Unconventional language hacking tips from Benny the Irish polyglot; travelling the world to learn languages to fluency and beyond!
Sometimes, when you’re surrounded by a new language it can overwhelm your capacity to pick up new things. It’s almost too much newness, and you just draw a line. Everything from the toothpaste to the billboards to the TV is filled by the unrecognizable. You end up looking at words and noting that you’ve seen […]
How I found an online language buddy for a conversation exchange, so I went from feeling scared of speaking to having real conversations in a new language.
Talking about learning from mistakes... “Did I really just say that?” I asked myself as I was chatting to my future Italian mother-in-law over dinner.
Learn Portuguese at no cost with these free online Portuguese language lessons. Includes audio and video lessons, as well as complete courses.
Learn a language by speaking! What is a language exchange partner - and what’s the best way to find one? Plus what language exchanges can do for you.
For ages I’ve recognised, at least in theory, that learning even just a small handful sentences in a new language can take you a long way on a holiday, and give you a unique experience of cultural immersion. From the blog’s origin era (2009–2014) — kept as lived proof of the method. See all the […]
I know lots of people who speak their second language at a very good level, yet hesitate to jump into learning a third language. Here's how to do it right.
What’s it really like giving up your mother tongue? If you’ve read my last update you’ll know that I gave up speaking English for 30 days to focus on only speaking German. My goal was to reach the B2 level by the time the Cologne Carnival came around. As I write this, I’m in the […]
Most beginner language learners I know are keen to pick up new vocabulary, so they’re ready for real conversations in their new language. And it’s true that learning a wide variety of vocabulary is essential to having conversations about a lot of different subjects. But there’s a group of words and phrases that never seem […]
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