Sam Gendreau Talks About How To Get “Addicted” To Language Learning

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In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Sam Gendreau talks about how to get “addicted” to language learning without getting hung up on grammar or building the internal, psychological barriers that get in the way of living a life of language learning, fun and new experiences.

Listen now and you’ll learn:

* The precise connection between language learning and addiction so that you can use the highs to accomplish all of your fluency goals and the secret origins of why Sam named his site directly from the influece of Konglish.

* How to get “addicted” to language learning even if you don’t like to study or think language learning is too hard.

* How to get to know yourself before you start learning a new language.

* The three most important questions you need to ask every time you come up against a language learning barrier.

* Why being born bilingual is not always useful when it comes to further language study.

* Why you should never try to go it alone with just grammar guides and traditional textbooks.

* The important role of curiosity in all language learning and how to develop it so that you can zoom through some of the harder aspects of language learning.

* How language learning can lead to finding new friends and even the love of your life.

* Sam’s insightful approach to David Mansaray’s distinction between learning a language on your own and being a self-directed learner.

* Exactly what to do to learn a language without having to rely on teachers, classrooms and dusty old textbooks (though you’ll still want at least some kind of textbook and Sam has great recommendations for how to choose them).

* How to build your confidence by using the right incentives so that you can blast into success.

* How to avoid burnout and still maintain consistency.

* Sam’s amazing Mount Fluency metaphor and how to use it as a “point” of inspiration in your climb towards the top of your target language.

* What to do when you reach an intermediate level and need extra motivation to keep going.

* Sam’s favorite spice in the kitchen of language learning.

* The power of using multiple news media channels to experience massive boosts in fluency.

* Why you need to realize that you can easily become more fluent than a five year old in his or her mother tongue and why you should never get stuck in thinking less of yourself if you can’t immediately talk about world events such as what’s going on in Ukraine.

* Why language and culture are really inseparable and how to exploit this fact in order to learn more about your target language and start using it quickly.

* Sam’s response to Luca Lampariello’s “ephiphany moment” concept.

* How to avoid getting bogged down in the words of the language by focusing on the message of each and every sentence you speak.

* How to assess the strengths of different language learning programs and mix and match them to maximize the language learning benefits they offer (or should offer before you invest your precious time and money!)

* When you should absolutely never use spaced-repetition software.

* How to use the powers of inductive language learning as you are working towards what Sam calls a “rule-based” approach if you want to get to a very high level in your foreign language studies.

* Precise ways to reward yourself every time you reach a language goal so that you feel refreshed, renewed and ready for the next level.

* How to record yourself for maximum exposure to your own use of the foreign language so that you can analyze your progress and go even further and deeper into the language learning process and literally “mold” your ears as you fine tune your approach.

* How to avoid learning the rules for things you haven’t been exposed to yet so that you don’t get frustrated and quit.

* Why you should never approach language learning as homework.

* How to avoid rigid thinking when it comes to language learning.

* … and much, much more.