Idahosa Ness is an accomplished polyglot, world traveler, musician, and the founder The Mimic Method, which helps language learners adopt more native-like pronunciation through the power of listening, phonetics, and mimicry. In the interview, we discuss:
- Idahosa’s origin story: how he went from a monolingual speaker in the suburbs of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to a globetrotting polyglot who speaks Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, and Mandarin Chinese.
- Why he focuses on pronunciation and speaking first.
- His language learning adventures in Mexico and how his conversational fluency helped him out of a jam with the Mexican police.
- The role of identity in foreign language learning and the power of mimicry, body language, spirit, and alter egos.
- Why he believes “mimicry,” “learning,” and “growth” are all synonyms.
- How mastery in a language is ultimately the result of careful practice, not innate talent.
- The importance of pronouncing tones accurately in Mandarin Chinese (e.g. mǎ 馬 vs mā 媽).
- Why accurate pronunciation is not simply a matter of will.
- How the Mimic Method was “brewed” from Brazilian Portuguese, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Brazilian music.
- The similarities between music and language, and how Idahosa figured out how to apply the lessons of effective music education to foreign language learning.
- How the baby’s brain prunes away unneeded sounds not used in the local language.
- How reading and spelling can cause “friction” when learning to pronounce languages correctly.
- How you can never unlearn a habit; you can only override it with a stronger signal.
- The fine line between “hormesis” and “trauma.”
- Why you cannot learn to pronounce foreign sounds until you learn to hear them first.
- Why music makes language more memorable and engaging.
- Why rap is an especially powerful form of language learning input.
- The importance of getting sufficient “pronunciation reps.”
- The power of fun in language learning.
- Common myths Idahosa sees in the language learning world.
- The importance of personality differences in learning and how one size never fits all.
- The role of social dynamics in language learning.
- The daily routines and habits Idahosa uses to work toward conversational fluency.
- Why you should commit to trying out a number of language tutors.
- The “low resistance” activities he sticks to on busier days when willpower is lower.
- The power of mimicking even at a subvocalization or visualization level.
- Why it’s all about the people, not the language.
Resources, People & Concepts Mentioned
- Antonio Banderas
- The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life
- The Mimic Method: Speak Like a Native
- Gael García Bernal
- Idahosa’s Flow of Spanish course
- ferrocarril /fɛ.ro.ka.ˈril/ (Spanish for “railway”)
- Khatzumoto of All Japanese All the Time
- Circle of fifths
- Psychometrics
- iTalki
- Pimsleur
- Language & Culture Meetups
