Do you wish you had more of a talent for languages? Or is talent overrated in language learning? What do we even mean when we say that somebody has the aptitude to learn a language. What if you suspect that you "don't have the language gene"? Can you become more talented? Is success more dependent on other variables like motivation, good methods and consistent application and … [Read more...]
Learning Japanese: Month Nine update
I'm now nine months into my learning basic Japanese project, just a week away from my arrival in Japan for the first time, to attend the Polyglot Conference…and to explore a bit too. This is my latest monthly report. It's a brief one this time. Why? First, because, I'm on the road for a month (first Singapore and Hong Kong). Second, erm, because has been my least productive … [Read more...]
Reading in a foreign language. Enough of stories? Time for the facts?
When we're looking for things to read in our language, we'll often think in terms of stories. After all, stories can draw us in and keep us turning the page. They stimulate our imagination and provide context to help us remember. If we're still beginners or at the lower intermediate level, we might go for children's books or grab a "graded reader" (a text written - or adapted … [Read more...]
Language textbooks: good or bad?
If you're thinking of beginning a new language, or an intermediate-advanced learner wanting to take it further, should you kit yourself out with one or more language textbooks (either a physical book or structured course available in electronic form)? Here on the site, I often mention the books I'm using with my languages. Yet other successful language learners give such … [Read more...]
Does learning foreign languages get easier with experience?
Does learning foreign languages get easier with experience? In today's post, I'll draw on my own experience learning Welsh, Russian, German and French to a fairly advanced level, Basque to intermediate and several other languages to lower levels, particularly (most recently) Japanese. It's a nuanced picture, of course. let's look together at different aspects of the language … [Read more...]