Ode to imperfection: why trying to be perfect is counter-productive to language learning

A couple weeks ago, I got some criticism for my imperfect Russian in a Russian-language Facebook forum that had linked to my Russian language video about using music and media to learn languages. Here's my...
how to learn a foreign language

Need an alarm clock to remember who you are? Music awakens our brains, “Music...

As I’ve written before, I wouldn’t have realized that there's a link between learning languages and music if it weren’t for Dr. Oliver Sacks. Dr. Sacks’ books,(Musicophilia, The Mind’s Eye, etc.) have shown me and...
The Power of Music

The Power of Music to affect the brain and foreign languages

Sometimes when I speak about the pedagogical and healing powers of music, it feels like I am talking to a wall as few teachers, doctors and newsmakers take music seriously. Thankfully, National Public Radio (NPR)...
Luca-Spaghetti

Luca Spaghetti (from Eat, Pray, Love) learned English with American pop songs

The worldwide bestseller, Eat, Pray, Love, turned the already comical surname of Luca Spaghetti into an almost household name. Luca Spaghetti In the USA Today article, When (Luca) Spaghetti met (Elizabeth) Gilbert ..., reported that Mr....
The Polyglot Project

Susanna’s interview on the Polygot Project Podcast

David Mansaray and Claude Cartaginese are doing a The Polyglot Project Podcast with interviews of language learners. It was an honor to talk to them about how I learned languages. I clarified how I...
how to learn a foreign language

Do you need musical talent to learn languages? No.

When people hear the title of my book, Language is Music, they often assume that one has to be a musician or a good singer to learn languages or that I profess that someone...
how to learn a new language fast

I can learn language with music and TV? Really? CBS interview with Susanna Zaraysky

Language is Music? What? Watch this interview on CBS 5 Bay Sunday (San Francisco) about the book, Language is Music, with book author, Susanna Zaraysky who explains how to learn foreign languages with music and the...
The Polyglot Project

Free tips on learning languages, Polyglot Project

Claude Cartigenese of the "Polyglot Project" compiled a huge 600 page document with stories from many language learners around the world who explain how they became polyglots. Some of the linguists in the book...
Spanish cow

Don’t speak like your neighbor’s cow, Why a good accent is important

The French, who are very proud of and particular about the pronunciation and proper use of their language, have a saying about people who speak French poorly and/or with a bad accent: “parler français...
music and the brain

Suzuki method: similar to language learning

I read The Suzuki Method He Imported Keyed a Music Revolution article from the Wall Street Journal about how music learning changed in the US once John Kendall brought the Japanese Suzuki method to...
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