Blog
Research-backed insight for language learning
How to Memorize the Colors (or any word!) in French Faster
Les Couleurs Learning in context is the fastest way to learn vocabulary words in a foreign language. By combining listening, reading, and speaking new words within complete sentences, you’ll learn French faster. Deliberate practice is one of the 6 research-backed...
How to Memorize the Colors (or any word!) in Spanish Faster
Los Colores Learning in context is the fastest way to learn vocabulary words in a foreign language. By combining listening, reading, and speaking new words within complete sentences, you’ll learn Spanish faster. Deliberate practice is one of the 6 research-backed...
Why Language Learning in the US is Broken
If you're going to do something, do it right. Unfortunately, language learning is rarely done right. In the United States, it's especially broken. Billions of dollars and millions of hours spent a year with very little to show for it. High school classes, free mobile...
Language Learning Success = (Invested Time x Motivation) / Inhibition
The famous Hungarian polyglot Kató Lamb came up with a useful formula to evaluate your language acquisition success. Result = (Invested Time x Motivation) / Inhibition I think this is a great formula. Throughout the years I’ve always gone back to this formula because...
Deliberate Practice: Parley Blue’s Uncomfortably Satisfying Secret Sauce
When I first started re-learning Portuguese with Parley Blue, it was an interesting mix of uncomfortable and satisfying. The discomfort came from constantly being stretched beyond my current abilities. In calls with my coach, I struggled to understand and formulate...
80/20 Rule: Reach Fluency Faster With These 3 Steps
The Pareto Principle Picking up a giant 800-page dictionary in your target language at the start of your fluency journey is a sure-fire way to make yourself feel discouraged and defeated before you’ve even begun. How will you ever...
Foreign language fluency heals prejudice and narrow-mindedness
Mark Twain said it well: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all...
Shower Conversations: Fluency Tip
Shower Conversations Olá! ¡Hola! Bonjour! One of my favorite techniques to practice a foreign language is having “Shower Conversations.” I first heard about shower conversations from a Ted Talk I watched by Sid Efromovich when I was in college. It’s an easy concept....
Learn a Foreign Language Faster With These 6 Research Backed Principles!
Language learning is a long-term goal. It is a marathon, not a sprint. If you are watching this video, I can imagine a few things about you and your character. You are goal driven and brave. You have grit, determination, and foresight. If you are interested in...
One Painful Trick To Build Your Language Learning Habit
Creating Habits by Leveraging the Concept of Loss Aversion So I’m thinking about habit tracking lately. Trying to figure out why it works. Let's make it real. Let's talk about the habit of practicing your new language. Specifically, doing your daily lesson in the...
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