How to learn a language through stories with Olly Richards
Stories are an incredible way to learn a language according to Olly Richards, polyglot and creator of the StoryLearning® method. Olly says his near-death experience on a mountain in Argentina got him started with reading stories in Spanish. Since then, he has used this method to learn 8 foreign languages and has authored over 30 books on language learning. Through his books and website, I Will Teach You A Language, Olly teaches languages using the StoryLearning® method, a unique method that helps people learn languages faster using the power of story. You’ll have the chance to ask Olly questions live, and learn: 📖 How to learn like polyglots do—through stories 🧠 Why stories help our memory of a language 🥊 How Olly would coach you to learn a language from scratch Subscribe to Preply’s Youtube channel for more live talks. Explore Olly’s books and resources. Get 70% off your first 1-on-1 online language lesson with Preply. 🕰️TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 02:10 - Why Olly started ‘I Will Teach You a Language’ 03:50 - How to learn a language in 90 days 09:51 - How did Olly discover the StoryLearning method? 14:27 - How to find good reading content 17:16 - Why are stories effective to learn a language? 21:30 - How to make reading more useful 28:00 - The importance of “Tolerance for ambiguity” 32:20 - Why start with pronunciation first 34:00 - Is Harry Potter great language learning material? 36:25 - How Olly overcomes the intermediate plateau 40:05 - What are “language islands?” 41:40 - Can you learn a language while you sleep? 42:05 - Using parallel texts to learn a language 45:05 - Why Olly doesn’t recommend TV as a core method 47:43 - Can you learn multiple languages at the same time? 51:25 - Find out what works for you 52:25 - Outro