501: The real reason I wrote my language story books

Yingnoi Lee asks: "How do you concentrate on learning foreign languages when you're living in your homeland?" In this episode: Tactics for staying motivated whilst learning a foreign language wherever you live. Resources featured in this episode: conversationexchange.com iTalki.com Reflections on learning a language remotely - a guest post I wrote for fluentin3months.com Don't travel to learn a language - a great life lesson from Benny Lewis How to learn Cantonese in 1 year - the results of my 1-year Cantonese experiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QRVpNbNzK8 Today's featured resource: Meetup.com - find friends based on their interests, wherever you are in the world 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 for listening 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! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated, and I read every single one. :) See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

21 Maj 201511min

Judi asks: "I'm learning Spanish from two different books at the moment. How can I keep my vocabulary organised between them?" In this episode: Learning with two different books Keeping vocabulary organised between the two Taking the most important vocabulary and learning that Resources featured in this episode: 8 tips for improving your vocabulary Is your vocabulary notebook out of control? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3voBSKr9Sl4 Flashcards Deluxe - my favourite flashcards app Today's featured resource: Make Words Stick - my book about how to learn vocabulary... and never forget it!   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 for listening 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! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated, and I read every single one. :) See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

19 Maj 201510min

Linda asks: "What do you think of using the Laddering technique to use one second language to learn another?" In this episode: The laddering technique When does it make sense to use one language to learn another? Similar languages, such as Macedonian and Albanian Crafty ways to meet native speakers of one language... using another language! Resources featured in this episode: Richard Simcott is today's special guest, and runs the following sites: Speaking Fluently blog - Richard's language blog Speaking Fluently Facebook page - a vibrant Facebook community where you can connect with Richard and other language learners Today's featured resource: Polyglot Workshops - Richard runs workshops for aspiring language learners all over the world, together with fellow polyglot Alex Rawlings, who was featured in Episode 7. Upcoming workshops will be held in: Budapest London Belo Horizonte 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 for listening 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! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated, and I read every single one. :) See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

14 Maj 201515min

Tamiyo asks: "When do you decide you've learnt enough and it's time to move on to another language?" In this episode: Why are you learning a language in the first place? When are you fluent enough? When should you move on to a new language? Resources mentioned in this episode: CommentCast - see all the iTunes reviews of a podcast from around the world Random.org - choose a number or numbers at random Today's featured resource: The Actual Fluency Blog - Chris Broholm's open and honest look at his own struggles in language learning The Actual Fluency Podcast - the podcast of the same name where he interviews expert language learners. Here's the episode where Chris interviews me Announcing the competition winners I'm thrilled to announce the three lucky winners of my Language Learning Foundations video course, who I've picked at random from all the reviews on iTunes. They are: Romagitana idleplayerofgamestron Tamiyo Hashimoto If this is you, please get in touch with me using the "contact" form on the menu bar and I'll get you set up with your copy of the course. Here are their reviews:               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! Alternatively, leave me your question in a review on iTunes, and I'll pick it up too! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks for listening 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! It goes without saying that I read every single one :) See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A

12 Maj 201512min

Davide asks: "I'm very fluent in English but there are still words I don't know. How can I learn them?" In this episode: Moving from fluent to advanced The law of diminishing returns Learning advanced vocabulary The importance of reading Resources featured in this episode: Three great websites that will help you read online in your target language. Lingua.ly - http://lingua.ly/ Collect new words from across the web with Lingua.ly’s smart dictionary Readlang - http://readlang.com/ Help with reading new texts that you find online. LingQ - https://www.lingq.com/ Read texts in LingQ's ecosystem and store unknown words. Today's featured resource: BliuBliu - http://bliubliu.com I love BliuBliu because it sources texts from all around the web, which are at your current level in your target language, and helps you read them. Pure gold! 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 for listening 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! <p s

7 Maj 201512min

Today's episode features a question from Ben: "I'm 17. Should I bother learning a language, when technology can already do so much for us?" In this episode: Technology is advancing quickly We're getting to the stage where technology can translate for us Is it still worth learning a language in 2015 with all this technology? 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 for listening 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! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated, and I read every single one. :) See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

5 Maj 201511min

Today's episode features a question from Cecilia: "How can I learn a language that's completely different to my own?" In this episode: How can you learn a completely different language? Why closer languages are easier to learn The three keys: Time to get used to it Regular exposure Deliberate practice Today's featured resource  Talk In Arabic - a fantastic new resource for learning Arabic. 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. Win a copy of my course! To celebrate the launch of the podcast, I'm giving away 3 free copies of my Language Learning Foundations video course, worth $97 each! To be in with a chance of winning, simply head over to iTunes, search for the "I Will Teach You A Language Podcast" in the store, and leave me an honest review and rating for the show! After episode 10 of the podcast, I'll choose 3 lucky winners from around the world! Thanks for listening 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. iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated, and I read every single one. :) See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

30 Apr 201512min

Today's episode features a question from Nicki: "I'm learning Turkish and Kurmanji, how can avoid confusing them on my trip to Turkey?" In this episode: What is Kurmanji and where is it spoken? The surprising roots of Turkish Learning 2 languages at the same time Soufflé and Baked Alaska Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Map of Kurdistan (click to enlarge):   Soufflé:   Baked Alaska: Today's featured resource Fluent in 3 Months: How to speak multiple languages, and not mix them up! A great post from Benny where he gives his own unique take on keeping languages separate! 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. Win a copy of my course! To celebrate the launch of the podcast, I'm giving away 3 free copies of my Language Learning Foundations video course, worth $97 each! To be in with a chance of winning, simply head over to iTunes, search for the "I Will Teach You A Language Podcast" in the store, and leave me an honest review and rating for the show! After episode 10 of the podcast, I'll choose 3 lucky winners from around the world! Thanks for listening 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. iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated, and I read every single one. :) See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

28 Apr 201510min