Polyglot and language coach, Gabriel Silva, talks with Benny Lewis and Elizabeth Bruckner about his method for learning two languages at the same time, and the joy of random interactions in your target language.

Gabriel is very active on YouTube and Instagram, and his popular #1SentenceChallenge inspires learners around the world to share videos of their progress. Gabriel helps his students to manage their expectations when it comes to learning, and is very transparent about how long it has taken him to reach milestones in his languages.

Featured Resources

• Gabriel’s Book “Terrible at Learning Languages: No More!”
• Pimsleur

Mentioned in this Episode

• Gabriel’s Book “Terrible at Learning Languages: No More!”
• Gabriel’s YouTube
• Gabriel’s Instagram
• Pimsleur

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• Fluctuations in motivation and how to “ride the wave”
• The pitfalls of grammar-based languages courses
• Finding the fun and pleasure in language learning
• The joy of interactions with random people in your target language
• Matching your learning activities to your energy levels
• An 80/20 approach to learning two languages at once
• Managing frustration and not giving up
• The benefit of walking away from a problem for a while, and adding variety to your learning
• Gabriel’s #1SentenceChallenge
• Consistency as the key to progress
• How recording yourself speaking, even just for yourself, can be so helpful
• How to manage expectations, and how being part of a community can really help

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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