Yes! I totally believe that different people learn different ways and what works for one learner might not work for another. Our goals are all different, too, so for some people just having a chat or being able to order a coffee might be enough. However, at some point on our individual language learning journeys, most people will benefit from slowing down and writing by hand. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with playing games on Duolingo, especially if you're just starting out with a new language, but if you decide to continue, your results will correspond to the effort you put in. The friction makes it stickier! Thank you so much for sharing this article!
I’m in the process of learning English on my own. I’ve also used apps for that, and I totally agree they’re not tools to speak fluently, more like a support for studying. Still, I wanted to share my perspective here.
The switch from paper to screen shouldn’t be seen as a loss of quality, but as a change in nature. A shift in format that makes us adapt, just like when authors went from manuscripts to print. Back then, some people probably saw printed books as "soulless", forgetting that writing has always been about combining technique, medium, and adaptation.
Beyond what certain journalistic studies may claim, empirical evidence suggests that writing by hand versus on a keyboard doesn't mean the brain is used more or less. Rather, the difference is qualitative. Writing by hand is, in essence, drawing. It's a process of graphic construction that activates more integrated functional connectivity networks. While the keyboard optimizes spatial location and speed, manual writing requires a motor precision that facilitates deeper information encoding. Given that our prehistoric brain doesn't have specific functions for reading and writing, it makes sense to use both methods to expand our cognitive range and integrate tools into our biology. At the end of the day, learning depends more on the quality of texts and our ability to imitate than on the format.
Our brain isn’t a simple organ. We’re the result of an evolutionary chain that gave us an amazing ability to focus, even with constant distractions. We work as a full organism, where the mind-body connection matters (Damasio, 1994).
So we should move away from the speed and effort fallacy. It’s not about how fast we are, but about how well we turn information into meaningful learning through comparison and experience. For example, if you tell a kid a planet is a sphere instead of showing them a ball, the knowledge stays abstract.
Effort is key for resilience, but sacrifice doesn’t automatically mean it’s healthy or efficient. Aim for efficiency. Get the same result with well-directed effort. That’s a sign of evolutionary intelligence. And I totally agree that a slow, well-done process is way better than a rushed mess.
Grammar works the same way. It’s an essential tool to understand language, but how useful it is depends on what you want to do with it. Learning something you don’t use is basically a waste of energy. Sometimes we romanticize classical styles and their contemplative pace, forgetting that every era has its own trends. Digression used to be valued. Today, speed is valued. Both have their rewards, but the real challenge is adapting to sedentary lifestyles and technology that moves faster than our biology.
More than ever, we need to push ourselves to adapt, to live fully in this world, not just survive in it.
I really appreciate your text. While I’m learning the language, your experience has been really helpful and made me think about my own perspective. Seeing how others learn also helps us understand and value differences, and gives us more options for our own lives.
Hi Camilo. Thank you for your elaborate and thoughtful comment, and for sharing your opinion and experience. I really appreciate it. I think I'll go back to reread it and reflect more.
I agree with your assessment about apps vs. analog learning. I’m beginning to realize my memory retention is far less after using digital devices, vs. interacting with a physical book. Highlighting and notes are easier to revisit.you can flip through a book.even the pages you fan by, give you a sense of ‘reference points’. Digital book marks do not provide this same context. I highlight a digital book, and it disappears…I a may never return to it ever again. But you can flip through a book very easily - high lights and margin notes stand out even as the pages fan by between my fingers. Let alone using post-it markers.
As well, the bak lighting causes my a lot of eye strain. It grows a a sense of pressure within and behind my eyeballs, forehead…and a sense of fatigue.
And don’t get me started complaining about who owns the digital book.
Anyway, I have a question. What brand/edition is that english dictionary pictured at the beginning of your post? Is it just a stock image? It has a page format that I’ve not seen before.
I look forward to reading more of your articles. I want to learn Romanian, but am just terrible at new languages. Thank you.
PS, I never studied Romanian. Interesting choice! Just believe in yourself and have patience. Don't be too harsh on yourself; learning a new language as an adult is a challenging journey for everyone.
I agree that language apps are mostly good as a beginner tool. Apps in general should be seen as a tool and not the only source of information when learning a language.
Poetry evolved before prose. Prose was at first known as pezos logos, literally 'pedestrian, or walking, logos', as opposed to the usual dancing logos of poetry. In fact early poetry was sung: so the evolution of literary skill progresses, if that is the correct word, from right-hemisphere music (words that are sung), to right-hemisphere language (the metaphorical language of poetry), to left-hemisphere language (the referential language of prose).
Music is likely to be the ancestor of language and it arose largely in the right hemisphere, where one would expect a means of communication with others, promoting social cohesion, to arise. - Iain McGilchrist, The Master And His Emissary
Hi, thank you very much for your comment and for sharing your opinion with me! And thank you again for your interest in my articles. Anyway, the dictionary in the picture is a Longman. Dictionary of Contemporary English DCE. 6th edition. I believe PEARSON publishes it. I have a German edition published by Langenscheidt, but it is a monolingual English dictionary.
Yes! I totally believe that different people learn different ways and what works for one learner might not work for another. Our goals are all different, too, so for some people just having a chat or being able to order a coffee might be enough. However, at some point on our individual language learning journeys, most people will benefit from slowing down and writing by hand. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with playing games on Duolingo, especially if you're just starting out with a new language, but if you decide to continue, your results will correspond to the effort you put in. The friction makes it stickier! Thank you so much for sharing this article!
I’m in the process of learning English on my own. I’ve also used apps for that, and I totally agree they’re not tools to speak fluently, more like a support for studying. Still, I wanted to share my perspective here.
The switch from paper to screen shouldn’t be seen as a loss of quality, but as a change in nature. A shift in format that makes us adapt, just like when authors went from manuscripts to print. Back then, some people probably saw printed books as "soulless", forgetting that writing has always been about combining technique, medium, and adaptation.
Beyond what certain journalistic studies may claim, empirical evidence suggests that writing by hand versus on a keyboard doesn't mean the brain is used more or less. Rather, the difference is qualitative. Writing by hand is, in essence, drawing. It's a process of graphic construction that activates more integrated functional connectivity networks. While the keyboard optimizes spatial location and speed, manual writing requires a motor precision that facilitates deeper information encoding. Given that our prehistoric brain doesn't have specific functions for reading and writing, it makes sense to use both methods to expand our cognitive range and integrate tools into our biology. At the end of the day, learning depends more on the quality of texts and our ability to imitate than on the format.
Our brain isn’t a simple organ. We’re the result of an evolutionary chain that gave us an amazing ability to focus, even with constant distractions. We work as a full organism, where the mind-body connection matters (Damasio, 1994).
So we should move away from the speed and effort fallacy. It’s not about how fast we are, but about how well we turn information into meaningful learning through comparison and experience. For example, if you tell a kid a planet is a sphere instead of showing them a ball, the knowledge stays abstract.
Effort is key for resilience, but sacrifice doesn’t automatically mean it’s healthy or efficient. Aim for efficiency. Get the same result with well-directed effort. That’s a sign of evolutionary intelligence. And I totally agree that a slow, well-done process is way better than a rushed mess.
Grammar works the same way. It’s an essential tool to understand language, but how useful it is depends on what you want to do with it. Learning something you don’t use is basically a waste of energy. Sometimes we romanticize classical styles and their contemplative pace, forgetting that every era has its own trends. Digression used to be valued. Today, speed is valued. Both have their rewards, but the real challenge is adapting to sedentary lifestyles and technology that moves faster than our biology.
More than ever, we need to push ourselves to adapt, to live fully in this world, not just survive in it.
I really appreciate your text. While I’m learning the language, your experience has been really helpful and made me think about my own perspective. Seeing how others learn also helps us understand and value differences, and gives us more options for our own lives.
Cheers to everyone!
Hi Camilo. Thank you for your elaborate and thoughtful comment, and for sharing your opinion and experience. I really appreciate it. I think I'll go back to reread it and reflect more.
No. Thank you for taking the time to read and engage. I really appreciate it.
Hello!
I agree with your assessment about apps vs. analog learning. I’m beginning to realize my memory retention is far less after using digital devices, vs. interacting with a physical book. Highlighting and notes are easier to revisit.you can flip through a book.even the pages you fan by, give you a sense of ‘reference points’. Digital book marks do not provide this same context. I highlight a digital book, and it disappears…I a may never return to it ever again. But you can flip through a book very easily - high lights and margin notes stand out even as the pages fan by between my fingers. Let alone using post-it markers.
As well, the bak lighting causes my a lot of eye strain. It grows a a sense of pressure within and behind my eyeballs, forehead…and a sense of fatigue.
And don’t get me started complaining about who owns the digital book.
Anyway, I have a question. What brand/edition is that english dictionary pictured at the beginning of your post? Is it just a stock image? It has a page format that I’ve not seen before.
I look forward to reading more of your articles. I want to learn Romanian, but am just terrible at new languages. Thank you.
PS, I never studied Romanian. Interesting choice! Just believe in yourself and have patience. Don't be too harsh on yourself; learning a new language as an adult is a challenging journey for everyone.
I agree that language apps are mostly good as a beginner tool. Apps in general should be seen as a tool and not the only source of information when learning a language.
Poetry evolved before prose. Prose was at first known as pezos logos, literally 'pedestrian, or walking, logos', as opposed to the usual dancing logos of poetry. In fact early poetry was sung: so the evolution of literary skill progresses, if that is the correct word, from right-hemisphere music (words that are sung), to right-hemisphere language (the metaphorical language of poetry), to left-hemisphere language (the referential language of prose).
Music is likely to be the ancestor of language and it arose largely in the right hemisphere, where one would expect a means of communication with others, promoting social cohesion, to arise. - Iain McGilchrist, The Master And His Emissary
Hi, thank you very much for your comment and for sharing your opinion with me! And thank you again for your interest in my articles. Anyway, the dictionary in the picture is a Longman. Dictionary of Contemporary English DCE. 6th edition. I believe PEARSON publishes it. I have a German edition published by Langenscheidt, but it is a monolingual English dictionary.