Language Chats

Penny Wilson•languageloversau.podbean.com

Tune in as Penny and Bec share their experiences of language learning with you, as well as the stories of other Australians (and a few international guests!) who love learning, working with, and communicating using other languages. Subscribe for your fortnightly dose of language love, from an Australian perspective. Find out more: www.languagelovers.com.au

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Episodes

A first-timer at the Polyglot Conference - the event for everyone who loves languages

Bec has just come back to Australia from Japan, where she went to attend the 2019 Polyglot Conference in Fukuoka! This was Bec’s first time at this special event for everyone who loves language, so in this Language Chat we talk all about what it was like and how it works, the kinds of presentations and workshops there were to see, and the experience of being in the same place as 400 other language lovers from all over the world! Have you attended the Polyglot Conference (or an event like this) b...

Nov 11, 2019•26 min•Ep. 14

What’s a tonal language, anyway? (And what it’s like to learn one)

In this episode of Language Chats, Bec asks Penny about learning tonal languages. In particular, the two tonal languages Penny has learned - Vietnamese and Mandarin Chinese. Penny talks about the process of learning a tonal language as a beginner (lots of drills and repetition!), the importance of trying to mimic the sounds you hear, going back to basics and losing your inhibitions. Are you learning a tonal language? Let us know what works for you and what your challenges have been! Lingo Mama -...

Oct 14, 2019•27 min•Ep. 13

A Weekend For Language Lovers: The Language Event - Melbourne

In this Language Chat episode we chat about our experience of taking part in the inaugural Language Event - Melbourne held on 21-22 September 2019. It was a weekend filled with presentations on a range of language-related topics like raising a multilingual family (Richard Simcott), language reclamation and revival (Professor Ghil'ad Zuckermann), how the voice works and using it in different languages (Sarah Lobegeiger de Rodriguez, Voice Science), and how to have immersion language experiences l...

Sep 30, 2019•31 min•Ep. 12

Looking for Language Learning Inspiration? Our Favourite Language Bloggers To Follow

Learning a language takes time – it can be both fun and fulfilling, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not hard work! Outwardly, it can seem like it happens overnight for polyglots, but we have to remind ourselves that this isn’t the reality. So it’s always refreshing (and comforting!) to read and hear from other language learners who have had the same struggles and challenges as us! In this episode of Language Chats, Bec and Penny discuss their favourite language bloggers to follow for inspiration...

Sep 16, 2019•32 min•Ep. 11

Finding Your Language Learning Sweet Spot

We all learn differently, but how do we find our ‘sweet spot’ for language learning? What methods and tools do you find work most effectively for you? It’s pretty easy to get distracted by the bright and shiny new tools out there… But do you prefer ‘old-school’, more traditional methods, like being guided by a textbook and making flashcards? Or do apps and online lessons take up the majority of your study time? Maybe you use a combination of both? In this episode, Penny and Bec talk about what t...

Aug 19, 2019•29 min•Ep. 10

The Backstory: Our Focus Languages and Why We Studied Them at Uni

This episode of Language Chats is two listener questions combined. Jess from Melbourne wrote in to ask about how important it was to undertake formal qualifications in a language, and Jo also from Melbourne asked how we both ended up studying European (Bec) languages and Asian (Penny) languages predominantly. We chat about our experiences studying at uni and how we developed our love of the languages we’ve chosen to study.

Aug 05, 2019•28 min•Ep. 9

Language Learning with Netflix: A Game Changer for TV Lovers

If you’re into watching foreign language TV shows on Netflix as much as we are, you’ll love the Language Learning With Netflix Chrome Extension. In this episode of Language Chats, we talk about what this Chrome extension is, how to set it up (it’s free!), which languages it supports, and some of our thoughts on making the most of it for language learning. We chat some of this tool’s features and how we’ve been using it, including: Having two sets of subtitles (both the original language and a la...

Jul 22, 2019•26 min•Ep. 8

Dabbling: Why It’s Ok To Not Commit

About this Language Chat In this episode of Language Chats, we talk about dabbling in a language and why there’s nothing wrong with just learning a few words without committing to larger, long-term goals. Penny is dabbling in French at the moment and, by not fully committing to learning the language, she admits that it’s taken the pressure off - she can just enjoy just having fun and mucking around with the language without thinking about whether or not she’s making enough progress. We chat abou...

Jul 08, 2019•23 min•Ep. 7

From Third Culture Kid in France, to teaching French in Australia: Interview with Devy Baseley

For the first time, we have a guest with us on Language Chats! Devy Baseley is a language lover in Brisbane, who grew up in France with an Irish Mum and a Cambodian Dad. We chat to Devy about speaking more than one language as a child and now, as an adult, her experiences of teaching (and learning) languages here in Australia. Devy is the founder of French Speak , a French language school in Brisbane. Tune in to also hear Devy’s top tips for French beginners (and don’t worry if you’re not learni...

Jun 24, 2019•25 min•Ep. 6

Maintaining One Language While Learning Another

This episode is a listener Question from Deborah in Sydney.Deborah’s question - “I have been learning French for a number of years. I struggled with various means until I finally hit upon a combination of styles that worked for me. The class room environment just didn't suit me. I was one of those people who sat at the back and didn't answer, and there was always that one person who would constantly interrupt the lesson to argue a grammar point with the teacher. Once I discovered Italki things g...

Jun 10, 2019•27 min•Ep. 5

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