How to Speak Any Language Fluently

by Alex Rawlings

This book will give you the skills to learn to speak any language with confidence. It uses techniques that can easily be incorporated into your daily life, while making use of whatever resources you have available. Whether you are starting out with your first foreign language or wishing to add to your repetoire, you'll find a wealth of easy-to-follow advice and achievable goals. Discover how -Speak with greater confidence and accuracy-Effectively learn vocabulary and grammar-Use time on the internet and social media to learn a language-Read real books, websites and articles in a foreign language-Pass exams that certify your language skills

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, Linguistics, Self Help, Science, Academic, Education

Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read. Actually doing it takes longer. I liked this book & hope to come back to review these techniques as I work on language learning.


I like that there are exercises after each chapter.

Chapter 1 Exercises:

1. Make a list of every language you have had contact with in the last month. Which of these are viable for you to learn, which aren’t, and why?

2. Write a list of ten different reasons why you have chosen to learn your language.

3. Write down one or more long-term objectives for your new language, then break these down into feasible action points for you to start working towards straightaway.

4. Compile a list of all of the resources you have available, both online and offline. Work out how you are going to use these to your advantage.

5. Start keeping a progress log that you update once per week. Write in it how you are feeling, what went well this week, and what you would like to improve on for next week.

Chapter 6

Section: Finding People to Speak With (the last section)
1. meetup.com
2. Language Exchange
3. Online: italki.com

Chapter 9: Using Technology
Lots of resources listed here.
* Why Use Technology
* Spaced Repetition Software
* Top Language-Learning Apps
* Eight Free Websites to Help Learn Languages
* Social Media
* Customize Your Feed
* Hashtag Hacks
* Language Learning Groups
* Online community
* Why You Shouldn’t Use Technology

[Madame Histoire · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good no-fake promises and up-to-date (apps, online lessons, SNS, tandems etc) rather complete how-to guide to language learning.
Out of the many language learning guide I have read thus far, I would say that if I had to pick only one, it would be this one. The layout and content are good, it is also more likely to tick with the younger crowd than the more dry and academic writing on language learning.
If one has read much about language leaching techniques, it might seem a little to much like an introduction to it though.

-"15/30/15 Routine.
By doing less more frequently, you end up doing more in the longer term."
-"Write down every excuse you have ever given yourself for failing to do your language study for that day. Find ways to solve these problems and help make sure they never come up again."
-" If you manage to make it through a whole week without missing a study slot, plan ways in which to reward yourself."
-"Bring a vocab checklist to each lesson and aim to use all of it in conversation. Base this both on your words from the previous lesson, and new ones that you’ve come across in the meantime."
-"Giving feedback face-to-face can lead to fewer misunderstandings than by email."
-"Always review what you covered in the previous lesson at least once. This includes both your notes and any material from the textbook."
-focus on the top 10 vocal work per lesson, ask teacher to pick 10 if more than 10
-"It’s impossible to make direct eye-contact with someone over Skype, as looking at the webcam means looking away from the screen. Think about your body language and find other ways to show that you are engaged."
- handwriting > typing
- "Rewrite homework exercises to make them more relevant to me or someone that I know. + Use a dictionary to write ‘what-happens-next?’ sentences after each question"
-"Listen to a recording on YouTube of someone reciting a poem. Find the text, and record yourself saying it. Note down all of the difference between your pronunciation and theirs, then re-record yourself trying to get closer to the original."
-"Ask your teacher or language partner to keep a note of all of the mistakes you’ve made in a lesson, and give this to you at the end. Decide which mistakes are simply slips, and which are knowledge gaps + make a note of everything you say that sounds particularly foreign or unnatural, but that still could make sense. See if you can find ways to make what you’re trying to say sound more authentic. Try to spot recurring patterns."
-"Dictation really helps you to connect the written to the spoken word"
-"Listen to a dialogue, a short interview, podcast or radio show and make notes on what is being said. Afterwards, prepare a short, thirty-second summary in the language you are learning of everything that you heard."
- reading plays : shorter + closer to spoken language
-TOP TIP: READ, RE-READ, AND RE-READ AGAIN Read a whole chapter or short story in the language you are learning without looking up any vocabulary. Make a note of the words you don’t know, and when you’ve finished look them up. Then re-read the chapter and see how much more you understand. Test yourself on these new words the next day and see how many you remember.
-laddering = learning one language through another

[Maksymiliane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say as an addicted language learner? This book gave me a tiny bit of fresh motivation, some new tips and tricks I might apply to my study sessions.

[Alla Dumnych · Rating 4 out of 5]

Цілком непогана книга, не надто товста, щоб швидко набриднути і без води. Я розумію, чому деяким людям вона може здатись недостатньо інформативною — більшість людей очікує якоїсь магічної пігулки, яка швидко допоможе вивчити ту чи іншу мову, а так не буває. Тільки практика через слухання, читання, письмо і граматику зможе допомогти у вивченні. Автор акцентує на кожному із цих моментів, хоча нічого революційного він не відкриє, проте може дати якір розвитку, що мені він, насправді, і надав. Мінус одна зірочка, бо в глибині душі я теж сподівалась на магічну пігулку, не буду кривдити душею.:)

[Nata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foarte bine structurată această carte. Conține multe idei și practici pentru a învăța o limbă străină.

Autorul știe despre ce vorbește, pentru că el cunoaște cel puțin 11 limbi. Mi-a plăcut să citesc această carte și recunosc că mi-a dat și ceva motivație pentru a continua să învăț limba olandeză 😁

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair enough to flip through for the beginner.

[Onírica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5/5

Me ha sorprendido lo apropiado de sus consejos, muy realistas, sobre todo para quienes aprenden un idioma de forma autodidacta. El final de cada capítulo añade ejercicios y prácticas que puedes aplicar en tu proceso de estudio, aunque es la parte que menos me ha interesado, creo que no voy a aplicarlas mucho.

Sin duda lo mejor es la explicación de Rawlings de ciertos procesos de avance, estancamiento y desarrollo de aprendizaje que te explica de forma sincera y sin artificios. Ahí te reconoces a ti mismo en tus propias experiencias y dificultades aprendiendo un idioma. Con ello puedes normalizarlas y aprender a combatir los escollos que surgen de forma natural, siguiendo sus sugerencias de acuerdo a tus necesidades. Utilísimo, lo recomiendo a cualquier amante del estudio de idiomas, incluso a los más avanzados.

[OrigamiSushiNinja · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you had to read only one book about language learning, THIS is the one.
This is by far my absolute favorite language learning book. It has answered so many questions, and helped me so much on my language learning journey.
I love how it is structured. You don't have to read it from cover to cover, but you just pick and read a chapter that is relevant to you, reading, listening, test taking, etc.
So, whether you are just a beginner language learner, or have been learning for years now, I think everyone can glean some kind of valuable information and help from the book.
I highly recommend it!!!

[Javier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anybody who is part of a polyglot group online or otherwise has most likely heard about Alex Rawling. I had been meaning to read this book to see what it was all about and I was pleasantly surprised. If you have learned a couple of languages you most likely have developed some of these skills already but it was still a nice refreshing read. I totally found a couple new things I will be trying. I quite enjoyed the way the book was organized and liked that the book was practical and went straight to the point. Definitely a good book to read if you are aspiring to learn multiple languages.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written guide to language learning, from someone who's clearly passionate about languages. Some of the tips included you could probably guess (e.g. you have to study consistently!) but Rawlings sets the book out in such a supportive and straightforward way that it convinces you to actually do it. All in all, a great motivator and an invaluable resource for structuring your learning.

[Katherine (DarlingBibliophile) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this! I currently study Japanese, Korean, and French so I enjoyed that all of these tips were useful and realistic. Alex Rawlings is a big inspiration to me so it was really interesting to read his view on learning languages!

[Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read like a 200 page WikiHow article written by ChatGPT. And it felt like it was targeted at someone far more regimented than me. But I enjoy reading about languages and how they are acquired, and still got enough out of it to feel it was worth the time.

[Haru · Rating 5 out of 5]

من أجمل الكتب وأنفعها لمتعلميّ اللغات ،، الكتاب ذكر فيه الكاتب " كيف تكون فصيحًا أو طليقًا في لغة ما " ولم يرسم لك خطة معينة يجب عليك إتباعها ، وإنما قدّم الكثير من النصائح التي قد تساعدك لترسم خطتك الخاصة بك .
الكتاب ذكر الكثير من المعلومات المُفيدة، والكثير من العبارات لا تزال تدور في ذهني .
تحدث الكاتب عن كل شيء يخص تعلم اللغات ، بداية من إختيار لغة لتعلمها وتحديد الأهداف إلى الطرق المُناسبة للتعلم لكل شخصية ، بل حتى ذكر عدة مصادر تعليمية للغة وشرح المهارات الأربع وكيف يُمكن تطويرها.

"أن تعلم اللغات لا ينتهي أبدًا ، بغض النظر عن المقدار الذي تعرفه ، سيكون هنالك المزيد لتعلمه"

" لا ينبغي ان تستغرق كل وقتك بتعلم لغة جديدة ، سيكون عليك العمل بوظيفة بدوام كامل او الاهتمام باسرتك او القيام بأعمال منزلية ..الخ ، الهدف ليس التخلي عن حياتك من اجل اللغات وانما الهدف ان تجعل اللغات جزء اساسي لا يمكن تفويته من حياتك اليومية "✨

In this book you will found a lot of tips for languages learners , the writer didn’t write a steps that you should follow to learn language but, he wrote about a lot of tips to be able to create your own language learning routine.
This book answered a lot of my questions.
At the end of the book , there is a quote that I found it interesting:
“Once you have a taste for languages, it’s hard to imagine life without them “✨

[Carmen Naíde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical, concise, full of great tools and exercises to help people find their optimal approach on learning new languages. Great if you’re stuck or still navigating what works best for you.

It touched on a few subjects I found particularly interesting, for example, the “Shall we just speak in English?” chapter, where the author explores why we should try not to fall into that behavior and even gives tips for situations like when you’re trying to speak in your target language but the other person talks back in English (ngl, it’s annoying 🥲).

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspirational book on how to learn and speak foreign languages properly. Hands-on skills were taught with exercises to constantly check your progress and learning method. Makes me want to follow the author's methods and learn a new language.

[Loke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! This was a very helpful guide with tons of inspiration for learning, my only complaint is that it could use a read-through to correct some printing errors. It didn't bother me all that much though and over all it was highly enjoyable!

[Fabián Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una decepcionante sucesión de lugares comunes. Si nunca has estudiado un idioma extranjero quizá algunas de estas cosas te sorprendan. En caso contrario, ni te molestes. Lo que obtendrás para nada vale lo que cuesta el libro.

[Tim Smits · Rating 2 out of 5]

How to Speak Any Language Fluently: Fun, stimulating and effective methods to help anyone learn languages faster

Ten Good Reasons Why Everybody Should Be Learning a Language
1. THE BRAIN GYM
Learning a new language keeps your brain active. It requires you to constantly be learning new things and applying your new knowledge. Each time you learn something new, neural pathways are formed in your brain that help keep it active and young.


2. SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY
Speaking a new language forces you to change the way in which you express yourself. You will learn new sayings, new expressions, and see how languages express ideas in entirely different ways. Gradually, you will develop a sense of how the people who speak your new language think. This will introduce you to a world that your native tongue alone could never have shown you.


EARN MORE MONEY
Studies suggest people who speak more languages can earn more money. In a globalised world, the ability to communicate with customers and colleagues in their own language is as invaluable to you as it is to your employer.

4. GAIN INCREASED COGNITIVE ABILITIES
Science has proven that speaking a foreign language actually makes you smarter. It will speed up your brain, and allow it to process more complex information at the same time. Importantly, these benefits are available to anyone learning a foreign language at any time of their life, not just those brought up bilingual or multilingual.


5. DELAY DEMENTIA BY 4.5 YEARS
Learning a new language is so good for your brain that scientists have now proven that doing so will delay the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease by about 4.5 years. This makes learning a language one of the most effective ways known to prevent the condition.

6. COPE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
The NHS lists learning a new language as one of the best ways to deal with depression and other mental health conditions. Studying, plus the routine and regularity that it requires, is a great way to cope with these kinds of stresses in your life.


INCREASED CULTURAL AWARENESS
Learning a language brings you into contact with a huge range of different people and cultures that you might otherwise never have had the chance to get to know. Being able to speak to people in their own language gives you a unique opportunity to come to understand them, their views, beliefs and traditions.


8. BUILD BETTER RELATIONSHIPS
Generally, people love speaking their own language. If you give them that chance, they will feel far freer and more open to speaking to you and getting to know you, than if you oblige them to speak your language. Nowadays, when it is almost expected that people will communicate in English, this is more true than ever, so that when someone has made the effort to learn another language, it really is well received. You will get better service on holidays, and even make friendships that could last a lifetime.


UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN LANGUAGE BETTER
Even though you speak your own language natively, you probably haven’t spent much time thinking about it. Learning a new language will make you more aware of grammar, where words come from, expressions and how to write effectively, not just in the one you’re learning, but in your native language too. You will find yourself much better placed to analyse grammar and use your native language more precisely and accurately.

10. LEARNING LANGUAGES IS A WAY OF LIFE!
Learning a new language is a lifelong undertaking. However much you know, there will always be more left to learn. As you start taking on a new language and getting to know a new culture and new people, you are likely to get hooked in the process. There is no pastime more mentally stimulating and satisfying than this.

Before you set off on your language-learning journey, here are four crucial questions that you should ask:


WHO DO I KNOW THAT SPEAKS THIS?
Relationships are powerful motivators. Many people learn languages successfully for love, but equally having friends, relatives or colleagues who speak your chosen language can be motivating enough too. Do you know anyone who speaks this language, and how will your relationship with them improve by your learning it?


WILL SPEAKING THIS LANGUAGE HELP ME AT WORK?
If you have any upcoming projects, business trips or meetings in which you can use your new language, these can offer you something to aim for and focus on while studying and planning your learning. Think about new opportunities that this language could offer you, and how it could help you progress in your career.

WILL I USE THIS LANGUAGE TO TRAVEL?


. Can you imagine yourself ever making your language-learning pilgrimage to that specific place? If not, is there another language you could be learning for which that seems more likely?


DO I LIKE THIS LANGUAGE’S CULTURE?
As you make further progress with your new language, it will become increasingly important to be interested in its culture. You should enjoy watching films, reading books and engaging with any of the language’s cultural products. Culture is the soul of a language and makes the grammar tables and vocab lists you’ll be learning feel human.

TOP TIP: PLAN HOW YOU WILL USE IT
Start looking for conversation groups, meetups, courses, language exchanges and anything that will allow you to speak the language you’re learning where you live. If you can’t find live events, you can always practise with people via Skype or social networks (see Chapter 9

Picture yourself in a year’s time. Ask yourself:

⋆   Where are you speaking the language?
⋆   Whom are you speaking it with?
⋆   How confident do you feel using it?
⋆   What kinds of things can you talk about?


A good, general first step is to aim to have basic conversations about everyday things, be able to introduce yourself, and interact with native speakers in a polite and friendly manner.

Depending on your circumstances, you may have more specific goals instead.

The most crucial element of this is that it is personal to your objectives, and reasonable for your schedule.


Your next step is to break your objectives down into smaller steps, or action points. Some of these you will be able to start working towards straight away!
Here’s an example of an initial list:

⋆   Make room for study time in your routine.
⋆   Buy a course book.
⋆   Complete one unit/chapter per week.
⋆   Learn fifteen to twenty words each week.
⋆   Aim each week to do something that you couldn’t do the week before.


If your long term objective is to learn to watch films and not have to rely on subtitles, you could work towards that goal as follows:


Watch thirty minutes of foreign TV per day and one film per week.
⋆   Write down all new words and phrases you hear, and learn them.
⋆   Aim by the next week to reduce the number of new words/phrases by 5 per cent.
⋆   Switch from subtitles in your language to subtitles in the language you’re learning.
⋆   Start watching TV without any subtitles at all.

If you organise your learning in this way, it will be easier for you to keep track of the progress you’re making and plan how to keep advancing towards your goals in the quickest and most efficient way possible.


As part of your resources check, you should look for opportunities to speak the language too. This could be in the form of a weekly evening class at a local college, foreign language institute, or adult education centre, or even through working with a private teacher online or offline (see Chapter 3). Speaking from a very early stage is invaluable, as it helps to put everything you have been learning in theory into practice.


There is no simple answer to how long it should take to learn a new language, and for a very good reason.
Thinking about learning a new language purely in terms of time is the wrong way to go about it. Learning a new language is a fun and exciting adventure and a rewarding hobby, that should be done without looking at the clock.

The aim is not to drop your life in order to learn languages. Instead, you want to make languages a key and unmissable aspect of what you do that it becomes part of your daily life.

The 15/30/15 Routine
Break your hour down into three main slots: fifteen minutes at breakfast, thirty minutes at lunchtime, and fifteen minutes around the time you eat in the evening. Use these as follows:
FIFTEEN MINUTES A.M. – REVIEW #2
⋆   Look over your notes from the night before and see how much you remember after a night’s sleep. Anything that is still causing problems should continue to be prioritised at in the following sessions.
THIRTY MINUTES MIDDAY – STUDY TIME
⋆   Your longer session should be used for learning new information and moving further along with your course and study materials. You can also use this time to do homework and exercises. This time should feel focused and productive.
FIFTEEN MINUTES P.M. – REVIEW #1
⋆   This is your first chance to look back at what you covered at midday. Make sure the rules and vocabulary you learned are all still fresh in your head, and try again to learn the ones that have been missing. The next morning, you will get a chance to review again.


The Three-Days-On/Four-Days-Off Routine
If studying every day is too much, follow the 15/30/15 Routine for three days per week, and take four days off. On your off days, spend just a few minutes reviewing everything from before, but you do not need to go any further at this stage in your course.
You will find this routine helpful if you are learning a difficult language, as your ‘off’ days will give you time to absorb and think about the information.
If you are having language lessons with a teacher or in a group, you may want to schedule those lessons for your ‘off’ days, and use them as a review of what you have been studying previously.



1. DREAM BIG, THINK SMALL
Believe that what you want to do is possible. If you are harbouring doubts, these will limit your ability to achieve what you want. In other words, dream big. Imagine where you want to be, and focus on exactly how much you want it. This is your long-term goal.
To bridge the gap between where you want to be, and where you are at the moment, it’s also crucial that you think about the steps you’ll take to get there. This is where you need to think small. Set yourself learning quotas to fulfil each day and each week, then really focus on achieving these.

2. BEHAVIOUR CHAINS
Instead of fighting against your existing routine, make use of it. Don’t replace anything you do at the moment, instead just add extra chains to it that involve language learning. This will make sure not only that you schedule language learning in, but also that you are clear about what you should be doing, and when you should be doing it.
Let’s imagine you have an existing behaviour chain that goes like this:
Get home from work –> Put kettle on –> Get changed –> Watch TV –> Cook –> Eat –> Watch TV –> Sleep
At any of these points (except between cooking and eating) you could add an extra chain that involves language learning and tell yourself: ‘When I’ve got home from work, put the kettle on, and got changed, I will study for 30 minutes.’
This is a specific action point and fits within the framework of what you’re doing already, so this is far more likely to work than if you just say ‘I’m going to study every evening’, which could leave you feeling stressed and distressed by the thought of suddenly cancelling all of the other things that make up your routine.


ELIMINATE EXCESSIVE OPTIONS
Making decisions takes up a lot of brain power. That distracts you from your short- and long-term goals and, before you know it, another week has gone by without you sitting down to study.
Identify all of the mundane aspects of your life and turn them into a routine that you no longer have to think about. Instead of spending hours each day thinking about what to eat for dinner that night, decide that on Mondays you eat fish, on Tuesdays pasta, on Wednesdays chicken and so on. Immediately you have freed up an enormous amount of thought space that you can use to focus on learning languages, and no longer have to plan trips to the supermarket and working out which ingredients you need to buy.
As President of the United States, Barack Obama famously only wore blue or grey suits. He said that not thinking about what to wear each day allowed him to focus on making the many more important decisions he faced.


Sit down and imagine exactly what you are going to be doing each day. Visualise yourself sitting with your books, talking to your teacher, making notes to videos on YouTube, and create a study plan along those lines. Then start implementing it.


The ‘Less Is More’ Principle
Rather than ploughing through your studies when you have a spare few hours, break up your study time and focus on achieving lots of small but efficient bursts. This is the thinking behind the 15/30/15 Routine.
Small bursts with regular breaks help to keep your brain fresh, your memory active, and your enthusiasm at its peak. If you sit down and study for hours, your brain will become overloaded with information, you will forget everything far quicker, and you will be far less likely to go back to studying the next day.
By doing less more frequently, you end up doing more in the longer term. The trick is to always take a break just as you really feel that you’re enjoying what you’re doing and making really good progress. That way, you always end your study sessions on a high, and never end them feeling tired or looking forward to doing something else.
By always having positive experiences of studying, you will find yourself constantly looking forward to getting back to it, and that you will naturally make the best use out of the time you allocate to studying.



If we use running as an analogy: you can either jog or sprint. Sprint training will get you running faster and gradually increase your stamina, but jogging will maintain your overall fitness and make sure that when you come to sprint training, you are still in shape. Finding the balance between these two modes is the key to becoming a good runner.
Generally, people who learn languages focus on the sprint but neglect the jog or the other way around. They put the time in for their active study, but forget about passive study, or spend hours listening to foreign songs they like but forget to ever open a grammar book.
Passive study is anything that involves contact with the language and an opportunity to be reminded of words and grammar that you already know, but without requiring any concentrated effort to get there. Watching a film with subtitles, having a chat with a friend, or just listening to audio are all excellent passive study activities that will bridge the gaps between your active study sessions.
Active study activities include grammar exercises, reading comprehensions, writing assignments, learning vocabulary and translations. All of these require concentration and dedication to complete them successfully.


the idea of taking a week or two off learning might feel counter-productive. However, here are some reasons why it might be exactly what you need to keep everything going in the long term:

⋆   When you get back to learning you will feel refreshed and re-energised. This will avoid burnout in the longer term.
⋆   You will realise that you’ve remembered more than you thought you would. This is a sign of how well you’ve learned everything so far.
⋆   Devote some time to the other hobbies that you love. That way you’ll feel your time is balanced and under control.


A natural opportunity to take a break is when a goal or milestone has been reached. You may then want to have a few weeks’ rest before you start planning how to tackle the next stage of your learning.


Remember that you are human, and that learning a foreign language is something entirely humanly possible.


Exercises
1.    Take a weekly planner and mark up all of your time taken up by work and other commitments, leaving your free time. Schedule your study time in.
2.    Identify the ‘dead time’ in your schedule and work out which moments you are definitely going to use for language study.
3.    Write down every excuse you have ever given yourself for failing to do your language study for that day. Find ways to solve these problems and help make sure they never come up again.
4.    Brainstorm a list of all the different possible activities you could be doing in your ‘dead time’, starting with the most relevant to your course and ending with the least relevant. Pick the ones you will start work on straightaway.
5.    If you manage to make it through a whole week without missing a study slot, plan ways in which to reward yourself.

Leave each lesson with pages of notes, determined to come back next time with as much of it learned as possible.

In many ways, having a good teacher is just as much about being a good student. Here are five steps to follow to make that happen:


COMMUNICATION
So your teacher can plan how to make the best use of your time together, always tell them as much detail as possible about:

⋆   Why you want to learn this language (see Chapter 1).
⋆   Where and how you’ve studied languages before, if at all (e.g. at school, private lessons, on your own, through the internet) and which course or textbooks you’re familiar with.
⋆   What you like and dislike about learning languages.
⋆   What you can do in the language so far, and what you’d like to be able to do by the end of the course.


EXPECTATIONS
It’s essential that you enter the relationship understanding how time with a teacher can benefit your language learning, and also what responsibilities you’re left with. Remember:

⋆   Language lessons are one resource, but not the only resource. You will need to keep up regular independent study to really make progress.
⋆   Not all your lessons will be fun. You will cover topics that do and don’t naturally interest you. Your teacher’s job is also to encourage you to cover areas you’re not naturally drawn to.
⋆   Your teacher will have their own style, and to some extent you will have to adjust to it.


ENGAGEMENT
Ideally, you want to become the student that your teacher really wants to help.

FEEDBACK
Giving negative feedback to a teacher can be intimidating, but is often essential for securing your relationship. Just always remember:

⋆   Everybody likes hearing positive feedback when it’s deserved.
⋆   Even if your teacher initially rejects the feedback, you will still have opened a dialogue that should eventually lead to improvements.
⋆   Giving feedback face-to-face can lead to fewer misunderstandings than by email

[Ellen Gillett · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole book could've (and probably should've) been much much shorter. There's a few gems of insightful tips but they are buried in so much fluff that feels at times patronising and dumbed-down (like the suggestion of 'google.com' as a useful website for looking things up). Maybe I'm not the target audience but I feel like a book like this should be short, snappy and to the point so that the reader can glean the advice and then quickly move on to actually learning a language!

[ToothFairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough book with a lot of useful tips. However, as I learned another language to fluency level at teenager age before, I found these tips quite common, nothing particularly new or interesting to me, if you have already set your mind to studies a language, and read a lot of tips/ experiences online about language learning in general, you might not learn anything new from the book.

[Debhs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect if you’ve never learned a foreign language before. Each chapter ends with a plethora of differentiated exercises to put your learning theory into practice.

Why 4 and not 5?
- if you’ve already learned more than a language to fluency, then you might find that you’ve already adopted many of he techniques in the book. However, the exercises at the end of each chapter may offer you a way to vary your techniques. Example: never thought I would use Instagram as a platform for learning. However, it has proved surprisingly effective into broadening my knowledge of idiomatic expressions.

- what would make it even better?
A structured language-learning diary to go with it. Who knows... perhaps and idea for an extension or even another book?


What I loved the most about it?
It uses very simple language. As a MFL teacher, I used some quotes in my classes. The students seemed to enjoy it and I had them try out a few techniques to go with reading and listening. As an idea, I might try and have them create their own language-learning diary for the next semester!

[Luca Andreol · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to speak any language fluently
🚀 Il #libro in 3 Frasi

* No matter how much you know, there will always be more to learn.

* The new language that you're learning can certainly start to go rusty, but you will never completely undo the hard work that you've put in.

* Remember, language lessons do not replace solo study time, but complement it.

🎨 Impressioni
Libro interessante per l’ apprendimento di una o più lingue.
👤 Chi dovrebbe leggerlo?
Chi volesse diventare un poliglotta.
☘️ Come il libro mi ha cambiato?
Mi ha dato qualche trucco in più su come studiare le lingue.
✍🏻 Le mie tre frasi preferite

*  But perhaps most importantly, you will discover a side of yourself that you never knew. You will learn how your mind works, why it remembers some things but not others, and what makes you motivated and what doesn't. Ultimately, a crucial segment of the journey of learning a new language is about learning how you learn.

* ALWAYS FOCUS ON MAKING ONE LANGUAGE YOUR BEST
The better you know a language, the less likely you are to make blunders. If you do want to learn a very similar language to the one you've already learned, it's worth holding off until you feel confident enough to really feel fluent in the first one. That means something like a C1 or C2 level.

* One technique favoured by polyglots who speak many different languages is 'laddering', or learning one language through another. This 'kill two birds with one stone' approach allows you to have contact with the language of instruction, in which all grammar explanations and instructions is given, while also learning the language that is being taught. Apart from anything, this technique will really broaden your horizons in terms of materials that you can use. Many of the world's best language-learning resources are written in languages other than English. If you are able to read languages like French, German or even Russian, that will be a huge help in accessing some of the world's lesser documented languages.

📒 Sommario + Note
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Ten Good Reasons Why Everybody Should Be Learning a
Language
Which Language Is for You?
Set Objectives
Action Points
Find Resources
When Your Motives Change
Exercises
Model Answers: Person A
Chapter 2: Using Your Time How Long Should It Take?
How Much Time Do You Need?
The 15/30/15 Routine
The Three-Days-On/Four-Days-Off Routine
Once or Twice Per Week
Forming Good Habits
The 'Less Is More' Principle The 'Two-Speed Study System' Making Use of Your 'Dead Time When to Take Breaks
Dealing with Sudden Changes to Routine Exercises
Model Answers: Person B
Chapter 3: Learning with Teachers and Taking Courses Groups or One-to-One?
Where to Find Courses
Make Groups Work for You Getting Ahead of the Class
Falling Behind the Class Where to Find a Teacher
Building the Perfect Relationship with Your Teacher: Five
Steps
Preparing for Your Lessons
Hacking Homework
Online vs. Offline
Signs to Look Out For Exercises
Model Answers: Person C
Chapter 4: Learning Vocabulary
Why Learn Vocabulary?
How 'Actively' Should You Be Studying Vocabulary?
Understanding Your 'Learning Type'
Learning According to Your Style: Ten Techniques The Power of Context
Learn by Using
Choosing and Prioritising Vocabulary
Exercises
Model Answers: Person D
Chapter 5: Grasping Grammar
Why a Spade Isn't Just Called a Spade
Common Terms Explained The Three-Step Technique
Stage 1: Concept
Stage 2: Memory
Stage 3: Production
Dealing with Irregularities Using a Grammar Book
Exercises
Model Answers: Person E
Chapter 6: Speaking
The Key to Speaking Any Language You Want Making Mistakes
Accents
Pronunciation
Intonation
Body Language and Non-Verbal Communication
Learn It Like You Want to Speak It Receiving Feedback and Corrections
'Shall We Just Speak in English?' Language Etiquette
Finding People to Speak With Getting Around Knowledge Gaps
Exercises
Model Answers: Person F
Chapter 7: Listening
Training Your Ear
Knowing What to Listen Out For Dictations
Podcasts
Radio
Watching TV/Films
Subtitles and Dubbing
Exercises
Model Answers: Person G
Chapter 8: Reading
Why Read?
What to Read?
Common Challenges
The Four Reading Skills
Setting Objectives and Milestones
The 'Read with Your Eyes Shut' Technique When to Look Up Words Kindles and E-Books
Dual Translations and the 'Bilingual Book Bluff' A Note on Translations
Exercises
Model Answers: Person H
Chapter 9: Using Technology
Why Use Technology?
Spaced Repetition Software
Top Language-Learning Apps
Eight Free Websites to Help Learn Languages
Social Media
Customise Your Feed
Hashtag Hacks
Language-Learning Groups
Online Community
Why You Shouldn't Use Technology
Virtual Immersion
Exercises
Model Answers: Person I
Chapter 10: Sounding Less 'Foreign'
Why Do You Sound Foreign?
What Is an Idiom?
Why Do People Use Idioms?
Eccentric Expressions from Around the World
Learning Idioms
Humour in Foreign Languages
Appreciating Cultural Sensitivities
Thinking in a Foreign Language
Exercises
Model Answers: Person J
Chapter 11: Taking Tests and Getting Certificates
Why Take Exams?
Know Your Level
The Common European Framework of Reference
Tailor Your Learning to Your Level How Far Is Far Enough?
Improve Your Exam Technique
Exercises
Model Answers: Person K
Chapter 12: Keeping It Going
Top-Up Days
Can You Ever Forget a Language?
How to Know Your Language is Getting Rusty
Review and Revision
The Long Game
Languages and Socialising
Learning More Languages
Juggling Multiple Different Languages
Final Thoughts
Index


#libri 

[Aisyah Samuin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first about about learning languages as the topic. I enjoyed the tips and tricks listed immensely and it was really helpful to apply in real life. As the author has noted, this book is not something you should finish in one sitting. You can dip in and out while learning languages. It serves as a nice break and enhances my motivation when I feel at loss or demotivated. Great read!

[Lindie ✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and full of useful advice. Excellent for beginners. Made a video review here going through the best chapters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70UFO...

[BJ Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had quite high hopes for this book as Alex Rawlings is a very dedicated and successful language learner. Unfortunately, the arrogance and self-centred pride that I witnessed from following him on Instagram for a year became clear in his book as well. He often makes sweeping generalizations about how things work in most countries in the world or in the anglosphere, as if it is knowledge that everyone has - this is sadly a very ethnocentric point of view, which is common among many native English-speakers. However, such comments do not pertain even in the slightest to the country I live in, nor in the experiences shared with me by hundreds of my students living in their countries. This surprised me because I thought Rawlings was a well-traveled man. He is also quite repetitive in the book. Reading the same thing over and over became tiresome, so I often skipped those parts so that I wouldn't have to read it again for the third time. I also noticed he contradicts himself on a number of occasions; he says one thing and then says the opposite. If he were trying to play the devil's advocate that would have been okay, but his comments do not appear as such. I was additionally surprised by his love for exercise books and his push for learning IPA. He seems to kind of treat them like the Bible in language learning, which I must disagree with, but that's okay. One last negative aspect of his book was the organization. He prefaces his work by stating that the organization is deliberate and is in the order of what a language learner will come across as they learn; however, I did not find this to be my experience either. I felt like he often jumped from one topic to another, and such topics do not always fit under the chapter's category, in my opinion. This made it come off as a little disorganized to me. I think it could have been improved upon if the chapters were visually designed a little bit differently and/or if they were split into further chapters.

Some positive aspects of the book, though, do include his excellent level of vocabulary and writing style. He has a consistent tone throughout, and having followed him for many years in the media, he certainly makes his voice clear in his writing. Although I disagree with him when it comes to his focused effort in pushing for exercise books and learning IPA, I do share a lot of the same beliefs as him when it comes to language learning methodology. He is very knowledgeable, which is clear, and he delivers that knowledge articulately.

I will definitely use this book as reference material, but it is definitely not one of my favourite language learning books out there, especially due to his blanket statements. Such ignorance (in his position) I find arrogant. I would recommend this book to western Europeans because his point of view seems to be very much centred upon said region. I would not recommend this book to anyone who lives in the Americas or Africa, unfortunately.

[Sheelie Kittee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy is one of my favourite linguists / polyglots! I loved his 15-30-15 minute study routine and I believe one could usefully apply this to just about any task.

Some of my favourite passages!

__________________________

Language learning never stops ( even in English if that is one's native tongue - there is still so much evolving in English alone! )

There are enough languages in the world to last you several different lifetimes and within those languages you will never be short of new challenges, fresh perspectives and the chance to come across new things at all stages of life.

He suggests: not to learn similar languages straight away. Spanish and Portuguese for example, Persian and Arabic, so on.

Always focus on making one language your best.

Idioms are like a splash of colour on the canvas of language.

Portuguese: alimentar um burro com pao delo: to be nice to someone who doesn't deserve it or wasn't nice back.

Dutch: Iets voor een appel en een ei kopen. To buy something for an apple and an egg.

German: Tomaten auf den augen haben. To have tomatoes on your eyes: when all your friends are telling you you're making the wrong decision but you just can't see it yourself.

Polish: Nie moj cyrk, nie moje malpy - everything's gone wrong and smeone tells you 'not my circus, not my monkeys!'

Finnish: Paastaa sammakko suusta: to let the frog out of your mouth.

Russian: To travel on the back of the hare ( can't type cyrillic but the translation the other way around is good practice! )
= to get a free ride.

French: le demon de midi: the midday devil. The point in your life when you are consumed by existential angst.

Hungarian: ( if a child is crying ) Miert itatod az egereket?

Spanish: Mas sano que una manzana

Greek: Ok this I still cannot undestand: ' I come from the city and on the mountaintip is cinnamon '

Each day: a language study session should include:

- vocabulary
- grammar
- speaking / pronunciation
- reading/listening practice
- overall fun

Top Language Learning Apps / Websites

duolingo
memrise
mindsnacks - just sounds cute. :)
readlang.com
lang-8.com

I didn't realize there is a difference between skimming and scanning a text: skimming = to get the 'gist' but scanning is to extract specific pieces of information.


Learning a new language: a journey, a voyage of discovery.

I loved that he talked about studying languages and each one being a totally different adventure, that each language has given him a new life.

Each language is a different personality. :)

[Orenaike Tosin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning to speak any language fluently is another great book that came handy now that I am learning how to speak German and quickly could relate with so many of the suggestions. The book further helped with suggestions that could help navigate the hurdles of language learning and i have begun to use some already. I have read blogs on the best ways to learn a foreign language and follow so number polyglot. I must say this book gives a great suggestion on the main dimensions of language learning. The reading, speaking, listening and vocabulary and grammar. I would have loved to see an extra chapter on writing too though.
So to the highlights of the books.

1. The use of the 15/30/15 routine, which suggests breaking your hour into three main slots;. 15min in the morning, 30min in the afternoon and 15 in the night.
2. The three key stages of grammar learning; Concept, Memory and Production.
3. The model answers at the end of each chapter were like icing on a cake.
4. Finally, I like the idea of using your routine to your advantage and learning only the ten most important words from past lessons

[Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great and enjoyable book. We can clearly see that the author knows what he is talking about. Learning new languages is a difficult but very interesting journey. It’s not going to be easy. There will be ups and downs. But if, along your own journey, you get across books like this one, everything should be fine.

The author explains the science of how language learning works (though this could have been developed deeper and would need some improvements). He also goes through the different tools that can help along the language learning journey. I learned a lot from this part. I would add one tool though : Tandem. An application where it’s easy to connect with native speaker of the language you want to learn that are interested in learning your own language.

This book is a great motivation in itself to continue learning languages. Of course the motivation should ideally come from within. But this doesn’t hurt to have some outside help.

I hope you will enjoy this book too. I’m on my way to learning more German ;)

[Nicki Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to Speak Any Language Fluently was a bit of a letdown for me; however, that may simply be because I was expecting too much/the wrong things from it. I bought this book after hearing a positive review from a polyglot YouTuber I recently started following. She speaks a number of languages but said she'd still found useful advice in this book, so I placed an order. I was therefore a little saddened to read through 200 pages only to learn nothing new. All the suggestions were things I'd already come across in blog posts or YouTube videos. I am giving this book 3-stars because I do think it would be of use to those who are new to language-learning outside of a classroom/school setting who don't know where to begin with self-study. However, if, like me, you've already been learning languages on your own for a while, there is probably nothing here you won't already have discovered either from other sources or through your own experience.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly haven't read like a really engaging non-fiction in a while and I'm surprised at myself that I finished this quite fast! Thought it would take a while but as mentioned before, the writing is really engaging. I also like the encouraging tone because learning languages is hard some times, most times.

There are also exercises in the book to help you identify what you should work on which is pretty cool. Will most likely go through the book again to go over all the exercises thoroughly as I was just reading for the contents. I do want to learn the languages I'm learning better how to manage juggling them (as I was a dumbass and I took on more than a couple).

Anyway it's a great start to the new year! ✨

--
Bought this from BBW 2019 in the language section and just had to grab it when I remembered they advertised having this for an earlier sale.