The ONLY way to speak a language
Study methods can help, but speaking is a skill you need to practise. Benny explains how to make conversation part of learning a language.
Category: Language Hacks
Getting by a few weeks into learning a language: my Turkish haircut (& ear burning) experience
A Turkish haircut becomes a real-world language test as Benny uses limited vocabulary, gestures and context a few weeks into his mission.
How to learn to speak your 2nd language as if it were your 16th: The polyglot edge
Use lessons from experienced polyglots to make your next language easier, from spotting cognates to choosing what deserves your attention.
The linguistic genius of adults: Research confirms we’re better learners than kids!
Research challenges the idea that children always learn languages better, with useful evidence about the strengths adult learners bring.
Easy lifestyle adjustments to get a huge boost when things are going slowly
When progress slows, small changes to sleep, exercise, food, work and routine can restore the energy you need for a demanding language project.
Why does the language have to be so weird?
Languages feel less strange when you stop treating your own as the default. Benny looks at unfamiliar features and the logic behind them.
29 Life Lessons I Learned While Travelling the World
Benny Lewis revisits 29 life lessons from eight years of travel, covering language, friendship, money, mistakes, culture and connection.
Manga Case Study: Learning Japanese in One Year
How comic writer Mars Dorian set himself the challenge of learning Japanese in 12 months so he could read Manga comics. Did he make it?
How to prepare, record & upload a video entirely in a foreign language just after starting to learn it
Follow Benny’s practical steps for planning, correcting, rehearsing, recording and captioning a short video in a language you’ve just started learning.
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