How U.S. Diplomats Learn Languages Fast

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🇺🇸🤯 Becoming a U.S. diplomat (Foreign Service Officers) is no walk in the park: there is a terrifying exam, intensive language training, and serving in some of the world's most dangerous places (often in situations where language skills can be a matter of life and death). Are they completely bonkers? And most important, how do they learn languages so quickly?
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👉🏼 bit.ly/freestorylearningkit
📖 LEARN A LANGUAGE THROUGH THE POWER OF STORY
Stories are the best way I have found to learn ANY language. Forget the boring textbooks and time-wasting apps and learn a language the natural, effective way with one of my story-based courses.
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⏱ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
1:03 - What is a diplomat?
2:38 - The Selection
3:20 - The Institute
3:59 - The Language School
5:15 - Specialist Training
6:21 - Rating Difficult Languages
7:23 - The Teachers
7:57 - The Method
11:28 - We’re All Adults Here
13:09 - The Lessons
14:30 - The Technology
15:06 - The FAST Course
16:28 - Homework
16:56 - Exams
17:50 - Scoring to Win!
18:43 - Start to Finish
19:18 - Leaving on a Jet Plane
20:25 - Tenure
📜 SOURCES & ATTRIBUTIONS
Special thanks to the U.S. State Department, who provided useful information about the FSI. "We provide this input for use on background and attributable to a State Department Official. We appreciate StoryLearning's interest in how FSI trains U.S. government foreign affairs professionals."
U.S. Department of State: Foreign Language Training
www.state.gov/foreign-languag...
A Message from Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger
• A Message from Deputy ...
尹 당선인에게 바란다, 캐슬린 스티븐스 전 미국대사 한국어 인터뷰
• 尹 당선인에게 바란다, 캐슬린 스티븐스 ...
America's Diplomats Trailer
• America's Diplomats Tr...
Foreign Service Institute Students - Future Faces of America Abroad
• Foreign Service Instit...
Yuri Kim offers UOG grads a message of perseverance
• Yuri Kim offers UOG gr...
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Пікірлер: 265

  • @storylearning
    @storylearning2 жыл бұрын

    📺 Immerse yourself in TV and movies from 60 countries. Visit nordvpn.com/ollyrichards and get a 2-year NordVPN plan with a huge discount + get 1 month free!

  • @karlriina6950

    @karlriina6950

    2 жыл бұрын

    the FSOT isn't insanely difficult. I did well on it, still didn't get selected despite polyglot. Basically if you're white you better have gone to yale etc. It's weird. I don't think an all white all male foreign service is at all good, but yeah, it's much harder to get selected as a white paradoxally and no its not sour graps i could get a consular fellowship anytime if I wanted.

  • @karlriina6950

    @karlriina6950

    2 жыл бұрын

    I don't think FSI and DLI have particularly different curricula albeit FSI will focus much more on military vocabulary whereas FSI must do a broader range including economics e.g.

  • @karlriina6950

    @karlriina6950

    2 жыл бұрын

    I think more DLI material is available online for free. The FSI Mandarin course is certainly available for free but it's from ... the 1970s. I don't think either had particularly innovative methodology, though DLI materials are both solid and extensive.

  • @karlriina6950

    @karlriina6950

    2 жыл бұрын

    You might want to contact BiancaLearns, she does videos on Mandarin learning and did a video on memory and stories (unsponsored) that one and your method seem like an obvious overlap.

  • @karlriina6950

    @karlriina6950

    2 жыл бұрын

    even though I don't use path method or memory palace both might be compatible with your story method. I'm all about the peg system and literary devices (alliteration rhyme rhythm syononms antonyms). I don't think there are many short stories in Chinese.

  • @alexandredoliveira1677
    @alexandredoliveira16772 жыл бұрын

    I thought that was harder to be honest. In Brazil, we must be fluent in 3 languages, level C1, to have a chance to be accepted at the diplomatic school.

  • @eeeee323

    @eeeee323

    2 жыл бұрын

    Wow! That's a lot!

  • @legitprowrestling6653

    @legitprowrestling6653

    2 жыл бұрын

    Fala sério meu irmão?

  • @conduta8623

    @conduta8623

    Жыл бұрын

    Que merda em

  • @teamcanaloficial8358

    @teamcanaloficial8358

    Жыл бұрын

    kkkkk já tô falo inglês e espanhol quase ao nível de um falante nativo e também o português

  • @leticiabernardino6566

    @leticiabernardino6566

    Жыл бұрын

    Right?? I'm studing to become a diplomat and I am surprised they're only required to learn a foreign language AFTER they're accepted in the Foreign Service Institute.

  • @norikosato7823
    @norikosato78232 жыл бұрын

    I once taught Japanese to a man from Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was going to be sent to Tokyo as a third secretary of the Embassy there next year. But there was nothing special about his one on one tutoring except for 1) He was already fluent in Spanish and Indonesian. 2) For the whole year his only job was studying Japanese. 3) So he had a two-hour class every day, and then went home and (supposed to) studied on his own. I and two other tutors taught him just like we did to our university students, and he studied no different from our university students. We used a textbook from the bookshop (This was not our choice. Someone who taught him before us did), and taught him daily conversation (such as talking about weather) in a very ordinary (old fashioned) way. After about 6 months I left this job because I got another one, so I don't know how he progressed after that, but I don't think he became able to talk or read about politics or economics in Japanese by the end of that year. If I were him I would focus on the vocabulary of politics, economics and other words that is directly useful for his job, and practice reading comprehension on such news articles. But I was not in the position of giving such advice to him.

  • @thinking-Mann

    @thinking-Mann

    8 ай бұрын

    Thanks!! Your advice is helpful for me and others who learning new language for a specific purpose.

  • @mpessan
    @mpessan Жыл бұрын

    A diplomat is a person who loves his/her country so much that decides to live away from it, serve it miles away and die unnoticed.

  • @nemuitanuki
    @nemuitanuki2 жыл бұрын

    So interesting! Whenever I feel unmotivated about language learning I watch one of these videos and I get inspired again. Thanks for the great video!

  • @askingwhy123
    @askingwhy123 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for chapterizing your videos! I still watch beginning to end, but that's perfect for referring back and demonstrates respect for the viewer.

  • @matteosposato9448
    @matteosposato94482 жыл бұрын

    I've been following your content on and off for a couple of years or so, but I think your channel's quality really skyrocketed lately. Especially because you tackle language learning from so many different perspectives: there is the techniques' bit, the interesting/curiosities' bit, the approaches' and motivational bit etc; and it seems to me that the video editing improved too. A great job, for real! Without detriment to the the handful of other people that post amazing content about this, but I think your channel became my favourite one when it comes to this topic. PS: as for your stories-based courses... any chance for Swahili?

  • @lisanarramore222

    @lisanarramore222

    Жыл бұрын

  • @MuhammadAli-jd2ut
    @MuhammadAli-jd2ut2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you, Olly for replying to the comments as well. Shows you're really sincere with the audience. I myself am learning Mandarin Chinese right now because I have been admitted to a Chinese university and their requirement is that we must learn the language upto HSK 4 in the first year, and I have had quite a fun journey learning it. My motivation is not as good as before now but I still study it everyday and am definitely improving little by little everyday. I am from Pakistan so my native language is Urdu, and I am also fluent in English, almost as good as a native speaker. I also plan to learn Italian next because I have always been attracted to Italian culture a lot.

  • @eoghancasserly3626

    @eoghancasserly3626

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'm sure you're aware but your English seems absolutely perfect! Well done sir

  • @MuhammadAli-jd2ut

    @MuhammadAli-jd2ut

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@eoghancasserly3626 Thank you so much. English is quite a difficult language to wrap your head around if you haven't grown up surrounded by it, but I've never felt it to be difficult for me, so it seems a little weird to me when some people are fussing over how difficult it is to learn English. 🤭

  • @nsevv

    @nsevv

    2 жыл бұрын

    Prepare well, there are non-stop lockdowns in china. I have given up on china.

  • @nendoakuma7451

    @nendoakuma7451

    2 жыл бұрын

    Good luck with Chinese. I wish you well. It sounds like a great opportunity.

  • @MuhammadAli-jd2ut

    @MuhammadAli-jd2ut

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@nendoakuma7451 I am very grateful for your words.

  • @LobbyBashley
    @LobbyBashley Жыл бұрын

    Smoothest transition into a sponsor ad I've ever seen. Fair play!

  • @leeantony
    @leeantony Жыл бұрын

    I love FSI language courses. I used an FSI courses 30 years ago to learn to speak Spanish fluently. At the time, I was a teen and spent all of my free time studying. Many years later, once their courses were in the public domain, I bought the Brazilian Portuguese course from eBay for $10. I was fluent in 3 months.

  • @gustavovelasquez3207
    @gustavovelasquez32072 жыл бұрын

    I was friend with a usa diplomat, he learned arabic in less than 5 months. He could speak french, english, spanish and arabic. I really liked talking to him as I speak 4 as well, the same as him expect from arabic, I speak portuguese instead

  • @lolamontagnon2696
    @lolamontagnon2696 Жыл бұрын

    I was curious enough to go check the materials FSI Language course in Russian, omg I was not expecting that! It is incredibly thorough, very specific, and useful. It's basically telling them what to expect in any situation, what to do, and say... Very long but definitely worth it, thanks for sharing!

  • @joebadger2409
    @joebadger24092 жыл бұрын

    This is the kind of videos that I really like to know about and obviously learn from, I mean real life examples. Thanks olly!! Next time I'd like to see the same content especially for guides people who speak more than one Language.

  • @storylearning

    @storylearning

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the idea Joe

  • @dianapulido1807
    @dianapulido1807 Жыл бұрын

    This was interesting to me because my Dad was a diplomat for another country (not the US) and as a child, I did learn several languages. I learned English because most countries have an international or American schools. Yes, that is where all the kids of all the diplomats from foreign countries go to school, as well as kids whose parents are executives for American or International companies who have offices or factories in the country as well as the children of the US military. I learned both Italian and Brazilian from living in those countries and making friends with local kids. Well anyway that was my personal experience.

  • @alanguages
    @alanguages2 жыл бұрын

    This is awesome. DLI, FSI and MTC are the top three places to learn languages and for a deep commitment for anyone that attends them. You covered all three of them finally. I am curious Olly if you will do videos covering the certifications of governing bodies, such as HSK, JLPT, DELE, TOEFL, etc...? I am sure there is a lot of people interested, as that helps to gain employment and/ or study in a post secondary school.

  • @DeSlagen8
    @DeSlagen82 жыл бұрын

    Currently learning Dutch, thank you for the motivation and resources.

  • @finnvictorsson

    @finnvictorsson

    2 жыл бұрын

    Aware

  • @DeSlagen8

    @DeSlagen8

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@finnvictorsson so many juicers/bajs

  • @Skerathh

    @Skerathh

    Жыл бұрын

    Veel geluk! xqcL from the Dutch speaking part of Belgium

  • @DeSlagen8

    @DeSlagen8

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Skerathh xqcL

  • @user-fz2xt9vv7y
    @user-fz2xt9vv7y2 жыл бұрын

    It's solid material for language learners, greet thanks Olly.

  • @storylearning

    @storylearning

    2 жыл бұрын

    Cheers!

  • @hedgehog_1086
    @hedgehog_10862 жыл бұрын

    I love these videos! I want to know about all the speed learners everywhere 😂 Wish the general public could enroll in the physical courses like these...

  • @CouchPolyglot
    @CouchPolyglot2 жыл бұрын

    this was extremely insightful, I did not know much about it 😮Thanks a lot for sharing the links!

  • @thebigphilbowski
    @thebigphilbowski2 жыл бұрын

    Italian is "easy" and I'm having a hard enough time with it. I feel stupid now.

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    Grammar and vocabulary are familiar

  • @thebigphilbowski

    @thebigphilbowski

    4 ай бұрын

    @@Geoplanetjane I'm doing much better now but it still isn't easy.

  • @EvgenyUskov
    @EvgenyUskov2 жыл бұрын

    depends on what "learning a language" means. after having spent 15 years on studying and using Japanese in real life, and then it took me additional whole 5 years to pass the Kanji Kentei level 1 and Nihongo Kentei level 1 - 2 top credentials in Japanese language

  • @LauraJdogmom

    @LauraJdogmom

    Жыл бұрын

    Hakuho, the former Yokozuna, now Magaki Oyakata, is fluent in his spoken Japanese, Nevertheless, he has said that his 9-year-old daughter has to help him with his kanji from time to time.

  • @RigelGlobalBusinessLanguages
    @RigelGlobalBusinessLanguages Жыл бұрын

    Excellent video. I tell you my story. I learned Mandarin Chinese in China in 1 year and 5 months. I managed to learn an advanced level, I have the HSK 5 certificate. With my experience, which they called me crazy, I consider that the best way to learn a language is immersion and the higher it is, the faster the learning. As it happens with diplomats, I experienced it almost similarly, obviously without experience of bombs hehe. But yes, living the cultural and linguistic experience in its entirety gives you greater results, whether in the country of the language or your country. 再见

  • @CultureJourney
    @CultureJourney2 жыл бұрын

    A foreign service officer spoke at my Arabic class. It was really cool. I really liked it, but the down side is that you have to move every few years.

  • @frogskocinq
    @frogskocinq2 жыл бұрын

    Good to see Paul Nation's four strands in action.

  • @jamiequinn2322
    @jamiequinn23222 жыл бұрын

    I’m studying Koine Greek. This channel inspires me.

  • @heroesandicons425

    @heroesandicons425

    2 жыл бұрын

    Ωραία

  • @iustinpopescu8485
    @iustinpopescu8485 Жыл бұрын

    Amazing video! it was very informative

  • @jenniferwilson9579
    @jenniferwilson95792 жыл бұрын

    Great video, I would love to attend a program like the Foreign Service.

  • @jeremykilborn6042
    @jeremykilborn60422 жыл бұрын

    I could barely believe that the 1st man speaking Mandarin in your video was real!!

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    He was

  • @ban6096
    @ban6096 Жыл бұрын

    I think this method is good because you would feel more motivated because you have had some input into what you want to learn.

  • @Bigblob2013
    @Bigblob2013 Жыл бұрын

    Very ineresting video! Thanks Olly!

  • @kathernandez2159
    @kathernandez21595 ай бұрын

    the FSOT is not terrifying, it’s just an all encompassing knowledge exam. it tests adaptability and how aware you are of the world around you and your affect on others. sounds hard but it’s not, just requires critical thinking and an ear to the ground listening to world events

  • @sheeliekittie9298
    @sheeliekittie9298 Жыл бұрын

    Hi olly! I'm really glad to discover your channel. Do you have a video about yourself and what languages you know, and how you came to learn each one?

  • @curtpiazza1688
    @curtpiazza16887 ай бұрын

    Interesting informative video! 😊🎉

  • @runningriot7963
    @runningriot79632 жыл бұрын

    Nice video Olly! Why don't you make a video about how to choose which language to learn? A lot of people including me have a few languages that we really want to learn, but have a hard time choosing which one to start with and often end up trying to learn them at the same time; then ultimately giving up all together from frustration. This is especially apparent in monolinguals who want to start learning new languages, and I hate to see people get interested in foreign languages for a month or two then giving up on it.

  • @storylearning

    @storylearning

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the idea!

  • @runningriot7963

    @runningriot7963

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@storylearning anytime)

  • @LauraJdogmom

    @LauraJdogmom

    Жыл бұрын

    @@storylearning Let me second the suggestion.

  • @Katoshi_Takagumi
    @Katoshi_Takagumi2 жыл бұрын

    Good stuff, cheers!

  • @jaybee1196
    @jaybee1196 Жыл бұрын

    Love this channel

  • @leonelako9382
    @leonelako9382 Жыл бұрын

    Really informative

  • @UmairActorModel
    @UmairActorModel3 ай бұрын

    Great video, Olly! Informative!

  • @Flignak
    @Flignak2 жыл бұрын

    Great video 🔥🔥🔥

  • @PikarinePlays
    @PikarinePlays2 жыл бұрын

    I wonder if there's a small transitional course of around 1 lesson where they learn other English for the UK, Australia, South Africa etc.

  • @Andy_val
    @Andy_val Жыл бұрын

    Honestly wish I'd have known about these kind of resources before the Lockdown, wanted to start learning a language during it, but struggled a bit with motivation and trying to decide which language.

  • @jmwild22

    @jmwild22

    Жыл бұрын

    You should try Olly's StoryLearning courses. Truly amazing.

  • @Patrizio99
    @Patrizio992 жыл бұрын

    Great video!

  • @stevedavenport1202
    @stevedavenport12022 жыл бұрын

    I learned Spanish "back in the day" by watching telenovelas on VHS tapes.

  • @etb_27
    @etb_27 Жыл бұрын

    Could you go through how the Peace Corps trains their volunteers?

  • @TheCCBoi
    @TheCCBoi5 ай бұрын

    You should do a video on US Army Special Forces (green berets). They have to learn multiple languages during their training pipeline (Q-Course).

  • @agathoklesmartinios8414
    @agathoklesmartinios84142 жыл бұрын

    Smooth segue into the ad.

  • @tennesseedarby5319
    @tennesseedarby53195 ай бұрын

    This is so funny when this happened to fall into my hands. I’m an 18 year old American, in the middle of my senior year, but I’m currently in France doing a foreign exchange program for the first semester. Literally yesterday in my Science-Po cordée (extracurricular science-politics class), we received a former French ambassador to a number of countries. I have had no clue what I wanted to do for a long time, except that I wanted it to be with foreign languages and cultures. But now… I think I might know what I want to do finally and how to get there

  • @gaoda1581
    @gaoda1581 Жыл бұрын

    Last year, I attempted the FSOT (Foreign Service Officer Test). I passed on my first attempt with a decent score, but I still didn't make it through the evaluations panel. It's hard at 25 to have gathered the professional experience necessary for the role 😷 You didn't mention it, but there's another role (Consular Fellows Program) that is language specific (Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish). The test is similar, but the selection seems less rigorous.

  • @emmetthawthorne

    @emmetthawthorne

    4 ай бұрын

    The counselors program is max 5 years. And you also can’t become an fso afterwards it’s a shame

  • @angelt9862
    @angelt98622 жыл бұрын

    I'm curious, on the chart you showed, each quarter was devoted to something different...do you know what the difference between "output" (25 percent) and "developing fluency" (25 percent) could be?

  • @lisanarramore222

    @lisanarramore222

    2 жыл бұрын

    I would imagine output is the speaking and writing you do from the start, but fluency is next level... i.e getting really good at your output.

  • @frogskocinq

    @frogskocinq

    2 жыл бұрын

    Paul Nation has a few videos. There is one on categorizing 20 exercises into each of the four strands. If you take notes, you will have a good idea. The references other teaching methods, such as 4-3-2, writing without correcting, and speed reading (yes), to develop fluency, which is my main interest, so lots to learn.

  • @easy4x4

    @easy4x4

    Жыл бұрын

    Good question. It's not a good distinction. However, in one it's writing and I would imagine Controlled speaking practice with a focus on using a specific structure correctly. In fluency, it would be free practice developing a topic in depth with the focus on expression and not accuracy. Simon brampton

  • @accent77
    @accent772 жыл бұрын

    I wish I had known about all of this stuff when I was younger. My life would be totally different now.

  • @storylearning

    @storylearning

    2 жыл бұрын

    How do you feel it would be different?

  • @accent77

    @accent77

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@storylearning No doubt today I would jump at any of these opportunities. The military or diplomatic school. I had no idea these were even options in 1995. Of course, whether or not I could've handled them is another story. Certainly I would have done it after college in 1999.

  • @lisanarramore222

    @lisanarramore222

    Жыл бұрын

    @@accent77 ♥

  • @msjennable
    @msjennable2 жыл бұрын

    Finally a new one.. I've been waiting... (I KNOW, you've spoiled me) 🥰✨ danke

  • @codythedoggo7671
    @codythedoggo76712 жыл бұрын

    Can you make a video about J R. R. Tolkien and of his life as a linguist

  • @meropale
    @meropale2 жыл бұрын

    I'm surprised some languages are only at a level 3, like Vietnamese with its six tones, and Hungarian and Finnish, which are agglutinative. It makes me reconsider learning them. I would have expected these to be within the hardest group.

  • @PHlophe

    @PHlophe

    2 жыл бұрын

    if Zulu was on there it would have murdered the chart. . Most southern african languages are crazy hard

  • @ta4music459

    @ta4music459

    Жыл бұрын

    If you look at the languages in the hardest group they have a different, often difficult script and that's presumably why they're in that group. Finnish uses latin letters with just a little extra to learn for English speakers.

  • @apaul9776
    @apaul97762 жыл бұрын

    Great material and very interesting topic as always, but unusually for your videos, rather hard going. Your presentation style was frantic and this was accentuated by the video editing. You also repeatedly referred to what you would be doing later, which was fine a couple of times but you can't really keep doing it. I must emphasise that your work is excellent and I always recommend your channel. Perhaps this time you were too conscious of the amount of material you needed to get through. Another approach would have been to split it into two parts and this would have enabled you to use your normal lively but still conversational style.

  • @storylearning

    @storylearning

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you, I’m grateful for the feedback!

  • @wernercaspary7159
    @wernercaspary7159 Жыл бұрын

    I want to visit Bhutan in Asia. I want to speak basic Bhutanese But no one in this big wide world teaches Bhutanese. Thus I will try to get by with English. Greetings from Germany...🍺🖐

  • @JohnBrute
    @JohnBrute2 жыл бұрын

    Love your content, Olly. I've been dabbling some in the FSI courses lately to see if they really are as dry as their reputation suggests. It would appear that they are! On another note, I'd love to hear your opinion on how one would tackle learning a minority language where resources are scarce. Using Welsh as an example: there is not an FSI course for Welsh, nor is there a Pimsleur, Assimil, Language Transfer, Michel Thomas, etc. (there is something called "Say Something in Welsh", which is a pimsleur/Michel Thomas-esque audio learning program) There is also no StoryLearning book by the one and only Olly Richards in Welsh! There is a Duolingo course, but.... let's not go there!! So, that being said, I'm curious for your thoughts regarding minority languages and how you would suggest learning one.

  • @barrymurphy4430

    @barrymurphy4430

    2 жыл бұрын

    Same with Irish! I’m a student and struggle to find good sources for learning the language!

  • @alex10291

    @alex10291

    Жыл бұрын

    The fsi Portuguese course was the best thing I ever came across, worth more then every textbook I bought combined. And it was free ! But I've heard not every course is as well made. If you can be disciplined enough to get through it you'll see all the rewards. It took me about 4 hours every day for almost 4 months to finish it

  • @JohnBrute

    @JohnBrute

    Жыл бұрын

    @@alex10291 wow. 4 hours every day? Would you care to share your routine? Is be interested in learning how you used it. Currently, I'm treating it in a similar way to how Assimil is used (30 mins a day)

  • @alanguages

    @alanguages

    Жыл бұрын

    @@JohnBrute Look up commercial resources like Colloquial, Hippocrene's Beginner's series, Teach Yourself or if you are lucky enough the old Linguaphone Welsh.

  • @solarpunk_hive1306
    @solarpunk_hive1306 Жыл бұрын

    Magari facessi questo lavoro... Aspetto una chiamata sperando che qualcuno mi metta in una classe come questa. Mi piace davvero imparare le lingue

  • @MicaFarrierRheayan
    @MicaFarrierRheayan6 ай бұрын

    You must react instantaneously with that occurences, as well. EQ is a paramount and of course if you are sincere... it shows. Remember the one that was working in turmoil land around a decade ago (rather knowing their culture, languages and mingles with local) but was tragically harrased because he looks different? It shocked the local

  • @johnpritchard5410
    @johnpritchard54102 жыл бұрын

    passed the FSWE three of five attempts, but failed the all-day assessment...oh well...should have returned to navy as LDO intelligence officer and DLI /PGS Monterey....

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    You can repeat all of the FS tests as many times as you want to. Go thru the process until you get thru all of them successfully, if you’re really serious about becoming an FSO

  • @johnpritchard5410

    @johnpritchard5410

    4 ай бұрын

    Yeah. @@Geoplanetjane

  • @TraxisOnTheLines
    @TraxisOnTheLines Жыл бұрын

    1100 hours for a diplomat to be fluent in Kurdish. That makes me feel better about not knowing much after a year of on and off learning.

  • @NetoMacedo
    @NetoMacedo Жыл бұрын

    In order to be accepted in Brazilian diplomatic service you need to pass an exam where you need to write perfect English, Spanish and French. Not counting Portuguese, our native language, of which they also require an extreme high level of proficiency and writing.

  • @Fanaro
    @Fanaro Жыл бұрын

    Is there a book on the FSI method explaining how they arrived at it? Was it mostly trying and failing or do they go scientific as well?

  • @APlusRussian
    @APlusRussian2 жыл бұрын

    Olly: Can you choose your language? Absolutely not!! Also Olly: I choose them ALL 😎 StoryLearning #FTW

  • @vladislavbalakirev5826
    @vladislavbalakirev58262 жыл бұрын

    Is there a table sorting language by level of difficulty for russian speakers? I guess it doesn’t change much except all slavic language moving from third column to the first one but still I am curious.

  • @given2dream
    @given2dream Жыл бұрын

    The video was very interesting, but I found the way the camera zoom kept jumping and the number of times Olly told us “but I’ll tell you about that later” annoying

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    Me too

  • @timothyedward6147
    @timothyedward61472 жыл бұрын

    I have a question, I technically speak 2 languages with English being my second language but werdly my most comfortable language. I speak dutch abit, but its very hard for me to concentrate on learning one language.... I keep jumping from one language to another... is this a bad thing or should I just really try concentrating on one?

  • @fzxfzxfzx

    @fzxfzxfzx

    2 жыл бұрын

    same here

  • @izba5747

    @izba5747

    2 жыл бұрын

    I learn 2 languages right now. One is from Germanic family, the other is from Slavic one. I know English already, so it helps with one, and I'm a native Slavic language speaker. Those languages don't overlap, so I switch between them when I get bored or my brain stops processing new info.

  • @samantha4324
    @samantha43242 жыл бұрын

    Me watching this video hoping to get tips on continuing the learning process, also me realizing the language i picked was in category 4 difficulty 🥴👍🏻

  • @storylearning

    @storylearning

    2 жыл бұрын

    😅

  • @CaptainKokomoGaming
    @CaptainKokomoGaming2 жыл бұрын

    I'm sure you have probably had this question multiple times already but what is your opinion on Duo Lingo? You didn't mention it in the language learning apps video. I was just curios about your thoughts on it as it does include some story methods of learning now.

  • @gezza18

    @gezza18

    3 ай бұрын

    I think many know you aren’t going to learn the whole langauge on there it’s just an app to supplement your learning

  • @jasonjacob402
    @jasonjacob4023 ай бұрын

    Yup.. it's in the list 😂 that I am learning now 6:36

  • @Zzoooooop
    @Zzoooooop2 жыл бұрын

    You know Olly. The Israeli army has a special program for learning Arabic fast. You can get punished if you don't complete some tasks. You can interview people about that. Some of those that learnt Arabic fast in the army. Then later on develop all kind of start up. For learning Arabic fast in non army life. An app. A course. And so on.

  • @storylearning

    @storylearning

    2 жыл бұрын

    Great idea!

  • @Zzoooooop

    @Zzoooooop

    2 жыл бұрын

    👍

  • @jacktagan7222

    @jacktagan7222

    Жыл бұрын

    What's the app's name exactly. I'd like to download the app.

  • @Zzoooooop

    @Zzoooooop

    Жыл бұрын

    @@jacktagan7222 hey jack. I Know of a single Israeli app For learning Arabic. But maybe there is more. You can Google it And find it. I think That app is only in Hebrew...... Sooooo. Unless you know Hebrew that that can be a problem. Hebrew comes from the same family as Arabic. And there are about 60 percentage Of lexical similarities between them. And there are a lot of sources in Hebrew. For learning Arabic. I saw even an online live course in Hebrew for Arabic. And Hebrew is much more simple then Arabic. And Hebrew is a one of the most logical Language. Good for thinking and the brain. Soooo maybe it's better for you to learn Hebrew first. Same as that experiment In which one group of people learn Esparnto for one year and then France for three. And then they knew France better than just those That learn France for four years. Not sure how legit That experiment though. I think that maybe it's Some obscure experiment from the 50's. But you can look that experiment up. I hope i helped you.

  • @UmairActorModel
    @UmairActorModel3 ай бұрын

    Any FSO personnel here? Would love to connect and learn more about your work! (I’m thinking of joining).

  • @sashaisgod2309
    @sashaisgod23096 ай бұрын

    I wonder where Irish would be on that list. Probably in the 44 weeks section.

  • @vladislavbalakirev5826
    @vladislavbalakirev58262 жыл бұрын

    By the way, do you have some short stories in english? I have this friend who is stuck with his school level of english and can’t improve at all for a long time. I’d advise him to learn through stories but can’t think of any good source.

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    Short stories in New Yorker magazine are good for that

  • @a.r.4707
    @a.r.47072 жыл бұрын

    I did the FSI courses for Arabic and Serbocroatian and I can say that they are quite boring to be honest, although I did benefit from them as well. The audios are only in the target language which is a good thing and I found some of those drills beneficial too. In my opinion the Serbocroat course was better than the Arabic one. It tackled basically both the Serbian and Croatian at the basic level and both writing systems (latin and cyrillic). But I wouldn't maybe recommend those courses for the beginners and not maybe as the only source but they are good ones when you combine them with some more modern courses, since the information in those courses is a bit outdated (those courses are usually from the 60's, 70's or 80's).

  • @alanguages

    @alanguages

    2 жыл бұрын

    Can you list down your recommendations for beginners?

  • @a.r.4707

    @a.r.4707

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@alanguages Well, I would start first with something like "teach yourself" or the colloquial series, or something similar to them. Do you have some particular language on your mind?

  • @alanguages

    @alanguages

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@a.r.4707 I was interested in Uyghur.

  • @a.r.4707

    @a.r.4707

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@alanguages For languages like Uyghur there might not be many sources available. Actually the only sources available might be the FSI or DLI ones. Then you just have to use what you got, therefore can start with those in that case.

  • @a.r.4707

    @a.r.4707

    2 жыл бұрын

    @sy [ODAE] Yes like in Finnish too which is my language.

  • @stuartofblyth
    @stuartofblyth2 жыл бұрын

    Soooo ... I'm learning Russian and have an online tutor one hour per week. I've just started so according to the chart (6:21) only another 25 years to go, at which point I'll be 101 years old.

  • @nsevv

    @nsevv

    2 жыл бұрын

    nice. never too old to learn.

  • @masruridibekov3551

    @masruridibekov3551

    2 жыл бұрын

    You need to speak as much as possible, if you need help, just let me know

  • @guliaamonova9453

    @guliaamonova9453

    8 ай бұрын

    😂

  • @diocanaja
    @diocanaja2 жыл бұрын

    these courses and method may well be insanely efficient, but at 16:01 as a native Italian speaker I cringed a little at the use of the word "tassì" for taxi, like come on, literally no one says tassì, it's just taxi

  • @heysora6075
    @heysora6075 Жыл бұрын

    I didn’t anticipate that my first language, Filipino (Tagalog), is in category 3.

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    That’s because the grammar is different

  • @user-mx8qf4vq1k
    @user-mx8qf4vq1k7 ай бұрын

    I think those that abuse diplomatic immunity should have it revoked

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    It is sometimes, but most FSOs do not abuse such prvilegrs

  • @user-mx8qf4vq1k

    @user-mx8qf4vq1k

    4 ай бұрын

    @@Geoplanetjane most?...I've personally stopped some of these gangsters...they tried to s/a the child support office where I reside...lone female worker terrified but put to a stop

  • @user-mx8qf4vq1k

    @user-mx8qf4vq1k

    4 ай бұрын

    @@Geoplanetjane he's tried this before...

  • @idont3vencare_833
    @idont3vencare_8334 ай бұрын

    The language categorization seems to match the Defense language Institute one so I’d assume it’s just the government scale

  • @julbombning4204
    @julbombning42042 жыл бұрын

    When will the video on Latin come out??

  • @storylearning

    @storylearning

    2 жыл бұрын

    We’re working on it! :)

  • @nsevv

    @nsevv

    2 жыл бұрын

    Everyone waiting on Sanskrit as well.

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    All the “romance” languages derive from Latin: Italian, French, Spanish, Romanian, Portuguese. Plus ENGLISH also has a lot of Latin derived words as well

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    @@nsevvThey do teach Hindi, Urdu, Pashto, not sure about Tibetan, Nepali

  • @jonathangamble
    @jonathangamble2 жыл бұрын

    Would be interesting to see non youtube polyglots… good stuff here btw!

  • @david_oliveira71
    @david_oliveira712 жыл бұрын

    For the difficulty of languages from Category I - IV, see 6:30

  • @nsevv
    @nsevv2 жыл бұрын

    They use duolingo with speakly combo.

  • @CatholicSeoul
    @CatholicSeoul2 жыл бұрын

    I can’t believe Korean is in category IV 😭 I can’t wait for your Korean content, Olly!

  • @Geoplanetjane
    @Geoplanetjane4 ай бұрын

    Get all your keyboards from device maker

  • @ginabee1212
    @ginabee1212 Жыл бұрын

    Can anyone recommend a good Cyrillic alphabet keyboard for Android phones? I have a Samsung and I am currently learning Russian and Ukrainian. I want to be very careful NOT to download something with a virus.

  • @deecee9479
    @deecee94796 ай бұрын

    I didn’t see German on that list? I’m studying Spanish right so it’s not applicable but my ex-in-laws were German. If we had the internet and the availability to learn languages the way we do now….I would’ve studied it just to shock them. 😂

  • @user-mx8qf4vq1k
    @user-mx8qf4vq1k7 ай бұрын

    Places where foreign aid is abused should be blacklisted...

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    They are

  • @carlosveloso2333
    @carlosveloso2333Ай бұрын

    Are those courses for non-Americans? Can anyone take these courses? Are they free? 17th March,14h25.

  • @mwatson4283
    @mwatson4283 Жыл бұрын

    Could you please cover the karenic languages? Specifically Sgaw Karen. It has a very interesting script and no tense or gendered words.

  • @rikspector
    @rikspector Жыл бұрын

    Olly, The fact is that the top Diplomats a political appointment, rarely speak the language of the country where they are sent and knowing anything about it is a liability:) That's plausible deniability ,and they can blame their ineptness on the staff which may actual speak some of that lingo and have studied and know what they are doing. Cheers, Rik Spector

  • @Juninho23jr23
    @Juninho23jr23 Жыл бұрын

    Can I learn a language only doing input? Watching movies, tv shows and videos in my target language?

  • @ta4music459

    @ta4music459

    Жыл бұрын

    That's probably individual.. but I can't. I know two (closely related to my own) languages 100%, I've been reading and and listening to those languages since I was little. But I wouldn't be able to come up with a grammatically correct sentence in any of them more than a few words long. English I learned by reading and listening, but I also practiced speaking and writing (due to my job). I can also read, but not write or speak, a few other languages to some level. Input trains you on input.. you (or at least I) need output training as well, to learn output.

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    No. That is all passive learning and would not teach you to speak, read, or write

  • @anthonyflores6257
    @anthonyflores6257 Жыл бұрын

    I would fs love to do this

  • @ramimroueh2769
    @ramimroueh2769 Жыл бұрын

    What about British diplomats at the foreign office?

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    They have their own sustems

  • @philasoma
    @philasoma3 ай бұрын

    Pro tip - if you call your video "How U.S. Diplomats Learn Languages Fast" then make that the topic of the video. Far too much fluff in the video.

  • @johnpritchard5410
    @johnpritchard54102 жыл бұрын

    only way to master a new language is memorization and practice, try not to translate...fluency takes seven years, just like your first language....

  • @Jean-vp1yr

    @Jean-vp1yr

    Жыл бұрын

    7 years? It depends on your approach, if you are really focused on learning that particular language or if you move to the country where that language is spoken and use it 24/7 once there, I’m pretty sure those 7 yrs you’re taking about will be narrowed to 1 or maybe 2 years, it also depends on the language you’re studying, the closer the language you are learning is to your native Language, the faster you’ll learn it.

  • @gaoda1581

    @gaoda1581

    Жыл бұрын

    This is....simply not accurate. Like the chart shows, it varies tremendously. I became fluent in Mandarin in 1.5 years, but it required living in China, almost total immersion, and personal dedication to thinking in the target language.

  • @johnpritchard5410

    @johnpritchard5410

    Жыл бұрын

    @@gaoda1581 and I bet you have a superb memory too!

  • @gehacktetYKzZY
    @gehacktetYKzZY Жыл бұрын

    How is called and how can i find such training in Germany?

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    I expect you would find that at the Foreign Ministry

  • @Geoplanetjane
    @Geoplanetjane4 ай бұрын

    Probably a typo

  • @jacksongoodman6665
    @jacksongoodman6665 Жыл бұрын

    Do they learn one language at a time or multiple at the same time

  • @mattdajedi

    @mattdajedi

    Жыл бұрын

    I mean since you speak English well, learning Latin languages are kinda easy since they are similar

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    One a time

  • @noemijr
    @noemijr2 жыл бұрын

    Is there anything like this in the UK?

  • @Geoplanetjane

    @Geoplanetjane

    4 ай бұрын

    Yes. Thru the Foreign Office