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…
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…
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 to put in the time.
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…
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…
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 another country, its people and its history.
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.
Online Language Learning & Measuring Progress
Traditionally, language learners have been divided into three groups: those who learn informally on their own, those who attend school, and those who do both. In a classroom environment, the teacher can…
Learning a Language is Like Falling in Love
I have been asked to redo the recording for this podcast that I did over two years ago. Here it is again. This evening I have to give a short talk in Japanese to about 30 members of the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce. I am a Director of this Cha…
Meaningful Language Learning Goals
The goal of fluency in a foreign language can often seem vague and elusive. It is not always clear what fluency means. Those who have not experienced the feeling of achieving fluency…
