Hey reader,
I’m excited to announce a new guide! It’s comparable in size to The Language Learner’s Handbook, but is focused on those of us who already know about the key resources and want to improve our overall language learning technique.
Check the feature below for more info.
This is not a special edition. As always, useful links from around the web are below.
Simon
💡Mondecast Feature: The Principles of Language Learning
Quite a few will have noticed it in the store already, but this is the announcement of my next book: The Principles of Language Learning
Have you ever experienced any of the following:
You reached the end of your course and weren’t sure what you were supposed to do next?
You felt like your course or activities weren’t effective but weren’t sure what to change?
You did some research but encountered so many different techniques you weren’t sure whose advice to follow?
Your progress started to slow and you weren’t sure why?
I’ve experienced all three, and my explorations as a beginner are what led me to write The Language Learner’s Handbook. I wanted to cut through the confusion and show beginners how they can easily start learning a language themselves. It’s more of a how-to, focused on key ideas and resources with only a minimum of theory.
During my research, I found all sorts of different routines, resources, techniques, exercises. Which one was the right one for me? What about my readers?
When I stood back and looked at the whole, I made a crucial discovery: underlying all these differences were hidden similarities. Though they utilised different techniques, underneath the surface they were all implicitly applying the same ideas.
These ideas are the essence of effective language learning.
This book is a complement to the foundational knowledge you have learnt in The Language Learner’s Handbook. The Principles of Language Learning will explain the 24 core ideas that will make you an effective language learner. With them you will be able to evaluate methods for yourself, avoid dead ends, and make confident decisions about how you study to become a highly successful language learner.
You can download a sample with three principles from here. The full guide is a bit over 100 pages.
Librivox is a library of public domain audiobooks. That is, the texts are public domain and volunteers have read and uploaded themselves reading.
If you’d like a paid alternative with more modern books, Audible is very affordable and has a small catalogue of books for learners in addition to a massive catalogue of many full audiobooks in many languages.
🌐Language learning
People recommend their favourite books about language learning.
Somebody asks: At what level can you start learning with real content rather than content for learners?
This reply reflects my views:
With B1, you can start doing content not explicitly made for learners, but you'll still need to look up A LOT of words and need a lot of patience. It will be more a type 2 fun.
With B2, you should be good enough to understand everyday language, so podcasts for natives for example are becoming more comfortable to listen to, novels are starting to become something other than pure torture.
The key idea: it really depends on the content. At B2, some stuff will be a breeze, but other things will leave you wondering if you learnt anything at all these past few years.
💻From around the web
An interview with the Russian dialect coach for the TV show Heated Rivalry.
Rob Words answers some questions on the origins of words.
Till next time!
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