Today I’m eager to announce the release of my new book: Nerd’s Guide To Better Grades in High School or College. You can purchase the book on Amazon for $2.99. Check out the full Book Description down below!

Nerd’s Guide To Better Grades in High School or College Book Description

Grades suck, but they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. High school grades are the most important factor of college admissions and determine how rich scholarship money is awarded. College grades, which are viewed as evidence of competence, technical ability, and work ethic, influence internship, postgraduate, and employment decisions. Indeed, while experience wins out in the long run, academic performance plays a pivotal role early in the game.

People tend to conflate grades with intelligence, which simply isn’t true. Anyone can do much better in school by working smarter, regardless of how smart they are. In addition, by taking a strategic angle, students who want to score better grades ensure that none of their hard work goes down the drain. This short book consists of 15 time-tested, fool-proof, nerd-certified tips to improve academic performance. The bulk of them apply to high school, and all of them will come in handy in college where most high school students are headed.

Why did I write this book? Well, I have a reputation for being a bit of an academic nerd. As someone who won a lot of scholarship money and got some cool opportunities to work and travel, I have seen firsthand how good grades can open doors. While the 15 tips naturally derive from my schooling in the US, they are widely applicable to educational systems around the world.

School, to be sure, consists of much more than just grades. Networking, relationships, extracurriculars, and lived experiences are super important, which you can read all about somewhere else. The focus of this book, on the other hand, is more laser-like. If you follow the advice contained herein, your grades will undoubtedly get better. The good news is you don’t have to be a nerd or a genius.

When you try something new, you’re always a fool. And so unless you’re willing to be a fool, you can’t learn anything new.

Jordan Peterson — You Have To Be A Fool To Learn Something New

Learning a foreign language is an art, and a lot of people have really creative ideas on the topic, some more compelling than others. One dubious theory that I hear get recycled frequently is that it isn’t necessary or advisable to study grammar, dictionaries, or vocabularies. Proponents of this theory hold that the best way to learn a foreign language is to imitate how people naturally learn their native language–that is, by gradual exposure in an immersive environment with other native speakers. It is certainly possible to learn a language like this. I imagine this is how most people had to learn languages before dictionaries were invented. However, as I will explain, I think this method is generally the hardest, slowest, and least efficient way to go about it. .

In my opinion, not all ideas about language learning are equally resourceful. In this article, I want to address a few of the the less helpful ones that commonly get circulated. I also want to suggest some alternative ideas that have proven particularly helpful for me on my language journey with Spanish and Arabic during the last decade.

I invite you to check out some of the other language learning articles on the blog for more topical editorials. If you’re in a giving mood, share your favorite tips/ideas/strategies down below, as I am always looking to learn from others!

Without further ado. . .

1. Adults Do Not Learn Like Children

It does not logically follow that the best way to learn a foreign language is the same way we learned our native language. Babies brains are wired differently than adult brains. Babies are like blank canvases. They are capable of passively absorbing and synthesizing information in their native language with minimal conscious effort.

The brilliance of babies aside, how much of a chronological advantage do native speakers really have? When’s the last time you talked to a 12 year-old? How about a 15 year-old? Most of us don’t want it to take us two decades to master a language, but that’s exactly how long it takes most native speakers. With a fully developed adult brain, we can learn foreign languages in a more time-efficient manner (albeit, with a lot more conscious effort), than a native speaker did naturally growing up.

2. The Dictionary Is Your Best Friend When Learning A Language

This item is probably the most important language learning tip of all. The choice to regularly use a dictionary, to regularly look up words and phrases, on one hand… or to passively “go with the flow,” trying to infer the meaning of everything new by context on the other hand.. may be the difference between achieving proficiency within a few years and spending an entire lifetime bumbling around in a target language. The dictionary isn’t just for nerds like me. It’s for all serious language students who want to accelerate time.

Before the invention of dictionaries, foreign language acquisition was especially difficult. For example, the first Japanese-English dictionary was not published until the 19th century. You can imagine having to ask a native speaker every time you needed to know the meaning of word or grammatical concept, and then again a second and third time when you inevitably forgot. You’d either need some really patient friends or enough money to pay someone for years to achieve exactly what you can achieve with an electronic dictionary/grammar, most of which are free.

A few years ago, I discovered a comprehensive Syrian-English dictionary. It was a game-changer. (Google “A Dictionary of Syrian Arabic by Stowasser”..). That green book with the Romanized letters and barely legible font probably saved me years of stumbling around in Arabic, asking friends and relatives the meaning of this word and that word, even though working through it at the time was an ordeal. On a more macro level, I imagine it has multiplied the number of foreigners with a command of Syrian since it was published in 2004.

What’s more is that we have electronic dictionaries now, so we can access definitions, with sample sentences gathered from digital databases, on demand. (For an electronic Arabic colloquial dictionary, see Lughatuna.) The evolution of dictionaries/grammars/vocabularies is undoubtedly the biggest reason why foreign language acquisition is easier now than ever. These resources also enable us to progress in our native language more rapidly.

3. An Active Language Learning Approach Accelerates Time

This includes, but is not limited, to using the dictionary per #2 ^. An active approach entails effort–asking questions, looking words up, studying things. A passive approach is energy-unintensive. A passive approach is when we immerse ourselves in an environment where the foreign language is spoken and rely solely on context and our ability to make inferences for understanding. A passive approach is when we watch a program in the target language, the majority of which we cannot understand, without subtitles or the dictionary. A passive approach is when we engage in conversation and do not inquire about new words. In contrast, with an active approach to learning, we learn a lot more and we learn a lot faster.

4. Make Friends In The Target Language, And Find Creatives Ways To Stay Motivated

Language acquisition is a marathon, not a sprint, so we need to keep the big picture in mind when devising strategies and creating routines. Motivation, or emotional interest, may be fickle, but it is important. It is common to see people get excited about learning a language then fall off after they fail to notice significant progress, become undisciplined, or allow life to get in the way. We won’t always feel like studying a language, but the more regularly motivated we are, the easier it is to stay focused and make consistent progress.

My favorite way to stay motivated is to connect with friends in the target language on a semi-regular basis. The interactions themselves are productive, but, more importantly, they energize me to keep learning when I am alone or when I otherwise would not feel like it. People are social, and language is an essential reason why. Having social interaction in a target language is a lot more stimulating for most people than studying the dictionary or grammar. Friends advise, correct, encourage, and remind us why we were interested in learning the foreign language in the first place.

In the second place, I choose programs, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc., that I am personally interested in, independent of the language benefits. For example, if I enjoy watching comedy or cooking shows in my native language, then I’ll do the same in Spanish or Arabic. You can also sometimes kill two birds with one stone. A lot of movies are available in multiple languages, as are sporting events, like football, baseball, and soccer, that we would be watching anyway. As a general rule, if you’re already consuming media that has been made available in the target language, then consider making the switch.

5. Avoid Burn-Out While Studying A Language

This is closely related to #4, but I want to include it under a separate heading of what NOT to do in order to avoid burn-out. In #3, I talked about effort and exertion.. We need to wrestle with the language actively as much as possible. That said, I also understand that it can be tedious to study definitions and grammar all of the time. People whose only activities in a foreign language are dense are at a greater risk of burn-out. Over time, they may even lose interest in the language altogether. That is why it is advisable to make friends and consume stimulating content in the target language.

Burn-out is also why passive language learning activities can sometimes be very beneficial. For example, when we relax to a program or book or conversation, without looking any words up and obsessing over linguistic minutiae. Passive language-learning activities are especially productive once we reach an advanced level and are able to understand the majority of what is going on with minimal effort.

That said, motivation also comes from progress. When we see that we are making progress, we may feel inspired to engage in more activities in the target language. In short, we want to balance our big picture desire to make maximum progress with our short-term need for emotional stimulation. No two people are the same, and only you can determine how much active and passive activity is appropriate for you on any given day.

If you liked this post, check out the following article on a single daily language habit that has helped me make huge gains in Spanish and Arabic during the last several years.

People often take it for granted that the best way to learn a foreign language is to travel or live in a country where the target language is spoken. They believe that being present in a foreign country will dramatically grow their language skills, like water, sunlight, and Miracle Gro to a plant. However, language learning isn’t formulaic. You can’t just plug an individual into a foreign country and expect language mastery to be the result. The environment of a foreign country or city can potentially facilitate language learning, but what’s far more important is the individualized experience of the traveler. When traveling, three main factors influence how much language improvement is likely to take place: 1) the destination country; 2) the traveler’s occupation; and 3) the traveler’s lifestyle.

The Destination Country Influences Language Learning

As a native English speaker, my language is spoken in many countries around the world. When I was in Jordan and Lebanon, there were signs in English posted everywhere, and most natives had some grasp of the language. A lot of foreigners viewed interactions with me as an opportunity to practice or show off their English. Similarly, if they sensed that their English was better than my Arabic, they typically preferred to speak in my native language so that we could have a better conversation. In other words, the practical advantage of speaking English among certain bilingual types can be a complication in the process. 

Students of English as a foreign language, in contrast, do well in most American cities. This owes to the fact that relatively few Americans are bilingual, and many bilingual Americans are eager to speak English, since English is pervasive in American culture. As a result, many foreigners make great progress in English when they come to the US because relatively so few people are capable of, or interested in, speaking a language other than English.

The Traveler’s Occupation Influences Language Learning

The second factor—occupation—is critical because it dictates how travelers will spend the majority of their time.. Travelers on a foreign exchange or language study program may receive daily exposure to the language in the form of classes and cultural activities programmed into the agenda. For example, when I was studying Arabic at Oman’s Nizwa University during the summer of 2014, we had around four hours of Arabic class every day and numerous cultural activities with native speakers who were required to communicate with us in Arabic. As participants, we also had to sign a language pledge only to speak Arabic amongst ourselves for two months (even though we all reneged). Middlebury College in Vermont, USA, is famous for similar immersion programs that are highly effective at promoting language development. 

On the other hand, I know people who live in a foreign country and work a job in their native language. This is actually quite common now with remote work having surged in popularity. A number of people prefer to live in a non-English speaking country for cultural reasons, while earning a salary from an American company or company that otherwise doesn business in English. Given how time-consuming work is, it is typical for people with English jobs to make very little progress in the foreign language, no matter how long their stay is in the host country.

Lifestyle Influences Language Learning

The third factor—lifestyle—is arguably the most important of all. In the Middle East, for example, are you out on the streets or in people’s homes interacting with locals, or do you spend the majority of your free time in the house? According to a February, 2021, survey of Americans, nearly half of respondents reported spending 5-6 hours a day on their phone, and another 11% reported spending 7 hours or more, not including work-related activities. Figures like these are on par with what you might expect in the smartphone era and may even be slightly higher in reality, given that the data was self-reported.

There’s a saying in English, you can take a horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink. When it comes to language learning, what we do is far more important than where we are located, especially now with the abundance of quality electronic dictionaries, references, smartphones, and language exchange applications.  Travel experience can easily amount to a wasted opportunity, in terms of language development, if we aren’t intentional about applying ourselves. Allow me illustrate…

My Japanese Got Worse In Japan 

In the spring of 2015, I spent four months in Tokyo on a study abroad program through Sophia University. What’s ironic is that my Japanese actually regressed during that span. When you break it down, my experience fell short on all three of the factors—country, occupation, and lifestyle—that influence language learning abroad. For one, many people at Sophia University spoke good English. This isn’t true everywhere in Japan, but location within a country matters, too. I had friends who barely spoke any Japanese at all, and they fared just fine. Second, Sophia University was international. English was the language of instruction of all of my classes. You had to specially apply to take classes taught in Japanese, which very few foreigners due to the high probability they would fail. Third, my lifestyle wasn’t conducive to language learning. Like my peers, I chose to socialize primarily with other internationals who shared my dormitory. Communication in Japanese was arduous, and there was no course curriculum or social pressure prompting anyone to do so. More often than not, I and my peers chose the more comfortable route of speaking English amongst ourselves. 

Overall, I had a good time in Tokyo, and I hope to be able to go back one day. I miss the people, the food, the cherry blossoms, the bullet train, the natural landscapes, and the cutting-edge technology. Japan was full of imagination, and it’s unlike any country I’ve ever visited. However, upon returning back home, I decided to abandon Japanese in favor of Spanish and Arabic. I determined that the effort required to get really good at Japanese paled in comparison to the scarce cultural and economic opportunities I was likely to receive in my future. My connection to Latin America and the Middle East was a lot stronger, and I already had my hands full with these languages and my other academic pursuits. 

The Myth Of Immersion?

The myth of immersion isn’t that immersion doesn’t work. Immersion does work. The myth of immersion is that traveling to a foreign country is a necessary step. People can experience the benefits of immersion wherever they are.They can consume media, change the language of their phones, find language partners using apps like HelloTalk, or practice translation throughout the day. And an immersive environment is most useful when we actively engage with our environment. In other words, not just about what we see and hear, it’s about what we are able to understand. 

People forget quickly, and once something has been forgotten, good luck retrieving it. No sense having to reinvent the wheel of our own imagination.

The same writing that enabled rapid technological progress during the last few centuries can help us progress intellectually in our private lives.

Creator Villa

For more, see quotes.

Our eyes evolved in spatious environments, where they are most relaxed. When our eyes relax, our mind relaxes. We work more efficiently and are better able to think creatively. Imitating a natural environment indoors can induce this effect.

Creator Villa

For more, see quotes.

For more on speed typing, see *NEW E-BOOK RELEASE* Be More Productive: Save 30 Minutes a Day by Learning The Art of Typing. Like most people in their mid-twenties, I’ve already spent thousands of hours on a computer. Typing out assignments in high school, undergraduate, and graduate school. Taking notes. Spending time on social media. Surfing the web. Working a computer job, for a period of time, and now blogging. Typing is simply the fastest, most reliable way to translate words to paper. But it is not equally fast for everyone. One of the easiest ways to save time and energy as a student, professional, or hobbyist whose job entails computer work is to increase your typing speed.

Here is a simple example to illustrate my point. A typical day for me as a student consisted of lectures for 2 and a half hours. An average note-taker might type up 3 pages of notes in this span. Let’s say you have assigned readings at home, and you type another 1 page of notes for those. In college, it is very typical to average around 2 pages of writing assignments a day, between response journals, essays, research papers, etc. Add another 1 page if you count edits. People do not typically submit the first word they type up for an assignment.

An average double-spaced page is around 250 words. That brings us to ~250(3) + 250(1) + 250(3)=1750 words.

Let’s say you spend time on the computer throughout the day, Googling things, talking to friends, and hanging out on forums/blogs. We’ll add in an extra 750 words for this miscellaneous activity, which I think is a reasonable number for many people. 1750 + 750 = 2,500 words, or ~10 pages total, in a day.

The average typist clocks in around 40 word per minute (wpm) according to Google. In my example, that means an average typist spends (2,500 /40)= ~63 minutes a day typing.

An advanced typist can get 80 wpm, whereas exceptionally fast ones can exceed 100 wpm. An advanced typist, in my example, would spend ~32 minutes (2,500/80) a day typing, whereas an exceptionally fast typist would spend spend ~25 minutes (2,500/100). That adds up to 30 minutes and 40 minutes of time savings a day, respectively, just by being faster at typing.

Depending on their job/lifestyle, some people will save less time than that, while others will save a lot more (bloggers, computer professionals, prolific social media users, etc.). 

How To Increase Your Typing Speed

In high school, touch typing (no-look, using all 10 fingers) was like a superpower. Before typing classes were offered, I took it upon myself to print out a chart, color-coded by key and finger. After several long, at times frustrating, weeks of studying the chart and practicing with the keyboard, I achieved my goal. Rule #1 of a fast wpm: Don’t look at the keyboard. If you’re still looking at the keyboard or typing with two fingers (tisk tisk), you should start by memorizing the keyboard layout.

What’s your wpm? You can test your speed for free at Typing.com. This week, I clocked in at 137 WPM with 100% accuracy on the 1-minute test [147 WPM with 99% accuracy is my all-time best on Typing.com.] Using the example above, at 137 WPM I would have saved ~45 minutes in a day. I screen-recorded myself completing the test on 11.24.21. Check out the video, which I have embedded down below!

MonkeyType has a shorter test (~30 seconds) that gives you a detailed breakdown of character counts. My personal record on MonkeyType is 165 WPM with 100% accuracy (see video from 5.28.23!). TypeRush.com is also a really fun website to hone your typing skills in competitive fashion. The test is less than a minute so it’s similarly easier to achieve top speeds. My personal best on TypeRush is 155.87 WPM.

Finally, 10FastFingers.com is another popular 1-minute test. Every 5 characters counts as a word, so if you type 100 characters that will count as 20 words, regardless of how many actual words you typed. My personal best on 10FastFingers is 156 WPM with 99% accuracy.

People don’t like explaining things that can easily be looked up to people who don’t really care. By showing what we already know/think and referencing any sources we consulted, they are more likely to go the extra mile to help us.

Creator Villa

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There is an expression in Spanish, “Mejor un lápiz corto que una memoria larga.” Translation? A short pencil is better than a long memory.

Creator Villa

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Whenever we blink—and close our eyes—our mind temporarily stops taking in visual information from the environment. My experience is that we can channel some of the brain energy used to seeing on something else—like a piece of information—which improves our ability to absorb it. People commonly close their eyes to increase focus (praying/meditation/love-making etc.) This is simply another application that occurred to me while studying.

Creator Villa