The Fluent Show

In this episode, I bring you a touching interview with Alexa Little, a computational linguist who runs a non-profit building language apps for languages that REALLY need them. Endangered Language Revival with Alexa Little from 7000 Languages One common question about endangered languages is what that definition actually means. Here is how Alexa put it: An endangered language is a language that is no longer being transmitted from ol... Read more

This week, I am on a listener inspired quest: Is there a set of language learning notes that can make you better at speaking another language? This Fluent Show episode brings you a discussion of the science of cognitive load, working memory, and long-term memory...all in the quest for finding the best notes ever to use in conversations. Show Patrons can read the detailed show notes now over Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/bePatro... Read more

Bestselling author Scott Young presents his book "Ultralearning". Scott is well known for his project called "The Year Without English", which involved a year of full immersion and learning 4 languages. Intense, right? He thought so too, and became fascinated with this concept "There was a look on the plane, and that was our last time speaking English for a year." Scott's recently been obsessed with int... Read more

The German Retreat in Berlin (https://www.fluentlanguage.co.uk/german-retreat-2019) Today I answer a listener question from Hadassah about memorizing vocabulary that describes ideas, not objects Here are a few handy tips in summary - listen to the show to hear my many examples and in-depth explanations. The post-it method. Write your words on post-its and stick them up around quirky places that do have a connection to the ideas you... Read more

Hooray, it's conference time! In today's episode I'll bring you a mix of language learning goodies straight from Montréal, Canada. You'll hear What a language conference is all about Poetry, written on the spot by language learners A drinking song in a minority language you may have never heard of Language learning tips from an 8-year old who speaks four languages And how you can make the most out of attending th... Read more

Free gift with today's podcast: Sign up here for free affirmation cards to print & save (http://www.fluentlanguage.co.uk/affirmations) Read the in-depth blog article for this podcast on www.fluentlanguage.co.uk (https://www.fluentlanguage.co.uk/blog/language-mindset) Do any of these sound familiar? "I'm just not where I should be in languages, somehow everyone else seems to make better progress than me." "I ... Read more

Today’s theme: How to Learn Specialist Vocabulary Thank you to Bonnie for this episode introduction. Support This Podcast Like all podcasts, the Fluent Show is supported by your online reviews and word of mouth. If you liked this episode, please tell someone about it. Click here to tweet about the show (https://ctt.ac/00VIW), go to your Podcasts app and leave us a review, or simply text a friend about the Fluent Show. Thank you! C... Read more

You can't see their faces, you can't see their hands, you can't hear their voices. But somehow, you still know how people are feeling when they communicate with you online. How does that work? 🤔 In this episode, I'm speaking to Dr Monica Riordan. She's an emoji expert and researcher who designs and conducts studies into how people express their feelings online. Here's the tweet I mentioned in the epi... Read more

In this episode you'll hear how courses like the Michel Thomas series change the script on language learning and why they work. I'll share my personal language success mixture, and why I don't debate study methods on social media. Thank you to Maksimilian for this episode introduction. Support This Podcast Like all podcasts, the Fluent Show is supported by your online reviews and word of mouth. If you liked this episod... Read more

This episode effortlessly covers the full language world, from Sean Paul to the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

via GIPHY

How can you keep an older language fresh while starting on a new one? Do you have to worry about forgetting everything you've learnt within weeks? This week, head over to the blog for detailed notes and an article on this topic: Click or tap here to read the blog article on www.fluentlanguage.co.uk (http://fluentlanguage.co.uk/blog/) Conclusions: You can’t just forget a language, but in order to keep it fresh you need to engage... Read more

This week, I'm answering a listener question with help from a special guest. Gareth Popkins is a serial language learner with decades of experience. He's a native English speaker but fluent in Welsh, Russian, German, and currently learning Japanese and Basque. He regularly builds preparation for language exams into his study routines, so today I asked Gareth to come on the show and share his views on the following quesion.... Read more

How do you feel about your memories of learning languages at school? Did you leave feeling like you were just not a language person? Got tales of cheating on every exam? Perhaps your teacher even threw things? Oof! Language lessons can leave scars, and now that you're an independent learner it's time to break free and purge those bad memories. This week, I'm bringing you real life stories from Canterbury, UK and my bes... Read more

“If we can produce proficient, correct language, it seems all is great no matter how we feel about it.” My guest for this week’s podcast is María Ortega Garcia, who you will get to know well during the course of our interview. María is a rebel. She encourages you not to break the rules, but to look beyond the rules. Here are some questions we discussed: How could you play with a language you love? Who owns the rules of a language?... Read more

I'm continuing the Fluent Show's little business series with a solo episode about online language teaching. Last week you already heard a little bit about how Lindsay and I got started, what we value in our businesses and our brutally honest views about both the sacrifices and the rewards of doing this work. So in today's episode: Effective Teaching! I've got three fundamentals that I believe made me a better lang... Read more

This week…something completely different. If you ever wondered what it’s like to run an online business in languages, this episode is for you. Lindsay and I offer you one of the most in-depth looks we have ever offered into our businesses, mindsets, and how we work. Did you enjoy this chat? Then there is MORE! We have recorded more episodes in this business series, and they can all be yours. Get our chat about MAKING AND SELLING P... Read more

This week I'm answering a listener question from Erin who was curious about applying her skills when she cannot attend a language retreat! The key with a retreat is to step out of learner mode and step into speaker mode, so that you apply what you are learning. But do you have to get away for that? This question is HUGE - it could really crack how you approach language learning and make a difference to whether you are successf... Read more

It's Top Tools time! In this regular feature, Lindsay and I dedicate the full episode to bringing you our tips for the most exciting language learning tools of the season. In this episode, get to know * Music Planet Roadtrip * Insight Timer * Evertype * Teach Yourself Library * Genius * Pleco Click or tap here to read full show notes and get all links on www.fluentlanguage.co.uk (https://fluentlanguage.co.uk/blog/toptools-spri... Read more

In this episode, I am answering a listener question from Leandro. I'm going through a really hard time on learning languages. I'm a Portuguese native speaker and I'm learning English and French. Most of time I'm really motivated learning English, because I love British 19th century literature and I fancy reading all the books in English. My level is not that bad, I guess. But, most of time I'm so unmotivated to... Read more