Fluent in 3 Months

Publisher's Summary

An unconventional guide to start speaking a new language today.

Benny Lewis is the creator of www.fluentin3months.com, the largest language-learning blog in the world. His proven techniques break down language learning myths and replace them with practical "language hacks" that take advantage of the skills we already possess. Fluent in 3 Months provides everything you need to make learning a new language fast, intuitive, and fun.

©2014 Brendan Richard Lewis (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

Inspiring material for language lovers

I was really excited to find this book because I've tried off and on to learn different languages, but was never successful. I was even praised in beginning level courses for my quick pick up on the material, but whenever I reached something beyond the basics I would fumble. Listening to this book kind of pointed out to me why this was happening. I have found myself listening and re-listening to this book finding new points to draw from and it makes me excited and always revitalized ready to continue my language learning journey assured that I will succeed this time.

I will say that if you are willing to delve into his actual website you can find all this information and maybe even find a video of the author telling it to you. I clearly was not and enjoy the portability of this book in Audio form.

In a short summary: If you find yourself stuck in your language learning journey and cannot figure out why, maybe give this book a listen and see if it can point you in the right direction.

19 of 20 people found this review helpful

Great primer before starting to learn a new language

If you're looking for a course to learn a language, this isn't the product for you; however, if you want some insight on how to learn in general, then make this purchase. It's worth listening to before you spend a considerable amount of time learning a new language.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Pleasure for polyglots, treasure for newbies

If you consider learning a foreign language but have any kind of doubts about your ability to learn it or about how to proceed, this is a perfect book for you -- a treasure-trove of motivation bust and practical advice. Also if you've been actually trying to learn one or more foreign languages but without much success, this well be a very helpful book for you. Even if you are already passionate about learning languages and made a tangible progress with one or more of them, this will be inspirational and enriching book for you and -- you will still find lots of useful tips for language learning and will be reassured that what you do is not a crazy obsession but a quest shared by many others.

The author is clearly passionate about languages; his advice is knowledgeable and sincere. Unlike so many others, he does not proclaim himself a discoverer of the best, the one and only, way to learn a foreign language but instead shares a lot of his personal experience and valuable advice, stating that the most important thing to succeed is to be passionate about learning the language. I couldn't agree more.

I didn't expect much from this book (fluent in three months, it's sounds like another marketing gimmick), but it turned out to be one of the best books about language learning I've ever read.

14 of 16 people found this review helpful

Great Tips, But Still Comes Down to "Do the Work"

I've been following "Benny the Irish Polyglot" at his blog for a few months now, and this book is essentially all of his great hints and tips in one place, put together so you don't have to hunt for them. He's living proof that learning to speak multiple languages CAN happen, but he'll also tell you that fluency in 3 months requires 3 or more hours per day. If you don't need "mastery" or don't have that kind of time commitment, a slower pace will still get you where you're looking to be with dedication in the time frame you do have. If nothing else, dispelling the myths, addressing concerns, and providing a positive platform for beginners are what Benny does best. That's what this book is all about.

16 of 19 people found this review helpful

Compelling book by enthusiastic author

Would you listen to Fluent in 3 Months again? Why?

If I ever need to rekindle my enthusiasm for language learning, I would listen again. Benny Lewis is passionate about languages, and this book conveys that passion together with practical steps you can implement straightaway.

What did you like best about this story?

Benny's general approach makes sense (if you want to speak a language, focus on speaking the language, not, e.g., on grammar books). But it's not just a theory. His approach is grounded in his own experience - both in unsuccessful language learning at school using traditional methods and in successful language learning as an adult.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to pick a favorite section, as the whole book was compelling - from dispelling all the reasons you "can't" learn a language, to practical tips (e.g., word associations, modal verbs, how to tell whether French words are likely to be masculine or feminine), different tactics to use at different stages, and discussing online and other types of resources.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely! But I didn't have six hours straight, so I instead got through it in only three days by listening when walking to and from work (well, when I wasn't otherwise listening to my daily language MP3s) and whenever else I could squeeze it in.

Any additional comments?

An invaluable resource for any adult who wants to learn a foreign language. You'll benefit both from having some of Benny's enthusiasm rub off on you and also from his practical, sensible how-to advice. The best thing I have read on adult foreign language learning.

6 of 9 people found this review helpful

love it highly recommend

love it. love look forward to starting my journey in Spanish. this was motivating. next time

Compensa a leitura

No geral o livro é bom. Vale a pena pelo preço.
Dá algumas boas dicas e principalmente ajuda a treinar e aperfeiçoar o inglês.
Porém, o excesso em algumas partes de ficar tentando demonstrar diferenças entre gramática de diversos idiomas, falando palavras e conjugando verbos em outros idiomas torna o áudio demasiadamente cansativo. Recomendo que pulem o capítulo 6.

GREAT starting place for new and experienced

if its your first or fifth language you'll get a lot from this quick read. Highly recommended

enjoyable and knowledgeable

the content is the same in a lot of these type of book. overall it was a pkeasure to read and understand new methods required to understand languages better.

Excellent introduction to language learning.

What did you love best about Fluent in 3 Months?

I enjoyed Benny's practical approach to language learning. As someone who has learned English as a second language out of necessity, I had wanted to learn another language for a while now but could never find the proper approach when I wasn't required to know the language to survive in a different country. His book has inspired a genuine interest in learning French.

What did you like best about this story?

Benny debunks the myths of language learning and proceeds to give tips and advice on how to continue. He also notes that his approach is not the only or best method to learn a language. He encourages his listeners to experiment and try out different methods to reach that goal.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Though work and life got in the way. I finished in roughly two sittings.

Any additional comments?

A great introduction to where to start with language learning.