English Breakthrough for Germans

In this episode, I talk to Susanne, an English and Spanish teacher from Germany, about how she developed her English and the things learners can do to improve outside the classroom. We discuss the importance of reading and listening, learning through things you genuinely enjoy, becoming more confident when speaking, and making English part of your everyday life. Susanne also shares her experiences...

In this episode, I talk to Jörn about how he became a confident English speaker through using the language in real life. We discuss his experiences learning English at school, travelling abroad, working with international colleagues in Berlin, getting used to different accents, and becoming less afraid of making mistakes. Jörn also shares his advice for other German speakers: focus on communicatin...

I am currently learning French, and in this episode I discuss the strategies I am using and the reasons behind why I am doing what I am doing.   Join the discussion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/englishbreakthroughforgermans  

Why is dubbing so common in Germany—and has it affected how confidently Germans speak English? In this episode, I explore the history of German dubbing and some of the reasons it became so firmly established, from the growth of cinema after the Second World War to the size of the German-speaking market and the expectations of German audiences. I also share the story of watching the French film Amé...

Discover five practical techniques to improve your vocabulary, pronunciation and speaking through reading: immersive reading, read and look up, shadowing, imitation, and summarising. Mike also explains why graded readers with audio are especially effective—and how to choose the right level for you. immersive reading  read and look up shadowing imitation summarise the page. Join my Learning Communi...

Caitlin reached approximately C1 German before she had even set foot in Germany. How did she do it? In this episode, she shares how she built German into her daily life through listening, speaking, reading, writing and pronunciation practice. We also discuss why you don’t need to understand every word—and why speaking badly is a necessary step towards speaking well.   Special offer! Join my Patreo...

Are you bad at remembering people’s names? It might actually have helped you develop better strategies for learning English. In this episode, I share my own difficulties with remembering names and the techniques I use as a teacher to learn them. We’ll look at why repetition, personal connections and retrieval practice work—and how you can apply the same principles to remembering new English vocabu...

Do you sometimes feel like you're just not good at learning languages? In this episode, I challenge that belief and explain why successful language learning is much more about strategy than talent. Using stories from my own life, a football analogy, and practical examples from my teaching, I introduce my Cognitive Engagement Strategies for Effective Language Learning. You'll discover why some comm...

In this episode, I reflect on my conversation with my friend Miles, who reached C1 German after more than 12 years of living in Germany. His journey wasn't easy, but it highlights some important lessons for anyone learning a language. We look at why talent isn't enough on its own, the value of graded readers, why pronunciation matters from the beginning, and why language courses need to be combine...

In this episode, I speak with my friend Miles, who moved from England to Germany and eventually reached C1 German after years of frustration, false starts, and self-doubt. We first met in a German class in Sydney more than 15 years ago. Back then, neither of us knew where our language-learning journeys would lead. Today, Miles works in Germany, holds a C1 certificate, and can comfortably participa...

Have you ever spoken English and felt that your grammar was correct, but something still sounded a little strange? In this episode, I talk about one of the most important aspects of language learning that many learners overlook: collocations. Collocations are words that naturally go together. Native speakers don't usually build sentences word by word. Instead, they rely on thousands of ready-made...

Last week I spent a week teaching an intensive English course at a Berlin Volkshochschule. After five days in the classroom, I was reminded of some of the biggest challenges facing English learners in Germany. In this episode, we talk about: • Why reading is easier than speaking • Why learners get overwhelmed by vocabulary • How to prepare for spontaneous conversation • The dangers of translating...

Many learners spend years studying grammar but still struggle to understand native speakers. In this episode, I explain why vocabulary may be the missing piece and share practical advice from one of the world's leading experts on language learning, Paul Nation. You'll learn: • Why vocabulary matters more than most learners realise • The role of repetition, frequency and context • Why graded reader...

How do you actually learn vocabulary in a foreign language? In this episode, Mike shares funny and memorable stories from his own German-learning journey to explain why simply translating words from your first language isn’t enough to become fluent. You’ll learn about register, natural language use, and why reading plays such an important role in developing real intuition for English. Mike also ta...

Click here for my Patreon page — https://www.patreon.com/c/englishbreakthroughforgermans In Part 2 of this episode, I talk about what happened after I moved to Berlin in 2011 and how my German really started to improve. I explain how reading books, listening to audiobooks, watching films with subtitles, and reading aloud helped me become more fluent. I also share why Harry Potter became such an im...

How do people actually become fluent in another language? In Part 1 of How to learn a foreign language, I explain how my own German-learning journey began — from school classes in Australia to discovering Berlin and immersing myself in authentic German content. I talk about why subtitles, repetition, and natural interaction are so important for language learning, and I recommend several children’s...

In this episode of the English Breakthrough for Germans podcast, I shares key insights from an international English teaching conference in the UK. If you’ve ever felt stuck learning English, this episode is for you. Instead of focusing only on grammar and vocabulary, Mike explores what actually helps learners become fluent and independent.   You’ll learn: Why I believe many students don’t reach t...

Are you a German speaker who is stuck in your language learning journey? Join me in this first episode of the English Breakthrough for Germans podcast as I explain four reasons why I am starting the podcast.