I am not talking about countries to learn a language, you can learn a language anywhere.  I am talking about where to study a language, literally. Where is are the soles of your feet when you are studying.

Living in Poland I am amazed how well Polish people speak languages. Maybe it is because their language is so complex, but more likely they believe in the hard way. They believe in studying for years and hours a day. Americans and Brits just want the easy way. To speak the a language without work. I know I am an American. These are the places I see people here doing translations and having their nose in the dictionary and cramming vocabulary lists. If you see langugae learning not something you do in class or school but rather everyday anywhere than this might help your experience.

Where to study a language

1. Study your lessons on a train – I was on the Train back to Kraków last night and all around me where people, not just students studying English. Really, the woman across from me had her son and she was studying English while he was running around the train. There was a girl next to me doing exercises. Trains are a great relaxing way to travel. No need to drive, just sit and learn vocabulary. If you can strike up a conversation with a foreigner even better. I have taken some long Russian Ukrainian trains before and by the end of the 20 something hour ride you are talking politics etc with your car mates. I do not drink, I just like to talk.
2. Study a language on a subway – We have trams in Krakow and I see people all the time cramming lists and just not students.
3. Learn a language in the bath – One of my favorite places to review dialogues. I take an MP3 player in and just sit back and relax. I though in some magnesium salt or even listen to some foreign language songs. The acoustics are great in the bathroom because it is a small room with water so I do not wear earbugs rather a radio MP3 player.
4. While napping study a language with hypnopedia – Laying on the coach I often simple listen to a repeating loop of language words and phrases. Eventually I fall asleep and some how I think the vocabulary sinks in my brain. I think brainwaves are at a deeper cycle and more receptive to music.
5. Walking and talking a language – I often walk down the street talking to myself in a foreign language, my language I study is Polish, now. People think it is strange to see someone talking to themselves, but do you really care?
6. On a bench or in a park is a peaceful place to learn – Not a library? Well is not a nice park bench more enjoyable in the summer. Besides maybe some pretty girl will come sit next to you and help you.
7. Driving and listening on your way to work to language audio lessons – I have not had a car for years but many people like this approach. I think your brain is in an alpha state and this is a good place to be when trying to absorb new information.
8. On vacation or any restful place or environment - The main resistance to studying a language is stress, doubt and lack of confidence. Why not lay on the beach and read some foreign language romance book. By the end of the short novel you will have learned a lot.
9. Bed is a good place to learn a language – Do not think of this in the wrong way, or you can if you like.
10. Church – Go to foreign language service. I live in Kraków and you can attend mass in about a dozen different languages and read the Bible in any. The service and text are all the same in any language, therefore go to mass in your target language and see how it feels different and let it absorb into your conciousness. Although this should not be your purpose of going.

What are your favorite places to study a language even if you are not in a foreign country? Let me know and the more intresting a place the better.

My dream experience

I often dream in the Polish language as I have lived here for a while.  My Polish is good but not perfect. When I dream at a subconscious level I am pretty pleased with myself when I am speaking Polish (although I am not aware it is a dream). Why? Because the native speakers in my dreams always understand what I say perfectly. Further, I understand them perfectly. In my dreams (both literally and figuratively), I am like a native speaker in this foreign language. Both in speaking and comprehension and I never need a dictionary.

However, when I recant a dream dialogue to my wife who is a native speaker she laughs. This is because the native speakers in my dreams were making the same grammatical mistakes that I make when I am awake. I wonder why. It takes the wind out of my sail a little as in my dream world I am equipment and people are charmed by my linguistic skills.

A dream is really a dialogue with yourself. Therefore, there is perfect comprehension of the spoken word.

Some people believe that you can tap into the collective unconsciousness and access information and even language information. For me that is a little more speculative. However, this much can be said. If you are dreaming in a foreign language then you are doing well.

Can you use dreams to learn a foreign language?

Can dreams help you learn a language?

• To remember dreams keep a dream journal by your bed. When you wake up write down all your dreams even in sketch form. When I did this, I could remember several a night in detail and often stream of conciousness one leads into the other.
• As you are drifting to sleep try to suggest to yourself to dream in your foreign language.
• Read up on lucid dreaming and try to use this in language learning.
• During the day start thinking in your foreign language, even change your inner dialogue or create dialogues in your mind in a foreign language.
• The purpose of dreams or day dreams in a foreign language is not a grammar drill, school or exercises, so it does not matter if you are making mistakes. The idea is to get more of your brain online linguistically.
• You are smarter than you think. Intelligence and ability is really teaching the brain to access more of the raw material which is latent and waiting for you to develop.

Let me know your thoughts about day dreams, dreams, lucid or deep or even fantasies in foreign language and your experiences. When does your imagination take you linguistically. Do you think imagination is a connection with a deeper reality? I think conscious cognitive thought is like an iceberg, only about ten percent of the mind is conscious and seen on the surface. The other 90% is something that is largely untapped for its potential.

The hard way to learn a language

When I have a student tell me they are not making progress, I dump them with homework.  I tell them to buy a book and do three chapters of grammar exercises a week and explain the ideas in the exercises to me. I also make them read a book in English and write papers on it. There is no way you will learn a language without learning that the responsibility rests on you. You are the one, not the teacher who is responsible for studying. Study every week for x number of hours and then go to class to practice. If you complain you are not good, ask yourself do you study five hours a day?

For most people they have the will and will take the hard way, but they do not have the time. Therefore it becomes a time management issue.  Even for me I have not time to improve my Polish and I live in Poland. I know I have to go back to the old ways, the hard ways and make time and do it.

The easiest way to learn a language

My wife learned English just by speaking to me. It is an easier way then the above mentioned methods. She never studied English in school and spoke only a few words when we meet. I overloaded her with English until her brain hurt as I love to engage in conversation. Now she is fluent in English. I guess that can be called the easy way to learn a language.

If you are trying to learn a language on your own I would recommend tools to make it easier:

• Make your own language flashcards and carry them with you. I have a box of several thousand words and phrases.
• Download audio mp3s and use them. There are many places to go, such as the gutenburg.org.  I am starting a free site with audio mp3s for language learning www.mp3languagelearning.com  – If you send me files I can use them on the site.
• If you religious read the entire Bible in your target language. By the time you finish you will speak the language
• Buy a grammar book and do every exercises in the book and outline the rules
• Practice with native speakers, that alone will help, if you are somewhere in the middle of Kansas try Internet chats.

I have notices women love to do grammar and book work while guys prefer conversation, ironically.  Both are effective, but to work both need overload and work. This is why I believe in the hard way to learn a language.  I think there are easy ways to learn a language, but you have to take those methods and apply them with will and determination. And again the easiest way to learn a language is fall in love.

He like me is an American that moved to Europe, learned a language and got dual citizenship. Many Americans want to pick up and EU citizenship and learn a language with no work. I tell them you have to know how, and have motivation.

I have a great life now that I did a little bit of work.  I am dual citizen and almost bilingual. I also travel the world.  Anyone can do this.  Just read the interview with a language learner.

After you read this please come back and leave a comment and let me know what you think?  Also let me know your experiences with language learning. Are you just starting or want to learn or have you masters a few languages.

Me personally I think the best way to learn a language can be summarized by:

• Know your motivation.
• Learn about a few thousand words with flashcards.
• Study some grammar, the soul of any language are verbs.
• Practice with native speakers.
• Read books at bedtime.

Once you get a to a good level read book in your target language at bedtime. I love this part because you are already speaking the language and now can enjoy it.

The first part is the hardest part.  However, once you own these words phrases and grammar will come pretty easy and you will already be a the comprehension level.

Go to the interview and let me know. If you want to skip my introduction just go directly to the interview part one: Why and how I learned a language.

If you want to reduce your accent in a foreign language, this is what you have to do.  You have to take a sample of a foreign language native speaker in your target language and listened to it.  The sample should be reasonable in size and word variation.

The next thing you need to do is basically memorize.  I know this sounds hard but you need to learn the language anyway and memorizing some useful passages will not hurt you.

The next step is to record your own voice speaking your target foreign language – not reading this passage.  If you want and you’re really lazy yes you can choose to read and not memorize that passage.

The next one you want to do is take a small phrase or sentence that you think sound different then the native speaker. You not only want to compare with your years for using program like Audacity and compare the sound waves of the way you speak with an accent and the native speakers accent. You are comparing the waves not the sound.

Audacity is a free open source program that can be downloaded from source forge -> program to reduce your accent in a foreign language.  This is a free and open source recording and sound wave program.  What you need to do is really find where your issues are.

to reduce your accent in a foreign language compare two tracks

List of your foreign language words with accents

You want to construct a list of words that there is a variation between you and the native speaker. Really study this program and the sound waves generated from it. Do not be lazy or complain.  If you do not want to do this then just accept your accent in a foreign language.

Why is this effective , on a conceptual level?  Because I often use a voice to text program to write my blog.  That his eyes speaking to a microphone and the text appears on the page.  In order for this program to be affected a need to train the program to understand my voice.  The program is comparing sound waves of the way I speak and the way it understands the words.  This is not much different from what you have to do.  Accept when you want to reduce your accent in a foreign language you’re the one who has to be trained to match what you hear.  In essence you are the software that needs to be programmed.

Your role in eliminating your accent

Many people want an instructor to reduce their Foreign language accent.  This can help.  However, you really need to work on It yourself. It would take work 3 to 5 day a week for an hour a day.  I know I had speaking problems with an accent and it took 1 hour a day everyday for several years to get it right.  And I was a kid.  So if you think you can reduce your accent one hour a week, you are wrong.  It will help but you have to do the work.

Take about six months with work five days a week for about an hour a day and you will effectively remove your accent in a foreign language.  Do you think this sounds hard?  Six months is not a long time to virtually eliminate your accent in a foreign language.  It is all done with you patiently using your computer and the sound program not recommended. What is your personal experience with trying to reduce your accent in a foreign language? What are your thoughts about this disciplined method?

A polyglot is a person who learns language to the point of high level of fluency. There have been famous and non famous polyglots in history. There was Cardinal Mezzofanti who learned some 38 languages, by studying morning to evening his whole life. On the other hand my grandmother Anna Wolonick for example was fluent in five languages but never studied any languages formally, she simply lived in Eastern Europe during her teens.

The word Polyglot comes from the the Ancient Greek language word πολύγλωττος (poluglōttos, ‘many-tongued, polyglot’), from πολύς (polus, ‘many’) + γλῶττα (glōtta, ‘tongue, language’). In English we also talk about someone who is multilingual. But I think polyglot has a different feel. For me the word is more about natural ability and talent.

Does Polyglotism exist?

Since I have taught and learned languages, I have not meet any real Polyglots. I have heard of many people claiming to know people who have a gift for languages, but all I have known is people who study hard and work day and night to learn these languages.

I have also seen multilingualism with people raised in Europe and living between two or three language zones. These people are bilingual, trilingual or multilingual not because of a gift but because their brains as children were stretched by the exposure to several languages.

How to become a Polyglot

• Choose one language and get to the intermediate level – Once you learn one language others will be much easier.
• To learn a language fast use the flashcard approach. Find the most important words in the language. The vocabulary is a different list in every languages. Next, find the most important two-hundred 200 verbs. Verbs are the soul of a language and you need this to understand the action of the sentence. Learn these with flashcards until you know them by heart. This flashcard approach is the best approach to learn a language.
• With toil, suffering and lament, work through a very good book on grammar. It can not be one of these phrase books or introduction to the language books, it needs to be a real language book with drills and exercises on every page. You need thousands of language patterns to test and make mistakes before you begin to understand the grammar. Understanding comes after you do the quizzes and make mistakes not in some theoretical language school class. No one can teach you a language. It is all self learning. No one likes this advice but you need to do it.
• At this point if you can not fall in love with a native speaker, try making online friends or at least chat with someone online.
• Read books that you like in the language, I like fairy-tales and fantasy books. Books are better than movies as it is an active not a passive activity.

Some polyglots learn several languages at once without getting jumbled in their polyglot brain

There is a lot written on the web about how to be a polyglott, but the reality is polyglotism is about hard work. Try my flashcard approach above for three months and you should make very good progress with your first language. Then try another language, some people I know like this polylinguistic learning approach, that is simultaneous learning of several languages.

There is no way you can learn a language without blood, sweat and tears.  This is one of my how to learn a language mantras.  Why? The way your brain remembers things is through a series of mistakes and failures until it self corrects.

Learning a language is not much different than playing a sport.  For the first year you are very awkward and clumsy.  But latter after many mistakes you learn coordination and grace.

Mistakes are natures gentle guide to reshape the neorons and connections in your brain.  Learning from mistakes is a deep evolutionary program in our brain that allows us to survive.

The same is with language learning. You need to make mistakes or your brain will not experience what it needs to really gain fluency in a language.

Memory and language learning

Most memory problems are a retrieval problem not a formation problem.  This means it is not that hard to form a memory but to retrieve it you need to practice and suffer and struggle until the pathways and highways of your brain are strong.  If you make wrong turns and make mistakes you feel bad and the road signs along the way to retrieve a particular grammar idea or vocabulary will be strong.

There is a Spanish school that teaches its students with humiliation.  That is, if you make a mistake they drop an egg on your head.  Wow, for me that is extreme and too stressful but the point is with the emotion of failure, as long as you are not disheartened, you will learn.

Science tells us how to learn a language, with mistakes

The reason I know about this is I teach and learn languages. Any person I know who as achieved any success in languages have experienced the pain of toil and mistakes.  And do you know what? Science confirms this.  They looked at a group of language learners that were taught with the idea that there is not wrong answer and did little practice work more just theory, and compared it to a more success group.

That is a group that used language flashcards and drills and did exercises and corrected themselves and learned from their mistakes.

Outloud problem solving for accelerated language learning

One practical application of this idea that you learn a language with mistakes is something called ‘outloud problem solving’ written about many times in teaching literature.  It is the idea that two people try to solve a problem together, it could be grammar  or vobulary or translation of a book. It is the act of publicly making mistakes in front of a partner that is part of the process of learning and teaching a language in an accelerated way.

Therefore, how do you learn a language? Make mistakes, publicly admit you are not good with languages, do many countless drills and more important flashcards.

Do not listen to those who say they are gifted with languages and just pick up a language because it is in the air.  This is not true.

The end result from this lesson in humility will be you will be able to speak the language of your dreams faster than those who walk around looking for a magic bullet for language learning.

I can recommend City of Embers

The plot is a futuristic tale about the survivors of a great war on the surface of the planet.  It is a teenage move.  But I usually love movies that a fourteen year old girl would like.  I do not like swearing or drinking or fighting in movies.  Maybe I am pretty innocent but I do not like this type of action.

This is why I liked City of Embers.  The film’s success or failure is based on the plot and somewhat the photography, rather than some big name star or stupid action.

Sci Fi Fantasy films and the city of Embers

As a rule Hollywood films that are sci-fi or fantasy are pretty weak, as they depend on special effects and are hyped to the max.  On a side note, one of my friends will only watch Sci fi or fantasy films.

City of Embers is based on a high quality children’s book not some script from no where.  In the world of children’s book competition is very high.  Evenyone is out to write the next Harry Potter.  However, if a book does make it, usually it is of great quality.  And if they make a movie from it, as long as it is not trying to make a point, like Golden Compass (which is a film with an adjenda).

What City of Embers inspired me to do

I think in the morning I will go to the bookstore and if I can find any books by Jeanne Duprau I will buy the next one.  This does not sound too great, but I will read it in Polish, not my native language.

Fantasy books in your non native language are hard to read as there are many special words and lots of crazy things going on.

Reading in general as I have written before is a great way to improve your language skills.  If you can not live in a country, read.  Read everything you can, do not look up every word, rather just enjoy it.

My conclusion about City of Embers -  What it or read it.  I have kept this post short because I did not want to give away the plot.  But with great acting  and storyline it is well worth renting for a couple of dollars.  The movie is remnant of a London or Dickens like atmosphere.  Something like I image London in the 19th century.

The lady who wrote the book Jeanne Duprau is quite a normal lady.  She was an English teacher and did not intend to be a teacher before writing the children’s stories, it just kind of happened.  I like these authors the best as they are less pretentious and less aimed at pop culture.

Do you want to learn a language, try foreign language conversation.

Foriegn language conversation class

The best is conversation with a native speaker of your target foreign language. This post will cover:

Foreign language conversation
1. My reasons why I think conversation is one of the best ways to learn a language
2. How to use this tutoring to the best of your advantage
3. Where to find a foreign language tutor

Why conversation with a native speaker is valuable to learn a language

I have taught languages for many years now. I have also been learning languages for many years. I have tried every method under the sun. In my opinion if you are serious about learning a language one of the best methods is to have a tutor in your target language to speak with. It is like the matrix, you can learn on your own and use programs but until you are out of the simulation programs (or text books if you may). You need to practice speaking, not just studying or watching movies in your foreign language. One on one foreign language conversations not in a class.

Foreign language conversations one on one

Maximizes your conversation lessons

Most people just show up to lessons whether it is at a school or a private tutor and expect to learn a language. This does not work. What you need to do is study every day. Day in and day out and let your 1 hour a week with a tutor be cream. Just practice where you can flex what you have learned. I have worked with students that learn words and study everyday and they make progress and others that just show up. If you just show up you will not get worst, you often improve but very slowly. But if you drill with flashcards at home or a language learning program and then practice with native speaker conversation in your foreign language then you will improve.

I recommend flashcards as the best way to learn on your own. I if you want to learn Russian for example I have great visual learning flashcards as well as other languages.

Foreign language conversation resources

For the lessons I recommend 70% pure conversation (where you are corrected and repeated patterns of mistakes are noted by the tutor and worked into the grammar lessons) 20% grammar drills (real drilling – not too much explaining grammar) and 10% other, which could be dictation, reading/pronunciation work etc. This grammar drilling consists of having the native speaker drill over and over verbally different iterations of grammar examples.

Foreign language conversation resources

Where is the best place to find a foreign language conversation tutor for lessons? Look around the Internet and ideas on my site.  I would say classified ads is also a good place to start. If you are in the states craigslist, in the UK gumtree or use the Internet as many tutor have pages. Take your time and write a few teachers as each persons style is different. Language schools are ok but are pricey, better to find lessons on your own.

Picking the right foreign language tutor

English native speakers in Europe are often backpacker hipsters and not very good unless you find someone doing it for a couple of years. The same goes for say a Russian or Polish tutor in the UK or USA. Also I am not a big fan of skype lessons (I have had many people ask if I do these lessons, but I turn them down) as they are really not the same, you need a 3d real person, your brain takes information in differently when its real. Computers are great for learning a language on your own but for conversation you need a 3d person, your brain needs 3d real for languages in addition to other resources like flashcards. If you do not have too much choice in experience, girls are better teachers but if you find a guy who has been teaching for a few years men are better conversation teachers.

Foreign language conversation teacher dating

Dating your language teacher

It is interesting to note some people do wind up dating their conversation teacher. A lot of the teachers are young and beautiful and are in a new country looking for new experiences and you have an interest in their language.
What if you have a girlfriend or boyfriend who is a native speaker is there any value in taking private lessons. Yes, because your partner does not drill you like they should, they are too nice. If you have a partner who is in your target language your lessons should be mostly drilling, not explaining. Explaining which many language teachers, especially none native speakers do are of little value because language is a reflex.

Let me know if you have any other ideas about foreign language conversation or what you think is the best way to learn a foreign language.

Yes you do not need immersion to learn a language.  Or at least you can create your own immersion.

• Listen to the radio or Internet radio for hours a day in your target language.
• Watch movies, Youtube and films in the language you want to learn.
• Read books or the Bible every night in your foreign language.
• Surf the Internet only in the language you want to learn.
• Make friends with people, go to Church, take vacations where they speak the foreign language you want to learn.
• Think in the language, talk to yourself in the language.
• Hire a tutor, a native speaker to practice at least once a week.

Foreign language immersion inside your own country

If you followed these steps you could live in the USA or UK for example and in a few months speak the language you want. Its really hard.  Its blood sweat and tears, but it will be the same thing you will experience if you immerse yourself in a language by living there. This is how you learn a language with immersion in or out of your target country.