Language & Travel Hacking

Latest Episodes:

#51 Dustin and Ruben Share Accent Tips to Sound Like a Native Speaker in Spanish May 24, 2021

Show notes

Benny and Shannon chat with Dustin Luke and Ruben Adery about how to develop an authentic Spanish accent by using rhythm, musicality, body language, and other local insider information.

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Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

What happens when a language scientist and a casual learner team up
Tips for rolling your r’s
Having an authentic accent beyond pronunciation
Rhythm and musicality of pronunciation
Learning colloquial phrases and chunking phrases
Mindset and “getting into character” in a language
Body language and other local insider tips for learning languages
Getting local, native speakers to open up and use the language with you
Learning a specific dialect without moving to the country with the Five I’s
The sounds with the most variance in Spanish
Finding viral videos in your target language
How learning another language is like living another life
Teaching your nonnative language

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

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Ask Benny: How to Stop Getting Tempted by Shiny New Languages May 19, 2021

Show notes

Have you ever been trying to learn one language, but found yourself tempted by a new one and distracted from your original goal? Benny is here to help! He shares ideas for staying engaged and interested in the language you're learning, which will help stop your eye from wandering.

To ask Benny a question, please email ask@languagehacking.com

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#50 Dayna Brockbank on Budget Language Learning with Cartoons, Anki, and italki May 17, 2021

Show notes

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

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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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#49 Alex Rawlings on Speaking 11 Languages Fluently May 10, 2021

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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.

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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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Ask Benny: Is it Better to Learn Phrases Rather Than Words? May 05, 2021

Show notes

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 ask@languagehacking.com

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#48 Sarah Gillespie on the Treasure Hunt of Learning a Rare Language May 03, 2021

Show notes

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.

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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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#47 Luca Lampariello on Questioning Everything When Learning Languages Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

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.

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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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Ask Benny: How to Watch Movies in My Target Language? Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

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 ask@languagehacking.com

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#46 How Ashton Went from B1 to C1 Spanish in 48 Days Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

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

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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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#45 Damon Dominique on Being a Travel & Language YouTuber Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

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.

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