This is part 1 of a new series about improving your listening skills! Episode Summary: In this episode you'll learn: Why speed is NOT the reason you struggle with listening The “invisible shield” that keeps you stuck at your current level The ONE simple change to your study routine that will help you understand native speakers better https://vimeo.com/241009289 Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://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!

Nicolás asks: "How can I integrate grammar and writing skills into my routine?" Episode Summary: Its common for speaking to outpace other skills Many people find that writing is rarely necessary in another language, especially if you're learning for fun If a skill isn't necessary, will you be motivated enough to improve it? The way to become a good writer is to be a good reader Read widely on topics of interest - you grammar and writing will improve naturally What elements of your daily life can you move into Italian? Try writing based on the theme of your reading Today's Quote: “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.” —Samuel Johnson Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://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!

Holly asks: How can I best help my child with language learning? Episode Summary: Language learning for children is a very different process than for adults The big advantage children have is time Formal lessons don't work particularly well for children until they reach 10ys+ You can't make them learn against their will, so it's essential to find something fun Books and people are the best resources OPOL Resources Mentioned In This Episode: Pampers to Polyglot: Tetsu Yung at the Montreal Language Festival 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRTSL1ObPEU   Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://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!

Dr. Stephen Krashen discusses language learning and the polyglot community. Topics include: the impact of Krashen's theories, the parallels between language learning and music, finding comprehensible input, language learning pedagogy, the relevance of the polyglot community in research, the value of patience in language learning, and free resources available.

Matthias asks: "How can I help my students deal with fossilisation?" Episode Summary: Fossilisation is when a mistake becomes deeply embedded in a learner's language after years of "doing it wrong" It can occur in grammar, pronunciation, incorrect word choice (e.g. "it's mean", "why you have...?") In my teaching experience, fixing fossilisation is tricky because it amounts to reprogramming someone who usually doesn't want to change Fixing fossilisation has to begin with awareness If a student has come to you, it's because they're looking for an external solution, whereas it's the student who has learnt the mistake in the first place - only they can unlearn it As a teacher, you can go hard or soft, it depends on how best the student will react to it I would set the student tasks to do at home, as it relieves pressure on the student Set awareness-raising activities, followed up with regular highlighting of mistakes in lessons Today's Quote: People like to change their mind in private. - Sam Harris Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://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 solo episode, I discuss how changing your study method can have a dramatic effect. Episode Summary: My friend Jeremy and his struggles with Spanish How easy it is to get into a rut with your studying The benefits of trying new approaches to studying I challenge you to learn languages in a completely different way for a few weeks! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://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, Episode Summary: Living in bilingual areas Relationships with heritage languages How to take your listening and speaking skills from 80% to 100%  Resources Mentioned In Today's Episode: Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://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, I speak with Alex Rawlings about his new book: How To Speak Any Language Fluently. Episode Summary: Alex's upbringing with languages Did he learn languages quickly because he was a kid? How an 11-language test was administered to Alex in 2012 The process of writing a book Advice to bloggers wanting to write a book Working at Memrise.com Is it really possible to improve the way people learn languages? Alex's favourite advice from the book Resources Mentioned In Today's Episode:   How To Speak Any Language Fluently - Alex Rawlings AlexRawlings.co.uk - Alex's Website ReadLang - tool for reading online Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://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!

Neil asks: "Should I use triangulation to learn French?" Episode Summary: On today's podcast: Episode 014: Can you use one language to learn another? Episode 106: How useful is laddering? "Triangulation" - also know as laddering or bridging The big questions: My Spanish is B2 level. Is now the right time to learn French? Yes, I'd say so Will I lose Spanish once I go back to French? This is a valid concern However, it will never be "lost" There will likely be a period of needing to "recalibrate" his Spanish in a world that now includes French Should I work on both languages together, so as to develop the ability to keep both languages separate in my mind? Not at first The principle learning challenge is to learn French (not to maintain Spanish) Therefore, he'll need to approach learning French with as much dedication as if it were his first foreign language Once he's reached a conversational level in French, then it'll be time to learn to use it at the same time as Spanish Resources mentioned in today's episode: Glossika Custom Course Builder - learn one language through another Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://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!

Max asks: "What are the benefits of monolingual flashcards?" Episode Summary: Today's podcast: Monolingual flashcards at the beginner / intermediate level Challenge the assumption that you should create monolingual flashcards - how else can you be using the time? Do not use monolingual flashcards to learn the meaning of vocabulary: Definitions Example sentences Instead, use flashcards to practise your output - i.e. choosing the appropriate word and recalling it quickly Big danger: You quickly "learn" the cards, and the exercise stops being useful. Make sure you're not deceiving yourself about the benefits. For this reason, I would avoid creating cards with e.g.: Definitions Complete the dialogue How I might approach monolingual flashcards myself: Don't see it as a "testing" mechanism, but rather a "retrieval" mechanism - i.e. use the technology to help you see the vocabulary more often. Some thoughts: Close deletion (but how soon until you "learn the card"?) Learning Chinese characters A deck of synonyms... perhaps... but how do you scale? Mine Google for example sentences with a particular word, and simply build your flashcard decks with that Question and answer cards - don't test yourself, but simply use it as a mechanism of "repeating" the vocabulary as much as possible so you get more exposure My essential point... if you want to go "monolingual", then just do that... no need to use up your time with flashcards Resources mentioned in today's episode: Make Words Stick - my complete guide to using flashcards to learn and memorise vocabulary in a foreign language Skritter - a great app for learning Chinese characters Episode 188: What are the benefits of monolingual flashcards? Episode 213: Conversation with Gabe Wyner Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: http://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!