In this episode, Olly speaks with Simon Robinson about his social activism projects and their impact on his language learning. In Today's Episode: Simon Robinson is an English language teacher living in Okinawa, Japan. He's been involved in multiple social-change projects over the year and has witnessed how being part of a movement has had a huge impact on his Japanese. In this episode, we explore his various projects, how they've helped him with his languages, and also suggest ways for you to do the same. To connect with Simon, please visit: Twitter: http://twitter.com/tensaimon Blog: tensaimon.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSz-tNBL1tDs18BlUV5sVWA Here's an overview of the benefits of social activism in your language learning: It's learning by doing It's exciting and emotionally involving (even more so than stories!) - perfect for effective retention of new vocabulary etc It covers all skills (reading listening writing speaking) as well as translation/interpreting (if that's what you like) - for example it can be fantastic for speaking skills - you will be having emotionally-engaging high-level communication pretty much every time you participate (daily, if you get very involved!) A learner can choose how to participate, focusing on the activities/skills they feel drawn to - if you like translation you can do it, or if you prefer to ditch your L1 and go full-on immersion you can do that too! It's completely free It can take up a lot of time if you want it to - perfect if you are serious about developing your skills via an immersion approach You can do it from anywhere - most organisation takes place over the internet (You don't even have to participate in your country of residence - live in japan but want to participate in the UK? No problem!) Most projects are desperate for as many willing volunteers as they can get - if you want to participate you will be welcomed with open arms! As real work in real projects it will be fantastic work experience, which will be invaluable on your CV It may even lead to paid work (many projects do have paid positions) tho I should add that it would be unwise to count on this: the vast majority of participants in projects are voluntary. Last but not least....as a by-product of your language learning you will be helping to make the world a better place! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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’

 Click here to see the Full Blog Post Click here to see the full YouTube video Welcome to the my new series "The Rules Of Language Learning". In these videos, you'll learn my best tips and ideas for learning foreign languages... from the "obvious" to the "downright controversial"! Do you agree or disagree with my conclusions?  Listen to the episode, then leave me a comment below and let me know! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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 social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Hilina asks. "Is it useful to learn songs?" In Today's Episode: The links between musical ability and language ability are sketchy at best... However, most of know intuitively that there is a link I think the most obvious connection is with pronunciation Learning songs is a great way to add variety in your language routine, and to learn vocabulary and phraseology Music is also a wonderful way to focus on pronunciation in your target language Today's Resources: Interview with Stephen Krashen - Language learning and the polyglot community Olly singing songs in various languages  Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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 social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

 Click here to see the Full Blog Post Click here to see the full YouTube video Welcome to the my new series "The Rules Of Language Learning". In these videos, you'll learn my best tips and ideas for learning foreign languages... from the "obvious" to the "downright controversial"! Do you agree or disagree with my conclusions? Listen to the episode, then leave me a comment below and let me know! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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 social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Maya asks. "Why do I have random bad days in my language learning?" In Today's Episode: It's totally normal to have "slow days" in your language learning, or days when your brain doesn't seem to fire up at all The learning process involves lots of ups and downs - it's how you learn! I like to think of the bad days as the time when you're really learning and improving! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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 social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

 Click here to see the Full Blog Post Click here to see the full YouTube video Welcome to the my new series "The Rules Of Language Learning". In these videos, you'll learn my best tips and ideas for learning foreign languages... from the "obvious" to the "downright controversial"! Do you agree or disagree with my conclusions? Listen to the episode, then leave me a comment below and let me know! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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 social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

In this episode, Olly speaks to Ben Worthington of the IELTSpodcast, about how to pass the IELTS exam. In Today's Episode: How did Ben get into teaching IELTS? What is IELTS? Who takes it? Why do students need it? What are the most common errors students make regarding IELTS? How do they solve them? What are the most common challenges regarding IELTS preparation? (Speaking, reading, writing, listening) What are the best ways to self-study IELTS writing and speaking? What's the best IELTS preparation strategy? For self study students and non-self study students? Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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 social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

 Click here to see the Full Blog Post Click here to see the full YouTube video Welcome to the my new series "The Rules Of Language Learning". In these videos, you'll learn my best tips and ideas for learning foreign languages... from the "obvious" to the "downright controversial"! Do you agree or disagree with my conclusions? Listen to the episode, then leave me a comment below and let me know! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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 social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Jorg asks: "Can I learn Italian in 4 weeks?" In Today's Episode: Yes, you can! But you approach will change depending on your goals If you're just looking to speak and have conversations on your trip, then I'd recommend speaking every day leading up to your trip for 2-3 hour However, to set up a better long-term foundation, I would do exactly what I did on my Italian Project last year - i.e. lots of input! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://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 social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

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