“I've never learned how to say no properly in my life, to prepare myself properly for things. I just figured if I kept saying yes to things, eventually something good would happen.”
For Mark Ford, not saying no has allowed him to do some of the most important things in his life. Which is why it became easy—in his heterodox fashion—for him to learn first French, then Latin, and now Spanish.
The Spanish is the result of his building an award-winning resort in Nicaragua and the community foundation he created right across the road, which has become an education and trades hub for the non-English-speaking local people.
The French gave him entrée to the Peace Corps after college. But only because the officials didn’t give him the boot for not knowing a word of it when he landed in French-speaking Chad.
The Latin was to meet a PhD requirement. Although let’s just say that the former altar boy in him might have frowned on his modus operandi.
But he’s forgiven for that, because good things for many people have happened thanks to his determination to embrace other languages.
In this lively conversation with Steve, Mark also shares his secret for learning a language. And you won’t have to crack open an app to do it.
Thanks to members of the America the Bilingual Project team for this episode: Mim Harrison, the editorial and brand director of the America the Bilingual Project, who wrote and directed the episode; Fernando Hernández Becerra and his production house in Guadalajara, Mexico, Esto No Es Radio, which provides sound design and mixing; and Jen Cavagnaro at Daruma Tech, who manages our website.
Music credits (in order of appearance):
HoliznaCC0 - Whatever
https://bit.ly/4qDgZsk
Koi Discovery - Beer blues
https://bit.ly/3pIQxmi
Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion
https://bit.ly/KevinMacleod_QuasiMotion
HoliznaCC0 - ICE temple
https://bit.ly/4qHGb1c
HoliznaCC0 - Sunny afternoon
https://bit.ly/47vvyp9
HoliznaCC0 - Unwind
https://bit.ly/3X4hb6m
Koi-discovery - END
https://bit.ly/4qDhLFK
HoliznaCC0 - Laundry on the wire
https://bit.ly/3Jc8R1p
Wax lyricist - Green
https://bit.ly/4qA7c6s
Koi-discovery -Synthetic_synapse
https://bit.ly/4oOlxup
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“I've never learned how to say no properly in my life, to prepare myself properly for things. I just figured if I kept saying yes to things, eventually something good would happen.”
For Mark Ford, not saying no has allowed him to do some of the most important things in his life. Which is why it became easy—in his heterodox fashion—for him to learn first French, then Latin, and now Spanish.
The Spanish is the result of his building an award-winning resort in Nicaragua and the community foundation he created right across the road, which has become an education and trades hub for the non-English-speaking local people.
The French gave him entrée to the Peace Corps after college. But only because the officials didn’t give him the boot for not knowing a word of it when he landed in French-speaking Chad.
The Latin was to meet a PhD requirement. Although let’s just say that the former altar boy in him might have frowned on his modus operandi.
But he’s forgiven for that, because good things for many people have happened thanks to his determination to embrace other languages.
In this lively conversation with Steve, Mark also shares his secret for learning a language. And you won’t have to crack open an app to do it.
Thanks to members of the America the Bilingual Project team for this episode: Mim Harrison, the editorial and brand director of the America the Bilingual Project, who wrote and directed the episode; Fernando Hernández Becerra and his production house in Guadalajara, Mexico, Esto No Es Radio, which provides sound design and mixing; and Jen Cavagnaro at Daruma Tech, who manages our website.
Music credits (in order of appearance):
HoliznaCC0 - Whatever
https://bit.ly/4qDgZsk
Koi Discovery - Beer blues
https://bit.ly/3pIQxmi
Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion
https://bit.ly/KevinMacleod_QuasiMotion
HoliznaCC0 - ICE temple
https://bit.ly/4qHGb1c
HoliznaCC0 - Sunny afternoon
https://bit.ly/47vvyp9
HoliznaCC0 - Unwind
https://bit.ly/3X4hb6m
Koi-discovery - END
https://bit.ly/4qDhLFK
HoliznaCC0 - Laundry on the wire
https://bit.ly/3Jc8R1p
Wax lyricist - Green
https://bit.ly/4qA7c6s
Koi-discovery -Synthetic_synapse
https://bit.ly/4oOlxup
66 - Season 5 - How Joe Keenan came to write a breakout book on learning Spanish
America the Bilingual
33 minutes 48 seconds
2 years ago
66 - Season 5 - How Joe Keenan came to write a breakout book on learning Spanish
As a native English speaker who became smitten with Spanish, the American journalist Joe Keenan decided that nobody else had written how to break out of beginniner’s Spanish, so he would have to do it himself. That’s just how he titled his first book, back in 1995. It became a bestseller, one that continues to sell more than 20 years later, and in an updated edition.
In this exclusive interview, hear some of the author’s best tips for giving your Spanish a turbo boost, plus other tips that apply to learning any language.
Along the way, learn some Mexican Spanish dichos, or sayings crafted from popular wisdom. You’ll get to know what false cognates are and how to avoid them on your own journey to intermediate and advanced levels of Spanish.
Thanks to members of the America the Bilingual Project team for this episode: Fernando Hernández, who wrote and directed this episode, and his Mexican production house Esto No Es Radio, which provides sound design and mixing; Mim Harrison, editorial and brand director of the America the Bilingual Project; and Karla Hernandez at Daruma Tech, who manages our website.
Music artists and selections, in order of listening:
Loyalty Freak Music - One cool minute
https://bit.ly/42WvMlk
Kevin Macleod -Quasi motion
https://bit.ly/KevinMacleod_QuasiMotion
Koi Discovery - Beer blues
https://bit.ly/3pIQxmi
Komiku - In the restaurant
https://bit.ly/3OfJTOs
The new mystikal troubadours - NMT_the lonely hunter pt. 1_11.21.20
https://bit.ly/3pKr6AL
Wax Lyricist - A bad death
https://bit.ly/3WbFwG7
HoliznaCC0 - Endless Grind
https://bit.ly/3MxdT7r
Pictures of the floating world - Cycles
https://bit.ly/41L8uxT
America the Bilingual
“I've never learned how to say no properly in my life, to prepare myself properly for things. I just figured if I kept saying yes to things, eventually something good would happen.”
For Mark Ford, not saying no has allowed him to do some of the most important things in his life. Which is why it became easy—in his heterodox fashion—for him to learn first French, then Latin, and now Spanish.
The Spanish is the result of his building an award-winning resort in Nicaragua and the community foundation he created right across the road, which has become an education and trades hub for the non-English-speaking local people.
The French gave him entrée to the Peace Corps after college. But only because the officials didn’t give him the boot for not knowing a word of it when he landed in French-speaking Chad.
The Latin was to meet a PhD requirement. Although let’s just say that the former altar boy in him might have frowned on his modus operandi.
But he’s forgiven for that, because good things for many people have happened thanks to his determination to embrace other languages.
In this lively conversation with Steve, Mark also shares his secret for learning a language. And you won’t have to crack open an app to do it.
Thanks to members of the America the Bilingual Project team for this episode: Mim Harrison, the editorial and brand director of the America the Bilingual Project, who wrote and directed the episode; Fernando Hernández Becerra and his production house in Guadalajara, Mexico, Esto No Es Radio, which provides sound design and mixing; and Jen Cavagnaro at Daruma Tech, who manages our website.
Music credits (in order of appearance):
HoliznaCC0 - Whatever
https://bit.ly/4qDgZsk
Koi Discovery - Beer blues
https://bit.ly/3pIQxmi
Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion
https://bit.ly/KevinMacleod_QuasiMotion
HoliznaCC0 - ICE temple
https://bit.ly/4qHGb1c
HoliznaCC0 - Sunny afternoon
https://bit.ly/47vvyp9
HoliznaCC0 - Unwind
https://bit.ly/3X4hb6m
Koi-discovery - END
https://bit.ly/4qDhLFK
HoliznaCC0 - Laundry on the wire
https://bit.ly/3Jc8R1p
Wax lyricist - Green
https://bit.ly/4qA7c6s
Koi-discovery -Synthetic_synapse
https://bit.ly/4oOlxup
