We all love quick wins in our language learning but true success comes when we stay engaged over the long term. For that, habit trumps goals and motivation. But here’s an idea that may count as a habit but can also add some real motivational swing into the mix too: building participation in events into the rhythm of your year. Of course, a twice-weekly conversation or once … [Read more...]
How to choose an online language tutor
One-to-one sessions with an online tutor play a large role in my language learning. I’ve clocked up over seven hundred live sessions on Skype or Zoom in a range of languages. In this post you’ll discover the questions that I ask when I’ve pulled up a teacher’s profile and am looking for a good teacher fit. Italki.com is the platform on which I’ve found my … [Read more...]
How to learn Portuguese fast
So, you want to learn Portuguese fast? Follow the advice in this post and you can get yourself ready to use your Portuguese in the sorts of basic everyday contexts that we all need or in highly specialised contexts that are personal to you. This post is addressed to you if you're a beginner, a false beginner or rusty. That said, much of what you'll read will also help … [Read more...]
How to keep learning a language when life’s turned upside down
Last September, my life got turned a bit upside down. First, routine tests revealed that my dad had cancer and he had to go into hospital for a major op. I decamped to stay at his apartment near Oxford so I could visit him hospital. We expected him to be out in five days, but he was in for a month. For a few days, things look pretty grim and it was just at that point that I … [Read more...]
How to learn Spanish fast
So, you want to learn Spanish fast? Follow the advice in this post and you can get yourself ready to use your Spanish in the sorts of basic everyday contexts that we all need or in highly specialised contexts that are personal to you. This post is addressed to you if you're a beginner, a false beginner or rusty. That said, much of what you'll read will also help … [Read more...]
How to learn French fast
So, you want to learn French fast? Follow the advice in this post and you can get yourself ready to use your French in the sorts of basic everyday contexts that we all need or in highly specialised contexts that are personal to you. This post is addressed to you if you're a beginner, a false beginner or rusty. That said, much of what you'll read will also help … [Read more...]
How to learn Russian fast
So, you want to learn Russian fast? There’s no hiding it, getting really good at Russian is a big undertaking that takes a lot of time: maybe 300 hours study for a basic, functional “working knowledge” at the “lower intermediate” level (sometimes called “B1”). It also takes a shedload of commitment. But here’s the thing! If you’re motivated, you can achieve specific goals a … [Read more...]
How to learn German fast
So, you want to learn German fast? There’s no hiding it, getting really good at German is a big undertaking that takes a lot of time: maybe 350 hours study for a basic, functional “working knowledge” at the “lower intermediate” level (sometimes called “B1”) and at least 600 hours to get even more fluent across a wider range as an “upper intermediate” speaker (B2). It also … [Read more...]
How to learn a language at home in the crisis
How can we learn a language when we're stuck at home in the crisis? This week's post begins with a quick catch-up on my life here in "semi-lockdown" London. Then, let's think about how to learn languages at home during the coronavirus crisis. I'll give you some top tips from time management and across all four language learning skills. If you want it visual, the vid embedded at … [Read more...]
Transform your German by Summer 2020?
Are you a German learner who's been learning the language for a while and who's covered a lot of the basics? Are you ready to take focussed action to power yourself up as an "independent user" of the language and transform your German between now and the summer? Over in the Howtogetfluent Email Club, I've been talking to quite a few of you who've reached German "upper … [Read more...]