Fluent in 3 Months, by Benny Lewis

by Tom Ruffles
in Uncategorized

Benny Lewis’s Fluent in 3 Months: Tips and Techniques to Help You Learn Any Language (2014) gives tips on how to become fluent in another language, though the three-month figure is a little misleading as there are varying degrees of fluency, a term Lewis spends some time dissecting. Fluency is not the same as mastery, and he is clear it is unlikely anyone would be able to speak at anywhere near a native level in that time. Even so, it is possible to acquire a degree of competence and a solid foundation for further progress. Sadly, for those who hope this is basically a shortcut to learning a language, Lewis stresses it requires effort to become proficient, whatever the timescale, though there are techniques to assist the process.

Lewis is a polyglot, able to speak a number of languages at different levels, so he knows whereof he speaks. An engineer by profession, he runs a website dedicated to language learning and has published a several books on the subject. His goal is to find ways to speak (and the emphasis is on speaking) languages more quickly and efficiently. The internet has made it much easier than it used to be, when so many resources, not to mention native speakers, are readily available to assist the learner.

So, what’s the trick? Essentially, his approach is one of immersion, having conversations in the target language from the first day, getting to grips with the language by doing. Buy a phrase book, look at the basics, and have a go. As an initial support, have some pre-prepared phrases to keep the conversation flowing. Don’t worry about hesitations: native speakers are generally tolerant with learners, pleased they are making an attempt. Lewis is not describing a novel method by any means, but one many learners do not adopt, preferring to undertake formal courses to get the grammar and vocabulary in place before trying the language in the real world. Lewis is adamant this is not nearly as useful as plunging in, practising and refining as one progresses (and he suggests the typical experience of attempting to learn a language at school bears that out).

In Lewis’s scheme, such niceties as perfect grammar can come later. The immediate aim is to get hands-on experience, not wait until one feels ready to unleash one’s learning on the real world. Nor does one need to go to a country to pick up the language; in fact, Lewis moved to Spain at 21 and contrary to expectations found his language skill did not improve, mainly because he was being used as a free source of English conversation by his Spanish ‘friends’ and not speaking Spanish with them. He believes it’s best to have had exposure to a language before visiting the country, and with the world at our fingertips these days, this is easily done.

Lewis is clearly at ease in company and not afraid of striking up conversations with strangers, a distinct advantage when following his guidance. For those who are shy he has some brief advice, which is essentially to forget inhibitions and have conversations anyway. That may be fine for some, but those worried at the thought of exposing themselves at an early stage in the learning process will probably consider his advice not terribly helpful, while acknowledging some degree of confidence and willingness to try is necessary for his method to work.

For those putting barriers up to justify past failures, Lewis emphasises several points: one does not need to rote learn, there is no ‘language gene’, adults can learn as well as children – in fact better – and a busy schedule need not be an excuse. Suggestions are included to help those who complain of poor memory learn large quantities of vocabulary. He emphasises that he could not speak a language other than English with confidence until he was in his twenties, when he adopted the approach he propounds in the book, so he is strong evidence for its validity. His case studies of polyglots show them to be, like him, ordinary people with no innate talent, but a passion to learn.

His advice is geared to those who would want to use a language in practical situations, not those whose primary objective is to read in it. But it isn’t either/or, and immersion in the spoken language would sit alongside more formal analysis of its structure. Lewis downplays the need for formal study initially but there is a case for arguing that not bothering too much at the start will cause problems later, and he is light on any discussion of how difficult it might be to unlearn bad habits. While he does not rule out formal courses, he points out there is no need to spend a lot of money on them, and specifically says expensive Rosetta Stone is effectively no better than a free equivalent like Duolingo, and the money saved would be better spent on one-to-one sessions with an online tutor.

Lewis has clearly been successful in his efforts, and he makes the case that if he can do it, anyone can, as long as they are motivated and commit to being an active learner. He concedes his way is not necessarily the best for everyone, but claims many people have found it useful. He may be right, yet the three-month tag unnecessarily oversells what is actually a straightforward way of getting to grips with a language. However, there are lots of useful tips, whatever one’s preferred learning style and possible reservations about his approach, and his enthusiasm will give a boost to those reluctant to plunge in because they think learning a language is beyond them.