Learn Languages with Steve Kaufmann

Learn Languages with Steve Kaufmann

I speak 20 languages. I've been learning languages for over 50 years and I've tried all kinds of approaches. I talk about my experiences, my approach to language learning, what I enjoy about learning languages and all manner of other topics related to language. If you love languages, or think you would if you hadn't been discouraged by past experiences, this is the podcast for you. Anyone can learn a language. You just need the right attitude and the right approach!

Episodes

You don’t need a perfect language learning routine

September 24, 2026 • 7 mins
Some of my best language learning material came from a random book I pulled off my library shelf. A history of Portugal, a book about Prague, a Swedish novel. A little Portuguese here, a little Czech there, a little Swedish, and it all adds up, like snow that slowly covers the ground. You don’t always need two free hours to make progress. What’s the most useful thing you’ve found by accident while learning a langu...
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Why You Can Speak a Language But Still Can’t Understand It

September 17, 2026 • 6 mins
Someone told me they can speak their second language but cannot understand what people say back to them. I know this one well, because my wife can hold a social conversation in French and Spanish while missing most of what she hears. The fix is not more speaking practice, it is a much wider base of listening and reading. Comprehension is what lets you talk about more than a handful of familiar subjects. Which side are you on right ...
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Do This if You Understand But Can't Speak

September 10, 2026 • 9 mins
I meet a lot of people who tell me, almost with pride, that they understand a language well but can't speak it. Usually two things are going on. Their comprehension isn't as broad as they believe, because they only follow the familiar topics they hear again and again. And they have made "I can't speak" part of their identity, so every meeting they sit through in silence confirms it. Which language do you understand far better than ...
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The best way to read in another language

September 3, 2026 • 11 mins
When I start reading in a new language, I accept that I am not going to understand most of it. My brother compared it to mowing a lawn: if the grass is high, you set the blades high on the first pass and lower them the next time through. I go over the same content again and again, and each time I pick up something I missed before. Do you push through content you only half understand, or do you wait until you feel ready for it?
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Spain vs Latin America: how different is their Spanish?

August 27, 2026 • 18 mins
Spanish is spoken across three continents, and learners worry constantly about picking the wrong version. But compared to English or Portuguese, the variation is surprisingly small. The vowels stay consistent whether you are in Mexico, Colombia or Spain, and most of what really changes is slang, rhythm and a couple of consonants. I have found that after a day or two in a new country you stop hearing the accent at all and just hear ...
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Why paper books beat screens for learning (backed by research)

August 21, 2026 • 6 mins
I have somewhere between 60 and 70 shelves of books in this house, well over a thousand of them, in several languages, and I have finally started cataloguing the lot. Going through them reminded me why paper still matters to me. The research is fairly clear that we retain more from paper than from a screen, and I think the reason is simple. When it is just you and the book in your hands, there is nowhere else to go, no pixels, no n...
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Why your reasons NOT to learn a language are just EXCUSES

August 13, 2026 • 6 mins
I was with some Canadians recently who all agreed that French would help them professionally. Within a few minutes I had heard three reasons why they hadn't learned it: I can read but I can't speak, the Montreal accent is too hard, and they changed our class this year. Every one of those puts the problem somewhere outside the person saying it. I lived in Hong Kong where nobody spoke Mandarin and I learned Mandarin anyway, because I...
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Why reading in some languages is harder than in others

August 6, 2026 • 10 mins
Reading is a huge part of how I learn languages, but it is not equally easy in every language. In Spanish or Turkish I can sound out almost any word the first time I see it. In Arabic and Persian I often cannot, so I read those online where I can hear the word pronounced. The writing system changes the whole shape of my routine. Which language has been the hardest for you to read?
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9 habits that are KILLING your progress in a new language

July 30, 2026 • 6 mins
Friction is what reduces our enjoyment of language learning, so in this video I go through the nine forms it takes and what I do about each one.
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How I learn grammar without studying grammar rules

July 23, 2026 • 9 mins
Should you focus on words or grammar? Here's how I approach grammar as an input-based learner, and why most corrections never stick.
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How I'm getting my Portuguese ready for Portugal

July 16, 2026 • 6 mins
In this video I'll you how I'm getting ready for my trip to Portugal by using point-of-view stories, circling questions, and AI to create custom lessons.
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Stop forcing yourself to remember vocabulary. Do this instead

July 9, 2026 • 7 mins
Today I want to talk about the fifth language skill — the one nobody teaches alongside reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and the one that might matter just as much.
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The sweet spot that makes you enjoy learning (and how to find it)

July 2, 2026 • 10 mins
Today I want to talk about the state of flow — that feeling of being completely absorbed in what you're doing — and how you can use it to become a better language learner.
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Why I DON’T use spaced repetition to learn vocabulary

June 25, 2026 • 9 mins
Vocabulary is the clearest measure of your level in any language, so here is how I acquire and review words, and why I skip most of the popular methods.
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Languages or Sudoku? The better choice for a healthy brain

June 18, 2026 • 6 mins
At 80, I'm still learning languages every day, and I'm convinced it does more for your brain than any Sudoku puzzle ever could.
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Don’t LEAVE your comfort zone, MOVE it

June 11, 2026 • 8 mins
Everyone says you have to leave your comfort zone to learn a language, but is it really true?
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I learned Chinese in 1968. Here's how I would do it now

June 4, 2026 • 11 mins
I started learning Mandarin in 1968 with flashcards and reel-to-reel tapes, and here is what I would do differently today.
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Why SLOW IS BETTER in language learning

May 28, 2026 • 8 mins
Today I want to talk about learning slowly — and why if you accept that learning a language takes time, learning slowly actually gets you there faster.
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Why reading is the KILLER APP for language learning

May 21, 2026 • 7 mins
After an hour of focused reading in Persian, I felt my grasp of the language jump forward, and it reminded me why reading is the most powerful tool we have for acquiring a new language.
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Can we learn to sound native in another language?

May 14, 2026 • 8 mins
Most adult language learners are chasing a goal they're unlikely to reach, and I want to share what I think we should focus on instead.
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