

StoryLearning Podcast
Olly Richards
Got a burning language learning question? I’m Olly Richards and I've learned 8 languages through stories. Every Wednesday, I answer your questions and chat to world-class language experts. Whether you're learning Spanish, German, Japanese, or something else, tune in for insider tips and practical strategies to get fluent fast.
Each week you get:
- Answers to your biggest language learning challenges
- Story-based techniques to accelerate your progress
- Tried and tested tips from my 25+ years of experience
No flashcards or memorisation. Just story-based learning that actually works.
Each week you get:
- Answers to your biggest language learning challenges
- Story-based techniques to accelerate your progress
- Tried and tested tips from my 25+ years of experience
No flashcards or memorisation. Just story-based learning that actually works.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 26, 2018 • 21min
270: How to use storytelling in the classroom
Simon asks: "How can I use storytelling with my students?" In Today's Episode: Anecdotes are stories... Providing continuity between those anecdotes would be great if possible. The key with storytelling is to motivate, interest and captivate your students Stories don't have to follow a structural approach, so don't worry about teaching specific grammar up-front Teachers can observe students' reactions to the story and teach based on emerging needs Resources: TPRS - Teaching proficiency through reading and storytelling Dogme / Unplugged language teaching - a teaching methodology based on holistic methods Spanish Uncovered - learn Spanish through stories German Uncovered - learn German through stories Natural Order Hypothesis - we learn grammar in a set order! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Jul 24, 2018 • 14min
269: How many words can you learn per day?
David asks: "How many words can you learn per day?" In Today's Episode: In language teaching theory, 8-12 new words a day is often used as a rule of thumb How many words you learn in a day isn't a great measurement of progress in a language It's impossible to control when a word is actually learnt The most effective way to learn vocabulary is in the context of the "whole language" - i.e. through listening, reading and speaking Resources: Bulletproof Memory - My complete memory course where I teach you the most effective techniques for learning vocabulary in a foreign language Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Jul 16, 2018 • 19min
268: 3 tips for learning verb conjugations
Ron asks: "What's the best way to learn verb conjugations?" In Today's Episode: Here are what are the big-picture principles for learning and memorising verb conjugations in Spanish or any other language: Make sure you're getting lots of exposure through listening and reading - learning verb conjugations ultimately will come down to whether you can get used to the language through a lot of exposure Speak regularly - it's how you gain confidence over the usage of the verbs Some focus on rules and deliberate practice helps - whether that's practice exercises, drills or something else Resources: Follow along with my Italian project: Italian Mission Control - where I'm posting all the resources I'm using, plus regular video updates My YouTube channel - subscribe to my YouTube channel to get notifications as soon as new videos go live Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Jun 29, 2018 • 17min
267: Introducing my project to learn Italian
In this episode, Olly introduces his new project to learn Italian! In Today's Episode: Note: For full show notes, please visit the main blog post introducing the project. To view the "mission control" for the Italian project, including all the resources I'm using, click here: Italian Project Resource Page Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Jun 26, 2018 • 53min
266: Introversion & minimalism in languages with Shannon Kennedy
In this episode, Olly speaks with Shannon Kennedy from Eurolinguiste.com. In Today's Episode: Minimalism in the language sphere Introversion and shyness, and how it affects the learner Moving from Romance to Asian languages https://youtu.be/iwPu0WoNpFQ Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Jun 12, 2018 • 19min
265: Are you changing your view on language learning?
Luca asks: "Are you changing your view on the best way to learn a language?" In Today's Episode: Luca's noticed an evolution in the way I've been talking about language learning on the podcast He finds a Krashen-esque "input-based" methodology to be the most effective and wonders if I'm becoming a convert to this I've found my experiences influenced a lot by the languages I've been learning In certain languages, reading is a genuine barrier (Japanese, Chinese) I'll be able to say more after my Italian project this summer! Resources Mentioned: Conversations - learn to understand fast, spoken language Make Words Stick - my complete guide to flashcards for language learning Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Jun 7, 2018 • 19min
264: So many words, so little conversation
Christy asks: "How can I get better in English conversation?" In Today's Episode: Studying and acquiring vocabulary is just the beginning You learn to communicate in a foreign language by actually communicating Communication between different cultures relies on lots beside just language - body language, cultural difference, hierarchy Get out there and start spending time with foreigners! Meetups, societies, language exchanges... whatever you can do! Don't worry about making mistakes, and treat every interaction as an opportunity to improve! Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

Jun 5, 2018 • 15min
263: Tips for learning Spanish in my salsa class
David asks: "How can I understand more of what's said in my salsa class?" In Today's Episode: Taking classes in your target language is a great way to get more exposure to the target language Friends, communities, and shared experiences will all help you learn more in the long run Don't put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect during your class To understand more of what's said, focus first on vocabulary Record the class, or look for related YouTube videos. Then analyse the vocabulary Resources Mentioned: Conversations - Learn to understand fast, spoken Spanish (or 6 other languages!) Today's Quote: Life Is What Happens to You While You're Busy Making Other Plans - John Lennon Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

May 25, 2018 • 37min
262: Olly and Gabe Wyner discuss learning Italian through opera
In this episode, Olly and Gabriel Wyner discuss the ins and outs of learning Italian through opera. NOTE: The full show notes to this episode are here: How to learn Italian through opera - A conversation with Gabe Wyner Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!

May 17, 2018 • 10min
261: Learning languages in the car
Ron asks: "How can I make the most of my commuting time?" In Today's Episode: Driving is not an ideal language learning environment because your focus is elsewhere Stick with principles - listen to material that's just above your current level Use the time to listen to material that you can then study more intensively in your free time That way, the listening becomes a recycling or consolidation activity, not an isolated activity Start Speaking Today: I’d like to thank italki for supporting the show. To claim your free lesson and start speaking today, visit: https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com//italkishownotes Do You Have A Question? Ask me your language learning questions by clicking here, and I’ll do my best to feature it on the show! Also, please subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you’ve got any comments about the show then please leave them in the “comments” section below! If you’d like to help me out, then I’d love it if you could… Share the episode using the social media buttons around you Leave an honest review and rating of the podcast on iTunes (click here to do that) iTunes reviews in particular really help the rankings of the podcast and help me to reach other aspiring language learners out there! See you in the next episode of the I Will Teach You A Language podcast!


