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

Joey Perugino: Billingual Upbring and LangFest

Kris Broholm hosts Joey Perugino, an organizer of LangFest, to discuss his personal bilingual upbringing. They explore the upcoming LangFest event in Montreal, with Kris encouraging listeners to experience language conferences.

Aug 07, 20181 hr 21 minSeason 1Ep. 125

Alexander Mynzak: Start your own language school

Kris Broholm interviews Alexander Mynzak, a polyglot with a PhD in linguistics, about his journey opening a language school. They discuss transforming language learning passion and skills into a full-time career, offering an alternative to traditional certification paths. Mynzak shares his experience teaching English and translation studies.

Jul 28, 20181 hrSeason 1Ep. 124

Daniel Welsch on Spain, Spanish & Teaching English

Kris Broholm and Daniel Welsch discuss Daniel's move from America to Madrid, Spain. They explore how he achieved a high level of Spanish fluency, assimilated locally, and offers practical tips for living abroad. Daniel also shares advice on starting an English teaching business in Spain.

Jul 20, 201849 minSeason 1Ep. 123

Artem Nazarov on learning similar languages

Kris Broholm welcomes Artem Nazarov, who shares insights on learning multiple similar languages in quick succession. Nazarov also recounts his experience being tested on a Russian TV program alongside fellow polyglot Amir Udibayav.

Jul 01, 20181 hr 6 minSeason 1Ep. 122

Lukas van Vyve on learning languages

Kris Broholm interviews Belgian polyglot Lukas Van Vyve. They discuss practical methods and "non-obvious wisdom" for learning languages, often contrasting with traditional school teachings, drawing from Lukas's experience with 12-week challenges.

Jun 16, 20181 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 121

How language learning can improve mental health!

Kris Broholm and his guest explore how learning new languages positively influences mental health. They discuss specific benefits, such as increased cognitive resilience and social connection, and share how language acquisition can support overall well-being.

May 27, 201831 minEp. 120

Quinn Taber: The power of Immersion

Kris Broholm interviews Quinn Taber about his immersive experience learning Arabic in the Middle East. They discuss practical tips for incorporating immersion from anywhere, evaluating its effectiveness, and whether other methods are necessary. Quinn also shares insights from his immersion-focused language learning startup.

May 21, 201849 minEp. 119

Mihalis Eleftheriou: Language Transfer

Kris Broholm interviews Mihalis Eleftheriou, creator of the Language Transfer method. They discuss the unique approach of his free language courses and how they differ from other teaching techniques. Kris also highlights the importance of supporting the Language Transfer project.

May 11, 201856 minEp. 118

Robin MacPherson: How To Maintain Languages

Kris Broholm welcomes Robin MacPherson to discuss practical strategies for maintaining language skills. They explore effective methods for keeping learned languages active and preventing fluency loss over time.

May 04, 20181 hr 20 minEp. 117

Gabriel Wyner: Raising 500K on Kickstarter

Kris Broholm interviews Gabriel Wyner, author of Fluent Forever, about his recent successful Kickstarter campaign. Wyner shares details on raising over $500,000 for his new Fluent Forever language learning app. They also discuss insights gained from his previous Kickstarter for pronunciation trainers.

Oct 17, 201758 minEp. 116

Alex Voloza: Mindfulness and language learning

Kris Broholm welcomes Alex Voloza, who shares his two-decade language learning journey. Alex discusses how his personal history and a transformative tutor shaped his path as a polyglot. They explore the connection between mindfulness practices and effective language acquisition.

Aug 16, 20171 hr 14 minEp. 115

Kalle Wångstedt: Discovering Language Learning

Kris Broholm interviews Kalle Wångstedt about his unique journey into language learning as an adult. They discuss Kalle's progression and experiences, touching upon how he first became interested in languages and his current status.

Jul 24, 20171 hr 37 minEp. 114

Learning Languages with a Full-Time Job

Kris Broholm discusses the differences between learning languages as a freelancer versus holding a full-time job. He shares his experience navigating a new multilingual work environment and details his progress in Russian and Spanish, leveraging daily interactions with colleagues for practice.

Jul 09, 201734 minEp. 113

Sarah Barrett: Introducing Foreign Languages to Children

Kris Broholm welcomes Sarah Barrett of Lingotastic to discuss introducing foreign languages to very young children. They explore practical methods for teaching languages to babies and toddlers.

May 06, 20171 hr 16 minEp. 112

Michael Mischkot: How an engineer learns languages

Kris Broholm interviews Michael Mischkot, an Austrian polyglot who applies an engineering perspective to language learning. Mischkot shares his personal techniques and insights for improving language learning efficiency. He also discusses his book, Smile, Talk, Cheesecake, detailing his findings.

Apr 26, 20171 hr 5 minEp. 111

Chenelle Hancock: Visually impaired learning

Kris Broholm interviews Chenelle Hancock about her unique journey as a visually impaired language learner. Chenelle details her specific visual impairment, explaining how it necessitates adapting her learning methods to focus on audio and alternative resources instead of traditional print. They discuss the challenges and strategies for successful language acquisition with limited sight.

Apr 09, 20171 hr 20 minEp. 110

Birthday Q&A with Kris

Kris answers listener questions covering various topics for his birthday. He discusses learning a language as a couple, why some Danes live abroad despite Denmark's high happiness ranking, combining gaming with travel, and his choice for a single language to speak.

Mar 25, 20171 hr 8 minEp. 109

Richard DeLong: 14+ years in Eastern Europe

Kris Broholm welcomes Richard DeLong, an American living in Eastern Europe for 17 years. They discuss Richard's methods for rapid language acquisition, common mistakes in vocabulary learning, and the importance of actively using languages over mere studying.

Mar 10, 20171 hr 23 minEp. 108

Moshe Sherizen on Yiddish

Kris Broholm welcomes Moshe Sherizen, author of the Easy-Measy Guide to Yiddish. Moshe recounts his early language learning journey, detailing his childhood struggles with Hebrew in religious school and his rebellious path. He explains how these formative experiences led him to his work with Yiddish.

Feb 12, 20171 hr 10 minEp. 106

Alex Strick van Linschoten: Learning Pashto in Afghanistan

Kris Broholm interviews Alex Strick van Linschoten, who shares his experiences learning Pashto and Dari in Afghanistan. Alex discusses his background where language learning was expected and emphasizes the role of confidence. He details how he applied practical methods for his work and research in South Asia.

Jan 25, 201759 minEp. 104

Gareth Popkins from howtogetfluent.com

Kris Broholm returns to the Actual Fluency Podcast, sharing his recent move to Denmark and plans for the show's consistency. He then welcomes Gareth Popkins from howtogetfluent.com to discuss achieving new language goals and adventures.

Jan 17, 20171 hr 19 minEp. 103

Dimitrios Polychronopoulos: Inspired by travelling

Kris Broholm interviews Dimitrios Polychronopoulos about his extensive language learning journey. They discuss Dimitrios's experiences, effective tips for progressing from beginner to advanced stages, and strategies for improving writing in a foreign language, all inspired by his travels to over 100 countries.

Sep 01, 201647 minEp. 102

Agnieszka Murdoch: Back to Basics

Kris Broholm welcomes Agnieszka Murdoch of Five-Minute Language to discuss fundamental language learning strategies. They explore general tips and tricks for new learners and those seeking to reinforce core principles. Agnieszka also shares her personal journey into language acquisition, beginning with her native Polish.

Jul 11, 20161 hr 15 minEp. 101

Tim Keeley: Around the World in 40 Languages

Kris Broholm interviews Tim Keeley, who recounts his global language learning journey. Tim shares his origins in Spanish before studying French, German, and Portuguese in Colombia. He describes extensive travels across South America, Europe, and Asia, explaining how he immersed himself in languages like Slavic dialects, Polish, Russian, Norwegian, Japanese, and Chinese.

Jun 27, 20161 hr 22 minEp. 100

Fiel Sahir: Indonesia and Indonesian

Kris Broholm interviews Fiel Sahir about Indonesia and the Indonesian language. Fiel, drawing on his dual Indonesian and American background, shares insights into the country's culture, reasons for visiting, and his personal language learning journey, explaining why the language is gaining popularity.

Jun 14, 20161 hr 1 minEp. 99

Andrew Feinberg: Duolingo and Norwegian

Kris Broholm interviews Andrew Feinberg, a contributor to Duolingo's Norwegian course. They discuss Norwegian culture, various language learning strategies, living abroad experiences, and different food topics.

Jun 08, 20161 hr 52 minEp. 98

David James: Creator of the Gold List Method

Kris Broholm interviews David James, creator of the Gold List Method, live from the Polyglot Gathering in Berlin. They discuss David's language learning journey and how he developed his unique Gold List technique. The conversation also explores his early inspirations.

Jun 01, 20161 hr 59 minEp. 97

Marcus Furness: Identity and Culture

Kris Broholm hosts Marcus Furness to discuss his language learning journey. Marcus shares how studying ancient Greek and Latin shaped his view on language and how he later shifted to modern languages for cultural connection and identity formation. They explore the cultural implications of language acquisition.

May 23, 20161 hr 23 minEp. 96

Eleanor Wroblewski: US Language Learning

Kris Broholm welcomes Eleanor Wroblewski to discuss language learning in the United States. They explore challenges and opportunities for learners within the US education system and broader culture. Eleanor shares her experiences as a student and observations on American approaches to multilingualism.

May 15, 20161 hr 38 minEp. 95
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