5 Different Types of YouTube Videos to Improve Your Language

I’m addicted to YouTube more than anybody else’s I’ve ever met. It’s been both a curse and a blessing.

It’s been a curse because I’ve wasted hundreds of hours watching Mario Maker 2 and Super Smash Bros Ultimate videos to numb myself. But it’s also been a blessing for all the useful videos I’ve watched that helped me learn languages.

There are 500 hours of content uploaded every minute. That’s why, if you choose so, YouTube can be one of your best companions on your journey to learn a language. Any language.

Learning languages has changed my life. Had I not learned languages, I’d have never realized how wide the world is. I’d have never met some of the most amazing people I know. I’d be living a life devoid of meaning, without even knowing what would be missing.

If you choose to walk this path — and I really hope you do — , choose to make YouTube your ally by gathering these 5 types of channels.

Watch Your Hobbies in the Language

My passion is learning languages but I also have a lot of other hobbies. I’ve loved video games since middle school. There was a period I was in love with Japanese tea ceremonies. I’ve also loved traveling for as long as can remember. That’s why I’ve found channels on each of these topics in languages I’ve studied.

When you love something, watching videos about it excites you. Doing so in another language that you don’t understand fully yet may feel frustrating at first but it quickly becomes understandable. The context and your love for the topic make you remember with more ease new terms.

Nowadays, I’m watching the Korean version of the YouTube channel Genshin Impact (원신) since I’m also playing the game in my free time (in Korean as well). I also watched videos about origami in Korean when I was learning it last year.

Watch Videos Teaching Languages

For this, you can go two ways. Watching videos teaching your target language. Or videos in your target language teacher your native language. Both can be just as useful.

The first one’s uses are obvious. If your watch videos teaching your target language, you get to learn it. It’s that simple. Depending on the language you learn, there could be countless channels available. Some will focus on grammar. Some on teaching through short stories. Some will concentrate on explaining common errors.

I’m a fan of the “Easy Languages” channels and nowadays watch almost daily a video of Easy German as I get to encounter common German expressions on all sorts of topics.

Channels teaching your native language may seem pointless or — worse — boring but they can be a great resource to reach a higher level. Since the explanations will be in the target language, you encounter a lot more varied vocabulary. It makes finding explanations on how to use a pattern you use a lot in your native language much easier.

I’ve been using this channel to improve my Japanese a bit while brushing up on my Korean for a long time.

If you already speak two languages, you could watch videos teaching your third language in your second one. That’s what we call laddering.

Music Channels With Lyrics

One of the most important triggers I’ve had for most of my languages was music. And one of the ways I’ve improved quickly was through listening to music in my target languages with the lyrics on screen.

By listening to a piece of music many times in a row while reading the lyrics on screen, you get to increase your reading speed and recognize words more easily. If you try to sing along, you can even improve your pronunciation while having even more fun.

I’ve done this a lot for Korean with this channel for many years and I know there are such channels for almost any language you can think of. Here’s one for Japanese and one for Spanish, for example.

News Channels

Whether one of your goals is to understand the news or not, watching the news in your target language is still a great use of your time. It exposes you to the language in its most “well-spoken” way because it’s made to be using the most “standard” accent in the language. The intonation is the best you’ll find.

I use these channels in two ways: (1) passive listening in the background and (2) active watching.

The goal of passive listening is to get your ear used to the language as much as possible. I usually turn to these videos while I do mindless tasks.

The goal of active watching is to try to understand the topic while using the images as a way to create a context.

A bonus of these channels? There’s unlimited content! There will always be more news to talk about so you can rest assured you’ll find something for as long as you wish.

There are also a lot of news videos easier to understand if you search “Slow news” or “easy news”. These can be useful from time to time but don’t rely on them too much or the language’s “normal speed” will start to feel way to fast.

Polyglot Channels

While most channels from polyglots won’t help you learn a specific language, they are an amazing resource to find new methods or motivation when you start losing it.

One of the people who helped me find the motivation to learn languages the most was the — unfortunately recently deceased — “Laoshu” Moses McCornick. His “Level Up” videos were a great testimony that you don’t need to have a perfect accent or speak without making mistakes to interact with native speakers.

My favorite polyglot channels are Lindie Botes, Robin MacPherson, Luca Lampariello, and Matt vs Japan. Their enthusiasm speaking about language-learning transpires in each of their videos, even when they discuss struggles.

Be careful when you watch these videos, however. They can ruin your drive to learn a language if you begin to compare yourself to them. We all have our own journeys. What they accomplished easily may be hard for you but there will be some parts that’ll be easier for you.

Comparison is the enemy of progress. Consistency is its friend.

Final Thoughts

I’ve used YouTube for learning languages for many years. It’s been a trusted companion of my journey into all the languages I speak and I know it’ll stay this way for a long time.

There are about 37 million YouTube channels. There’s bound to be many you enjoy and can use for learning your language.

Find them and you’ll never see YouTube the same way.

Enjoy!

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