WIN $150 GIFT VOUCHERS: ALADDIN'S GOLD
Irish native Benny Lewis speaks over ten languages - all self-taught. In 2003, he spoke only one language: English. After university, he moved to Spain and was soon frustrated that he could not speak Spanish after six months of studying. So he decided to abandon traditional learning approaches and just start speaking - and everything changed. Today Benny is known as The Irish Polyglot and speaks Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Hungarian. He is the author of the bestselling book on language learning, Fluent in 3 months. He also runs the largest language learning blog in the world, www.fluentin3months.com, where he breaks down the language learning process for busy people. Lewis is a full-time 'language hacker', and devotes his time to finding better, faster, and more efficient ways to learn languages. For the first time, he has applied his methods to helping people learn specific languages in his new Language Hacking series.
It was such a pleasure to have 'The Irish Polyglot' on campus! Benny kept students engaged from his intro video reel all the way to the final Q&A of the evening. He is a dynamic speaker with fascinating stories and great tips for making the most of your time abroad. Our office appreciated his willingness to work with us to tailor his presentation to our specific audience. Though we expected students to be more interested in the travel aspects of his presentation, so many of them wanted to know more about his language hacks during the Q&A. The fact that he is young and has gone about language learning in a non-traditional way really helped them connect with his message. Benny is a speaker who is suitable for students who are just starting to explore international issues to those who are already on the track to becoming polyglots themselves -- Sabina Post * Study Abroad Office, Elizabethtown College * This unconventional course takes you through a series of missions designed to get you speaking the language as soon as possible. It shows you how to start conversations and keep them going, even when you don't know much of the language. It explains that many words are similar to ones you already know. It provides tips about how to memorize vocabulary, and useful cultural tips. You are also encouraged to use the dedicated iTalki website, where you can practice what you're learning, and find links to many online resources. * Simon, from Omniglot.com * What Benny has done for making language learning accessible is second to none. This new series is the perfect example of that. Combining modern tech and study methods that have for far too long been lacking from traditional course books, Benny has created a great set of all-round robust language courses. -- Lindsay Dow * Lindsayloveslanguages.com * Benny's new Language Hacking courses are a major contribution to the language learning world. Learning with this series is like having an experienced language coach standing over your shoulder every step of the way, showing you how to learn quickly, and speak confidently right from the start. -- Olly Richards * iwillteachyoualanguage.com * Benny's new series makes it fun to dare to speak. This could well engage more people with a new language than some of the more traditional language books. -- Steve Kaufmann * Lingq.com * I had to learn Tagalog in a handful of days for a TV interview. I asked Benny for help and his advice was invaluable. -- Tim Ferris
