Written by:
Jul 1, 2021

The 3 W’s and the 3 R’s: Tips from Memory Champion Yänjaa Wintersoul

What’s the best way to learn a language? 

Systems are a proven way to effectively learn a new language. And Memory Champion Yänjaa Wintersoul has two systems she’s found to be effective tools for her when taking on new languages–and she speaks 14 of them! 

Yanjaa Wintersoul


Recently, we teamed up with Yänjaa to share her tips for learning a new language as a part of this year’s 90 Days with Drops. 

She recently learned Brazilian Portuguese with us. Here was the result:


Want to learn a language like a memory champion? Here are the 3 W’s and 3 R’s of language learning from Yänjaa Wintersoul: 

The 3 W’s of Language Learning

When setting goals, one technique you can use is the 3 W’s. These are what, when, and where

This means, in order to build a language learning habit, you want to decide what you’re going to do, when you’re doing it and where you’re doing it. 

Here’s Yänjaa’s example from her learning with Drops:

What you’re doing: learning a language with 5 minutes of Drops

When you’re doing it: right after breakfast

Where you’re doing it: in the kitchen

Do you have your what, when, and where? If not, it's not too late to decide what these are for you!


The 3 R’s of Language Learning

Yänjaa also introduced the 3 R’s of goal setting during her 90 Days with Drops challenge. These are : revise, recommit, and remove

To revise, you think about what you’ve been doing and adjust based on how it’s working for you. Are you doing enough? Either increase or decrease the time you’re doing. 

To recommit, you think about which goals you have that you haven’t been prioritizing and recommit to them if they’re really something you want to pursue. 

To remove, you again think about which goals you aren’t prioritizing, and if they aren’t something that’s important to you or they’re something you’re not enjoying, you remove them.

So, think about your 3 R’s and your 3 W’s and write down your goals! As Yänjaa shared, you’re 45% more likely to achieve them.


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"Very engaging way of learning Yoruba in a stimulating way. Will be using to learn myself and to teach my child!"

smoothbrudder

"Amazing language learning tool. Excellent app for increasing vocabulary in your foreign language of choice. Useful for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners. The repetition of the words makes them much easier to remember, and without the hassle of making your own flash cards. I have used Drops for two years now and have seen great results."

cjr5tns

"Great little learning app! I've learned at least 5-10 new words in Spanish in my first 5 minutes. Easy to pick up and thorough."

Simon Griffiths

"I have been desperate to find an app that really helps me learn Japanese and this is the best by far"

R1noku3ara

"I like that you can switch between different subjects and topics constantly and it’s really easy to learn a lot of vocabulary very quickly! This works perfect for me because I can learn a lot of words but then practice sentence structure with my grandmother whose from Croatia"

Polly Lisicak

"Fantastic app great opportunity to learn languages on your spare time. Drops makes it easy to learn and retain words to formulate sentences."

Oscar Quin

"What an amazing app! I’ve tried several apps for language learning and I cannot recommend Drops enough. I don’t know how a short Drops session can teach me as much as 1 hour+ of focused use of other apps, it’s like magic."

Merindel

"Love my fun language learning and practice with daily Drops sessions, and monthly Challenges to participate in, and quiz mode to test contextual learning - brilliant! So much thought, consideration and inclusivity has gone into the design and function of this app, I can't praise it highly enough."

Lee-Anne Fox

"Definitely recommend! I'm using this to learn mandarin 10/10"

Kayla Elding

"This app us the best and how I am doing Learning Ukraine is Helping me alot tnx"

Hemry