Language & Travel Hacking

By Fluent in 3 MonthsEducation Self-Improvement Language Learning

Language & Travel Hacking episodes

February 21, 2022#87 John Fotheringham on “Anywhere Immersion”
Language Mastery creator and author, John Fotheringham, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to discuss “anywhere immersion”, learning difficult languages, and finding the fun in language learning.
John has a wealth of experience learning Japanese and Mandarin, which he shares with us in this episode. If you’re interested in learning either of these, or any other “difficult” language, this is the episode for you.
Featured Resources
Master Japanese
Master Chinese
Mentioned in this Episode
Master Japanese
Master Chinese
Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies
Total Physical Response
Is Japanese Hard to Learn?
5 Steps to Learn Japanese Anywhere in the World
Gabriel Wyner
The Power of When
Atomic Habits
Four Tendencies Book
Better Than Before
Goodreads
Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:
Learning “difficult” languages like Japanese and Mandarin
How to immerse yourself in a language at home
Practising your language with Alexa
Learning languages through activities that you love
Living abroad and creating memories in the local languages
How to choose language learning tools and methods suited to you personally
Fun ways to learn languages
Experiencing languages as a learner, teacher, and mentor
Recommended books for language learners
Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy
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56 min
February 16, 2022 Ask Benny: How Can I Find Content in a Less Common Language?
In this week's "Ask Benny" episode, Benny addresses the problem of finding content in a less commonly spoken (or learned) language, and shares how he "trains" online algorithms to find the content he wants. He also reveals his method for finding good radio stations in your target language, and who he likes to ask for recommendations.
Benny put together this episode based on his recent experience seeking out engaging content in Catalan, Irish, and American Sign Language (ASL).
To ask Benny a question, leave a comment on Instagram (@languagehacking) or Twitter (@fi3m), or you can email [email protected]
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12 min
February 14, 2022#86 Andrew Hamerlinck on What Sports Coaches Can Teach Language Learners
Soccer coach and fitness trainer, Andrew Hamerlinck, speaks with Benny and Shannon about learning German and Spanish to chat with his fellow soccer players in their native languages.
This episode features Andrew, who made significant progress with his German and Spanish speaking abilities 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
Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
Language Hacking Spanish
Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:
How language and sports intersect
Using mini milestones or missions to say motivated
The importance of discipline, accountability, and community
Habit-stacking fitness and language learning
Building scripts
Language islands
Using “dials” to assess your workload
Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy
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32 min
February 07, 2022#85 Alicya on Wine Tasting to Learn French
Writer and long-term expat, Alicya, speaks with Benny and Elizabeth about learning French through the lens of another passion - wine tasting.
This episode features Alicya, who made significant progress with her French speaking ability in just 90 days with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.
We actually 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
Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
Wine Tasting Course
Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:
Arriving in France with zero French
Why the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge is so good, even for a shy or introverted person
What it’s like living in France as an American
Why Alicya had a harder time with French than Spanish and Italian
How to make the most of a language exchange opportunity
Raising a bilingual child
Learning to read, and reading to learn
Wine as a gateway to learning about French culture and history
Developing a French “wine language island”
Learning to do things using your target language
How to tackle a polyglot Challenge
Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy
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49 min
February 02, 2022 Ask Benny: New "Language Hacking Mandarin" Book Release
This week Benny talks about his experience with Mandarin, and why it doesn't deserve its reputation of being a difficult language for native English speakers to learn. He explains that if you focus on speaking, and leave the Chinese characters to one side, there are actually a lot of things that make Mandarin less complicated than many other languages.
Benny discusses learning and teaching Mandarin with Northwestern University professor, Dr. LiCheng Gu in more detail in episode 85. Benny, Shannon Kennedy, and Dr Gu worked together to write the new "Language Hacking Mandarin" book, which is a fantastic resource for anyone wanting to make quick and effective progress speaking Chinese.
You can get a copy of "Language Hacking Mandarin" here.
To ask Benny a question, leave a comment on Instagram (@languagehacking) or Twitter (@fi3m), or you can email [email protected]
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10 min
February 01, 2022#84 Dr. Gu on Co-Writing ‘Language Hacking Mandarin’
Northwestern University Professor and author, Dr. LiCheng Gu, has a conversation with Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy about co-authoring Language Hacking Mandarin, how language education has changed over the last 30 years, and why Chinese is easier than you think.
Language Hacking Mandarin is available now. You can order it from your preferred retailer, online or in stores.
Featured Resources
Language Hacking Mandarin
Mentioned in this Episode
Language Hacking Mandarin
Chinese for Heritage Learners
Picture Characters
Chinese with Lulu and Maomao
Integrated Chinese
Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:
Teaching foreign languages at the university level
How language education has changed over the last 30 years
Learning Chinese characters
Why Chinese is easier than you think
Common challenges Chinese learners face and how to overcome them
Creating language courses and books
Working on the Language Hacking Mandarin book, and how its approach to language teaching is vastly different from traditional language learning
The conversational approach to language learning and how it “sits” in academia
Advice for getting started with Chinese
Using pinyin when learning Chinese
How languages are taught and learned in China versus the US
Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy
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45 min
January 24, 2022#83 Hugo Cotton on Learning Through Topics that Matter
Inner French podcast creator and host, Hugo Cotton, chats with Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy about using languages as tools to learn about other things, choosing compelling language content, and how to use what you’re hearing in another language in conversations.
Hugo knows how to both choose and create compelling comprehensible input for language learners. He uses this strength to host the popular language podcast, Inner French.
Featured Resources
Inner French
Mentioned in this Episode
Inner French
Real Polish podcast
Inner French Apple Podcasts
Inner French Spotify
Inner French Youtube
Language Hacking podcast episode with Anja Winter
Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:
The story behind the creation of Inner French
Using languages as a tool to learn about other things
What Hugo likes about certain language learning podcasts
Good resources for learning a language in this way, without being too complicated
Tricks for finding good resources in another language
Choosing compelling content as a language teacher
Using controversial conversation topics to spark interest and passion
Biggest struggles French learners face
How to use what you’re hearing and learning in another language, in conversations
Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy
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46 min
January 19, 2022 Ask Benny: How Can I Incorporate the 4 Pillars of Language Learning into My Routine?
This week, Benny looks at the four pillars of language - reading, writing, speaking, and listening - and talks about his approach to each of them. He also shares his favourite online resources for working on each skill. For beginner learners who want to speak a new language, Benny's advice is to focus almost all your efforts on speaking and listening. If speaking is your goal, it should be your main focus.
Using graded materials such as podcasts is a great way to practise listening, and later, short texts like Twitter posts or online articles will help you make reading progress without getting overwhelmed. Writing is a low priority for most learners until the advanced stages, unless you need it for your job.
To ask Benny a question, please email [email protected]
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10 min
January 17, 2022#82 Liz of “Talk the Streets” on How to Get Started with Portuguese
Liz from Talk the Streets chats with Benny Lewis about her passion for speaking Portuguese, living in Portugal, and helping others learn the language so that they can enrich their experiences in the country.
Liz made it her mission to introduce more people to the Portuguese language and culture, after being shocked to find her university textbooks in the “Miscellaneous Languages” section of the library. She tells Benny about her experience moving to live permanently in Lisbon, and how she’s expanding opportunities to learn European Portuguese, rather than the more prevalent Brazilian dialect.
Featured Resources
Drops
Mentioned in this Episode
Liz’s YouTube
Talk the Streets website
Liz’s Instagram
Liz’s Facebook
Memrise
Drops
Lyrics Training
Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:
Learning Spanish at school and adding Portuguese at university
Why Portugal is a good place for entrepreneurs to live
The biggest differences between Brazilian and European Portuguese
Learning about culture through language and music
Why Liz chose to focus on learning European Portuguese
Resources specific to learning European Portuguese
Culture shock when moving to Portugal
Liz’s “eureka!” moment with her Portuguese level
Techniques and methods for getting started learning Portuguese
How intermediate speakers can improve their pronunciation
Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy
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29 min
January 10, 2022#81 Carine Lemaire on Fearless Language Practice
Language coach and French teacher, Carine Lemaire, shares about her experience growing up trilingual, being a language learner with ADHD, watching 300 hours of TV, and the pitfalls of language apps.
Carine’s approach to teaching is very student-led, and she has a great understanding of how important it is to learn in a way that suits you and your personality. She talks about how her ADHD impacts her study routine, and ways to manage “type A” students’ expectations.
Featured Resources
italki
LingQ
Mentioned in this Episode
Carine’s website
French Chatter podcast
Carine’s italki profile
Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:
Growing up trilingual (French, Italian and Swahili), and losing a language when you stop practising it
David Bowie and other British music as a motivation to learn English
Pros and cons of teaching groups and one-to-one
How to solve language learning “emergencies”
Watching 300 hours of TV to improve listening skills
The importance of trust between teacher and student
How to learn languages as a “type A” person
Benny’s daily language learning routine (or lack thereof)
Working with, and around, ADHD
The pitfalls of gamified learning apps
Becoming a writer in a non-native language, and learning by making mistakes
Differences between French in France and Belgium
Carine’s French Chatter podcast, and learning from intermediate French speakers
Persistence, variety, and being fearless in your language practise
Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy
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Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus content and monthly exclusives.
38 min

About Language & Travel Hacking

From the publisher's feed

International best-selling author and nomadic polyglot Benny Lewis shares his real experiences and advice while on-the-road about travel and language learning. Learn more at:…