StoryLearning Podcast

Ben asks: "I'm currently on a work placement in France. How can I make the most of living with native speakers?" In this episode: The huge opportunity of living with native speakers Create a no-English environment if at all possible Focus on the formulaic aspects of daily life Take notes of what you see Observe and imitate Think: "What would I say in English?" in order to decide what to say next....

Melissa asks: "I'm learning Spanish, but people keep replying to me in English. How can I solve this?" In this episode: The difficulties of finding native speakers to practise with How social pressure can lead people to reply in English Why you shouldn't judge your level based on your experience talking to strangers The importance of finding a safe person to practise with How to explain to a langu...

ManchesterAul asks (in an iTunes review): "What's the difference btw fluency and proficienncy? Do i consider myself fluent or proficient in my languages?" In this episode: Why I dislike the discussion about fluency and proficiency Certain professions may require a proven proficiency level How I define fluency The world of language testing The difference between accuracy and fluency How you can los...

Nina asks: "How can I coach my mum to learn Italian?" In this episode: The most important things about coaching someone to learn a language Why fostering a passion for a language is so important Make sure the vocabulary you learn is actually useful for you Resources mentioned in today's episode: Duolingo Memrise Benny teaches a monoglot to learn Esperanto: https://youtu.be/UHPC5DN4eJA Start speaki...

Shane asks: "I'm learning Chinese and Thai. What's the best way to learn the tones, or tonal languages in general?" In this episode: How to approach learning tonal languages Why top-down approaches beat bottom-up approaches for learning tones How I approach learning a tonal language: Make sure you understand the tones in the language you're learning Start listening to recorded dialogues from your...

In this episode, I interview my Arabic teacher Mona about how I made quick progress in my Arabic. In this episode: My progress compared to Mona's other students In what ways I progressed What techniques I use during the lesson Here is a video of the conversation: https://youtu.be/TSsSO-JOcCA Resources mentioned in today's episode: Language Learning Foundations - my course for learning to speak a n...

Sebastian asks: "Should I learn single words or complete phrases?" In this episode: The disadvantages of learning single words Why learning vocabulary in complete phrases is so valuable Where you take your vocabulary from Resources mentioned in today's episode: Memrise.com Flashcards Deluxe My recommended resource today is: Make Words Stick video - my tutorial on using full sentences to memorise v...

Jane asks: "What's your favourite mobile app for meeting and practising with native speakers?" In this episode: The importance of connecting with native speakers Language learning app: HelloTalk.com How their built-in features help you focus on the conversation Resources mentioned in today's episode: HelloTalk.com - available on iPhone and Android Start speaking today I'd like to thank iTalki for...

Marcus asks: "Should I learn a German dialect or standard German?" In this episode: The advantages of learning standard German Why you might want to learn a German dialect German dialects and identity How dialects might effect how you learn Resources mentioned in today's episode: Deutsche Welle Dialektatlas  - an atlas of German dialects. Speak German Like A Native - Kerstin's brand new German pro...

Many people have asked: "I'm struggling to learn my partner's language, why is it so hard?" In this episode: Why it can be so difficult to learn your partner's language The danger of looking to your family or loved ones for language practice How you can make regular, consistent progress by externalising your learning routines Resources mentioned in today's episode: Lasting Love Connection - a grea...

Alex asks: "How can stop listening becoming a chore?" In this episode: The key to reading usefully is choosing material where you already understand 90% of the contents Try to find material that is short, broken down into manageable chapters Common European Framework of Reference As far as possible, try to live with the ambiguity of not understanding everything you read Resources mentioned in toda...

Max asks: "How can I improve my listening comprehension?" In this episode: Three reasons you might not understand a native speaker: You don’t know the words You can’t distinguish the individual words (whether you know them or not) You understand the individual words, but you still don’t understand what they’re trying to say A simple process for using textbook dialogues for improving your listening...

My new book of Spanish short stories was published today. Grab your copy on Amazon Kindle for only $0.99 for a few days only. "Spanish Short Stories for Beginners" - Olly Richards Click the link below to grab your copy: http://amzn.com/B010BO84W0 Thanks so much for your support, Olly

Ferdaous asks: "I'm learning English, how can I develop a good American accent quickly?" In this episode: Why a good accent is important The difference between phonemes and prosody Why developing a good accent is the result of extensive communication in your target language Tips for improving your accent: Tackle pronunciation immediately with a native speaker to perfect your pronunciation, before...

Doug asks: "I know I need to focus on one language, but I'm torn between two languages. What should I do?" In this episode: Why it's important to focus on one language The difficulty of leaving behind one language Why a language is never "lost" Three ideas for choosing which language to focus on: Learning one language well will be beneficial for all the others A language is never lost - you can al...

Cecilia asks: "How do you stay motivated when you don't speak much of the language and it's such a long way ahead" In this episode: The importance of identifying your core reasons for learning a language Knowing your "why" helps you concentrate on activities that fulfil you How motivation can actually come from hard work Today's featured resource: The Add 1 Challenge - a fantastic support communit...

Greg asks: "There are so many varieties of Spanish. Which dialect should I focus on?" In this episode: How I learnt Spanish About different varieties of Spanish Why going "narrow and deep" is better How this applies to learning varieties of Spanish Today's featured resource: Where's the best place to learn Spanish in South America? Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by...

Isabelle asks: "My Chinese friend is learning English. How can I help her best?" In this episode: How to help someone learn another language Three exercises you can use to figure out how to help someone learn your language: Have a discussion, just as you normally would. Don't interrupt, keep the conversation flowing. During this time, make lots of notes about their language. What mistakes are they...

Cody asks: "I'm travelling to South America in a few weeks time. How can I learn the Spanish I need to make the most out of my trip?" In this episode: What happened to me when I first went to Spain The best approach to learning Spanish quickly Why you need to think about the situations you'll need Spanish in The most impactful phrases you can learn Today's featured resource: Survive in Spanish - t...

Nate asks: "I'm currently living in Bolivia and working on my Spanish. Do you have any advice for getting from intermediate to advanced?" In this episode: What is the "intermediate plateau"? Why this affects so many language learners What you can do to break through and become more advanced Resources featured in this episode: IWTYAL Episode 12 : How can I learn advanced English vocabulary? The Com...

Steve asks: "The thing I most struggle with is not having anyone to speak with. I live in a rural part of the country so there are no Japanese language courses or classes." In this episode: Why it's important to start speaking Why you won't necessarily speak very much by taking a language class Where to find people to speak with locally Where to find people to speak with online Resources featured...

Isabelle asks: "At what point do you consider yourself to be fluent in another language?" In this episode: What is fluency? What does it mean to you personally? When do you switch from learning a language to maintaining it? Resources featured in this episode: CEFR - Common European Framework of Reference IWTYAL Episode 1 3 - Tamiyo's question about when it's time to move on to a new language Langu...

Jenny asks: "My English teacher used to say that it's important to speak with a native-like accent. Do you think it's important to spend a lot of time on pronunciation as a beginner?" In this episode: The difference between pronunciation and accent Why pronunciation is important Why you need to get it right as a beginner But why you shouldn't let it stop you speaking Resources featured in this epi...

Yingnoi Lee asks: "How do you concentrate on learning foreign languages when you're living in your homeland?" In this episode: Tactics for staying motivated whilst learning a foreign language wherever you live. Resources featured in this episode: conversationexchange.com iTalki.com Reflections on learning a language remotely - a guest post I wrote for fluentin3months.com Don't travel to learn a la...

Judi asks: "I'm learning Spanish from two different books at the moment. How can I keep my vocabulary organised between them?" In this episode: Learning with two different books Keeping vocabulary organised between the two Taking the most important vocabulary and learning that Resources featured in this episode: 8 tips for improving your vocabulary Is your vocabulary notebook out of control? https...