Motivation
07May
7 May 2019
Language Learning and Old Age
Language Learning and Old Age has been transcribed from Steve’s YouTube channel. The original video was published on July 20. 2012 Hi there, Steve Kaufmann here again. Today I want to do a video about language learning and old age. I’m doing this because I received a comment on my YouTube channel from […]
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07Feb
7 Feb 2019
Your Language Resources Should be Meaningful
Your Language Resources Should be Meaningful, Not Generic has been transcribed from Steve’s YouTube channel. You can download the audio and study the transcript as a lesson at LingQ. Note* This video is from six years ago. I have since discovered the value of our mini-stories at LingQ, which focus on the most important verbs in the language […]
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27Dec
27 Dec 2018
Language Accents and Insecurities
Language Accents and Insecurities has been transcribed from Steve’s YouTube channel. You can download the audio and study the transcript as a lesson at LingQ. Hi there, Steve Kaufmann here. Today it’s going to be a bit of a ramble, I warn you ahead of time. Some semi-political opinions, but I want to talk about what is […]
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04Dec
4 Dec 2018
Stop Worrying About Language Perfection
Stop Worrying About Language Perfection has been transcribed from Steve’s YouTube channel. You can download the audio and study the transcript as a lesson at LingQ. Hi there, Steve Kaufmann here. I just came back from my 10-day trip to France. I was there selling cedar shakes and shingles. These are consumed in France primarily in the […]
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22Nov
22 Nov 2018
What Matters the Most in Language Learning
What Matters the Most in Language Learning has been transcribed from Steve’s YouTube channel. You can download the audio and study the transcript as a lesson at LingQ. Hi there, Steve Kaufmann here. Today I’m going to talk about what really matters in language learning. This thought came to me as I was having lunch just now. […]
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11Oct
11 Oct 2018
Learning Czech and Accumulating 100 Words a Day
I studied Czech a few years ago so my statistics at LingQ for that language are not current. However, the statistics from my recent Polish challenge illustrate the fact that we can learn or add to our “known words” total well over 100 words a day. In fact in the case of Polish (since I know other Slavic languages) it is over 300 words a day. You can learn 100 words a day, if you are willing [...]
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28Aug
28 Aug 2018
Thoughts on Langfest 2018 and Future Recommendations
I just returned from four wonderful days attending the 2018 Langfest (#Langfest18) or Montreal Language festival. While these memories are still fresh in my mind I want to put some of my thoughts down to share with you. Overall impressions Montreal is a vibrant city, and an old city for North America, or at least […]
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21Aug
21 Aug 2018
Language Goals and Frustrations
I had lunch earlier this week with a college professor who is head of the Asian language department in a large university here in Vancouver. He told me that a majority of students who enroll in Asian languages quit after the first year. I was surprised to hear that. Then I did some research and […]
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03Jul
3 Jul 2018
Why Learn Another Language?
There are many reasons we might decide to try to learn another language. We might need the language for study or work purposes, to communicate with family or friends or to connect with the culture of the country where the language is spoken.
I must admit, I am motivated initially just by the possibility of accessing a new culture, with all that that can bring me in terms of learning about [...]
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12Jun
12 Jun 2018
Can We Learn to Speak a Foreign Language Like a Native Speaker?
I can speak 17 or so languages to varying degrees of fluency. Some I speak really well, like French, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish. Even in languages that I speak less well, like Swedish, German, or Russian, my accent is not too bad, people tell me.
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