No More Excuses: Why Anyone Can Learn a Language
The truth is simple: anyone can learn a language. It doesn’t matter if you’re 20 or 70, whether you think you have a knack for languages or not. Learning is a natural…
The Definition of a Polyglot
As people who speak multiple languages, polyglots like to use those languages; we like to see how we do. But there is an element of performance. Are you better than me? Am I better than you? For some people that’s fine. I think a lot of us are very happy, in fact, when we hear somebody speak better than we do.
No Necesitas Dominar lo Básico para Aprender un Idioma
Muchos profesores insisten en la necesidad de dominar lo básico cuando estás aprendiendo un idioma. Sin embargo, yo propongo que esta lógica no es correcta ni productiva. Sí, puede parecer sorprendente o…
How To Learn Portuguese
Many of us are watching the Olympics in Brazil. Despite all of the bad reports that we always get in the lead up to any Olympic Games – some British newspaper called the 2010 Vancouver Winter games the worst Olympics in the world ever, then there were all the problems with toilets in Sochi and now pollution in Rio – it looks like actually things are proceeding swimmingly, so to speak.
People ask, if I go to Brazil, can I communicate? What language do they speak? First of all, some may not know that Brazilians speak Portuguese. There’s no Brazilian language, there is Portuguese.
How to Read One Million Words per Year in your Target Language
Reading plays a crucial role in success, both in language learning and in general. In fact, studies have shown that individuals who read well experience greater socioeconomic success. To put it briefly,…
How To Improve Your Speaking Skills
You are unlikely to learn to speak a new language perfectly, but perfection should not be your goal. Your main goal should be effective communication. I am not perfect in any of the languages that I speak, but I can communicate. And whenever I communicate in another language I’m satisfied. I also know from experience that my ability to speak and to pronounce well will only improve with time, as long as I remain alert to what I hear and read, and how I use the language.
Effective Learning Strategies From “Making it Stick”
In the quest to master new skills or languages, one challenge stands out: making information stick. Drawing inspiration from Peter C. Brown’s Make It Stick, we’ll take a look at some effective…
French for Beginners: What You Need to Know
French was my first love when it comes to languages. In fact, there’s an expression in French: “On revient toujours a son premier amour.” It means you always go back to your first love. I love French; I love all the languages that I learn, but I have a special affection for French.
I highly recommend learning French for beginners. There’s a whole world that you can access so much better if you speak French. The language is spoken in other countries like Canada.
Breaking Through the Intermediate Plateau
Once you’ve been learning a new language for a while, you may notice that the initial, rapid progress has slowed down. Welcome to the intermediate plateau—a phase in language learning that can…
How Long Should it Take to Learn a Language?
Language learning depends mostly on three factors, the attitude of the learner, the time available, and learner’s attentiveness to the language. If we assume a positive attitude on the part of the learner, and a reasonable and growing attentivenes…
