Chatterbug Features – Shannon
For our fourth Chatterbug Feature we met language teacher Shannon, who has been learning German with Chatterbug since 2017. She told us the story behind why she started.
Jotting Things Down to Help you Learn
Language learning is a pretty idiosyncratic affair in that learners each have different and distinct routes to becoming fluent and proficient. We often study in a particular way not because it has been proven effective, but because our intuitions tell us it will be. My…
The 5 languages students are learning when studying abroad
When exploring a foreign country, it goes without saying that experiencing exotic cultures, meeting new people, and having the adventure of a lifetime is almost a guarantee. However, there is still one aspect which will always hold you back from taking in the full experience…
How Can You Stay Motivated When Learning a Second Language?
Learning a language can seem like a pretty daunting task. It isn’t something that happens overnight, or even over the course of a few months, and it can take a while to be able to feel comfortable having even just a simple conversation in your…
The Role of Conversation Practice in Second Language Learning
There’s a common issue second language learners seem to have. It arises when, after months (or perhaps even years) of study, they try to talk to a native speaker of the language they’ve been learning, and realize they can’t really communicate much of anything at…
Chatterbug Features – Ahmed
Born in Khartoum and now based in Toronto, Ahmed has lived in New York, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Oxford, Taipei and Singapore, so it should come as no surprise that one of Ahmed’s passions, as a local in so many parts of the world, is…
How to overcome your foreign language anxiety
Does this sound familiar? Learning a foreign language is often exciting. With each expertly executed email, understood dubbed episode of FRIENDS without subtitles or new emoji of encouragement from your language-learning app, you can find your confidence well and truly boosted. Until… You’re on holiday…
Chatterbug Features – Ryan
Welcome to the first of our Chatterbug Features, our new Chatterblog series featuring stories from actual language learners. In these posts, we hand over the mic to our students and let them tell us their trials and tribulations of learning a new language. Today, we’re…
How Does Age Affect Your Ability To Learn a Second Language?
It’s a common belief that adults are bad at learning second languages. We’ve all heard someone say so, usually as an explanation for why they haven’t succeeded in learning a second language themselves. Sometimes, they’ll provide some anecdotal evidence to support this idea: they’ll point…
Reasons to learn a second language now
For many of us, the memories of language classes at school are enough to make us stick with our native one for good. But learning a second language doesn’t mean you must obsessively memorise directions to the town hall (did that ever come in useful?),…