Do I really know 20 languages?

In this video, I talk with Jon Hamilton, a former Green Beret, about language learning and how physical training relates to mastering new languages. 

In this video, I explain why language learning is often made harder than it needs to be and how to stop overcomplicating it. 

In this video I discuss the importance of noticing in language learning and whether it's something we can deliberately train. 

When talking to someone in something other than your native language, it sometimes helps to know what other languages they speak. This not only helps you to learn more about a person, but can also potentially give you insight into other things you have in common with them. In thi ... Show More

Hi! I want to talk about something that can really help you understand English vocabulary better — especially if you speak a Romance language like Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, or Romanian. These languages all come from Latin — you know, the language spoken by the Romans ... Show More

There are thousands of languages in the world. Some are spoken by billions of people, others by less than one hundred! Which country has the most languages? In this episode I’ll answer that question, look at some of the languages spoken in that country, and try to explain why the ... Show More

(Watch the YouTube version to see these phrases written on screen) Money! It's an important topic, and we have many phrases and idioms that we use in English to talk about it so in this video I wanted to teach you some important ones. 

Inspired by a viral video of a Chinese boy doing his English homework, I thought I'd make an episode where I list 10 common mistakes that language learners make and what you should avoid.To be clear, I'm sure that boy will master English one day, and my comments were more of a cr ... Show More

Welcome to Episode 28, a fun collection of language learning news. Lindsay and I shared our progress in Japanese and Welsh, read out wonderful listener feedback, and finally moved on to 3 big news items. What's it like when your language changes to express who you are? The episod ... Show More

Learn all about those little phrases and words which Spanish speakers use to keep conversations going, show their understanding, interrupt people, and more! 

Man, I’d give anything to have a day off. Have you ever felt this way? I know learning another language is not easy, and requires daily practice. I’m pretty sure that since you listen to this podcast, you must give it your best shot when it comes to learning English.  I give you ... Show More

Somebody asked me the other day how many phrasal verbs there are in English. That’s a tough question. So I said, beats me. And then she said, but you’re an English teacher. I dunno. I have no clue. How many phrasal verbs are there? Who knows!Native English speakers have a lot of ... Show More

In the world of linguistics, there are very few people with a resume as impressive as Adele Goldberg. She has had a major influence on the way we understand and study language. In this very special interview we talk about vocabulary learning, input vs output, and her language acq ... Show More