The Linguist – A polyglot's blog on language learning https://blog.thelinguist.com/ The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:08:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.6 https://blog.thelinguist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-favicon-1-32x32.png The Linguist – A polyglot's blog on language learning https://blog.thelinguist.com/ 32 32 The Best Way to Learn French (What Actually Worked for Me) https://blog.thelinguist.com/the-best-way-to-learn-french/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/the-best-way-to-learn-french/#respond Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:49:23 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176490768 I want to talk about how I learned French, and about the best way to learn French based on what actually happened to me, not what I was taught in school. I...

The post The Best Way to Learn French (What Actually Worked for Me) appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/the-best-way-to-learn-french/feed/ 0 Language Chunks Explained: What They Are and Why I Never Study Them Directly https://blog.thelinguist.com/language-chunks-collocations-explained/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/language-chunks-collocations-explained/#respond Sat, 18 Jul 2026 19:50:36 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176490750 I want to talk about learning languages in chunks. It is a concept many of you are probably already aware of, but I want to explain why I think it matters and...

The post Language Chunks Explained: What They Are and Why I Never Study Them Directly appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/language-chunks-collocations-explained/feed/ 0 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Learning Languages https://blog.thelinguist.com/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-about-language-learning/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-about-language-learning/#respond Tue, 07 Jul 2026 20:42:48 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176490737 After 60 years of learning languages, I find myself thinking about what I would tell my younger self. Not the specific techniques or the tools, those have changed enormously over the decades....

The post 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Learning Languages appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-about-language-learning/feed/ 0 How to Find Time to Learn a Language: My Daily Routine https://blog.thelinguist.com/how-to-find-time-to-learn-a-language/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/how-to-find-time-to-learn-a-language/#respond Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:20:54 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176490701 I hear it all the time. “I would love to learn Spanish, but I just don’t have the time.” I have been learning languages for most of the last 60 years, almost...

The post How to Find Time to Learn a Language: My Daily Routine appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/how-to-find-time-to-learn-a-language/feed/ 0 Which Language Should You Learn? https://blog.thelinguist.com/which-language-should-you-learn/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/which-language-should-you-learn/#respond Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:56:51 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176488283 TL;DR The question most people ask (“which language is easiest?” or “which is most useful?”) is the wrong one. After learning 20+ languages over six decades, my honest answer to “which language...

The post Which Language Should You Learn? appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/which-language-should-you-learn/feed/ 0 Comprehensible Input Examples and Strategies That Actually Work https://blog.thelinguist.com/comprehensible-input-examples/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/comprehensible-input-examples/#respond Tue, 05 May 2026 21:13:14 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176490523 TL;DR: Comprehensible input means reading and listening to content you mostly understand in your target language. The strategy is simple: find content slightly above your level, engage with it consistently, and let...

The post Comprehensible Input Examples and Strategies That Actually Work appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/comprehensible-input-examples/feed/ 0 What Is Second Language Acquisition — And Why Most People Get It Wrong https://blog.thelinguist.com/second-language-acquisition/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/second-language-acquisition/#respond Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:39:02 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176490445 TL;DR Second language acquisition happens through exposure, not memorization. Every time you read or listen to a language you mostly understand, your brain builds a web of connections that eventually becomes fluency....

The post What Is Second Language Acquisition — And Why Most People Get It Wrong appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/second-language-acquisition/feed/ 0 The Best Way to Learn Italian (2026 Guide) https://blog.thelinguist.com/the-best-way-to-learn-italian/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:54:00 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176486512 TL;DR The best way to learn Italian is to spend as much time as possible reading and listening to Italian content you find genuinely interesting. Italian is easy to learn for English...

The post The Best Way to Learn Italian (2026 Guide) appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> What Is the Hardest Language to Learn? The Full Ranking Explained (2026 Guide) https://blog.thelinguist.com/what-is-the-hardest-language-to-learn/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/what-is-the-hardest-language-to-learn/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:55 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176461335 What is the hardest language to learn? It’s a question I’m asked often. Here I reveal the answer from my experience and give advice and tips on how to get the most out of your language learning, even if that language is a tough one.

The post What Is the Hardest Language to Learn? The Full Ranking Explained (2026 Guide) appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/what-is-the-hardest-language-to-learn/feed/ 9 Is Duolingo Effective? An Honest Review (2026) https://blog.thelinguist.com/duolingo-review/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/duolingo-review/#respond Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:39:32 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176488258 TL;DR Is Duolingo effective in 2026? For complete beginners building a daily habit, yes. For reaching conversational fluency, no. Duolingo is a fun, accessible entry point into a language, but it is...

The post Is Duolingo Effective? An Honest Review (2026) appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/duolingo-review/feed/ 0 The Best Way to Learn Japanese: 5 Tips After 50 Years https://blog.thelinguist.com/best-way-to-learn-japanese/ https://blog.thelinguist.com/best-way-to-learn-japanese/#respond Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:19:32 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176490386 TL;DR The best way to learn Japanese is simpler than most learners think. I learned the language 50 years ago. Start with kanji. A small number of kanji covers a surprisingly large...

The post The Best Way to Learn Japanese: 5 Tips After 50 Years appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]> https://blog.thelinguist.com/best-way-to-learn-japanese/feed/ 0 How to Learn a Language On Your Own: Tips From a Polyglot https://blog.thelinguist.com/how-to-learn-a-language-on-your-own/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:01:51 +0000 https://blog.thelinguist.com/?p=176485722 TL;DR Summary Most people think they need a classroom, a teacher, or a structured course to learn a language. They don’t. Independent learners often progress faster because they choose content they care...

The post How to Learn a Language On Your Own: Tips From a Polyglot appeared first on The Linguist - A polyglot's blog on language learning.

]]>