Learn Languages with Steve Kaufmann

I was with some Canadians recently who all agreed that French would help them professionally. Within a few minutes I had heard three reasons why they hadn't learned it: I can read but I can't speak, the Montreal accent is too hard, and they changed our class this year. Every one of those puts the problem somewhere outside the person saying it. I lived in Hong Kong where nobody s...

Reading is a huge part of how I learn languages, but it is not equally easy in every language. In Spanish or Turkish I can sound out almost any word the first time I see it. In Arabic and Persian I often cannot, so I read those online where I can hear the word pronounced. The writing system changes the whole shape of my routine. Which language has been the hardest for you to read?

Friction is what reduces our enjoyment of language learning, so in this video I go through the nine forms it takes and what I do about each one.

Should you focus on words or grammar? Here's how I approach grammar as an input-based learner, and why most corrections never stick.

In this video I'll you how I'm getting ready for my trip to Portugal by using point-of-view stories, circling questions, and AI to create custom lessons.