What’s the hardest part about learning a language? Lots of things come to mind, I’m sure. You might mention grammar, or pronunciation, or even having to practice speaking with natives. You’re right, to a point. Many of these things are quite difficult, and almost every language learner has struggled with them, at one time or another. However, I […]
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Here’s the truth: anyone can learn a foreign language, even to native-like fluency. As a language coach who has spent many years around all varieties of language learners, I know many people who can speak at highly advanced levels. It’s relatively common, even. What’s uncommon, however, is to find learners who are so good that they sound […]
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In the language learning community, you simply can’t throw a rock without hitting someone who is interested in learning two languages at once. At first glance, the idea seems like a shortcut; a hack that can be used to get more impressive language results, faster. How else do people actually become fluent in thirteen languages? Learning one language […]
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When I started learning German some time ago, I came across an outstanding example of the remarkable power of stories and storytelling in my own life. I was working on memorizing my first few German words, and I quickly realized that this time, my native Italian and the other languages I’ve learned would not be of […]
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If there’s one thing no two language learners can agree on, it’s this question: what does fluency really mean? If you say that a language learner is fluent in his or her target language, it doesn’t communicate much useful information. From the use of the word, we understand that the learner is skilled, but exactly how […]
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What makes some people successful at language learning, and others not? What separates the on-again, off-again dabbler from the most consistent, practiced polyglot? There are many factors, but I believe one of the most meaningful differences between consistent and inconsistent language learners is how each plays the game. What game? The game of language learning! There’s a field of mathematics […]
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Have you ever wondered how you can stop translating in your head, and learn to actually think directly in your target language? It’s a question all beginner language learners have, and one I hear often from my coaching clients. When listening to a foreign language, translating in your head can slow down your ability to understand others, […]
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No one sets a language learning goal with the expectation that they’re going to give up. Somewhere deep down, you may think it’s likely that you’ll fail, sure, but when you first set the goal, the hope is that this time will be the time that you’ll finally follow through. In reality, it rarely works that way. […]
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“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible” – Francis of Assisi What is the secret to language learning? Simple. LEARN EVERY DAY If you want to know how to learn any language then do it every single day, no matter for how long, and it will add up […]
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“Con los idiomas estás en casa en cualquier lugar” (“With languages you feel at home everywhere”) – Edward De Waal I could have sworn I was in Mexico. Every word I heard spoken was in Spanish. Every word I could read—on the walls, on the products, on the doors—were all in Spanish. Though I was already fluent in […]
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