The Secret to Learning a Language in 10 Days
Check out this beautifully illustrated talk about how to learn foreign languages using the Pimsleur approach. I was reluctant to share the video on the site as they sneak in a sales pitch every 5 minutes of so, but they do an excellent job of summarizing what I believe to be the fundamentals of effective language learning, with pretty drawings to boot! Enjoy!
read moreHow to Conquer Kanji
Kanji: arguably the most enjoyable part of learning Japanese, but also the most intimidating for those just getting started in the language. Since beginning my Japanese journey over a decade ago, I have come across a lot of Nihongo teachers, textbooks, and courses that advise learners to hold off on kanji until they already speak the language fairly well. I think this is absolute rubbish, but let me first give some of the common arguments before I tear them to shreds...
read moreInterview with Arkady Zilberman, Creator of Language Bridge
Arkady Zilberman, creator of Language Bridge and a former simultaneous interpreter in Russia, addresses what is perhaps the greatest impediment to adult language learning success: cross-translation to and from one's native language. Few learners are probably aware this sub-concious process goes on at all, but Arkady's extensive experience learning languages, interpreting, and experimenting on learners, have proven that it does indeed occur. As he points out in our interview, even many seemingly successful foreign language learners still translate to and from their native language, but can just do so at such a rate that they can't perceive the process.
read moreReview of Brainscape’s Spanish! iPhone App
Spanish is one of my next target languages and I was quite excited when Amanda Moritz of Brainscape asked me to do a review of their new Spanish language learning app for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. There's no better excuse to study a language and play on my iPod touch than doing a product review!
read moreLanguage as a Window into Human Nature
I'm a big fan of Harvard's Steven Pinker and RSA Animate makes his excellent talk about language and human nature even better. If you enjoy the talk, I highly suggest his influential book, The Language Instinct. Incidentally, it was the first book I was assigned in university linguistics, is one of the only assigned books from university that I still own, and is the only college text I actually reread regularly for fun...
read moreThe Polyglot Project
The Polyglot Project, a collection of language learning tips from polyglots and language enthusiasts across the globe (including yours truly), is now available as both a physical book on Amazon and as a free PDF download. This tome of language awesomeness contains over 500 pages of language learning advice, tips, and success stories, with contributions from 43 authors, including Moses McCormick, Steve Kaufmann, Benny Lewis, Stuart Jay Raj, and countless others language heroes.
read moreWhy eBooks are a Language Learner’s Best Friend
Just as the printing press democratized access to the written word, ebooks are again revolutionizing how information is produced, distributed and consumed. Even successful authors, whose very livelihoods have depended on the sale of dead-tree books (e.g. Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek and The Four-Hour Body, and Seth Godin, author of Tribes, Permission Marketing, and All Marketers are Liars) have seen the writing on the literary wall, and agree that "print is dead", or at least "dying fast"... But this is not necessarily a bad thing considering the myriad advantages of ebooks, especially for learners of foreign languages.
read moreThe Input vs. Output Debate: John’s 2¢
As a language learning addict, I follow lots (and I mean lots) of polyglot blogs and podcasts. It is always interesting to see what has worked (and what hasn't worked) for successful language learners. While most fluent foreign language speakers tend to agree on the vast majority of language learning DOs and DON'Ts, there is one area that always seems to cause heated debate, shouting, name calling, and occasional mud/poo flinging: the importance of language input (i.e. listening and reading) versus language output (i.e. speaking and writing). I have sat quietly on the sidelines for some time now, politely listening to both sides of the argument. But it's time to blow my referee whistle because both teams are "offsides" (Okay John, enough sports analogies already!)
read moreIs Your Native Language a Help or a Hindrance?
When I started my Vietnamese intensive course, a lot of non-linguistists I talked to said that the Chinese students would have an advantage because they already speak a tonal language. It is true that some Westerners could be completely stumped by tones, and just not get the language at all. But, a person who already speaks a tonal language does not have an advantage over a Westerner or a Korean or Japanese who is intelligent, motivated and who is trying to learn tones. Remember that a Cantonese or Mandarin speaker has mastered the tones of his or her language, not the tones of Vietnamese. Saying that someone from a tonal language would have an advantage is like saying people from languages with words, or sounds, or verbs or adjectives would have an advantage.
read moreWant a Dream Resume? Learn a New Language
More and more, it is becoming extremely beneficial to know a foreign language in today's tough job market. Any kind of edge helps now more than ever in this economy, and one of the most sought-after and respected skills that can give you the upper hand is knowing a foreign language. Having expertise in another language only opens up more doors and opportunities -- and offers more perks at those jobs. If you need more convincing, read on for these reasons why a second language will positively impact your career...
read moreJoin the Oh So Hip Foreign Language Mastery Newsletter
Top 5 Reasons to Join
1. It's free.
2. Your information will NEVER be shared with anyone. I hate spam as much as you.
3. You'll get exclusive language learning tips.
4. All the cool kids are doing it.
5. You'll get 2 bombtastic bonuses:
Bonus 1:
My exclusive interview with renowned linguist Dr. Stephen Krashen.
Bonus 2:
25% off Master Japanese: Self-Guided Immersion for the Passionate Language Learner.
Learn Japanese Your Way
Let's face it: textbooks are boring, Japanese classes are less than convenient, those language courses sold in airports are ridiculously expensive, and not everyone can move to Japan.
The good news is that you don't need any of these things to learn Japanese. The modern language learner has access to everything they need to learn via the Internet (including materials, tools, and native speakers), but the hard part is knowing where to look, where to start, and how to stay the course. That's where Master Japanese comes in.
The 313-page, 75,000+ word guide provides:
1) Step-by-step instructions on how to get started.
2) Pragmatic strategies for fostering and sustaining motivation.
3) Learning languages the way our brains were designed.
4) The world's best online and offline tools for learning Japanese fast.
5) How to create a Japanese immersion environment no matter where you happen to live.
6) Clickable links to all online resources so you don't have to waste time Googling or typing in URLs
7) Print-ready cheat sheets and templates for making goals, studying kanji, learning conjugations, and more.
