Benny and Shannon chat with Dayna Brockbank about learning languages on a budget with Duolingo, italki and Anki by building systems for motivation.

Featured Resources

• italki
• Atomic Habits
• Anki

Mentioned in this Episode

• italki
• Atomic Habits
• Anki
• Fluent in 3 Months blog
• Duolingo
• Happily Ever Travels
• VIP Kid
• Universe of Memory

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• Learning Spanish while living in Chile in complete immersion
• What makes language immersion work
• How language learners waste time to try to be more effective
• Tips for budget traveling
• Building a career you can take traveling
• Finding motivation with systems
• How to choose which languages you learn
• Building conversation skills in a new language
• Learning for the sake of learning
• Common struggles amongst English language learners
• Something is better than nothing in language learning

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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Benny and Shannon discuss dual identities, language learning, and strategies for reviving a language with Alex Rawlings, who was once named Britain’s most multilingual student.

Featured Resources

• How to Speak Any Language Fluently
• Assimil
• Teach Yourself
• Routledge

Mentioned in this Episode

• Third Year Abroad, now Global Graduates
• How to Speak Any Language Fluently
• Assimil
• Teach Yourself
• Routledge
• Alex Rawlings
• Alex’s Twitter
• Alex’s Instagram
• More Than Words Podcast

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• How Alex became Britain’s most Multilingual Student
• How a polyglot keeps their languages active and prioritizes what to work on
• Dealing with dual identities as someone who’s bicultural
• Taking language learning from hobby to career
• Living in South Africa and learning Afrikaans
• Extensive reading as a language learning strategy
• Strategies for reviving a language you’ve studied in the past
• Using courses at the beginner stage of learning
• Why you should adopt the philosophy of a “non-perfectionist”
• Learning strategies for advanced language learners
• Finding your voice in another language
• Discovering stories in other languages

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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When it comes to learning vocabulary, is it best to learn individual words, or phrases with the words in context? Benny gives his opinion, talks about his insights and explains how he likes to use flashcards and other techniques to learn vocabulary both as standalone words and in context.

To ask Benny a question, please email [email protected]

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This episode features Sarah Gillespie, who learned conversational Hiligaynon 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.

Benny and Elizabeth have a conversation with Sarah Gillespie about her experience of learning a heritage language with few resources as a part of the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

Featured Resources

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• italki

Mentioned in this Episode

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• italki
• Sarah’s Website
• Sarah’s Article on Fluent in 3 Months
• Toggl
• Audacity
• Paul Soderquist
• Illonggo Boyz

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• Learning Hiligaynon in 3 months with the Challenge
• Learning heritage languages
• Enjoying the learning process with songs
• Using trends to learn languages
• Finding resources for more obscure languages
• Using lots of apps, software, and habit forming techniques like habit stacking
• How to use your target language with family and getting to know them better

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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Benny and Shannon chat with Luca Lampariello, a well-known polyglot and language coach, about learning “useful” languages, breaking through limiting beliefs, and the most important thing when learning another language.

Featured Resources

• Luca’s Coaching
• Communities of Practice
• Atomic Habits

Mentioned in this Episode

• Luca’s Coaching
• Communities of Practice
• Atomic Habits
• Luca’s Twitter
• Luca’s Facebook
• Luca’s Instagram
• Luca’s Youtube

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• How languages can change your life
• Learning “useful” vs “useless” languages
• Going into language learning when coming from a technical background
• Breaking through limiting beliefs
• How Luca started his career in languages
• Common mental blocks for language learners
• How to speak with a native-like accent
• Bidirectional translation
• The most important thing when learning another language
• How the desire to be a part of a community can be powerful motivation
• How to juggle 14 languages

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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This week Benny gives some advice about how to watch movies and TV in your target language, especially when it comes to subtitles. Watching media is a fantastic way to improve your language skills, but you need to do it the right way if you want to get the most out of it.
To ask Benny a question, please email [email protected]

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This episode features Ashton Bitten, who learned conversational Spanish 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.

In this episode, Benny and Shannon talk to Ashton about her experience of going from intermediate (B1) to advanced (C1) Spanish in 48 days with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

Featured Resources

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• italki

Mentioned in this Episode

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• Genki
• Tandem
• Benny’s Ted Talk

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• Being a language dabbler
• Going on a trip to Rwanda, learning the language, and getting inspired to learn more languages
• How failing a language proficiency exam led Ashton to focus on speaking
• Discovering the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge and going from B1 to C1 in Spanish in 3 months
• Using materials for native speakers to learn Spanish
• Breaking down the CEFR language levels
• Learning completely new languages after learning your first second language
• Going from theory to speaking the language
• Overcoming nervousness about speaking another language
• On changing personalities with each language
• Finding the “right” time to learn a language and time management
• How COVID has impacted her language learning and dealing with those guilty feelings
  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.

Benny and Shannon talk to Damon Dominique, a French educator who got his start online as part of Damon and Jo, about learning languages to build connection, teaching without lecturing, and how to find confidence teaching online.

Featured Resources

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge

Mentioned in this Episode

• Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
• FluentCity
• Damon and Jo
• Shut up and go
• Damon’s Youtube
• Damon’s Instagram
• Damon’s Twitter

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• Going from traveler to travel vlogger
• Being excited by learning languages through travel and creating connections
• How reality tv inspired Damon to travel and learn languages
• Creating entertaining language learning content on YouTube
• Tips for building confidence and getting comfortable in front of the camera
• Humor in language learning
• Dating and navigating relationships in other languages
• Being honest when sharing content online
• Having different personas in different languages
• How languages offer you a new perspective and shape who you are

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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The answer to this week's question may surprise you. People often assume that polyglots learn multiple languages at the same time, but as Benny explains, this isn't as common as you might think. Listen to find out why learning more than one language at a time isn't necessarily the best tactic.

To ask Benny a question, please email [email protected]

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In this episode, Benny and Elizabeth get the inside scoop on how to become a French cultural insider with Lizzy Rimington who has lived in France for the past 30 years.

Mentioned in this Episode

• Benny’s Spanish Challenge

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• Studying French at school and not actually learning the language
• How living as an au pair kicked off Lizzy’s French understanding
• How to integrate into French culture and build friendships
• Why French etiquette is so important
• Humor and how it can help you build relationships inner languages
• The ways customer service is different in France than in other countries
• What it’s like being vegetarian in France
• What to do when the French insist on speaking English
• When to use formal speech vs informal speech in French
• Tips for getting French practice when you aren’t ready for a native speaker
• Tricks you can use when you’re a beginner in a language

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.