Fluent at the Job But Not the Language (And What That Means) 4/9

Professional identity, workplace Japanese, and the cost of feeling like a fool when you know you are not one.

Aug 8 • Shea

2

July 2026

Q2 Update: The Scary School Wasn’t So Scary

Getting back to Japanese isn’t so easy either

Jul 25 • Shea

4

1

When the Language Should Already Be Yours 3/9

Heritage languages, family expectations, and the shame of being a beginner in what was supposed to be home.

Jul 11 • Shea

2

2

June 2026

Learning Your Partner's Language (And Why Love Doesn't Make It Easier) 2/9

What happens when the language we’re learning is also the language of our relationship.

Jun 27 • Shea

5

2

Why Adults Learn Languages (and Why the Answer We Give Is Rarely True) 1/9

Stop chasing "fluency" and start designing for the pressure that actually makes us study.

Jun 13 • Shea

8

2

3

May 2026

Welcome to Language Learning Meets Real Life 0/9

A note before we begin.

May 30 • Shea

5

A Late Q1 Update: How I Started Studying Again

Lessons from Q1: Reentry, Ondoku, and Real Language Use

May 16 • Shea

6

What My Students Taught Me About Being a Student

Insights from the classroom that reshaped my studies

May 2 • Shea

7

2

2

April 2026

Reading Japanese After Two Years Away

Notes from coming back to Japanese reading

Apr 18 • Shea

19

10

5

30 Days of Ondoku: What Actually Happened 📖

What happened when I practiced reading aloud every day for a month

Apr 4 • Shea

19

2

2

March 2026

A framework for the long game 🗺️ 9/9

Growth, maintenance, and re-entry: where you are and what to do next

Mar 28 • Shea

6

2

The unexpected advantages of adult language learning 💪8/9

What we gain by learning languages later in life

Mar 21 • Shea

7

3

1