Using ChatGPT to Learn a Language
ChatGPT won’t learn a language for you, but it’s an excellent resource to enhance your learning. Pros: ChatGPT can give your reading and listening a boost, creating summaries, simplifying difficult topics, and…
How Long Does It Take to Learn Spanish?
How many hours a day will you spend with Spanish? This is perhaps the most important consideration and does not refer to how many hours do you spend in a Spanish language classroom. It means how much time do you spend listening, reading, speaking or writing in Spanish. It can be listening to podcasts while walking the dog, reading, watching movies, listening to songs in Spanish or being engaged in a conversation in Spanish. In some ways, exposure to Spanish outside the classroom can be more intense than exposure inside the classroom, unless you are lucky enough to have one-on-one instruction.
How Diplomats Learn Languages
When deciding how to go about learning a language, it’s logical to turn to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI). Given the institution’s ample experience in language instruction, one can’t help but…
The Best Way to Learn a New Language
Good language learners notice what is happening in a language. They notice the sounds of the language, and the structure and the vocabulary. They notice as they listen and read. They notice when they use the language. How can we train ourselves in the ability to notice, in order to become good language learners?
Learning Styles vs. Learning Preferences
Over the years, I’ve heard the same question over and over again: “Do we all learn languages the same way?” The quick answer? Yes. However, this is worth further explanation. In this…
Pimsleur Review: The Good and the Bad
I decided to give Pimsleur a solid try while learning Romanian. Pimsleur is quite popular with many learners. I myself have Pimsleur courses for Portuguese and Russian. However, in both cases, I…
My Top 10 Language Learning Mistakes
Language learning is a personal journey. But over time — and across more than 20 languages — I’ve noticed certain habits that consistently waste time or drain confidence. Confidence is critical to…
Learn a Language in 3 Months? Here’s the Truth
Today I want to share how I approach the very beginning of learning a language. First, let’s make an important distinction. The goal should not be to learn a language in three…
The Best Way to Learn Italian
Italian has always fascinated me—not just as a language, but as a gateway to Italy’s rich culture, history, and people. Years ago, I traveled and hitchhiked through the country without speaking a…
Learn Japanese – My 5 Essential Tips
If you are going to learn Japanese, you need to decide why you are learning the language. I learned Japanese for work in 1971. I lived in Japan for nine years, mostly during…
