The Unconventional Polyglot: A Unique Approach to Learning Languages

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This is a podcast about languages and language-learning from a unique perspective. Since 2018, I have spent thousands of hours studying (to varying degrees) 16 languages (!), and I have learned a lot about what works and what doesn't, from apps to websit

William


    • Jun 11, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 14m AVG DURATION
    • 39 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Unconventional Polyglot: A Unique Approach to Learning Languages

    Language-learning app review -- Busuu

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2023 17:21


    In this episode I cover which languages Busuu offers, how their language courses are structured, what makes Busuu different from other apps (particularly Duolingo), and my personal likes and dislikes related to the app.

    Is your language study diverse enough? (Mine wasn't)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2023 16:17


    In this episode, based on recent personal experience, I advocate maintaining a language study routine that encompasses all four major aspects of language: reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

    Duolingo courses ranked WORST to BEST

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2023 25:42


    In this episode, I rank the 18 Duolingo courses that I have personally worked through.

    My method for maximizing vocabulary retention while reading

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2023 13:59


    In this episode, I lay out the method I use to best ensure that I retain as much vocabulary as possible while I read materials in one of my target languages.

    How can you most effectively retain vocabulary in your target language?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2023 12:38


    In this episode, I outline a method I use to organize and retain vocabulary into my long-term memory.  I am confident that if you follow the steps in this method, you will be able to add many, many new words into your target-language vocabulary.

    A review of 2022 and preview of my 2023 language study!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2023 19:45


    In this episode, I look back at my goals for language-learning in 2022 and how well I met those goals.  Then I discuss what my language-learning goals are for 2023.

    How can you tell if you're REALLY fluent in a language?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2022 22:16


    In this episode, I take a look at a question that any language-learner is likely to ask themself numerous times along the language-learning process, along with tips on how to measure progress toward fluency.

    Is it a REALLY a good idea to study several languages at the same time?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2022 18:14


    In this episode, I discuss, largely based on my own (extensive) personal experience, why it may or may not be a good idea to study several languages at once, depending on the language learner.

    Overcoming the dreaded 'intermediate plateau'

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2022 15:00


    In this episode, I discuss the so-called 'intermediate plateau' in language-learning, its cause, and several ways to overcome it.

    Is it okay to study closely related languages at the same time?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2022 16:31


    In this episode, I discuss the advantages and disadvantages of learning multiple closely-related languages at the same time.

    My recommendations of reading materials for learning French

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 16:54


    In this episode, I recommend French Short Stories For Intermediate Level, a 3-volume series by Frederic Bibard, Intermediate French Short Stories by LingoMastery, Short Stories in French and 101 Conversations in Simple/Intermediate French by Olly Richards, Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, L'etranger by Albert Camus, and Harry Potter à L'École des Sorciers (French version) by J.K. Rowling.

    My recommendations of YouTube channels and podcasts for learning French

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2022 12:57


    In this episode, I cover five Youtube Channels (Easy French, Français Authentique, Parapluie French, French with Pascal, and C'est pas Sorcier) and four podcasts (Inner French, Français avec Yasmine, Français Authentique, and Français avec Fluidite).

    My recommendations of apps for learning French

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2022 23:42


    In this episode, I discuss most of the apps that I have used to learn French.

    Can you become fluent in a language using only apps?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2022 14:52


    In this episode, I discuss how feasible it is to achieve fluency in a target language using only apps.

    The Danger of Frustration

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2022 12:43


    In this episode, I discuss the inevitable frustration that occurs in language learning, and how that frustration can either be turned into motivation or it can lead to giving up.

    The Danger of Tunnel-vision

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2022 14:00


    In this episode, I discuss why I highly recommend using a variety of different resources to learn a language, rather than relying on one or two resources alone.

    The Danger of Overconfidence

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2022 11:17


    In this episode, I discuss some of the ways that overconfidence, particularly influenced by some apps and level-assessment tests, can arise.  This overconfidence can then easily turn into self-doubt once the reality of how much time and effort remains to reach fluency sinks in.

    The Danger of Self-doubt

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2022 10:46


    In this episode, I discuss the self-doubt that commonly accompanies the frustrations that arise during language-learning, and I offer a couple of ways to minimize that doubt.

    The Power of Talking to Yourself

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2022 12:42


    In this episode, I give suggestions for speaking activities that you can do with nobody else around to help strengthen your ability to think more quickly and naturally in your target language, leading to better speaking.

    The Power of Patience

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2022 12:14


    In this episode, I talk about the importance of being patient as a language learner, and how a lack of patience can result in a lot of unnecessary frustration and self-doubt.

    The Power of Listening

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2022 11:05


    In this episode, I discuss what is perhaps the most important part of language-learning: listening.  When done in a sufficient quantity and with the right listening materials, listening can significantly advance your language learning.

    The Power of Repetition

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2022 12:55


    In this episode, I discuss how powerful repetition has been in my language-learning, after having avoided it for a long time.  I give examples of the use of repetition in reading, listening, and usage of apps.

    Reflections on 2021 and Plans for 2022

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2022 8:52


    In this episode, I evaluate how close I came to accomplishing the language-learning goals I had set up for myself at the beginning of 2021, and I introduce my goals and 2 "new" primary target languages for 2022.

    What is fluency? How can we measure progress toward fluency?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2021 12:30


    In this episode, I address the fairly subjective concept of fluency, as well as common-sense benchmarks to indicate how far you are along the path to fluency.

    My recommendations of reading materials for learning Spanish

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2021 16:19


    In this episode, I highlight the books of three particular authors (Paco Ardit, Juan Fernández and Olly Richards) who each have series of graded readers for learners of Spanish.  I also mention an app, LingQ, which is a very useful resource for improving listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and vocabulary retention all at the same time.

    My recommendations of YouTube channels and podcasts for learning Spanish

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2021 17:09


    In this episode, I recommend the following YouTube channels: Easy Spanish, Spanish Around, Español con Juan (for intermediate learners), Linguriosa (for intermediate to advanced learners), Luisito Comunica and Superholly (for advanced to native speakers).  I also recommend the podcasts Español con Juan, Notes in Spanish, and Spanish-obsessed.

    My thoughts and recommendations for 7 popular language-learning apps for learning Spanish

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2021 18:08


    In this episode, I review the Spanish offerings for Duolingo, Memrise, Busuu, LingoDeer, Mango Languages, Mondly, and LingoPie.

    Language-learning MYTH #6: There is a perfect app out there that can make you fluent in a language

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2021 16:55


    In this episode, I go over some of the strengths and deficiencies in some of the most popular language-learning apps.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    Language-learning MYTH #5: Making mistakes is a bad thing

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2021 12:15


    In this episode, I discuss how making mistakes is a key part of language-learning, and that the only mistakes that are bad are the ones for which you don't make the effort to correct.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    Language-learning MYTH #4: You need to immerse yourself in a language to learn it

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2021 9:43


    In this episode, I tackle the (semi-) myth that in order to truly learn a language, you need to immerse yourself in it.  I discuss how I believe that this is actually true in a sense, but that under many people's circumstances, the best they can probably do is limited immersion, i.e. focusing as completely as possible on a language while you're in the process of studying it, without going to the extreme of avoiding all exposure to your native language .Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    Language-learning MYTH #3: You need to have a "good" reason to learn a new language

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2021 8:20


    In this episode, I discuss how interest in a language can just as well develop after you start learning as it can before you start learning.   I use the example of my developing love affair with Portugal and Portuguese to demonstrate this.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    Language-learning MYTH #2: You can learn a language without much time or effort

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2021 9:23


    In this episode, I discuss my objections to the types of ads and videos out there proclaiming that you can learn a language just by watching TV, or that you can learn a language in some ridiculously short amount of time.  I discuss how these claims are not only wrong, but potentially very detrimental to real language-learning.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    Language-learning MYTH #1: Adults don't learn languages as well as children

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2021 14:30


    In this episode, I discuss the widely-held opinion that children learn languages better than adults, and why that is believed to be the case, from the perspective of both children and adults.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    Disadvantages to learning multiple languages simultaneously

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2021 14:37


    In this episode, I cover five possible disadvantages to learning multiple languages at the same time, along with some reasons why they may not necessarily be actual disadvantages.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    Advantages to learning multiple languages simultaneously

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2021 10:23


    In this episode, I discuss five advantages to learning languages simultaneously, as opposed to sequentially, including 1. Having a much broader knowledge of languages, 2. Being able to compare and contrast vocabulary, grammar, syntax, etc. of different languages reinforces them in each of the languages you study, 3. The more languages you study, the less likely you are to get bored or burned out from focusing on one single language too much, 4. You can achieve fluency in more languages faster when learning them in parallel, and 5. Learning languages faster turns you into a polyglot faster!Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    The Unconventional Polyglot multiple-language acquisition method

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2021 10:51


    In this episode, I describe my two-stage method of language-learning.  Stage 1 involves input acquisition (most commonly done with the aid of apps nowadays.   Stage 2 involves output (which includes speaking and writing) as well as intense, active input (which includes listening and reading).  I also tie these two stages to the two classes of target languages, primary and secondary.

    My progress to date in becoming a polyglot

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2021 8:32


    In this episode, I describe roughly how much I have progressed (as of early September, 2021) in each of my target languages.  I also introduce the classification of target languages into primary (the focus of a majority of my daily language-learning schedule) and secondary (languages that I only spend a comparatively short amount of time on each day).

    A prequel to Episode 1: My earlier experiences with language-learning

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 6:00


    In this episode, I discuss my motivations for and experiences of learning Spanish and then Mandarin Chinese.  Both of these language-learning experiences came years before my current plunge into polyglot-madness.

    Possibly the most ridiculous polyglot origin story ever

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2021 10:09


    In this episode, I recount how I went from not studying any foreign languages to studying 16 foreign languages, all set into motion by a Jeopardy question.

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