Brought to you by OptiLingo -- The Actual Fluency Podcast features inspirational stories from world-class language learners, industry experts, and regular people who embraced multilingualism in one way or another. In the episodes we dive deep down in the why that pushed people to learn a new language, the how to figure out how they best achieved it, and of course a lot of great stories of the experiences that speaking multiple languages can bring to people's lives. We also talk about apps, methodology, and education to try and find ways to shorten the path to mastery.
In this episode I'm joined by Toki Pona speaker Joel, also known as jan Telakoman. During the call we discuss comprehensible input as one of the strongest ways to learn a new language, and we both share our experiences learning toki pona - a tiny, constructed language of only ~150 words. Joel's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@jantelakoman Toki Pona Comprehensible Input Playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_a0s0wowhE&list=PLwYL9_SRAk8EXSZPSTm9lm2kD_Z1RzUgm
Katie from Dynamic Languages comes on the podcast to share what the future of virtual reality might look like. During the conversation we also cover topics like learning whilst travelling, language learning in schools, and much more. About Dynamic Languages: App on the Meta Store: https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/dynamic-languages/4890053391081880/ Website: https://www.dynamiclanguages.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dynamiclanguages Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dynamic_languages_360/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DynamicLanguages
In this episode we catch up with Fluent in 3 Months founder Benny Lewis about his latest language learning mission (Korean), the new and improved Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp, and a very open discussion on how he recovered from a few horrible years of depression, divorce, debt, and weight gain. Benny's Website where you can find everything including his book, and bootcamp: https://fluentin3months.com Bite Size Language Courses from Actual Fluency: https://bitesizelanguages.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actualfluency/message
In this episode, Kris and Luca Lampariello discuss the importance of building confidence and identity in a language to overcome perfectionism and fear of making mistakes. They also touch on the impact of mindset on language learning, the benefits of speaking a language even imperfectly, and the challenge of maintaining multiple languages. Lampariello emphasizes the importance of exposure and practice in language learning, and suggests that building an identity in a language and treating all languages as equally important can help prevent confusion between sounds and pronunciation in different languages. Find Luca here: https://www.youtube.com/@LucaLampariello Smart Language Learning Academy: https://actf.lu/luca --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actualfluency/message
In this podcast episode, language learner and transracial adoptee Emily Harris discusses her own experiences as an adoptee when it comes to learning her heritage language, and her experiences with perfectionism and finding balance in language learning. She also talks about her language learning journey, including her initial attraction to German and her future language goals, such as learning Persian and improving her Arabic skills. Harris emphasizes the importance of individualized goals and finding a learning schedule that works for one's energy level and personal life. She also shares her language learning content on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and a new podcast called "The Language Wellness and Identity Podcast." Follow Emily Harris: YouTube: Language Travel Adoptee... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp-HcdqX1iSlUok92r8-t9wInstagram: @languagetraveladoptee... https://www.instagram.com/languagetraveladoptee/The Language Wellness and Identity Podcast ...https://open.spotify.com/show/2eVbzHTByRNVbxlkPPoICO --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actualfluency/message
In this podcast episode, I'm joined by Cara Leopold, an English listening specialist, and founder of Leo Listening to talk about her experience learning French, moving to France, and eventually integrating in the local community as an expat. We also discuss English listening skills, and her new project: The Movie Club, which helps English speakers learn more idiomatic and casual language through the use of movies and TV. Check out Cara and the Movie Club here: https://leo-listening.com Check out the Bite Size Listening Courses, produced by Actual Fluency: https://actualfluency.com/courses/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actualfluency/message
In this episode of the Actual Fluency Podcast, host Kris Broholm interviews Heidi Lovejoy, the creator and host of The Love, Joy and Languages Podcast. They discuss the topic of perfectionism and its effects on language learning, mental health, and imposter syndrome. Lovejoy shares her struggles with perfectionism while learning Italian, how it affected her mental health, and her journey to overcome it. They also explore the ideal process of moving to a foreign country while learning the local language and how to approach language learning without perfectionism. Heidi's website: https://lovejoyandlanguages.com/ More Actual Fluency Podcast: https://actualfluency.com/actual-fluency-language-learning-podcast/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actualfluency/message
Kris comes back with a quick update to announce the return of the Actual Fluency podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
In this episode I'm joined by Rosemary Salomone to discuss the role of English on a global academic level, and some of the challenges faced by minorities and non-english native speaking students and countries in the world. Rosemary is the Kenneth Wang Professor of Law at St. John's University in Queens, New York. Prior to joining the legal academy, she taught English to international students, developed bilingual programs for immigrant students, and was a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she taught education law and language policy. Check out Rosemary's new book here: The Rise of English: Global Politics and the Power of Language: https://amzn.to/3Fafmdx --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
In this podcast episode I'm joined by Sadelle Wiltshire, who shares her story of learning languages at different ages, including her passion for Irish and the community of learners she's found for the language. Sadelle's website: https://www.sadellewiltshire.com/ The Fluent in 3 Months Challenge: https://actf.lu/fi3m-challenge --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
In this episode Kris is joined by Rick Dearman to talk about using forums to help support you in your language learning, language conferences, and much more. Special thanks to OPTILINGO for sponsoring the podcast. You can check out this innovative language learning app, designed to make you SPEAK a language by going to https://optilingo.com To find out more about Rick go to: https://forum.language-learners.org/ https://autodidactic.info/ Announcement: The podcast is now on YouTube! That means you can watch this episode as a video, by going to the Actual Fluency YouTube channel. Watch as Kris learns the trials and tribulations of video editing to create a whole new dimension of the podcast. Thank you so much for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
In the episode I'm joined by Spanish Teacher and Educational Author, Jennifer Degenhardt. We go over why school language learning is in such a bad state in many schools, and what innovative and energetic teachers like Jennifer can do to improve the results the kids get from the classroom. We also talk about her diverse and inclusive range of educational materials, as well as her experience spending a year learning Spanish abroad in latin America. === SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by OptiLingo. Go check out a modern language learning app that focuses on speaking EARLY without the boring drills and grammar memorisation. Try OptiLingo: https://optilingo.com === EPISODE RESOURCES Jen's Website: https://digilangua.co/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
In the episode I'm joined by Portuguese teacher and YouTuber Liz Sharma to talk about Portugal, Portuguese (European vs Brazilian) and how Liz moved from the U.K to Portugal. Since I just moved to Portugal myself I got to ask a lot of curiosity-driven questions, including what Portuguese learners normally struggle with. === SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by OptiLingo. Go check out a modern language learning app that focuses on speaking EARLY without the boring drills and grammar memorisation. Try OptiLingo: https://optilingo.com === EPISODE RESOURCES Talk The Streets: https://talkthestreets.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAHp6bCNcUg6PTHaZ-hI3Bw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkthestreets/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by OPTILINGO -- https://optilingo.com In this pre-season episode I'm reviewing 2020, and looking ahead for what is to come in 2021 both personally and business-wise. This isn't a regular interview with a guest, for that you'll have to wait until February where the next "season" begins! Enjoy! Here's what I talk about in the episode: My 2020 Experience Moving to Portugal Looking Ahead to 2021 Actual Fluency News and Updates Podcast Update Polyglot Cruise Update [Indefinitely Cancelled - Refunds being organised to participants ] New Team Members Bonus: A stupidity Anecdote LINKS: Actual Fluency --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by OPTILINGO -- https://optilingo.com In this episode I'm joined by Olle Linge from Hacking Chinese to talk about his "random" journey into Chinese, founding the Hacking Chinese website (10 years anniversary this year) and a ton of language learning methodology and academic vs non-academic perspectives. A lot of the advice in the episode are centered around Chinese, but almost all of it is applicable to every language. Enjoy! Here's what we talk about in the episode: How Olle "randomly" stumbled into his Chinese language passion and ability What the differences between academic and non-academic language learning are How to learn the tones, and characters of Chinese How to succeed learning any language And much more! LINKS: Olle's Special Offer for Actual Fluency Listeners: https://actf.lu/olle Hacking Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by OPTILINGO -- https://optilingo.com Editor's Note: A previous version of this episode had some audio issues, which have been fixed. In this episode I'm joined by "A Māori Phrase a Day" author Hēmi Kelly, to find out a little more about Māori, which is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, as well as the language. Hēmi is a full-time lecturer in te reo Māori at the Auckland University of Technology. His academic research and writing focus largely on the revitalsation of the Māori language and translation studies. Hēmi is a licensed translator and graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo (The Institute of Excellence in the Māori Language). In 2017, Hēmi translated Witi Ihimaera's novella in Sleeps Standing and published his first book A Māori Word a Day in 2018. In 2019, Hēmi published his first creative writing piece in English in Purakau, a collection of Māori myths retold by Maori writers. Here's what we talk about in the episode: What is "Māori" and where is New Zealand? What is the relationship between the Māori and non-Māori population in New Zealand? What is the legal status of the Māori language What is being done to revitalize the language for the last 100 years What is happening today to improve relations and cultural understanding? What is the Māori language, and what does it sound like? + Much more! LINKS: A MAORI PHRASE A DAY FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/263436354660573/ A MAORI PHRASE A DAY Book: https://www.amazon.com/Maori-Phrase-Day-Hemi-Kelly-ebook/dp/B081ZJ79C7 HEMI'S TEDx TALK: Te Reo Māori: A new era for the language https://youtu.be/93u5sM4JJbU --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by OPTILINGO -- One of the most popular guests of the podcast returns to share all the details for her upcoming project, that she co-hosts with Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy: Women in Language (September 17-20, 2020) Here are some of the things we discuss during the episode: * What Kerstin has been up to for the past 2 years since her last appearance * How did the idea for Women in Language come about? * Why there is a need for a conference like Women in Language * What separates Women in Language from all other language conferences * What other projects Kerstin is working on * How her programme, Teach & Thrive helps teachers scale their business and income * Discussion on why language teachers are well-placed to make passive income, and how anyone in theory can get started with this as a career. * and a lot more! LINKS: Kerstin's Blog: Fluent Language Women in Language Kerstin's Advanced Teacher Training: Teach and Thrive --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm joined by my friend Lina Vasquez, an amazing polyglot who shares her passion for languages, self-development, and many other topics on her YouTube channel. In the episode we dive DEEP into the mindset behind self-development and language learning, and offer some ideas on how anyone can level up their life and be better in every way they want. Resources: Lina on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClZjE2TEk59ZbxH_hZiBkog ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm joined by Italian teacher Gloria Spagnoli who shares her insights as both a language learner and teacher. She specifically talks about finding your confidence and inner resources. Finally we touch on the difference between a teacher and a student, and how you can level up your language lessons. Resources: http://speakita.com/how-to-find-your-italian-voice/ ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm joined by Spanish teacher Maria Ortega Garcia, who shares unique insights as both a language learner and teacher. She specifically talks about connecting with the language you're trying to learn, and making it yours. This has been the most succesful approach she has seen over the years. We also touch on some ideas of improving tutoring for students and teachers alike. Resources: ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode Tetsu Yung returns to update on his childrens' language learning (5 languages!) and talks in detail about the ONE PARENT ONE LANGUAGE methodology, he's been using for over 8 years now. We also chat briefly about LangFest, the annual conference usually held in Montreal, Canada. The event is currently postponed until 2021 due to the ongoing situation. Resources: Tetsu on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/asktetsu LangFest: https://langfest.org (postponed until 2021) Episode 87: https://actualfluency.com/87-tetsu-yung-raising-multilingual-children/ ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm joined by Peter Strang from the United Kingdom, who took up a position as English teacher in Russia. What was initially a temporary stay turned into starting a family and settling down full-time. In the episode we talk about his experience moving to Russia, settling in, and learning the language whilst coping with being one of few foreigners at his workplace and in the local community. ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm joined by podcast regular Anthony Metivier, to talk about his new book The Victorious Mind, mental health, and how language learning as well as memory training play a role in improving your life. Resources mentioned: Anthony's new book: The Victorious Mind (Amazon) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Victorious-Mind-Master-Meditation-Well-Being/dp/0648751902 Anthony's website and podcast - https://magneticmemorymethod.com Anthony's June 2020 TEDx talk: Two Easily Remembered Questions That Silence Negative Thoughts - https://youtu.be/kvtYjdriSpM ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm joined by Richard 'Dick' Howeson from uTalk to discuss how he started the company, and developed it from a CD-ROM based language learning system, to now a modern app system with over 140 languages. Resources mentioned: uTalk: https://actf.lu/utalk Polyglot Cruise: https://polyglotcruise.com Disclaimer: uTalk is a sponsor of the Polyglot Cruise organised by Actual Fluency, and paid to be featured in this Actual Fluency Podcast episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
In this unnumbered Actual Fluency episode I'm getting into a few updates as of April 2020. Here's what you'll hear about in the episode: Why the podcast was on a minor break Why you shouldn't necessarily feel pressured to learn a new language during the pandemic What happened to the Polyglot Cruise New Course Launch: Bite-Size Languages What else is new on Actual Fluency What is happening to the polyglot events around the world, which ones do I hope to attend? This podcast is brought to you by OPTILINGO! Check them out here: https://optilingo.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm happy to be joined by Matt from "Matt vs Japan" to share his ideas about immersion (Mass Immersion Approach / AJATT) and how he learnt Japanese in 18 months. Resources mentioned: Matt vs Japan YouTube Channel > https://www.youtube.com/user/MATTvsJapan Mass Immersion Approach > https://massimmersionapproach.com/ All Japanese All The Time > http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/ Matt on Twitter > https://twitter.com/mattvsjapan --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm extremely honoured to be joined by one of my very own podcasting idols. Mark has been running Coffee Break Podcasts for over a decade, and now delivers over 2,500,000 language lessons every month to listeners around the world. In the episode we discuss his language past, present, and future, as well as how he started Coffee Break and grew it to where it is today. We also talk a bit about the state of language education in schools today, and speak a bit in "Scandinavian" :D Resources mentioned: Coffee Break Languages > https://actf.lu/coffee Polyglot Gathering > https://polyglotgathering.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I preview 2020, and share a few updates about Actual Fluency. The regular episodes with guests are returning next week! Events mentioned: The Edinburgh Language Event The Polyglot Cruise The Polyglot Gathering The Polyglot Conference LangFest --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/message
PART 2! > John Fotheringham, a fellow language podcaster comes on the show to do an experiment. Instead of a traditional interview, we are chatting as two language podcasters, sharing experiences, takeaways, and lessons learnt from over 5 years of podcasting. PART 1: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/episodes/AFP-167---John-Fotheringham-Inside-the-Language-Podcasters-Studio-Part-1-e7po88 If you liked this episode, please let us know! Show Links: LanguageMastery.com - John's Blog and Podcast Social: @LanguageMastery Facebook ==============
John Fotheringham, a fellow language podcaster comes on the show to do an experiment. Instead of a traditional interview, we are chatting as two language podcasters, sharing experiences, takeaways, and lessons learnt from over 5 years of podcasting. If you liked this episode, please let us know! Show Links: LanguageMastery.com - John's Blog and Podcast Social: @LanguageMastery Facebook ==============
Ekaterina Matveeva comes on the show to talk about her amazing polyglot story, as well as the concept of the language alter ego and cultural personalities. We also share notes on what happens to the personality and identity of an individual as one goes abroad and stays for an extended period of time. Show Links: Ekatarina's book - Language Alter Ego: https://amzn.to/30T1foi Business: http://amolingua.com Personal site: http://matveevaekaterina.com Teacher Training: https://amolingua.com/programmes/teachertraining Pitch To Win: https://study.amolingua.com/p/pitchtowin Social: Instagram: @matvekav , @amolingua Facebook: @matvekav , @amolingua , @amolinguaru , @amolingualatam Twitter: @matvekav , @amolingua ==============
On this episode, I chat to French teacher Lea Tiralarc, who's taught over 5000 lessons on italki about her experiences as a teacher and a learner. We also talk about her method (The Staircase) and how to make teaching languages your career. Show Links: The Staircase: https://thestaircase.org/ ==============
On this episode I chat to entrepreneur, blogger and author Scott Young about his experiences learning 4 languages in a single year (without speaking any English) and his new book Ultralearning: Accelerate Your Career, Master Hard Skills and Outsmart the Competition. Show Links: Scott's Blog: http://scotthyoung.com Ultralearning on Amazon: https://geni.us/ultralearn ==============
On this episode I chat to Lingvist founder Mait Müntel, who was part of the Higgs-Boson discovery team at CERN. His big passion is furthering human learning using machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the power of spaced repetition. Show Links: Lingvist - Mait's company ==============
On this episode I chat to Jonty Yamisha, who took it upon himself to learn his heritage language of Circassian as an adult. He shares a lot of great stories about his family, and practical tips and advice for how he managed to learn a language with such limited resources available. Perfect if you have a heritage language you've been meaning to learn! Show Links: OptiLingo (Jonty's language learning software) - https://optilingo.com Circassian Culture Non-profit - http://nassip.org ==============
On this episode I chat to Jon Mahoney, who went on a trip around the world that lasted over 900 days. We also get into his story of living in Ukraine, and Russia - as well as progressing his Russian skills to well above advanced. Along the way he produced videos for his YouTube channels (in English and Russian) together with his wife Eva. Show Links: Russian YouTube channel - https://youtube.com/JonandEva English YouTube channel - https://youtube.com/CANRUSH Instagram - https://instagram.com/JonandEva ==============
On this episode I catch up with Steve Kaufmann to hear what he's been up to in the last 5 years since he was last on the podcast. We also chat about his popular YouTube channel, travelling for language learning, and how he's learning languages as a retiree. Show Links: LINGQ Steve's YouTube Channel LangFest in Montreal (August 23-25) ==============
On this episode of the podcast I chat with Grandmaster of Memory and 4x US Memory Champion Nelson Dellis about his mission to learn Dutch, his heritage language - and to get some insight on how memory techniques relate to learning languages. Show Links: Nelson's Website REMEMBER IT - Nelson's book MEMORY GAMES - A Netflix film about memory, featuring Nelson DROPS - One of the Language Applications we discussed MEMORY LEAGUE - Digital memory competition platform ==============
On this episode of the podcast I chat with Ben from IELTSPodcast, about how you can improve your 4 key skills in English, and specific tips and advice for passing the IELTS exam. Show Links: IELTSPodcast IELTS Vocabulary IELTS Online Course ==============
Pablo Roman, founder of DreamingSpanish comes on the show to talk about his experiences learning Japanese in 6 months, learning Thai, and developing materials and resources for learning Spanish. Show links: https://www.youtube.com/DreamingSpanish ==============
Head of Marketing for italki: Iker Uriarte comes on the show to share his language background and how he got involved with italki. He also shares some behind the scenes stories and visions for the world's biggest tutoring platform. ==============
Marija Dobrovolska comes on the show to talk about her experiences with learning languages, the importance of confidence and how she got into teaching German on her very successful YouTube channel (over 17 million views and counting!) and website: "Deutsch mit Marija" https://deutsch-mit-marija.de/ YouTube Channel ==============
Silver from MagicLingua comes on the show to share his multilingual experiences, as well as his new startup MagicLingua, which uses speech recognition technology to revolutionise language learning. Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1427862973/start-speaking-your-new-language-from-day-1-magicl (running for 1 more week at the time of publication.) Website: https://www.magiclingua.com/ ==============
Tamara from Spanish Con Salsa comes on the show to talk about the benefits of using music in teaching and learning languages. Links: Website: https://www.learnspanishconsalsa.com Podcast: https://www.learnspanishconsalsa.com/podcast/ ===================
Norbert from Ecolinguist.com comes on the show to share his own learning experiences, as well as his experience teaching people foreign languages. In the episode we go over some of the fundamentals in language learning success, and how you can become a language teacher and travel the world (if you want to!) Links: Website: http://ecolinguist.com/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ecolinguist Instagram: @learn_polish_with_ecolinguist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecolinguist/ ===================
Andrew Feinberg is back on the show to discuss his experience moving to Japan and learning Japanese, as well as some of the tricky aspects foreigners might be surprised about the Japanese culture. He also compares Japanese to his experience learning Norwegian. ===================
In this episode Lindie Botes comes on the show to talk about her passion for languages, and her extraordinary upbringing in different countries and languages. ===================
In this episode Gabriel Gelman from Sprachheld.de comes on the show to talk about learning languages at home and abroad. ===================
Àdhamh Ó Broin comes on the show to talk about the many languages of Scotland (past, present and future) as well as his own personal mission to reclaim his heritage language of Gaelic, and the revitalisation efforts that are going on today. ===================
Marek Kohn, the author of Four Words for Friend:Why Using More Than One Language Matters Now More Than Ever comes on the show to talk about the book, as well as the role of languages in society, nationalism and improving assimilation and integration. It's a slighty different topic than normal, but I find it extremely interesting and important to language learners! ===================
Shannon Kennedy is on the show to talk about the upcoming Women in Languages conference (March 7-10, 2019) and some of her other projects. http://womeninlanguage.com ===================
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