259: How to Learn Languages by Ear With Idahosa Ness

Even though I studied Spanish for years in school, I still struggle to use what I learned in any meaningful way. Sound familiar? Then you’re in the right place. Idahosa Ness is a teacher, a musician, and foreign language expert who created The Mimic Method, a system to learn languages faster and more effectively. Although the program sounds quite revolutionary when you compare it to most foreign language resources out there, it’s based on the way we naturally learn language through our everyday environment.

Our family travels quite a bit, so learning a second language is a big priority for us. I’m excited to deep dive into this process and ask all of my nerdy homeschool mom questions!

Episode Highlights from Idahosa Ness and the Mimic Method

• Why the Mimic Method isn’t like the way you learned a foreign language in school
• The best ways to activate and accelerate the language learning process
• How listening to a foreign language may be all you need to really learn it
• The way nursery rhymes help shape language processing skills
• Why learning to speak isn’t the same process as learning to write (and the order to learn them in)
• How to apply Mimic Method principles to learn multiple foreign languages
• Why the Mimic Method works even for people who have a difficult time learning another language
• The two advantages children have over adults when learning a language… but why adults can do it too!
• Ways to give kids the foundational skills to learn a second language without formal foreign language instruction (yet)
• And more!

Resources We Mention

• MimicMethod.com

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Did you enjoy this episode? What other questions do you have about learning a new language? Please drop a comment below or leave a review on iTunes to let us know. We value knowing what you think and this helps other moms find the podcast as well.

Thank You to Today’s Sponsors

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