The Fluent Show

It's a philosophical one with Lindsay this week! Quick note on the topic of audio quality: In this week's episode, you'll hear Lindsay coming through at a slightly lower quality than usual. Our apologies! We'll be back to our usual high standards in the next episode. Here are our two big topics. Donald Trump Is A Tweeter If you're au courant with the news these days, you may have noticed that Dona...

In this week’s episode, I have a fascinating Q&A question, which didn't at all bring the answer that my questioner might have been expecting. My question asker Andy is learning Russian, and finding the amount of word changes overwhelming. We started with grammar, but then discovered a meaningful SECOND issue, which you have probably dealt with in the past, too. Why your success depends on know...

Click or tap here to read the full show notes in my blog article on www.fluentlanguage.co.uk Bonjour les auditeurs, and welcome to a special édition française of the Fluent Show, with my native French speaking guest Géraldine Lepere. Check out Géraldine's AWESOME site Comme Une Française This show is a bilingual podcast , meaning you'll hear me do my best in French. Bilingual? How does that work?...

How do you feel about learning two dialects of a language at the same time? The Dictionary of Linguistics defines dialect as a variety of a language used by people from a particular geographic area. So in other words, you’re ALWAYS learning a language and often you might be learning one that is a dialect of another. Romanian and Italian are dialects of Latin, if we zoom out far enough. So for you...

In this podcast and blog article, we're discussing words that mean a lot to many people, answering questions such as: What is "fluency" and how do you know you're fluent? How can I achieve "mastery" in a language? What can you gain from being a "polyglot" or "digital nomad"? Click or tap here to read the full show notes in my blog article on www.fluentlanguage.co.uk

You can find language tutors on sites like italki , in online communities, or by searching for your target language on social networks. Instagram is particularly great here. Before Your First Lesson With A New Skype Tutor Be clear about what you want to get out of your set of lessons, and communicate this to your teacher. Here's a list of suggested questions to ask them. Decide if you want to foll...

It's time for our seasonal countdown of what's hot in language learning. Lindsay and I have been collecting our top tools, and we select our list of top 3 recommendations on the Fluent Show. Lingodeer Text Inspector Talkalang /r/languagelearning FutureLearn Babadum A lovely image-based vocab game to play in your browser, made by a non-profit design studio from Poland. The range of langauges is mas...

Today’s show is based on a question I have been asking myself. And that is… “Should I Give Flashcards Another Chance?” The way I learn vocabulary is always changing, and my methods and strategies evolve all the time. For many years, learning with vocabulary notebooks was my prime way of reviewing new words. But there are also other techniques, and recently I’ve started using a flashcard app, Smart...

This week, I talk to language and grammar fanatic Ellen Jovin . Ellen has spent the last (nearly) decade learning and forgetting over 20 languages, and reviewing hundreds of language learning materials. In this interview, you will learn about How to select the best materials for teaching yourself a language How to grow as a person through using Facebook Why it doesn't matter if a language is hard...

Re-learning sounds like a daunting task, but today's episode will guide you through what you need to think about. In this episode, you'll learn about the difference between conscious and unconscious language acquisition. discover how to learn vocabulary so you always remember it and the right learning plan for getting that language skills back. Check out The Vocab Cookbook for more about the vocab...

When I first moved to the UK, I had no idea that Welsh was a living language. Now it's 15 years later and I can speak it, watch TV in Welsh, and connect with thousands of learners around the world. Welsh is considered a success story by many people who want to revive minority languages. 150 years ago, it was banned by the English speaking government and the English language became the norm. Today,...

Great news, everyone! The Fluent Show is now newly available on Spotify, TuneIn Radio, and I Heart Radio. How do you listen? Shout out to our new sponsor, Smartcards Plus . In Today's Show : A Q&A with a question from Shannon on Twitter. She asked: Got advice on how to get bilingual speakers of your native language and your learning language to stick to the language you’re learning? Click or t...

This week on the podcast, I am joined by Olly Richards from I Will Teach You A Language. We present to you a project that we have been working on together for a while: German Uncovered, a course for beginners who want to become fluent in German. I've been working on this for a few months, and we are slowly getting ready for launch. Exciting times! The special thing about German Uncovered is that i...

Rebecca from New York asked Can you talk about how to set up a reasonable weekly schedule for language learning? In this show, I've got five simple steps for you that will help you plan a successful week in language learning. I'll talk about setting goals, managing your energy, analysing your calendar, and matching your activity to your strengths. A reasonable schedule for learning languages is on...

The most rewarding way of practicing your language is by connecting with people on a 1-to-1 basis. It takes commitment to make any language exchange successful. On today's show, we discuss what it takes to have the best language exchange experience possible. We also welcome special guest Jonathan Huggins, who knows lots about language exchanges. Click or tap here to read the full show notes in my...

Today on the show, I'll share a few tips and considerations about studying languages at university. Plus: My own story of doing Translation Studies at the University of Manchester. Chenelle asks: I wanted to know did you only get your bachelors degree or did you actually go and get a masters degree and languages? Listen to get the full details of my tips. At postgrad level, you tend to go either i...

Click or tap here to read the full show notes in my blog article on www.fluentlanguage.co.uk In this episode, we caught up, talked about a new directive on language use in a very special setting: Childbirth! We also discussed language learning apps and how to make the most out of them.

Elisabeth asks: “How do you fit hearing comprehension into your daily routine? I find myself daydreaming a lot during my hearing comprehension time.” What are you training, exactly? Listening comprehension will aid you in understanding spoken language. For most independent language learners, listening comprehension is what starts bridging the gap between reading a textbook and moving on to confide...

As a German native speaker who speaks English all day long, I find the prospect of bilingual parenting both daunting and fascinating. I have been looking for an expert on bilingual parenting, and here she is: Marianna du Bosq, host of the awesome Bilingual Avenue podcast, a show for parents who are raising bilingual children. Marianna's incredible energy shines through and she's got SO many tips....

"How Can I Get Off The Intermediate Plateau?" If you're stuck somewhere in the language weeds, this show will help you untangle them and get those wheels turning again. You'll learn Why you're feeling stuck How to start feeling like the wheels are turning again How to re-think your feeling of being stuck for an instant mood boost Why rewards make all the difference How to figure out the next step

In The News This Week A deaf woman wanted to attend a pop concert with her young daughter, but had to fight and even sue the company until she was granted a sign language interpreter. Is this fair? We discuss what 'disability' is, how sign language is very different from other languages in music, and how awesome it is to have interpreter companies in this world. Make sure you watch the great video...

It's 2018, guys. Time to admit something major: AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR A 4 WORD PODCAST TITLE 😂 As of today, I am so excited to announce that this podcast is now The Fluent Show , and we are going WEEKLY. Every week from today, I'll be bringing you an interview or a short episode full of actionable, practical language learning advice. The Fluent Show is here to encourage and support you in you...

Click or tap here to read the full show notes In the News... Kazakhstan is going to change the official script of its language from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet by 2025 - we admire their SMART goal setting skills and discuss what could motivate a country to make such a big change. Main Topic: The Future of Language Learning What does the future hold for language learners? When a device trans...

Click or tap here to read the full show notes German Learners : Click this link to download a full transcript (bilingual) of our conversation, so you can listen and read along at the same time. Judith Meyer is well-known in the language learning world for co-founding the Polyglot Gathering event and writing several language books and courses. She's consulted by many and freely shares her own tips...

Hello from Kerstin and happy new year! In today's show, I've got notes for you on what really mattered for language learning in 2017, and how you can make the most out of these for your own path to fluency. Lessons from 2017: Best practices aren’t going anywhere Ask yourself what you want to achieve Get out of the house and use what you know Contribute to your community Getting organised is the ke...