MetaLearn Podcast

Dr Iain McGilchrist is a psychiatrist and writer who is committed to exploring the mysteries of the brain and mind. He is best known for his book The Master and His Emissary in which he explores the differences between the brain's right and left hemispheres and their effects on history and culture over the centuries. Most scientists have long abandoned the attempt to understand why nature separated the brain's hemispheres. But anyone who knows anything about the area would say there are differences: it’s just that no-one seems to know why. Iain has spent years researching the subject in depth and has made some remarkable findings about the differences between the left and right hemispheres and their impact on society in the Western World. In this conversation we discuss a range of topics including: - The true differences between the left and right brain - The impact our left brain dominated world has had on the educational system - How to apply what cognitive science has established about the learning process So whether you're looking to understand the mechanics of your brain a little better or find out how our thinking affects the society we live in today this episode will give you all that and much more.

This podcast episode provides a framework for learning a new skill, discussing the importance of passion and enjoyment in the learning process. It explores the stages of skill acquisition and the difference between skill acquisition and mastery. The episode also highlights the value of connecting with others, learning from heroes, and finding the right environment for learning. Various approaches to learning a new skill are explored, emphasizing the significance of experimentation and enjoyment in the process.

The idea that we all learn differently has been appropriated by various theorists who suggest that most of us can be placed into one of several predefined categories - or learning styles. While I’m reluctant to promote one specific category set when it comes to learning, I think the process of looking at them can be helpful in getting you to reflect on your own experience and understand what works best for you. So in this episode, I’ll outline some areas that I think are important to pay attention to when trying to work out how you learn best, including: - The activity of learning – Reading vs. Listening vs. Speaking vs. Writing - The optimal time for learning - The times of day you're wired to learn best at - The mode of learning - taking a specialist approach vs. a generalist one This episode will help you identify how you learn best by offering you some simple tools and techniques you can apply to reflect on your personal experience and consider how your learning differs according to the situation you’re in so that you can adapt flexibly to learn the skill you want to in the most effective way.  

In this short episode I review what I learned in 2016, sharing my successes and failures in everything from the process of starting a podcast, to holding discussion groups as a university lecturer and pursuing my own language learning projects. In ancient Roman myth, Janus was the god of transitions. The early part of January, named after Janus, was traditionally seen as a time for reflection on the year gone by and planning the year ahead - a process of looking forwards with one head and backwards with the other to determine action in the present. For me, this last year was a significant one and in this episode I condense the most important lessons I’ve learned into 5 main areas, sharing my successes and failures with you along the way. Some of the themes related to what I learned in 2016 include: - Discussion and dialogue as learning tools - The power of community for learning anything - Knowing when to give up on a learning project So whether you're looking to learn better in teams, manage your learning projects more effectively or find out what I've learned from teaching at a university this past year, this episode will give you all that and more.

Ellen Jovin is a polyglot, writer and the founder of Syntaxis, a communication skills training firm based in New York. In 2009, she started a project to learn as much as she could of the languages spoken in New York in a year. But once she started, she never stopped - her schedule has included 21 different languages involving a total of nine different alphabets and writing systems - and she’s still going strong with no end in sight. Ellen’s an accomplished polyglot and an excellent communicator as I found out when we met at the Polyglot Conference in Thessaloniki, where she gave a fantastic talk on language learning products. In this episode we discuss a range of topics including: - What it means to know a language and Ellen’s definition of fluency - The method Ellen uses to learn languages and how this can be used by others - The challenges Ellen has faced learning languages and how she overcame them Whatever language you’re learning and whatever stage you’re at, you’ll benefit from Ellen’s insights and leave this episode with mindsets and skillsets that you can take away and start using straight away.

Shane Parrish is the founder of Farnam Street, an online intellectual hub that covers topics like human misjudgment, strategy, and philosophy to help readers make better decisions. We all make decisions every day which ultimately affect the results we get in our lives. But so few of us ever stop to think critically about the process we use for making those decisions, let alone try to improve it. Shane has spent years thinking and writing about decision making, drawing on multiple disciplines and interviewing thought leaders in the field. Add to this his experience as an investor and he's perfectly placed to offer valuable advice that can help you make better decisions in your life. In this episode we discuss a variety of interesting topics including: - Shane’s process for making decisions and how it’s evolved over time - What Shane has learned from his heroes Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger - The importance of multidisciplinary thinking and learning in a complex world So whether you're looking to make an important career decision or want to decide whether you should buy shares in that company you've been following, this episode will give you the actionable strategies needed to make that process more structured and increase the chances of a positive outcome.

Michael Levi Harris is an actor, filmmaker and polyglot who runs the accent coaching business My Accent Guy. Michael trained at the Guildhall School in London as an actor and has since been involved in a number of theatre productions. He also wrote and starred in the short film 'The Hyperglot'. Actors are masters of using body language and non-verbal communication to develop characters and connect with an audience. But these techniques have many applications across disciplines from language learning to public speaking. Michael gave one of the most entertaining talks at the Polyglot Conference on how to apply acting techniques to language learning, so I reached out to find out what other areas these techniques could be applied to. In this episode we discuss a range of interesting topics including: - Whether personality is innate or constructed and how acting affects this - Michael’s method for language learning and accent development - Insights gained from screenwriting and acting in films and plays So whether you're looking to improve your non verbal communication for a presentation at work, upgrade your accent or find out more about the world of film and theatre, this episode will give you all that and much more.

Paddy Milner is a musician and songwriter who’s widely recognised as one of the leading blues piano players in the world. He’s currently the piano player of choice for Sir Tom Jones, following several years with the late great Jack Bruce and his current group Londonola plays homegrown British music with a strong dose of New Orleans spirit. On top of being an exceptional musician, Paddy is also a great teacher and has produced several blues piano courses for different levels. This makes him the perfect man to outline the process of learning and mastering an instrument. In this episode we discuss a range of interesting topics including: - Paddy’s creative process and where he draws inspiration from - The key habits needed to pick up and master a musical instrument - Paddy’s experience of working with the likes of Jack Bruce and Tom Jones So whether you're looking to pick up a new instrument or take your current one to the next level this episode will give you all the inspiration you need and actionable strategies you can start applying straight away.

Explore the impact of neuroscience on learning and life. Debunk brain myths, learn about brain structure and function. Understand memory storage and tips for improving memory. Explore the nature vs. nurture debate and brain plasticity.

Luca Lampariello is a polyglot and language teacher who runs his own language learning company LinguaCore and the highly popular blog The Polyglot Dream. Luca speaks 13 languages and is currently fluent in 10 of them but he’s always adding more to his repertoire. One of the main reasons I love learning languages is because speaking them is an amazing way to connect to other people and cultures and Luca is big proponent of this as well. To put it simply, he's my kind of polyglot! In this episode we discuss a range of topics, including: - What it means to know a language and Luca’s definition of fluency - The method Luca uses to learn languages and how this can be adapted by others - The challenges Luca faced in language learning and how he’s overcome them Whatever language you’re learning and whatever stage you’re at, you’ll benefit massively from Luca’s insights and leave this episode with mindsets and skillsets that you can take away and start using in your own learning straight away.