The Iceberg Theory in Action 5 Tips to Make Input-based Language Learning Work for You

The Iceberg Theory in Action 5 Tips to Make Input-based Language Learning Work for You Do you wish you could learn a language through TV and movies? Maybe youve tried textbooks and classes, but they just dont work for you.Or maybe youre an introvert whos terrified  by the prospect of finding language partners  online  or in real life!Much of the online language community is big on talking about  talking. So if thats not your thing, you might feel like you cant learn a language.Well, youll be glad to know that many language learners succeed through watching TV, listening to radio and reading books, some of them without setting foot in the classroom!Some learners wait until theyre quite advanced to talk to native speakers.Khatzumoto of  All Japanese All the Time, for example, attained incredible speaking and writing skills in Japanese through television and comics.Kató Lomb, a Hungarian polyglot, learned a lot of her sixteen languages through reading trashy novels.These learning methods are  input-based.  Input can be defined as all of the things you listen to, watch  o r read in your target language.However, its not uncommon for learners to feel that their passive skills (reading and listening comprehension) far outstrip their active skills  (speaking and writing).So, how does input-based learning work? Will it ever lead to speaking and writing, or will input-lovers be stuck with their books and movies forever?For the answer, we turn to the mighty Iceberg Theory. What Is the Iceberg Theory?Ernest Hemingways iceberg analogyTo start with, heres something Ernest Hemingway wrote in Death in the Afternoon:The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water.Lets give some context to this lovely, poetic quote, shall we? Here, Hemingway is talking about short stories. He was, as Im sure many of you know, a famed short story writer. Part of what brought him that fame was his peculiar, sparse writing style. Hemingway loved to omit details. He may have imagined an entire world surrounding his characters, their personal h istories and their setting, but little of that was mentioned in his stories.Rather, Hemingway masterfully allowed just the tip of the iceberg to show to the reader. Nevertheless, Hemingway insisted that readers still had a sense of the details that remained underwater. These were the details that kept the story moving and gave it weight, just as with an iceberg.But why am I talking about a fiction writing theory?While Hemingways Iceberg Theory was created and tailored for writers of fiction, it can also affect how we view a number of things, including the acquisition of  skills  like  language learning. Dont take the prose application all too seriouslyâ€"the imagery of the iceberg is what were after.Your passive skills, your comprehension abilities, may be underwater, invisible to all except you, but theyll one day give you the balance and confidence to express yourself in your target language. When you keep feeding your iceberg more and more input, the bit above the surface will gr ow as well, and youll start seeing more results with your active skills.The Iceberg Theory is helpful if you find yourself losing confidence over your active skills, even when your passive skills might be well-developed.So lets look at some reliable ways that you can start applying this theory to your language learning today!The Iceberg Theory in Action: 5 Tips to Make Input-based Language Learning Work for You1. Seek out engaging resources for listening and reading.Firsthand, I can tell you that input-based language learning can seem like its  not having much of an effect. But every understood word is a breakthrough. Patience is key, which is why you need to keep your resources fun and engaging. Its got to be stuff that you come back to, time and time again.Luckily, there are a million ways to do that!  A lot of input-based learners like to set up an immersion environment at home, just to make sure theyre absorbing all they can.Using authentic materials, like TV and movies, for you r input keeps learning engaging and also avoids the problem of using textbook recordings for language study only to discover that native speakers talk at lightning speed!So, how do you find quality authentic resources for your input-based learning?Hit up YouTube for songs in your target language, ones in genres that youll want to play again and again.Google  online forums that discuss your language for names of podcasts, radio stations and TV show recommendations.Amazon third-party sellers are great for finding books in even the most uncommon languages.And for a completely customized but totally authentic input-based experience, theres always FluentU.  FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.Build up that mini immersion environment (even if its only as big as your bedroom), and soon youll surprise yourself with how much you can understand. With input, your comprehension â€"both in reading and listeningâ€"skyrockets. Not too long after that, youll surprise yourself with how much you can express. Keep that iceberg growing and growing!2. Use tried-and-true methods.Input-based learning can involve simply consuming those native resources such as catchy  songs, hilarious  TV shows and gripping movies. Input-focused  learners might take a breather to sit down and relax with a novel.However, input-based learning can also involve very specific methods, such as entering  sentences and vocabulary items into  SRS flashcard programs in order to reap maximum retention benefits.For example, Khatzumoto, mentioned above,  mined  Japanese sentences from his favorite comic books and websites, and entered them into his SRS. He copied the sentences that he found particularly exciting or funny, and put them onto the front of the card, with an English translation on the back.Because of the algorithm used in SRS programs, he most often reviewed the cards that were most di fficult to remember. After 10,000 SRS sentences combined with 10,000 hours of listening to Japanese non-stop, Khatzumoto was fluent in Japanese before ever setting foot in Japan.Ms. Lomb, also mentioned above, learned her languages through novels, the trashier the better. As she explains in her book, she read through novels trying to parse the vocabulary and grammar as much as she could  without  a dictionary.This is called extensive readingâ€"reading without attempting to look up every single unknown word. She enjoyed the language for itself, with or without understanding, and only looked up words that appeared time and time again. With all of the input she received through her novels, she gradually built up sizeable knowledge and an intuitive sense of grammar. Whats even more encouraging is that Lomb learned most of her languages in the 40s, 50s and 60s, well before the conveniences of online radio, television or international bookstores!I personally use extensive reading and imme rsive listening in my own studies. I find extensive reading gives me a broad sense of how the language works. I read things like Harry Potter (which I know  very  well in English) in my target languages, and I decode a lot of the language by using context.In the same way, listening to foreign language radio for hours a day familiarizes me with the sounds of the language so that I can start picking out words more quickly once my vocabulary gets going.3. Think like an iceberg to gain confidence in your passive skills!Whenever you feel your confidence slipping over your stuttering speech (it happens!) or long pauses as you search for words, remember how only an eighth of an iceberg is above water. You might not have much at the tip of your tongue when people around you ask you to perform (believe me, this is how I feel about my current target language, Dutch).Some will argue that speaking is most important, that you cant say you know a language if your speaking skills are rusty. This s imply isnt true! Input-focused learning methods, those that improve comprehension, help all of us stay afloat.  Theyre the foundation of your language skills.Even in our native languages, we can only produce a fraction of what we can understand. The rest is underwater, just like with our target languages. My native language is Englishâ€"I sure can read a Dickens novel, but that doesnt mean my  attempts at writing come close. I can follow along with the dialogue in Pulp Fiction, but that doesnt mean I can talk like a Tarantino character off the cuff whenever I please.When learners favor input, passive skills will predictably outstrip the active skills.  Just remember that the bulk of your work is underwater. Thats where your vocabulary is. Its where your grammar is. Rest assured, your input-based  language learning is working.4. If you dont want to talk right away, dont! Language learning can be too focused on output.Speaking straight out of the gate is not for everyone, although it is heavily encouraged by the online language learning community.Just remember, theres more than one way up the same mountainor iceberg.I, like many, get super nervous when speaking, particularly when I try to talk too early, when my language iceberg hasnt yet grown to a size at which I feel comfortable. I might have a store of linguistic knowledge underwater, but the tiny tip of the iceberg just isnt enough to make me confident at output.Its not worth freezing up and racking up negative experiences that could jeopardize my whole project, so I wait. Improving my passive skills is wonderfully rewardingâ€"language isnt  all about talking. Reading and understanding are hugely important skills, so dont feel guilty if you prefer to overindulge in them!Eventually, youll be at the point at which speaking will seem like the next natural step by virtue of that  passive knowledge youve accumulated.5. Have faith that youll see results.Yes, input-based learning requires some patience. If youre m ore comfortable with movies and books than with chatting while youre out and about, then theres a bit of a trade-off.At the same level, an input-loving learners comprehension skills will outmatch someone who focused on conversation right away, but that same input-lovers conversational abilities will lag behind.Still, provided both keep at their languages for long periods of time, theyll both get to well-rounded fluency in the end.Have faith that increases in your comprehension  matter, and that they are crucial for improved active skills.Your iceberg will always be growing, provided you are interacting with your language, but only one-eighth will be visible. Nevertheless, as time goes on, and as your underwater bank of knowledge increases, that one-eighth will grow as well.Keep at it, and that underwater bank will be pushed above the surface, and youll find yourself speaking and writing more confidently than ever!Recognize that your knowledge is underwaterâ€"not nonexistent.Its easy to lose confidence when much of your target language is passive. You have little to show off, and youre not yet comfortable approaching native speakers.Will anyone believe youre learning a language?  How can you  prove that your language studies have not been in vain?  You cant! Not yet, at least. But forget about convincing people. Self-confidence and patience are what input-based learning is all about.Youre a dignified iceberg! Like any well-balanced, floating chunk of ice, your substance is invisible to others, but thats what makes you so mighty  and powerful.Why, you could sink the Titanic with skills  like that! And One More ThingIf youre digging these strategies, youll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see he re:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the iTunes store  or Google Play store.