Welcome to episode 213 of the Fluent Show. Yes, that's a pretty high number! I've been a podcaster for 7+ years now, and in this episode I look back on why I believe podcasting is wonderful, and what it has taught me about life and languages. I'll be focusing on 3 lessons: Consistent improvements and the joy of curiosity Podcast creation isn't about cranking out perfection. It's about having fun and capturing fun just by being yourself. Just like languages, the magic is actually in the journey a...
May 03, 2021•34 min
Today's guest is Aubrey Carter, experienced ESL teacher, holder of an MA TESOL and a 3 Keys IELTS Certification. Aubrey's been a professional ESL teacher for 20 years and has taught in classrooms in New York and Montréal before taking up online teaching as part of the team at All Ears English. In our podcast conversation, you'll hear more about * how Aubrey became an English teacher through the New York City Teaching Fellows programme * why online teaching the English language is so different fr...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Welcome to our second season of the year. In the coming bunch of episodes, I am going to focus on different stories and aspects related to teaching languages and teaching online. For today though, it's time to discuss something close to my heart: Stress! 😖 It's Stress Awareness Month in the UK and today I wanted to share my story and bring you helpful tips that can completely change your life. Whether you teach or learn languages, today's episode is going to help you figure out the struggles of...
Apr 19, 2021•29 min
Lindsay's back on the show and we're closing off the first season of 2021! Kerstin has more new German words to read out to Lindsay and they're all corona-related We review this year's Women in Language conference and answer a few questions about how to organise an event with 599 participants We discuss Lindsay's studies for her MA in Applied Linguistics, and why distance learning is her jam This show's a lovely mixed back of lots of fun topics, so kick back and enjoy with us. The Fluent Show wi...
Mar 15, 2021•1 hr 21 min
Bi-dialectal and bilingual as Korean-Black american, Sarah Phillips has always known that language is a huge part of her identity and she was blown away when she found out that she could become a linguist! Sarah focuses on code switching in her research. In this episode, you'll get SO MUCH super useful information about how linguists can study your brain when you are speaking another language. I loved talking to Sarah and having her as my guest. What's code switching? Code-switching means altern...
Mar 08, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Are you considering joining Women in Language 2021 (http://www.womeninlanguage.com) but aren’t sure whether it’s right for you? In today's episode, I'm going to be answering all of your burning questions about the event so that you can have the full information for the event that runs 4-7 March 2021. Tune in and hear me discuss: What happens during the conference days? We start on Thursday 4 March with our opening ceremony, welcoming all attendeesy and getting everyone in the mood for our 4 days...
Mar 01, 2021•25 min
Wait, stylistics is not about fashion magazines? There's a job that involves watching The Wire? And Hemingway's language wasn't as simple as everyone says? In this interview with Professor Dan McIntyre from the University of Huddersfield, you'll get a super interesting guide to Stylistics, the study of style in language. Dan and I chat about corpus linguistics and audio-visual subtitles, and you'll learn more about what inspired him to start the popular language magazine, Babel. If you ever want...
Feb 22, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Look, yes, maybe you’re all here for the hottest tips about learning a language super efficiently, but we’re all real people too and so today’s Fluent Show comes with * added love of Riverdale * haikus * and a denouncement of optimising ourselves and our language learning to within an inch of our lives. Anti-efficient? But no! We are bringing you the beloved TOP TOOLS of winter 2021. Six hot new language learning apps and resources to help you through that pandemic with a smile on your face Here...
Feb 15, 2021•47 min
In today's episode, my guest Erin Morgan will tell you more about the most widely spoken languages of Western & Central Asia, such as.. * Arabic * Persian * Armenian * Kazakh * Turkmen * Pashto * ....and only a few dozen more! where "Western and Central Asia" even is how to understand the impact of history on any language why it works best to learn a language when you're really feeling it https://tile.loc.gov/image-services/iiif/service:gmd:gmd7:g7420:g7420:ct002250/full/pct:25/0/default.jpg Tha...
Feb 08, 2021•1 hr 4 min
The first mailbag Fluent Show, answering four listener questions on: The best ways to learn grammar - does spaced repetition software work for learning grammar? 🗂 How to overcome shame and embarrassment when you're caught in the expat language bubble 🙈 Why all the tips about learning your 3rd, 4th, 5th language can be wrong for you 🪜 How I would instruct you in a lesson if we're using a bilingual parallel reader 📙 Thank you to Amanda for this episode introduction. If you want to submit an in...
Feb 01, 2021•42 min
A new year fireside chat with Shannon Kennedy! We have been recording these for a few years now and with 2020, what a year to review. This is Shannon's personal review of the year, and you can use the following questions to conduct your own review and set goals for the next year. How would you sum up the year in your languages? What changed in your life and in your languages in 2020? What lessons do you think you learnt from the year 2020? What surprised you? What will you change going forward? ...
Jan 25, 2021•56 min
There are two big types of news in this episode: 1. Important celebrity word news from the worlds of Hilaria Baldwin and Wagatha Christie 🕵🏼 2. Important annual word news from the Word of the Year committees around the world It's a bumper episode as Lindsay dropped in to discuss all those words that made our 2020, including * lockdown * coronavirus * rona / Miss Rona * BLM / Black Lives Matter * Samfundssind * PPE * Karen AND MANY MORE!! 😄 I have a bunch of small corrections from this episode...
Jan 18, 2021•1 hr 25 min
Hi!!!! The Fluent Show is back! How was your 2020? Can you believe we had 200 episodes of Fluent Show? I mean wow. WOW. In this episode, I'll be reflecting on the big themes of last year and giving you 5 ways to set your language goals for 2021. * Set your Vision Goal first * Build around milestones for the year * Commit to recording over planning * Put the joy and the experience first * Work with micro-challenges As always, patrons of the Fluent Show will get a copy of my full show notes for th...
Jan 11, 2021•35 min
Can you imagine creating a podcast in your mother tongue...AND in a foreign language? Even though I am a German speaker, I podcast in English. And I never really think about it! But I was curious about people who podcast in other languages, and so I reached out to a few awesome people to find out: What's it like to podcast, but not in English? My guests for this special bonus episode are Karin from Sweden, Vero from Venezuela and Aakanksha from India. Each of them has an inspiring wonderful stor...
Nov 21, 2020•1 hr
We've done it! Welcome to episode 200 of the Fluent Show podcast with plenty of quizzing and jingles! This episode was broadcast live on 16 October 2020 with awesome participation from our live chatroom and bonus quiz questions from Sarah L, and Megan, the host of Oh No! Lit Class (https://www.ohnolitclass.com/). Please review us or support us on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/fluentshow) and get bonus episodes and extra materials during the hiatus. We'll be back on the feed in 2021! We had ALL...
Oct 16, 2020•1 hr 43 min
How is this not the most current question ever? It's so 2020, and so relevant to many of us. Today, I'm going to do a deep dive into the ups and downs of working from home. You'll learn How to improve your separation between work life and language life How to structure your goals so you make regular progress How to find a productive study routine even if you have only 10 minutes a day Thank you to Octavio for this episode introduction. Thank you for listening to the Fluent Show! If you enjoyed t...
Oct 05, 2020•28 min
We're exploring the hottest of hot potatoes in this episode by discovering the scandal, the drama, the shock of what happened over on Scots Wikipedia. And once everyone's calmed down, Lindsay's on hand to help discover the many different benefits of having a dabble instead of always getting super serious about learning a language. It's always fun to learn a language, no matter if you're in a 10-year epic journey...or you are language Lou Bega. via GIPHY Thank you for listening to the Fluent Show...
Sep 28, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Last week you heard what it's like behind the scenes of organising our online conference. Women in Language. But what is it like to prepare for speaking at this event? Let's hear from the Women in Language speakers! Introducing Women in Language Women in Language is a 4-day online event filled with talks presentations from 30+ female language experts who have done amazing things and documented their journey. The conference is open to everyone, regardless of gender identity. Here's the full sched...
Sep 14, 2020•47 min
The greatest thing about running a conference online? We can organise it between 3 people who live far apart from each other! Make no mistake, there's a lot of work and care in Women in Language. But when it all comes together, this is one fantastic event. Behind the Scenes at Women in Language In this episode, Shannon and I share how we use each of these tools for making Women in Language. (some of the links below are affiliate links) Teachable (http://sendmeto.teachable.com/tlcpC) both for hos...
Sep 07, 2020•59 min
It's time for a listener question, this time from super-busy mum Jo-Anne, who needed new inspiration for speaking practice in another language. In the episode you'll learn about * Taking a drop-in class * Joining a Speak Easy session * Chatting to your digital voice assistant * Setting up a practice group with buddies * Practicing through self-talk Check out how Jo-Anne has used the Language Habit Toolkit (https://www.fluentlanguage.co.uk/the-language-habit-toolkit) in this photo: jo-Anne suriel...
Aug 31, 2020•33 min
How does being multilingual affect your identity? Do you feel that through these language journeys you've taken, your identity and world views have changed? When recording this week's episode, Lindsay and I dug deep and discussed our perspectives about being multilingual people. It was a surprising discussion! Click or tap here to let us know what you think over on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/posts/40703467) Thank you for listening to the Fluent Show! If you enjoyed this episode, please con...
Aug 24, 2020•59 min
You've come a long way from being a beginner in your target language, so you know that you can make great progress. But the better you get, the harder it seems to improve even more. How can you reach the next level? In this episode of the Fluent Show, I'm sharing a few tips to help you feel GREAT about your language skills no matter where you're at. Learn more about the role of patience, clarity and expectation as you get better at your language. Oh, you want to be sure you reach the next level ...
Aug 17, 2020•32 min
When was the last time you sang a song in your target language? What about dancing in it? In today's interview, you'll learn what it means to connect to a language through music, and how the culture-first approach helped my guest Tamara Marie from Spanish con Salsa discover new connections, experiences and even insights into her own ancestry. The origins of Salsa as a music style and a way of life How the song Rebelión by Joe Aroyo changed Tamara's life as a language learner How learning Spanish...
Aug 10, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Have you ever broken a streak or lost track? Powered by lots of fun real life examples, this episode will help you learn how to stay consistent in language learning. Put this on your schedule and structure your time. Be super specific Trust your gut and choose what you enjoy and what challenges you If you lose your streak, reconnect to your original motivation Thank you to Dela for this episode introduction. Thank you for listening to the Fluent Show! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider...
Aug 03, 2020•33 min
We're discussing all things pen & paper! We discuss the state of handwritten notes in modern language learning, how we do it ourselves, and why pen and paper could be the key to giving you an everlasting language memory. Also featured: Soap operas, Lindsay's a student again, and the Women in Language conference running 17-20 September 2020: www.womeninlanguage.com Thank you for listening to the Fluent Show! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show by leaving a review in y...
Jul 27, 2020•1 hr 5 min
This week's listener question comes from Lee, a new online tutor looking for guidance on the difference between community and professional tutoring on italki. After working at italki as a community tutor, I want to branch out and become a professional tutor. My lessons are extremely structured and informative although I am not a professional teacher so I was wondering as to whether or not I should move to a professional tutor. I think typically professional teachers are seen to be more prepared ...
Jul 20, 2020•32 min
Imagine you're walking down the street in another country, bumping to lots of cool new people and chatting about big and small life questions with them. And all that in another language! Can't quite travel there? Not ready to speak fluently? Don't worry, Easy Languages has your back! This hugely popular YouTube channel brings you conversations with people from the street, sharing authentic language and culture from dozens of countries. It all started in Münster in Germany, when a group of studen...
Jul 13, 2020•1 hr 25 min
We're halfway through the year, so today's episode is an in-depth review of how it's gone so far. This is my #clearthelist entry for July 2020. I'm sharing how it's going with my Chinese studies, my Welsh language, and what I want to try next. You are invited to review your year and make notes as you follow along with this episode. Here are a few questions you can use for reviewing your own progress: What are the 3 biggest experiences that shaped your first half of 2020? What are 3 things you wa...
Jul 06, 2020•36 min
After a ridiculous change of topic from ✊🏾 to 🍷 and a discussion of what's new in emoji world, Lindsay and I go back to the deep, deep well that is talking about Duolingo! We both have the apps on our phones and we use Duolingo in different ways. How do you use yours? We Shared These Tips for Getting More Out of Duolingo Use the "Practice" button to get unlimited hearts and review what you've learnt before Write down sentences from Duolingo lessons in your notebook to practice in a new environ...
Jun 29, 2020•1 hr 6 min
You say "either" and I say "either" You say "neither" I say "neither" "Either" "either", "neither" "neither" Let's call the whole thing off George & Ira Gershwin This week on the Fluent Show, I'm answering a listener question about accents. What is an accent? Can your accent change even though you're not trying? Is it possible to learn a different accent? Can you get an accent by listening to podcasts? ...and more mysteries! Listen to the episode to hear my answers to these questions and find ou...
Jun 22, 2020•34 min
