Polyglot & Language Hacker Benny Lewis on How To Get Conversationally Fluent in 3 Months
Benny Lewis is an Irish polyglot, blogger, YouTuber, and technomad. He is the creator of the popular language learning site Fluent in 3 Months and the author of multiple books on "language hacking." He has demonstrated again and again that it’s possible to reach conversational fluency in a matter of months, not years as most believe.
Benny’s philosophy on language learning is right in line with my Anywhere Immersion Method (AIM), as exemplified in the following quote from his book Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World:
“…where you are isn’t what decides whether or not you’ll be successful. Attitude beats latitude (and longitude) every time. It’s more about creating an immersion environment, exposing yourself to native speakers, and doing everything you can in that language.”
Topics Discussed
In the interview, we discuss:
- The release of Benny’s new book.
- Benny’s language study plans for the coming year.
- Benny’s favorite places to find native speakers.
- 5 common language learning myths and destructive attitudes that hold would-be learners back.
- How Benny juggles multiple languages.
- How to get “immersion without a plane ticket.”
- Useful language learning hacks such as using modal verbs + infinitives, using melodies to better remember phrases, and using mnemonics to better remember words, phrases, and Chinese characters.
