Benny shares how he uses the "Pomodoro Technique" in his language missions,, and explains how you can use it to work or study for longer periods of time. The Pomodoro Technique is a very accessible system of working that requires nothing more than a timer and a little bit of self discipline (but not that much!). Benny has found it really helps him to manage his ADHD, maintain focus, and not give into distractions.

To ask Benny a question, leave a comment on Instagram (@languagehacking) or Twitter (@fi3m), or you can email [email protected]

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Fluent in 3 Months Challenge winner, Fiona, joins Benny and Elizabeth to talk about her progress learning Italian, the myth of “natural talent”, and how excited she is to speak to family, friends and Italian locals without the need of a translator.

This episode features Fiona, who made significant progress with Italian in just 90 days with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

We guarantee that anyone who completes the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge will have a 15-minute conversation in their new language after 90 days of learning. You can find out more here.

Featured Resources

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge

Mentioned in this Episode

• Benny’s Mt. Kilimanjaro Story
• Benny’s Instagram
• Benny’s Twitter

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• Busting the myth of “natural talent”
• Getting help with you’re a technophobe
• The two-way street of the Challenge community
• Overcoming reluctance to create videos
• Differences between learning in school and learning with the Challenge
• How Fiona learns Italian from her daughter and practises with her husband
• Tips for new language learners and first time Challengers
• Finding every opportunity you can to talk in your target language
• Combining language practise with exercise and building routines
• Perseverance as the key to success and parallels with climbing a mountain
• Benny’s approach to learning and maintaining multiple languages
• How to mindfully approach strangers in their native language
• Memorising ice-breaker phrases for striking up conversation, or just barging in!

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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Business coach and self-proclaimed “VietNomad”, Jeremy Ginsbury, talks with Benny Lewis about his experiences living in Israel, Ghana and Vietnam, and being on reality TV in another language.

Ready to get back into more serious language learning, Jeremy reflects on the bits and pieces of different languages he has picked up throughout his life, and how the positive feedback he has received by locals has been a great source of motivation.

Featured Resources

• Speak in a Week

Mentioned in this Episode

• Jeremy’s website
• Jeremy’s Facebook
• Jeremy’s Instagram
• Speak in a Week course
  Jeremy’s Fluent in 3 Months articles
• Wim Hof and ice baths

Episode Overview

Some of the topics discussed in the interview are:

• The impact of using the foreign version of your name when travelling
• Studying abroad in Israel and Ghana
• Facing depression when living and working abroad
• Ways personalities change in different languages and countries
• “Beginner’s mind” and the power of naivety
• Failing fast and failing often
• Knowing yourself being very important for learning
• Jeremy’s experience on a Vietnamese reality TV show
• Integrating your interests into your language learning - yoga, music, ice bathing
• Using communities you’re part of through hobbies, as a way to practise language

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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In this episode, Benny talks about why, after many years of using it, Anki is still his favourite app for language learning. Anki is a free flashcard app that utilises spaced repetition theory to help you learn vocabulary that you input yourself. While some people may find Anki a bit bland, Benny explains how the simplicity of the software not only makes learning more efficient and focussed, but also has a lot of specific benefits for someone with ADHD.

Benny guides you through the key features of Anki and the process of importing your own vocabulary lists, so you can make sure you're learning words that are relevant to you.

You can find a more detailed guide to using Anki here: https://www.fluentin3months.com/anki-cards/

To ask Benny a question, leave a comment on Instagram (@languagehacking) or Twitter (@fi3m), or you can email [email protected]

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Fluent in 3 Months Challenge participant, Sam, joins Shannon and Benny to talk about how the Challenge changed the way he learned languages and helped him find consistency and discover new language learning methods.

This episode features Sam, who made significant progress in many languages in just 90 days with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

We guarantee that anyone who completes the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge will have a 15-minute conversation in their new language after 90 days of learning. You can find out more here.

Featured Resources

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• LingQ
• Glossika

Mentioned in this Episode

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• LingQ
• Glossika
• Daily Show
• Quizlet

Episode Overview

Some of the topics discussed in the interview are:

• Hating languages in school and going on to love them later in life
• Discovering your learning style and how it leads to success
• How the Challenge changed the way Sam learned languages
• How to work through roadblocks in your learning
• Why “done” is better than perfect
• Using comedy as a language learning tool
• Combining writing with shadowing as a learning method
• How novelty and newness can keep you engaged and excited about your languages
• Stick-with-it-ness and the power of consistency

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Join Our Patreon

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus content and monthly exclusives.

Fluent in 3 Months Challenge coach, Laetitia, joins Benny and Elizabeth to talk about her varied experience learning or dabbling in many languages: English, German, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch and Vietnamese.

This episode features Laetitia, who made significant progress with several language in just 90 days with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

We guarantee that anyone who completes the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge will have a 15-minute conversation in their new language after 90 days of learning. You can find out more here.

Featured Resources

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• italki
• Duolingo

Mentioned in this Episode

• italki
• Duolingo
• Discord
• Learning with Texts

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• The importance of having an inspirational tutor
• Things to consider when looking for a tutor
• Finding your tribe with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• The pitfall of expecting learning to be passive
• Why you should take the time to find out which methods and resources work for you
• Being as nice to yourself as you would be to a friend
• The pointlessness and dangers of comparisons and perfectionism
• Remember, you don’t know every word in your native language!
• How technology can be a great tool for learning, so don’t be scared of it
• Reading to maintain languages and being happy to understand 60%
• Culture shock and learning “on the job” in Japan - a little goes a long way
• How to create an effective language exchange

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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For this episode, Benny shares his opinions and experience of the Duolingo app. Getting points and maintaining a streak may be great motivators, but does it really work if you want to speak the language? Benny explains how gamified apps can be a valuable part of your language learning, but to be successful, there is another important element that should be central to your practise.

To ask Benny a question, leave a comment on Instagram (@languagehacking) or Twitter (@fi3m), or you can email [email protected]

Join Our Patreon

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus content and monthly exclusives.

Fluent in 3 Months Challenge participant and coach, Tom, joins Shannon and Benny to talk about his building confidence and courage as an introverted language learner as a part of the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

This episode features Tom, who made significant progress in many languages in just 90 days with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

We guarantee that anyone who completes the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge will have a 15-minute conversation in their new language after 90 days of learning. You can find out more here.

Featured Resources

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• italki
• Duolingo

Mentioned in this Episode

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• italki
• Duolingo
• Mel Robbins
• Todoist

Episode Overview

Some of the topics discussed in the interview are:

• Learning new writing systems and Asian languages
• Using scripts to get ahead in your conversations in another language
• Why you sometimes need to do things that are outside your comfort zone, like videos, to get ahead in your learning
• How introversion impacts your language studies - both good and bad
• How to pick the right language tutor
• How to build confidence and courage in yourself and your language skills
• Maintaining motivation when life throws curveballs at you
• Tips for avoiding the comparison trap
• Choosing things to talk about in another language
• How to get through moments in conversations where you don’t understand
• Why it’s important to celebrate success - whether big or small
• Juggling multiple languages as a hobbyist

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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Long-time participant in the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge, Manish, joins Shannon and Benny to talk about his experience learning a wide variety of languages through many different methods.

This episode features Manish, who made significant progress in many languages in just 90 days with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

We guarantee that anyone who completes the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge will have a 15-minute conversation in their new language after 90 days of learning. You can find out more here.

Featured Resources

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• Pimsleur
• italki
• Anki

Mentioned in this Episode

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• Goldlist Method
• Spanish Speaking Hacks

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• Finding the confidence to talk to strangers in another language
• What to do if someone close to you doesn’t support your language goals
• Moving from in-person to online learning
• Juggling multiple languages from diverse language families
• The value of community and support
• Manish’s many years of experience with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• Strategies for reviewing languages and notes
• Paying it forward and sharing your experience with new learners
• The importance of learning colloquial language

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Join Our Patreon

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This week’s Ask Benny is a celebration of the Irish language. Benny talks about some of his favourite websites for learning Irish, including dictionaries, media sites, and other useful resources. This special episode is essential listening for anyone learning, or wanting to learn, Gaeilge (the Irish language). Links to all of the resources Benny mentions in this episode can be found below.

To ask Benny a question, leave a comment on Instagram (@languagehacking) or Twitter (@fi3m), or you can email [email protected]

Featured Resources

• Teanglann dictionary
• TG4
• Mol Scéal news site
• Gaeilge Amháin Facebook group
• Gaeilge Subreddit
• MemesAsGaeilge Subreddit
• Tuairisc news site
• Nós news site
• Learning with Texts
• GaelGram grammar checker
• Foclach - Irish Wordle
• Benny’s Irish Twitter
• Benny’s Irish Instagram
• Benny’s Irish Tiktok

Join Our Patreon

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus content and monthly exclusives.