Time for episode 111! In this episode I welcome Michael Mischkot to talk about his experience learning languages.
Michael Mischkot
I first met Michael at a Polyglot Gathering in Berlin, and he impressed me with a high level of Danish he had acquired after living a relatively short time in the country. In the episode we talk about his journey as a language learner and his a-ha moments along the way.
Michael's Language Website GLanguage
Michael's Book: Smile Talk Cheesecake
Listen to the episode
Timestamps
Thanks to Michael himself for helping me out with these!
[06:15] How Michael got into language learning
[13:30] Why he never went to Danish class when he moved to Copenhagen
[16:15] Why it's important to learn the local language
[18:15] Why and how Michael failed in Chinese class three times
[22:15] His approach on learning vocabulary
[28:35] The disadvantages of the current classroom-based language learning concept
[31:45] How Michael felt when he attended a polyglot conference for the first time
[36:35] The importance of being in the right emotional state when communicating in and learning a foreign language
[40:45] How Michael found out about the Polyglot community and why you should go to the conferences and gatherings too
[49:05] How Michael studies Slovak for the Polyglot gathering in Bratislava
[52:15] The importance of correct pronunciation
[54:30] The language learning process and experience
[56:15] The Polyglot lifestyle
[57:45] Language certificates and how to use them to your advantage
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Kris is the founder of Actual Fluency, and has spent the last 8 years becoming an expert in language learning software, methods, and techniques.
Originally from Denmark, he now lives in Portugal and speaks 5+ languages at varying levels. His other interests are Wine, Online Marketing, and Travelling.