TL;DR Summary
Comprehensible input is the heart of language learning — content that’s just a bit above your level but still understandable keeps you engaged and learning. Choose material you care about, and don’t worry about mistakes while listening or reading. Over time, this rich exposure builds your vocabulary, structures, and fluency naturally.
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What is Comprehensible Input?
What is meant by comprehensible input (CI) in language learning? Stephen Krashen uses this term, as well as the term compelling input, to refer to the kind of language exposure we need in order to learn a language.
In short, comprehensible input consists of reading or listening to language that is understandable for learners. A text or audio does not have to be 100% understood by a learner to be considered comprehensible input, but rather mostly understandable. Ideally, a language learner understands most of the material, but encounters enough new words and structures to keep progressing without too much discouragement. Ideal comprehensible input is sometimes described as being “just one level above” the learner’s grasp of the language.
According to Stephen Krashen’s theory of language acquisition, comprehensible input is the key to learning a language naturally.
Language Learning and the Input-Based Approach
I strongly agree with Stephen Krashen. Massive amounts of comprehensible input is the key to language acquisition. This doesn’t mean that there is no need for output (speaking and writing) or that there’s no value in consulting a grammar guide from time to time. We don’t need to overthink this. We simply need to understand that the bulk of our learning time as language learners should be spent on listening and reading, as this is what will build our vocabulary and sense of intuition with the language.
Why am I sure that comprehensible input is the key to language learning? I have five reasons.
1) What do polyglots’ methods have in common?
There are plenty of polyglots on the internet. If you study their methods, you’ll see that much of their progress is attributed to extensive reading and listening. In fact, before the availability of new technology, reading alone was the primary means of securing comprehensible input.
When I was learning Czech, for example, I devoted my first eight months of study to reading and listening. I only started to prioritize my speaking prior to going to Prague. When I arrived in Prague, I could understand almost everything. My speaking ability quickly progressed to an intermediate level, as I had the passive vocabulary and familiarity with Czech necessary to enjoy interacting with Czech speakers and engage in more natural conversation. My success in this language abroad, however, would not have been possible without ample amounts of comprehensible input.
2) Learn with Comprehensible & Compelling Input
As you may have noticed, comprehensible input is defined quite broadly. If you are reading or listening to something in your target language, and you’re challenged but not discouraged, you’re on the right track. This gives you a lot of freedom regarding material. You can learn with comprehensible, compelling material. Don’t limit yourself to material designed for language learners. Follow your interests and curiosities, just in the target language.
For example, perhaps you find my content on language learning interesting. Why not use videos from my YouTube channel as comprehensible input? I post videos in Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, French, etc., and subtitles are available for these videos in many languages. Using the LingQ browser extension (available for Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox), these videos can be imported into LingQ and turned into lessons. In fact, you can find many of my videos already reformatted as LingQ lessons here.
Treat content that legitimately interests you as comprehensible input for language learning. You have a lot of freedom in choosing how to immerse yourself in the language.
3) Your Learning is Portable
You can learn a language anywhere: listen to a podcast while you’re driving or washing the dishes, read while you’re waiting in line or at the bus stop. It’s easy to take your learning with you. Your learning isn’t limited to a classroom.
With LingQ, for example, I can read on my computer, phone, or tablet. Everything is automatically synced, and my learning is suddenly portable. Why limit your learning to a classroom when it can be incorporated into your daily routine? It’s not only more efficient, but more consistent to spend time with the language wherever you go.
4) You’re not making mistakes
A lot of people are afraid to make mistakes. If you’re forced to speak, you’ll make mistakes. Well, this doesn’t apply to listening or reading. Sure, you might misunderstand something. But this doesn’t matter. You’re just in the stage of learning which the brain is becoming more and more familiar with the language.
You’re not prioritizing accuracy in listening and reading as much as just ensuring that you’re consistent. Again, I recommend moving past the beginner material or material designed for language learners, as it’s often not very interesting. You can’t go wrong working with material that you find fun and engaging.
While learning Czech, I was able to learn so much about Czech history, the history of Central Europe, and the political situation in the Czech Republic. When I got to Prague, I had all this wonderful background knowledge thanks to my comprehensible input.
You can’t go wrong with reading and listening to comprehensible, interesting content. When in doubt on what to read, I find mini-stories on LingQ helpful. The mini-stores use shifting points of view and circling questions to help jumpstart my grasp of a language and help me access more compelling input sooner. It’s never a waste of time.
5) Learning via an input-based approach is cheaper
You don’t have to spend much a lot of money for comprehensible input. Go to the library. Find content on the internet. And of course, you can use LingQ. There’s so much material out there that can be used to learn a language. You don’t need to invest in expensive courses or materials to make great progress.
Sure, language classes can provide social benefits and feedback. But the real means of learning a language is consistent, ample amounts of listening and reading.
Final Thoughts
Learning a language is a gradual, but simple process. Comprehensible input is the main ingredient for successful language learning. Find content that sparks your interest, stay consistent with the language, and you’ll see great progress in building vocabulary, your feel for the language’s structure, and your overall fluency.
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