This is the story of how I got fluent in Russian. It's post number four in my new “Dr Popkins Method?” series of articles. I got the idea for the series when I was down in Tenerife with some of my fellow language learners and teachers, bloggers and vloggers. They challenged me to help you better by sharing more my language learning journey. If you prefer video, you can … [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...]
One month Basque boost: third week diary
Kaixo denei! It's the end of week three of my summer "One month Basque boost" project. One week to go until I'm in a Basque TV programme. My aim this month has been to have at least five thirty or forty-five minute lessons with a teacher on Skype each week and to do thirty minutes of self-study a day. This week I managed to have eight lessons and did the extra study five … [Read more...]
One Month Basque Boost: second week diary
This is the third post in my "One month Basque boost" mini project. My aim this month is to do five one-to-one Skype lessons a week (I'm mainly using italki.com) and an additional thirty minutes focussed study five days a week. The immediate spur is an upcoming Basque TV appearance. At the bottom of this week's diary, there's a quick update of other news from Howtogetfluent.com … [Read more...]
One Month Basque Boost: first week diary
Kaixo Londresetik! This is my second post in my "One month Basque boost" mini project. I've been asked to take part in a Basque television programme at the end of August. That provides a great incentive for me to focus in again on levelling up my Basque speaking abilities. My aim this month is to do five one-to-one Skype lessons a week (I'm mainly using italki.com) plus thirty … [Read more...]
One Month Basque Boost: kick off
Kaixo denei Londresetik! I've just had some exciting news: I'm going to be in a Basque TV programme. The crew is coming to shoot at the end of August. That's great motivation for me as an intermediate level Basque learner to put my foot on the gas during the next four weeks. In this post I'm launching my "One month Basque Boost" mini project (scroll right down for launch … [Read more...]
Language momentos (1): finding a room with basic German
This is the first occasional post in which I'll be sharing personal stories from my language learning life. Highs or lows, big or small, they're some of the things I have in mind when I say that languages have enriched my life so much. I hope they'll help inspire you to get started or to keep going on your own language journey. It's often those small practical triumphs when … [Read more...]