Research-backed insights for language learning
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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....
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...
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...
If I wanted to cross the threshold into fluency I needed to hack the habit-forming process. Maintaining consistency with the habits and routines that I know are good for me is one of my biggest frustrations. I love self-improvement and have mountains of...
Learn Faster: Be Immersed in Portuguese from Home People love to say that the best way to learn a language is through immersion. While immersion is one component to fluency, you won't magically become fluent in Portuguese just by moving to Brazil. Combining...
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