A Short Book That Will Help You Learn Any Language You Want

18 true personal stories for independent language-learning thinkers

There are people online who sell ‘the secret,’ the ‘fastest way’, or the ‘best method’ to learn languages.

This bothers me.

How can they sell something that doesn’t exist? How can they sell ‘the best method’ without knowing anything about the people they’re selling it to?

I decided to rebel against these false promises.

And I did that by writing a book titled “Any Language You Want: 18 Conflicting Answers for a New Kind of Language Learner”.

Here’s what the book is about and how it can help you.

The content of “Any Language You Want”

“Any Language You Want” is a collection of contradictory true personal stories in answer to “What’s the best way to learn a language?”

In each of the 18 chapters I share a story about how I mastered English — my second language — and tell you what’s the best way to learn another language.

Each chapter ends with the same sentence: “This is how to learn a language”.

But each chapter disagrees with the next.

One story tells you to hire teachers and take classes — just like I did while learning English in London. The next one argues you should do everything on your own. Take no courses, hire no teachers. Do what I did when I was living in Australia.

One story says you should never touch a dictionary. The next one persuades you to look up every unknown word you encounter.

Should you aim at sounding like a native? Yes. Wait, no, you shouldn’t.

Which chapter tells the truth? Which chapter is right?

All of them.

These are the titles:

Invest in a New Life and Language Classes
Walk Alone, No Investment Needed
Plant Seeds
Learn Unconsciously
Don’t Ask the Impossible
Take Mistakes Seriously
Study Rules
Make Music
Take Language Exams
Take Up Real-World Challenges
Accept There’s No Blueprint
Adopt the Best Method in the World
Become a Master Solo-Storyteller
Include Everyone
Keep Your Accent
Speak Like a Native
Teach
Trust but Verify

I asked Scott Thornbury — one the most renowned and influential figures in the field of language teaching methodology — to read and review “Any Language You Want”.

Fabio was a participant on an online course I moderated so I can attest to his flawless fluency in English. I have long been a connoisseur of the ‘stories’ of highly successful language learners, so I was keen to hear Fabio’s own account. Even more so when I discovered how closely we align on the issue of prescriptivism: I have always argued that there is no one ‘best method’ for learning a second language, and Fabio draws the same conclusion from out of the multiple strands of his own very readable and insightful ‘language autobiography’.

He liked it.

So the advice I’ll be giving you is advice you can trust.

But wait a second. I don’t know you. How can my book give you the best advice without knowing you and your unique situation?

Well, it can’t.

How “Any Language You Want” can help you

“What’s the best way to learn a language?” is a complex question and complex questions require complex answers.

So in “Any Language You Want” you won’t find a blueprint for learning languages. You won’t find the best advice or the X things you should do to become fluent in a language.

Instead, you’ll read my personal stories that will show you how language learning is a multifaced, multidimensional, and highly personal activity.

It’s a book that, I hope, will discourage you from looking for the ‘best way’ or the ‘top tips’ and encourage you to look for ‘what works for me’.

The book’s main aim is to help you become an independent language-learning thinker — to empower you.

I’ll be telling you everything I did to become a proficient speaker of my second language but, because I don’t know you, I cannot know which of my 18 stories will work for you.

All of them worked for me. How many will be suitable for you? Maybe all, maybe none.

I don’t know.

7 random facts about “Any Language You Want”

The book was inspired by “Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur” and “How to Live: 27 Conflicting Answers and One Weird Conclusion” — two fantastic books by
Derek Sivers. Had I not read these, “Any Language You Want” wouldn’t exist today.
It’s 78 pages long.
The longest story is about 1300 words. The shortest 194.
My aunt — an intermediate (B1) speaker of English — read it and said she could understand everything without using dictionaries.
Trisha Traughber, a writer and writing coach, helped me write it.
I used humor in my stories, so I hope you’ll have a chuckle here and there.
It’s available on Amazon.

Final thought on “Any Language You Want”

We all want precise answers and guidelines in life, don’t we?

Life would be much easier if — for every goal we want to achieve — we had a detailed road map that will take us to our final destination.

However, in life and language learning, despite what some people say online, there is no one-size-fits-all road map. The same map could take one person to fluency and another off the cliff.

This little book I wrote is a tool that can help you draw your own road map, so you can make progress and learn any language you want.

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"Any Language You Want" is written in a very special way, which makes it very interesting and original. The book is very useful for understanding all the aspects, the methods, the tricks and the behaviours to be implemented in the process of approaching, learning or mastering a language. It is therefore certainly suggested for those who are trying to learn a new language, but it is also interesting for those who have already learned new languages or for those who have no intention of doing so, because it nevertheless opens your eyes on the possibilities of the human spirit, on learning methods and on life in general. The author's style and humour, along with the stories of personal anecdotes and life experiences, make it extremely smooth and enjoyable to read.

In a world often addicted to easy answers and quick fixes, Fabio offers us a real and honest account of his language learning journey. Whether you're a language learner or teacher, his book is packed full of engaging stories that will give you lots to reflect on, practical ideas to try, and you might find yourself telling your own story.

Good book! Simple and fluent to read (this Is what I liked most). I think this book will be useful for those who are starting to learn a language for the first time but also for those who already know it, because this is not a grammar book and it doesn't teach rules, but it suggests that you can learn in different ways, even during all moments of your day, in your free time or from your passions!I like the way it's written because I love personal stories.

A refreshing look at what it means to be a language learner. Fabio’s stories about his journey to language fluency are both incredibly relatable and exceptionally useful. A must-read for anyone looking to embark on the path of learning a foreign language.

Fabio's book gives you different perspectives about language learning and, through an uncomplicated and engaging writing style, makes you understand that there are several ways to develop your communication skills. Hopefully this one will be the first of a long series.