Language Learning

I've been learning languages for over 25 years. Throughout my studies and travels, my approach to acquiring them has changed, but the intent is the same:

to connect with people who are not like me in an authentic manner

Today we have tons of tech to take care of translation for us. But if you're reading this, something is calling you to go deeper.

Maybe it's to communicate with someone special, move abroad, or gain citizenship. Whatever the reason, learning a language is important for you.

In my first book Tower of Babbling (2019) I documented all the techniques I had used to learn Japanese and Spanish to relative fluency.

But much has changed in the language learning landscape in the near decade since I sat down to write that book.

The obvious newcomer is AI technology. Large language models are now capable of producing bespoke learning materials for almost any language you would want to learn. The days of Duolingo dominance are done. Just fire up your chatbot of choice and you have instant (and infinite) material as well as increasingly highly comprehensible synthetic speech.

The second thing that's changed is my position toward being a language learning authority.

When I wrote Tower of Babbling I was entering the now oversaturated online-influencer space. I had experience learning multiple languages, was very passionate about it at the time (I was in a training program to be a Spanish court interpreter), and had access to my laptop webcam. So naturally I started a YouTube channel.

From there I fell down the content creator rabbithole. A trap that cost me hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars, and worst of all stalled my language acquisition because I was so focused on gaining make-believe internet clout and selling my book.

Through much frustration and effort, my interest in selling language learning to you as a solution has eroded. Few hardcore language enthusiasts want to learn from a non-native speaker of any language (I know I don't), so you won't find that here.

What I will do here is document how I'm strengthening the languages I want to learn on this page.

These days I think of myself more like a "language preservationist" instead of a learner. Unlike most language learners, I don't study languages to make new friends, travel (though they are extremely useful for that), or to consume another culture's media.

I do it because:

1) I love words

2) I enjoy the intellectual exercise

3) I love excavating forgotten aspects of history and culture only accessible through language

Throughout my life, I've watched as the world has homogenized. English everywhere. Now Chinese on the rise. Seems like these unique ways groups of humans used to speak to one another, to share stories and lessons have become barriers to be knocked down for greater convenience of communication.

There are certainly advantages to this. As a native English speaker, I can travel to nearly anywhere on the planet and quickly find someone who understands me. But we lose something with this flattening: history, nuance, heritage, lessons learned many times over lost. My goal is to preserve this as best as I can in my own blended way: through writing, story, and speech.

Not to plunder other cultures, but to rediscover and reframe those old values and stories through language.

With me?

Cool.

I won't post here everyday. But when I hit a significant milestone or find a compelling idiom or just a funky looking script I'll share it from time to time.

My language book collection

As I mentioned above I've traveled a ton. A few years ago when I was living in Japan I decided to start collecting at least one book in a new language from everywhere I've been.

Some of these languages are quite rare or endangered and few full books exist in them.

Here's a list of language book collection as of February 2026. (Click/tap language for details)

As of Feb 2026

Are you on your own language journey?

Let's walk and talk together.

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