Update on 500 Hours of Language Immersion

The speaker has reached 500 hours of immersion in learning Mandarin Chinese using the Refold/Input Method.

They believe that the method has worked and that it is a worthwhile endeavor.

The speaker shares their background in language learning, including watching Chinese content subbed in English and completing Pimsleur's Mandarin Chinese Unit 1.

📚 Prior experience in language learning has helped in acquiring the meta skill of language learning.

🎧 Focused on oral-based goals and utilized audio-only learning for Chinese language acquisition.

⏳ Spent 500 hours in active immersion, watching familiar and new content dubbed in Mandarin Chinese.

🕒 It took me 8 months to accumulate 500 hours of immersion, mainly through watching TV shows.

🎧 During the immersion, I focused on listening attentively, with occasional dictionary lookups and transcribing practice.

📚 In addition to the immersion, I created 1300 Anki cards and engaged in some passive immersion.

💡 Improvement came through various stages, acknowledging the challenges and avoiding overestimating my abilities.

🔑 Through immersion and practice, the speaker experienced a significant improvement in their ability to hear and parse a foreign language.

👂 Initially unable to understand any words, the speaker gradually progressed to recognizing short phrases and eventually being able to comprehend entire dialogues.

🌍 While not fully fluent, the speaker can now follow the general plotline of the series and maintain interest in continuing to watch.

💡 Active input in the early stages of language learning is essential.

🚀 500 hours of immersion is a significant milestone, but there is still a long way to go in language learning.

📝 Track your time to better understand the amount of time invested in language learning.

⏰ Tracking your time is vital for effective language learning.

🎯 Set goals and milestones to stay motivated during the learning process.

📝 Keeping a language learning journal helps track progress and reflect on past experiences.

🧠 Stay focused and actively engage in the immersion to maximize learning outcomes.

💡 Trust the language learning process and the progress will add up, even before reaching 500 hours.

🌟 Ranma One Half is recommended as a great series to watch for beginners, with straightforward and entertaining episodes.

🗣️ Comprehension in language learning is tied to the length of dialogue, with shorter dialogue being more easily understood.