Once a student of mine explained to me in good Russian that he was bad at learning languages. He explained to me exactly why he was incapable of speaking Russian for thirty minutes. When I pointed out that he had been speaking Russian for thirty minutes in a row, he was shocked. Another student told […]
Language learning
My articles about language learning – tips and tricks, personal experience, observations, case studies and more.
Learning vs. Acquisition
During my scholarly life, I have learned many languages – English, German, French, Bulgarian, even Latin and Old Slavonic. The only language that I practiced outside the classroom was English. No wonder the only second language I can actually speak is English. How is it that despite learning German, French, and Latin for three years […]
Four Ways to Keep Going When Feeling Down Or Being Busy
We all have days when we feel down. Or are very busy. It is okay. Life is life, and it gives us ups and downs. What is not okay is giving up language practice during those days. The most important thing for learning languages is to keep practicing, and frequency here matters more than duration […]
Anxiety
Quite a lot of my students have told me that they feel anxious when speaking Russian. They are good at many other language activities like listening comprehension, reading and even writing. However, the mere idea that they have to say something in Russian makes them panic. “It’s like my mind goes all blank when I […]
Your Mother-Tongue Is Not Always The Language Your Mother Speaks
During three years of living in an English speaking country, I have learned a lot about language learning. Under the pressure of reality and facts, I had to revise many ideas regarding second language acquisition I learned back at the university. The theory of first exposure to one’s the mother-tongue is one of them. According […]
Nobody Speaks That Language Here
Isn’t it hilarious that in 2015, when the world is globalized and connected, many people still believe they should have native speakers around to practice their target language? “Nobody speaks that language where I live, so I can’t practice it”, they say. The most amusing part of it is that those people are usually confident […]
When You Are Strange
When I was a teenager, I explored the Western rock music. Among other old names, I discovered The Doors and Jim Morrison. Mind you, the Soviet Union banned Western culture in general. Most of the musical heritage of the West became available to Russians only after Perestroika. I sang along to People Are Strange, and […]
More Than One Right Choice
Language learners are usually afraid of making mistakes. When you learn a new language and try to put your ideas into words, you always hesitate. You naturally ask: what is the right way to say this? There’s nothing wrong with this question, but there is a trap one should be aware of: there is always […]
Getting Prepared For Online Lessons
Online lessons with native speakers bring language learning to a new level. Everybody with a computer connected to the internet, mic and speakers can enjoy a wide choice of teachers, tutors and language exchange partners. Yet there are a few technical details one should consider when arranging an online language session. Those details are relevant […]
School Is Over
It is fascinating how strongly school determines our behavior and perception of the world. School teaches us to value scores more than knowledge. Some kids study literature, or chemistry, or mathematics because they like those subjects and they are craving for new knowledge, but the vast majority of students are interested in better scores, and […]