Unconventional language hacking tips from Benny the Irish polyglot; travelling the world to learn languages to fluency and beyond!
From the mission archive, Benny reviews his first month learning Japanese, the setbacks he met and the changes planned for month two.
Watch a Japanese music video built around English loanwords, then learn how Benny used writing, correction and rehearsal during his challenge.
Learn when to use polite or plain Japanese, how dictionary forms differ from casual speech, and why context matters more than one fixed rule.
Watch Benny give a tour of his Valencia home in Japanese after two weeks of learning, with an honest snapshot of his early speaking progress.
Read Benny’s announcement about being named a National Geographic Traveler of the Year and why he saw it as a win for language-learning travel.
Watch my unscripted Japanese video call after ten days of study, then compare it with my two-month Japanese update.
See how learners used three-month language projects, public goals and community support to stay accountable through the original Add1 Challenge.
Watch Benny read kana and attempt a Japanese-only video three days into his mission, mistakes and slow progress included.
From the 2013 archive, Benny introduces a three-month Japanese project in Spain and explains his speaking goal, plan and early preparation.
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