Absolutely. The main difference in my approach comes down to how intentionally I manage my resources — whether that’s books, online tools, or specific lessons.
For German, I use a grammar book (Grammatik Aktiv) that focuses on vocabulary with concise explanations and examples. Then I use AI to generate a short story centered specifically on that chapter’s vocabulary. I import those texts into LingQ to review them — I read them aloud, listen to the audio, and look up words when needed — but I also make sure to write them out by hand. I’ve found this last step incredibly helpful. In the past, I didn’t do that, and it was frustrating to understand a word but be unable to spell it or pronounce it correctly.
I focus on just two chapters per week to avoid burnout and to ensure there’s enough repetition. I also use videos like Nicos Weg, but I stick to shorter clips so I can fully process the material instead of rushing through it.
With English, my approach was different. I studied grammar for a short period of time, just enough to understand the core tenses — mainly the essentials like the present, past, and future. I used to write sentences and modify them on my own; nowadays, AI makes that process much smoother and more efficient.
If I could change one thing about how I learned English, it would be not rushing the process. With German, I’ve been much more patient. I avoided going too deep too soon, even though I did some early research to understand how the language works structurally.
I also prioritized listening and reading. While I did acquire a significant amount of vocabulary over time, the process was much slower than what I’m doing now. As I mentioned before, that eventually led to some fossilization. Looking back, I realize I could have progressed much faster with a more structured approach.
I do find shadowing helpful, but I prefer not to dedicate too much time to it. As for labelling objects around my home with stickers, it never made a real difference for me — and I’m not particularly drawn to using Anki either.
In summary, my current methodology prioritizes a conceptual understanding through grammar resources and clear explanations. I deliberately avoid rote memorization.
My main takeaway is that I’ve found that manual transcription (writing things down by hand) is incredibly helpful for reinforcing my memory and avoiding the fossilization of errors.