When I announced my current yearlong trip across three continents, I got many comments from readers who would like to do something similar. After all, who wouldn’t like to go to exotic locations, learning new languages and cultures? Unfortunately, the biggest excuse people give me for avoiding those trips they desire is that they simply […]
Why You Shouldn’t Learn a Language the Way Children Do
Now entering the fourth week of my year without English, I’ve seen a lot of different advice for learning languages. Some people believe in huge amounts of listening and reading. Others say take classes or dive into conversations immediately. I won’t comment on those strategies (yet), but I will point out one common suggestion: you […]
The Importance of Knowing What You Know
If I had to speculate what was the biggest obstacle to learning well, I wouldn’t guess reading speed, memory or even procrastination. I’d say it was metalearning. It’s important, and most people are lousy at it. “Meta” is a prefix that gets added to things that are about themselves. Metaphilosophy is the philosophy of philosophy. […]
Thoughts on the First Week Without Speaking English
Today was the first week into my year without speaking English. I wanted to share my thoughts on what it’s been like avoiding speaking English entirely, as a method to learn a language. First, though, a clarification. When I wrote my initial post about my challenge to not speak English for a year, I generated […]
I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.