Luca Lampariello: Recent Episodes
Jose Miguel Bellido Espinosa
I've been interested in the classics since I was a young boy. I couldn't avoid it. Growing up in Rome, the remains of classical civilization were everywhere: in the streets I walked, the buildings I passed, and even the words I spoke. One day, however, I was surprised to discover that there was more to the classics […]
The post How to Learn Greek: My 3 Biggest Lessons Learned appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
Caption: My own well-used copy of the NHK Japanese Language Pronunciation and Accent Dictionary. After 10 years of studying Japanese, the aspect of the language that continues to captivate me the most is pitch accent. Although it may seem intimidating at first, pitch accent is a rich and fascinating component of the Japanese language, and […]
The post The Challenge and Intrigue of Japanese Pitch Accent – Matt Bonder appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
I visited Russia for the first time in 2013. In short, it was breathtaking. Though I was a seasoned traveler even then, I was not quite prepared for all of the wonderful, unforgettable moments that Russia had in store for me. In my travels to both Moscow and St. Petersburg, I experienced many things that simply […]
The post How to Learn Russian: 3 Key Strategies for Beginners appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
So you’ve decided to start learning a new language, but you're not sure where to start. You need resources—books, courses, apps, or other learning materials to help guide your way. What do you do? The first place you turn to is the Internet. It only takes a few clicks of your mouse to find lists of dozens of […]
The post How to Learn a New Language: Start with the Right Resources appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
Everyone has something they're most afraid of. Some people have a fear of animals, like spiders or snakes. Others hate flying, heights, or being stuck in tight spaces. All of these are common fears, but there are two more fears that are the most common of all: Death, and public speaking. Death is something permanent […]
The post 4 Steps to Smash Your Fear of Speaking a Foreign Language appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
"Travel", they say. "Go to the country and learn the language for a few months." "You'll be fluent in no time". That's what I always used to hear when I was first learning Italian, long before I took the leap and actually studied abroad there. Quality language learning, it seemed, was inexorably tied to one's ability to buy […]
The post 10 Easy Ways To Get More Language Learning Immersion at Home – Part 1 appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
No matter how much you love language learning, there are times when life just gets in the way. Maybe you're overloaded at work. Maybe you're on vacation, far away from your language books. Maybe you're between jobs, and you need every extra moment to get yourself back on your feet again. Whatever the reason, you need to […]
The post How to Take a Break from Language Learning (Without Giving Up Forever) appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
I have a question for you: How good are you at your target language? Do you know? Beyond vague assessments like "I'm conversational" or "I can understand most of what I hear", do you have a real sense of your foreign language skills? Most people don't, and that's okay. Often, knowing that you can use the language "well […]
The post Why You Should Take a Language Proficiency Test appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
In my life, there have been few decisions more impactful than when I decided to learn French. Indeed, my French journey has taken me through nearly every significant language learning event you could think of. I've been: A student in a French classroom An independent learner, developing my skills from my home country (outside of France) […]
The post How to Learn French: The 3 Methods I Used to Become Native-Like appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
The road to language mastery is a long one. So long, in fact, that it's often easy to wonder if you're really making any language learning progress at all. When you first start, the wins come fast and easy. Everything is new, so you can double and triple your language knowledge in a matter of days. It […]
The post Tracking Language Learning Progress: My Top 4 Methods appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
When people ask me how many languages I speak, my reply is usually fourteen. But that's not the whole truth. Not really. I've dedicated a year or more of my life to learning fourteen total languages, but to say that I can "speak" all of them isn't exactly right. A couple of languages, unfortunately, have fallen out of […]
The post Why I Failed to Learn Japanese (and How You Can Avoid That) appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
When people decide which languages to learn, one of the most common considerations is how useful that language is. What's useful and what's not in a language can vary, of course, but I like to think utility is typically measured through answering questions like: How often can I use this language in my day to […]
The post Is English an Obstacle When You Learn Other Languages? appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
One of the biggest crazes in language learning in recent years is online language tutoring. Using Skype, Google Hangouts, or another video chat platform, you can now chat with people from across the world, right from the comfort of your own home. This not only makes language learning much more efficient, but a whole lot easier, […]
The post How to Survive Your First Online Language Tutoring Session appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
One of the most popular topics in language learning nowadays is not simply "how to learn French" or "how to learn Mandarin Chinese", but "how to learn how to learn." This is because, as the logic goes, if you know how learning works in general, you can apply those principles to any language, topic, or skill […]
The post Best 3 Steps To Get Ready for a Kick-Ass Language Learning Session appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
There's just something so cool about the idea of being able to chat away happily with native speakers just as if you were one of them. They would understand everything you say, and you would understand everything they say. Jokes, cultural references, and wordplay would just "click", like magic. It would feel effortless. And "effortless" is probably […]
The post Mastering a Language Like a Native Speaker (Really?) appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
I confess: I am currently learning 3 languages at the same time. You heard me right: three languages. Now, this may sound strange to you. If you're a long-time reader of this blog, you'll know that I usually recommend against learning two languages at the same time, let alone three. But this is different. I haven't changed my stance […]
The post How To Learn 3 Languages at Once (My Current Approach) appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
If you don't currently have a daily language learning routine in place, then the idea of spending a chunk of your hard-earned free time to learn a language every day might seem intimidating to you. Even scary. It makes sense, too. I mean, why spend your free time doing something so boring and mundane as a […]
The post How to Inject Fun Into Your Daily Language Learning Routine appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
So I’ve decided to learn Danish. Actually, to be honest, the decision to learn Danish was made long ago. However, it’s only now that I’ve had the time and the opportunity to learn it. And that’s what I’ve been doing, everyday for the last couple of weeks. The idea to learn the language first came to my […]
The post How to Learn Danish: My Personal Routine & Reasons appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
”Two things define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.” - Anonymous For many people, January is the perfect time to begin learning a new language. As the first month of the calendar year, there's seemingly no better time to get started. Each new year brings with it new hopes, […]
The post Learning a New Language: Stick to One To Make All The Difference appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
What could be better than a language exchange? Not much, in my opinion. Except for one thing: Language tutoring. You see, language exchanges are great, but they're imperfect. Their loose, informal nature makes it a challenge to keep each session focused, relevant, and impactful to the learning of each individual. Language tutoring, on the other hand, has none of […]
The post Hiring a Language Tutor: Is It Worth It? appeared first on Luca Lampariello.
What's the best, most authentic way to learn any language? If you're thinking of a book, a class, or an online course, I don't blame you. With all of the advertising and promotion of various language learning tips, tricks, and methods nowadays, it's natural to think that the best language learning resources are a commodity—something you […]
The post What to Really Expect From a Language Exchange: Pros and Cons appeared first on Luca Lampariello.