Different paths but one common goal — For the untrained eye, polyglots all look alike. They speak “many” languages and that’s it. The reality is quite different. There are 3 kinds of polyglots who follow different patterns but follow the same goal: gather knowledge in multiple languages. 1. The Language Family-focused polyglot The first one, and most often found around the world…

A true language love story — I’ve been learning Korean for a whopping 15 years. 15 difficult and exciting years. I can’t imagine a life without Korean anymore but it wasn’t always like this. It all started without any expectations. Just an 18-year-old kid wanting to have fun with strange characters and a musically attractive language. …

The most common language learning advice might be dead wrong. — Immersion doesn’t work. Not how it’s described at least. Before the internet, people said the best way to learn a language was to move to a country. Now, the talk of the town is what’s called “virtual immersion.” Virtual immersion is all about creating an environment at home where pretty…

Just because your school experience was bad doesn’t mean grammar itself is. — Grammar gets a real bad rap. No matter where you look, it seems like language learners say you should ignore the grammar and “learn it by accident.” This is awful advice. Ignoring grammar is like taking care of your brain while ignoring your physical body. Without one, you’re bound to…

Self-learning’s weakness solved. — One of the most convenient parts of learning a language in a classroom is the constant tests given out. While we know they don’t reflect our level, we can’t help but feel they give us an idea of where we’re at. Take a formal test like the TOEIC, JLPT, TOPIK…

4 incredible advantages learning languages has over everything else. — Tips to take care of ourselves online are all alike. Disconnect. Live in the present moment. Be productive but rest as well. The list goes on. It’s always about the same things. Practice some physical activity, eat healthily, spend time with people you care for, etc. Yet, there are tons…

Four hard-earned lessons every language learner should know. — 15 years ago I started learning languages on my own. My first endeavor after English was Japanese and, boy, was it a mess. I tried to learn the Hiragana and Katakana for 2 years without success until I took an evening class and learned them both within the first two…

And why that streak is your worst enemy — I have a quite deeply-rooted hatred for Duolingo ever since I waste a year using it to learn languages. Sure, I did succeed in reaching a 365-day-long streak a few years back. But this also resulted in being the year I enjoyed language learning the least among the 15+ years…

And why it could do the same to you. — Sitting in a coffee shop in the middle of Seoul, I can’t help to wonder how I got here. I grew up as a normal French kid in the suburbs of Paris. Surrounded by a loving family and good friends, it looked like I had everything going for me to…