The Future is Bilingual

Episode 25 - In this episode, Heather and Marcin discuss the advantages and disadvantages of studying languages with apps versus taking notes and writing things down.  We do not believe that there is one best way to study.  Rather, we hope that this episode will provide you some food for thought when considering how you learn best.  Our discussion touches on fitting learning into a busy schedule,...

Episode 24 - In the second half of my interview with Etai, we discuss many interesting topics including how languages can help you learn another one, language attrition, how and why he learned some Hungarian, interpreting, how to study two languages at the same time, grammar and cases, and lots more.  We play a little language game near the end and talk about some of our favorite Youtubers and lan...

Episode 23 - Part 1 of my discussion with Etai about all things related to language and culture.  Etai is a polyglot who was born in Israel and moved to the U.S. as a toddler to receive better care for his CP (Cerebral Palsy).  He loves learning new languages and has studied 10+ and counting.  We talk about the importance of having an emotional connection to the languages we study and why we find...

Episode 22 - This short episode was inspired by a blog post Heather wrote on her new website.  In it, she talks about why her family language policy has changed since last year and why we should all remain flexible and open to change as our families grow and our lives change.   ----   Link to the website: https://thefutureisbilingual.wordpress.com/  ----  Link to the specific post: https://thefutu...

Episode 21 - In this interview, Heather talks with her good friends Carly and Michal who are expecting their first child.  They are both children of immigrants, however, their experiences with heritage language maintenance differs.  They discuss their own journeys learning different languages and what they hope their little one's bilingual future will look like.  We hope that this episode provides...

Episode 20 - A quick wrap up of 2020 with some statistics, survey announcements, personal news, and messages from previous guests.  ---  Take the Listener Survey at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUwEWdepQYe2JR0Ov3h-1Yag4sFR-ZMmkqFi2lJfcJxP_PnA/viewform?usp=sf_link  --- Fill out the Guest on Podcast Form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeW5jNmHh-bzPx9gPad9g_vlA2eHUnHFxe2wt-i...

Episode 19 - This episode is about why you should listen to the radio in your target language.  Heather, the host, briefly explains Krashen's theory of comprehensible input and how it relates to listening to the radio in another language.  She goes through the various advantages for all learners, from complete beginners to fluent speakers.  She uses examples from her own life and 3 different langu...

Episode 18 - Part 2 of a 3-part series reflecting on the past year.  In this episode, Heather talks about the different languages she and her two toddlers have been speaking and learning since last December.  She also shares some personal language goals that she has for herself and her family going forward. She will share more about this on Instagram @thefutureisbilingual in the coming weeks. You...

Episode 17 - This is the first episode in a 3-part series looking back on the past year.  I share what I've learned about myself and podcasting as well as my podcasting goals for next year.  Episodes 2 and 3 of this series will drop before the end of 2020.   Write to me at tfibpodcast@gmail.com or find me on Instagram @thefutureisbilingual.  Please remember to tag me if you share so I can see it a...

Episode 16 - Marcin and Heather discuss the topic of cognates and false friends, focusing mostly on false friends as they're more interesting and memorable. We give examples from Polish, German, French, Romanian, Swedish, Indonesian, Malay, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Czech, Georgian, Arabic, Portuguese, Catalan, and Hungarian. Most of our examples came from our friends from the Polyglot Conference...

Episode 15 - Today's interview is with Inna, the author of the bilingual book "Trilingual Me/Moi, Trilingue" (@trilingualme.moitrilingue).  She talks openly about the joys and struggles she faced on her journey becoming trilingual.  Her story is very motivational and inspiring. This episode addresses speech delays, fluency, maintaining and balancing languages, and of course her new book!  We discu...

Episode 14 - My guest, Amy, is a trilingual Mom who blogs about raising her daughters to be trilingual as well.  She shares a wealth of knowledge and experience about all things related to multilingual parenting.  We discuss balancing three languages, priorities, travel, sibling interactions, code-switching, our role as parents, and so much more!  We  had a lot to talk about and we hope you enjoy...

Episode 13 - My guest, Tommy Bradford, is a British-Hungarian English teacher living in Germany.  He shares with us all his wisdom from both perspectives of being raised bilingually himself and now raising his own children multilingually.  We cover a range of different topics including heritage speakers, minority languages, fate and language learning, teaching, parenting, COVID, and more! --- You...

Episode 12 - Have you ever forgotten a word or phrase in your native language?  Maybe you've lost some skills you previously had in a language?  If so, you're familiar with language attrition.  In this episode, my new co-host, Marcin, and I explain what language attrition is, why it happens, and what you can do to prevent or reverse it .  We'd love to meet you and stay in touch! Please follow us o...

Episode 11 - Part 2 of my interview with my good friend Marcin.  We discuss the benefits and challenges of learning a language in a classroom with a teacher versus learning it on your own. He tells us how he uses his languages in a typical day and his secret to staying motivated.  Lastly, he reveals what he's gained from learning other languages and our discussion turns to more serious topics such...

Episode 10 - Part 1 of a two-part interview with my good friend Marcin about being bilingual and all the ways it enriches his life.  He talks about his family's history with immigration, how he used and learned different languages growing up, the impact music had on his language learning, and more. We discuss the importance of teaching children languages young, how common it is to get bogged down...

Episode 9 - This episode explains and distinguishes the terms bilingualism, multilingualism, plurilingualism, code switching and translanguaging.

Episode 8 - In this episode, I chat with my good friend Dominika who is also raising her children in Polish.  She takes us back to her childhood in Poland to tell us how she learned French and English.  We discuss the different registers of language we learned (e.g. business English) and how they can impact our decisions when raising bilingual children.  Dominika shares her insights when it comes...

Episode 7 - In this episdoe, we define bilingualism and fluency before providing you with 7 tips on how to become fluent yourself or raise your children to become fluent speakers of another language. Follow me on Instagram @thefutureisbilingual or contact me at tfibpodcast@gmail.com. I'm always looking for more guests to share their story.

Episode 6 - 13 benefits of bilingualism you may or may not have already thought about. Let me know if you agree with me or if you thought of another advantage to being bilingual. What's your favorite part of being bilingual? Let me know on Instagram @thefutureisbilingual or write to me at tfibpodcast@gmail.com. Stay safe and well!

Episode 5 - Emily shares her story of learning Arabic from her immigrant parents, family, and church community. She tells us about her recent trip to Egypt and how her intimate knowledge of the language and culture enriched her stay and her ability to connect with the locals.

Episode 4 - Five common challenges we may face when trying to raise bilingual children and some simple solutions to help you succeed and persevere.

Episode 3 - Discussion of 8 different bilingual policies or strategies that you can use to raise bilingual children. Real life examples from our family and our imperfect mix of methods.

Episode 2 - The host, Heather, talks about her personal experience learning languages and how she and her husband decided to raise their kids in Polish.