Bogdan-Sorin Popescu advocates for a new approach to language learning that prioritizes real-world communication over traditional classroom environments. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity and playfulness in language acquisition, encouraging learners to engage in creative and experimental practices. The document suggests that language learning can be enjoyable and requires only a few minutes of daily practice to be effective.

1. Taming languages
like a pro
Musings of a self-taught multilingual

2. Hello, my name is
Bogdan-Sorin Popescu

3. A linguist by education
A learning geek by experience

4. I speak
Romanian
English
French
German
Italian
Spanish
Polish

5. Motion
design
I’m a linguist, and my research lab is
not in a university office, where
languages are merely studied and
observed. The real fun happens here,
in the outside world, where real
communication takes place and
undergoes natural changes. Because
language cannot really be changed in
one of our university offices.

6. The cool thing about language is that
it’s like a living thing: it’s constantly
modified. Like with Wikipedia,
anybody, and I truly mean anybody,
can contribute to its content, at any
time. Whenever you use language,
you’re in control of the changes it
undergoes.

7. I’m sure most of you remember
how you studied language in school,
where you were consciously
devoting time and attention to
acquire it simply because you had to.
Some liked it, and some didn’t.
I’m here to tell you that you are
learning/acquiring language at this
very moment, as a result of a
continuous process and often an
unconscious one.
Now, how about activating those
unconscious elements and boosting
your progress?

8. Many still tend to think that in
order to learn a language, they must
attend a costly language course and
study from bulky grammar books.
Every time we plan to learn
something new, we think that we
have to spend hours in an artificial
environment of a boring classroom.
It’s about time we revolutionized
this notion.

9. Who buys
this stuff
anymore?

10. Evaluate
assess
your
skills

11. How do you learn? There is a popular
myth that the older people get, the
harder it is for them to learn a language.
And while it’s true that kids acquire
languages rather quickly and
unconsciously because their brain
absorbs everything like a sponge, it
doesn’t mean you can’t.
You have so many more tools at your
disposal to use these days. You just need
to rekindle in you the fearless,
adventurous spirit so many young
students have.

12. So why don’t we ditch the classroom,
and go play in playground?
Forget marks, tests and rules.
It’s time to experiment!

13. Yay, we don’t need
no education!

14. Oh, yes, yo do. You just used
a double negation!

15. In real life, there are no grades given.
And nobody minds the mistakes
you might make.

16. Photo by: Bogdan Pamparau / Interactionez.ro
Except me. Oh yeah, I’m
watching you. And silently
judging you. Just kiddin’!

17. There are 2 factors
you have to consider
in your learning process.

18. fear

19. curiosity

20. Become aware of your
learning process!
The brain is a muscle, and as one,
it needs training. (Unfortunately,
there are no steroids to enhance
its performance.)

21. It’s time to stop punishing yourselves
by being eternal students stuck in a
classroom, and start having fun
in the playground!

22. Bypass your system of
traditional educational values
and start exploring.
Activate your curiosity.
There is no time limit,
no deadline you must meet.

23. Transform your
day-to-day reality
into a
Playground
and experiment!

24. Give it a try
everywhere.
Be creative!

25. Create your own scenarios or
mimic real-life situations and put
your skills to the test.

26. Talk to yourself. Record yourself.
Check how you did with an official
source in your target language.

27. Can language learning be fun?
Yes, it can! And it should be!

28. It only takes
5 minutes
a day!

29. Why learn a new
language?

30. There’s an entire world to discover!
In a variety of languages!

31. You will make new friends!

32. You will boost your
confidence

33. You will increase
your chances of
getting hired.

34. Thank you for your time!
I mean it!
If you would like to share your thoughts
about this presentation, or anything else,
really, here’s my email address:
➼ bogdan.s.popescu@gmail.com
You can find other presentations on my
Slideshare profile:
http://slideshare.net/jazzinside
Photoby:AnastasiaDemianiuk

35. PHOTO CREDITS
Arto Alanenpää
Alborzagros/via Wikimedia Commons U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr. Pexels
Sam Howzit (The Wall) Atos International/Wikimedia Creative
Commons Screen capture from the public domain
film ‘Carnival of Souls’ Anirudh Bhatnagar/
smorazanm/Pixabay Pxhere Hannes Grobe Pixoman/Pixabay Hanna
Sörensson Sara Löwgren Max Pixel
Anastasiia Demianiuk
@lepopesq
ProofreadingTexts Consulting