500: Meet the viral brain scan guy who speaks 26 languages

Massoud ask: "I'm worried about what will happen if I learn German. What should I do?" Episode Summary: You may have a language learning dilemma and not know how to resolve it It's always best to discover the answer yourself rather than rely on others You don't have to commit for life! Try setting trial periods, and give it a shot If it's not working out, you can always change your mind Today's Quote: “I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” ― Mark Twain Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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!

27 Dec 201714min

In this solo episode, Olly discusses whether immersion is all it's cracked up to be. Episode Summary: Immersion is always held up as the "holy grail" of language learning Definition: Spending all day every day in a native-level environment It's not all it's cracked up to be Survival bias is at play: Katzumoto: 10,000 hours of Japanese Gabriel Wyner: 8 weeks in Middlebury Your friend who went to China and was fluent in 3 months Immersion only works if you are able to go full-on enough, for long enough, and stay positive enough to make it to be successful... not practical for most people As a study strategy, it leaves a lot to be desired: You don't understand anything There's no structure Not enjoyable My experiences with real immersion were not good Paris, Japan, Egypt Immersion is much more effective when you can already hold you own Theory of "Comprehensible input" What's the opportunity cost? Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: Interview with Stephen Krashen - Language learning in the polyglot community Language Learning Foundations - my step-by-step guide to effective language learning Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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!

19 Dec 201720min

In this solo episode, Olly discusses whether listening to "slow audio" is useful. Episode Summary: News in Slow Spanish-type sites are becoming increasing popular With Yabla you can slow down the audio But are these helpful, or dangerous? There are only two reasons you won't understand something spoken: 1) You don't know the words/grammar 2) You can't understand fast speech If you slow down what you're listening to, you're not helping your listening, because it's not natural, and lacks the features of fast speech It simply gives you more time to process the information, i.e. think about the words used But is this the best way to learn new vocabulary... listening to slow, unnatural audio? This = confusing / misunderstanding the problem, and can severely limited your ability to cope with real language Listening to stuff at your level (comprehensible input) Listen at natural speed, and use the transcript to help you understandInstead, solve the problem of not understanding fast speech by: I do sometimes slow down audio (Speater app), but it's always when I'm listening to stuff that's too hard for me Caveat: Slowing down audio could be useful at the very beginning Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: News in Slow Spanish Yabla - video with interactive learning tools Speater App - a great app for interactive listening Conversations - transform your listening skills with story-based audio material Manifesto for Better Listening - a blog post I wrote about listening skills Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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) </u

16 Dec 201718min

Raffy asks: "Should I be concerned about my accent?" Episode Summary: Accents are a highly personal topic I inhabit a world in London where virtually everyone I meet has an accent Your accent is like your personality, and something you should be fiercely proud of Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: How to Develop an Awesome Accent - An article about accents I wrote on Luca's blog Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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!

12 Dec 201712min

Mark asks: "How should I start learning Mongolian from scratch?" Episode Summary: Get a strong foundation in the basics first Work your way through a textbook Listen to the audio Don't get distracted by other tools Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: Blue Snowball - A great entry-level microphone that I used for episodes 75-229 Shure MV5 - My new mic (what you can hear on the episode today French Foundations - my new book that teaches you the basics of French in two weeks Today's Quote: I know how to learn anything I want to learn. I absolutely know that I could learn how to fly the space shuttle because someone else knows how to fly it, and they put it in a book. Give me the book, and I do not need somebody to stand up in front of the class. - Will Smith Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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!

8 Dec 201721min

Dave and Anja ask: "Does alcohol help you become more fluent?" Episode Summary: You often drink alcohol in social situations Social situations are best possible environment for improving your speaking Shyness and social anxiety often prevent people practising their language To the extent that alcohol helps you feel more at ease, it may well be beneficial! Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: It's True: Alcohol Helps You Speak A Foreign Language Better Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, 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!

1 Dec 201714min

Tom asks: "How does learning multiple languages make you a better language learner? Episode Summary: I discuss three ways in which you improve as a language learner through learning multiple languages: Cognitively Behaviourally Methodologically Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: Episode 106 - How useful is laddering? Olly's books of Short Stories in different languages Conversations Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, 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!

29 Nov 201716min

In this episode, I give some thoughts about the reaction to Conversations. Episode Summary: Reaction from you guys to Conversations How this reaction has impacted my plans Will we do an English version? How about volume 2? Today's Quote: “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." —Zig Ziglar Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, 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!

25 Nov 201722min