Actual Fluency Podcast - podcast cover

Actual Fluency Podcast

Kris Broholmactualfluency.com
Conversations with language learners, polyglots and teachers about what actually works when learning a language: methods, motivation and the messy reality of fluency.
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Episodes

Noah Oskow: English teacher in Japan

Kris Broholm welcomes Noah Oskow, an English teacher on the JET program in rural Japan. Noah shares his language journey, beginning with Hebrew in elementary school, which fostered a lifelong interest in languages, particularly Japanese, leading to a career as a translator and teacher.

May 08, 20161 hr 11 minEp. 94

Shannon Kennedy: Introvert language learning

Kris Broholm and guest Shannon Kennedy discuss introverted language learning. They address challenges introverts face with common advice like "just speak" from day one. Shannon, an introvert, also created a new guide on the topic.

May 01, 20161 hr 7 minEp. 93

Irina Pravet: Identity, finding home and learning Finnish

Kris Broholm welcomes Irina Pravet, who discusses her journey from Romania to Canada and ultimately to Finland. They explore themes of identity, finding home in a new country, and Irina's process of learning Finnish after meeting her partner.

Mar 27, 20161 hr 8 minEp. 92

Fight depression by learning languages

In this solo episode, Kris Broholm explores how language learning can be a powerful tool against depression. He shares personal experiences and provides actionable tips on using language study to combat feelings of low energy and sadness.

Mar 11, 201643 minEp. 91

André Liss: A journey through music

Kris Broholm interviews Canadian hyperpolyglot André Liss about his journey into language learning. André discusses how music became a pivotal learning tool and shares specific songs that have shaped his life story. Kris integrates these mentioned songs directly into the episode audio.

Mar 03, 20161 hr 15 minEp. 90

Amir Ordabayev: Why being lazy is great

It's time for more learner profiles! In this episode we get into Amir Ordabayev's backstory and find out how he learns languages and the most important criteria for success.

Feb 25, 20161 hr 19 minEp. 89

Wouter Corduwener: Learning from Tourists

Kris Broholm interviews Wouter Corduwener about his unique approach to language learning. Wouter, an artist, shares how he practices 18 languages by conversing with tourists. They discuss developing speaking confidence and the importance of active language use.

Feb 19, 201652 minEp. 88

Tetsu Yung: Raising Multilingual Children

Kris Broholm welcomes Tetsu Yung to discuss raising multilingual children. Tetsu shares his personal story, detailing how he grew up speaking multiple languages due to his family's origins and various moves. They also touch upon the prevalence of multilingualism in Taiwan.

Feb 11, 201657 minEp. 87

Lindsay Williams: From tutoring to language business

Kris Broholm speaks with Lindsay Williams about the evolution of her language business. Williams details her journey from offering local, private language tuition in English, French, and Spanish to establishing an online platform and blog. She explains this shift was strategic for marketing her online tutoring and ensuring business portability.

Feb 04, 20161 hr 10 minEp. 86

Keith Swayne: Teaching Languages over Coffee

Kris Broholm interviews Keith Swayne, a Canadian polyglot and language teacher. They discuss Swayne's unique method of teaching groups of students in coffee shops, aiming for rapid intermediate fluency. The conversation also covers Swayne's personal language learning journey and technical teaching methods for those interested in language education businesses.

Jan 28, 20161 hr 5 minEp. 85

Richard Benton: Community impact of learning pt. 1

Kris Broholm interviews Richard Benton about the community impact of language learning. They discuss how residents can learn languages spoken by immigrant populations, promoting local diversity. Benton advocates for communities embracing languages beyond the dominant one.

Dec 20, 201551 minEp. 81

Ed Cooke: Memrise and the Membus project

Kris Broholm interviews Ed Cooke from Memrise about the Memrise project and their new Membus initiative. They discuss the multilingual road trip to record native speakers across Europe. The episode also covers effective learning techniques and methods to improve memory for language acquisition.

Dec 13, 201553 minEp. 80

Michael Levi-Harris: The Hyperglot Movie (2/2)

Kris Broholm and Michael Levi-Harris continue their discussion about being a hyperglot. Michael shares his personal definition of "speaking" a language and his challenges with discipline and focus, despite his innate abilities. He also elaborates on the number of languages he is able to converse in.

Dec 12, 201554 minEp. 79

Michael Levi-Harris: The Hyperglot Movie (1/2)

Kris Broholm interviews Michael Levi-Harris, writer and star of "The Hyperglot Movie." They discuss the film's inspiration, creation, and its connection to Michael's personality as a language learner. The conversation also explores similarities between Michael and the movie's main character, along with broader language learning topics.

Dec 09, 201550 minEp. 78

EvilDea (Richard Delamore): Esperanto

Kris Broholm welcomes Richard Delamore, also known as Evil Dea, to discuss his deep involvement with Esperanto. Delamore shares his discovery of the language through Wikipedia and his journey to becoming a prominent content creator for the Esperanto community, including Esperanto TV and his daily YouTube videos.

Dec 01, 201540 minEp. 77

Connor Grooms: Spanish in a month and Baselang

Kris Broholm interviews Conor Grooms about his documentary, "Spanish in One Month," which details rapid language acquisition. They discuss strategies for learning a language quickly and delve into Baselang, a platform for language learning.

Nov 23, 201548 minEp. 76

Steve Ridout: Bootstrapped language learning startup

Kris Broholm interviews Steve Ridout, creator of the Readlang website. They discuss Steve's experiences as a freelance developer, language learner, and aspiring polyglot, including his life based in Spain.

Nov 16, 201551 minEp. 75

Idahosa Ness: Pronunciation Mastery

Kris Broholm hosts Idahosa Ness, who recounts his journey learning Spanish and Mandarin. Ness explains how prioritizing native-like pronunciation and tones accelerated his language acquisition. He details developing a philosophy centered on mastering sound for faster learning.

Nov 08, 201546 minEp. 74

Haikaa Yamamoto: Honour Yourself, others and the planet

Kris Broholm welcomes Haikaa Yamamoto for a conversation about honoring oneself, others, and the planet. Kris details the podcast's new video format on YouTube, including unedited episodes and behind-the-scenes content. He also invites listeners to submit questions for video responses.

Nov 01, 20151 hr 14 minEp. 73

Daniel Krasa: Language Vagabonding

Kris Broholm welcomes hyperpolyglot Daniel Krasa to discuss his language learning journey. They cover effective study methods, practical tips, and how Daniel developed a career involving languages.

Sep 04, 20151 hr 4 minEp. 72

Dr. Taghreed Al-Saraj: Language Anxiety Part 2

Kris Broholm and Dr. Taghreed Al-Saraj revisit their discussion on language anxiety. Dr. Al-Saraj shares her personal journey into researching the topic, detailing how her observations of unmotivated English students in Saudi Arabia led her to explore its roots. She also discusses her book, "The Anxious Language Learner.

Aug 21, 201556 minEp. 71

Kerstin Cable: German Pronunciation

Kris Broholm welcomes Kerstin Cable to discuss German pronunciation. They explore the importance of clear pronunciation in speaking a language. Kerstin shares details about her online course, "Speak German Like a Native," which focuses exclusively on this specific aspect of German learning.

Aug 14, 201551 minEp. 70

Dr. Taghreed Al-Saraj: Language Anxiety

Kris Broholm and guest Dr. Taghreed Al-Saraj discuss strategies for teachers and students to reduce language anxiety. They explore classroom teaching improvements that foster language learning development. The conversation also critiques traditional rote learning methods.

Aug 07, 201527 minEp. 69

Roberto Salazar: More Latin and Ancient Greek

Kris Broholm hosts Roberto Salazar to delve into Latin and Ancient Greek. Roberto shares his lifelong fascination with these classical languages, detailing his journey from childhood dreams to intensive study. They discuss the enduring benefits and reasons to learn Latin or Ancient Greek.

Jul 24, 201546 minEp. 67

Sam Horrocks: Teaching languages abroad

Kris Broholm interviews Sam Horrox about teaching languages abroad. They discuss using language education to fund travel, earn money, and build a career while residing in a foreign country.

Jul 17, 201539 minEp. 66

Vladimir Skultety: 15+ Language Polyglot

In this third episode in the Learner Profile series I'm joined by extremely talented polyglot: Vladimir Skultety. Vladimir speaks around 15 languages and 9 of them at a high level. This a great epi...

Jun 26, 20151 hr 12 minEp. 65

Roberto Salazar: Latin and Ancient Greek

Kris Broholm interviews Roberto Salazar as part of the Learner Profile series. They discuss Roberto's personal experiences and specific methods for learning Latin and Ancient Greek. The episode explores his unique journey and approach to mastering these classical languages.

Jun 05, 201553 minEp. 62

Michał Grześkowiak: Find and maintain motivation

Kris Broholm and guest Michał Grześkowiak discuss strategies to find and maintain motivation in language learning and everyday life. They cover overcoming procrastination, building consistency, and the importance of understanding personal purpose. Michał shares his journey from law to coaching, focusing on mindset and self-knowledge.

May 29, 201547 minEp. 61
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