Here, all in one place, are one hundred of the best, brief, language learning insights I've come across in years of language learning and years of learning about learning languages. This is celebratory piece to mark a mini milestone: the one hundredth post published here on Howtogetfluent.com. I hope you'll enjoy my selection. Of course, it could only ever be incomplete and … [Read more...]
How I learned Welsh…and you can too
This is the story of how I got fluent in Welsh. It's the third post in my new “Dr Popkins Method?” series of articles. There posts are very much my personal history....but I'm sure you'll already see instructive parallels - or contrasts - with your own experience. That should already help you get a realistic take on this large - but not insurmountable - undertaking. At the end … [Read more...]
“Euskalonski”: on a Basque TV shoot (with vlog)
On Monday evening I sat down in front of my laptop to watch episode two of the travel show "Euskalonski" on Basque TV. It was exactly two weeks since I'd been filming for it with Pello Reparaz and his TV crew. This was the culmination of my "Basque Boost" project. Four weeks of ramped-up work on the Basque language. I've made a vlog sharing the inside view of the whole shoot. … [Read more...]
“Dr Popkins Method?” Getting fluent in French
This is the first time I've blogged about French. I tell the story of how I managed to get reasonably fluent in the language. It’s the second post in my new "Dr Popkins Method?" series of articles. If you prefer video, you can scroll straight to the bottom for the link to the companion vlog about my experiences learning French and Welsh. This post follows the same plan but … [Read more...]
One month Basque boost: final week diary
Kaixo denei! Here's the diary of the fourth week “One month Basque boost” project and a final round-up of all I did to level up my spoken Basque in the month before I took part in a Basque TV programme. I've delayed this post by a week to wrap things up after the shoot (which took place six days ago). At the end of this final week's diary, there’s the final catch-up video … [Read more...]