Despite doing well in other school subjects, Andrew Barr failed French in secondary school. Upon hearing this news, his supportive father assured him: "The Barrs don't do languages. We do maths and sciences. You will never have to speak of a word of French again!" It turns out that this prediction was a bit of the mark. Today, Andrew speaks multiple languages and has built a successful business teaching languages at Real Fast Spanish. In this deep dive into Andrew's language learning journey and philosophy, you will learn: How a multilingual climb up Mount Kilimanjaro inspired him to learn languages (and led to befriending a French actress).The importance of high-quality language input (high-yield listening and reading content).The power of learning with other people (teachers, tutors, and exchange partners) and why you need to avoid the input-only trap.Why motivation, consistency, and discipline are the essential 3 essential ingredients of successful language learning.Why Andrew decided to start learning Polish (his first non-Romance language) and the surprising origins of his family name.The ideal order of operations for learning a new language from scratch and why you should master sounds first.The 24-hour rule for new vocabulary and the simple $5 language-learning tool you should carry with you everywhere you go.The language-learning advice Andrew would give to his younger self to break through his earlier stories and self-limiting beliefs.Why learning a language is akin to learning to play the guitar (you have to learn by doing, not watching).Why your feelings about a language-learning method are more important than the method itself.Why pursuing pleasure in language learning is not always the answer and why Andrew studies flashcards in Anki even though he doesn't enjoy it.The most common mistakes that native English speakers make in Spanish (and how to sound less like a "gringo" by changing just one sound).Why correctly pronouncing vowels is more important in Spanish than getting consonants right.The critical difference between "accent" and "pronunciation" and why the latter matter much more.Andrew's 2 essential language-learning principles: 1) readiness to learn, and 2) high-quality practice.How to build early confidence by setting the bar low and having specific goals in each conversation. 📧 Get expert language immersion tips in your inbox each week Join my FREE weekly newsletter to get the tips and tools you need to get fluent anywhere in the world. 👉🏼 ⁠https://languagemastery.com

Cara Leopold is the founder of Leo Listening, where she helps "intrepid travellers and adventurous expats improve their English listening skills so they can better understand and better connect with fast-talking native speakers through their love of films." In the interview, we talk about how she learned French and the best way to learn languages through TV shows and movies. For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show 📧 Get expert language immersion tips in your inbox each week Join my FREE weekly newsletter to get the tips and tools you need to get fluent anywhere in the world. 👉🏼 https://languagemastery.com 🤿 Master Japanese or Mandarin Chinese ANYWHERE! Want to learn a language through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? My detailed language guides will show you exactly how. Check out my Japanese guide here 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms Check out my Mandarin Chinese guide here 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms ❓Ask Me a Question! Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Steve Kaufmann is a hyperpolyglot who has learned more than 20 languages (!!!) and the founder of LingQ, an online language learning platform that helps you acquire languages using content you love. He was my second guest on the Language Mastery Show way back in 2009, and returns 13 years later to offer new insights and encouragement for independent language learners. For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show 🤿 Master Any Language, Anywhere! Want to learn a language through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? My detailed language guides will show you exactly how. Check out my Japanese guide here 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms Check out my Mandarin Chinese guide here 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms ❓Ask Me a Question! Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Jim and May describe themselves as a "gringo/Mexican international couple" on a mission to connect English speakers to the Spanish-speaking world. Their excellent podcast, YouTube channel, blog, and Spanish immersion retreats in Mexico help learners bridge the gap between learning and actually living in Spanish.   In the interview, they share what they have each learned in their own language learning journeys, their best tips for learning Spanish, and favorite resources for immersing yourself in Spanish right at home.   For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show   For more about Jim and May and tips for learning Spanish, visit SpanishAndGo.com.   🤿 Master Any Language, Anywhere!   Want to learn a language through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes?   My detailed language guides will show you exactly how.    Check out my Japanese guide here 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms    Check out my Mandarin Chinese guide here 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms    ❓Ask Me a Question!    Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode!  Record your message here 👉🏼 https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Mikkel Thorup is a seasoned world traveler, entrepreneur, consultant, author, and the host of the Expat Money Show. Since he left Canada in his teens, he has circumnavigated the globe over 400 times, visited more than 100 countries, and lived in 9. In our conversation, he shares his best tips for traveling or moving abroad, learning languages, and making the best of the expat life. For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show For more about Mikkel and tips for transitioning abroad, visit ExpatMoneyShow.com. 🤿 Master Any Language, Anywhere! Want to learn a language through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? My detailed language guides will show you exactly how. Check out my Japanese guide here 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms Check out my Mandarin Chinese guide here 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms ❓Ask Me a Question! Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Andrew Methven is the creator of Slow Chinese 每周漫闻, a weekly newsletter that helps Mandarin Chinese learners immerse themselves in authentic, colloquial language via interesting stories and news events handpicked from Chinese media, social media, and TV. Instead of learning the stilted and stuffy language of Chinese textbooks, Andrew's excellent newsletter trains you to understand the way people really speak and write the language today. In the interview, Andrew shares how he first fell in love with Chinese, differences between Mandarin between Mainland China and Taiwan, and his top tips for language learners. For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/blog/Andrew-Methven 🇨🇳 Learn Chinese Anywhere! Want to learn Mandarin Chinese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? Master Mandarin, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms. ❓Ask Me a Question! Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

From full-time Mandarin immersion at Peking University and Shanghai's Fudan University to years of independent study online, Daniel Nalesnik has spent the last 13+ years on a mission to figure out the most fun and effective way to learn Mandarin Chinese.   The result? The creation of Hack Chinese, a powerful spaced repetition tool designed from the ground up just for Mandarin learners, unlike generic SRS apps that struggle to properly handle Chinese characters, tones, etc.   In our conversation, Daniel shares the lessons he's learned, what he would do differently if he started from scratch, and how new language learners can get started.   For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/blog/Daniel-Nalesnik   🇨🇳 Learn Chinese Anywhere!   Want to learn Mandarin Chinese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? Master Mandarin, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms. ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Scott H. Young is a Canadian writer, programmer, entrepreneur, and metalearning expert. He is the author of the best-seller Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, Popular Mechanics, Business Insider, and LifeHacker.  He has applied and refined his principles in a number of accelerated learning challenges, from completing MIT’s 4-year undergraduate computer science curriculum in just 1 year, to spending a year abroad in 4 countries with no English allowed, to a one-month at-home challenge to learn Macedonian, his wife’s native language.  For more about Scott, visit ScottHYoung.com.  For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/blog/scott-young 🇨🇳 Learn Chinese Anywhere! Want to learn Mandarin Chinese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? Master Mandarin, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms. ❓Ask Me a Question! Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

In today's episode, I share three more tips for building the three foundations of mastery:  🧠 Master Your Mind: Realize that mastering a language is more about psychology than ability. ⏱ Master Your Day: Make language learning your primary focus. 📍 Master Your Environment: Decide not to decide by making your target language the default.  For a complete transcript of this episode, visit https://languagemastery.com/blog/s4-e2 🇯🇵 Learn Japanese Anywhere! Want to learn Japanese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? MASTER JAPANESE, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms. ❓Ask Me a Question! Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Happy New Year! I hope your 2022 is off to a great start. In this first episode of the year, I would like to experiment with a new format. I have some exciting interviews lined up in the coming weeks, but I’d like to kick things off with a new segment called The 3 Foundations of Mastery.  If you already subscribe to my Language Mastery Monday newsletter, you will already be familiar with this framework. If not, what are you waiting for? Head over to LanguageMastery.com/newsletter to get expert tips and tools in your inbox each week. So what are the three foundations and why do they matter? Foundation 1 is Mastering Your Mind, which means conquering fears and self-limiting beliefs that are blocking your path to fluency.Foundation 2 is Mastering Your Day, which involves building better habits and learning more efficiently.Foundation 3 is Mastering Your Environment, which means creating your own immersion wherever you happen to live. One of the biggest lessons I have learned over the last 20 plus years of learning and teaching foreign languages is that you can't master a language unless you also master your mind, your day, and your environment. Harnessing your psychology, wrangling your schedule, and designing your learning environment can each be extremely difficult, especially in our modern world of distraction and instant gratification. But master these three foundations you must if you want to have any chance of getting fluent in a foreign tongue. These factors are what really make learning languages difficult. The languages themselves are learned more or less automatically if you show up and give your brain the input it needs. (And yes, get tons of active practice, too, of course.) But YOU have to constantly decide to show up and put in the time instead of choosing easier activities that provide a more immediate hit of dopamine and serotonin (Netflix + Cherry Garcia, anyone?). Language learning can provide these “feel-good” hormones, too, but the rewards live on the other side of much more time and effort. So to help you win this mental battle, I will be sharing powerful principles and short, actionable tips each week that will help you develop the mindset, habits, and environment you need to learn any language, anywhere. Ready? Let's get started! Listen to today's episode to hear this week's tips for mastering your mind, day, and environment. For a complete transcript of the podcast, visit: LanguageMastery.com/blog/s4-e1 🇯🇵 Learn Japanese Anywhere! Want to learn Japanese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? MASTER JAPANESE, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms. ❓Ask Me a Question! Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Note: This interview was originally recorded in 2010 as part of a collection of expert interviews included with my Japanese learning guide Master Japanese. This version includes excerpts from the complete interview, which is available as part of the Master Japanese Digital Package available JapaneseMastery.com.  Khatzumoto is the man behind the popular Japanese learner blog All Japanese All the Time (or AJATT for short). While attending university in the United States, he figured out a way to immerse himself in Japanese language and culture nearly 24 hours a day. In an extremely short amount of time, he managed to reach an impressive level of fluency despite not living where the language was spoken and even without many of the learning tools and resources now readily available (he began his journey in 2004).  📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.    🇯🇵 Learn Japanese Anywhere!  Want to learn Japanese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? MASTER JAPANESE, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Lindie Botes is a polyglot, YouTuber, blogger, and UI/UX designer on a mission to master 12+ languages, including Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and more. She is originally from South Africa, but has lived all over the world and now calls Singapore home. Though she loves foreign languages, she sees them not as an end but as a means to break down the barriers that otherwise divide us.  📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.    🇯🇵 Learn Japanese Anywhere!  Want to learn Japanese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? MASTER JAPANESE, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Matt is the creator of the popular Matt vs. Japan YouTube channel and the co-founder of Refold: The Roadmap to True Fluency, where he shares the methods he used to reach near native-like fluency in Japanese in just 5 years. I am a big fan of his immersion-based approach to language learning (which aligns well with the approach I share in Master Japanese), his mission to create a more streamlined path to fluency, and his commitment to giving Japanese language learners the tips and tools they need to succeed.  📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.    🇯🇵 Learn Japanese Anywhere!  Want to learn Japanese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? MASTER JAPANESE, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett (a.k.a. “Miss Panda”) is an intercultural language consultant and trainer, the author of Let’s Learn Mandarin Chinese with Miss Panda! and First Mandarin Sounds: an Awesome Chinese Word Book, and the host of the Playful Chinese podcast. I love her approach to language learning, especially her emphasis on play and having fun. As she puts it eloquently, "Playing is learning. Learning is playing."  📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.   🇨🇳 Learn Mandarin Chinese Anywhere!   Want to learn Mandarin Chinese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? Master Mandarin, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Jake Gill (高健) is a Chinese educator, former "Teaching Chinese as a Second Language" graduate student, and the CEO of Skritter, an innovative language learning app that helps Japanese and Chinese learners master characters through active production (i.e. writing on the screen) instead of passive recognition.  In the interview, we talk about how and why he learned Mandarin Chinese, why traditional language classes won't get you fluent in a language, what he would do differently if he were to start learning Mandarin over again, the limitations of app-based learning and following "the golden path," the importance of following your passion and curiosity in languages, how to learn to write Chinese characters the "write" way, Jake's current language learning routines and favorite resources, and the importance of daily habits and focusing on process over outcome. If you'd like to try Skritter, use the code LANGUAGEMASTERY at checkout to get 10% off.  📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.   🇨🇳 Learn Mandarin Chinese Anywhere!   Want to learn Mandarin Chinese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? Master Mandarin, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Do you live and breath languages? Do you want to make a good living using and refining your language skills every day? Then professional translation might be just the ticket. In today's episode, I chat with my friend Sam, who is a professional Japanese translator and one of the best non-native Japanese speakers I know. We talk about how he learned Japanese, how he broke into the translation industry, and his tips for doing the same.   📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.    🇯🇵 Learn Japanese Anywhere!  Want to learn Japanese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? MASTER JAPANESE, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

If you have a burning desire to learn Mandarin Chinese but feel overwhelmed at the very thought, then today’s podcast is a must-listen episode for you. Yes, to the uninitiated, Chinese characters look like a random pile of squiggly lines. True, the wrong tones could lead to you inadvertently calling someone's mother a horse! But don't let this scare you away, because today’s guests, Phil Crimmins and Luke Neale, have created an innovative language course called the Mandarin Blueprint designed to take these worries away.  📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.   🇨🇳 Learn Mandarin Chinese Anywhere!   Want to learn Mandarin Chinese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? Master Mandarin, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Stuart Jay Raj is an Australian polyglot, applied linguist, author, musician, and cross-cultural business consultant based in Thailand. He has presented at two TEDx events (once in English and once in Mandarin), and is the author of Cracking Thai Fundamentals: A Thai Operating System for the Mind.   In addition to teaching and writing extensively on effective language acquisition, he has also applied his impressive language skills as a multilingual facilitator in various specialized industries (including aerospace, oil and gas, hospitality, and cyber security) and as the co-host of a Thai travel show called Neua Chan Phan Plaek (เหนือชั้น 1000 แปลก) that explosured fascinating people, places, and things around the world via local languages. Stuart holds a degree in Cognitive and Applied Linguistics from Griffith University, and speaks over 15 languages, including Thai, Lao, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Indonesian / Malay, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Hindi, Vietnamese, Burmese, and various other Asian languages and dialects.   📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.   🇨🇳 Learn Mandarin Chinese Anywhere!   Want to learn Mandarin Chinese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? Master Mandarin, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/mastermandarinlms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Nick Godwin is a British polyglot, English language coach, and course creator living in Tokyo, Japan. He specializes in helping advanced English learners break through plateaus and helping beginning Japanese learners to communicate through by focusing on practical skills that matter. In addition to running the English language learning site ByLingua, he also helped develop the popular story-based course Japanese Uncovered, and recently launched a blog that blends his love of language, learning, and intentional living called Minimalinguist.  📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.    🇯🇵 Learn Japanese Anywhere!  Want to learn Japanese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? MASTER JAPANESE, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message

Richard Simcott is a "hyperpolyglot" who speaks over a dozen languages fluently and many dozen to various levels; a feat that led HarperCollins to name him one of Britain's most multilingual people.  He is also the co-founder of the Polyglot Conference, an annual event that brings together polyglots, linguists, and lovers of language from all over the world (the event will be online this year from October 16 to 25, 2020).  He returns to the Language Mastery Show six years after our first conversation to talk about how he juggles so many languages, the "minimum effective dose" required to move a language project forward, and how he chooses which languages to pursue. He is a fountain of language learning wisdom and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!  📝 For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/show.    🇯🇵 Learn Japanese Anywhere!  Want to learn Japanese through at-home immersion instead of boring textbooks or expensive classes? MASTER JAPANESE, my detailed how-to manual and resource guide, will show you exactly how. Learn more at https://bit.ly/masterjapaneselms.   ❓Ask Me a Question!   Got a question about language learning you'd like me to answer on the show? Leave me a voice recording and you might here my response on the next episode! Record your message here: https://anchor.fm/john-fotheringham/message