Michel Thomas: a love letter

Today, I’ll be sharing a classic. A language learning method that, in my humble opinion, gives a run for their money to any AI-driven chatbot. A method that your parents might have used before their trip abroad in the 90s. I am, of course, referring to the Michel Thomas method. The same method that offers learners to go from absolute beginner to confident speaker – all without books, homework or having to memorize anything. While the promise might be a bit over the top (hey, at least it’s not “become fluent in 24 hours”), the actual method is actually super cool.

Imagine a low-quality tape recording of a teacher and two learners. They laugh, they stumble, they make mistakes, the teacher makes mistakes. You can feel someone is smoking in the background. The teacher speaks in a super-exaggerated way. The learners are actually newbs who atrociously butcher the language. You feel at home.

Because it feels real. And the teacher (the OG Michel Thomas, if you’re lucky to get hold of the original tapes) makes sure to:

• Repeat key phrases and words many many times

• Point out patterns in how words and sentences are formed

• Warn you about false friends

• Use as little linguistic terminology as possible

• Create opportunities for you to actively recall what you just learned

Basically, the Michel Thomas Method works by breaking a language down into its component parts and enabling you to reconstruct the language yourself.

To better understand what the fuss is all about, here’s the ENTIRE starter kit for French that some Good Samarrrritan (get it? pirate joke?) uploaded to YouTube:

My personal experience with the courses is fantastic. Michel Thomas (or rather his voice) helped me kickstart my Spanish all those years ago. And it was fun going through a few tapes (downloaded in MP3 form from a shady Russian torrent website) of Italian before my trip to Venice last winter.

The Method has had an overhaul in form of a snazzy website (https://www.michelthomas.com/) where you can purchase audio courses in as many as 18 languages (including Modern Standard Arabic, Korean and Irish). They actually have native tutors running the instructional sessions. And overall, it has a more “premium” feel than the original tapes.

The pricing varies from $11 for Starter courses to a whopping $100 for an 8-hour Foundation digital course. The latter seems like too much, but then again — maybe we’re all just spoiled by free stuff?

Have you had any experience with Michel Thomas courses? Let us know!