James Hutchinson

I've made a free tool that tells you exactly what next step you should take, to get you closer to your language goal in less time. Here's the link:

nextstep.jameshutchinsonlanguages.com/

Takes 2 mins: asks you a few questions then gives you a tailored recommendation at the end based on your answers.

Give it a try...let me know what you think!

Cheers,

James.

1 day ago | [YT] | 2

James Hutchinson

When you're learning a language it can be tempting to compare your progress to others.

Don't.

If you've spent 2 years learning Spanish but you chat with someone and they say they've started learning it 3 months ago, but when you hear them speak they seem fluent....

You also have to consider:

- How many hours a day have they committed?
- Are they using a method they know they're naturally good at (eg. speaking/listing/reading/writing).
- Which parts of the language have they studied? (have they focused on a specific area which would take less time).

There's so many factors that you don't know about when someone just gives you a hight level 'I've been learning for X time period'.

The risk is, it demotivates you. You think you're bad at language learning because you've spent more time and made less progress.

However, to make comparisons it has to be in equal environments. Otherwise, it's not fair.

If you want to compare, compare you NOW to how you were X months or years ago. You versus you.

P.S. For 30 days of free language learning advice, delivered to you every day via email, head here: jameshutchinson.kit.com/30days.

Cheers,

James.

1 day ago | [YT] | 1

James Hutchinson

The idea that courses from language schools are sized and priced based on the 'hours' that they include doesn't make sense to me.

It should be based on the outcome that you achieve as a student, as your progress through the course and also at the end.

Firstly because 'hours spent learning' does not directly equate to progress. Different people progress at different speeds, and using different methods.

Secondly, many course promise that they'll get you to a certain level (eg B1) by taking their course. However, if you don't reach that level the risk is on you, not them.

Therefore, it should be 'We'll make sure you reach level B1 or we'll refund you' because after all, the students goal is to 'reach level B1', not to 'spend 40 hours learning the language'.

It's charged based on time, rather than how effective it is. That makes that the quality of the language course can drop, but as it's the same time period, the cost is the same.

If they charged based on OUTCOME of each student, it would be a win-win. The language school would have an incredibly high standard to make sure every student reaches the desired level, and each student would then feel the benefits and spread the word about how good the school is.

My advice: Taking a language course is great, but it's not the be all and end all, and it might not be suitable for everyone's learning style. It's a cost effective way of 'giving it a go' learning a language, but really it's what you do OUTSIDE the classroom that counts (watching TV, listening to podcast in target language etc).

Anyway - if you want 30 days worth of language learning advice based on my 12 years of experience learning Spanish and Italian (for free), here's the link:

jameshutchinson.kit.com/30days.

Cheers,

James.

2 days ago | [YT] | 2

James Hutchinson

You may relate: You often finish people's sentences while they're talking because you can guess what they want to say.

This is often an ADHD trait (thinking fast), and can be a superpower when learning a language:

If you're listening to a native speaker in your target language and after every word they say, you guess what the rest of the sentence will be, you can plan your response before they have even finished their sentence.

For example, you're talking about sports and the native speaker says:

"Tomorrow morning I am going to the...."

You can assume the next word will be 'gym'.

So if that's the case, you can mentally prepare your reply to that full sentence, before they finish it.

That's just one word - but sometimes you can guess many words ahead.

This buys you a few seconds, to think of a response.

So next time you're listing to a native speaker (mid-conversation) try and be ahead of the game and predict the next few words they're going to say.

If you're wrong, you're just back to square one. Adjust your response. Nothing bad happens.

If you're right, you've just helped yourself 'respond to natives more quickly' which helps keep the conversation flowing and you seem and feel more fluent.

For more tips, I've made a free email course on how to learn any language in the next 30 days: jameshutchinson.kit.com/30days.

Cheers,

James.

3 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 2

James Hutchinson

If the thing you're scared about when responding to native speakers is awkward silences:

Then have a couple of 'filler phrases' that buy you time when you have to think about the answer. Find out what they are in your target language and remember them.

Something like:

"Can you repeat it please"
"Sorry, I couldn't hear you"
"Say that again"

This does two things:

- It gives you more time to think about what they said. Even if you heard 2 words out of 10, if you understand the context of the conversation, you'll be able to work out what they MIGHT be saying.

- It means that they will slow down and speak more clearly the second time round, so you'll have a better chance of understanding it.

That way, you're not sat in silence feeling pressured to respond.

It takes away some of the anxiety of an awkward silence, because you have something to say while you think.

For more tips, I've made a free email course on how to learn any language in the next 30 days: learnwithlingoers.kit.com/30days.

Cheers,

James.

5 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 2

James Hutchinson

Would you rather...

(P.S. I have a free email course to help you to stop freezing up when responding to natives: learnwithlingoers.kit.com/confidentwithnatives).

6 days ago | [YT] | 3

James Hutchinson

When it comes to responding to native speakers, there's two ways people do it:

- Speak quickly, mix up their words a bit but get the point across and still be understood (this is what I do).

- Take their time more. They think carefully about being grammatically correct before they speak.

While both methods have their benefits, here's a few remarks about each one:

Speaking quickly:
- Allows you to keep the conversation going, because you say what you wanna say anyway, it's just not perfect.
- Helps you overcome the 'waiting to be perfect' before you even start speaking. This means you go 'f*ck it' and say it anyway. This helps overcome speaking anxiety.
- Makes it harder in the long run to get good at grammar because you're not thinking about it as much. You're not 'trying' to get good at grammar as much so it'll take longer.


Taking your time and being more grammatically correct:
- Means you're putting more thought into the grammar, which will make you better at the grammar in less time.
- Taking your time means you're putting less pressure on yourself to respond, which can teach your brain 'this conversation isn't a threat' and CAN help reduce your anxiety only if you are able to finally say the right grammar. If you're struggling with that, it can backfire as you're just not say anything.

Really, if you're early - say what you want to say in a rough way. Don't worry about grammar at all because it will put you off. String a few words together just to be understood. That's your goal.

You personality also comes into it. If you're more careful and thoughtful about what you say and do, taking your time will likely be better for you.

If you're just practicing for fun or don't really care about being perfect, you can respond quicker and stay in the flow of conversation.

These are the parts of language learning that I've not heard many people talk about, but I've noticed after 12 years of experience learning Spanish and Italian.

For more tips, I've made a free email course on how to learn any language in the next 30 days: learnwithlingoers.kit.com/30days.

Cheers,

James.

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

James Hutchinson

A lot of people freeze when speaking because they’re trying to do too many things at once:

- Translate in their head

- Remember grammar

- Sound “correct”

- Not embarrass themselves

However, that’s not how real conversations work.

Speaking fluently is more about getting into the flow and allow your words to come out naturally, even if it means you're not 100% grammatically correct.

Actually, even native speakers make grammatically mistakes in their own language, so it doesn't matter as much as you think.

Once you understand that, words come out much more easily.

If you want help being able to speak in your target language, this is for you:

calls.learnwithlingoers.com/

Cheers,

James.

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

James Hutchinson

If you ever find yourself struggling to find time to learn a language because you think you need to 'sit down' and study it with a pen and paper, this is the controversial truth (based on my 12 years of experience).

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

James Hutchinson

If you understand a language better than you can speak it, you’re not bad at languages.

You’re actually doing something very normal.

- Understanding comes first.
- Speaking lags behind.
- The gap between the two can feel horrible (aka not being able to respond quickly to natives).

Most people never get told this, so they assume something is wrong with them or they're bad at language learning.

However, it's because of your brain's ability to quickly form phrases while under pressure. The info is there, but pressure stops you from speaking.

Just like if you're doing a public speech/presentation in your native language, your mind might go blank. You know the words but just can't get them out. It's the same.

If you want daily, practical language advice (including how to close that speaking gap), I have a free 30 day email course where you'll get one email from me every day for 30 days.

learnwithlingoers.kit.com/30days.

Cheers,
James.

1 week ago | [YT] | 3