I'm Not Dead Yet, So I'd Like to Keep Learning: Interview with German Learner Randy

In Episode 6 of the podcast, I’m talking to an everyday language learner. My longest-standing student Randy is our guest, and he talks about what it’s like to become a language person later in life and one tool that got him right through his first 6 months of learning: Rosetta Stone.

Review Podcast for Rosetta Stone Advanced

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Randy and I have both been trying Rosetta Stone to test their new system, Rosetta Stone Advanced, and we decided to record our verdicts in a podcast for all of you.

So in this episode, you will hear all about:

• The one event in Germany that motivated this all-American guy to start learning a foreign language
• How Randy balances his busy career as a lawyer, his family life and his commitment to studying German every day
• What starting a language at age 57 is REALLY like

“I thought ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if I could understand a little bit of this?’”

• How the basic immersion system in Rosetta Stone works, and how we think the new online system is much improved
• The most important differences between Rosetta Stone and Duolingo
• What impressed me most about the system -- and where Randy sees the main drawback (say grammar and vocabulary!)
• How to break through plateaus and come back for more practice again and again

“The answer is that I’m gonna gradually just get a little better as I do the work.”

• How Randy committed to studying every single day in his first 6 months of learning German
• The little frustrating things that everyone feels — and how to get over them!

“Under the theory that I’m not dead yet, I’d like to keep learning”

Randy’s Top 3 Tips for Language Learning

These tips are really simple: Be patient and committed, try out lots of methods until you find the right one for you, and don’t be afraid!

If you have enjoyed our discussion of the Rosetta Stone system and would like to try it out for yourself, here are some fabulous special offers for UK and US readers.

Important Links for Episode 6

What Makes a Language Attractive? in the UK Guardian

Through the Language Glass, book by Guy Deutscher on Amazon UK

What German Sounds Like Compared to Other Languages on Youtube

Free Trial on Rosetta Stone Europe