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PODCAST

StoryLearning Podcast

Got a burning language learning question? I’m Olly Richards and I"ve learned 8 languages through stories. Every Wednesday, I answer your questions and chat to world-class language experts. Whether you"re learning Spanish, German, Japanese, or something else, tune in for insider tips and practical strategies to get fluent fast. Each week you get: - Answers to your biggest language learning challenges - Story-based techniques to accelerate your progress - Tried and tested tips from my 25+ years of

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All Episodes

00:10:01

105: Which side of a flashcard should you display first?

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/05/24

Wilbert asks: "I'm learning Portuguese with flashcards. Which side of the flashcard should I display first?" In this episode: If you display the foreign word first, you only have to recognise it If you display the mother-tongue word first, you have to recall and produce the word in the target language - much harder to do Resources mentioned in today's episode: Make Words Stick - a short video lesson about memorising vocabulary and not forgetting it Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki

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00:11:32

104: How to reach C2 level in English

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/05/20

Sabina asks: "I'm trying to reach C2 level English, what should I do?" In this episode: Many native speakers are not C2 level It's not easy to reach and involves complex skills Knowing the C2 level descriptions doesn't necessarily help you know how to reach it Focus on your subject area, and become an expert in that area The language skills will follow quickly C2 CEFR Descriptors: Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and

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00:09:17

103: What's the easiest language in the world?

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/05/18

A listener from Korea asks: "What's the easiest language to learn?" In this episode: The difficulty of a language depends on its proximity to your mother tongue For Koreans, Japanese is very close For English speakers, Spanish and other romance languages are very close Motivation is still the most important thing to consider when choosing a new language Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to connect with affordable and effective

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00:17:06

102: A One Year Spanish Self-Study Plan

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/05/13

In this episode, I discuss a hypothetical 1-year plan to learn Spanish. In this episode: My hypothetical 1-year plan to learn Spanish: 1-3 weeks: Use an introductory audio course Months 1-3: Study a good textbook and work with a teacher Months 4-6: Speak a lot and focus on vocabulary Months 7-12: Replace daily activities in life with Spanish Resources mentioned in today's episode: Olly's favourite Spanish resources - a complete list Weeks 1-3: Pimsleur Spanish Michel Thomas Spanish Months 1-3:

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00:10:36

101: Is a community the ultimate language hack?

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/05/11

In this episode, I talk about the impact that language communities have had on my life. In this episode: The Polyglot Gathering in Berlin What it's like in a language conference Developing deep relationships with likeminded people Getting outside your comfort zone How this can impact on your language learning Resources mentioned in today's episode: With podcast listener Maria in Berlin... Start speaking today I’d like to thank iTalki for supporting the show. iTalki is the best place online to

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00:21:15

100: Language Learners Around the World Reveal Their...

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/04/26

This is episode 100 of the podcast! In this episode we hear from you - the listeners. In this episode: I asked you to tell me the single biggest lesson about language learning you've learnt from listening to 100 episodes of the podcast. I was struck by the diversity of people around the world who got in touch - everyone learning different languages, in different countries. It was truly inspiring, and it reminded me how we are all striving to improve our lives by learning languages, and are making

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00:08:59

099: How to cope with a different alphabet

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/04/21

Isabelle asks: "I'm learning Korean, but I'm slow at reading. How can I improve?" In this episode: An unfamiliar alphabet can be off-putting Some alphabets present significant challenges (e.g. Chinese) Korean is relatively easy - only 24 characters The pronunciation is reflected in the characters (unlike Chinese, for example) Learn all the characters and associated sounds at the beginning Improving is really just a question of practice Keep away from romanisation Persist! Resources mentioned in

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00:10:28

098: Improving writing skills without a teacher

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/04/19

Tomasz asks: "How can I improve my writing in English without a teacher?" In this episode: Three powerful ways to get better at writing: Use a community site like Lang-8.com to write diary entries and get corrections from native speakers Reverse translation - click here to learn about that Exam books give specific writing exercises and sample answers... Your Homework! Help me create an amazing feature for the 100th episode! I'd like to create a montage of voices of podcast listeners from around

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00:09:58

097: Word Order & Sentence Structure In A New Language

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/04/16

Freddie asks: "What's the best way to get my head around different word order and sentence structure in a new language?" In this episode: Three approaches to getting used to word order and sentence structure: Learn the rules. It doesn't take long, but is important for you to be aware of how the language works Lots of input. Word order is something you ultimately get used to in a language, so in order to make this happen you need to be listening and reading to as much as possible. Regular

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00:13:42

096: Olly's Strategy to Learn German

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/04/14

2 weeks ago, I started learning German. In this episode I talk about my experience learning a brand new language. In this episode: Why I decided to learn German My specific aims The time frame I've given myself, and why this is important My strategy for learning German Similarities with English and the opportunities that presents Resources Featured In This Episode Colloquial German - the textbook I'm using to study every day Basic German - A Grammar and Workbook - the grammar book I chose to

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00:13:10

095: Should I rely on translation at advanced levels?

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/04/07

SJ asks: "I'm using flashcards to help me learn English expressions. But am I relying too much on translation?" In this episode: The challenges of learning a language at a higher level Why you shouldn't worry too much about translation Use bilingual flashcards to help prompt you - not to produce a direct translation Why, as a general principle, you should study entirely in the target language Your Homework! Help me create an amazing feature for the 100th episode! I'd like to create a montage of

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00:11:55

094: I get tired after speaking for 30 minutes

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/04/05

Tomás asks: "I get tired after speaking English for 30 minutes. How can I raise my stamina?" In this episode: My experience breaking through the "tiredness" barrier in Spanish You need to spend extended time speaking a language in order for it to become easier When you're having fun, you won't get tired so easily In your lessons, try to push yourself from the start by defining challenging topics to discuss Today's Featured Quote: "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means

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00:12:27

093: Is culture important in language learning?

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/04/01

Thiago asks: "I'm learning Japanese. How important is it for me to learn the culture?" In this episode: Why language and culture are inextricably linked Why you can't learn a language to a high level without familiarity with the culture However, if basic communication is your main aim, you don't need to be culturally literate You can get to a basic level of conversation in the language without knowing about the culture Today's Featured Resource: Does Language Influence Culture? - A fascinating

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00:11:41

092: Is reading aloud helpful?

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/03/30

Nicolas asks: "Is it helpful to read aloud in Chinese?" In this episode: Reading aloud and why we do it Our experience of reading aloud from school The benefits of reading aloud on pronunciation Why reading aloud has few other benefits for developing fluency Why reading aloud is harmful for developing reading skills Today's Featured Resource: Hacking Chinese: Reading Aloud In Chinese Is Really Hard - an interesting article on this topic for those of you learning Chinese 100th Episode

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00:43:47

091: Luke Thompson on teaching and learning

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/03/24

In this episode I talk with Luke Thompson from Luke's English Podcast. Luke's been podcasting for over 7 years, and I asked him about the top three things he'd learnt during that time. He chose four things - but I won't hold it against him! In this episode: Luke's top lessons from 7+ years of podcasting: Attitude - It's vital for language learners to ask questions and be willing to fail Time - You must be willing to work regularly at your target language over time Practice - Practise often and

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00:11:03

090: Should I add audio to my flashcards?

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/03/22

Sergio asks: "Is it a good idea to add audio to my flashcards?" In this episode: Why audio and images are helpful to remember vocabulary The benefits of adding audio to your flashcards Memrise.com The tradeoff in terms of time Why I don't do it personally 100th Episode Special! Help me create an amazing feature for the 100th episode! I'd like to create a montage of voices of podcast listeners from around the world, all giving one piece of language advice they've learned from the show. This would

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00:12:49

089: How can I resurrect a childhood language?

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/03/17

Zena asks: "I spoke fluent Chinese as a child, but I've since forgotten it. How can I resurrect it?" In this episode: If you spoke another language as a child, how much you will remember as an adult How to reconnect with the language Finding out what resources you used to like as a child How to approach resurrecting the language How to approach learning an Asian language Today's Featured Resource: 111 Mandarin Chinese Resources You Wish You Knew - My EPIC Chinese resource page Start speaking

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00:14:49

088: Should I watch movies with subtitles?

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/03/15

Pete asks: "I'm learning Portuguese, should I watch movies with subtitles?" In this episode: Why movies are not a useful learning strategy for beginners What to do instead 10 ways to make the most out of movies: Try to find movies that you’ve already seen, but dubbed into your target language Watch the same movie over and over, rather than a new one each time. Turn off the subtitles! Don’t stop and start the movie to look things up in the dictionary. Instead, you can keep a notebook next to you

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00:15:19

087: How to avoid translating in your head

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/03/10

Pete asks: "I'm learning Portuguese, how can I avoid translating in my head?" In this episode: Translation is inevitable It's a useful strategy as a beginner Translation stops being useful as you move to higher levels, and you're dealing with nuances in the language which often don't have translations Stopping translating in your head is something that happens naturally over time Tips for moving away from translation: Be happy with a certain level of ambiguity in the language - fixating on

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00:09:44

086: How to study during a busy period

StoryLearning Podcast ·

2016/03/08

Isabelle asks: "I'm about to enter a very busy period of final exams. How can I keep up my Mandarin during this period?" In this episode: The good thing about having a finite period of "busyness" The less pressure the better - results in more learning I suggest picking ONE thing, and doing only that during the whole busy period This could be: have two speaking sessions a week, watch one episode of a TV drama every evening, learn 5 new Chinese characters every morning Resources Featured In Today's

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