The Language Mastery Show

David Stirling shares his love for Thailand, teaching English tips, importance of choosing a niche, mastering sounds in Thai, and getting corrected early in language learning.

Daniel Rusteen is an author, full-time traveler, digital nomad, short-term rental expert, and former Airbnb employee. He is best known for his books Optimize Your BnB and Profitable Properties, but he has also written a book on learning languages: Zilch to Conversational. In our conversation, Danny shares why he failed to learn a foreign language his first two attempts, the methods he used to finally reach conversational fluency in Spanish, how to choose the right language teacher, why and how to use Anki spaced repetition flashcards, why you should learn the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), and why you should go from "sounds to sentences" in your target language. 📝 For show notes, visit ⁠LanguageMastery.com/blog/post/daniel-rusteen.  📧 Get expert language immersion tips in your inbox each week!  Join my FREE weekly newsletter to get the tips and tools you need to get fluent anywhere in the world.  👉🏼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LanguageMastery.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Former Airborne Cryptologic Linguist Ian Fritz shares his experience learning languages at The Defense Language Institute (DLI), spying on the Taliban, and his moral dilemmas. They discuss the significance of time and missions, therapeutic writing, the importance of language immersion, and tips for language learning.

Language coach Stéphane Angeles shares effective language learning strategies such as using a walkie talkie app for listening and speaking practice, daily writing for better speaking skills, and the importance of mindset and psychology. She emphasizes the need to practice all 4 language skills and avoid the comparison trap with polyglots. She introduces the 'Barbie Method' for practicing multiple languages and discusses the significance of TV shows with good voice dubbing.

Gordon Smith and Cynthia Durán are the dynamic duo behind LightSpeed Spanish, where they teach people Spanish through courses, books, and online lessons. In this conversation, we discuss: How Gordon fell in love with Spanish, how Cynthia fell in love with English, and how they fell in love with each How to choose which Spanish accent to learn and tips for mastering Spanish pronunciation The most common mistakes that English speakers make when learning the Spanish language How to overcome the fear of making mistakes and get more speaking practice anywhere in the world Their favorite Spanish language learning resources, including TV shows, Netflix series, etc. 📧 Get expert language immersion tips in your inbox each week!  Join my FREE weekly newsletter to get the tips and tools you need to get fluent anywhere in the world.  👉🏼 ⁠⁠⁠LanguageMastery.com/newsletter⁠⁠

Elena Mutonono is a business coach, author, and former English teacher who helps overwhelmed online language teachers work less but make more while better serving students along the way. In her words: "I help overwhelmed and exhausted online language teachers change their teaching format so they can work less and make more. As a former ESL teacher myself, I know your struggles, fears and anxieties." In this conversation, we discuss: How Elena first fell in love with languages growing up in Ukraine. Why she stopped doing 1-on-1 classes. The most common mistakes language teachers make. How to create a profitable, sustainable, and rewarding teaching business. To learn more about Elena's coaching, books, Smart Teacher's Library community, and annual Online Teacher Summit, visit her website at ElenaMutonono.com. 📧 Get expert language immersion tips in your inbox each week! Join my FREE weekly newsletter to get the tips and tools you need to get fluent anywhere in the world. 👉🏼 ⁠⁠LanguageMastery.com/newsletter⁠

Despite doing well in other school subjects, Andrew Barr failed French in secondary school. Upon hearing this news, his supportive father assured him: "The Barrs don't do languages. We do maths and sciences. You will never have to speak of a word of French again!" It turns out that this prediction was a bit of the mark. Today, Andrew speaks multiple languages and has built a successful business teaching languages at Real Fast Spanish. In this deep dive into Andrew's language learning journey and philosophy, you will learn: How a multilingual climb up Mount Kilimanjaro inspired him to learn languages (and led to befriending a French actress). The importance of high-quality language input (high-yield listening and reading content). The power of learning with other people (teachers, tutors, and exchange partners) and why you need to avoid the input-only trap. Why motivation, consistency, and discipline are the essential 3 essential ingredients of successful language learning. Why Andrew decided to start learning Polish (his first non-Romance language) and the surprising origins of his family name. The ideal order of operations for learning a new language from scratch and why you should master sounds first. The 24-hour rule for new vocabulary and the simple $5 language-learning tool you should carry with you everywhere you go. The language-learning advice Andrew would give to his younger self to break through his earlier stories and self-limiting beliefs. Why learning a language is akin to learning to play the guitar (you have to learn by doing, not watching). Why your feelings about a language-learning method are more important than the method itself. Why pursuing pleasure in language learning is not always the answer and why Andrew studies flashcards in Anki even though he doesn't enjoy it. The most common mistakes that native English speakers make in Spanish (and how to sound less like a "gringo" by changing just one sound). Why correctly pronouncing vowels is more important in Spanish than getting consonants right. The critical difference between "accent" and "pronunciation" and why the latter matter much more. Andrew's 2 essential language-learning principles: 1) readiness to learn, and 2) high-quality practice. How to build early confidence by setting the bar low and having specific goals in each conversation. 📧 Get expert language immersion tips in your inbox each week! Join my FREE weekly newsletter to get the tips and tools you need to get fluent anywhere in the world. 👉🏼 ⁠LanguageMastery.com/newsletter

Cara Leopold is the founder of Leo Listening, where she helps "intrepid travellers and adventurous expats improve their English listening skills so they can better understand and better connect with fast-talking native speakers through their love of films." In the interview, we talk about how she learned French and the best way to learn languages through TV shows and movies. 📧 Get expert language immersion tips in your inbox each week Join my FREE weekly newsletter to get the tips and tools you need to get fluent anywhere in the world. 👉🏼 LanguageMastery.com/newsletter

Steve Kaufmann is a hyperpolyglot who has learned more than 20 languages (!!!) and the co-founder of LingQ, an online language learning platform that helps you acquire languages using content you love. He was my second guest on the Language Mastery Show way back in 2009, and returns 13 years later to offer new insights and encouragement for independent language learners. For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/blog/post/steve-kaufmann 🤿 Master Any Language, Anywhere! Want to learn a language through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? My detailed "Anywhere Immersion" guides will show you exactly how. Check out my guides here 👉🏼 LanguageMastery.com/books

Jim and May describe themselves as a "gringo/Mexican international couple" on a mission to connect English speakers to the Spanish-speaking world. Their excellent podcast, YouTube channel, blog, and Spanish immersion retreats in Mexico help learners bridge the gap between learning and actually living in Spanish.   In the interview, they share what they have each learned in their own language learning journeys, their best tips for learning Spanish, and favorite resources for immersing yourself in Spanish right at home.   For more about Jim and May and tips for learning Spanish, visit SpanishAndGo.com.   📝 See show notes here LanguageMastery.com/blog/post/spanish-and-go. 📧 Get expert language immersion tips in your inbox each week! Join my FREE weekly newsletter to get the tips and tools you need to get fluent anywhere in the world. 👉🏼 ⁠⁠LanguageMastery.com/newsletter⁠