Making learning Chinese fun

Do people really have different learning preferences, and how do you go about finding yours? In this episode I reflect on my language learning back at school, which, mildly put, was a disaster. Not only did my English teacher state that I had no 'talent' for languages, but languages were also my least favourite subject, which was reflected in my marks. How come I became a linguist later, learning many languages outside of the school setting? What motivated me? I look at different learning methods and learning styles, and the current hot-topic in language-learning circles, namely Krashen's comprehensible input hypothesis. What do linguists have to say about it, and what is my experience, as a learner (and a linguist)?