Module 1a - Welcome!

Hello friends and welcome to the course!

I am excited and honored to be able to share with you all the ins and outs of this special method, which I have developed and used to learn over a dozen languages. It is also the very same method that has helped hundreds of my coaching clients reach their language learning goals and dreams.

Before we get started with the details of the Bidirectional Translation method (or BDT for short), I want to give you a birds-eye view of how this course is going to unfold.

First, we will cover the five universal learning principles. These are the key concepts that I believe are the foundation of any effective learning strategy, and so form the backbone of every action and activity you will complete as you follow the Bidirectional Translation method. However you choose to customize the Bidirectional Translation method, if you follow these principles, you will inevitably reach fluency in your target language.

Next, we will cover how to choose the ideal language learning resource. There are a lot of language courses, classes, apps, and workbooks out there, so being able to sort through the mess and find just the right resource is a skill you need to develop first.

In this section, you’ll learn the key characteristics of any good language learning resource, and how these characteristics align well with what you’re going to learn in this course. Then, you’ll learn exactly which resources I’ve used (and still use) to learn new foreign languages with the BDT. Lastly, we’ll cover what you can do to create your own highly effective learning materials even when there are none available for your target language.

Once you’re armed with the learning principles and one—yes, one!—high-quality language learning resource, it’s time to learn exactly how the Bidirectional Translation Method works.

In this portion of the course, you’ll learn about “the BDT learning cycle”, which is the six-step process that is the “engine” of the entire method. As you apply the method to your resource of choice, you’ll apply all six steps of this process to lesson after lesson, text after text, until you’ve understood it all at a deep, fundamental level.

But before you can put the learning cycle to use, we’ll spend some time learning about each of it’s six main activities:

First, the Intensive Analysis, where you will learn to analyze a text to understand its meaning at a deep level

Next, the Phonetic Analysis, where you will analyze the same text to learn its pronunciation, intonation and overall sound structure

Third, the Smart Review, which you will use to consolidate everything you’ve learned so far by reapproaching it in new and brain-friendly ways

Fourth, the Direct Translation, where you will begin to personalize the learning process by creating your own translated text in native language

After that comes the oral Reverse Translation, where you will attempt to verbally translate your native-language text back into your target language.

The sixth and final step, known as the written Reverse Translation, is where you will translate your native-language text back into your target language in writing, and use the experience to gain insight into the quality of your memorization process.

As you learn about each core activity, you will be tasked with applying that activity to a single, short target language text. This will be your “test run”, where you get to learn and practice each part of the learning cycle before you put it to use in a full, multilayered bidirectional translation schedule.

Indeed, once you are done “testing” one six-part learning cycle on a single text, you then learn how the full method “stacks” multiple learning cycles together, to create a deep, multifaceted language learning experience that develops strong, long-lasting language skills.

And that’s it! Once you’ve learned how to balance multiple learning cycles, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to truly begin learning your target language in an efficient, powerful, and brain-friendly way.

Are you ready? Let’s get started!