Language learning tips

A graphic with the portrait of the author and text saying 'Language learning advice I've never shared before'
Language learning advice I’ve never shared before  I’m sure you’ve seen lots of people on YouTube share ‘things they’ve never shared before’ already. This theme was trending a while back and I thought it would be fun to do something similar but focused specifically on language learning advice.  I’ve shared a lot of language learning advice on my blog and on my YouTube channel already.  You can check out my favourite pieces here: How to understand native speakers How to sound more fluent in a foreign language How I became fluent in English (relevant to all languages) How to create […]

Language learning advice I have never shared before

how to understand native speakers
How to understand native speakers Understanding native speakers is something many language learners struggle with. Whenever I learn a new language, I get a bit of a shock. I learn a lot of vocabulary and a lot of grammar. And then, when I’m ready to go out there and speak, I realise how little I actually understand. How is that possible, I think. I’ve been working so hard, I know so many words, I can even read newspapers in the language. But I can’t actually understand what people are saying to me! I’m sure you’ve been faced with a similar […]

How to understand native speakers: top tips

5 fun language learning activities for children I have very fond memories of teaching English as a foreign language to kids. Although I no longer do it as a job, the topic of teaching children is still close to my heart as I’m now a mum myself. I recently blogged about the 6 reasons why you should teach your child a foreign language. And in this post, I want to share with you my top 5 activities that you can use to teach your little one their first words in a foreign language. 1. Use picture books to introduce vocabulary […]

5 fun language learning activities for children

tips for speaking with native speakers
When I first went to France – in 2007 – I thought I could speak French. I’d done my homework before going – I knew the grammar, my vocabulary was pretty good, I was reading novels in French and even translating poetry from French into English at university! But when I actually got there and was suddenly confronted with real French people, I realised that I wasn’t as good as thought I was! I didn’t really know how to speak… Well, I was good at giving presentations about climate change, and the pros and cons of living abroad because that’s the […]

Top tips for speaking with native speakers

Teaching your child a foreign language In a recent blog post, I wrote about how my journey with foreign languages began. It all started with a bit of fun, when my Mum introduced me and my little brother to our first English words when we were very young. What followed was a life in which languages play a very important part. My personal life – including my fascination with travel and the friends from around the world I’ve made over the years. My professional career – which has been centred around language in one way or another. And my online […]

6 reasons why you should teach your child a foreign language

Are you learning English? Get your free English grammar booklet and regular lessons from me by email.  One of my earliest memories from my childhood is playing with my Mum and my little brother at home, and my Mum teaching us some English words.    She told us ‘a box’ is what we call ‘pudełko’ in Polish – my mother tongue – ’a dress’ is ‘sukienka’, and ‘a book’ is ‘książka’. Almost 30 years on, I can still remember those were the exact words my Mum taught us. So simple yet so powerful!    At the time, it was just […]

How learning to say ‘box’ in English led me to fluency

How to create a language learning routine
How to create a language learning routine When you’re trying to learn a foreign language, it’s very easy to let things get in the way. There’s always something that’s more important to do, it always seems like there’s not enough time, and sometimes you just don’t have the energy or the motivation to sit down and learn new words. Having a proper language learning routine can help you overcome this issue. It will help you become more disciplined and stay on track with your language learning. I’m about to share with you my favourite tips for creating a language learning […]

How to create a language learning routine

how to learn grammar in a foreign language
How to learn grammar in a foreign language Grammar, grammar, grammar… I’m sure some of you hate the idea of it. And some of you even hate the word itself! And that’s fine – not everyone has to love grammar. And it’s not true that you need to learn grammar all the time if you want to be fluent in a foreign language. How is that possible, you may be wondering. Well, I’m about to explain. You can read on if you want, or just check out my video instead! If you like getting my language learning advice in video […]

How to learn grammar (and should you even do it?)

best language learning blogs
Best language learning blogs Here’s my list of the best blogs for language learners!   I will be updating this article regularly as I find more blogs that might be useful for you guys. I’m also going to start with general language learning blogs, which are already included in this article, and I’m going to regularly add lists of my favourite blogs for learning specific languages (French and English coming next!). Make sure you’re part of my community of language learners if you’d like me to send you an email next time this article is updated with new blogs! Blogs […]

Best language blogs to help you learn any language

how I became fluent in English
How I became fluent in English Get your free English grammar booklet and regular lessons from me by email.  Since I moved to the UK many years ago, people have been telling me how good my English is. Here are some things I’ve been hearing over and over again: Your English is so good! Your English is better than mine (and I’m a native speaker)! You don’t have a Polish accent! I can’t tell where you’re from! This is flattering and it does make me feel good about the effort I’ve put into developing my English language skills over the […]

How I became fluent in English (relevant to all languages!)

how to learn a foreign language
How to learn a foreign language So you want to learn a foreign language? You might be reading this because: You’ve decided to learn a new language and you’re looking for ways to do it effectively and independently You’re already learning a foreign language and you’re looking for tips on how to make your language learning process more effective, or how to make progress faster I can help you with both. I’ve been learning languages for over 15 years now. I’ve tried and tested different methods and strategies. I run this blog to share with you the things that have […]

How to learn a foreign language

how to sound more fluent in a foreign language
Fluency is not just about knowing all the words and knowing how to use them. It’s not about speaking quickly either. Fluency is about feeling comfortable speaking, and speaking in a way that ‘flows’. Do you know what I mean? Whatever stage of learning a language you’re at, there are things you can do to sound more fluent. I’m about to share them with you. And don’t be put off if you’re only a beginner or an intermediate learner – you will also benefit from my tips, in the same way a more advanced learner will. Are you ready? Read on! […]

How to sound more fluent in a foreign language

silly things people say about language learning
In the 15+ years I’ve been learning foreign languages, I’ve heard my share of silly things people say about language learning. I thought it would be fun to put this silliness together and make a video! You can watch it below or, if you prefer, scroll down to read the post! Don’t forget I’ve got tons of fun and useful language learning videos on my YouTube channel so head over there and subscribe to make sure you don’t miss any future videos! Here’s the write-up of the most silly things people say about learning foreign languages! 1. Why are you […]

Silly things people say about learning foreign languages

  Last year, I asked 18 different language learning experts and enthusiasts for their favourite tips and techniques of 2016. I published them in a massive round-up article, which became very popular with the language learning community. I was really happy I could help so many of you by relaying those 18 people’s top advice. If you didn’t see it last December, you can read it here: Language Learning Experts’ Favourite Strategies in 2016 This year, I’ve decided to do something different. I’ve looked at loads of articles about language learning published around the web in 2017 and selected 18 […]

Language learning experts’ top tips and advice of 2017

how to learn languages from songs
How to learn a language from songs I bet you’ve tried learning a foreign language from your favourite song. ‘Despacito’ anyone? I bet you have tried translating it into English! No? Well, have a go and see what you think… Why am I talking about this anyway? Because although the title of this post is ‘how to learn languages from songs’, I’m also going to cover the topic of ‘is it a good idea to learn languages from songs’. If you’d rather watch my video on this topic, here it is! Otherwise, keep reading. Learning a language from music Don’t […]

How to learn languages from songs

How to learn two languages at the same time Some of you may remember my blog post about how to learn several languages at the same time. It’s a topic that many, many people are interested in for some reason! The post I wrote about it a couple of years ago is actually one of the most popular posts on the 5-Minute Language blog ever. And that’s great! I’m happy to see that so many people want to learn more than one language. But… There are also people who don’t care about being polyglots. They don’t want to learn multiple […]

How to Learn Two Languages at the Same Time

Be less shy when speaking a foreign language
Feeling shy is something most of us have experienced before when trying to speak a foreign language. Some of us feel anxious, not too confident and sometimes even scared. It’s all natural and it’s all part of the journey. But there are some things you can do to overcome the shyness and feel more confident when speaking the language you’re learning. I’ve made a video about this topic so make sure you watch it and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel, which is where I post videos like this one regularly. If you’d rather read my tips, then […]

How to be less shy when speaking a foreign language

the dark side of language learning
I don’t know about you but whenever I look for language learning advice online, it all seems so easy. Just do this one thing, then do this other thing, and a little bit of that, and it’ll all be good. It’s one big success story. It’s all positive, motivating and inspiring. But is that a true picture of what it’s like to learn a language? No, it’s not. And nobody seems to be talking about it. Nobody seems to be talking about the dark side of language learning. You keep learning new words and the more you think you know, […]

The Truth About Language Learning Nobody Talks About

are language courses worth your money
When you’re starting to learn a language, you’re probably wondering whether to sign up for a language course or classes. And these things cost money so it’s an important decision to make. Are language courses worth your money? I hope that this article will help you decide for yourself. If you’d rather watch my video on this topic, here it is. Otherwise, continue reading! Are language courses worth your money? Language learners often jump at the idea of joining a language course because it seems like the ultimate solution to their language learning problems. But often, they don’t ask themselves […]

Are language courses worth your money?

5 facts about language learning backed by science
What I tend to do on this blog is share with you some of the tips and techniques that have worked for me and helped me learn foreign languages effectively. They’re my tips and my opinions, though. And what works for me, won’t always work for everyone else. So, I thought it would be interesting to look into what science has to say about language learning. Here are five fun facts about language learning backed by science! 1. Spaced repetition really works Spaced repetition is a language learning technique that helps you keep the words you learn fresh in your […]

5 Facts about Language Learning Backed by Science

the biggest mistakes language learners make
I’ve written about language learning mistakes before. There are many standard mistakes that we all make at different points of our language learning journeys. But there is one big mistake that I think trumps them all. It’s a mistake that is most likely to stall your progress and prevent you from moving forward. Do you want to find out what it is? Check out the video! Or, if you’d rather read about it, scroll down and continue reading. The biggest language learning mistake I can think of is being comfortable. For many of us, being comfortable is what we strive […]

The Biggest Mistake Language Learners Make

how many words do you need to speak a foreign language
How many bricks do you need to build a house? How many steps do you need to take from your living room to your kitchen? How many eggs do you need to make an omelette? How easy is it to answer these questions? It’s quite straightforward. They are three tasks that require a specific number of things (bricks, steps, eggs) to get them accomplished. I’d probably use three eggs to make an omelette for myself – and maybe five if I was making one for two people. Easy question – easy answer! So, how many words do you need to […]

How Many Words Do You Need to Speak a Foreign Language?

what is the easiest language to learn
What is the easiest language to learn? It’s a question many people ask me. Many people want to know what the easiest language to learn is before they start learning their first foreign language. Other people may be wondering what the easiest language to learn is when choosing their second or third foreign language. It’s a very important question. But it’s also a very difficult one to answer. Let’s have a go at answering it, though – shall we? Before we do that, though, I just want to let you know that if you prefer, you can watch the video below […]

What Is the Easiest Language to Learn?

get fluent
If you’re really serious about making progress in the language or languages you’re learning, consider giving up all of these six things. 1.Stop thinking fluency is your only goal Fluency is a big word. It’s actually massive. Let’s face it – if fluency is your only goal, you’ll be massively overwhelmed. Imagine this: you’ve never been out for a run in your life and you want to get into running to improve your overall fitness. Do you enter a marathon straight away? What’s your answer to this? Well, mine would be – no way! I’d probably give up my dream […]

6 Things You Need to Stop Doing Immediately if You Want to Get Fluent

lose your accent
Many language learners believe that losing your foreign accent when speaking another language is a sign of fluency in that language. I know many of you are interested in this topic because my article on how to sound more like a native speaker is a very popular one! However, is losing your own accent when speaking a foreign language is really something you should be aiming for? Watch my video to find out! Don’t forget to subscribe to the 5-Minute Language YouTube channel as well – more similar videos coming soon! Should you lose your foreign accent when speaking another […]

Should You Try to Lose Your Foreign Accent?

how to be fluent in english
Get your free English grammar booklet and regular lessons from me by email.  Here’s a new video for all of you language learners who are learning English! I discuss my favourite strategies for getting to fluency in English. So, if you’re wondering how to be fluent in English, make sure you check it out! Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos about learning English! Get your free English grammar booklet and regular lessons from me by email. 

3 Things You Must Do to Be Fluent in English

language learning myths
There are so many myths when it comes to language learning that I decided to make a video to tell you guys the truth! Check it out and let me what you think in the comments below!

5 Biggest Language Learning Myths

how to learn vocabulary effectively
I started 2017 with a commitment to learn Japanese more consistently. I’m doing this with many of you as part of The Vocab Club – my free programme that aims to help you stick to your language learning resolutions. I’m really excited about this – thank you to those of you who have signed up already! If you haven’t sign up yet – you can still enter your name and email and I’ll let you know when the next round of the programme opens 🙂 For me, learning vocabulary is probably the most important (and the most enjoyable!) element of acquiring […]

How to Learn Vocabulary Effectively: Top Tips

Language experts reveal their top language learning strategies in 2016 I can’t believe there are only a couple of days left of 2016! It’s been an interesting year in many different ways and I’m sure you guys have made a lot of progress in at least one area of your language learning. What’s a better way to celebrate the transition to 2017 than to gather advice from some of the most interesting language learners and bloggers out there. I’ve asked 17 people what their number one language learning strategy was in 2016 and here are their answers! 18 language experts […]

Language Learning Experts’ Favourite Strategies in 2016

most popular on 5-minute language in 2016
It’s almost the end of December and it’s time to look back over 2016! This post celebrates the five most popular articles on 5-Minute Language in 2016. The five articles most read by you guys! Thank you for supporting 5-Minute Language this year – it means a lot to me! So, let’s get started! Top 5 Most Popular Language Learning Articles on 5-Minute Language in 2016 Click To Tweet 1. 10 Things Monolingual People Will Never Understand  This one is a real gem – it’s the most popular article on 5-Minute Language in 2016, and the second most popular ever! It’s […]

Your Top 5 Favourite Posts on 5-Minute Language in 2016

learning languages
Mistakes, preconceptions and limiting beliefs – we all make them and have them, and we should share them to help other people make a better start! So, here they are – the 7 things I wish I’d known before I started learning foreign languages. I hope they can help you on your journey! 1. You use 20% of words 80% of the time When people start learning foreign languages, the temptation often is to learn as many words as possible. A lot of new words often seems like a lot of progress. I was trapped in the same kind of […]

7 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Started Learning Languages

learn multiple languages
Use a language you already know to learn multiple languages In this article, I’m going to show you exactly how you can make the most of any language you already know to learn another language, or to learn several languages! Think you don’t know any languages already? You do – you know your native language. And yes – you can use your native language to learn many other languages. Are you with me? Let’s look into the details of what that means.   1. Look for similarities in vocabulary More often than not, your native language (or any other language you […]

4 Ways to Use a Language You Know to Learn Another Language