In this episode, Juan asks: “I’m learning Portuguese. Which language should I think in - English or Spanish?“ Find a 5* language tutor! We're proud to recommend LanguaTalk as the best place to take language lessons online with a real teacher. StoryLearning is now part-owner of LanguaTalk, and that's because we're committed to building the best possible service out there to practise speaking, find a new tutor, or get support with your learning. Click the link below and take a FREE trial lesson: h...
Sep 29, 2022•12 min•Ep. 426
In today's episode, Olly speaks with Sam Hendry, who lives in Dubai, about his amazing journey learning Spanish in one year. Here's where you can watch the video of Sam surprising his girlfriend in Spanish: Watch on Facebook Watch on Instagram Find a 5* language tutor! We're proud to recommend LanguaTalk as the best place to take language lessons online with a real teacher. StoryLearning is now part-owner of LanguaTalk, and that's because we're committed to building the best possible service out...
Sep 07, 2022•43 min•Ep. 425
In this episode you’ll drop in on the StoryLearning team retreat in Bodrum, Turkey. 14 of us descended on a hilltop villa for an entire week to spend some quality time together and plan for the future.
May 23, 2022•13 min•Ep. 424
We're about to release a special new range of intermediate StoryLearning programmes, and I'm sooo excited! And as a loyal listener, I'd like to offer you early access and a very special offer to celebrate the launch. (It's something I always like to do whenever we release something new!) To get on the notification list, click: https://storylearning.com/intermediate The new programmes are: Spanish Uncovered (Intermediate) German Uncovered (Intermediate) French Uncovered (Intermediate) Italian Unc...
Apr 18, 2022•6 min
In this episode, Olly speaks with Mike Shangkuan, CEO of Lingoda . In a wide-ranging discussion, you'll hear about: Growing up as a Chinese-American with a passion for languages How Mike pivoted his career from banking to language tech The challenges of building a tutoring business Adapting language teaching for the online world Do You Have A Language Question? This show exists to answer your language learning questions! Send me your questions by visiting: https://storylearning.com/ask ...and I’...
Apr 05, 2022•53 min•Ep. 423
In this episode, you'll hear from Olly about plans for StoryLearning in 2022! Do You Have A Question? This show exists to answer your language learning questions! Send me your questions by visiting: https://storylearning.com/ask ...and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Leave a Review If you'd like to support the show, the best way to do that is to: Leave an honest review of the show wherever you get your podcasts. (You can normally do this within the app you're using.) Share this episod...
Mar 31, 2022•17 min•Ep. 422
🤥 From people claiming to learn a language in 24 hours to those shouting that "all YouTube polyglots are FAKE!", the online language learning world is fraught with controversy and vitriol. So what's the truth? And can a so-called "YouTube polyglot" (man, I hate that term) comment on YouTube polyglots lying? Well, I’m going try... 🦃 BLACK FRIDAY SALE! Get my Uncovered courses for just $97 each (up to 75% off) from Friday, November 19th to Saturday, November 27th! 👉🏼 https://iwillteachyoualang...
Nov 19, 2021•20 min•Ep. 421
Julian (a.k.a. "JJ") is the woman behind two popular YouTube channels: 1) JJsays - 雪莲说 (where she shares Chinese language learning tips and videos), and 2) JJsings (where you can hear her singing in Mandarin together with her mother). JJ is an extremely passionate language learner, and I really enjoyed digging into her methods and philosophy. We discuss the challenges of overcoming insecurities, how the Dunning-Kruger effect manifests in language learning, how she learned Chinese characters, and...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 420
Today I’m speaking with Jannah Hossain, who learned to speak Japanese in 6 months to surprise her best friend. Here’s her original video: https://youtu.be/W6Lnaf7Um2c To find out more about the course she used, Japanese Uncovered, visit: http://japaneseuncovered.com Do You Have A Question? This show exists to answer your language learning questions! Send me your questions by visiting: https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/ask ...and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Leave a Review If y...
Oct 05, 2021•48 min•Ep. 419
I'm thrilled to be released three new StoryLearning courses: Russian Uncovered Chinese Uncovered Turkish Uncovered Only those on the mailing list will be notified about the launch of these courses, so click below to join the list if you're interseted: https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/new
Sep 16, 2021•7 min
I love the Spanish language and the many cultures who speak it, but my journey to learn the language was anything but easy. There was pain, struggle, and even a near-death experience! In this episode of the podcast (originally published on my YouTube channel ), I share the whole story of how I learned Spanish (my second foreign language after French ), including all the bumps and mistakes along the way. You'll also learn why I speak Spanish with a Canary Island accent! Videos Mentioned in the Ep...
Sep 14, 2021•17 min•Ep. 418
Learning French completely changed my life. It set the stage for learning 7 more foreign languages, writing dozens of language learning books, and starting a language learning company that employs dozens of people and reaches millions of people around the world. In this episode of the podcast (originally published on my YouTube channel ), I share the story of how I learned French and how it all started with heartbreak... Download a FREE Story in French! Click below to get free access to my Frenc...
Aug 31, 2021•15 min•Ep. 417
In this live episode of the podcast, I answer YouTube user Kay Koopmans' excellent question: "I have a month before I go to Germany for a 10-month foreign exchange program, but I don’t know any German. With a month's time to prepare, what do you suggest I do? Just learn like anyone else? Just memorize vocab? What’s the most effective thing to focus on when you only have a very short amount of time before being thrown into the deep end?!" Free Download: StoryLearning Kit Click below to get free a...
Aug 24, 2021•13 min•Ep. 416
If you've listened to this podcast or watched some of my videos, you may be thinking to yourself: "Wait a minute... Olly's method seems to be ALL ABOUT READING! What about listening and speaking? Does this guy think you can get fluent by reading alone?!" In this episode of the podcast (originally published on my YouTube channel ), I answer this exact question. Note: I refer to a simple graph in the episode that I drew out on a white board in the original video. It's a very basic graphic and you ...
Aug 17, 2021•11 min•Ep. 415
Imagine that you got a letter in the post announcing that you will be put on a plane to Korea in just 9 weeks, where you will stand on a street corner and talk to strangers about your faith IN KOREAN. Add to this the fact that you don't yet speak a single word in the language! That is precisely what Derek Driggs experienced when he trained to be a Mormon (LDS) missionary at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah, before being sent to live in Korea for 2 years back in 2012. In this e...
Aug 10, 2021•40 min•Ep. 414
In this LIVE recording of the I Will Teach You A Language Podcast on YouTube, I answer YouTuber user @Bash Fakosh's question: "Do you think learning 2 languages together works? Or is it a recipe for disaster?" Free Download: StoryLearning Kit Click below to get free access to my StoryLearning Kit and discover how to learn a new language quickly and naturally through stories : https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/kit Do You Have A Question? This show exists to answer your language learning question...
Aug 03, 2021•13 min•Ep. 413
In this LIVE recording of the I Will Teach You A Language Podcast on YouTube, I answer the question: "I'm a complete beginner. How can I possibly start reading?" Many assume that my StoryLearning method only works for more experienced learners, but the truth is that there is a way for even complete beginners to start reading books and learning through stories. You just have to get 3 things right first... Resources & Links Mentioned How to learn a new language with stories Olly's language cou...
Jul 27, 2021•18 min•Ep. 412
In this live recording of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast on YouTube , I answer a question from @rightinfrontofmysalad! about whether you should read a book straight through or stop to look up words you don't know. This is a really good question, and one that I get a lot. And my answer to this is a really important part of making StoryLearning work... Resources & Links Mentioned The 10 Rules Of StoryLearning English with Stephen Alex Rawlings Free Download: StoryLearning Kit Click be...
Jul 20, 2021•13 min•Ep. 411
In this live recording of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast on YouTube , I answer the question: "When is the right time to start speaking a foreign language?" I also answer: Why is this question asked in the first place? What are the most popular theories and methods? What are people's actual experience in real life with these methods? What is my personal perspective on the best approach to speaking? How can I get my question answered on the podcast or YouTube? Do You Have A Question? This...
Jul 13, 2021•15 min•Ep. 410
Ethan Wanger is an English teacher, world traveler, and the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of RealLife English, a popular site , YouTube channel , podcast , course , and app which helps people learn English through popular TV series. He has lived in Germany, Poland, Brazil, Thailand, and Chile, and is currently based in Barcelona. In his words, Ethan's mission in life is to "diminish cultural and language barriers that separate us by creating a world beyond borders through English." As y...
Jul 06, 2021•44 min
Our newest 30-Day StoryLearning Challenges begin on Thursday 1st July! Here are the topics: SPANISH - Real Good Reflexives FRENCH - 101 Essential French Verbs ITALIAN - Spoken Italian Made Simple GERMAN - Spoken German Made Simple JAPANESE - Spoken Japanese Made Simple To enrol, visit: http://storylearningchallenge.com/
Jun 26, 2021•6 min
Have you been learning a language for a while but still can't speak it? Do you believe that there is a secret, hack, or ultimate method waiting to be discovered that will finally launch you to true spoken fluency? If so, then this episode (previously shared on my YouTube channel ) is a must for you! Resources Mentioned Here are some of the tools, videos, and links I mentioned in the episode: My YouTube channel Matt vs. Japan YouTube channel How This Guy Learned Fluent Spanish By Age 21 | @Nate's...
Jun 22, 2021•12 min•Ep. 408
Lukas van Vyve is the founder of Effortless Conversations and the co-founder of Spring Spanish , a new site and YouTube channel that uses the power of "Conversation Based Chunking" to help you get fluent faster. In our conversation, we talk about: What it's like to grow up in a country where 3 languages are spoken (Hint: it's not what you think!). Why Lukas can get in the car, drive 45 minutes in a certain direction, and not understand anything people say when he arrives. Why many polyglots lear...
Jun 15, 2021•53 min•Ep. 407
Like me, Aletta Mazlin is a big believer in learning languages through stories. Her passion for story-telling has led to the creation of a number of fantastic language learning resources, including The French Experiment , The Italian Experiment , The Spanish Experiment , and The German Project . Her latest project is called The Fable Cottage , a delightful site which shares bilingual tales for language learners in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German. In our conversation, we dive into w...
Jun 08, 2021•42 min
Today I'm joined by Mikkel Thorup, host of the Expat Money Show podcast. ExpatMoneyShow.com Have you ever dreamt of living abroad? Well today, you're going to find out everything you need to know about the nuts and bolts of becoming an expat, including: The best places to become an expat The difference between: Tourist visas, Permanent residency, and Citizenship The easiest countries for getting permanent residency One country where you can get permanent residency for $3,500 (including visas for...
Jun 01, 2021•37 min•Ep. 405
In this episode, I speak with Mari Salvestrini, a polyglot based in the Netherlands who has had language learning adventures all over the world, including time in Spain, Belgium, and Italy. She speaks Spanish, English, Dutch, Italian, and Portuguese, and is currently learning German and Japanese. In our conversation, you'll hear how she has learned so many languages, her tips for both absolute beginners and those struggling through the intermediate plateau, and the critical importance of learnin...
May 25, 2021•30 min•Ep. 404
In this episode, I speak with Michael Schmitz, the man behind the site Smarter German and the author of How to Learn German Faster . He holds a master's degree in German as a Foreign Language, and has been teaching the language all the way back to 1999. After teaching in traditional language schools for many years, Michael grew increasingly frustrated with the mainstream approach to teaching languages and decided to branch out on his own and begin teaching German in a more effective way. In the ...
May 18, 2021•46 min•Ep. 403
Carmela asks: "My professor likes to choose a random book and copy it out by hand. Is this a good method?" Do You Have A Question? This show exists to answer your language learning questions! Send me your questions by visiting: https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/ask ...and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Leave a Review If you'd like to support the show, the best way to do that is to: Leave an honest review of the show wherever you get your podcasts. (You can normally do this withi...
May 11, 2021•12 min•Ep. 402
In this episode, I speak with Elisa Polese, a professional language teacher, coach, and author well-known for teaching multiple languages at once in the same classroom! To date, she has studied a staggering 25 languages, and teaches 13 of them, including Italian, German, English, Spanish, Russian, French, Dutch, Catalan, Portuguese, Greek, Hindi, Arabic, and Esperanto! In our conversation, we discuss: How she has managed to learn so many languages and how you can do the same! Why she encourages ...
May 04, 2021•38 min•Ep. 401
In this episode, I speak with Casie Tennin, a blogger and avid world traveler from New York City. Her international adventures began with a one-way ticket to rural Spain in 2014, where she went from broken high school Spanish to fluent español in less than a year! Since then, she has visited 27 countries in total, which you can hear all about on her blog, A Wandering Casiedilla . In our conversation, you will hear how she learned Spanish so quickly, the danger of staying in an expat bubble, how ...
Apr 27, 2021•43 min•Ep. 400
