Ian Gibbs
The Learnability Man

When you were at primary, your time was very much decided by your teachers at school and your parents at home. But as you start thinking...

In Tip 9 we looked at not worrying about making mistakes. In Tip 10 we looked at learning from the mistakes we do make. But in this Bonus...

Having said in the previous blog that making mistakes is good, I think we both know that if you keep making a pig’s ear out of your...

Making a mistake is a bad thing, isn’t it? Yes... and no. It depends. If you’re a brain surgeon or a Jumbo Jet pilot or a nuclear...

Have you ever been scuba diving? There’s lots of fascinating stuff at the bottom of the sea but it’s not easy to get to. You have to do a...

Have you ever had to go to the swimming pool on a blustery winter’s day? You probably didn’t feel like going swimming at all. Outside, it...

In 2003 most of Europe suffered a drought. The temperatures were blisteringly high and the rainfall was pitifully low. The following year...

If you pick up a soaking-wet towel, the water drains off it quickly. But then after a while, the draining water slows to a steady drip,...

If you’ve ever been to a concert, I bet the songs you enjoyed the most were the songs you already knew. In fact, I also bet you even made...

If you’re interested in chemistry or geography or English literature, then good for you. Enjoying the subject you have to learn is a big...

Whoever it was who invented languages where the whole universe is divided up into things that are considered either male or female has...

How much interest do you show in what they do? When was the last time you looked at their coursework/homework? Could you explain what...

If pronunciation is one of the most underestimated key parts to language learning, grammar is one of the most overestimated. Although...

This fascinating article was written by Amanda Ruggeri and is part of Family Tree, a series of features that explore the issues and...

If a native English speaker puts on almost any foreign accent the result is usually considered hilarious (by other native speakers). I...

Travelling is no longer a prerequisite for successful language learning. Countless poliglots have proved it. Neither does living in your...

I passed my driving test in 1982. Those were the good old days of learning to drive. You found someone with a car who’d accept ready...

Common sense tells us only young children can learn languages well. After all, look at how well you learnt to speak English before you...

Some activities are easier to do if you are physically built in a certain way. It’s easier to play basketball if you are tall. It’s...

When someone starts learning to drive, they already know a few of the universal laws about driving, such as... 1. It’s a good idea to be...