Advanced Language Learning: One

Here’s my first selection of advanced language learning materials for attendees of New Year, New Language 2024.

Ever onward! How to improve your advanced language skills

This was a talk I gave at the Polyglot Gathering (an annual get-together for language learning experts and enthusiasts). I’ve been a speaker and attendee at this event every year since it started in 2014 and remain a great fan. You can everybody’s talks from past Gatherings on their YouTube channel. I’ve also embedded my slides for you below. My session (including Q&A) was nearly 50 minutes long. If you click on the “cog” icon on the YouTube video, you can speed up the replay.

Slides for the above talk:

Terrific Technique One: using language exams

I’m a great fan of using language exams as a motivational tool. In this post, I weigh up the pros and cons (links in the post to follow-up exam tips article):

Foreign language exams for adult learners: for and against

Habits rule! Four mini-habits for 2024

Half the secret in language learning is just to KEEP GOING. This post has a New Year flavour. I share four ideas four quick activities (one each for listening, reading, speaking and writing) that anybody can find fifteen minutes for every day:

Four language learning mini-habits for big results in 2024

Recommended courses for upper intermediate / advanced

Luca Lampariello’s Become a Master Language Learner (Level 2) “Overcoming the Intermediate Plateau” is my top recommended general methods training course.

Olly Richard’s “Uncovered” upper intermediate courses are a great launchpad for the journey to advanced. Available in a range of popular languages. The golden thread running through each course is an enticing story, which keeps you engaged from unit to unit and helps you to absorb the language without realising it. He calls it “StoryLearning”. Here are the links to the courses:

=> Spanish Uncovered (Intermediate)

=> German Uncovered (Intermediate)

=> French Uncovered (Intermediate)

=> Italian Uncovered (Intermediate)

=> Japanese Uncovered (Intermediate)

I’m proud to partner with Luca and Olly and if you sign up for one of their courses using my link, a small commission will help my work here at Howtogetfluent.com (at no extra cost to you).