StoryLearning Podcast
Learning a new language? Get your language learning questions answered by polyglot Olly Richards, who speaks 8 languages and is the founder of the StoryLearning® method.
Whatever's holding you back on the path to fluency, tune in twice a week to get your regular dose of language learning motivation, with Olly and other polyglot guests, such as Benny Lewis, Luca Lampariello, Richard Simcott and Alex Rawlings.
Learn Spanish, Learn French, Learn German, Learn Italian, Learn Portuguese, Learn Arabic, Learn Japanese, Learn Chinese
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 18 minutes
- Episodes
- 374
- Years Active
- 2015 - 2022
033: Olly's Arabic teacher explains his progress
In this episode, I interview my Arabic teacher Mona about how I made quick progress in my Arabic.
In this episode:
- My progress compared to Mona's other students
- In what ways I progressed
- What techni…
032: Single words or full sentences?
Sebastian asks: "Should I learn single words or complete phrases?"
In this episode:
- The disadvantages of learning single words
- Why learning vocabulary in complete phrases is so valuable
- Where you ta…
031: What's the best mobile app for connecting with native speakers?
Jane asks: "What's your favourite mobile app for meeting and practising with native speakers?"
In this episode:
- The importance of connecting with native speakers
- Language learning app: HelloTalk.com …
030: Should I learn a German dialect?
Marcus asks: "Should I learn a German dialect or standard German?"
In this episode:
- The advantages of learning standard German
- Why you might want to learn a German dialect
- German dialects and identi…
029: Learning your partner's language
Many people have asked: "I'm struggling to learn my partner's language, why is it so hard?"
In this episode:
- Why it can be so difficult to learn your partner's language
- The danger of looking to your…
028: How to stop reading becoming a chore
Alex asks: "How can stop listening becoming a chore?"
In this episode:
- The key to reading usefully is choosing material where you already understand 90% of the contents
- Try to find material that is …
027: How can I improve my listening comprehension?
Max asks: "How can I improve my listening comprehension?"
In this episode:
- Three reasons you might not understand a native speaker:
- You don’t know the words
- You can’t distinguish the individual wo…
Special Spanish offer for podcast listeners
My new book of Spanish short stories was published today. Grab your copy on Amazon Kindle for only $0.99 for a few days only.
"Spanish Short Stories for Beginners" - Olly Richards
Click the link belo…
026: How to get a good accent quickly?
Ferdaous asks: "I'm learning English, how can I develop a good American accent quickly?"
In this episode:
- Why a good accent is important
- The difference between phonemes and prosody
- Why developing a …
025: I'm torn between two languages
Doug asks: "I know I need to focus on one language, but I'm torn between two languages. What should I do?"
In this episode:
- Why it's important to focus on one language
- The difficulty of leaving behi…
024: How can I stay motivated as a beginner?
Cecilia asks: "How do you stay motivated when you don't speak much of the language and it's such a long way ahead"
In this episode:
- The importance of identifying your core reasons for learning a lan…
023: Which Spanish dialect should I learn?
Greg asks: "There are so many varieties of Spanish. Which dialect should I focus on?"
In this episode:
- How I learnt Spanish
- About different varieties of Spanish
- Why going "narrow and deep" is better …
022: How can I help my friend with her English?
Isabelle asks: "My Chinese friend is learning English. How can I help her best?"
In this episode:
- How to help someone learn another language
Three exercises you can use to figure out how to help so…
021: How can I learn Spanish quickly?
Cody asks: "I'm travelling to South America in a few weeks time. How can I learn the Spanish I need to make the most out of my trip?"
In this episode:
- What happened to me when I first went to Spain
- …
020: How can I go from intermediate to advanced?
Nate asks: "I'm currently living in Bolivia and working on my Spanish. Do you have any advice for getting from intermediate to advanced?"
In this episode:
- What is the "intermediate plateau"?
- Why thi…
019: How to find someone to speak with
Steve asks: "The thing I most struggle with is not having anyone to speak with. I live in a rural part of the country so there are no Japanese language courses or classes."
In this episode:
- Why it's…
018: When do you consider yourself fluent in another language?
Isabelle asks: "At what point do you consider yourself to be fluent in another language?"
In this episode:
- What is fluency?
- What does it mean to you personally?
- When do you switch from learning a la…
017: How much time should I spend on pronunciation?
Jenny asks: "My English teacher used to say that it's important to speak with a native-like accent. Do you think it's important to spend a lot of time on pronunciation as a beginner?"
In this episode…
016: How do you stay motivated when you're living at home?
Yingnoi Lee asks: "How do you concentrate on learning foreign languages when you're living in your homeland?"
In this episode:
- Tactics for staying motivated whilst learning a foreign language wherev…
015: How do I organise vocabulary from different books?
Judi asks: "I'm learning Spanish from two different books at the moment. How can I keep my vocabulary organised between them?"
In this episode:
- Learning with two different books
- Keeping vocabulary o…