Many would think that, in order to speak a language correctly, your grammar has to be impeccable. I was one of them, and to a certain extent I still am. I have studied 4 languages so far, and for years I have tormented myself with perfect grammar. What would people think of me if I […]
Is perfect grammar still a thing? Read More »
This is not my usual blog post, it’s an action plan. Totally doable, so before even reading, download this PDF. Why an action plan? Because we procrastinate, of course! So this time you have no excuses, I have outlined your action plan and you only need to fill it in with your personal goals. While
Don’t give up on your plan to learn Italian Read More »
Listen to this blog post (18 min) Omg! I have spent months studying the language and now that I’m in Italy I can’t understand a single word, how is that even possible? I’ll have to nod, pretending I agree with everything when in reality I have no idea what they are talking about! Don’t bother
What to do when no one speaks the Italian you learned in class Read More »
The first light turns on, pointing at you from the left. The second light turns on pointing at you from the right. The stage is fully lightened now and you are standing there in the middle, you can’t see the audience but you know they are there. You can hear them mumbling, their impatience growing
Why language mistakes aren’t as bad as you think Read More »
Let me start with a question: what do you find most difficult to learn in Italian? Verbs! That’s what you wanted to say too, right? Even Italians say it because they often need to double check their verbs. Is the mood correct? Is the person correct? Is the spelling correct? In Italian we say “mal
How to use only one tense in Italian Read More »
There are uncountable different methods, approaches, techniques when it comes to language learning. It seems all teachers have their proven method to bring you to the next level, or to skyrocket your fluency in one month, or to teach you basic Italian in just three days. I don’t believe in next levels, fluency boosters, and
Language learning is a personal experience Read More »
How many apps, sites, courses you know of that promise to have you go from zero to fluency? Because fluency is the main goal of every language learner, no? But what is fluency? It’s a fluid concept – yes, I know there are probably synonyms that could fit better, but I really wanted to use
The importance of being fluent Read More »
Language students of all times have confronted themselves with the plateau issue, there is *almost* no escape. When you start to learn a language everything seems so beautiful, you progress fast, you are able to track your many achievements, and you think that you finally got the hang of it. But then there is another
3 strategies to refresh your language learning routine Read More »
Learning a new language as an adult All of us are potentially going to learn one or more foreign languages in the course of our life. Probably, the main reason why adults learn a second language is because they are somehow forced to do so. For example, they have to move to another country for
Too old to learn a language? Read More »
In your career as a language learner sooner or later you will have to WRITE. I have been there too, and I remember all my doubts and fear of making mistakes, especially as a French student. While it was so easy to speak, even long sentences flowed without problems, when it came to writing I
A list of free language resources Read More »