[972] I talk with multilingual actor Ivan Doan about his multicultural background, his learning of languages and his work as an actor. Ivan shares his insights and experiences of learning English, dealing with different accents in film & TV roles, and the importance of mindset and discipline in his life. There are plenty of language learning insights in this episode, which I summarise at the end. Full transcript available.

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An 11-point list of practical advice for learning English inspired by this conversation.

1. Learning through doing, not just studying

• Use English for real things.
  Ivan’s English really improved when he started making projects in English (web series, acting work, talking to people), not just studying grammar.
• Make English the tool, not the subject.
  Start a small project: a vlog, a diary, an Instagram account, a DnD group, movie scene re-enactments – anything that requires English.
• Theory helps, but it’s not the engine.
  Grammar explanations are useful, but they’re not what makes you fluent. Real communication is.

2. Multimodal learning: use your whole body & brain

• Don’t reduce English to rules + word lists.
  When Ivan was with the Mormons or on set, he learned from body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, rhythm, context, not just words.
• Watch people, not just subtitles.
  When you watch something in English, pay attention to:
  • how people look at each other
  • when they pause
  • what their hands/face are doing when they say something important
• Combine skills.
  Listen + read + speak + move. For example, repeat a line while copying the actor’s body language and facial expression.

3. Listening & repetition are superpowers

• Re-listen on purpose.
  Take a podcast episode or YouTube clip and:
  1. Listen once for general meaning.
  2. Listen again and note unknown words/phrases.
  3. Look them up.
  4. Listen a third time and catch those items in context.
• Notice “repeat offenders”.
  If a word or chunk keeps appearing, it’s a sign: you probably need it. Put it on a list.
• Make targeted vocab lists.
  Like Ivan did for filmmaking, you can make lists for your world: tech, business, medicine, design, gaming, etc.

4. Discipline beats talent

• You don’t need to be “gifted at languages”.
  Ivan’s message is clear: people think he’s “special”, but in reality, discipline and repetition are doing most of the work.
• Be stubborn.
  Let it bother you (in a good way) that you don’t understand a phrase yet. Go back to it. Again. And again.
• Small, realistic goals.
  For example:
  • “I want to be able to have a 10-minute small-talk conversation without switching to my language.”
  • “I want to understand one specific podcast episode without subtitles.”
  • “I want to tell one story about my life in English clearly.”

5. Step-by-step progression (like acting training)

Ivan’s “levels” are a good model:

1. Basic conversation – you can talk about everyday things.
2. More advanced conversation – opinions, stories, feelings, more nuance.
3. Improvisation – you can react in real time with no preparation.

6. Accents, rhythm & sounding natural

• First: learn to hear the accent.
  You can’t produce what you can’t hear. Choose one accent (e.g. London, General American) and really listen to it.
• Find your “accent twin”.
  Pick a native speaker:
  • similar age
  • same gender
  • whose voice feels close to your natural voice
    Use them as your model.
• Create an “accent map”.
  Notice:
  • Which vowels are different from yours?
  • How do they stress words?
  • What is the rhythm (fast/slow, chunky/smooth)?
• Rhythm & word stress are often more important than perfect vowels.
  BAna-na vs baNAna can be the difference between confusion and clarity.
• Shadowing works.
  Play 1–2 sentences, then:
  • say them with the speaker,
  • match their timing, stress, and melody,
  • repeat several times until it feels comfortable.

7. It’s okay to exaggerate (caricature as a training tool)

• Overdo it first, then calm it down.
  Like an actor, you can:
  • exaggerate the British or American intonation
  • really push the stress and melody
    Then slowly bring it back to something natural.
• This is not “fake”; it’s training.
  As with acting, you push beyond your comfort zone, then refine.

8. Identity, culture & letting yourself change

• To speak like an English speaker, you must allow yourself to “borrow” a new identity.
  That might feel weird: “This isn’t me.”
  But that flexibility is part of real fluency.
• Different cultures, different communication rules.
  British politeness isn’t necessarily “fake”; Russian directness isn’t necessarily “rude”. They’re different systems.
• Adapting ≠ betraying your culture.
  You can still be 100% you and also learn to play by local rules when you’re speaking English.

9. Talk to yourself – a lot

• Self-talk is powerful, not crazy.
  Walk around your flat narrating what you’re doing in English, or:
  • rehearse future conversations,
  • re-tell a story you heard,
  • argue with yourself about something.
• The goal is to stop translating.
  Like Ivan said, it’s like changing gears in a car: once you’re “in English gear”, you just drive.

10. Treat English like a role you inhabit

• Think like an actor.
  When you speak English:
  • step into the “role” of an English-speaking version of you,
  • use your voice, but with English rhythm and intonation,
  • add the body language and facial expressions that match.
• Use emotion.
  Don’t just say the words; feel them. This makes you remember the language and sound more authentic.

11. Inspiration: you can do this

Messages implied by Ivan’s story:

• You can start with school English that isn’t great and end up working in English internationally.
• You don’t need a perfect method; you need consistent action, curiosity, and the courage to interact.
• Being “from somewhere else” is not a weakness; it’s often your superpower – a different perspective, more empathy, and a richer identity.