Conlang/Beginner/Learning your conlang

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If you're creating a language then there's a good chance that you'll want to learn to speak it with relative fluency once it's complete. In general, the keys to learning to speak your conlang are the same as when you're trying to learn a natural language. We'll take you through some simple techniques in this section.

[edit] Example sentences

A good way to learn any language is to use example sentences that show the grammar you're learning, in addition to a list of words and explanation of the grammar. You can review these sentences -- hopefully a sequence of sentences that gradually increase in complexity and build on one another in the vocabulary used -- over and over again until you are reading them directly in the language rather than mentally translating each one as you read it.

So, a good way to learn your conlang is to create such example sentences in your own conlang, and then review them regularly. This can be quite easy or rather a pain in the glutes, depending on the type of language. If your conlang barely inflects its words, this task will probably be quite straightforward. If your conlang inflects for every minute difference in meaning, especially if your native language does not, this will be a painstaking task, though still useful in the end.

Here we want to give you some tips how to create the example sentences, and point you to some sources for test sentences to translate which may challenge you and make sure you have covered all the grammatical and semantic bases.

[edit] Interfacing yourself

Example sentences are a good way to learn a language, but then again, you have to use even more techniques. These techniques include ways that language learners typically use to memorize words and phrases, and match them against the ones in their own language. There are a few ways to do this:

[edit] Flashcards

Probably the best and most effective way to memorize any word phrase. For example, if one wanted to learn what the word "dog" meant, and remember what it is, they might link it to a picture, or a key word from their language. Another good idea would be (if your conlang happens to be fully regular) might incorporate the grammar needed to form the word, or even the phrase that it down on the notecard (depending on the complexity of your language). For example, "the cat jumps over the dog, article + noun + verb (conjugated) + article + noun. This is an easy way to do things, because you can incorporate as many grammar aspects as you want, if you happen to have different cases, more complex conjugations, etc.

[edit] Curriculum

If your going to teach a language to yourself, why not get some others involved too. It is a lot easier to learn when you are immersed into the language, and if other people speak it too, your language skills will improve. Also, teaching the language helps internalize it in the teacher because they have to know the information in order to teach it. Devise a curriculum guide, verb charts, vocab charts, flashcard, worksheets, or anything else that might be required to learn your language in the classroom. Who knows, somebody might come along one day and decide to learn it for themselves.

It is easier to learn a language with a partner than on one's own. To that end some conlangers have formed partnerships to use and learn each other's languages by, e.g., email correspondence.

[edit] Regular use of the language

To become fluent in a language you must use it regularly. Once you have worked out enough of the basic phonology and grammar, it is a good idea to write at least one new sentence in your language every day (more on some days than others, probably), coining some new words as necessary, and also re-read some sentences you've previously written in the language every day. Once you've familiarized yourself with the basics using example sentences, it is a good idea to start doing some more extensive writing in the language, perhaps not every day, but one or more times per week; for instance, keeping a journal in the language, and sometimes re-reading your old journal entries. Or you can respond to the various translation challenges that are regularly posted in places like the CONLANG mailing list and the Zompist Bulletin Board.

You might also use recording equipment — a microphone and software such as Audacity, or a hand-held cassette recorder, or whatever — to record yourself reading aloud (or, in a later stage, simply speaking spontaneously) something in your language, and then periodically play it back and listen to it.

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• set of test sentences re: ambiguity
• Aidan Nichols' weekly vocabulary series
• McGuffey Reader