Kevin Morehouse is the man behind Language Hero, a site dedicated to helping language learners start their journey, find allies, and stay the course. (Update: He is now the Writer and Content Manager at Motivate Korean). Kevin is a certified Italian teacher and soon to be certified in Spanish as well. In our interview, Kevin and I discuss:
- The advantages and disadvantages of learning a foreign language in the classroom.
- The problem with waiting until one is “ready” to start speaking.
- The fact that immersion is a choice. Don’t wait for the language to come to you!
- The power of social accountability (e.g. making commitments to other people).
- The problem with letting emotions drive when/if one studies.
- The importance of focusing on process over end goals.
- The many linguistic and social benefits of working with tutors.
- The fact that extroversion is not required to learn a language well.
- What “Language Hero” is and why he created it.
- Why learning a language is no longer a resource problem, but rather a confidence problem.
- Why the difference between polyglots and failed learners is drive, not ability.
- Why you should “get in line, and stay in line.”
- A typical day of language learning for Kevin.
- Kevin’s favorite language learning tools and resources.
- The dangers of uncontrolled Internet use.
Resources Mentioned in the Episode
- Couchsurfing.com
- Stickk.com
- Beeminder.com
- Duolingo.com
- ASSiMiL books
- Teach Yourself a Language books
- iTalki.com
- La Repubblica (Italian news site)
- Spotify
- Kindle books in foreign languages
- Leech Block Firefox Add-on
Learn More About Kevin Morehouse
- Twitter: Twitter.com/Kevin_Morehouse
Transcript
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