James Hutchinson

AI can help you learn a language, but it's not magic.

It's a bit like using YouTube or Google to help you with certain words and phrases or grammar.

The information is there but in order to actually learn it you still need repetition and to hear and speak it regularly in order for your brain to feel confident using it.

Really, it's great that we can chat with AI to help us speak another language but many people use it once, get impressed and forget about it. Instead, build it into your current routine (even 10 mins here and there). Little and often is better than cramming for 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon.

AI will get better and improve, but if youre not using it right, it won't make a difference :)

20 hours ago | [YT] | 0

James Hutchinson

Earlier this year I was in Mexico with my partner. We went to an authentic Mexican restaurant to try different dishes than we're using to.

We both can't handle spice, and many of the words on the menu were niche foods so we weren't sure if we would actually like them.

I thought to myself - it's great being able to travel and communicate with people in their native language, but when it comes to food and cuisines it can feel almost impossible to learn all the items of food and ingredients.

Imagine if you have allergies too, that you're trying to avoid.

So when I came back home I started making an app that lets you point your phone camera at any menu and it tells you exactly what to pick, based on what you like/dislike and any allergies you have.

It asks you this information as part of the onboarding when you download the app.

It works for any language (it always gives you the recommendation in English no matter what menu you scan), and I've designed it so that it learns what you like and dislike over time. Every scan makes the recommendation more accurate to your tastes.

I built it for me. When I came across a situation when I found it super useful.

Now, I've decided to open it up to others. It's my startup business, that I've made as affordable as possible to everyone.

When you download it, your first scan is free (so you can see what it does), then after that it's £4.99 (about $6.70) per month and you get unlimited scans for that. Cancel anytime.

Here's the link: thetastematchapp.com/.

Anyway - thought I'd share it, incase any of you love travelling/exploring new places but have to be carful about what you order!

Ps. Yes that's me drinking a pina colada in the Mexican restaurant. It's my new obsession (didn't have one of me staring at a menu so that will have to do).

1 day ago | [YT] | 1

James Hutchinson

If you like to travel and explore new foods and cuisines but don't want to pick something you hate or are allergic/intolerant to:

I've made an app that lets you scan any menu and it tells you what to choose from the menu based on your likes/dislikes and allergies.

Works in any language and also learns what you like/dislike over time (the more scans you do).

Try it for free now on the app store: thetastematchapp.com/.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 0

James Hutchinson

If you're someone who loves to watch TV shows and movies, and also wants to learn another language, I've created something that might be super useful:
watchingcontent.jameshutchinsonlanguages.com/

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

James Hutchinson

So I can create more content that's super helpful to anyone learning another language, what is your biggest struggle right now/the thing that you feel is holding you back? Any I'm missing? Comment below...

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

James Hutchinson

Really, there's no 'magic method' to be able to speak a language super quickly, however...

It's a game of integration. By this I mean you have to integrate whichever form of language learning you find most fun (reading/watching tv/listening to podcasts) into your current lifestyle long enough for your brain to understand and be able to speak the language. I say 'fun' because you also have to not quit, so you have to enjoy it.

Literally, you don't have to be super clever to learn a language. You don't need any special techniques - it's all about giving yourself exposure to the language for long enough time without giving up.

Obviously, the more time you spend each week, the faster you'll get there but that's up to you.

Don't overcomplicate it :)

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

James Hutchinson

If you're wondering what's the next step to take to get closer to your language goal, I've created a free quiz:

In under 2 minutes, it'll tell you the real reason you're not progressing and exactly what to do next:

nextstep.jameshutchinsonlanguages.com/.

(It's based on my 12 years of language learning experience and basically tells you the next step to take after asking you a few questions).

Cheers,
James.

3 months ago | [YT] | 1

James Hutchinson

If you're struggling to learn new words and phrases while you're learning a different language this could be the reason:

It could be because you're learning it in isolation.

You might have used ChatGPT or maybe a textbook or something on how to learn a certain language and you're memorizing it based on a chart or a little picture next to it.



That is good but contextual learning is so much better.

So instead learn it next to something or associate something weird or funny with the word.

So if you're trying to remember the word for staircase or something random like that imagine a load of clowns or people running up and down it or being weird or imagine someone running naked upstairs and you'll remember it a lot better then.

What that does is it helps your mind associate it with something it already knows and emotional association is really powerful.


To get daily tips on how to learn any language over the next 30 days, head here: jameshutchinson.kit.com/30days.

Cheers,

James.

3 months ago | [YT] | 3

James Hutchinson

If you're trying to learn a language from listening to the language or watching online content and videos, here's a tip for you that no one seems to talk about:

Listen to the voice intonation and the way a native speaker speaks while they're in a conversation.

So you might be watching something on Netflix or something and two native speakers are speaking with each other.

Pay attention to their emotions - are they asking a question? Are they saying a statement? Are they angry? Are they curious?

A lot of their voice intonation and the way in which someone speaks like the flow and speed of it and where they put the emphasis on the words can determine what they're saying without needing to know the words.

And that's super useful because 70% of communication is non-verbal so it's just body language without words

So if you can work out what the general conversation is about if someone's having an argument or something and you can listen to words and phrases that are said in that moment you can then work out...

"Okay so in this language when they say this or when they're angry this phrase is said quite often"

"Or when they're curious this phrase is said quite often."

If you watch it a lot and you watch a lot of movies, that's why they say watching content can be super useful and helpful when learning a different language.

For more tips, I send out an email every day over the next 30 days (for free) on how to learn any language in less time:

jameshutchinson.kit.com/30days.

Cheers,

James.

3 months ago | [YT] | 3

James Hutchinson

99% of people learn a language the wrong way.

They start by learning the grammar and the structure of sentences and that realistically isn't the most interesting thing.

It's not motivating and it hurts a little bit as well because you're looking at grammar tables trying to remember things and they don't make sense and you have to be mentally awake.

Especially if you're doing it after work it takes a lot of mental energy that you don't have.

So instead, focus on ready-made phrases focus on conversations that you're going to say and the practical side of it.

The benefit of using phrases that are ready-made is you don't have to know the grammar behind it If you say something like "How are you?" or "What is your name?" or "How old are you?" or "What do you like to do in your spare time?" then you don't need to know how that sentence is constructed.

You just need to say it and then you get a response from the native speaker.

You don't need to know about the grammar. The benefit of this as well is that you're more motivated because if you say that to someone and you get a response you feel good about being able to learn the practical bits of it.

Whereas if you start by learning the grammar and the dry bit of it you're going to give up before you even get a chance to practice it.

That's why living in the country is the absolute best thing because you're surrounded by it and you can see how things are used how words and phrases and informal phrases are used in daily life.

Whereas if you're learning the grammar side of it it's not that obvious in daily life.

Ps. I created a 2 minute quiz that tells you the exact next step that you should take to learn your target language in less time. It's free: nextstep.jameshutchinsonlanguages.com/.

Cheers,
James.

3 months ago | [YT] | 2