Learn Languages with Steve Kaufmann
Steve Kaufmann
I speak 20 languages. I've been learning languages for over 50 years and I've tried all kinds of approaches. I talk about my experiences, my approach to language learning, what I enjoy about learning languages and all manner of other topics related to language.
If you love languages, or think you would if you hadn't been discouraged by past experiences, this is the podcast for you. Anyone can learn a language. You just need the right attitude and the right approach!
If you love languages, or think you would if you hadn't been discouraged by past experiences, this is the podcast for you. Anyone can learn a language. You just need the right attitude and the right approach!
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 2, 2023 • 11min
10 Language Learning Mistakes You’re Probably Making (And How to Fix Them)
Language learning isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to made more difficult. In this video I go over the 10 most common mistakes language learners make that I have noticed over the decades. Would you add any?
Apr 28, 2023 • 14min
DON'T Complicate Language Learning
Many people are put off learning languages because they think it is difficult to do. Language educators often don’t help, but instead complicate the process with jargon, seeking to describe the minute details of the natural and enjoyable process of language acquisition.
Apr 25, 2023 • 8min
Stay Curious, Stay Young: The Power of Lifelong Learning
It is so important to stay curious and keep learning new things as you age. I have most certainly found this to be the case. I don’t just learn languages, I am curious about many topics and I feed this curiosity every day.
Apr 21, 2023 • 8min
Do You Need to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone? Yes... & No.
Learning a language means leaving the comfort of your native language and confronting the challenges of a new language and its uncertainty. Call it the learning zone. How do we make it more comfortable?
Apr 18, 2023 • 8min
Which Language Should You Learn?
People often ask me which language they should learn and my answer is always the same: learn the language you are keenest to learn. Even if you learn for a few months then move on to another language, you don’t lose what you gained. Enjoy the language buffet!
Apr 13, 2023 • 20min
Culture, Language &…Ghosting: US vs. Europe with @FelifromGermany
Feli is from Germany but lives in the US. She talks a lot about cultural differences on her YouTube channel “Feli from Germany”. There are things she prefers about the US, and some things, not so much, like “ghosting”, a term I had never heard of before this chat.
4 snips
Apr 11, 2023 • 8min
How Languages Shape Our Understanding of History
When I learn a language, I also learn the history of the country. I am transported to that area. I gain a new outlook on the world. It’s a process I always enjoy and am in no hurry to end. In fact, in language learning, the process is the reward.
Apr 4, 2023 • 11min
How to Learn Vocabulary Without Even Trying
For a long time I have been convinced that the simplest and most reliable indicator of our potential and our level in a language is how many words we know. Learning words ought to be a pleasant task at the heart of language learning.
Mar 31, 2023 • 8min
ChatGPT: Should Language Teachers Be Worried?
There are various ways ChatGPT can assist in language learning: Duolingo seems to have enlisted ChatGPT mostly for error correction and role playing. These are not areas of interest to me. However, these activities could help lessen the workload of teachers.
Mar 28, 2023 • 9min
Elon Musk’s Neuralink & the Future of Language (Learning)
Elon Musk apparently believes that Neuralink, a computer chip that can be implanted in the brains of animals and people, will make language learning and even language obsolete. Here are my thoughts.
