001: Introduction | About the Podcast | Who is Olly?

Agnes asks: "I'm learning lots of languages, and it's going fine! Is it really a bad idea to learn more than one language at a time?" In this episode: Always follow your passions If you love learning different languages... keep going! High school and university is the ideal time to be learning languages Ellen Jovin - http://ellenjovin.com/ Adults often have a hard time learning a foreign language because of busy lives, so for them the advice to stick with learning one language stands Today's Quote: "There are lots of people I admire and respect, but I don't necessarily want to be like them. I'm too happy being myself." James D'arcy [Tweet ""There are lots of people I admire and respect, but I don't necessarily want to be like them. I'm too happy being myself." - James D'arcy"] Start speaking today I’d like to thank

5 Nov 20158min

Greg asks: "How can I self-assess my progress in a language?" In this episode: How to self-assess when there's no exam or course Judge your progress based on goals Topic-based competency Resources mentioned in today's episode: Flashcards Deluxe Time Control - my brand new time management and productivity course for language learning! Tips for keeping track of where you're at - blog post on Multilingual Living Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. <a href="http://iwillteachyoual

3 Nov 201510min

Derek asks: "Even though I don't have much problem reading, I have a lot of problem speaking and understanding while listening. Sometimes I have to ask my colleagues to repeat or to tell me the word that I didn't understand, but if there are too many things that I don’t understand during a conversation then this approach doesn’t work very well, because then I'm not even able to tell which word that I don't know, and stopping a conversation from time to time just feels so stupid." In this episode: How to learn the language you need to function at work Considering what topics you need Creating your own material Using your tutor to role-play conversations on relevant topics Resources mentioned in today's episode: Olly on Periscope <a href="http://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/foreign-language-materials/" target="_

29 Okt 201513min

Marie asks: "What software do you use to record your Skype lessons?" In this episode: What software I use to record Skype lessons Mac vs PC Should you record your lessons? What can you do with them? Resources mentioned in today's episode: ECAMM call recorder (Mac) Pamela for Skype (Windows) Article from Skype: How can I record my Skype calls? Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

28 Okt 20159min

Andy asks: "Is extensive listening effective?" In this episode: When listening to language too far above your level is unproductive i+1 and why it matters How the same podcast can be effective for beginners and advanced learners in different ways Is it still worth listening to advanced audio even if it's too hard? Specific tips: Listen to one piece of audio many times over Listen to things you're already familiar with Resources mentioned in today's episode: Episode 27 - How can I improve my listening comprehension Language Learning Foundations video course Spanish Short Stories for Beginners Start s

22 Okt 201516min

I answer the common question: "Do I need to travel to learn a language? In this episode: Against traveling: As a tourist, you will often find you are spoken to mostly in English Even if you are able to practise, it can be limited to simple exchanges – such as ordering in a restaurant or buying a train ticket People in certain countries are notorious for resisting helping you practise their own language, preferring to speak English instead If you’re not a confident, outgoing person, the very thought of practising with native speakers might terrify you! Making friends using only your target language is difficult, and unlikely to happen until you are a more advanced speaker and live somewhere for a more extended period People who decide to live and work abroad often find themselves in an English-speaking environment, with few opportunities to practise the language. Working full-time, they are busy and tired, and have limited study time, despite living in the country itself For staying at home: A stable life and routine means you can get on with your study without too many disruptions. When you live abroad, far from family and friends, it can be difficult to commit to regular study and stay consistent. You can recreate an immersion environment at home, by streaming movies, listening to podcasts, playing music, and reading in your target language… all you need is an internet connection! In a big city, the world is quite literally on your doorstep. Whatever language you’re learning, you can easily find people to practise with. And because they’re living abroad, they’re far more likely to be enthusiastic about helping you learn their language. You can find cafes, restaurants, MeetUps, societies, and more, where you can spend time surrounded by the culture of the language you’re learning, and meet others who share the same interest as you. Professional language teachers are everywhere (including online), so if you want to take lessons, there’s no need to travel to learn. In cities like New York and London, you can find the world’s best language departments in bookstores, so you’re never short of great study material. (Check out Rizzoli in NYC, or Foyles in London) Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast an

20 Okt 201512min

Last weekend saw the Polyglot Conference 2015 take place in NYC. In this episode I sit down with two of the organisers, Richard Simcott and Alex Rawlings to reflect on the event. In this episode: The Polyglot Conference 2015 NYC Come to next year's conference in Greece! Join the Facebook group for information about the 2016 conference: http://facebook.com/polyglotconference Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteac

15 Okt 201511min

Hugh asks: "I'm trying to learn four languages, but I don't want to give any up. What should I do?" In this episode: The difficulty of learning 4 languages How to choose one language How choosing one languages leads to success Resources mentioned in todays episode: Episode 4 - Can you learn 3 languages at the same time? Episode 25 - I'm torn between two languages Today's Quote: “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain Start speaking today <

8 Okt 20159min