“I’d love to learn a new language, but I’m just terrible at it. Plus, the best time to learn a language is when you’re young.” People say this to me a lot. I can relate. When I decided to quit my job and take a sabbatical year, in part to regain my fluency in Spanish, […]
MOREHow to Overcome the Fear of Speaking a New Language
“Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.” ― Steven […]
MOREHow I Learned to Speak Mandarin Chinese while Living in Kansas
If there is one language where it is important to speak to natives regularly, it’s Mandarin Chinese (or any Chinese dialect really). The reason for this is simple: you must practise Chinese tones if you want to be able to speak the language! A year ago I was in a pretty difficult situation: I had […]
MOREHow to Make Money as a Language Tutor
I still remember my first gig as a Spanish language tutor. I loved learning languages, and was fluent in Spanish after having studied it for a few years in university the US and abroad living in the Dominican Republic, a Spanish-speaking country in the Caribbean. I was passionate about learning the language and invested all […]
MOREWhat’s it Like to Be a Language Hacker?
So, my new Language Hacking courses are on their way to bookstores around the world, and we’ve already had over a thousand pre-orders (if you want to make sure you get the best bonuses, pre-order the courses you want now). While the courses are en route, I’ve got together a group of language learners who […]
MORELearn a Language Faster: 8 Simple Language Hacks
“How has this gone so badly?” I thought. I was taking the official listening exam in Chinese proficiency, and I could not understand a single word of the recording. The test was “elementary” level, and I was there, handing the paper to the teacher at the entrance to the classroom, confused. I had studied by […]
MOREHow to Get a Dream Job Overseas Using Your Language Skills
“If you want the job it’s yours.” I couldn’t believe it. After teaching English for a few years in China I’d been offered a job as a cultural liaison. I’d be working at an international design and manufacturing company in China, using my Mandarin Chinese skills every day. I’d previously tried to find a job […]
MOREHow I Learned Spanish in 4 Months (Without Leaving India)
India doesn’t have a foreign-language culture. This is at odds with the fact that most Indians are trilingual, if not polyglots. The reason for this paradox is simple: India has over 50 languages of its own and most Indians rarely feel the need to gun for a foreign language other than English. Even those Indians […]
MOREHow Yoga Can Make You a Better Language Learner
I took a friend of mine to my yoga studio last week. When we walked out of the classroom, I asked him what he thought of the class. He could barely talk. “That was the hardest thing I’ve done in the last year.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Yeah, yoga can be hard.” Truthfully, I hadn’t […]
MOREHow to Use Tinder as a Language Learning Tool
I used Tinder for two years, before I met my boyfriend. As a shiftworker, I worked odd hours and thought the app would be a good way to meet people – in my hometown of Sydney, Australia and as an expat in both Doha, Qatar and London, England. I mostly viewed it simply as a […]
MOREMultilingual Dating: Should I Date Someone Who Speaks Another Language?
When I was a senior at high school, I had a Brazilian exchange student live with me for three months. We became best friends instantly. On the first day at school, all the girls had a crush on him. Even the teachers. I don’t know exactly what it was. Perhaps his accent, possibly it was […]
MORECulture Hacking: The Real Secret to Mastering a Language
Do you ever feel like you just can’t move on to the next level with the language you’re learning? You put in tons of effort, but it just feels impossible to move off the plateau? You have a large vocabulary, and you understand a lot but when it comes to speaking, you keep wondering why […]
MOREHow I Learned 5 Languages in One Year
Last year was incredibly busy, but productive and fun. My little daughter had just turned two. She was enrolled in early development programs with a “Kindergarten is Too Late” approach. We had no nannies or grannies to help clean our apartment or feed a hungry husband (a standard set of responsibilities for a Russian housewife […]
MORE5 Hacks to Learn Languages by Reading Literature
Nothing is better than a great book. And, if it is a foreign book? Even better! You can learn a lot from reading books in your target language. You can benefit from a book’s message and equally from its language. In other words, a book can improve your way of life and your language learning […]
MOREThe Language Secrets of Prolific Language Learners
Did you know that some of the most famous figures throughout history were also accomplished polyglots? Audrey Hepburn remains an iconic goddess of the silver screen and is regularly touted as being the most beautiful woman to have ever existed. She also spoke six languages. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, […]
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