“Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.” —WInston Churchill The assumption that many language learners make is that a polyglot (or a hyperpolyglot) has every aspect of language learning figured out.  Given our years of experience, we know exactly what to do at each and every stage of the learning process. While, in general, that statement is mostly true, it all depends on the language.  Learning Greek for the last five years hasn’t been an easy task and I would be remiss to claim that I’ve anticipated the challenges and difficulties i ..read more

For this article, I’m going to be responding directly to questions submitted to me via the SMART Language Learning Academy.   Many of my students (and plenty of people who have followed me online) have had these random, seemingly whimsical questions pop-up at one time or another and I felt like it was the right time to start giving an open and honest response to the following questions: What is my favorite language? Which language makes me the most uncomfortable? If I could only speak one language, which one would it be and why?  Plus plenty of other juicy questions about my l ..read more

“Stay away from negative people, they have a problem for every solution.” —Albert Einstein For every positive, there exists an equal and counteracting negative.  It’s the reality we live in and it’s one we have to accept in order to move on with our lives.  For me, becoming a polyglot and YouTuber has blessed me with more than I could have ever imagined.   It’s an opportunity unlike any other where I’ve gained so much from it, but I’ve been able to give back even more.   While I’ve certainly basked in a sense of accomplishment, my greatest satisfaction has come ..read more

An Italian polyglot walks into a bar and sits down next to a Danish businessman, an older Romanian lady and a Japanese university student.  Each one of them greet the Italian in their native languages. He looks back at them, smiling and nodding, but dying from crippling anxiety on the inside.  I have no idea how to respond to them.  Even worse, if the conversation continues, I won’t know what to say to them!  Have you ever felt like this random Italian polyglot?  If you’ve been learning a language, you’ve probably hit that point where it’s almost embarrassing how muc ..read more

My name is Thomas Sulmon, I am a 30 year old language lover from Belgium.  I’ve lived in Budapest for four years and I actually work here as a French translator and voiceover artist. I have three YouTube channels, each one representing my three biggest passions in life: languages, poetry, and singing. This article is divided into an interview on how I learned Hungarian in record time and 4 tips on how to learn any language through immersion. Which languages do you speak? It’s never easy to answer that question, because a lot of people’s definition of “speaking fluently” varies. If by sp ..read more

For many language learners, there is an obsession with speed.  Addicted to the high of accomplishing tasks well ahead of their expected time, language enthusiasts are always chomping at the bit for an edge when it comes to making progress.  However, language learning, and more specifically becoming fluent, is typically a lengthy and laborious process that involves very few viable speed hacks.   Is it pure nonsense to believe you could 10x your ability to learn a language? Same old snake oil being sold by the latest and not-so-greatest language influencer(s)?  Well, t ..read more

“I want to sound like a native.” Most people begin their language learning with that in mind.  And what does that mean, exactly? Perfect pronunciation? Unlimited vocabulary? Complete comprehension?  To get to that point  maybe you even envision yourself as someone who speaks your target language, like a famous actor or TV host, and maybe, just maybe, you try to imitate that individual while talking to yourself in front of a mirror.  Or that could have been me, and me alone,  with my infatuation of Hollywood movies back in the day.  Regardless, the question still ..read more

“Narrow listening, I propose, will be most valuable to second language acquirers who find uncontrolled casual conversation too difficult to understand.”  Stephen Krashen Linguist and educational researcher Enter Lingophil.  If you’re one of the many language learners, especially an intermediate-level learner, who struggles with understanding native speakers then this may be your golden ticket to finally overcoming that bothersome issue.  In this article, I’ll cover how the app works, whether or not it’s an effective means of improving one’s listening comprehension skills and ..read more

My name is Davide Gemello, I’m the man behind Podcast Italiano and have been helping people learn Italian since 2017. But long before that, thanks in large part to the creator of this blog, I've been into learning foreign languages. I have also studied translation and interpreting, even if I never took it up professionally, and I’ve been fascinated by linguistics for quite some time. Over the years, my passion for languages has led me down interestings paths, giving me insights about the process of language learning  that Luca asked me to share with you. Here they are. 1. Don’t neglect y ..read more

The best methods are therefore those that supply "comprehensible input" in low anxiety situations...these methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are "ready", recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production. Stephen Krashen Dear Reader,  It’s time to address a critical piece of the language learning puzzle: your emotions.   No, I’m not your therapist and we’re not here to unpack any childhood trauma, but we are going to discus ..read more