tlhIngan Hol: Tips for Learning Klingon, or Any Language

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Scott Randall in Everett, Washington.

Hi, Scott. Welcome to the show.

What’s up?

I am learning the Klingon language and I require assistance.

At the age of 61, I find myself having real trouble getting new vocabulary into my long-term memory.

I have failed my level two certification from the Klingon Language Institute three times in the last two months, always because of my limited vocabulary.

Do you have any tips for learning foreign vocabulary and keeping it in long-term memory?

Why are you learning Klingon?

There’s a real good place to start with this, Scott.

I have been a Star Trek fan since it went into syndication in 1969.

In 1985, the Klingon Dictionary came out, and I tried to learn it from that but didn’t do too well.

In 2000, I discovered the Klingon Language Institute and dove back into it with the help of a mailing list and stuff, but it still wasn’t easy enough.

But now there are a lot of technological aids.

Duolingo has a Klingon course.

There’s a dictionary app for my phone.

There’s a Klingon Learn Facebook page where I can ask questions.

And so I’ve just really dived into it.

I’m determined to become fluent in Klingon.

And are you having conversations in real time, spoken aloud with other people in Klingon?

Only a little bit.

With my limited vocabulary, I haven’t joined the Zoom meetings that have actual conversations.

I’ve been focused more on translating things with a couple of Klingonist friends of mine, one of whom, Krishkat, has introduced me to the gold list method.

We’re trying that, but it’s too early to tell if it’s going to help.

Well, Scott, do you go by Scott or is there a different Klingon word I should?

My Klingon name is Yogtar, but that’s hard for even Klingonists to say.

So, Yog-Tar, tell us about this method that you’re trying to use.

The gold list method has you write down 20 short sentences, each of which contains one word that you’re trying to learn.

So you do that on day one.

Day two, you write another list of 20.

Day three and so on.

And you keep doing that.

And then on around day 14, you go back to your first list, and they say you will remember about 30% of those words.

You take the ones you don’t write and put them in the second list. And in two weeks, you’re going to come back to that one while you still keep writing the new lists of 20 every time.

And then when you go back to that list of 14 or so, you should remember about 30%.

So you’re then going to have a list of 10 or so that you write, and then a final list of about six or so. And that should allow you to learn about three quarters of the words they say.

That sounds like a pretty good method to me. What do you think, Grant?

Well, one of the things I’m noticing here as you’re talking about this is that you are talking about a, I would call this an academic method of memorizing words, but you’re not talking about the fun method, the pleasurable methods.

And this is an area that when anyone, whether learning Klingon or another language, really needs to think about.

As you can imagine, learning vocabulary has been extensively studied, both for first language learners and multilingual learners.

So there’s a lot that we can transfer over to what you’re doing and anybody who’s learning vocabulary can apply.

What’s important here is your literacy level and what you can read in the language.

Are you reading in Klingon? Are you reading in the language that you’re learning?

Not what you’re writing, not what you’re producing.

Up until our host became too ill, we were having meetings three times a week over Zoom where we would translate Hamlet from the original Shakespeare into English.

Okay.

And then we would all take turns reading a passage out loud in Klingon to work on our pronunciation.

Right.

But are you enjoying this?

Yes.

The Gold List articles that I read all say you need to make it fun, and that’s why I’m doing it with a friend.

Yeah.

Okay, Scott, let’s quickly give you some strategies here.

First, you need to read or hear a word in context six to ten times before it has a chance of really sticking.

And even then, it’s in passive vocabulary, not active, meaning you’re likely to know it when you see it, but not necessarily able to produce it when you’re speaking or writing.

The other thing is, try to think about whether or not you are truly enjoying what you’re reading.

Is it being forced on you or did you choose it?

This is definitely a personal choice.

I love working with Klingon.

I love creating the sentences.

I love reading my friends’ sentences.

And we’ve also got an expert Klingonist who hosts Pab Pinpok, the grammar boss, hour every Friday.

And so I take all the sentences that I did with my friends that I’m not sure are right, and I go through them with him.

And he sets me straight on things.

Well, that’s a fantastic way to learn any language, you know.

I mean, you have to assume that you’re going to make plenty of mistakes.

And some of them may be hilarious.

But that’s the way you learn by being willing to make mistakes.

Another thing I want to say to you, Scott, I agree with Martha.

And I want to say, how long did it take you to become fluent in English?

Give yourself at least that long to be fluent in Klingon.

Not just to be able to speak comfortably, but to speak like an adult.

Give yourself a break.

That might be the best advice we can give you right now.

All right?

You’re doing great.

You have done everything possible here.

It sounds fantastic.

What a program you’ve created for yourself.

Thank you very much.

And if I can leave you with just one thought, that would be mu’me galo de be po’ po’.

That’s the most accurate translation of you have A Way with Words.

Oh, you’ve got to give us that again.

Well, Scott, good luck with your Klingon, and if the spaceship arrives to take your way, please take me with you, okay?

Thank you for your help.

All right.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

Well, your prime directive is to boldly go to the telephone 877-929-9673 or email us words@waywordradio.org.