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The Actual Fluency Podcast for Language Learners

The Actual Fluency Podcast for Language Learners

By Kris Broholm

The Actual Fluency Podcast features inspirational stories from world-class language learners, industry experts, and regular people who embraced multilingualism in one way or another.

In the episodes we dive deep down in the why that pushed people to learn a new language, the how to figure out how they best achieved it, and of course a lot of great stories of the experiences that speaking multiple languages can bring to people's lives.

We also talk about apps, methodology, and education to try and find ways to shorten the path to mastery.
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AFP 74 – Idahosa Ness: Pronunciation Mastery

The Actual Fluency Podcast for Language LearnersNov 08, 2015

00:00
45:46
AFP 191 - Benny Lewis: Recovery from bad times, Korean Mission, and the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp

AFP 191 - Benny Lewis: Recovery from bad times, Korean Mission, and the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp

In this episode we catch up with Fluent in 3 Months founder Benny Lewis about his latest language learning mission (Korean), the new and improved Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp, and a very open discussion on how he recovered from a few horrible years of depression, divorce, debt, and weight gain.


Benny's Website where you can find everything including his book, and bootcamp:

https://fluentin3months.com


Bite Size Language Courses from Actual Fluency:

https://bitesizelanguages.com

Jun 15, 202354:39
AFP 190 - Luca Lampariello: The Impact of Mindset on Language Learning
May 12, 202347:55
AFP 189 - Emily Harris: Language Learning, Culture, and Perfectionism as a Transracial Adoptee
Apr 28, 202358:16
AFP 188: Cara Leopold - Expat Experiences, Listening Skills, and Movie Club
Apr 15, 202301:13:50
AFP 187 - Heidi Lovejoy: Perfectionism and Language Learning

AFP 187 - Heidi Lovejoy: Perfectionism and Language Learning

In this episode of the Actual Fluency Podcast, host Kris Broholm interviews Heidi Lovejoy, the creator and host of The Love, Joy and Languages Podcast. They discuss the topic of perfectionism and its effects on language learning, mental health, and imposter syndrome. Lovejoy shares her struggles with perfectionism while learning Italian, how it affected her mental health, and her journey to overcome it. They also explore the ideal process of moving to a foreign country while learning the local language and how to approach language learning without perfectionism.


Heidi's website: https://lovejoyandlanguages.com/

More Actual Fluency Podcast: https://actualfluency.com/actual-fluency-language-learning-podcast/

Apr 01, 202302:07:14
June 2022 Update - Post Pandemic Stress Disorder, Moving Countries, Podcast

June 2022 Update - Post Pandemic Stress Disorder, Moving Countries, Podcast

Kris comes back with a quick update to announce the return of the Actual Fluency podcast.

Jun 24, 202216:17
AFP 186: Rosemary Salomone - The Rise of English

AFP 186: Rosemary Salomone - The Rise of English

In this episode I'm joined by Rosemary Salomone to discuss the role of English on a global academic level, and some of the challenges faced by minorities and non-english native speaking students and countries in the world. 

Rosemary is the Kenneth Wang Professor of Law at St. John's University in Queens, New York. Prior to joining the legal academy, she taught English to international students, developed bilingual programs for immigrant students, and was a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she taught education law and language policy.

Check out Rosemary's new book here: The Rise of English: Global Politics and the Power of Language: https://amzn.to/3Fafmdx

Dec 18, 202145:37
AFP 185: Sadelle Wiltshire - Learning at Different Ages and Minority Languages

AFP 185: Sadelle Wiltshire - Learning at Different Ages and Minority Languages

In this podcast episode I'm joined by Sadelle Wiltshire, who shares her story of learning languages at different ages, including her passion for Irish and the community of learners she's found for the language.  

Sadelle's website:  

https://www.sadellewiltshire.com/ 

The Fluent in 3 Months Challenge:  

https://actf.lu/fi3m-challenge

Nov 17, 202148:35
AFP 184: Rick Dearman - Using Forums in Language Learning

AFP 184: Rick Dearman - Using Forums in Language Learning

In this episode Kris is joined by Rick Dearman to talk about using forums to help support you in your language learning, language conferences, and much more.  

Special thanks to OPTILINGO for sponsoring the podcast. You can check out this innovative language learning app, designed to make you SPEAK a language by going to https://optilingo.com 

To find out more about Rick go to:  

https://forum.language-learners.org/

 https://autodidactic.info/ 

Announcement: The podcast is now on YouTube! 

That means you can watch this episode as a video, by going to the Actual Fluency YouTube channel. Watch as Kris learns the trials and tribulations of video editing to create a whole new dimension of the podcast.

Thank you so much for listening!

Oct 04, 202141:41
AFP 183 - Jennifer Degenhardt: Better School Learning and Creating Inclusive Materials

AFP 183 - Jennifer Degenhardt: Better School Learning and Creating Inclusive Materials

In the episode I'm joined by Spanish Teacher and Educational Author, Jennifer Degenhardt.

We go over why school language learning is in such a bad state in many schools, and what innovative and energetic teachers like Jennifer can do to improve the results the kids get from the classroom. 

We also talk about her diverse and inclusive range of educational materials, as well as her experience spending a year learning Spanish abroad in latin America.

=== SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by OptiLingo. Go check out a modern language learning app that focuses on speaking EARLY without the boring drills and grammar memorisation. Try OptiLingo: https://optilingo.com

=== EPISODE RESOURCES

Jen's Website: https://digilangua.co/

Sep 23, 202101:08:29
AFP 182 - Liz Sharma from Talk The Streets on Portuguese

AFP 182 - Liz Sharma from Talk The Streets on Portuguese

In the episode I'm joined by Portuguese teacher and YouTuber Liz Sharma to talk about Portugal, Portuguese (European vs Brazilian) and how Liz moved from the U.K to Portugal.

Since I just moved to Portugal myself I got to ask a lot of curiosity-driven questions, including what Portuguese learners normally struggle with.

=== SPONSOR

This episode is sponsored by OptiLingo. Go check out a modern language learning app that focuses on speaking EARLY without the boring drills and grammar memorisation. Try OptiLingo: https://optilingo.com

=== EPISODE RESOURCES

Talk The Streets: https://talkthestreets.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAHp6bCNcUg6PTHaZ-hI3Bw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkthestreets/

Jun 18, 202156:15
AFP 181 - Olle Linge: Hacking Chinese and Academic vs Non-Academic Learning
Nov 26, 202001:22:21
AFP 180 - Hēmi Kelly: Māori Language and Culture

AFP 180 - Hēmi Kelly: Māori Language and Culture

Brought to you by OPTILINGO -- https://optilingo.com

Editor's Note: A previous version of this episode had some audio issues, which have been fixed.

In this episode I'm joined by "A Māori Phrase a Day" author Hēmi Kelly, to find out a little more about Māori, which is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, as well as the language.

Hēmi is a full-time lecturer in te reo Māori at the Auckland University of Technology. His academic research and writing focus largely on the revitalsation of the Māori language and translation studies.

Hēmi is a licensed translator and graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo (The Institute of Excellence in the Māori Language). In 2017, Hēmi translated Witi Ihimaera’s novella in Sleeps Standing and published his first book A Māori Word a Day in 2018. In 2019, Hēmi published his first creative writing piece in English in Purakau, a collection of Māori myths retold by Maori writers.

Here's what we talk about in the episode:

  • What is "Māori" and where is New Zealand?
  • What is the relationship between the Māori and non-Māori population in New Zealand?
  • What is the legal status of the Māori language
  • What is being done to revitalize the language for the last 100 years
  • What is happening today to improve relations and cultural understanding?
  • What is the Māori language, and what does it sound like?
  • + Much more!

LINKS:

A MAORI PHRASE A DAY FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/263436354660573/

A MAORI PHRASE A DAY Book: https://www.amazon.com/Maori-Phrase-Day-Hemi-Kelly-ebook/dp/B081ZJ79C7

HEMI'S TEDx TALK: Te Reo Māori: A new era for the language https://youtu.be/93u5sM4JJbU

Nov 06, 202041:16
AFP 179 - Kerstin Cable: Women in Language and Teaching Careers in Languages
Sep 09, 202001:11:22
AFP 178 - Lina Vasquez: Mindset, Psychology, and Self-development
Aug 23, 202001:33:58
AFP 177 - Gloria Spagnoli: Find Your Confidence and Inner Resources
Aug 15, 202049:21
AFP 176 - Maria Ortega Garcia: Connecting Deeper with Languages!

AFP 176 - Maria Ortega Garcia: Connecting Deeper with Languages!

Brought to you by Optilingo.

In this episode I'm joined by Spanish teacher Maria Ortega Garcia, who shares unique insights as both a language learner and teacher.

She specifically talks about connecting with the language you're trying to learn, and making it yours. This has been the most succesful approach she has seen over the years.

We also touch on some ideas of improving tutoring for students and teachers alike.

Resources:


----

Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com

Jul 30, 202001:07:06
AFP 175 - Tetsu Yung: Raising Children in 5 Languages
Jul 23, 202001:01:50
AFP 174 - Peter Strang: From the UK to Russia

AFP 174 - Peter Strang: From the UK to Russia

Brought to you by Optilingo.

In this episode I'm joined by Peter Strang from the United Kingdom, who took up a position as English teacher in Russia. What was initially a temporary stay turned into starting a family and settling down full-time.

In the episode we talk about his experience moving to Russia, settling in, and learning the language whilst coping with being one of few foreigners at his workplace and in the local community.

----

Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com

Jul 07, 202001:12:08
AFP 173 - Anthony Metivier: Mental Well-Being and the Victorious Mind
Jun 28, 202001:17:51
AFP 172 - Dick Howeson: From CD-ROM to App learning with uTalk

AFP 172 - Dick Howeson: From CD-ROM to App learning with uTalk

Brought to you by Optilingo.

In this episode I'm joined by Richard 'Dick' Howeson from uTalk to discuss how he started the company, and developed it from a CD-ROM based language learning system, to now a modern app system with over 140 languages.

Resources mentioned:

uTalk: https://actf.lu/utalk

Polyglot Cruise: https://polyglotcruise.com

Disclaimer: uTalk is a sponsor of the Polyglot Cruise organised by Actual Fluency, and paid to be featured in this Actual Fluency Podcast episode.

Jun 17, 202057:50
Podcast Update: April 2020

Podcast Update: April 2020

In this unnumbered Actual Fluency episode I'm getting into a few updates as of April 2020.

Here's what you'll hear about in the episode:

  • Why the podcast was on a minor break
  • Why you shouldn't necessarily feel pressured to learn a new language during the pandemic
  • What happened to the Polyglot Cruise
  • New Course Launch: Bite-Size Languages
  • What else is new on Actual Fluency
  • What is happening to the polyglot events around the world, which ones do I hope to attend?

This podcast is brought to you by OPTILINGO!

Check them out here: https://optilingo.com

Apr 30, 202032:09
AFP 171 - Matt vs Japan: The Mass Immersion Approach
Feb 28, 202001:16:30
AFP 170 - Mark Pentleton: From Teacher to Language Podcaster (Coffee Break Languages)

AFP 170 - Mark Pentleton: From Teacher to Language Podcaster (Coffee Break Languages)

Brought to you by Optilingo.

In this episode I'm extremely honoured to be joined by one of my very own podcasting idols. Mark has been running Coffee Break Podcasts for over a decade, and now delivers over 2,500,000 language lessons every month to listeners around the world.

In the episode we discuss his language past, present, and future, as well as how he started Coffee Break and grew it to where it is today. We also talk a bit about the state of language education in schools today, and speak a bit in "Scandinavian" :D

Resources mentioned:

Coffee Break Languages > https://actf.lu/coffee

Polyglot Gathering > https://polyglotgathering.com

Feb 17, 202052:50
AFP 169 - Sweeps Episode: Events and Plans for 2020

AFP 169 - Sweeps Episode: Events and Plans for 2020

Brought to you by Optilingo.

In this episode I preview 2020, and share a few updates about Actual Fluency.

The regular episodes with guests are returning next week!

Events mentioned:

  • The Edinburgh Language Event
  • The Polyglot Cruise
  • The Polyglot Gathering
  • The Polyglot Conference
  • LangFest
Feb 06, 202028:15
AFP 168 - John Fotheringham: Inside the Language Podcaster's Studio (Part 2)

AFP 168 - John Fotheringham: Inside the Language Podcaster's Studio (Part 2)

PART 2! > John Fotheringham, a fellow language podcaster comes on the show to do an experiment. Instead of a traditional interview, we are chatting as two language podcasters, sharing experiences, takeaways, and lessons learnt from over 5 years of podcasting. 

PART 1: https://anchor.fm/actualfluency/episodes/AFP-167---John-Fotheringham-Inside-the-Language-Podcasters-Studio-Part-1-e7po88

If you liked this episode, please let us know!

Show Links:

LanguageMastery.com - John's Blog and Podcast

Social:

@LanguageMastery

Facebook

==============

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Oct 29, 201901:05:05
AFP 167 - John Fotheringham: Inside the Language Podcaster's Studio (Part 1)
Oct 17, 201901:39:02
AFP 166 - Ekaterina Matveeva: Language Alter Ego and Cultural Intelligence

AFP 166 - Ekaterina Matveeva: Language Alter Ego and Cultural Intelligence

Ekaterina Matveeva comes on the show to talk about her amazing polyglot story, as well as the concept of the language alter ego and cultural personalities. We also share notes on what happens to the personality and identity of an individual as one goes abroad and stays for an extended period of time.

Show Links:

Ekatarina's book - Language Alter Ego: https://amzn.to/30T1foi

Business: http://amolingua.com 

Personal site: http://matveevaekaterina.com

Teacher Training: https://amolingua.com/programmes/teachertraining

Pitch To Win: https://study.amolingua.com/p/pitchtowin

Social:

Instagram: @matvekav , @amolingua

Facebook: @matvekav , @amolingua , @amolinguaru , @amolingualatam

Twitter: @matvekav , @amolingua

==============

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Oct 07, 201901:07:08
AFP 165 - Lea Tiralarc: 5000+ lessons as an online teacher and the staircase method
Oct 01, 201943:29
AFP 164 - Scott Young: A Year Without English and Ultralearning Languages
Sep 20, 201901:15:47
AFP 163 - Mait Müntel: From discovering the Higgs-Boson to language learning

AFP 163 - Mait Müntel: From discovering the Higgs-Boson to language learning

On this episode I chat to Lingvist founder Mait Müntel, who was part of the Higgs-Boson discovery team at CERN. 

His big passion is furthering human learning using machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the power of spaced repetition.

Show Links:

Lingvist - Mait's company

==============

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Aug 31, 201952:36
AFP 162 - Jonty Yamisha: Heritage language learning and practical advice
Aug 09, 201901:04:33
AFP 161 - Jon Mahoney: Around the world in 900+ days and mastering Russian
Jul 28, 201901:21:27
AFP 160 - Steve Kaufmann: YouTube, Travelling, and learning languages when retired
Jul 18, 201946:54
AFP 159 - Nelson Dellis: Using Memory techniques for languages

AFP 159 - Nelson Dellis: Using Memory techniques for languages

On this episode of the podcast I chat with Grandmaster of Memory and 4x US Memory Champion Nelson Dellis about his mission to learn Dutch, his heritage language - and to get some insight on how memory techniques relate to learning languages.

Show Links:

Nelson's Website

REMEMBER IT - Nelson's book

MEMORY GAMES - A Netflix film about memory, featuring Nelson

DROPS - One of the Language Applications we discussed

MEMORY LEAGUE - Digital memory competition platform

==============

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Jul 05, 201948:24
AFP 158 - Ben Worthington: Improve your English and pass the IELTS exam!

AFP 158 - Ben Worthington: Improve your English and pass the IELTS exam!

On this episode of the podcast I chat with Ben from IELTSPodcast, about how you can improve your 4 key skills in English, and specific tips and advice for passing the IELTS exam.

Show Links:

IELTSPodcast 

IELTS Vocabulary

IELTS Online Course

==============

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Jun 29, 201901:09:54
AFP 157 - Pablo Roman: Japanese in 6 months and DreamingSpanish

AFP 157 - Pablo Roman: Japanese in 6 months and DreamingSpanish

Pablo Roman, founder of DreamingSpanish comes on the show to talk about his experiences learning Japanese in 6 months, learning Thai, and developing materials and resources for learning Spanish.

Show links: 

https://www.youtube.com/DreamingSpanish

==============

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Jun 21, 201901:02:49
AFP 156 - Iker Uriarte: italki past, present, and future
May 26, 201951:46
AFP 155 - Marija Dobrovolska: Confidence in language learning and teaching German
May 10, 201958:40
AFP 154 - Silver Ilves: Language Startups and Development

AFP 154 - Silver Ilves: Language Startups and Development

Silver from MagicLingua comes on the show to share his multilingual experiences, as well as his new startup MagicLingua, which uses speech recognition technology to revolutionise language learning. 

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1427862973/start-speaking-your-new-language-from-day-1-magicl (running for 1 more week at the time of publication.)

Website: https://www.magiclingua.com/

==============

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

May 03, 201959:10
AFP 153 - Tamara Marie: Teaching Spanish through Music (Spanish Con Salsa!)

AFP 153 - Tamara Marie: Teaching Spanish through Music (Spanish Con Salsa!)

Tamara from Spanish Con Salsa comes on the show to talk about the benefits of using music in teaching and learning languages.

Links: 

Website: https://www.learnspanishconsalsa.com

Podcast: https://www.learnspanishconsalsa.com/podcast/

===================  

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Apr 26, 201901:08:45
AFP 152 - Norbert Wierzbicki: Learning, teaching, and travelling!

AFP 152 - Norbert Wierzbicki: Learning, teaching, and travelling!

 Norbert from Ecolinguist.com comes on the show to share his own learning experiences, as well as his experience teaching people foreign languages. In the episode we go over some of the fundamentals in language learning success, and how you can become a language teacher and travel the world (if you want to!)

Links: 

Website: http://ecolinguist.com/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ecolinguist

Instagram: @learn_polish_with_ecolinguist 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecolinguist/

===================  

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Apr 19, 201959:44
AFP 151 - Andrew Feinberg: Learning Japanese and Japanese Culture
Apr 11, 201901:22:32
AFP 150 - Lindie Botes: Growing up in multiple languages and cultures

AFP 150 - Lindie Botes: Growing up in multiple languages and cultures

In this episode Lindie Botes comes on the show to talk about her passion for languages, and her extraordinary upbringing in different countries and languages.

===================  

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Mar 30, 201953:18
AFP 149 - Gabriel Gelman: How to become a language hero

AFP 149 - Gabriel Gelman: How to become a language hero

In this episode Gabriel Gelman from Sprachheld.de comes on the show to talk about learning languages at home and abroad.

===================  

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by clicking HERE

Mar 23, 201953:38
AFP 148 - Àdhamh Ó Broin: The Languages of Scotland and Reclaiming Gaelic
Mar 15, 201901:16:04
AFP 147 - Marek Kohn: The benefits of multiple languages in society

AFP 147 - Marek Kohn: The benefits of multiple languages in society

 Marek Kohn, the author of Four Words for Friend:Why Using More Than One Language Matters Now More Than Ever comes on the show to talk about the book, as well as the role of languages in society, nationalism and improving assimilation and integration. 

It's a slighty different topic than normal, but I find it extremely interesting and important to language learners!

===================  

📣 This podcast is sponsored by Italki! Learn REAL language through the power and convenience of personal tutoring lessons, for any language at VERY affordable rates.

💰 You can get a $10 credit when you book your first lesson by going to languageteacher.co

 

Mar 08, 201901:07:12
AFP 146 - Shannon Kennedy: Women in Language
Feb 27, 201942:16
AFP 145 - Katie Harris: The Joy of Languages
Feb 16, 201901:10:42
AFP 144 - Sara Maria Hasbun: From Translator to Business Owner with 3000+ freelancers
Feb 07, 201959:24