How to Hack Language Learning

Introduction

Is there a hack to language learning? Is it possible to download all that data into the brain, just as we all learnt our native tongue effortlessly as a child?

Well, there are some Youtubers and websites pointing to the possibility of learning a language in a matter of days.

If a hack to language learning exists, what does it look like? And beyond the method, why do so many of us want to learn a language quickly rather than slowly?

Impressively Titled Youtube Videos

If you’re a language learner, you have probably been bombared by the Youtube algorithm suggesting videos like, “Watch me learn a language in 7 days”, or “Fluent in Mandarin in a month”. Perhaps it’s precisely because the claims are so ridiculous, but every now and again, it’s actually quite tempting to watch one of these videos. We don’t want to shake off that tiny sliver of hope that points to the possibility of someone, somewhere in the world, finding a way to hack language learning forever.

The problem with simply dedicating time to language learning is familiar to anyone who has completed a high school program. If efficient methods exist, why not spread the love?

Well, without simplifying the problem at hand too much, let me simply state that half the problem lies in the attitude towards time.