• New Year’s Resolutions for 2013 – Tips

    What are your New Year’s resolutions for 2013?  A resolution is a resolve or determination to do something. To me, that means if I’m not going to take it seriously, it’s better to not call it a resolution (call it a wish or a dream).  Do you take your resolutions seriously? I believe that people are inherently good and that they want to improve their own lives and the lives of others. I want you to be resolved to achieve your goals in 2013, just like I want the same for myself. I am a firm believer that life is to be enjoyed, not just endured. Many of you will find that the greatest joys you will find come from spending time with those you love, learning, growing and serving …

  • Motivational Quotes

    Have you ever gotten really excited about a goal or project, such as speaking a new language, just to realize a few weeks or even only a few days later that your excitement and motivation have failed? I have. It’s always such a bummer…and it’s frustrating. We’re ambitious people! We want to be successful and progressive! We should be able to accomplish these extremely reachable goals! Well, one of the best ways I’ve found to overcome this tendency to burn out like a shooting star is to frequently read/say motivational quotes and then do something right away to implement those quotes. There are thousands of motivational quotes out there. My suggestion is to start with a simple search on Google. I have collected a few over the years, and here are some of my …

  • Learning a Language : Our Mission

    Every organization needs to have a mission.  This is the purpose, the overriding goal behind everything that we do.  We here at LearnALanguage.com had a very long, intense discussion over what our mission would be.  We think that you’ll be excited about this: Our Mission: To make language-learning a convenient and social habit through modern technology.  Pretty simple, right?  Let’s break it down together, just to see exactly why we’re here and what we’re doing. Language-learning: We operate based on the assumption that everyone is interested in learning a second, third or fourth language (or ought to be so).  The benefits are enormous and let’s face it – no one will ever regret learning another language.  We all have our own reasons, and that’s good enough for us. Convenient: We know that …

  • Funny Communication Fails

    FAIL The word “fail” is one of the most popular search words in Google and YouTube.  For some reason, human beings find enjoyment in watching the slip-ups and trip-ups of their fellow earth-dwellers.  America’s Funniest Home Videos, a TV show based solely on people falling over, is one of the most popular, family-centered TV shows of all time.  There’s nothing wrong with that (mostly), but here is the question: How do you make sure that you are the one watching these ‘fails’, not the one performing? I can’t tell you how to ride a bike properly, or how NOT to jump into a swimming pool, but I can give you some help with the language blunders that happen so often.  We’ve all heard the horror stories, and some of us …

  • How to Turn Motivation into Celebration

    What gets you motivated? What gets you super-pumped and excited? What events cause celebration in your life? Take a moment and really think about those questions. It may even be helpful to write down your answers. I’d like to take a moment and answer those question for myself, and together I hope we can learn how to turn motivation into celebration. What gets you motivated? For me, the answer to that question depends on what the goal is. In my life, I usually see or experience something that motivates me and gives me the desire to set a goal and achieve it. For example, I have seen a healthy transformation in my father. For years, he could not sleep in a bed because he would get heartburn every night due …

  • What Are Some Useful Language Tools?

    Every day, Google gets asked hundreds of thousands of questions about how to study better, what are the best tools to learn a language, what are the short-cuts, what advice do professionals offer, where are the great resources, the list goes on.  We all know it – Learning a language is a very difficult thing.  So why make it harder?  Every single tool that we come upon should be used to the fullest benefit possible.  It has been said that ‘life is a game of inches.’  Here at LearnALanguage.com, we have another tool to help you ‘get those inches.’ You can find our toolbar all over our site.  Download the bar that has each language (by selecting the image to the left), or you can go to the Learn Spanish …

  • Self Motivation Quotes

    It’s not easy to be self-motivated. We realize that learning a language is not an easy task. It takes self-motivation and hard work. In order to help you when you may not feel very motivated, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite self-motivation quotes. Many of the quotes come from the community of Mindbloom.  “One learns the most about writing once their pen is moving.” “You can’t fly if you never jump!” “Your breakthroughs will come when you do what you’ve been afraid to do.” “The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.” -Steve Young “If you find yourself getting nervous, stop and relax for three full breaths. Then take one small step, then another. That is …