Synopsis
Learning a new language? Get your language learning questions answered by polyglot Olly Richards, who speaks 8 languages and runs the popular blog - I Will Teach You A Language. Whatever's holding you back on the path to fluency, tune in twice a week to get your regular dose of language learning motivation, with Olly and other polyglot guests, such as Luca Lampariello, Richard Simcott, Alex Rawlings, Benny Lewis, Anthony Metivier and Jonathan Levi.Learn Spanish, Learn French, Learn German, Learn Italian, Learn Portuguese, Learn Arabic, Learn Japanese, Learn Chinese
Episodes
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259: How should I organise my flashcard decks?
11/05/2018 Duration: 12minIan asks: "How should I organise my flashcard decks?" The Rules: The biggest danger with flashcards is getting behind in your review If that happens, the SRS algorithm can't work Therefore, break your flashcards down into smaller decks I like to do it by month (April, May, etc) I do this because it's quick and easy, no other reason! Podcast Resources: Make Words Stick - My step-by-step guide to using flashcards to memorise vocabulary Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d
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258: Coping with jealousy in language learning
09/05/2018 Duration: 17minYuna asks: "How can I deal with jealousy in language learning?" The Rules: Olly's recent experience with some fluent Japanese speakers Jealousy at other people's level is a nasty feeling, yet totally natural The way to stop comparing yourself to others is to be clear about your own goals and reasons for learning, and to be at peace with them! Make sure that, within the parameters of your goals, you're doing everything you can to reach them -- that's how to have the mental toughness to stick with this way of thinking! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please
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257: The Rules of Language Learning (Part 1)
26/04/2018 Duration: 23minIn this episode, Olly begins a new series covering what he believes to be the fundamental rules of language learning. The Rules: 1. Study at your desk 2. Don’t learn grammar before you need it 3. Review, review, review Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankin
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249: What do you think of Memrise?
23/03/2018 Duration: 14minNick asks: "What do you think of Memrise?" Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast! --- Send in a voice mes
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247: People criticise my accent goals
07/03/2018 Duration: 15minMattias asks: “How should you react to criticism from your peers in trying to perfect your accent?” Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will
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246: Why do gurus advise against learning multiple languages?
28/02/2018 Duration: 12minPaul asks: “Why do gurus advise against learning multiple languages at the same time?” Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A
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245: Whats the use of passive listening?
23/02/2018 Duration: 16minOwain asks: “What is the value of passive, unfocused listening?” Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast! ---
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244: I go blank when I talk on Skype
20/02/2018 Duration: 17minIn this solo episode, Olly talks about how to get over your fear of Skype lessons Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Langu
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243: Is translation a BAD thing?
18/02/2018 Duration: 17minIn this solo episode, Olly talks about translation and its implications in language learning. Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach
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242: What to expect from me in 2018
13/02/2018 Duration: 17minIn this episode, Olly reflects on the past year and speaks about what you should expect from him in 2018. Start speaking today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the
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241: Are subtitles really that bad?
06/02/2018 Duration: 15minEdward asks, "Are subtitles really that bad?" Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast! --- Send in a voice
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240: 9 ways to start an argument about language learning (Part 2)
02/02/2018 Duration: 19minIn the second of a two-part episode, I continue revealing the 9 easiest ways to start an argument about language learning. Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: Bulletproof Memory Email Course – free email course to help improve your memory Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular r
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239: 9 ways to start an argument about language learning (Part 1)
30/01/2018 Duration: 13minIn the first of a two-part episode, Olly reveals the 9 easiest ways to start an argument about language learning. Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode
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238: How often should my teacher correct my mistakes?
26/01/2018 Duration: 14min--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iwillteachyoualanguage/message
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237: Do we need vacations from language learning?
09/01/2018 Duration: 12minNicolás asks: "Do we need vacations from language learning?" Episode Summary: My life is full of examples of doing things better after a long break Our brains can only achieve so much by focused attention The Pomodoro technique works on this principle Focus mode vs diffuse mode Small scale - i.e. my daily writing habits in one day Large scale - i.e. learning patterns over many months Breaks are essential... even many months can be fine It works even better if you can take "study breaks" while also speaking or using the language a lot Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: 5 Lessons I Learned from Barbara Oakley - a great video from my friend Nasos https://youtu.be/HYkY22pP6go?t=2m7s Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, pleas
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236: How can I create my own study material?
05/01/2018 Duration: 16minLouise asks: "How can I make my own learning material?" Episode Summary: I have a long history of making my own material I want to study with things that interest me In Japan, I would record train announcements and ask a native speaker to transcribe them I often do pieces of writing and get my tutor to correct them I record my language partners giving a monologue about something and transcribe it I often commission transcriptions of YouTube videos, movies or TV series More recently, Conversations has been my big foray into materials creation To make your own materials, ask yourself: "What would I most like to be able to understand?" Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: How to use virtual assistants to make your own foreign language material Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here,
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234: How to resolve your language dilemmas
27/12/2017 Duration: 14minMassoud ask: "I'm worried about what will happen if I learn German. What should I do?" Episode Summary: You may have a language learning dilemma and not know how to resolve it It's always best to discover the answer yourself rather than rely on others You don't have to commit for life! Try setting trial periods, and give it a shot If it's not working out, you can always change your mind Today's Quote: “I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” ― Mark Twain Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” sect
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233: The dubious benefits of immersion
19/12/2017 Duration: 20minIn this solo episode, Olly discusses whether immersion is all it's cracked up to be. Episode Summary: Immersion is always held up as the "holy grail" of language learning Definition: Spending all day every day in a native-level environment It's not all it's cracked up to be Survival bias is at play: Katzumoto: 10,000 hours of Japanese Gabriel Wyner: 8 weeks in Middlebury Your friend who went to China and was fluent in 3 months Immersion only works if you are able to go full-on enough, for long enough, and stay positive enough to make it to be successful... not practical for most people As a study strategy, it leaves a lot to be desired: You don't understand anything There's no structure Not enjoyable My experiences with real immersion were not good Paris, Japan, Egypt Immersion is much more effective when you can already hold you own Theory of "Comprehensible input" What's the opportunity cost? Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: Interview with Stephen Krashen - Language learning in the pol
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232: Why you shouldn't listen to "slow audio"
16/12/2017 Duration: 18minIn this solo episode, Olly discusses whether listening to "slow audio" is useful. Episode Summary: News in Slow Spanish-type sites are becoming increasing popular With Yabla you can slow down the audio But are these helpful, or dangerous? There are only two reasons you won't understand something spoken: 1) You don't know the words/grammar 2) You can't understand fast speech If you slow down what you're listening to, you're not helping your listening, because it's not natural, and lacks the features of fast speech It simply gives you more time to process the information, i.e. think about the words used But is this the best way to learn new vocabulary... listening to slow, unnatural audio? This = confusing / misunderstanding the problem, and can severely limited your ability to cope with real language Listening to stuff at your level (comprehensible input) Listen at natural speed, and use the transcript to help you understandInstead, solve the problem of not understanding fast speech by: I do sometim
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231: Should I be concerned about my accent?
12/12/2017 Duration: 12minRaffy asks: "Should I be concerned about my accent?" Episode Summary: Accents are a highly personal topic I inhabit a world in London where virtually everyone I meet has an accent Your accent is like your personality, and something you should be fiercely proud of Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: How to Develop an Awesome Accent - An article about accents I wrote on Luca's blog Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do you have a question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the