Language & Travel Hacking

Latest Episodes:

#91 Manish on Juggling Multiple Languages Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

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

Mentioned in this Episode

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

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Ask Benny: St Patrick's Day / Seachtain na Gaeilge Special Mar 16, 2022

Show notes

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 ask@languagehacking.com

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#90 St. Patrick’s Day Special: Sadelle’s Irish Journey Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s special St. Patrick’s Day episode, Community Coach for the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge, Sadelle Wiltshire, talks with Elizabeth and Benny about learning Irish and joining the Challenge at an upper-beginner level.

This episode features Sadelle, who made significant progress with her Irish 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

Mentioned in this Episode

Additional Recommended Resources

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

Joining the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge at an A2 level
Humor as a motivator when learning
Music and singing when learning Irish
Getting your head around Irish pronunciation
How to deal with the different Irish dialects
Gaelic vs Irish
How to build a community in your target language
First steps and resources for Irish
The secret to having fun in your target language
Overcoming shyness, perfectionism and fear of speaking

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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#89 Elena Guillén on Going from Dabbler to Consistent Learner Mar 07, 2022

Show notes

Language dabbler and native Spanish speaker, Elena Guillén, speaks with Benny and Shannon about learning Hindi during the pandemic, as a part of the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

This episode features Elena, who found the routine and structure of the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge helped her make significant progress with Hindi in just 90 days.

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

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

The pros of being an introverted language learner
Learning languages with ADD and finding focus
Using structures vs frameworks
Overcoming perfectionism and distraction
Tips for studying lesser-learned and ancient languages
Finding commonalities between languages
Advantages and disadvantages of knowing multiple languages
Learning through music, songs and films
Learning vocabulary with the “goldlisting” method
The power of community and accountability
The fun of learning different writing systems

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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Ask Benny: How Do You Gather the Courage to Speak? Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

In this episode Benny gives a pep-talk to help you find motivation and courage to start a conversation in your target language. It can be so tempting to avoid speaking, whether it's because you're shy, embarrassed, or scared of making mistakes. But if you can bite the bullet and take the leap, you'll be surprised by just how much you can achieve. Listen to this episode if you need a bit of a confidence boost!

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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#88 Cara Leopold on Fast-Talking Native Speakers Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

Listening expert, Cara Leopold, talks with Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy about how she helps people improve their ability to understand fast-talking native speakers.

For the majority of people, listening is the first language skill we develop - it actually starts before we’re born! Cara explains how visual context, transcripts, and relevant content are all crucial for effective listening development. She also talks about how English changes when it’s spoken quickly, and gives advice for using subtitles effectively to learn a language by watching movies.

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

The stress of classroom listening activities at school
Why our listening ability may be behind our other language skills
Overcoming the fear that comes with not understanding when someone speaks
Visual clues playing an important role in listening
How to improve your listening comprehension
Ways to use TV and movies as tools to improve listening
Different ways to use subtitles effectively
Being an eco-friendly language learner

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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#87 John Fotheringham on “Anywhere Immersion” Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

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

Mentioned in this Episode

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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Ask Benny: How Can I Find Content in a Less Common Language? Feb 16, 2022

Show notes

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 ask@languagehacking.com

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#86 Andrew Hamerlinck on What Sports Coaches Can Teach Language Learners Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

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

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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#85 Alicya on Wine Tasting to Learn French Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

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

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

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