This time, I am talking to an expert in the area of course design and online education. Breanne Dyck knows how to make people learn, she's got lots of information about neuroscience and learnt quite a few languages herself.

“It’s not abstract motivation that keeps us going. It’s all about checking in along the way.”

In this Interview you'll be finding out about

• Why languages are the daddy of self-teaching
• The big mistake all self-learners tend to make
• Where the MOOC concept comes from
• What you should consider before you start even looking for an online course
• The difference between a MOOC, an online course and Duolingo
• How to avoid wasting money on unsuitable courses
• What motivation is really about

Article of the Week

What is a foreign language worth?

How Learning a Foreign Language Changes the Brain at Any Age

Tips of the Week

Out of the following fabulous three tips, Breanne chose number 1 as her Tip of the Week! Keep immersing yourself in the target language through Facebook and practice switching from and to the target language without translating everything in your head.

1) Language Immersion by Facebook on Language Surfer

2) Beat the Leaderboard on Memrise like Leszek Trybala

3) Translate to Beat the Plateau, a tip from Dr Rebecca Braun at the Guardian Live Q&A

Tips and Links from this Podcast

Google, in case you have not heard of it

Rozuku, an easy course creation website

Udemy, an online course marketplace with reviews and thousands of courses

French Grammar for Beginners, my awesome online French course for grammar reference and simple explanations

Lynda.com, online course marketplace

Breanne Dyck's Blog at MNIB, about the science of learning and teaching online

Reddit, where you can find communities about anything and any language

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