Benny Lewis's Blog, page 50

Language Mentors #3: TED Speaker Lýdia Machavoá Shares How She Learned 9 Languages

“People expect to reach a point in their learning when they’ll be comfortable speaking. They put off their speaking until that moment arrives. It never does.” - Lýdia Machová

What a thrill to have interviewed Lýdia Machová for our Language Mentors series!

Without ever living abroad or in a multilingual environment, Lýdia has learned nine languages. She speaks Slovak, English, German, Spanish, French, Polish, Esperanto, Russian and Swahili.

Whew! That’s a whole lot of language learning.

She maintains seven of them at a fluent level, and she usually learns a new language every two years. After meeting dozens of polyglots, she now shares the principles of language learning with the world as a language mentor.

Lýdia organised the world's biggest polyglot event, the Polyglot Gathering in Bratislava, Slovakia, in 2017 and 2018. She holds a PhD in translation. And she worked as a professional conference interpreter. Her clients have included Tony Robbins and Slovakia's former prime minister and first lady.

She is based in Slovakia but travels often on her mission to help people learn languages in their own ideal way. Lýdia's TED talk about the secrets of learning a new language hit one million views after just five days of being online.

You can find her on her website, where she shares language learning tips with her readers.


Language Mentors: Learn a New Language in 90 Days
Language Mentors is our regular feature where we interview polyglots, language teachers, language learners and even folks from outside the field of language learning. We’re getting straight to the point, asking for their top tips on language acquisition, steadfast motivation, and rapid learning.

We want to give you the inside scoop on what it takes to learn a new language, fast (in as little as 90 days).

We’ve actually seen hundreds of people learn a new language to conversational level in just 90 days. You can do it too by putting what you learn from our Language Mentors into practice.

And if you need extra support, then join us in Add1 -- where you’ll make lots of new friends who share your goal of learning a new language fast (plus you’ll have a 15 minute conversation in your new language after 90 days -- we guarantee it).

Read on to learn some of Lýdia’s language learning strategies. And get to know some interesting tidbits about an inspiring polyglot at the same time.
What Are the Top Three Activities You Would Advise to Have a 15 Minute Conversation in a New Language After 90 Days?

Collect vocabulary that is relevant to YOU. Learn to describe your life, work, dreams, past experiences. There’s no use in learning all types of fruits and vegetable. Unless you own a vegetable stand!
Start speaking to yourself first. Self-talk is a great way of practising speaking and overcoming the fear of embarrassing ourselves. On top of that, you find the relevant vocabulary that you need to talk about your life. Whenever you miss a word that you need, look it up. Also, have regular sessions with a tutor who’ll make sure you’re not “inventing” the grammar.
Listen a lot . Like, a LOT. Make it a habit to put on your headphones whenever you leave home. And make sure you have dozens of simple recordings on it. Especially ones that you worked with previously and which you understand.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Study Tools When You First Start Learning a Language?

I always start with a book, such as Teach Yourself, Colloquial or Assimil. I work through it using my favourite back-translation method. I translate the texts into my mother tongue using a notebook. Then I translate them back out loud as many times as needed to say the whole text fluently in the target language.
If I’m learning a language that is available in the Michel Thomas or Pimsleur method, I start with those. They are great resources to get acquainted with the language.
I make sure I have a beautiful notebook to write something in.
Vocabulary. For example using the Goldlist method . I am a freak when it comes to notebooks with pretty covers. It is very important to me to have study tools that I enjoy looking at and using.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Memories of a Language Win?

I love the moment when I understand a written text for the first time. It may be a short, simple text. But knowing that a few weeks ago I did not understand a word. And now here I am actually knowing what the text says, that is quite exciting.
Another milestone is telling an anecdote or a joke in the new language. (One that people actually laugh at. Self-talk doesn’t count!) For me, this means I’m getting to B2 and it feels amazing. Telling a joke requires fluency, a wider vocabulary, and self-confidence in the language. A combination that only more advanced learners have.
I totally love the moment when I know I have arrived at a level of comfortable fluency. This usually happens when I’m out with friends, native speakers of the new language, and we communicate effortlessly and fluently. My ability to just exist in the new language is free and spontaneous. It is a highly addictive feeling and the reason why I do this every two years with a new language.


What Are the Top Three Roadblocks You See Learners Face?

Speaking is the biggest one, obviously. People expect to reach a point in their learning when they’ll be comfortable speaking. They put off their speaking until that moment arrives. It never does. The only way to reach comfort and fluency in speaking is by long hours of speaking practice. It doesn’t necessarily need to be from day one (this depends on the personality type) but it is always sooner than you feel comfortable.
Realizing there are quite a few words to learn in the new language. This happens to every language learner at some point, usually at about the A2 level. At first you were really excited about making progress every day. After a few weeks, you realize you still don’t understand nearly anything in authentic texts or videos. You realize how many words you need to learn, one by one. That is a scary moment. What helps most is the experience of having learnt another language previously. You know you’ve done it once, you’ll manage again. Just keep on going.
Grammar can get a bit scary too. I have had these moments in all my languages. Whether it was the subjunctive in Spanish. The separable and inseparable verbs in German. The pronunciation and spelling in French. The idioms in English. The verbs of motion in Polish. The irregularities in declination in Russian. Or the noun classes in Swahili. At some point, you think you can never learn all those forms. You can't imagine remembering all the rules or learning all the exceptions by heart. Yet, the more you practise, the more natural the grammar becomes. Especially with lots of listening input. And suddenly, the right word somehow fits in the sentence.

What Are Your Top Three Books in a Foreign Language?
Always non-fiction books. Because non-fiction is so much easier to understand than any work of fiction!

If I can get a self-help book related to one of these topics, that’s going to be my number one book to read.

Self-improvement
Relationships
Time management
Practical tips about everyday life

Some of my favorites are The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, anything by Brian Tracy and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray.

I have read The Alchemyst and The Little Prince in several languages, as well as Animal Farm. They are fiction stories, but very simple, nice, and enriching at the same time.

Harry Potter was my breakthrough book when learning English and Spanish. When I was a child, I read all the books in the series several times in Slovak. So I was able to follow them even in languages I was just beginning to learn. I knew the content well.

In this way, any book that you love and know very well will be a great book to start reading in. Even if it is fiction. Even if it is a fantasy fiction book that includes words such as pumpkin juice or Quidditch.
What Are Your Favorite Relaxing Study Habits for Laid Back Days?
Honestly, if I have laid back days, I don’t learn anything. I either have a plan and follow it every day or I have a holiday from learning. These holidays often take several weeks. But to keep in touch with my previous languages, I like to watch TV series. Netflix is a wonderful source of those, for any language.

[caption id="attachment_25842" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Learning Swahili in Thailand Using the Goldlist Method[/caption]
What Are Your Top Three Favorite TV Shows for Practicing a Language?

For language purposes, I like watching simple series about everyday life. For example, I enjoy shows meant for women, such as Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City. They include a lot of vocabulary about everyday life. Whatever happens in one of the episodes, is mentioned many times, which is great for revision. I cross the line at soap operas though, I can’t stand a plot which is too simple, and situations which are too much drama.
Friends is a wonderful show if you can get it in your language. Especially if you’re a big Friends fan like me and you know each joke inside out.
A few more tips for individual languages: When learning Russian, I really enjoyed Кухня. My favourite Polish one is Czas honoru. And I quite liked Chicas del Cable (the first season) and Juana Inés in Spanish.

What Has Been the Biggest Surprise That Learning a New Language Gave You?
I had a 30-minute conversation with a deaf homeless man in Poland using sign language. I was using the Slovak one and he was using the Polish one. (They are different, but they share a lot of signs.)

We were able to understand each other and that was one of the most amazing moments for me. I realized that all the effort I put into learning a language was totally worth it.
What Are Your Top Three Favorite Language Learning Rituals?

I love learning in the morning. I wake up, prepare a nice cup of tea, go back to bed, put my learning materials around me and start my current routine.
I enjoy using the Goldlist method in a nice environment, such as a garden or a terrace, especially if it’s outside. I sometimes make it even more cozy by getting a bowl of strawberries or some cashew nuts to complement my study. And it’s nutritious food for my memory.
When I discover a new podcast I like, it becomes a part of my everyday life. Several times a day! Whenever I walk or do some chores, I’ll put my headphones on and listen.

I can get many hours of listening practise within a few days or weeks, and it doesn’t even feel like learning.
What about You?
Which of Lýdia’s tips resonate most with you? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section. And to our Add1 participants, best of luck on your language adventure!

Want to learn a new language in 90 days? Come join us in Add1.

A big thank you for Lýdia for sharing her thoughts and winning strategies with us.
To learn more about Lýdia, you can visit her Facebook page or her website.

The post Language Mentors #3: TED Speaker Lýdia Machavoá Shares How She Learned 9 Languages appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Add1 Insights #3: Lýdia Machová (Language Mentor & TED Speaker, Speaks 9 Languages)

“People expect to reach a point in their learning when they’ll be comfortable speaking. They put off their speaking until that moment arrives. It never does.” - Lýdia Machová

What a thrill to have interviewed Lýdia Machová for our new Add1 Insights series!

Without ever living abroad or in a multilingual environment, Lýdia has learned nine languages. She speaks Slovak, English, German, Spanish, French, Polish, Esperanto, Russian and Swahili.

Whew! That’s a whole lot of language learning.

She maintains seven of them at a fluent level, and she usually learns a new language every two years. After meeting dozens of polyglots, she now shares the principles of language learning with the world as a language mentor.

Lýdia organised the world's biggest polyglot event, the Polyglot Gathering in Bratislava, Slovakia, in 2017 and 2018. She holds a PhD in translation. And she worked as a professional conference interpreter. Her clients have included Tony Robbins and Slovakia's former prime minister and first lady.

She is based in Slovakia but travels often on her mission to help people learn languages in their own ideal way. Lýdia's TED talk about the secrets of learning a new language hit one million views after just five days of being online.

You can find her on her website, where she shares language learning tips with her readers.


Add1 Insights: Learn a New Language in 90 Days
Add1 Insights is our regular feature where we interview polyglots, language teachers, language learners and even folks from outside the field of language learning. We’re getting straight to the point, asking for their top tips on language acquisition, steadfast motivation, and rapid learning.

We want to give you the inside scoop on what it takes to learn a new language, fast (in as little as 90 days).

We’ve actually seen hundreds of people learn a new language to conversational level in just 90 days. You can do it too by putting what you learn from Add1 Insights into practice.

And if you need extra support, then join us in Add1 -- where you’ll make lots of new friends who share your goal of learning a new language fast (plus you’ll have a 15 minute conversation in your new language after 90 days -- we guarantee it).

Read on to learn some of Lýdia’s language learning strategies. And get to know some interesting tidbits about an inspiring polyglot at the same time.
What Are the Top Three Activities You Would Advise to Have a 15 Minute Conversation in a New Language After 90 Days?

Collect vocabulary that is relevant to YOU. Learn to describe your life, work, dreams, past experiences. There’s no use in learning all types of fruits and vegetable. Unless you own a vegetable stand!
Start speaking to yourself first. Self-talk is a great way of practising speaking and overcoming the fear of embarrassing ourselves. On top of that, you find the relevant vocabulary that you need to talk about your life. Whenever you miss a word that you need, look it up. Also, have regular sessions with a tutor who’ll make sure you’re not “inventing” the grammar.
Listen a lot . Like, a LOT. Make it a habit to put on your headphones whenever you leave home. And make sure you have dozens of simple recordings on it. Especially ones that you worked with previously and which you understand.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Study Tools When You First Start Learning a Language?

I always start with a book, such as Teach Yourself, Colloquial or Assimil. I work through it using my favourite back-translation method. I translate the texts into my mother tongue using a notebook. Then I translate them back out loud as many times as needed to say the whole text fluently in the target language.
If I’m learning a language that is available in the Michel Thomas or Pimsleur method, I start with those. They are great resources to get acquainted with the language.
I make sure I have a beautiful notebook to write something in.
Vocabulary. For example using the Goldlist method . I am a freak when it comes to notebooks with pretty covers. It is very important to me to have study tools that I enjoy looking at and using.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Memories of a Language Win?

I love the moment when I understand a written text for the first time. It may be a short, simple text. But knowing that a few weeks ago I did not understand a word. And now here I am actually knowing what the text says, that is quite exciting.
Another milestone is telling an anecdote or a joke in the new language. (One that people actually laugh at. Self-talk doesn’t count!) For me, this means I’m getting to B2 and it feels amazing. Telling a joke requires fluency, a wider vocabulary, and self-confidence in the language. A combination that only more advanced learners have.
I totally love the moment when I know I have arrived at a level of comfortable fluency. This usually happens when I’m out with friends, native speakers of the new language, and we communicate effortlessly and fluently. My ability to just exist in the new language is free and spontaneous. It is a highly addictive feeling and the reason why I do this every two years with a new language.


What Are the Top Three Roadblocks You See Learners Face?

Speaking is the biggest one, obviously. People expect to reach a point in their learning when they’ll be comfortable speaking. They put off their speaking until that moment arrives. It never does. The only way to reach comfort and fluency in speaking is by long hours of speaking practice. It doesn’t necessarily need to be from day one (this depends on the personality type) but it is always sooner than you feel comfortable.
Realizing there are quite a few words to learn in the new language. This happens to every language learner at some point, usually at about the A2 level. At first you were really excited about making progress every day. After a few weeks, you realize you still don’t understand nearly anything in authentic texts or videos. You realize how many words you need to learn, one by one. That is a scary moment. What helps most is the experience of having learnt another language previously. You know you’ve done it once, you’ll manage again. Just keep on going.
Grammar can get a bit scary too. I have had these moments in all my languages. Whether it was the subjunctive in Spanish. The separable and inseparable verbs in German. The pronunciation and spelling in French. The idioms in English. The verbs of motion in Polish. The irregularities in declination in Russian. Or the noun classes in Swahili. At some point, you think you can never learn all those forms. You can't imagine remembering all the rules or learning all the exceptions by heart. Yet, the more you practise, the more natural the grammar becomes. Especially with lots of listening input. And suddenly, the right word somehow fits in the sentence.

What Are Your Top Three Books in a Foreign Language?
Always non-fiction books. Because non-fiction is so much easier to understand than any work of fiction!

If I can get a self-help book related to one of these topics, that’s going to be my number one book to read.

Self-improvement
Relationships
Time management
Practical tips about everyday life

Some of my favorites are The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, anything by Brian Tracy and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray.

I have read The Alchemyst and The Little Prince in several languages, as well as Animal Farm. They are fiction stories, but very simple, nice, and enriching at the same time.

Harry Potter was my breakthrough book when learning English and Spanish. When I was a child, I read all the books in the series several times in Slovak. So I was able to follow them even in languages I was just beginning to learn. I knew the content well.

In this way, any book that you love and know very well will be a great book to start reading in. Even if it is fiction. Even if it is a fantasy fiction book that includes words such as pumpkin juice or Quidditch.
What Are Your Favorite Relaxing Study Habits for Laid Back Days?
Honestly, if I have laid back days, I don’t learn anything. I either have a plan and follow it every day or I have a holiday from learning. These holidays often take several weeks. But to keep in touch with my previous languages, I like to watch TV series. Netflix is a wonderful source of those, for any language.

[caption id="attachment_25842" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Learning Swahili in Thailand Using the Goldlist Method[/caption]
What Are Your Top Three Favorite TV Shows for Practicing a Language?

For language purposes, I like watching simple series about everyday life. For example, I enjoy shows meant for women, such as Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City. They include a lot of vocabulary about everyday life. Whatever happens in one of the episodes, is mentioned many times, which is great for revision. I cross the line at soap operas though, I can’t stand a plot which is too simple, and situations which are too much drama.
Friends is a wonderful show if you can get it in your language. Especially if you’re a big Friends fan like me and you know each joke inside out.
A few more tips for individual languages: When learning Russian, I really enjoyed Кухня. My favourite Polish one is Czas honoru. And I quite liked Chicas del Cable (the first season) and Juana Inés in Spanish.

What Has Been the Biggest Surprise That Learning a New Language Gave You?
I had a 30-minute conversation with a deaf homeless man in Poland using sign language. I was using the Slovak one and he was using the Polish one. (They are different, but they share a lot of signs.)

We were able to understand each other and that was one of the most amazing moments for me. I realized that all the effort I put into learning a language was totally worth it.
What Are Your Top Three Favorite Language Learning Rituals?

I love learning in the morning. I wake up, prepare a nice cup of tea, go back to bed, put my learning materials around me and start my current routine.
I enjoy using the Goldlist method in a nice environment, such as a garden or a terrace, especially if it’s outside. I sometimes make it even more cozy by getting a bowl of strawberries or some cashew nuts to complement my study. And it’s nutritious food for my memory.
When I discover a new podcast I like, it becomes a part of my everyday life. Several times a day! Whenever I walk or do some chores, I’ll put my headphones on and listen.

I can get many hours of listening practise within a few days or weeks, and it doesn’t even feel like learning.
What about You?
Which of Lýdia’s tips resonate most with you? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section. And to our Add1 participants, best of luck on your language adventure!

Want to learn a new language in 90 days? Come join us in Add1.

A big thank you for Lýdia for sharing her thoughts and winning strategies with us.
To learn more about Lýdia, you can visit her Facebook page or her website.

The post Add1 Insights #3: Lýdia Machová (Language Mentor & TED Speaker, Speaks 9 Languages) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Add1 Insights #3: Lýdia Machavoá (Language Mentor & TED Speaker, Speaks 9 Languages)

“People expect to reach a point in their learning when they’ll be comfortable speaking. They put off their speaking until that moment arrives. It never does.” - Lýdia Machová

What a thrill to have interviewed Lýdia Machová for our new Add1 Insights series!

Without ever living abroad or in a multilingual environment, Lýdia has learned nine languages. She speaks Slovak, English, German, Spanish, French, Polish, Esperanto, Russian and Swahili.

Whew! That’s a whole lot of language learning.

She maintains seven of them at a fluent level, and she usually learns a new language every two years. After meeting dozens of polyglots, she now shares the principles of language learning with the world as a language mentor.

Lýdia organised the world's biggest polyglot event, the Polyglot Gathering in Bratislava, Slovakia, in 2017 and 2018. She holds a PhD in translation. And she worked as a professional conference interpreter. Her clients have included Tony Robbins and Slovakia's former prime minister and first lady.

She is based in Slovakia but travels often on her mission to help people learn languages in their own ideal way. Lýdia's TED talk about the secrets of learning a new language hit one million views after just five days of being online.

You can find her on her website, where she shares language learning tips with her readers.


Add1 Insights: Learn a New Language in 90 Days
Add1 Insights is our regular feature where we interview polyglots, language teachers, language learners and even folks from outside the field of language learning. We’re getting straight to the point, asking for their top tips on language acquisition, steadfast motivation, and rapid learning.

We want to give you the inside scoop on what it takes to learn a new language, fast (in as little as 90 days).

We’ve actually seen hundreds of people learn a new language to conversational level in just 90 days. You can do it too by putting what you learn from Add1 Insights into practice.

And if you need extra support, then join us in Add1 -- where you’ll make lots of new friends who share your goal of learning a new language fast (plus you’ll have a 15 minute conversation in your new language after 90 days -- we guarantee it).

Read on to learn some of Lýdia’s language learning strategies. And get to know some interesting tidbits about an inspiring polyglot at the same time.
What Are the Top Three Activities You Would Advise to Have a 15 Minute Conversation in a New Language After 90 Days?

Collect vocabulary that is relevant to YOU. Learn to describe your life, work, dreams, past experiences. There’s no use in learning all types of fruits and vegetable. Unless you own a vegetable stand!
Start speaking to yourself first. Self-talk is a great way of practising speaking and overcoming the fear of embarrassing ourselves. On top of that, you find the relevant vocabulary that you need to talk about your life. Whenever you miss a word that you need, look it up. Also, have regular sessions with a tutor who’ll make sure you’re not “inventing” the grammar.
Listen a lot . Like, a LOT. Make it a habit to put on your headphones whenever you leave home. And make sure you have dozens of simple recordings on it. Especially ones that you worked with previously and which you understand.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Study Tools When You First Start Learning a Language?

I always start with a book, such as Teach Yourself, Colloquial or Assimil. I work through it using my favourite back-translation method. I translate the texts into my mother tongue using a notebook. Then I translate them back out loud as many times as needed to say the whole text fluently in the target language.
If I’m learning a language that is available in the Michel Thomas or Pimsleur method, I start with those. They are great resources to get acquainted with the language.
I make sure I have a beautiful notebook to write something in.
Vocabulary. For example using the Goldlist method . I am a freak when it comes to notebooks with pretty covers. It is very important to me to have study tools that I enjoy looking at and using.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Memories of a Language Win?

I love the moment when I understand a written text for the first time. It may be a short, simple text. But knowing that a few weeks ago I did not understand a word. And now here I am actually knowing what the text says, that is quite exciting.
Another milestone is telling an anecdote or a joke in the new language. (One that people actually laugh at. Self-talk doesn’t count!) For me, this means I’m getting to B2 and it feels amazing. Telling a joke requires fluency, a wider vocabulary, and self-confidence in the language. A combination that only more advanced learners have.
I totally love the moment when I know I have arrived at a level of comfortable fluency. This usually happens when I’m out with friends, native speakers of the new language, and we communicate effortlessly and fluently. My ability to just exist in the new language is free and spontaneous. It is a highly addictive feeling and the reason why I do this every two years with a new language.

[caption id="attachment_25841" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Lýdia and Her Travel Scarf, St. Petersburg Russia[/caption]
What Are the Top Three Roadblocks You See Learners Face?

Speaking is the biggest one, obviously. People expect to reach a point in their learning when they’ll be comfortable speaking. They put off their speaking until that moment arrives. It never does. The only way to reach comfort and fluency in speaking is by long hours of speaking practice. It doesn’t necessarily need to be from day one (this depends on the personality type) but it is always sooner than you feel comfortable.
Realizing there are quite a few words to learn in the new language. This happens to every language learner at some point, usually at about the A2 level. At first you were really excited about making progress every day. After a few weeks, you realize you still don’t understand nearly anything in authentic texts or videos. You realize how many words you need to learn, one by one. That is a scary moment. What helps most is the experience of having learnt another language previously. You know you’ve done it once, you’ll manage again. Just keep on going.
Grammar can get a bit scary too. I have had these moments in all my languages. Whether it was the subjunctive in Spanish. The separable and inseparable verbs in German. The pronunciation and spelling in French. The idioms in English. The verbs of motion in Polish. The irregularities in declination in Russian. Or the noun classes in Swahili. At some point, you think you can never learn all those forms. You can't imagine remembering all the rules or learning all the exceptions by heart. Yet, the more you practise, the more natural the grammar becomes. Especially with lots of listening input. And suddenly, the right word somehow fits in the sentence.

What Are Your Top Three Books in a Foreign Language?
Always non-fiction books. Because non-fiction is so much easier to understand than any work of fiction!

If I can get a self-help book related to one of these topics, that’s going to be my number one book to read.

Self-improvement
Relationships
Time management
Practical tips about everyday life

Some of my favorites are The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, anything by Brian Tracy and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray.

I have read The Alchemyst and The Little Prince in several languages, as well as Animal Farm. They are fiction stories, but very simple, nice, and enriching at the same time.

Harry Potter was my breakthrough book when learning English and Spanish. When I was a child, I read all the books in the series several times in Slovak. So I was able to follow them even in languages I was just beginning to learn. I knew the content well.

In this way, any book that you love and know very well will be a great book to start reading in. Even if it is fiction. Even if it is a fantasy fiction book that includes words such as pumpkin juice or Quidditch.
What Are Your Favorite Relaxing Study Habits for Laid Back Days?
Honestly, if I have laid back days, I don’t learn anything. I either have a plan and follow it every day or I have a holiday from learning. These holidays often take several weeks. But to keep in touch with my previous languages, I like to watch TV series. Netflix is a wonderful source of those, for any language.

[caption id="attachment_25842" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Learning Swahili in Thailand Using the Goldlist Method[/caption]
What Are Your Top Three Favorite TV Shows for Practicing a Language?

For language purposes, I like watching simple series about everyday life. For example, I enjoy shows meant for women, such as Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City. They include a lot of vocabulary about everyday life. Whatever happens in one of the episodes, is mentioned many times, which is great for revision. I cross the line at soap operas though, I can’t stand a plot which is too simple, and situations which are too much drama.
Friends is a wonderful show if you can get it in your language. Especially if you’re a big Friends fan like me and you know each joke inside out.
A few more tips for individual languages: When learning Russian, I really enjoyed Кухня. My favourite Polish one is Czas honoru. And I quite liked Chicas del Cable (the first season) and Juana Inés in Spanish.

What Has Been the Biggest Surprise That Learning a New Language Gave You?
I had a 30-minute conversation with a deaf homeless man in Poland using sign language. I was using the Slovak one and he was using the Polish one. (They are different, but they share a lot of signs.)

We were able to understand each other and that was one of the most amazing moments for me. I realized that all the effort I put into learning a language was totally worth it.
What Are Your Top Three Favorite Language Learning Rituals?

I love learning in the morning. I wake up, prepare a nice cup of tea, go back to bed, put my learning materials around me and start my current routine.
I enjoy using the Goldlist method in a nice environment, such as a garden or a terrace, especially if it’s outside. I sometimes make it even more cozy by getting a bowl of strawberries or some cashew nuts to complement my study. And it’s nutritious food for my memory.
When I discover a new podcast I like, it becomes a part of my everyday life. Several times a day! Whenever I walk or do some chores, I’ll put my headphones on and listen.

I can get many hours of listening practise within a few days or weeks, and it doesn’t even feel like learning.
What about You?
Which of Lýdia’s tips resonate most with you? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section. And to our Add1 participants, best of luck on your language adventure!

Want to learn a new language in 90 days? Come join us in Add1.

A big thank you for Lýdia for sharing her thoughts and winning strategies with us.
To learn more about Lýdia, you can visit her Facebook page or her website.

The post Add1 Insights #3: Lýdia Machavoá (Language Mentor & TED Speaker, Speaks 9 Languages) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Summer Spanish! 97 Spanish Words and Phrases to Talk About the Beach in Spanish

Want to soak up the sun on beautiful beaches in Spanish-speaking countries?

Whether you’re planning a trip Ibiza or Cancún - or dreaming of a Spanish beach from afar - Spanish beach vocabulary will come in handy.

From building sand castles with your kids, to surfing and sunbathing, all your beach vocabulary is covered here. Soon, you’ll be jet setting around the Spanish-speaking world, chatting with the natives about how much you enjoy la playa - “the beach” in Spanish.

If you’re not going to the beach any time soon, many of these words are still useful at the pool. Or, use these words to tell a beach story next time you chat with your language exchange partner.

Envision you’re already there and enjoying your vacation, and let’s learn!
Going to the Beach in Spanish: Do You Take all These 21 Things With You to the Beach?
You’re heading out to la playa, and you need to pack your things for the day. You’ll need to put on your el bañador (“swimsuit”) before you go. And load up the cooler full of la comida (“food”). Don’t forget your essentials like la toalla (“towel”), las chanclas (“flip flops”), and el protector solar (“sunscreen”). What other things might you load up?

Sunglasses: Las gafas de sol
Umbrella: La sombrilla
Beach bag: La bolsa de playa
Beach chair: La silla de playa
Hat: El Sombrero
Cooler: La nevera
Snacks and drinks: Los aperitivos y bebidas
Water bottles: Las botellas de agua
Music speakers: Los altavoces de música
Headphones: Los auriculares
Book: El libro
Magazine: La revista
Camera: La cámara
Beach ball: La pelota de playa
Shovel and pail: La pala y el cubo
Surfboard: La tabla de surf

Some words are used interchangeably with others, like las sandalias (“sandals”) instead of las chanclas, and bloqueador solar (“sunblock”) instead of protector solar. And, don’t confuse a beach umbrella with a regular one: paraguas are the kind used for rain, and sombrilla are used to block the sun.

While you’re loading up to go to the beach (or even a pool or splash park), practise naming each item you pack to reinforce what you learn.
On the Beach in Spanish: Talking about Things You’ll Find on a Spanish Beach
Now, tu estas en la playa - “You’re on the beach” in Spanish. The sand is hot, the breeze feels nice and the sun is bright… If you go to a beach in Ibiza, and someone asks you how it was, you want to be able to say more than Estuvo bien.

Here’s how to describe things you may see on a Spanish beach:
“Sand” and “Sun” in Spanish: 27 Words and Phrases You’ll Use in the Spanish Sunshine
“Sun” in Spanish is el sol. If you wanted to describe it, you could say El sol es brillante for “The sun is bright” or Está caliente for “It’s hot.” “Sand” in Spanish is la arena. If you go with your kids (or you’re just a kid at heart), you could construir un castillo de arena, “build a sandcastle”.

Here are other things you’ll see and experience on the shoreline:

Shore: La orilla
Seashell: La concha marina or la concha
Sand dollars: Los dólares de arena
Seagulls: Las gaviotas
Pelicans: Los pelícanos
Tourists: Los turistas
Families: Las familias
Surfers: Los surfistas or tablistas
Lifeguards: Los/Las salvavidas
Bay: La bahía
Resort: El balneario
Island: La isla
Port: El puerto
Swimming pool: La piscina
Condo: El condominio
Ocean view: La vista al mar
Coast: La costa
Boat: El barco
Sunset: La puesta de sol
Sunrise: La salida del sol
Breeze: La brisa

Practise making sentences describing your stay. Did you stay in el condominio or el balneario? Were there many los turistas y las familias or more tablistas? Did you see la puesta de sol?

The more you practise speaking and using the words in sentences, the easier it will be to talk in Spanish about your time at the beach.
“Ocean” in Spanish: 12 Spanish Words and Phrases to Help You Talk about the Sea
Let’s learn some words for the water itself. “Ocean” in Spanish is el océano, while the Spanish word for “sea” is el mar. You may say El mar esta en calma (“The ocean is calm”) during low tide, or marea baja. “Wave” in Spanish is la ola, and “high tide” would be marea alta. So - you guessed it - marea means “tide”.

How about in the water?

Starfish: La estrella de mar
Fish: El pez
Jellyfish: La medusa
Stingray: La raya
Shark: El tiburón
Dolphin: El delfin
Crab: El cangrejo

Hopefully, no one shouts “El tiburón!” but it’s always nice to see a delfin close to shore or take a dolphin-watching excursion (excursión de delfines). And it’s good to know cangrejo, raya and medusa in case someone spots one in the shallow waters. Watch your step and shuffle your feet!
10 Simple Phrases for Chatting about the “Summer” in Spanish
“Summer” in Spanish is el verano. Summer vacation is vacaciones de verano. Don’t forget to hashtag your beach selfies with Vibras de verano - “summer vibes”.

Summertime: Hora de verano
Beach selfie: La playa autofoto
Photos: Las fotos
Sunny: Soleado
Hot: Caluroso
Tan lines: Las líneas de bronceado or Las líneas de color canela
Sunburn or suntan: Bronceado

If you’re an off-season beachgoer, the other seasons are primavera (“spring”), otoño (“fall”) and invierno (“winter”).
12 Words and Phrases for Spanish Beach Activities
What do you like to do at the beach? Do you like to lay out and sunbathe, or swim in the water? Maybe you’re adventurous and enjoy scuba diving or parasailing.

“Sunbathe” in Spanish is tomar el sol, which literally means to “drink,” “catch” or “take in”. So, it’s the same thing as saying you want to “soak up the sun” a la Sheryl Crow.

Here are other verbs for the beach in Spanish:

To play beach volleyball: Jugar al voleibol de arena
To go surfing: Ir a hacer surf
To scuba dive: A bucear
Parasailing: Hacer veleo
Water skiing: Hacer esquí acuático
To fish: Pescar
To swim: Nadar
To play in the water (or splash around): Bañarse en el agua or Jugar en al aqua
To snorkel: Nadar respirando por un tubo (Literally: “Swim breathing through a tube”), or a bucear

Sometimes you may even see a boda en la playa (“beach wedding”) or fiesta en la playa (“beach party”). If you’re going to one, you can say para asistir (“to attend”) or ir a una fiesta (“to go to a party”).

If you’re looking for a dog-friendly beach to take your dog for a walk (pasear un perro), be warned. Many beaches in Spain don’t allow pets. You’ll want to look for a “dog beach” in Spanish - Playa de perros or Playa amigable para perros. You can also ask someone, ¿Se admiten perros en esta playa? (“Are dogs allowed on this beach?”)
14 More Useful Spanish Beach Phrases
Besides the words you should know, there are helpful phrases, questions and idioms related to the beach, too. Like, “Let’s go to the beach” in Spanish is Vamos a la playa. And to express your beach affinity, you can say “I love the beach” in Spanish with Amo la playa. Or use Me encanta la playa.

Here are some good questions to know in Spanish for the beach:

Can I swim here?: ¿Puedo nadar aquí?
Is it safe to swim here?: ¿Es seguro nadar aquí?
Is there a lifeguard on duty?: ¿Hay un salvavidas de servicio?
What are the beach hours?: ¿Cuáles son las horas de playa?
Do you want to go to the beach?: ¿Quieres ir a la playa?
Can you help me put sunscreen on my back?: ¿Puedes ayudarme a ponerme protector solar en la espalda? or simply Me puede ayudar con esto

And here are some beach, sun and water-related idioms:

To swim against the current: Nadar contra corriente
To know where one’s best interest lie: Arrimarse al sol que más calienta (“Approaching the sun that warms the most”)
To hesitate, to sit on the fence: Nadar entre dos aguas (“Swimming between two waters”)
All day long: De sol a sol (“From sun to sun”)
To have it both ways, a double standard: Nadar y guardar la ropa (“To swim and store one’s clothes”)

Ready to Soak Up Some Sun?
You’re all set for fun in the sun! You can practice while you’re there, or while longingly staring at beach pictures. We’ve all been there.

If you have kids, you can make a game out of it and include them in your Spanish language-learning, too. Kids like “I spy”, so practise describing what you see and the words around you. It’s a great way to help your kids learn Spanish.

Now, if you’re travelling to the Caribbean, you may want to learn some Caribbean Spanish words and phrases. Or if you’re travelling to the beautiful beaches of Spain, make sure you know your essential Spanish travel phrases for the rest of your trip.

What other must-know beach phrases can you think of? Have you tried your hand at conversing in Spanish while at the beach? Share with us in the comments!

The post Summer Spanish! 97 Spanish Words and Phrases to Talk About the Beach in Spanish appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

25 Typical British Slang Words that Every English Learner Should Know

Every country has its own slang, and Britain is no different. Of all the English-language slang in the world, I find British slang to be some of the most creative and interesting.

But then, I’m biased because I’m British!

Just a word of warning before you continue: although these slang terms are relatively mild, there are some you wouldn’t use at work or with your grandma. I’ve marked these as NSFW, “not safe for work”.

Now before you throw a wobbly because I’m waffling on, let’s have a gander at some real British slang, so you can speak English like the English.

Here are 25 British slang words to get started:
1. Gutted - “Devastated”
This is a piece of British slang you’ll hear all the time, in all parts of Britain.

The word is used to describe feeling very sad and disappointed at a circumstance or turn of events. For example:

He was gutted when he realized he was the only one of his friends who hadn’t been invited out to the pub.

This phrase is used among all age groups.
2. Wanker - “Person of Contempt” (NSFW!)
If a British person refers to you as a “wanker”, you should certainly be concerned.

It’s slang that means an obnoxious, stupid, and unpleasant person. It’s relatively offensive. In American English, it would be equivalent to a minor curse word.

Use is common, although you’re more likely to hear it in casual settings among teens or twenty-somethings. Think of it as pub talk. Here’s an example:

He’s such a wanker. I wish he would stop harassing the staff here and let them work in peace.

3. Tosh - “Nonsense”
The word tosh is used to dismiss something as a bunch of nonsense. It’s used in the way that many speakers would use “baloney” or “poppycock”. Below are some examples of using the term:

Tosh! Of course the world isn’t flat. What are you getting on about?
That’s a load of tosh.
I read that article, and it was all tosh and nonsense.

4. Throw a Wobbly - “Get Visibly Annoyed”
If someone gets extraordinarily angry over something, they might “throw a wobbly”. It is often used to describe extreme, albeit justified anger. It’s also used to indicate that someone is being a bit ridiculous and having a tantrum. Example:

He really threw a wobbly when the referee made the third unfair call of the game.

5. Taking The Piss - “Teasing” (NSFW!)
This is to joke and tease, a bit mercilessly at someone’s expense. You’ll hear this fairly widely used, especially in casual situations. It’s used a bit more often among pub crowds and younger people where humor often includes teasing and well-placed insults. An example of this would be:

They teased Jeff brutally all night. He was really a good sport about them taking the piss out of him that way.

6. Rubbish - “Nonsense”
This one should be pretty easy to figure out. It’s a dismissive word used paint an argument or other notion as being completely worthless. It’s used pretty commonly and isn’t really favored by one particular gender or social group. Here’s an example:

He claimed he was late because of the train, but I know that’s complete rubbish.

A stronger British slang word (NSFW!) that can be used in place of rubbish is “bollocks”, literally meaning “testicles”.
7. Posh - “Luxurious”
If you remember The Spice Girls, you know that Victoria Beckham was Posh Spice. She got the nickname because she was the stylish one with the lavish lifestyle. That’s what “posh” means. It means luxurious and reflective of an upper-crust lifestyle. For example:

Her penthouse was so posh that the toilet seat was encrusted in rubies.

8. Our [Jack/Jill]
This one isn’t quite as widespread, but you might hear it. This depends on the location you’re in as well as the crowd you’re with. “Our [name]” is an expression of pride in the accomplishment of someone a group of people know in common. It could be a young person who’s gone on to do well in business, a younger nephew or niece, even a little brother.

Here’s an example:

Did you hear about our Stephen? He’s working as a surgeon now!

9. Muck - “Dirt”
“Muck” is another one that should be easy to figure out. It refers to mud, sludge, slush, or other disgusting waste matter. It’s very widely used. Example:

Wear your boots. The streets are full of muck after the storms.

10. Knackered - “Tired”
If you are extremely tired, your new British friends will tell you that you look absolutely “knackered”.

Mate - “Friend”

This means pal or friend. It’s almost always used among men and boys.

For example:

Hey everyone! Meet my best mate, Nigel.’
That sounds great! I’ll talk to you later, mate!

“Mate” is usually a friendly, casual phrase that you will hear nearly everywhere. Although if you hear someone saying it in an annoyed tone you may be in trouble!
12. Gander - “Look”
To “have a gander” is to “take a look”. For example:

Have a gander at that printer and see if you can tell why it smells like burning rubber.

13. Trainers - “Running Shoes”
“Trainers” are athletic shoes. In the US, they’re often referred to as sneakers or tennis shoes.
14. Lost The Plot - “Gone insane”
When someone has “lost the plot”, they have lost all ability to cope reasonably with the situation.

Example:

After being delayed for six hours, then finding out that the airline lost her luggage, Gwen really lost the plot.

15. Grockel - “Clueless tourist”
If you’re visiting Britain, hopefully, nobody refers to you as a “grockel”. It’s an insulting term used for annoying or clueless tourists.
16. Fortnight - “Two weeks”
If you hear someone say that they’ll be back in a “fortnight”, that means they plan to return in two weeks.
17. Gobsmacked - “Awestruck”
“Gobsmacked” means awed or surprised, almost always in a good way. For example:

She saw that her best friend had showed up to surprise her for her birthday and was completely gobsmacked.

18. Cock Up - “Disaster” (NSFW!)
If something has been badly done, or someone has made a real disaster of things, that’s a “cock up”. For example:

I can’t believe how badly he cocked up this engine. He should have called a mechanic in the first place.

19. Chuffed - “Proud”
Somebody who is feeling “chuffed” has a sense of pride over something they have accomplished. For example:

I’ve lost three pounds by going to the gym, and I must say I’m well chuffed.

20. Bob’s Your Uncle
This is another common term that is used to indicate that doing something is quite easy. For example:

Mix together flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. Throw it in the oven for 45 minutes. Bob’s your uncle! You’ve got a cake!

21. Brass Monkeys - “Freezing Cold” (NSFW!)
The origins of this are slightly obscene. It comes from the phrase “It’s colder than a brass monkey’s balls out there!” Now, that’s been shortened to “brass monkeys”. For example:

You need to bring extra blankets. It’s brass monkeys in the downstairs bedroom at night.

22. Bloody - “Damned” (NSFW!)
“Bloody” is another word that is mildly obscene in that it’s considered to be a bit of a swear. It’s synonymous with damn or other similar words. It’s often used to express anger or frustration. For example:

If this bloody traffic jam doesn’t clear up, I’m going to be late for work again!

23. Dodgy - “Unreliable”
If somebody or something is “dodgy”, they cannot be trusted or relied upon. For example:

Don’t trust that dodgy mechanic down the street to fix your car!
I wouldn’t use that old lawnmower. It’s really dodgy.

24. Proper - “Authentic”
“Proper” is most often used to describe something that is correct and authentic. If you’re going out drinking, someone may suggest going out to find a “proper” curry.
25. Nick - “Steal”
The term “nick” is used to mean stealing or shoplifting. For example:

I was so broke that I was tempted to nick a couple of beers to quench my thirst.

It’s also used to refer to getting arrested. As in:

The cops nicked two guys for that bank robbery last week.

British Slang: Over to You
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article about British slang! What British slang terms do you like? Let me know in the comments.

Kristin Savage nourishes, sparks and empowers using the magic of a word. She is practicing regularly while reviewing new translation services at Pick Writers and constantly contributing to other educational platforms.

The post 25 Typical British Slang Words that Every English Learner Should Know appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Language Mentors #2: Michele Frolla – “Polyglots Aren’t Born with a Special Language Gene”

“Polyglots aren’t born with a special language learning gene that makes them more adept to learning languages. They just work hard and their passion keeps them going.” - Michele, The Intrepid Guide.

It was a pleasure to interview Michele of The Intrepid Guide for our new Language Mentors series.

Michele is an Australian language and travel blogger and behind The Intrepid Guide, where she shares her passion for languages and travel. She writes detailed destination guides, and encourages travellers to learn languages, to give them a richer experience and better interactions with the locals. I should also mention her vivid Instagram photos -- take a look, they’ll make you want to hop on a plane and see the world!

[caption id="attachment_25798" align="aligncenter" width="684"] Northern Lights in Norway[/caption]
Language Mentors: Learn a New Language in 90 Days
In our Language Mentors series we interview polyglots, language teachers, language learners and even folks from outside the field of language learning. We’re getting straight to the point, asking for their top tips on language acquisition, steadfast motivation, and rapid learning.

We want to give you the inside scoop on what it takes to learn a new language, fast (in as little as 90 days).

We’ve actually seen hundreds of people learn a new language to conversational level in just 90 days. You can do it too by putting what you learn from our Language Mentors into practice.

And if you need extra support, then join us in Add1 -- where you’ll make lots of new friends who share your goal of learning a new language fast (plus you’ll have a 15 minute conversation in your new language after 90 days -- we guarantee it).

Read on to learn some of Michele’s language learning hacks. And get to know some fun facts about this innovative travel blogger at the same time.
What Are the Top Three Activities You Would Advise to Have a 15 Minute Conversation in a New Language After 90 Days??

Start with learning your biography. The most important and reusable vocabulary you will learn is all about you. Everytime you meet someone new, what do you do? You introduce yourself, you talk about your job, where you’re from and why you’re learning the language. Focus on learning this and you’ll be able to comfortably hold your first 15 minute conversation.
Expose yourself to the language every day and use study materials that discuss topics you’re interested in. That way you’ll pick up vocabulary that will be useful to you. For example, if you love reading books, pick up a book you already know well and read it in your target language. If you enjoy cooking, trying listening to podcasts or watching YouTube videos in your target language.
Attend a language class. This is a great way to stay on track with your language goals as it keeps you accountable. It also has a wonderful social aspect where you’ll meet similar minded people. Language classes are great because you’ll practice your reading, writing, listening and speaking.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Places for Studying a New Language?

I love starting off my day with a cheeky study session on the train as I commute to work. I’ll either read over my language class notes, do a couple of lessons on Mondly or Duolingo or listen to music in my target language. This helps me feel productive even before I arrive at work and sets the right tone for the rest of the day.
I’m a huge fan of study holidays. I spent three weeks in Italy attending language classes in the morning. Then had the rest of the day to explore the city and putting into practice what I was learning. I found this to be such a great way to focus on the language and mix in travel at the same time. I plan on doing the same thing with Norwegian later this year.
I’m a grammar girl through and through. I enjoy learning grammar because it helps me to feel more confident with the language. Before going to bed, I like to read a couple of pages from my grammar book. I usually quickly revise a previous known rule then look over new grammar points. I find this is a nice conclusion to the end of my day.

[caption id="attachment_25799" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Glacier Point, Yosemite, USA][/caption]
What Are Your Top Three Favorite Study Tools When You First Start Learning a Language?

To learn the backbone and structure of the language, you’ll find my head buried in grammar books. To some people, grammar can be boring, but I love it. The trick is to find grammar books that aren’t too wordy. Have clear examples. And aren’t entirely written in your target language (at least in the beginning). Otherwise you’ll find yourself translating the explanations. This defeats the purposes and will slow you down.
I swear by language classes. I love the accountability they provide by having a set time each week. Plus the social aspect is great for meeting new people and making friends.
To help attune my ear to the rhythm and sounds of the language, I like listening to music in the target language. I use Spotify to help me find music in the music genres I enjoy then create a playlist. When I find a new song that I like, I usually set myself a challenge of translating it so I can learn it and sing along.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Memories of a Language Win?

I remember my first conversation with a stranger after I moved to Italy. My Italian was still lower-intermediate. Yet I had a very promising and interesting conversation with my taxi driver. He had a thick Roman accent and ate his words, yet I could understand him. I asked him what his favourite view of Rome was and he gave me his top two. This conversation was a win for two reasons. I could confidently hold a conversation. AND I learned something new about my new home.
One summer I was in Palermo, Italy celebrating a girlfriend’s birthday with four other girlfriends. One night we went to dinner at a popular restaurant frequented only by locals. It’s fair to say we stuck out like a sore thumb. After about 10 minutes at our table, a middle-aged lady from a neighbouring table who was with her family enquired where we were from. Her eyes lit up when we replied in Italian. After no more than five minutes of chatting, Maria invited us around to her house the next day for coffee and cake! She gave us her number, address, and time. It was all set. I’d never in my life received such an invitation. And it was all thanks to being able to speak Italian that we were able to meet such wonderful people.
I remember the look on my Italian friends face when I first used the expression “andare a ruba” (sell like hot cakes). She was surprised and proud of me for using this idiom correctly and without hesitation. I enjoy moments like this as it gives me a boost of confidence and encouragement to keep improving.

[caption id="attachment_25800" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Roman Forum, Rome, Italy[/caption]
What Are Your Top Three Reasons to Learn a Language Before a Trip?

By speaking the local language, you can often get much better interactions with locals. They will appreciate your effort to learn their language. This can lead to receiving better service, local tips, or even invitations like the one I had in Sicily. You don’t have to be fluent or spend a lot of time with the language. Knowing a few choice phrases can go a long way. So be sure to practice your “Buongiornos”, “Guten Tags”, and “Ohayou Gozaimasus ” before your trip.
A side effect of language learning is becoming more culturally aware. When we are culturally aware we are more conscious of what is considered inappropriate or offensive to others. This helps us develop a deeper understanding of our own and other people’s cultures. It fosters interest in how cultures both connect and differ all while broadening the mind and increasing tolerance.
You’ll have better and more memorable travels. Travelling isn’t just about going to a foreign land. Taking selfies in front of a few monuments. Eating your body-weight in food and then going home. It’s about experiencing the culture and the people who live it and language helps you to do that. All those micro interactions - from buying train tickets to asking strangers for directions - will be all the more enjoyable and easy.

What Are Your Top Three Favourite Activities to Do in One of Your Target Languages?

When I’m not in the mood to read a book, I enjoy watching movies in the target language with the subtitles on. I jot down any words that appear often. I know these are common words or important in the context of understanding the story-line.

Listening to music and translating the lyrics of my favourite songs is another fun way for me to learn and interact with the language.
I love dining in restaurants with that specialise in the cuisine of the country I’m learning the language of. There is an almost a 100% guarantee that the staff speak my target language and this gives me a chance to put my language skills into practice.



[caption id="attachment_25801" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Pyramids of Giza, Egypt[/caption]
What Are the Top Three Roadblocks You See Learners Face?

Getting started is probably the hardest part. There are so many ways to learn a language that there is a sense of overwhelm. And there is also a lack of confidence that you CAN actually learn a foreign language.
Boredom and losing interest.
Hitting a plateau.

What Are Your Top Three Keys for Dealing with Those Roadblocks?

Many people put off learning a language for many unfounded reasons. Too old. Too busy. Because they ‘lack the language gene.’ Polyglots aren’t born with a special gene that makes them more adept to learning languages. They just work hard and their passion keeps them going. Read the biographies of other polyglots and language learners. You’ll see that many of them had terrible first encounters with languages. Yet they were still able to overcome them.
Boredom is a very common reason why language learners will often give up. Boredom is a sign that something’s wrong. If the content or resource bores you, you’re not on the right track. Remember, language learning should be (and is) fun and enjoyable. Branch out and look for different types of materials. Things that you know will hold your interest and cover topics that you’re interested in. For example, films, songs, books, podcasts, applications.
The key to avoiding hitting a plateau is to push past your comfort zone. Challenge yourself by learning new topics and vocabulary that you’re not familiar with. Talk about current affairs with your language partner or teacher. It's a great way to expose yourself to new vocabulary. Another great way to overcome the plateau is to remember how far you’ve come. Look back over your old language notes and writing and old recordings of you speaking. This will give you the well-needed boost that will help you keep going.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Youtube Channels for Practicing a Language?

I’m currently learning Norwegian and Norwegian Teacher - Karin is one of my favourites. Her videos are short and get straight to the point. She also has does vlogs with subtitles which is great to hear the Norwegian spoken at length.
As a huge fan of etymology, and the evolution of Nordic languages and the vikings, I watch Jackson Crawford’s channel. Dr. Jackson Crawford is an Old Norse specialist and his video are so informative.

He’s interesting to watch as most of the time he’s wearing a cowboy hat and films his videos out in the snow. It’s unlike anything else I’ve seen online.

Since moving to London, it’s important for me to keep up my Italian. To do that, I like watching Learn Italian with Lucrezia. If I feel a bit rusty on any grammar points, I’ll watch her tutorial videos, but usually, I watch her Italian vlogs.

Who Are Your Top Three Target Language Idols?

Richard Simcott is my hero. He’s a huge inspiration and super intelligent, and an all-round wonderful human being. I love this dedication to the Polyglot Community by creating such things as the Polyglot Conference.
Luca Lampariello was the first polyglot I came across. I came across his Youtube channel when I was living in Italy and working on improving my Italian. I love his easy-to-watch and informative videos. He provides so much value and is able to simplify and explain complex concepts and methods really well.
Benny Lewis is another language idol. Thanks to his playful nature, he’s great at taking the stress out of language learning. He reminds you that it’s ok to make mistakes and that you don’t need to know it all before you engage in a meaningful conversation. This is so important to remember. He’s not afraid of embarrassing himself in another language, and I love that. It gives me the courage to do the same.

[caption id="attachment_25802" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] View from Fjellheisen in Tromso, Norway[/caption]
If You Were Going to Try the Add1, What Are the Top Three Languages You Might Attempt to Learn?

Norwegian - I’m currently obsessed with all things Norwegian and its beautiful melodic language. I’ve travelled to different parts of Norway and each time I go back I love it even more. I want to know more about the people and their culture. The best way for me to do that is to interact with them, in their language.
French - I studied French intensively for a year. But when my favourite French teachers all left, I didn’t like the replacements. That ruined my experience and progression with the language. I’d love to go back and pick it up again as it’s such a beautiful language. Discovering its many similarities with English is always a pleasant surprise which makes it even more enjoyable to learn.
Afrikaans - My partner is Afrikaans. I’d love to be able to speak to him in his mother tongue and with his friends when we all go out. The one struggle I’ve had is finding engaging study material to keep me interested.

What about You?
Which of Michele’s tips will you incorporate into your language routine? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section. And to our Add1 participants, best of luck on your language adventure!

Want to learn a new language in 90 days? Come join us in Add1.

A big thank you for Michele for sharing her thoughts and winning strategies with us.
To learn more about Michele, you can visit her Instagram account or her website.

The post Language Mentors #2: Michele Frolla – “Polyglots Aren’t Born with a Special Language Gene” appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Add1 Insights #2: Michele Frolla from The Intrepid Guide

“Polyglots aren’t born with a special language learning gene that makes them more adept to learning languages. They just work hard and their passion keeps them going.” - Michele, The Intrepid Guide.

It was a pleasure to interview Michele of The Intrepid Guide for our new Add1 Insights series.

Michele is an Australian language and travel blogger and behind The Intrepid Guide, where she shares her passion for languages and travel. She writes detailed destination guides, and encourages travellers to learn languages, to give them a richer experience and better interactions with the locals. I should also mention her vivid Instagram photos -- take a look, they’ll make you want to hop on a plane and see the world!

[caption id="attachment_25798" align="aligncenter" width="684"] Northern Lights in Norway[/caption]
Add1 Insights: Learn a New Language in 90 Days
In Add1 Insights we interview polyglots, language teachers, language learners and even folks from outside the field of language learning. We’re getting straight to the point, asking for their top tips on language acquisition, steadfast motivation, and rapid learning.

We want to give you the inside scoop on what it takes to learn a new language, fast (in as little as 90 days).

We’ve actually seen hundreds of people learn a new language to conversational level in just 90 days. You can do it too by putting what you learn from Add1 Insights into practice.

And if you need extra support, then join us in Add1 -- where you’ll make lots of new friends who share your goal of learning a new language fast (plus you’ll have a 15 minute conversation in your new language after 90 days -- we guarantee it).

Read on to learn some of Michele’s language learning hacks. And get to know some fun facts about this innovative travel blogger at the same time.
What Are the Top Three Activities You Would Advise to Have a 15 Minute Conversation in a New Language After 90 Days??

Start with learning your biography. The most important and reusable vocabulary you will learn is all about you. Everytime you meet someone new, what do you do? You introduce yourself, you talk about your job, where you’re from and why you’re learning the language. Focus on learning this and you’ll be able to comfortably hold your first 15 minute conversation.
Expose yourself to the language every day and use study materials that discuss topics you’re interested in. That way you’ll pick up vocabulary that will be useful to you. For example, if you love reading books, pick up a book you already know well and read it in your target language. If you enjoy cooking, trying listening to podcasts or watching YouTube videos in your target language.
Attend a language class. This is a great way to stay on track with your language goals as it keeps you accountable. It also has a wonderful social aspect where you’ll meet similar minded people. Language classes are great because you’ll practice your reading, writing, listening and speaking.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Places for Studying a New Language?

I love starting off my day with a cheeky study session on the train as I commute to work. I’ll either read over my language class notes, do a couple of lessons on Mondly or Duolingo or listen to music in my target language. This helps me feel productive even before I arrive at work and sets the right tone for the rest of the day.
I’m a huge fan of study holidays. I spent three weeks in Italy attending language classes in the morning. Then had the rest of the day to explore the city and putting into practice what I was learning. I found this to be such a great way to focus on the language and mix in travel at the same time. I plan on doing the same thing with Norwegian later this year.
I’m a grammar girl through and through. I enjoy learning grammar because it helps me to feel more confident with the language. Before going to bed, I like to read a couple of pages from my grammar book. I usually quickly revise a previous known rule then look over new grammar points. I find this is a nice conclusion to the end of my day.

[caption id="attachment_25799" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Glacier Point, Yosemite, USA][/caption]
What Are Your Top Three Favorite Study Tools When You First Start Learning a Language?

To learn the backbone and structure of the language, you’ll find my head buried in grammar books. To some people, grammar can be boring, but I love it. The trick is to find grammar books that aren’t too wordy. Have clear examples. And aren’t entirely written in your target language (at least in the beginning). Otherwise you’ll find yourself translating the explanations. This defeats the purposes and will slow you down.
I swear by language classes. I love the accountability they provide by having a set time each week. Plus the social aspect is great for meeting new people and making friends.
To help attune my ear to the rhythm and sounds of the language, I like listening to music in the target language. I use Spotify to help me find music in the music genres I enjoy then create a playlist. When I find a new song that I like, I usually set myself a challenge of translating it so I can learn it and sing along.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Memories of a Language Win?

I remember my first conversation with a stranger after I moved to Italy. My Italian was still lower-intermediate. Yet I had a very promising and interesting conversation with my taxi driver. He had a thick Roman accent and ate his words, yet I could understand him. I asked him what his favourite view of Rome was and he gave me his top two. This conversation was a win for two reasons. I could confidently hold a conversation. AND I learned something new about my new home.
One summer I was in Palermo, Italy celebrating a girlfriend’s birthday with four other girlfriends. One night we went to dinner at a popular restaurant frequented only by locals. It’s fair to say we stuck out like a sore thumb. After about 10 minutes at our table, a middle-aged lady from a neighbouring table who was with her family enquired where we were from. Her eyes lit up when we replied in Italian. After no more than five minutes of chatting, Maria invited us around to her house the next day for coffee and cake! She gave us her number, address, and time. It was all set. I’d never in my life received such an invitation. And it was all thanks to being able to speak Italian that we were able to meet such wonderful people.
I remember the look on my Italian friends face when I first used the expression “andare a ruba” (sell like hot cakes). She was surprised and proud of me for using this idiom correctly and without hesitation. I enjoy moments like this as it gives me a boost of confidence and encouragement to keep improving.

[caption id="attachment_25800" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Roman Forum, Rome, Italy[/caption]
What Are Your Top Three Reasons to Learn a Language Before a Trip?

By speaking the local language, you can often get much better interactions with locals. They will appreciate your effort to learn their language. This can lead to receiving better service, local tips, or even invitations like the one I had in Sicily. You don’t have to be fluent or spend a lot of time with the language. Knowing a few choice phrases can go a long way. So be sure to practice your “Buongiornos”, “Guten Tags”, and “Ohayou Gozaimasus ” before your trip.
A side effect of language learning is becoming more culturally aware. When we are culturally aware we are more conscious of what is considered inappropriate or offensive to others. This helps us develop a deeper understanding of our own and other people’s cultures. It fosters interest in how cultures both connect and differ all while broadening the mind and increasing tolerance.
You’ll have better and more memorable travels. Travelling isn’t just about going to a foreign land. Taking selfies in front of a few monuments. Eating your body-weight in food and then going home. It’s about experiencing the culture and the people who live it and language helps you to do that. All those micro interactions - from buying train tickets to asking strangers for directions - will be all the more enjoyable and easy.

What Are Your Top Three Favourite Activities to Do in One of Your Target Languages?

When I’m not in the mood to read a book, I enjoy watching movies in the target language with the subtitles on. I jot down any words that appear often. I know these are common words or important in the context of understanding the story-line.

Listening to music and translating the lyrics of my favourite songs is another fun way for me to learn and interact with the language.
I love dining in restaurants with that specialise in the cuisine of the country I’m learning the language of. There is an almost a 100% guarantee that the staff speak my target language and this gives me a chance to put my language skills into practice.



[caption id="attachment_25801" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Pyramids of Giza, Egypt[/caption]
What Are the Top Three Roadblocks You See Learners Face?

Getting started is probably the hardest part. There are so many ways to learn a language that there is a sense of overwhelm. And there is also a lack of confidence that you CAN actually learn a foreign language.
Boredom and losing interest.
Hitting a plateau.

What Are Your Top Three Keys for Dealing with Those Roadblocks?

Many people put off learning a language for many unfounded reasons. Too old. Too busy. Because they ‘lack the language gene.’ Polyglots aren’t born with a special gene that makes them more adept to learning languages. They just work hard and their passion keeps them going. Read the biographies of other polyglots and language learners. You’ll see that many of them had terrible first encounters with languages. Yet they were still able to overcome them.
Boredom is a very common reason why language learners will often give up. Boredom is a sign that something’s wrong. If the content or resource bores you, you’re not on the right track. Remember, language learning should be (and is) fun and enjoyable. Branch out and look for different types of materials. Things that you know will hold your interest and cover topics that you’re interested in. For example, films, songs, books, podcasts, applications.
The key to avoiding hitting a plateau is to push past your comfort zone. Challenge yourself by learning new topics and vocabulary that you’re not familiar with. Talk about current affairs with your language partner or teacher. It's a great way to expose yourself to new vocabulary. Another great way to overcome the plateau is to remember how far you’ve come. Look back over your old language notes and writing and old recordings of you speaking. This will give you the well-needed boost that will help you keep going.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Youtube Channels for Practicing a Language?

I’m currently learning Norwegian and Norwegian Teacher - Karin is one of my favourites. Her videos are short and get straight to the point. She also has does vlogs with subtitles which is great to hear the Norwegian spoken at length.
As a huge fan of etymology, and the evolution of Nordic languages and the vikings, I watch Jackson Crawford’s channel. Dr. Jackson Crawford is an Old Norse specialist and his video are so informative.

He’s interesting to watch as most of the time he’s wearing a cowboy hat and films his videos out in the snow. It’s unlike anything else I’ve seen online.

Since moving to London, it’s important for me to keep up my Italian. To do that, I like watching Learn Italian with Lucrezia. If I feel a bit rusty on any grammar points, I’ll watch her tutorial videos, but usually, I watch her Italian vlogs.

Who Are Your Top Three Target Language Idols?

Richard Simcott is my hero. He’s a huge inspiration and super intelligent, and an all-round wonderful human being. I love this dedication to the Polyglot Community by creating such things as the Polyglot Conference.
Luca Lampariello was the first polyglot I came across. I came across his Youtube channel when I was living in Italy and working on improving my Italian. I love his easy-to-watch and informative videos. He provides so much value and is able to simplify and explain complex concepts and methods really well.
Benny Lewis is another language idol. Thanks to his playful nature, he’s great at taking the stress out of language learning. He reminds you that it’s ok to make mistakes and that you don’t need to know it all before you engage in a meaningful conversation. This is so important to remember. He’s not afraid of embarrassing himself in another language, and I love that. It gives me the courage to do the same.

[caption id="attachment_25802" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] View from Fjellheisen in Tromso, Norway[/caption]
If You Were Going to Try the Add1, What Are the Top Three Languages You Might Attempt to Learn?

Norwegian - I’m currently obsessed with all things Norwegian and its beautiful melodic language. I’ve travelled to different parts of Norway and each time I go back I love it even more. I want to know more about the people and their culture. The best way for me to do that is to interact with them, in their language.
French - I studied French intensively for a year. But when my favourite French teachers all left, I didn’t like the replacements. That ruined my experience and progression with the language. I’d love to go back and pick it up again as it’s such a beautiful language. Discovering its many similarities with English is always a pleasant surprise which makes it even more enjoyable to learn.
Afrikaans - My partner is Afrikaans. I’d love to be able to speak to him in his mother tongue and with his friends when we all go out. The one struggle I’ve had is finding engaging study material to keep me interested.

What about You?
Which of Michele’s tips will you incorporate into your language routine? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section. And to our Add1 participants, best of luck on your language adventure!

Want to learn a new language in 90 days? Come join us in Add1.

A big thank you for Michele for sharing her thoughts and winning strategies with us.
To learn more about Michele, you can visit her Instagram account or her website.

The post Add1 Insights #2: Michele Frolla from The Intrepid Guide appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

15 Totally Addicting Korean TV Shows to Boost Your Language Skills

Can’t stop binge-watching your favorite TV shows? Turn your TV addiction into Korean language practice! Korean TV shows are a great way to learn the Korean language… plus they’re really hot right now!

Can you really learn by watching Korean TV serials, shows, and dramas? Yes, with the right approach. It’s not just about passive watching, though. You need to actively engage with what you’re watching.

Here’s my three-step method:

Step 1: Watch a short scene without subtitles to pick out what you can.
Step 2: Watch it again with subtitles to see how much you understood and piece together what you didn’t.
Step 3: Take notes of things you heard to later look up and practice them with your language exchange partner.

(You can find a more detailed three-step process here).

In time, you’ll start to understand more and more of the show as you watch.

Watching TV is a nice break from traditional studies. Think about it: you don’t sit around only absorbing info in your native language. You enjoy the language through music, books, and TV. You should do the same in your target language!

Finding native resources you enjoy in Korean will help you stick with it longer and grow to love and understand the language.

Now it’s time to pick your Korean TV shows to watch!

I recommend watching one Korean show from each of the three categories below. They’ll offer different styles of both language and real-life situations. Some of these you can find on Netflix, otherwise, check out Viki.
5 Korean TV Drama Shows to Fall in Love With
Boys Over Flowers
An international hit, Boys Over Flowers is based on the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango. The show follows Geum Jan-di, a poor but sassy student on scholarship at a prestigious high school. The school is dominated by the F4 - rich heirs to South Korea’s largest conglomerates. They’re bullies, but everyone is obsessed with them… except for Geum Jan-di. She butts heads with the leader of the F4, Gu Jun-pyo, who bullies her relentlessly.

Over time, love triangles form and there are tons of mishaps. The show focuses on social status, romance, and high school conversations. Plus, there’s a lot of discussion about feelings in simple language, so you’ll learn how to express your feelings with those you care about.
My Love From the Stars
This award-winning drama is about Do Min-joon, an alien who came to Earth during the Joseon Dynasty in 1609. Stranded here for centuries, he’s almost like a vampire from Twilight - he has crazy special abilities, never ages, and has to move and change his identity so no one knows the truth.

Fast forward to the present day. When he’s almost able to go home, he meets Cheon Song-yi. She’s a famous actress who moves in next door. Do Min-joon falls in love. He constantly becomes entangled in both her life and weird circumstances around her career.

Do Min-joon is a great example of going from formal to casual speech as you get to know someone. You’ll also pick up a lot of helpful vocab that’s consistently repeated throughout the series.
The Heirs
The show’s full title is “Heirs: He Who Wears the Crown Must Bear Its Weight.” It’s about a group of rich high school students (a popular K-Drama troupe, if you can’t tell) who are heirs to huge family businesses. The series centers around forbidden love, family duty, and finding one’s own identity.

Like Boys Over Flowers, you’ll see how language is affected by social classes. And the variety of characters will also expose you to different expressions, idioms, and phrases.
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim
Based on the novel by Jung Kyung Yoon, the show is about company vice president Lee Young-joon and his secretary, Kim Mi-so. Lee Young-Joon is an extreme narcissist and doesn’t treat his loyal secretary Kim Mi-so very well. After nine long years of feeding his ego, she decides to quit. Of course, misunderstandings and a love triangle pop up as a result.

You’ll hear a lot of different speech patterns, boss-to-subordinate language, and vise-versa. And you’ll pick up different business titles and vocab, which you’ll need to know if you want to work in a Korean company. Besides, they will appear in almost every show you watch.
Descendants of the Sun
In this action, war, and romance drama, Yoo Si-jin is a captain of a special forces unit who falls in love with Dr. Kang Mo-yeon. They begin to date, but eventually realize their life goals don’t align. Their relationship has many ups and downs through the nature of their jobs and being stationed in different locations overseas.

The show is incredibly popular and has more action than a lot of K-Dramas. Because it’s set during war times, you’ll hear army lingo and helpful medical terms.
5 Addicting Korean Reality TV Shows
I Can See Your Voice
This reality game show is the opposite of “The Voice” in America. On “The Voice,” the judges can’t see the singers during the blind auditions and judge only their voice - not their looks. On “I Can See Your Voice,” the judges try to guess which contestants are skilled and which are tone-deaf by their appearance only.

The judges are guest artists, and they have a panel to offer advice and help them decide. After the judges decide to eliminate a contestant as a “tone-deaf singer,” the contestant returns to the stage to sing and reveal the truth. If the contestant is the last one standing, they either get to record a single with the guest artist or earn prize money (depending on if they can really sing). You’ll learn a lot of music-related vocab with this show.
I Live Alone (Home Alone)
A mix of reality and variety show, “I Live Alone” follows celebrities around in their everyday life, both at home and out and about. The celebrity of the week shows the viewers their home and their routines and a panel of hosts comment on it.

There’s a wide variety of celebrities on the show: models, singers, actors, athletes, comedians, and more. But everyone is single and lives alone. This is a great show to learn vocabulary relating to many different occupations, as well as phrases and words used throughout everyday routines.
We Got Married
“We Got Married” pairs up celebrities for fake marriages. The show follows them through their adventure to complete assigned tasks and make their fake marriages work. The show is insanely popular, boosting the popularity of participating celebrities as a result.

You’ll learn a lot about relationships in South Korea, celebrities, and pop culture. Plus, you’ll pick up vocabulary and phrases for talking about marriage, relationships, and every day “married” life.
Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast (Hyori’s Homestay)
Hugely successful on Netflix, “Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast” (also called “Hyori’s Homestay”) features K-Pop icon Lee Hyori and her rockstar husband Sang-soon. They opened up their home as a B&B for travelers on the Jeju Islands. The show is simple and pleasant to watch as travelers come to stay, chat, and share meals together.

The show is both calming and great for picking up many different styles of speech, slang, idioms, and casual phrases. If you like the chill vibe of Netflix’s Japanese sensation “Terrace House,” you’ll love this show featuring South Korea’s sweetheart.
Chef and My Fridge
Also called “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,” in each episode the best chefs in Korea compete to create fantastic dishes on the spot from ingredients inside the guest star’s own fridge. The chefs have only 15 minutes to complete the task. The guest star chooses who is the winner with the most delicious impromptu dish.

If you like cooking shows in your native language, you’ll love this one. And you’ll get a solid grasp on the vocab for food, how to talk about cooking, and describing taste.
5 Variety Korean TV Shows
Running Man
This is the epitome of a kooky variety show! In every episode, the show’s stars must compete with each other to win a race or games. The missions are often outrageous and create silly antics among the contestants. It’s one of the longest-running variety shows in South Korea.

This is a fun show to watch, and you’ll always learn something new since every show changes the missions.
Weekly Idol
Variety shows are all about having celebrities do a lot of random things, which makes them fantastic for learning Korean. This show has celebrity MCs who host guest celebrities on each episode and challenge them to perform silly segments.

If you enjoy watching Jimmy Fallon play crazy games, lip sync, and dance with his guests on “The Tonight Show,” then you’ll like Weekly Idol.
2 Days & 1 Night
If you want to get an idea of places to visit in South Korea, watch this show. “2 Days & 1 Night”’s slogan is “real wild road variety show,” and it sends the cast members all over the country to new destinations. They have to complete missions and games to earn rewards while traveling. If they fail, they’re punished.

This is a great show to gain knowledge, vocab, and phrases of locations and travel in South Korea!
Knowing Bros
Also called “Men on a Mission” or “Ask Us Anything,” cast members and guest celebrities act in segments as high school classmates. Most of the show has the cast playing games or performing impromptu scripts.

This show is fantastic for learning casual, informal speech. Unlike other variety shows where there’s still a strict rule of formal/informal language based on social hierarchy and seniority, “Knowing Bros” encourages all the guests to speak easily with each other. Besides that, all the skits take place in a classroom setting, so you’ll learn a lot of idioms, phrases, slang, and vocab related to school and high-school-age lingo.
Infinite Challenge
“Infinite Challenge” is an unscripted, challenge-based variety show, and considered the first of its kind. The challenges are often extreme, ridiculous, and comical. Unlike many other variety shows, it focuses on satire for comedy.

There’s so much to pick up in each episode, with phrases and words repeated often throughout each episode as a challenge’s focus.
Binge-Watch and Learn!
Watching good Korean dramas, variety shows, and reality shows can actually expose you to a wide range of the culture and language. If you dabble in a bit of it all, you’ll start to develop a well-rounded base for your language and understanding. After all, pop culture and TV shows heavily influence language and what’s being discussed on a day-to-day basis.

Korean is easier to learn than you think, and this is just one of the ways you can boost your language skills. If you want to see other resources and methods, check out our list of 35 of the greatest Korean online resources.

What are your favorite Korean TV shows to watch? Did yours make the list here? Leave a comment and share your favorite shows for learning Korean!

The post 15 Totally Addicting Korean TV Shows to Boost Your Language Skills appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Tired of Boring Lessons? Learn Russian with These 5 Amazing Russian Video Games

Learning Russian is tough.

You've got the Russian case system, weird verbs of motion. And don't get me started on Russian numerals...

Luckily, not everything is difficult. There’s a lot that actually makes Russian easy to learn such as the absence of articles or the regularity of noun gender.

And today, I want to share my 'super secret' method I've used to put in a ton of extra hours learning Russian with you.

Can you already guess what it is? Okay, I admit it, I blew my secret in the title of this article.

It is...

… playing Russian video games.

Exactly. I've been roaming apocalyptic lands, shooting mutants and even saving damsels in distress.

All the while improving my Russian skills.

I can talk for hours about why video games work so well for learning Russian (as long as you avoid Call of Duty on a Russian server), but I've got a feeling that you'd prefer to see which games are the best for learning Russian, right?

But before that, here's the cliff notes on why gaming is such a great time investment:

It makes learning Russian FUN
You can easily spend hundreds of hours learning
You need to understand the language, otherwise you can't finish your mission
You absorb more knowledge because you're laser focused
And if you're a beginner: Russian audio + English subtitles = a killer combo

Look, some very big organisations (CEFR), say that you need to put in approximately 1100 hours to become fluent in Russian (B2). If you're going to make such a commitment, you might as well make it fun.

So, without further ado, here are my top five Russian video games/series:

Note: there are many more games out there, but I've picked the ones that have Russian audio and are fun to play. I've tried playing some games with only Russian texts, but I couldn't get into as much as games with spoken Russian. If you just want to read, I suggest you start with Harry Potter as your first book.
5 Russian Video Games You Can Lose Yourself in for Hours
These games all have a good story. I've noticed over the last few years (as I've gotten more mature/busier, maybe?) that my focus has shifted to story games instead of games where you need to level up your character to infinity. Level up games often don't have much dialogue, whereas story games do, making them ideal for language learning.

Games with a good story are almost like watching a good movie. Only interactive. You can play for an hour a day (after work/school), and finish it in a couple of weeks - without losing your social life.
1. Metro 2033 (and its successor Last Light)
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc2hhef-Nzo

This is the absolute king when it comes to Russian video games. You play Artyom in an apocalyptic Moscow. An atomic war has killed all human life on earth, except for 40,000 people who managed to hide from the nuclear missiles in the deep underground Moscow metro.

The game follows a linear plot in which you travel between the metro stations (each of which has its own culture and alliances), shoot mutants, and even go above the ground to enjoy breathtaking views of a ruined Moscow.

This game is especially awesome if you've been to Moscow before and have traveled by metro. You'll see familiar places - only in a completely different light.

Most people will spend around 10 to 20 hours on this game, which makes it a perfect game for those who like to play videogames for a good story, but don't want to spend too much time leveling up their character or running around doing side missions.
2. The Witcher Series
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ndIeNusRLI

Metro is great for people who want a bite-sized story. But if you want an open world to explore where you can spend hundreds of hours, then the Witcher series is for you.

The games are about Geralt, a Witcher (mutant), who gets paid to do dirty jobs and kill monsters. The world takes place in a medieval setting with monsters and other magical things.

I have only played the second game, but friends say that the third installment is absolutely worth playing. So if you're into magical role-playing games, then Witcher is for you.

Note: there are three games, but you don't necessarily need to play them in order from one to three. They can each be played on their own. Although the first one is really starting to show its age.

Since the Witcher was based on Slavic (Polish) mythology, the game comes to life with Russian audio. So I highly recommend you turn on the Russian.

Another great thing about the Witcher series is that the games are already popular. So chances are that you've played them before. This might seem like a bad thing, but it's actually a good thing. The games have a high replay value, and the fact that you already know the plot more or less makes it a LOT easier to understand it when it's only Russian.

If you've already played it, I challenge you to play with both Russian audio and text!
3. Stalker
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNqMgOws3-0

One of the highest rated Russian science fiction books from the Soviet Union is Roadside Picnic. After an event called the "Visitation", six places on earth are changed into supernatural places. These zones exhibit strange phenomena, that are not understood by scientists. They bring new dangers to those that enter them. Also, there are weird, but valuable, artifacts to be found.

The Stalker games are based on Roadside Picnic. And in the games, you play a Stalker (that's what they call the guys who go into the restricted zones and try to loot valuables).

In the games, you'll walk around the zones, fight with mutants and other stalkers. The games are a bit older, but can be a lot of fun.

Another good thing is that there are many side missions, so you can make the game as long as you'd like.
4. Pathologic
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lCYVCl3b8o

This is by far the WEIRDEST game in this list. The game is situated in a little town where people get sick with the "sand plague". You have to discover what is going on and how to stop it. You can play as one of three characters, the Bachelor, Haruspex or Devotress. The storyline is the same for each, but from a different perspective.

The game can be quite scary, and your only goal is to survive 12 days in the town.

I won't spoil anything of the great plot, but if you're in for a game that is completely different from many others and doesn't hold your hand all the way through, try Pathologic.
5. Bioshock Infinite
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBnMxXXfF88

If you've played video games before, chances are high you've played at least one of the Bioshock games. For those who don't know Bioshock Infinite, it takes place in a flying city called Columbia. It was built in the previous century as a Utopia for its citizens, but things went wrong and now you've got to save the town. Or destroy it?

What not a lot of people know is that the game is available with Russian audio as well. Although it might be tough to buy it if you're not in Russia (or any Russia speaking country). I recommend you Google around and see if you can find it somewhere. And if you already own the game, try switching the languages according to the gamemaker.

The game can be compared to Metro as far as it's a shooter with a great storyline that can be played in around 10 to 20 hours.
Which Russian Video Game Will You Try?
Alright, there are the games. Five Russian video games that are great to play if you're learning Russian. Watch the trailers for more information and here's a quick recap about each game:

Metro 2033 - post-apocalyptic shooter that takes place in the Moscow metro
Witcher series - an open world role-playing game in a magical medieval world
Stalker - post-apocalyptic shooter
Pathologic - horror game in a creepy town where you have to survive 12 days
Bioshock Infinite - shooter located in a flying utopian city

Now you might be wondering…
Isn't Gaming a Waste of Time?
Even though gaming is becoming more popular, many people still see gaming as a time waster. And it's true up to a certain point. If it's the only thing you're doing, then it's a good idea to reevaluate.

But if you're doing well in your day job or school, then playing a bit after work or on the weekends is perfectly fine.

Still, if you're anything like me, you (sometimes) experience some guilt when you play video games. After all, there are so many other activities you can do and other ways to learn.

If you do enjoy playing games, but can't get into it as much as you did before, I highly recommend you try playing one of the above games in Russian. It helped me a lot to 'persuade' myself that I was spending time with purpose, while actually was doing something fun and useful.

Turning the language to Russian has allowed me to switch my mindset from:

Playing video games is a waste of my time → Playing video games allows me to practice my Russian listening & reading skills, learn new vocabulary and relax at the same time.

And let's face it, what's more fun? Going through your dusty grammar book for hours at a time… or losing yourself trying to save the world?

The post Tired of Boring Lessons? Learn Russian with These 5 Amazing Russian Video Games appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Language Mentors #1: Lindie Botes (Globetrotting YouTuber, Speaks 10 Languages)

“The point of learning a language is communication. You’ll most likely be understood even if you have bad grammar.” - Lindie Botes

I’m honored to have interviewed Lindie Botes for our new Language Mentors series.

Born in South Africa, Lindie has lived in France, Pakistan, the UAE and Japan. She speaks 10 languages (to varying levels), including Afrikaans, English, French, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Malay, Arabic and Hungarian. You can find her on YouTube, where she shares language learning tips with her 100,000+ subscribers.
Language Mentors: Learn a New Language in 90 Days
Language Mentors is our new feature where we interview polyglots, language teachers, language learners and even folks from outside the field of language learning. We’re getting straight to the point, asking for their wisdom on language acquisition, steadfast motivation, and rapid learning.

We've asked them to give you the inside scoop on what it takes to learn a new language, fast (in as little as 90 days).

We’ve actually seen hundreds of people learn a new language to conversational level in just 90 days. You can do it too by putting what you learn from our Language Mentors into practice.

And if you need extra support, then join us in Add1 -- where you’ll make lots of new friends who share your goal of learning a new language fast (plus you’ll have a 15 minute conversation in your new language after 90 days -- we guarantee it).

Read on to learn some of Lindie’s language learning hacks. And get to know some fun facts about a creative polyglot at the same time.
What Are the Top Three Activities You Would Advise to Have a 15 Minute Conversation in a New Language After 90 Days??

Make sure you have a natural pronunciation down. I do this by listening to a language a lot before I dive into studying it full-on. The more natural I sound, the easier it is to feel confident and be understood.
Learn the most used vocabulary in context, and focus on vocabulary you are interested in and would want to have a conversation about
Make your own sentences using new vocab learnt and get them checked by native speakers

[caption id="attachment_25741" align="aligncenter" width="701"] Lindie with a tiny Mt Fuji in the background[/caption]
What Are Your Top Three Pearls of Wisdom for Language Learners?

Don’t focus too much on accurate grammar in the beginning. The point of learning a language is communication. You’ll most likely be understood even if you have bad grammar.
Don’t underestimate how important correct pronunciation is. Sounding natural makes you come across as more fluent than you may be.
To reward yourself and stay motivated, keep track of your progress. This will help you when you feel like you are not getting anywhere.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Cities?

Tokyo, Japan: I used to call this city home for a while and love that there’s always something new to do and see.
Taichung, Taiwan: for the beautiful nature and cute cafes.
Johannesburg, South Africa: because of how metropolitan, multilingual and international it is. Whilst still retaining unique South African flavour.

[caption id="attachment_25742" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Lindie giving a talk on language learning at the South African Department of International Relations and Co-operation[/caption]
What Are the Top Three Ways You Keep Yourself Motivated During an Intensive Language Mission?

Remind myself why I’m doing it and focus on my goals
Remind myself that I’m not getting any younger and I might as well study now rather than later
Do something fun in the language like watch a movie or call a friend

If You Were Going to Try the Add1, What Are the Top Three Languages You Might Attempt to Learn?

Hokkien because of its prevalence in Singapore (Lindie lives in Singapore at the moment)
Malay for the same reason
Thai because I’ve always given up soon after starting

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Places to Practice Speaking a Target Language?

Phone calling apps where you can speak to someone without seeing their face
Social media set in my target language
Approaching unsuspecting strangers in public places once I get over my shyness

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Study Tools When You First Start Learning a Language?

Radio apps to hear the language as much as possible
Good old fashioned textbook to keep my studies on track
A trusty online dictionary, like Naver which I use for Korean and Chinese.

What Are Your Top Three Favorite Places for Studying a New Language?

My desk, with lots of stationery and notebooks
On the train, listening to podcasts
Chatting to friends in coffee shops

[caption id="attachment_25743" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Lindie's Chinese notes.[/caption]
What Are Your Top Three Favorite Memories of a Language Win?

Being able to intern at a Japanese company. I realized that although I’m not fluent, my Japanese is good enough to get by in an office
Acting as an impromptu translator between my Korean and Indian housemates in Singapore
Being on South African news and teaching the presenter how to say something in Japanese

Lindie’s Top Content for Language Learners
Lindie’s videos are full of helpful, interesting content for language learners. She give practical tidbits on how to become a polyglot. This is her video which answers the age-old question, “How long does it take to be fluent?”

She also shares heartfelt videos about the trials and tribulations of language learning like this one.

And she shows her audience how to plan for success.
What about You?
Which of Lindie’s tips resonate most with you? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section. And to our Add1 participants, best of luck on your language adventure!

Want to learn a new language in 90 days? Come join us in Add1.

A big thank you for Lindie for sharing her thoughts and winning strategies with us.

To learn more about Lindie, you can visit her YouTube channel or her website.

The post Language Mentors #1: Lindie Botes (Globetrotting YouTuber, Speaks 10 Languages) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.