a list of your favorite words. These have worked well for me so far. While reading the book, I kept thinking, "If only these materials were ready for me so I could start the learning process now!" Mr. Wyner could also sell these packages of information on his website as his own method; I know Mr. Wyner advocates that everyone make their own flash cards, but I think people can learn off of pre-made materials. For example, there is a school named Parliamo Italiano in New York City, and their founder developed her own materials that stressed conversation, pictures, and practical vocabulary words; those materials, in my opinion, were the most valuable part of that course; similarly, I think Mr. Wyner's materials would also be immensely valuable. I have been so impressed by Mr. Wyner's method, and I have been using them in my everyday life! I can't wait to finish the book, and I might update my review accordingly!

I normally do not review a book before I'm finished with it, but OH MY, this WORKS. this works FAST, EASY. I took 3 years of French & could not really speak/read/write etc. I took 3 years of French and would have still called myself a beginner. I'm currently on chapter 4, but with his method it was like I unlocked everything I'd learned years ago. In 2 days I was thinking in French (granted I already knew it I just never committed it to memory, I think because I was constantly "translating" everything straight back to English, which he says not to do). Luckily I have relatively good pronunciation, so I did not have to redo all that. So far, I love this book, & I will probably update when I am done with it or as I apply the techniques. I also really love that he links to free information and provides some free information on his website. I do not really understand why he does not recommend the See it & Say it in books or Berlitz Self-Teacher books. Those are hands-down my favorite books. Maybe they are not necessary (& I certainly know they are not available in every language :( ), but those keep me invested because I love using them, and they certainly help with my pronunciation & memorization. He mentions Berlitz in the book but says it is not optimal because it does not use the newest tech to help you memorize faster. I use a "good" grammar workbook & the Anki system as he recommends but card creation & workbooks get tedious & boring, I really have to limit my time with these so I can keep going in the long run. I do enjoy the audio parts of Anki, but I feel like it takes a lot of time to find & fill in all the information for card creation. Card reviews are not bad at all though. I suppose it would probably take longer to draw pictures on physical cards though.

I am still in the process of reading the book, but I have implemented many of the learning strategies and it has EXPONENTIALLY increased the speed of which I am learning my target language (Russian). Instead of teaching you a language, this book teaches you HOW to learn a language. Since language learning is exploratory in nature, and a very personal journey, Gabriel gives you many fantastic strategies to language learning, with enough structure to guide you in the right direction, but enough leeway to personalize to what works for your own individual brain. It's written in a very easy to read manner, and cuts right to the chase. I've read single chapters in this book which I utilized for weeks to months of language study before moving on to the next chapter in the book. I am personally using a different program for flashcards than the Anki that he recommends in the book. I am using SmartCards+ (iOS) which is an app exclusively on mobile, I believe. I am using this app, while waiting for the official Fluent Forever app to release. ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING to know for anyone thinking about purchasing the book is - simply reading this book won't result in you knowing a language. Think of this book as more of a manual on how to learn a language - but then you have to go out and do the learning and daily practice. I use this book as a huge supplement to many other ways that I engage in my target language, such as speaking with friends, texting them in the target language, watching shows, listening to music, studying other language programs, etc.

This book actually may rate five stars among highly left-brained people (mathematicians, professional organizers) but fewer than three for the right-brained among us (artists, dreamers, adventurers). While I hoped this book would help me build on an intermediary knowledge of German, it proved totally confusing, unhelpful, and annoying. Gabriel Wyner is a bright and engaging writer, so much so that I actually spent some serious time with this book. I even went so far as to buy the requisite index cards and dividers and place them into a shoebox, with the intention of following his instructions. These include reviewing key words and phrases from the language you hope to learn and re-reviewing the cards at specific intervals. It sounded ok initially, though obsessive-compulsive and a little bit like Weight Watchers. The thing is, there is no way I am ever going to follow such a regimented system, that includes seven levels of review and mastery spread out over 64-day cycles. It just isn’t going to work for someone (and I can’t be the only one) who doesn’t use an alarm clock and whose lifestyle is roughly classified as “spontaneous procrastination.” About halfway through this book, my eyes glazed over and my brain went numb. The author jumps from the science behind memory, to bits and pieces of a Spaced Repetition System, to pronunciation, then directs the reader to five appendices with two variations on frequency lists and many delightful drawings of the epiglottis and 11 possible locations of your tongue and lips. Back and forth, forth and back: I began to experience vertigo (not one of the 625 words we need to master). If you like to scrawl long logarithms on graduate-school blackboards, or create your own computer motherboard in the garage, or play postcard chess simultaneously with a dozen physicists, then you may find this a user-friendly guide for learning another language. As for me, I came dangerously close to carpal tunnel flipping back and forth between chapters and appendices, my Leitner (index card) box and my main language learning system. Yes, there is an online version of this as well, for those who find that 9 or 10 hours a day staring at a computer screen for work and personal use just isn’t enough. I would say, save your money on this book, and stick with a good language learning system from Fluenz, Berlitz, or Rosetta Stone (I like Fluenz, though it needs a printed book to supplement the CDs). Check out the research on how people remember things: regular reviews of your progress in learning a language should work just fine. Learning a language isn’t rocket science, but this book is.

الطباعه واضحه و الحجم كويس اكبر من الكتب العاديه، مشكلة الورق خفيف و اي هايلايتر يوضح من خلف الورقه، غير هذا الكتاب جميل و انصح فيه

I was born in the US, which means I was proficient speaking English but no other languages. I moved to Europe, and learned German the "hard way," meaning that I did it without really taking meaningful lessons, speaking English most of the time but wanting to speak German. Then I learned a smattering of Russian via audiotapes, which worked ok for directions and restaurants (my husband would like more milk) but not so much for conversation. Now I have taken a job in Slovakia, and there just are not many resources out there for a "small" language with many bigger cousins. Cue Fluent Forever. Positive: 1. I really enjoyed reading the book and the author's style. Light hearted and funny. Really a joy to read 2. I am 100% sure that the system will work as advertised. completely convinced that someone will learn a language in record time. Neutral (real life) 1. There are no shortcuts in life. Same here. The system requires to painstakingly create flashcards by hand or via a program called Anki. And then practice daily. The end result will be to learn the language as quickly as possible. It is just A LOT OF WORK. And that is the difficulty. It takes an incredible amount of discipline to use this system. Negative 1. The web tool the author recommends - forvo.com - no longer allows the downloading of audio files for the correct pronunciation. Not a dealbreaker by any means, but it would be nice if the author updated the website to indicate this. I have started and stopped several times. I am starting again now. It might be easier when learning the language is an absolute necessity, or for a person of leisure who has extra time to drudge away creating and practicing flashcards. The reality (for me) is that the international language of business in English, so it difficult to justify the time investment because I want to build a business and want to devote as much time as possible to that, let alone spend quality time with my family. Having said that, I would recommend this book without reservation for anyone who REALLY WANTS to learn a language. Having tried a few different ways to get somewhat proficient at a few languages, this way is certainly the best that I have experienced. If only I could do it myself.

I was slightly sceptical about this book prior to buying/reading as I thought it might not be that beneficial due it’s bias about learning and remembering “any” language rather than just the specific language I am studying, but wow – how wrong am I. This book is an invaluable resource that explains what happens in your mind when you learn a language, and how you can train your mind to be far more efficient, and therefore learn far more than you could without having read the book. In a very simple style, and in places rather humorous text which makes this book fun to read, the author takes you through the processes of what happens in your mind when you learn a new language, and how you can overcome your minds “natural barriers” to learning. By explaining each process or learning stage in detail, and often with well researched (but not overly complicated) examples and charts, the author lays a strong and logical foundation which you can use to start efficiently learning your chosen language or subject. The main methodology emphasises the creation and use of flashcards as the key aid to learning, which might sound tedious and a route that you might have attempted previously, but the author takes the time to explain the benefits and why this process is important. It also allows you to determine your individual learning speed as you can select the words or areas of interest that you want to study and focus on, and also takes you through the process of building the flashcards themselves (in either electronic or paper based format) – as ever, there are pros and cons with each, but again the book will highlight the drawbacks and advantages of each, and allow you to make an insightful decision about which media will be the most beneficial to your leaning style. The layout of the book was also perfect for me, nice short chapters and sections that encouraged you to continue reading, but which also provided natural “stopping” points to review and take in what you have read. The book is also full of fun facts and trivia about language (again, it gives many different examples of all languages rather than focusing on just the one) and the format works incredibly well on my Kindle Paperwhite, with no distorted text (even when using Chinese or Russian lettering) and clear easy to read tables, charts and images. A couple of points worth mentioning, these are not negatives about the book but just something to be aware of: Firstly the book is shorter than I expected, the first 2/3 is the actual text of the book while the second 1/3 is reference material based on the first section (i.e. how to make flashcards, the key 625 words to learn first etc.), however, I still felt the main body of the book was in enough detail and didn't leave me feeling short changed by my purchase. Secondly, the text often directs you to the author’s website for additional resources such as short videos or pronunciation guides. This might sound like a marketing ploy, but is actually very beneficial – the website is a treasure trove of free information and advice, and also has sections for each language so you can focus on the your specific area of study (i.e. for me it’s Russian). Used in conjunction with the book, the website will add considerable depth to your study. This book is an absolute essential if you are just about to start learning your first foreign language. It will help you understand your minds learning process, and what natural barriers stand in your way. It will provide you with clear and concise targets that will help form the “backbone” of your study, and take you through each stage with well researched and logical techniques which are also rather fun. The book effortlessly explains everything you need to start learning, and most importantly for me, it gives me the confidence, knowledge and enthusiasm required to approach learning my desired language. A really well thought out book that should be an integral part of anyone’s language learning toolkit.

While this book does not teach you any language, it does teach you a strong process for going about to learn your language of choice. The first bit is how memory works, not so much a mnemonic memory system like Harry Lorrayne or Domenic O'Brien, but rather the basics of memory such as cramming for tests and the results thereof. The idea it presents, is that the longer we go before attempting to recall information, the better it will stick in the long-term (if we're still able to recall that information). The core of the book is a memory technique called SRS (something like Strategic Recall System). We basically construct flash cards, with an image on one side and our word (or phrase, gender, context, grammatical rule, etc) on the other. There are several 'levels' in the system, with new material placed into 'level one' on a daily basis. Anything that is reviewed successfully moves up to the next level. Anything that has been forgotten gets moved back down to level one. Level one is cleared each day (worked through until everything is in level two). Over time, various levels are worked... Day 1, do Levels 1 and 5. Day 2, do Levels 1 and 3 and 7... (or whatever, I just made those up). The rotation is complete every 64 days. If you remember something successfully, at successively greater delays, after enough repetitions it is part of your long-term memory. Anything that was previously remembered but has been forgotten, will be easier to learn the second time (as demonstrated in the early sections of this book), so having the answer to whatever you're attempting to recall... available as an immediate reminder (on the opposite side of your flash card), reinforces the connection. This book details where to get your images, which words to go for first, which languages are easiest/hardest for a native English speaker (which doesn't imply you cannot go for a harder language first). It details the importance of the sounds of the language, and how to learn to differentiate between (currently) very similar sounds, until your ear naturally recognizes the distinction between them. It (and the authors website) has free recommendations on tools (not free) for your language, for example a pronunciation guide, and grammar guide, a phrase book, a frequency dictionary, etc... that are good options for your language. The author's site has free tools, for listening to numerous languages. The approach is logical and the reasons for that approach are explained. I've decided to pick up French and Spanish, as an exercise in keeping my mind active. I'm already looking ahead to which additional languages I'd like to do next.

The best book on language. Must buy