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
Free
01Feb
You have to work at it
I am constantly amazed at the number of people who are surrounded by a language but do not learn it properly. Here in Vancouver there are countless people who live in English, work in English, and even watch TV and read the newpaper in English and...
Read more You have to work at it
30Jan
Logic and rhetoric
People who come from a non-Western language background, have a much tougher time learning English. They do not have the Latin and Greek based vocabulary that is common to so many European languages.They have also not been exposed to the Western wa...
Read more Logic and rhetoric
29Jan
Vocabulary
The key to fluency and literacy is better control over vocabulary, both words and phrases. It is not the learning of grammar rules. But how is this best done? There are many people who have studied English for ten or more years and have very poor ...
Read more Vocabulary
28Jan
Zhuangzi’s crooked tree
Zhuangzi’s Crooked Tree Huizi said to Zhuangzi, “This old tree is so crooked and rough that it is useless for lumber. In the same way, your teachings have no practical use.” Zhuangzi replied, “This tree may be useless as lumber, but you could rest...
Read more Zhuangzi’s crooked tree
26Jan
Multiculturalism
Even though I speak nine languages I am quite opposed to multiculturalism, or at least the ideology of multicultualism. The ideology of multiculturalism in Western countries promotes the position that immigrants should hold on to their ancestral c...
Read more Multiculturalism
23Jan
The psychological factor
Some people learn faster than others. Some people pronounce better than others. Why is this? I am more and more convinced that it is a matter of attitude rather than talent. There is something that good language learners have in common. They can l...
Read more The psychological factor
19Jan
Conversation class
We had a conversation class tonight with about 20 English learners, in Blenz cafe on the corner of Richards and Hastings in Vancouver. It has been raining hard the last few days and I am concerned about the snow conditions in the nearby mountains,...
Read more Conversation class
15Jan
Repetition gives intensity
In strength exercises you need to work the same muscles repetitively in order to get stronger. Language learning is a little like that. Athletes in all sports do repetitive exercises to increase their strength. I have always found repeating effect...
Read more Repetition gives intensity
14Jan
Intensity is key
I enjoy learning languages and I am sure one reason is because I have had success. I certainly enjoy learning languages more now than when I was a high school student learning French in Montreal in the 1950s. In those days I had no strong desire t...
Read more Intensity is key
12Jan
Lighten up
More than most fields of learning, language learning is a matter of attitude. In a way it is an escape from reality. Reality is your native language. The new language is make believe, at least at first. You are pretending to be something you are n...
Read more Lighten up