Language & Travel Hacking

Latest Episodes:

#112 Damian on Surprising His Friend by Learning Bosnian Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

Fluent in 3 Months Challenge participant and Bosnian learner, Damian, chats with Benny and Shannon about finding connection with friends and family through languages.

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

Patreon Extended Episode

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus questions and loads more exclusive content.

Learn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

Why Damian learned Bosnian
How Damian’s language learning changed when he joined the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
Learning languages and music to set an example for his kids
How to stay invested and motivated in your languages
Connections between music and language
Using scripts to prepare for conversations in another language
Learning with more than one tutor and balancing the right number of lessons

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Ask Benny: How Can My Tutor Help Me Make Flashcards? Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

This Ask Benny episode is about flashcards, and how you can use your lessons or conversations with a tutor to create your vocabulary list. Benny explains how his tutor helps him make lists of words and phrases during lessons, and then what he does to turn this into flashcards using Anki.

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

#111 Steve Kaufmann on the Evolution of LingQ Aug 08, 2022

Show notes

Steve Kaufmann, renowned polyglot and founder of LingQ rejoins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to talk about the LingQ language learning app, how intensive your language learning really needs to be and more.

Featured Resources

LingQ

Patreon Extended Episode

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to extended episodes and loads more content. Here’s what you’ll hear in the long-form episode:

The origin story behind LingQ
Steve’s philosophies and practices in motivation and habits
Steve’s 3 survival language resources
Steve’s ideal day of language learning
Advice to those experiencing the intermediate plateau
The importance of being active physically and comparisons between sports and language
Feedback Benny and Shannon have received from language learners

Learn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

LingQ and the journey to creating one of the most popular language learning tools
How Steve’s son Mark went from hockey player to key player at LingQ
How people read more than they may realize
Expanding LingQ from a reading and listening app to a tool integrated with Youtube, Netflix and other platforms
New features in LingQ
How Steve’s own learning in LingQ has changed as new features are added
Parallels between running a business and language learning
How Steve’s beliefs around the intensity of language learning have changed
Why language learners need to be okay with uncertainty
How LingQ has impacted the lives of people all over the world

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

#110 Kittichai Boonthong on Learning English and Japanese, and Cultural Differences Aug 01, 2022

Show notes

Language Hacking Podcast co-hosts, Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy, bring on Kittichai, known as “The Duke” to talk about his role at Fluent in 3 Months, learning English and Japanese, and becoming a travel vlogger.

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

Learning Japanese using the Speak from Day 1 approach
How Kittichai learned English and how it differed from his experience learning Japanese
Working at an international company and adapting to the cultural differences
How Fluent in 3 Months has influenced Kittichai’s language journey
Being inspired by Benny’s travels and becoming a travel vlogger in Thailand
Kittichai’s perspective on foreigners learning Thai
The biggest struggles Thai learners face
Why foreigners in Thailand often don’t learn Thai
Using video games as a tool for learning languages

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Ask Benny: How Can I Use Social Media to Learn Languages? Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

Benny is a big fan of using social media to practise his languages, and in this Ask Benny episode, he shares tips and tricks for getting the most out of each social media platform. From making multiple profiles and choosing who to follow, to training the algorithm, Benny has figured out how to make Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok work for him.

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

#109 Ellen Jovin on “The Grammar Table” Jul 25, 2022

Show notes

Creator and proprietor of The Grammar Table, Ellen Jovin, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to talk about traveling the country to discuss grammar, learning the languages of New York, and finding joy in learning grammar.

Featured Resources

Rebel with a Clause

Patreon Extended Episode

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to extended episodes and loads more content. Here’s what you’ll hear in the long-form episode:

The most common grammar questions Ellen encountered on the road with The Grammar Table
How knowing more grammar frees you from the confines of grammar
Ellen’s ideal day with languages
Ellen’s advice for someone who dreads learning grammar
Ways to make learning grammar easier and how to remember it better
Ellen’s grammar pet peeves

Learn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

Words and Worlds of New York and learning the languages of the city
Why many people hate grammar and why Ellen doesn’t
The positives of getting outside and pairing language learning with walking
The story behind “The Grammar Table”
Setting boundaries around grammar and common misconceptions
Ways grammar rules are actually somewhat arbitrary
Regional uses of languages and loving our linguistic diversity
How The Grammar Table has also been an opportunity for Ellen to learn about other languages
The power of humility in all things
Playing with language and loving grammar and how things are put together

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Ask Benny: How Do I Make A Personalised Phrasebook? Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

In this Ask Benny episode, Benny explains how he goes about making a personalised phrasebook. He shares examples of useful sentences that he knows he needs to use when introducing himself, as well as phrases for talking about his interests and work. Benny then explains how he compiles a vocab database, how he makes flashcards, and what other resources he uses during the process.

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

#107 Paul Jorgenson on How to Make Difficult Languages Easy Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

Creator of the immensely popular YouTube channel LangFocus, Paul Jorgenson, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to talk about building a Youtube channel around a passion for languages, living abroad, and language dabbling.

Paul also shares his secrets for effective time management as he balances family life with his life as a creator and language learner by using non-negotiable routines.

Featured Resources

italki

Patreon Extended Episode

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to extended episodes and loads more content. Here’s what you’ll hear in the long-form episode:

How to learn languages with different writing systems without apps
Tips for overcoming stress and burnout
Benny and Shannon’s strategies for speaking multiple languages without mixing them up
Paul’s language survival resources
Paul’s ideal day of language learning
Advice for a complete beginner to language learning

Learn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:
Learning languages with few accessible resources

Strategies for making “difficult” languages easy to learn
Moving to Japan and living in Japanese
Dabbling in dozens of languages as a Youtube creator in order to create content
Building a YouTube channel around an interest in languages
Crowdsourcing audio samples of different languages
How Paul’s language learning strategies have changed as tech has improved
Being a public figure as an introvert
Time management and the importance of non-negotiable routines as a content creator, language learner, and parent
Being a role model and inspiration in the language community

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

#106 Zsuzsanna on Learning Languages as a Family Jul 04, 2022

Show notes

Fluent in 3 Months Challenge participant and Spanish learner, Zsuzsanna, chats with Benny and Shannon about finally finding success in language learning, the importance of friendship and connections in language, and being a gregarious introvert.

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

Patreon Extended Episode

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

Mentioned in this Episode

Fluent in 3 Months Challenge

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

Learning Spanish in the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge and finally finding success in language learning
How friendships and connections can make learning languages a positive experience
Being a gregarious introvert and what that means for language learning
The importance of consistency
Raising a bilingual son
Learning Spanish through a non-native language
Why Office Hours are one of the best parts of the Challenge
How accountability can impact your success

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Ask Benny: What is the 80/20 Rule? Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

Benny explains how to apply the Pareto Principle (aka the 80/20 rule) to language learning. Benny shares how to go about focusing on 20% of a language to get you 80% of the results. He explains his ideas for what you can save until later, and what you should prioritise, so that you can keep your learning as efficient as possible, and make as much progress as you can without wasting time and effort on non-essential elements.

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

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