For people who love languages, or would but were discouraged.
- Believe in yourself and have the right attitude
- Put in an hour a day
- Use a system that works... like LingQ
Free10Mar
10 Mar 2017
Language and Memory
I am starting to believe that memory is not that important when it comes to language learning. I have recently started learning Greek. Most of the words are completely unfamiliar to me, and not related to languages that I already know. As I start to get a toehold in this world of new and […]
Read more Language and Memory06Mar
6 Mar 2017
A Polyglot’s Review of the Assimil Series
Assimil is a language learning series that enjoys an almost cult-like following among certain language learners. I have used Assimil for two languages, Russian and Korean, and own a copy of Assimil for Romanian, which I have not used. What do I think of Assimil? A Brief Description of Assimil Assimil was first […]
Read more A Polyglot’s Review of the Assimil Series27Feb
27 Feb 2017
Combien de temps faut-il pour apprendre une langue?
L’apprentissage d’une langue dépend principalement de trois facteurs: l’attitude de l’étudiant, le temps disponible et le degré d’intérêt pour la langue. Si nous considérons que l’étudiant a un comportement positif et un attrait grandissant pour la langue, combien de temps faudra-t-il alors pour apprendre une langue? L’institut du service extérieur [...]
Read more Combien de temps faut-il pour apprendre une langue?24Feb
24 Feb 2017
Сколько времени занимает изучение языка?
Изучение языка зависит большей частью от трех факторов: от подхода к языку обучаемого, доступного для обучения времени и внимательности обучаемого к языку. Если мы предположим позитивный подход, рациональное и растущее внимание к языку со стороны обучаемого, как много времени нужно затратить, чтобы изучить язык? ФСИ, институт дипломатической службы в США, подразделяет языки по сложности для [...]
Read more Сколько времени занимает изучение языка?22Feb
22 Feb 2017
Finding the Time to Learn a Language
“I just don’t have time.” This is one of the most common reasons people give for not being able to learn languages. I am now retired, but I am still quite busy. I play sports, make time for my family and I have a number of tasks that I perform as part of LingQ. They […]
Read more Finding the Time to Learn a Language17Feb
17 Feb 2017
Tips to Help You Learn Mandarin
I studied Chinese in 1968. At the time I was working for the Canadian Government, the Ministry of Trade and Commerce’s Trade Commissioner Service to be exact. Canada was preparing to recognize the People’s Republic of China and decided that they needed to train some officials in Mandarin. I was sent to Hong Kong […]
Read more Tips to Help You Learn Mandarin09Feb
9 Feb 2017
How to Improve Your Listening Comprehension Skills
Listening comprehension is the base skill, in my view. We have to understand in order to be able to have conversations with people. If we have good comprehension skills, speaking skills are easier to develop. Here is an exchange on this subject from our Forum at LingQ. Hi Steve: I have a few weeks […]
Read more How to Improve Your Listening Comprehension Skills05Feb
5 Feb 2017
Who Should Correct Our Language Errors?
When we speak in a foreign language, there is a very high probability that we will make mistakes. We make more mistakes when we first start using the language, and gradually the frequency of these mistakes diminishes. Everyone who learns a foreign language would like to speak as accurately as possible, with the least possible […]
Read more Who Should Correct Our Language Errors?30Jan
30 Jan 2017
Learning Languages is a Subconscious Process
Language learning is essentially a subconscious process. I saw these words in a LinkedIn post from a group I belong to that includes language teachers. The topic of discussion was how grammar instruction and error correction don’t have as much impact on language learning success as is traditionally imagined. This is a concept that […]
Read more Learning Languages is a Subconscious Process22Jan
22 Jan 2017
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 enrol in Asian languages quit after the first year. I was surprised to hear that. Then I did some research […]
Read more Language Goals and Frustrations