FROM DYSLEXIA TO MULTILINGUALISM: EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR LEARNING NEW LANGUAGES
GNGT: BASIC LANGUAGE LEARNING
Source: Open AI. Created by Me.
HALFWAY FLUENT: HOW I (Sort Of) LEARNED 5 LANGUAGES DESPITE HAVING SEVERE DYSLEXIA
When I first tried to learn a language, I went with the usual methods: books and cassette tapes (yes, I’m that old). I even downloaded the U.S. State Department’s School of Language Studies modules, not realizing they were designed for years of structured learning with instructors. But no matter how hard I tried, no matter how many hours I spent banging my head against the wall, I just couldn’t learn a language. Every part of it was a struggle. Reading, pronunciation, and memorization were all difficult because of my severe dyslexia.
No doubt, my severe dyslexia was a major factor, if not the only factor, holding me back. Back then, and even now, I have the kind of dyslexia where I can memorize vast amounts of information, like the names and bios of every G.I. Joe figure ever made when I was 13. But if you asked me to spell "miscellaneous" for a billion dollars, spoiler alert: I’d never become a billionaire. Even today, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
What finally worked for me was something I stumbled upon by accident. I unknowingly combined language learning with a form of shorthand I had created for myself. But I’ll get to that part later.
DYSLEXIC SHORTHAND: THE ORIGIN STORY
At the time, I could barely read English, so learning a foreign language seemed out of reach. On top of that, my written English wasn’t even "real" written English.
As a dyslexic kid struggling in the public school system, I eventually gave up on trying to spell words the "right" way. Instead, I created my own phonetic spelling system for taking notes, which I jokingly called Dyslexic Shorthand.
If I needed to write this: “I have always wanted to learn how to play the xylophone.”
In Dyslexic Shorthand, it became: “I hav all-ways want-ted to pu-la the zi-lu-phone.”
I left out “learn how to” because I already knew I didn’t know how to play the xylophone, so why bother writing it down?
For this method to work, I had to focus on quickly writing down how words sounded to me without worrying about spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, or any unimportant or obvious details.
THE BASIC STEPS OF DYSLEXIC SHORTHAND:
Write words phonetically based on how they sound to you, not how they are spelled.
Remove unnecessary parts to make writing quicker and easier.
This shorthand lets me focus on getting my thoughts down without struggling over spelling, sentence structure, or unnecessary details. Since I couldn’t spell correctly anyway, this system helped me keep up with note-taking in a way that actually worked for me.
MY HINDRANCE BECOMES A SKILL
I had a high school buddy who joined the Air Force to escape the dump town we were from. He ended up working in a signals unit, which, as far as I understood, was a mix of IT and communications.
When I ran into him during his first leave back home, he saw me writing something down. Since he knew I had been traveling internationally a lot, he asked what language it was.
I told him what it was, and he joked, "If WW3 ever breaks out, the military should draft you as a ‘Dyslexic Code Maker.’ No one can read that mess but you, lol."
That comment stuck with me. It made me realize that the way I thought, something I had always seen as a major hindrance to living a normal life, could actually be a skill. That shift in mindset, along with his encouragement, later played a huge role in shaping my unconventional approach to learning languages.
STUMBLING UPON A METHOD
MY LANGUAGE LEARNING STORY
I started traveling the world well over a decade before Google Translate was even invented. Back then, I was still using a PalmPilot.
That left me with two translation options when I was traveling:
Ask the girl at the front desk who speaks English.
Nothing.
The biggest issue with the first option was that no matter how many times someone told me how to pronounce something in the local language, it never stuck in my mind. Strict memorization was off the table. Once again, dyslexia had shut down another possible way for me to learn a new language.
THE DYSLEXIC SHORTHAND LANGUAGE LEARNING SYSTEM
One day, I wrote down a few things I wanted to say in my notepad. Later, I ran into an English-speaking local I knew and asked her to say them in the local language. I wrote down what I heard using my Dyslexic Shorthand.
And it worked. Every time I needed that phrase, I just read it from my notepad.
If you were wondering, I was in Cambodia, and the phrase I wanted to say was:
“More tissue.”
I wrote it down as:
"Chil-le ka-bung-time the-it."
Most of the time, it worked. When it didn’t, I mimicked pulling tissue from a box while repeating the phrase, and that usually did the trick. From then on, whenever I wanted to say that in the local language, I pulled out my notepad and read it out loud. Over time, I started needing the notepad less and less.
My best guess as to why this worked is that it removed the extra step of memorizing pronunciation on the spot. Instead, I was reading it out loud over and over again, which must have been the key.
After that trip, I saved the notepad for when I came back or visited another country where the language was spoken. Eventually, this method evolved into a structured process with clear, repeatable steps. And that’s how I accidentally created a system that allowed someone with dyslexia to learn a language.
HOW I LEARNED CONVERSATIONAL ARABIC WITHOUT TRYING
After about a year and a half of living in the Middle East and using this system, I noticed I was relying on my notepad less and less. By my third year, much to my shock, I could hold a basic conversation in Arabic.
This was wild to me, especially considering I still struggled with reading regular old English. At the time, I had no idea how it happened. But it turns out my dyslexic mind had learned a language using real learning methods.
These methods are called Multisensory Learning, Elaborative Rehearsal, Spaced Repetition, and Self-Explanation. Self-explanation was the key component that eventually opened my mind to learning foreign languages well enough to get around town over time.
DYSLEXIC SHORTHAND LANGUAGE LEARNING STEPS
Write down frequently needed phrases or words in English.
Place a check mark under each phrase or word every time you need to say it.
After five check marks, translate* the phrase into the local language.
Write the local pronunciation using Dyslexic Shorthand.
Read the Dyslexic Shorthand and say it aloud whenever you need to communicate with a local.
Like any other form of repetitive learning, at some point, your mind will “just remember,” and you will rely on your notepad less and less.
These days, I use a mix of Google Translate and asking the front desk girl for help whenever I am unsure of an exact phrase to reverse-translate. Just like this system, it’s not the most ideal way to translate, but it gets the job done. Whether it’s finding the bathroom, asking for salt, or trying to have a basic conversation, this method has helped me more times than I can count.
EXAMPLES FROM MY PAST TRANSLATIONS:
English: Next person.
Arabic Dyslexia Shorthand: Aaa-shucks to-telly
English: Thank you.
Vietnamese Dyslexia Shorthand: Ka-moon
Korean Dyslexia Shorthand: Come-some me-da
THE DISADVANTAGES OF USING THIS METHOD
If you use this system to learn the basics of a language, you will end up with a wicked accent. In most cases, you will never truly learn the language. You are essentially becoming a human parrot. But despite having a heavy accent, people will still understand you. And in the end, at least you will be able to say, “Hold the mayo.”
If you spend several years living in a country and fully immersing yourself, you might develop a higher-than-conversational grasp of the language. Maybe. But if you are like me and traditional methods have never worked for you, then this is still better than nothing, right?
If speaking broken, accented, but understandable [insert language here] is good enough for you because you do not have the time or desire to take a language course, then this method is also for you.
I also tried a similar approach to see if I could learn to read a foreign language with zero success. But if your brain is wired a little better than mine, it might be a good way to learn how to read and write a language. Who knows!
THIS IS WHAT TO EXPECT:
PROS:
Practical for basic communication and builds confidence.
Easy to use and takes only seconds per word or phrase.
CONS:
Leaves you with a strong accent.
Not effective for reading or writing.
PROS+:
If nothing else has worked, this might. Maybe.
NOW I ‘SORT OF’ KNOW 5 LANGUAGES
Using this method, I can hold basic conversations or communicate well enough to get around town in five different languages. These include Arabic, Thai, Spanish, Indonesian, French, and fair-to-middling Vietnamese.
Next on my list will probably be something Eastern European. Just the fact that I, someone who still struggles with reading basic English due to severe dyslexia, am now deciding what language to study next almost brings tears to my eyes.
EPILOGUE
How is my dyslexia these days? Ha! Let’s just say I have probably been single-handedly responsible for more than one Grammarly server meltdown trying to keep up with my spelling (or lack thereof). If you live in Northern Virginia and ever experienced a sudden blackout, there’s a good chance that was on me. My bad. And while I’d like to think I’m improving, if I’m being honest, spellcheck and AI are my best friends.
On the upside, I have been living in Da Nang, Vietnam for the past seven months, which has been crazy cool in itself. The best part is that I can already get around town using sort-of decent Vietnamese. It’s far from perfect, but I am grateful for the progress I have made, especially considering that the idea of being even somewhat okay in another language once felt like a pipe dream.
I really hope this proves useful for others like me who have struggled for years to learn a new language due to dyslexia or because it just never clicked. It is easy to feel discouraged and eventually give up. I know firsthand how frustrating and overwhelming the process can be, but I also now know that an unorthodox approach might be exactly what you need.
If you have ever struggled with learning a new language, have your own unique methods, or just want to share your thoughts, I would love to hear from you. Drop a comment below and let me know. Whether it is about your language-learning journey, a funny miscommunication story, or just to say I am not writing into the wind, I am all ears.
Adventure Awaits!
*Note: I am not claiming to be the inventor of this method of learning languages; it’s just my personal experience. I’m guessing someone has created a formal language learning program using this method. If so, chalk it up to simultaneous discovery or independent invention, not plagiarism, okay? Thanks!
