Benny Lewis is a fun-loving blogger, YouTuber, author, language hacker, and technomad from Ireland (hence his nickname “Irish Polyglot”). He is the creator of the most popular language learning site in the world as of writing, Fluentin3Months.com, and has authored five books. 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
approach, 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.”
In the interview, we discuss:
- The release of Benny’s new book, Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World.
- Benny’s language study plans for the coming year.
- Benny’s favorite places to find native speakers (including iTalki and Couchsurfing).
- 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.
Benny’s Books
- Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World
- Fließend in drei Monaten: Wie Sie in kürzester Zeit jede Sprache erlernen
- Language Hacking Spanish: A Conversation Course for Beginners
- Language Hacking French: A Conversation Course for Beginners
- Language Hacking Italian: A Conversation Course for Beginners
- Language Hacking German: A Conversation Course for Beginners
Benny’s Courses
- Fluent in 3 Months Premium
- Conversation Countdown: Have Your First Conversation in a New Language Exactly One Week From Now
- The Language Gym: Build a Daily Language Habit…For Good!
- Why Spanish is Easy: Learning Spanish is Far Easier Than You Imagine
- Why French is Easy: Learning French is Far Easier Than You Imagine
- Why German is Easy: Here’s How German Can Be Easier Than You Think
- Why Chinese is Easy: Language Hacks That Make Chinese Easy
- Why Italian is Easy: Language Hacks That Make Italian Easy
- Why English is Easy: Language Hacks That Make English Easy
Benny’s Website & Social Media Accounts
Transcript
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