Language Coaching

How do you learn a language?

People often ask me how I learn languages. The answer is simple: it depends.

It depends on the language but it also depends on the person and their goals and experience.

There is no get-fluent fast system that actually works. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for every language but I do believe that anyone who is motivated can learn any language.

I did not speak another language until I was in my mid-twenties. Now, almost ten years later, I speak around ten languages with varying degrees of fluency.

English and French are languages in which I can communicate fluently in virtually any context. I also speak Arabic and have studied the Jordanian dialect, the Algerian dialect and Modern Standard Arabic so I am able to get by in most circumstances. I lived in Greece for several years so I can understand and speak modern Greek well-enough to get by in day-to-day life. I studied two dialects of Kurdish as part of my graduate studies, Kurmanji through online university courses and Sorani at a language school in Iraq. I have also dabbled in Farsi and Spanish and I can understand simple conversations. I started learning Russian but it is one of the most difficult languages I have studied and so progress is very slow. Finally, the first two languages I ever studied were Koine Greek (300 BC-600 AD) and Classical Hebrew (900-600 BC) which are great languages to read but not that useful for speaking because all the native speakers are dead.

Coaching Process

Tell me your goals

In an initial coaching call, we talk about your language learning goals as well as your availability and motivation.

We develop a plan

Together, we develop a plan that is realistic and tailored to your specific language needs and goals.

Coaching calls

Regular calls provide an accountability structure to keep you on track with your goals and a space to troubleshoot.

Results and Recalibration

When you reach your goals or want to establish new goals the coaching process is recalibrated or transcended.

Let’s Connect

If you're interested in learning more about language coaching, complete the form and I will get back to you.

  • "Language is not a genetic gift, it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club – the community of speakers of that language."

    Frank Smith

  • “One who speaks only one language is one person, but one who speaks two languages is two people.”

    Turkish proverb

  • “We should learn languages because language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly.”

    Kató Lomb