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BRAVE Blog

Use the Force: three processes you can rely on to learn anything better

24965205090_5be92be6be_bDo you remember that moment in Star Wars where Luke learns how the Force works? That fantastic feeling of ease and elation that just went from screen to yourself – “everything is possible now”. Well, this post won’t teach you how to do that. But if you figure out how to use the three processes I’m describing below, and if you manage to apply them to the things you are learning – perhaps you’ll soon be able to say “everything is easier now” – without actually doing much more yourself.

I’m going to describe each of the processes in turn, and give you just one example of how it can work. These are not new – sociologists and psychologists have been studying them for a long while now. I’d love to hear how you rely on them in your work!

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BRAVE Blog

Five good things that happen when you learn – and five bad things that happen when you stop

rollercoaster-800px.pngI want to share this with you – it’s not scientific in any way, but a process that me and my dear ones / friends / colleagues have all observed (and we deal with learning a lot). It turns out that when we begin learning, the same things can happen quite often – and when we stop, we go through similar sequences. See if this sounds familiar…

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BRAVE Blog

More language for your click: 3 simple ways to make Freerice teach you more

file7231339581147From the word go, I was charmed by the idea behind Freerice – get a question right, click through to the next one, help fight world hunger. This worked for my English students, worked for my Arts knowledge – and recently, it’s been part of my 25-minute German daily workout. But the big question remains – for a foreign language learner, how useful is this website – and how can you make it work for you better?

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BRAVE Blog

Extreme Guerrilla Learning Update: French Anywhere

learn french anywhere, even offlineJust to bring you up to speed: I’m learning French in a hurry and for free. This is a more radical version of my guerrilla language learning challenge, where I’m learning three languages on a budget. Today, I’m looking at ways of taking my French offline!

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BRAVE Blog

5:2 your language learning: Intermittent Mothertongue Fasting

language learning and diets - the benefits of intermittent language learning

If you were looking for a connection between language learning and diets, this could be your lucky day. And if you weren’t – this article may just make you think about the benefits of reducing your dependence on your first language. Both outcomes are fine by me, and hopefully will be inspiring for the language students out there!

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BRAVE Blog

Write Right – Language Learning and the Prolific Polyglots

One of the nicest perks of my job is being able to listen to talks given by language learning experts, authors and enthusiasts. The inspiration is always there – and frequently turns into a blog post. This one is about different ways in which writing can help your foreign language study – if done right.