
StoryLearning Podcast
Learning a new language? Get your language learning questions answered by polyglot Olly Richards, who speaks 8 languages and is the founder of the StoryLearning® method.
Whatever's holding you back on the path to fluency, tune in twice a week to get your regular dose of language learning motivation, with Olly and other polyglot guests, such as Benny Lewis, Luca Lampariello, Richard Simcott and Alex Rawlings.
Learn Spanish, Learn French, Learn German, Learn Italian, Learn Portuguese, Learn Arabic, Learn Japanese, Learn Chinese
Latest episodes

Oct 2, 2019 • 23min
341: My teachers just don't get it...
Phil asks a really tricky question: "I am feeling extremely frustrated with the Chinese teachers I've found on there. They don't seem to understand that I want to practice speaking. They all seem to insist on trying to go over grammar rules, shovel loads of new vocabulary on me, etc when all I want to do is practice some of the things I've already learned. When I try to tell the this, then they just randomly talk about whether I like spicy food or have kids. No structure. I've suggested a course book that we just use as a framework for speaking for each half hour based on the topic/vocab, but that hasn't worked either. I've literally tried 15 teachers. So my question is: what am I doing wrong? Do you understand what I want? If so, how could I go about getting that from a teacher. I am at an elementary/low intermediate level by the way." In This Episode: Olly speaks to Jan van der Aa from Language Boost about this challenge. 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!

Sep 27, 2019 • 10min
340: Language teachers must be language learners | TROLL 020
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!

Sep 25, 2019 • 18min
339: Is daily journaling in a foreign language effective?
Andrew asks: "I'm learning Lao. Is there a benefit to daily journaling?" In This Episode: Writing in your target language is a fantastic activity, especially if it appeals to you! Here are some of the benefits: Review and consolidate what you've been learning Experiment with grammar and pose questions to yourself (which can get answered) Throws up new vocabulary that you'll have to look up Exposes your "interlanguage" Gives your teacher something to work with Provides evidence of progress Can match your learning style, thereby enhancing learning One of the most important things about writing is, after you get feedback, to go and act on that feedback. It's too easy to not learn the lessons from teacher feedback. Resources Mentioned: All the Writing Resources for Language Learning You'll Ever Need - a helpful blog post on writing by Lindsay Williams 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!

Sep 23, 2019 • 22min
337: Should I take a language immersion programme?
Eric asks: "I'm considering spending next summer in Russia. Should I take a language immersion programme?" In This Episode: What is the real purpose of going abroad? What's the best and worst case? Olly's friend in Nice The value of life experience, friendship and structure Resources Mentioned: Olly's Thursday 26th September Event in London for the European Day of Languages... see you there! 101 Conversations books 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!

Sep 20, 2019 • 12min
338: Quantity, not quality | TROLL 019
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!

Sep 14, 2019 • 10min
336: Make More Mistakes | TROLL 018
Learn about the 'rules of language learning' and the importance of embracing mistakes in language learning, including a personal anecdote about a language mistake involving two French guys.

Sep 12, 2019 • 36min
335: Behind the scenes of Japanese Uncovered
In this episode, Olly takes you behind the scenes of Japanese Uncovered, his new Japanese programme for beginners. He's joined by Nick Godwin, who has been working with Olly for the last year on designing the programme. Here's what you'll hear: Why we wanted to make Japanese Uncovered The story-based methodology Challenges in designing the course Who is Ai, and what does she do? How we threw away the rule book when deciding how to teach reading! 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!

Sep 6, 2019 • 9min
334: First learn it, then use it | TROLL 017
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!

Sep 4, 2019 • 16min
333: What has Olly been up to?
In this episode, Olly talks about what he has been up to this summer. 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!

Aug 30, 2019 • 43min
332 - Ultralearning with Scott Young (Part 2)
In this episode, I interview writer, blogger and learning expert Scott Young. Scott is a writer who undertakes interesting self-education projects, such as attempting to learn MIT's four-year computer science curriculum in twelve months and learning four languages in one year. In this conversation, we discuss Scott's experience of learning languages, some of the key principles of effective learning and Scott's new book - Ultralearning. Listen to the episode, then leave me a comment below and let me know what you think of our discussion! Click here to see the Full Blog Post Click here to see the full YouTube video 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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