Or why you need more comprehensible input in your language studies!
Are you hitting a wall in your language studies? Feeling stuck in a rut? Stagnant?
You’ve been studying for months, maybe even years, and you still struggle to understand native speakers or express yourself clearly.
You’ve spent countless hours memorizing vocabulary, practicing grammar exercises, and watching TV shows in your target language…
…but when it comes to real-life conversations, you feel lost.
If this sounds familiar, then it’s time to try a new approach: comprehensible input (CI). This method emphasizes understanding language in context, using stories, videos, and other authentic materials to help learners grasp the language naturally.
In this post, I’ll be breaking down:
→ What is Comprehensible Input?
→ Why Should You Add More Comprehensible Input To Your Own Studies?
→ Practical Tips for Incorporating it in your own language studies
What is Comprehensible Input?
Comprehensible input refers to language input that a learner can understand, but that also contains new or unfamiliar language.
([i +1] is what you’ll see all across the internet, especially for people who create flashcards using things like Anki).
The goal of this method is to improve your language skills in a way that feels natural and intuitive.
Now where does this call come from?
Linguist Stephen Krashen coined the term “Comprehensible Input”, and argued that language learners need exposure to messages and concepts they can understand.
Basically, you want to expose yourself to content in the language you’re learning that is slightly above your current level of understanding.
This means listening to and reading materials that are a bit challenging, but not so difficult that you can’t understand anything at all.
Or worse, you’re constantly having to open your dictionary to search for the words.
There’s a time and place for intensive practices like that, but Comprehensive Input is NOT one of them.
He’s written tons of books and articles on the concept, if you’d like to read more about it here.
Why Use Comprehensible Input In Your Own Language Studies?
Adding in more comprehensible input to your language studies is a complete GAME CHANGER.
When I first learned this in my own language studies, it completely changed how I think about my studies and the strategies I used to make more progress.
Why am I such a huge advocate for adding this into your own studies?
I talk about it here in this video, but there are so many benefits like:
- It helps you learn faster. Your brain is pushed to make new connections IN the language you’re learning, and form new understandings without using your native language (or another language) as a crutch.
- It makes your studies more interesting and fun. When you’re listening to or reading something you can understand, you’re more likely to stick with it and engage with the content. Think about the times you’ve never been forced to read something in school…
- It’s more effective. You’re using your time, energy, and resources efficiently, building your skills to infer and understand through context (which is a NECESSARY SKILL). And there are so many studies on how powerful this method is for language learners.
This means that you should be listening to and reading materials that are a bit challenging, but not so difficult that you can’t understand anything at all. The theory is that by receiving input that is comprehensible, but not completely understood, your brain will be forced to stretch and make new connections, leading to “language acquisition”.
Practical Tips For Incorporating More Comprehensible Input In Your Own Language Studies
Now that you know what CI is, and why it’s so powerful for language learners, it’s time to figure out how to use it for yourself!
Here are a few practical tips for incorporating Comprehensible Input into your current language learning routine:
- Watch TV shows and movies in your target language (aka the language or languages you’re learning). You can decide if you want subtitles in your native language, your target language, another language entirely, or none at all. Each options has it’s pros and cons, and focuses on building a different skills, so there really are no wrong answers here.
- Watch “Comprehensible Input” content on platforms like Youtube and Tiktok. This style of content was DESIGNED for beginners and intermediate learners looking to get started. I’ve made a few videos giving some recommendations for languages like Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, and even Portuguese!
- Listen to podcasts and radio shows. Similar to the tips above, except this is audio-only content. Great for people who strongest learning style in Aural or Auditory learning in most contexts.
- Read books and articles in your target language. Start with content that is either written for learners or is written for very young children. Or, stray from the path and choose something that you’ve read in your native language and isn’t too difficult to jump into.
- Find a language exchange partner. Your go-to person for practicing your speaking AND getting some comprehensible input in meaningful and authentic ways.
Recap
So there you have it!
Comprehensible input is a powerful tool that I personally feel all language learners should have in their toolkit. Whether you are a beginner in the language you are learning, or an advanced learner, this method can benefit anyone looking to improve their language skills.
Remember to take it one step at a time, focus on consistency, and as I always say, do what works best for YOU.
And if you want more support with creating a study routine that works best for you, be sure to check out my free Polyglot Study Routine Guide here. It’s packed with practical tips and actionable strategies to help you stay motivated and make progress in your language studies.
In addition, I also highly recommend taking my free Language Learning Archetype quiz. This quiz gives you personalized results on what you need to do in your language studies to overcome your challenges, get consistent with your studies, and make more progress. It’s a powerful tool that can help you tailor your language learning approach to your unique needs and preferences. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to level up your language learning game!
So what are you waiting for?
Give Comprehensible Input a try for yourself and unlock a new level of language learning that can help you understand native speakers, communicate more effectively, and achieve fluency with greater ease. With the practical tips and resources shared in this post, you have everything you need to start incorporating this powerful method into your language studies today.
