I Will Teach You A Language | Weekly Motivation And Language Learning Tips To Help You Become Fluent In Any Language

Thiago asks: "I'm learning Japanese. How important is it for me to learn the culture?" In this episode: Why language and culture are inextricably linked Why you can't learn a language to a high level without familiarity with the culture However, if basic communication is your main aim, you don't need to be culturally literate You can get to a basic level of conversation in the language without knowing about the culture Today's Featured Resource: Does Language Influence Culture? - A fascinating article from the Wall Street Journal 100th Episode Special! Help me create an amazing feature for the 100th episode! I'd like to create a montage of voices of podcast listeners from around the world, all giving one piece of language advice they've learned from the show. This would --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iwillteachyoualanguage/message

Nicolas asks: "Is it helpful to read aloud in Chinese?" In this episode: Reading aloud and why we do it Our experience of reading aloud from school The benefits of reading aloud on pronunciation Why reading aloud has few other benefits for developing fluency Why reading aloud is harmful for developing reading skills Today's Featured Resource: Hacking Chinese: Reading Aloud In Chinese Is Really Hard - an interesting article on this topic for those of you learning Chinese 100th Episode Special! Help me create an amazing feature for the 100th episode! I'd like to create a montage of voices of podcast listeners from around the world, all giving one piece of language advice they've learned from the show. This would be such a great way to commemorate the 100th episode --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iwillteachyoualanguage/message

In this episode I talk with Luke Thompson from Luke's English Podcast. Luke's been podcasting for over 7 years, and I asked him about the top three things he'd learnt during that time. He chose four things - but I won't hold it against him! In this episode: Luke's top lessons from 7+ years of podcasting: Attitude - It's vital for language learners to ask questions and be willing to fail Time - You must be willing to work regularly at your target language over time Practice - Practise often and don't be afraid to make mistakes Materials - Motivating and enjoyable materias are essential in order to enjoy the learning process Today's Featured Resource Luke's English Podcast 332: Interview With Olly Richards - Hear my interview on Luke's podcast! Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoua

Sergio asks: "Is it a good idea to add audio to my flashcards?" In this episode: Why audio and images are helpful to remember vocabulary The benefits of adding audio to your flashcards Memrise.com The tradeoff in terms of time Why I don't do it personally 100th Episode Special! Help me create an amazing feature for the 100th episode! I'd like to create a montage of voices of podcast listeners from around the world, all giving one piece of language advice they've learned from the show. This would be such a great way to commemorate the 100th episode, and provide motivation for all of you out there learning languages on your own. If you'd like to participate, please click the link below and leave a short message including the following information: Name Where you're from The ONE thing you've learned from the show --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iwillteachyoualanguage/message

Zena asks: "I spoke fluent Chinese as a child, but I've since forgotten it. How can I resurrect it?" In this episode: If you spoke another language as a child, how much you will remember as an adult How to reconnect with the language Finding out what resources you used to like as a child How to approach resurrecting the language How to approach learning an Asian language Today's Featured Resource: 111 Mandarin Chinese Resources You Wish You Knew - My EPIC Chinese resource page Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this epis

Pete asks: "I'm learning Portuguese, should I watch movies with subtitles?" In this episode: Why movies are not a useful learning strategy for beginners What to do instead 10 ways to make the most out of movies: Try to find movies that you’ve already seen, but dubbed into your target language Watch the same movie over and over, rather than a new one each time. Turn off the subtitles! Don’t stop and start the movie to look things up in the dictionary. Instead, you can keep a notebook next to you and jot down words and phrases that catch your attention. Whatever you do, watch things you enjoy! If you can find the script for a movie you like, move heaven and earth to get it! Whilst watching, try to engage with the story line. If you do understand something that’s said, repeat it aloud Watch TV series rather than movies. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iwillteachyoualanguage/message

Pete asks: "I'm learning Portuguese, how can I avoid translating in my head?" In this episode: Translation is inevitable It's a useful strategy as a beginner Translation stops being useful as you move to higher levels, and you're dealing with nuances in the language which often don't have translations Stopping translating in your head is something that happens naturally over time Tips for moving away from translation: Be happy with a certain level of ambiguity in the language - fixating on understanding every word is counterproductive Look for patterns and phrases in the language, write them down, notice them being used in different contexts, the begin to use them yourself Deal in phrases and sentences, not single words When watching movies etc, relax and be present with the language, don't try to understand everything Spend time on all four skills

Isabelle asks: "I'm about to enter a very busy period of final exams. How can I keep up my Mandarin during this period?" In this episode: The good thing about having a finite period of "busyness" The less pressure the better - results in more learning I suggest picking ONE thing, and doing only that during the whole busy period This could be: have two speaking sessions a week, watch one episode of a TV drama every evening, learn 5 new Chinese characters every morning Resources Featured In Today's Episode: Study Hacks for Busy People - my collection of resources for learning languages under pressure! Triumph in the Skies - my favourite Hong Kong TV series Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questio

Freddie asks: "I'm a professional English translator and interpreter living in Portugal. However, learning Portuguese is detracting from my English...what should I do?" In this episode: Freddie's aims are very different English is his professional obligation, while Portuguese is simply the local language Is there a big rush to learn Portuguese? I suggest deciding exactly how much time needs to be spend on English every day, and allocating that time strictly Resources Featured In Today's Episode: Core Study Time in Language Learning - in this post I describe how to organise your language study time every day Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show.

Nicolas asks: "I'd like to help my mother learn English. What's the best way to do that?" In this episode: First of all, Nicolas' mum needs to find a good English textbook that she likes Then she should get a basic study goal every day ... e.g. 2 pages a day However, it's not all about the studying - motivation is also extremely important Make it fun by speaking to her in simple English Ask her to name objects in English, start watching English movies, even buy her a cookery book in English There's no rush, so keep it fun and keep her motivated! Resources Featured In Today's Episode: Free eBook: 10 Essential Tech Resources for Smart Language Learners Are you new to the podcast? Here's where to follow Olly for more language tips... Follow Olly on Periscope:

Masoud asks: "For me, language learning has always been an unconscious experience. Studying just shuts me down." In this episode: We discuss the topic of episode 57, which is whether extensive listening is helpful for language learning. Specifically: The differences between children and adults learning languages The advantages of time that children have Whether children learn efficiently or not Why adults can't replicate the conditions enjoyed by children What they can best do instead Resources Featured In Today's Episode: Definitely check out episode 57 of the podcast for some useful context to this episode: http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/episode57 Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iwillteachyoualanguage/message

In this episode I discuss the common criticism of flashcards as an "ineffective" study technique. In this episode: Three common criticisms of flashcards: Involves rote learning Vocabulary lacks context Doesn't work for many people I address each of these criticisms and discuss why I think flashcard software is one of the most useful and relevant organisational and learning tools for learning foreign languages. Resources Featured In Today's Episode: I wrote a 72-page guide that describes my complete method for learning languages with flashcards. It costs $7 and you can find it here: Get the Make Words Stick Guide   Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show.

In this episode I answer a common question I receive: "How can I make a living online with my language talents?" In this episode: As a language specialist, you have many options for making a living online using your talents. I started a free Facebook community to show you how to do this, and answer your questions. To join, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/languagefreedomleague/ Here are the ten ways to make a living online with languages: Blogging Making and selling your own products Language coaching Online teaching Writing books/guides Vlogging Translation Podcasting Membership sites Selling other people's products Resources Featured In Today's Episode:

In this episode I'm joined by special guest Jan Van Der Aa. In this episode: Do you have to travel abroad to take your language to a high level? Our experiences of learning multiple languages Resources Featured In Today's Episode: Polyglot Pub - monthly language events in London Join the PP mailing list Join the PP Facebook group Jan's Website: janvanderaa.com The video Jan and I made in Cairo together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5slVHy2JmcQ Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’v

In this episode: Information about Spanish Bootcamp 2016 To find out more, click here: http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/spanishbootcamp Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on th --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iwillteachyoualanguage/message

Steffen asks: "When's the right time to stop focusing on vocabulary?" In this episode: Why you'll always need to grow your vocab The ONE thing that's more important than that Sprints Resources Featured In Today's Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3voBSKr9Sl4   Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by

Sam asks: "How do you keep up with ever-changing slang in Cantonese?" In this episode: The dangers of slang and idioms When to learn them... and when not! Resources Featured In Today's Episode: Carlos Douh - Cantonese slang on YouTube Cantonese Proverbs in One Picture... Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the

Andrew asks: "What's the best way to run a language exchange?" In this episode: Manage expectations - tell your partner what you want Keep it in the target language Don't let them interrupt with corrections Ask them to take notes and fill you in later Try to be cool - ask questions and listen to the answer! Resources Featured In Today's Episode: MyLanguageExchange.com - a great (paid) language exchange site Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:http://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then plea

Alexia asks: "I can hold a conversation in Polish, but I can't take my patients' medical history. How can I do this?" In this episode: Doctors vs waiters in a restaurant Are your expectations realistic? How to find a tutor and work on that specific task Resources Featured In Today's Episode: 059: How can I understand my colleagues at work? Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply visit:

Steve asks: "I learnt Spanish for two years, and recently I've been learning Portuguese for 8 months. How can I avoid confusing the two?" In this episode: Why you might confuse Spanish and Portuguese How to stop it happening How to learn to use both languages at the same time Resources Featured In Today's Episode: Portuguese and Spanish: Some Musings - An interesting article on the Omniglot blog Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective native speakers teachers and tutors. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, simply --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iwillteachyoualanguage/message