EPISODE · Apr 13, 2026 · 21 MIN
383. What Is Talent? And Do You Need It to Learn English? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
from Thinking in English · host Thomas Wilkinson
“I’m just not good at learning languages.” I’m sure many of you listening right now have thought this before. And I’m sure you’ve thought the opposite about people you have met in the past: “Wow, she’s so talented at English” or “He has a gift for languages.” These kinds of comments are incredibly common. Many people believe that success in language learning depends mostly on talent. Some people are just naturally good at learning English, while others aren’t. But is this true? Is talent real when it comes to learning languages? And if talent does exist, what exactly is it? Is it the same thing as skill? Is it the same thing as advantage? Is it the same thing as ability? In today’s episode, we’re going to explore these questions. We’ll look at what talent really means, how it is different from ability, advantage, and skill, and what science and neuroscience say about why some people seem to learn languages faster than others. Then we’ll apply these ideas directly to English learning and hopefully give you all some motivation! Conversation Club - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/patreon/conversation-clubs/ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/04/13/383-what-is-talent-and-do-you-need-it-to-learn-english-english-vocabulary-lesson/ AD Free Episode - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) $10 Free Credits on iTalki (Affiliate Link) - https://www.italki.com/affshare?ref=af17506448 My Editing Software (50 % Discount Affiliate Link) - https://descript.cello.so/BgOK9XOfQdD Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact [email protected] to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
“I’m just not good at learning languages.” I’m sure many of you listening right now have thought this before. And I’m sure you’ve thought the opposite about people you have met in the past: “Wow, she’s so talented at English” or “He has a gift for languages.” These kinds of comments are incredibly common. Many people believe that success in language learning depends mostly on talent. Some people are just naturally good at learning English, while others aren’t. But is this true? Is talent real when it comes to learning languages? And if talent does exist, what exactly is it? Is it the same thing as skill? Is it the same thing as advantage? Is it the same thing as ability? In today’s episode, we’re going to explore these questions. We’ll look at what talent really means, how it is different from ability, advantage, and skill, and what science and neuroscience say about why some people seem to learn languages faster than others. Then we’ll apply these ideas directly to English learning and hopefully give you all some motivation! Conversation Club - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/patreon/conversation-clubs/ TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/04/13/383-what-is-talent-and-do-you-need-it-to-learn-english-english-vocabulary-lesson/ AD Free Episode - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) $10 Free Credits on iTalki (Affiliate Link) - https://www.italki.com/affshare?ref=af17506448 My Editing Software (50 % Discount Affiliate Link) - https://descript.cello.so/BgOK9XOfQdD Borough by Blue Dot Sessions Contact [email protected] to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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383. What Is Talent? And Do You Need It to Learn English? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
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