When you think of self-study or independent language learning, do you picture yourself studying alone, at a desk, perhaps with a few books and a laptop? Maybe some headphones too? There’s nothing wrong with this image at all, of course! But learning a language in a way that is entirely self-directed, in a way that suits your needs, motivations and available time, doesn’t necessarily mean learning alone and without any support, resources or recommendations on where to go to next. In this episode ...
Sep 12, 2022•29 min•Ep. 74
If you think that speech pathologists only work with stutters and lisps, then listen in - the world of speech pathology is much wider than you might realise! In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Melbourne-based speech pathologist (or ‘speechie’) Erin Tibbitts who has long had an interest in languages and linguistics. Born in New Zealand and having lived in a range of places around the world before studying and settling in Melbourne about 20 years ago, we speak with Erin about her lan...
Aug 29, 2022•45 min•Ep. 73
How do you like to practise your listening skills in another language? Does listening form a greater (or smaller) part of your language learning routine than reading, speaking or writing? In this episode, Penny & Bec chat about different ways they like to work on their listening in other languages and some of their experiences with this developing this skill in different languages over the years. We speak about our favourite ways to get listening practice, how listening doesn’t have to be pa...
Aug 16, 2022•31 min•Ep. 72
YouTube can be a real treasure trove of information and inspiration for language learners, especially when it comes to hearing about other people’s experiences and how it might be able to help you in your own language learning journey. If you’re like us, we love hearing tips and recommendations from others! In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with NSW-based Lamont, the creator behind the Days of French ‘n’ Swedish YouTube channel. Lamont has been learning languages for over five years no...
Aug 01, 2022•46 min•Ep. 71
Our guest in this episode of Language Chats is Sydney-based writer, editor, producer and scholar Sheila Ngọc Phạm who has worked across radio, print, online and film. Languages are a big part of Sheila’s life, as a bilingual English/Vietnamese Australian whose interest in language led her to study linguistics and learn a number of other languages through her travels and experiences in life so far. We chat about her linguistic background as the child of Vietnamese parents growing up in Sydney, he...
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 70
Do incentives or rewards play a part in how you stay motivated in your language learning? In this episode of Language Chats, we speak about how we incentivise or reward ourselves for our language learning efforts (if at all!) and the range of things and feelings that can serve us in this way as learners. Rewards don’t always come in physical, tangible forms - they can be something very internal, like a feeling of pride at having stepped outside of your comfort zone or having been understood in y...
Jun 28, 2022•31 min•Ep. 69
Have you ever wondered what the most challenging and rewarding things about being a high school language teacher in Australia would be, when English is everywhere? It’s a task that teachers like Kat take on everyday and honestly - we’re in awe! In this Language Chat, we speak with Kat Forrester, a Melbourne-based French language teacher, language enthusiast and self-confessed syntax geek who lives and breathes a love of language everyday. Kat tells us about her experiences of learning, studying ...
Jun 13, 2022•36 min•Ep. 68
In this episode of Language Chats, we’re chatting with one of our Language Lovers AU Community members, Julie Eggleton. Julie is originally from the Gold Coast but now lives with her family in Switzerland (and we are very jealous of the beautiful view of the mountains which she has from her desk at home!). We speak about her experiences of learning French and German over the years, living overseas and learning a language once you’re in a country where the language is spoken (hint: immersion isn’...
May 30, 2022•40 min•Ep. 67
Have you lost the fun from your learning? What comes to mind when you think of fun + language learning? In this episode of Language Chats, together with some members of Language Lovers AU, we discuss the best tips to get the fun back into your languages. From journaling to tracking your motivations, making real-life connections, gamifying your learning, and going to a cafe, we talk about what makes it fun for others and for us. We love hearing from you. What’s your best tip for making your learn...
May 02, 2022•37 min•Ep. 66
In this episode of Language Chats, we’re chatting with one of our Language Lovers AU Community members, Kathy Ismail. Malaysian-born and now based in Melbourne, Kathy is an enthusiastic language lover who grew up in a very multilingual environment in Kuala Lumpur and an interest in language has stayed with her ever since! Kathy is an architect by trade but also hosts a Malay language program on Melbourne community radio station 3ZZZ . We speak with Kathy about her language learning story and the...
Apr 18, 2022•38 min•Ep. 65
Need a recommendation for something new to read? In this episode, we chat about our favourite books about language, travel or both (and a few books that we’re planning to read soon)! From novels that whisk you away to another place where you find yourself surrounded by new sounds and experiences, to non-fiction reads about how language is changing and where it has come from, let us tell you a bit about the language- and travel-related reads that have inspired, enlightened and delighted us over t...
Apr 04, 2022•36 min•Ep. 64
What place does a passion for languages have in your life? How can we better experience a language and a culture more fully as learners, especially if we don’t live in a place where the language is spoken? In this episode, we speak with Elfin Waters from All About Italian , who is an Italian language coach based in Cremona, Italy. Elfin helps people who are passionate about Italy to nurture their connection to the country and the language through TV shows and language immersion retreats. With he...
Mar 21, 2022•41 min•Ep. 63
We love hearing about the experiences of Australians who are living abroad and have the opportunity to use other languages day to day! In this episode, we chat with Jess (you might know her as @aussieinasia on Instagram or Mindful Lang on YouTube ) who is currently teaching English in South Korea. She tells us about her experiences of learning Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Arabic, her path to living, studying and working in Asia, her goals for this year and some of her learning tips. Have any que...
Mar 07, 2022•29 min•Ep. 62
t’s a pretty great feeling when you discover and meet other people who share the same interests as you, right? Women in Language is the virtual place where we first got in touch with each other and realised that, yes - there are other people just like us, who love languages too! Now coming up to its fifth edition, Women in Language is an online event created to champion, celebrate and amplify female and non-binary voices in language learning, organised by Kerstin Cable ( Fluent Language ), Linds...
Feb 26, 2022•26 min•Ep. 61
Happy New Year, language lovers! We’re back for 2022 and looking forward to another great year of Language Chats! To get things started on an exciting note, in this episode we’re announcing something fun for our community - a low-pressure, low-commitment language challenge which was suggested by one of our members (and past Language Chats guest), Evan, which will be focused on having a dabble in a new language. Why dabble alone when you could dabble at the same time as others and share the exper...
Feb 07, 2022•23 min•Ep. 60
How do you feel about your language learning in 2021? Did you reach the goals that you set out to achieve, or did this crazy year throw you just as many curveballs as 2020? In this episode of Language Chats, we’re reflecting on our language learning this year and how this might impact our plans for 2022. We chat about how we feel about the year as a whole, what worked for us and what didn’t, as well as what we are thinking of aiming towards for next year. This is our last episode for 2021, so we...
Dec 16, 2021•31 min•Ep. 59
It’s getting to that time of year… It’s almost Christmas! Are you thinking about what language-related goodies you’d like to find (or put) under the Christmas tree, or which ones you can gift to a language lover who lives further away? In this episode of Language Chats, we’re talking about what we’d like Santa to bring us (*hint hint* friends/family/significant others) as well as gift ideas for language lovers like us, whether they are near or far. What language-themed gifts would you like to gi...
Nov 29, 2021•35 min•Ep. 58
Need something new to watch? Despite those childhood warnings about getting square eyes, we still both watch an almighty amount of TV and we particularly love watching series in other languages (so it’s educational, right?). In what has become an annual tradition for Language Chats, we’re chatting about what we’ve been watching this year - from light-hearted Scandinavian series to French reality TV, drama to documentaries, we’ve covered some serious multilingual viewing in 2021! What have you be...
Nov 15, 2021•39 min•Ep. 57
How does the word ‘structure’ make you feel in the context of learning a language? The idea of structured learning might conjure images in your mind of textbooks or classrooms, but structure can come in many forms - some more or less effective for different people in a different stages of their learning. In this episode of Language Chats, we’re chatting about our experiences of learning languages in both structured and less structured environments, and the kinds of structure that have worked (an...
Nov 01, 2021•36 min•Ep. 56
Bilingual education is being embraced by more schools, educators and communities in Australia, as its benefits become more established and accepted. Although still a niche part of the Australian educational landscape, there are a number of bilingual schools around the country, which allow students to learn through another language in addition to English. In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Stanley Wang, Principal of Abbotsford Primary School in Melbourne, the home of Australia’s lon...
Oct 04, 2021•49 min•Ep. 55
How much do you know about Filipino food, culture and language? Did you know that Australians of Filipino heritage make up the fifth largest group of Australians born overseas*? In this Language Chat, we speak with Fides Mae Santos-Arguelles, independent business consultant and co-founder of The Entree.Pinays , a food-loving entrepreneurial group of Filipinas working together to bring Filipino cuisine, culture and community to the hearts, minds and tastebuds of Australians on Wurundjeri country....
Sep 20, 2021•48 min•Ep. 54
Australians aren’t well known for their language skills (unfortunately)… But is this just a stereotype? Do we really struggle at learning languages, or are we just expecting too much, too soon, when we set out on a language learning journey? In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Margaux Josse , a Melbourne-based French language teacher who has been teaching French to Australians of different ages, backgrounds and motivations across a range of professional contexts for over six years. ...
Sep 06, 2021•46 min•Ep. 53
In this episode of Language Chats, we’re talking the ‘F’ word! Maybe not the F word you are thinking about…. but FLUENCY. Our very own Language Chats co-host Bec talks about her French language learning experience from a beginner 5-year-old kid to becoming ‘fluent’. What does fluent mean to you? Is it a goal of yours? Can you be fluent in a particular context and not in others? What about all the pressures of admitting you are fluent? Does it take confidence to talk about your language skills wi...
Aug 16, 2021•36 min•Ep. 52
In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Italian teacher and artist Ermy Pedata of The Language Rose . Ermy is passionate and enthusiastic teacher (her positivity is infectious!), who loves to help her students learn Italian through their interests and passions. We chat with her about her own language learning journey and how art led her back to languages, her tips to help people connect their language learning with what they love, and how she has applied this approach to her own languag...
Aug 02, 2021•37 min•Ep. 51
50 episodes of Language Chats! We can hardly believe it! It’s been a little over two years since we started recording this podcast and we’re still here… But so are you! We have a lot of fun chatting language between ourselves and with others, but it’s extra special that there are other language lovers out there who enjoy listening to these language chats too. So, thank you for tuning in and engaging with us on our favourite topics! To celebrate this little milestone, we’re putting each other to ...
Jul 19, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 50
Wiradjuri is the Australian indigenous language of Wiradjuri country, in central-southern New South Wales. As a revival language, it is experiencing growth and provides an important connection to the local indigenous culture; however it also faces significant challenges to keep it alive and active. In this episode, we speak with Wiradjuri man Yaaran (Aaron) Ellis who currently teaches the Wiradjuri language in Young, New South Wales. We chat about his experience of learning and teaching the lang...
Jul 05, 2021•39 min•Ep. 49
Farsi (Persian) may not be a language that you hear about people learning often in Australia; however the official language of Iran has an estimated 70 million native speakers and 110 million speakers worldwide, and it’s the language that has captured Sydney-based Candace Powell’s language-loving heart for the last several years. In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Candace about how she became interested in learning Farsi, how she has been learning the language and finding resources...
Jun 21, 2021•38 min•Ep. 48
How important are podcasts to you for learning a language? Being so accessible, podcasts are a great way to practice your listening skills for any language! But it’s not always just about the language itself. Listening to podcasts can also be a way to learn more about another culture and about other more subtle aspects of communicating in another language too. In this episode, we speak with Pete Smissen, creator of Aussie English , a podcast and learning platform that helps advanced English stud...
Jun 07, 2021•36 min•Ep. 47
In this episode, we speak with two members of our Language Lovers AU Community - Andrew & Xuran (Sharon), who are both currently language teachers of Chinese at schools in Geelong, Victoria. We chat with them both about their respective journeys with language learning and how they became interested in languages, teaching Chinese in Victorian high schools and how they bring many languages into their home with their two young sons. Can you relate to their experiences? Do you have any questions...
May 24, 2021•40 min•Ep. 46
Have you learned (or would you like to learn) a language that uses another script or alphabet? Or does the idea of learning a language that is written in a *completely* different way scare you? In this episode of Language Chats, we chat about Penny’s experience of learning Japanese and Mandarin, the excitement of learning to ‘crack the code’, the visual nature of learning other scripts and alphabets, whether it would be possible to skip learning a script (#controversial), and which scripts we’d ...
May 10, 2021•24 min•Ep. 45
