Donald Sauder

From an early age, I was fascinated by languages, geography, and the connections between people across different cultures. This curiosity led me to amateur radio, world travel, and an ever-growing passion for language learning. My journey into language learning began in high school German class, where I learned grammar and vocabulary but struggled to speak. Later, I attempted to teach myself Spanish, French, Italian, and Russian from books, eventually being able to read at an intermediate level but still unable to converse. Everything changed when business travel took me to German- and Spanish-speaking countries, giving me real-world exposure. After befriending a Japanese college student, I dedicated three years to studying Japanese at every opportunity - on the metro, during lunch breaks, and in any spare moment. In the 1990s, when the public internet became widely available, I started reading news articles in foreign languages to immerse myself further. Beyond structured study, I’ve always enjoyed learning languages for the connections they create. I picked up a little Korean to interact with members of a local church’s Korean congregation. And when a local store hired a clerk from Kosovo, I learned a little Albanian just to greet her in her native language. The biggest breakthrough came when I discovered online language tutors. With their help, I gained the confidence to hold real conversations, first in German, then in Spanish, Danish, French, and more. Through these experiences, I realized that learning a language isn’t just about studying vocabulary and grammar; it’s about finding meaningful ways to engage with people and ideas. This passion for theme-based learning and real-world practice inspired me to create resources that help others overcome the same challenges I faced so they, too, can break through the intermediate stage and reach true fluency.