Learn Languages with Steve Kaufmann

In this video, I talk about why grammar instruction is not as important as we are taught to think and why you're better off focusing on reading, listening, and speaking.

In this week’s video I about why reading is so important for language learners and how to use technology to supercharge your reading skills.

Some recently suggested that I give my opinion on language-learning advice from bestselling author @IAmMarkManson.

Lazy language learning has been a hot topic lately. In this video, Steve explains why he considers lazy learning to be the best approach to learning a language, even if some researchers say otherwise.

This week’s video is all about perfectionism. I talk about why, where, when and how language learners should or shouldn’t pursue perfection.

I received a comment recently, saying that learning languages as an older person is almost an impossible task. As someone who has learned 10 languages after turning 60, here’s what I think about the topic.

In this video I talk to @JForrestEnglish about the most common mindset mistakes language learners make.

I often get asked whether it's better to listen or read first. In this video, I talk about my approach to improving listening and reading comprehension and explain why it's important to adapt your strategy to your level.

Standard language tests exist for many languages. IELTS, TOEFl and TEOIC are some of the best known tests for English. Keith, of Keith's Speaking Academy, is an expert on these tests and how to prepare. ✅ Learn more in this interview with him.

Many people try to read and reread things to force them into their brains through massed practice. 🛑 This is not the best way to learn things! 📚 We need to learn how to learn, as described in the book "Make Things Stick" by Peter C. Brown. In this video I share with you the most helpful tips and information.

🦄 Think you are a “visual,” “auditory,” "book," or “kinesthetic” learner? Think again! According to psychologists Cedar Riener and Daniel Willingham in their 2010 paper “The Myth of Learning Styles,” “There is no credible evidence that learning styles exist.” In this video, I explain more about why learning styles are a myth and the universal ways in which we ALL acquire languages (regardless of...

🚀 In this video, I share what I do at various levels in the language learning journey and the best way to get up to the delightful upper-intermediate stage where your fluency really starts to take off.

🙀 Popular entertainer and polyglot @LanguageSimp joins me to talk about why language learning should be fun and how he got started in languages, TikTok, and YouTube. He also teaches this 77-year-old language grandpa the meaning of the Gen Z term "simp" (it is NOT what I assumed)...

📚 In this video, I explain the best way to improve your speaking skills, why vocabulary tends to be more important than grammar, why second-guessing grammar harms your ability to communicate, and why you don't need to STUDY grammar rules to correctly FOLLOW them.

⏳ Some people swear by "spaced repetition systems" (SRS). Others think they are waste of time. What's my take? I've learned 20 languages so far in my life, but have only relied on spaced repetition for a few specific needs in language learning. Watch on to see what those use cases are and what approach I think is generally more effective than using an SRS app.

🧠 The brain acquires languages through lots exposure of input, NOT the conscious memorization of grammar rules and vocabulary. This is a good news! In this video, I share 3 major benefits of learning languages in a natural, non-rules-based way.

👶 Everyone knows that children are better language learners, right? Well, the truth is not so simple... While children do have SOME advantages when it comes to language learning (e.g. pronunciation), we adults run circles around the little ones in other ways! In this video, I detail the similarities and differences between first and second language acquisition and the various linguistic and psych...

📖 If we want to speak a language fluently, we first have to memorize a bunch of rules, right? Wrong! 🧠 It turns out that our brains will automatically internalize a language's underlying patterns when we get enough exposure and practice. So instead of spending all your time memorizing rules, focus on reading and listening. This approach is more natural AND more fun. To be clear, I am not saying...

🚪 Languages can unlock doors you never even knew existed, but you first have to reach out and turn the handle. The doors won't open themselves. Don't overthink decisions. Just take action and see where the language learning adventure leads you! I've made a number of pivotal decisions that completely changed the trajectory of my life, languages, and career... Hopping on a Europe-bound ship at age...

❓What is the most difficult language to learn? The short answer? It depends! The difficulty of a language depends on a number of critical factors, 6 of which I share in this video. I also explain why certain languages tend to be more difficult than others, and why ONE language has been particularly challenging for me. Later in the video, I am joined by the Chinese polyglot Zoe from @zoe.languages...

I’ve learned 20 languages so far, and I usually enjoy the process. But Korean has been a real struggle for me. In this video, I explain why it’s been such a challenge and where I went wrong.

📚 Elon Musk allegedly reads 2 books a DAY! That's over 37 million words a year! (For comparison, the average person finishes only 14 books a YEAR.)

Some people argue that you must work with a teacher to get fluent in a language, others claim that teachers are unnecessary and that you can learn on your own. So which is correct? Like most things in language learning (and life!) the answer isn’t black and white.

I have been learning languages for over 50 years. In this time there is one development in particular that has allowed me to learn more efficiently and given me access to new worlds of meaningful and interesting content: the MP3.

I like analogies, they help us understand. An analogy I thought of recently was how our knowledge of a language is like an iceberg: what we can produce or think we know at any given moment is just the tip of the iceberg and there is deep familiarity with the language underneath.