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**The Fluent Show**

Learn a Language…Or Maybe Three!
The Fluent Show is on a mission to help you get excited about language learning. We learn languages every day in our lives, and have learnt over 15 different languages between us.

We share stories, news, tips, and ideas that will make you fluent…eventually. Subscribe to the show today to get your regular dose of Fluent love.

It is worth clarifying that we actively want to support anti-racism and will highlight and advocate for the equality of all. Language learning means committing to tolerance of other world views, and this open mind is a core value for me. This topic deserves well considered words so here are [the best Kerstin managed to put together.](https://www.fluent.show/blacklivesmatter)

Latest Episodes:

The Guide to Knowing Your Language Learning Style Jan 31, 2016

Show notes

This episode is about habits and how we build and create them. Listen to find out what our tendencies are and how we use them to make our language routines.

What motivates us to do things?
What motivates us to keep going?
Do you set yourself goals and always meet them?
Or do you hate goals?
Are you likely to spend weeks just looking for the perfect textbook before you start?
Or are goals only meaningful when others set them for you?
Or do you only set them when they make sense?

Do This:

In the episode, we dove deep into the Four Tendencies Framework developed by Gretchen Rubin, which is all about how you motivate yourself to keep going and to do things.

Take this quiz before or during the show to get the most out of it. Can't wait to read about your results!

We answer a bunch of intriguing questions in this episode such as:

How can you use your tendency for language learning?
What is the best ever way of researching language learning methods?
Which tendency is perfect for the ultimate self-guided language learner?
Do some tendencies profit more from classes and masterminds than others?

Links and Resources from This Show

Takeaway Of The Week

Try and be aware of the four tendencies and look for how they influence you, but also people around you.

We Want To Hear From You!!

Please comment or tweet us (#cllp, and we're @kerstinhammes and @ldlanguages) and tell us what your tendencies are.

Do you think your tendency influences how you learn a language?

Do you have ideas for how you can work with the tendency?

Brought to you by Lindsay's course Successful Self Study - save $20 with offer code FLUENT.

This episode is about habits and how we build and create them. Listen to find out what our tendencies are and how we use them to make our language routines.

Brought to you by Lindsay's course Successful Self Study.

Links:

The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too): Gretchen Rubin: 9781524760915: Amazon.com: Books

Learn A Language with TV: How to Get The Most Out of Watching TV in Your Target Language Jan 19, 2016

Show notes

Topic: Watching TV in a Foreign Language

Welcome to Episode 31, where Lindsay and I took a deep dive into revealing our TV watching habits and how they aid our language learning. Plus: Listener feedback and over 20 show recommendations.

We are sponsored today by Savvy Brand Academy, a mastermind & brand course for onlinte teachers, as part of our "podcasters are doin' it for themselves month".

1) What type of TV do you watch?

Listener Colin likes to watch with the whole family
Chris Stewart who likes watching reality tv like “Come dine with me”
For me: Serials
For Lindsay: youtube as part of a routine
My student Randy: Tagesschau

2) HOW do you watch?

Is there such a thing as guilty learning vs. not-guilty learning?
Should you watch with subtitles or without? Subtitles in your own language or the other language? Immersion or full understand mode?
Big debate: How can TV count as "deliberate study time"?
Where can you find shows that are appropriate for your level?
What makes TV for kids a good choice?

3) Where can you find cool things to watch? (Big Link Collection)

YouTube and Yabla:

Yabla - curated videos for language learners in Spanish, German, French, Italian, Chinese, English
Lindsay's TV Introductions in Different Languages
Easy Languages on YouTube

TV Apps and Websites Where You Can Find International TV

**Shows Kerstin Loves (75% contains crime)

Hwb, Hinterland and Byw Celwydd (Welsh)
Les Revenants and Spiral (French)
Salamander (French/Flemish)
Deutschland 83, Good Bye Lenin!, The Edukators (German)
The Bridge (Danish/Swedish)
The Killing and Borgen (Danish)

The Takeaway

If you have not done this already, catch an episode of 1980s German spy show Deutschland 83 - here it is on Amazon.com and here it is on All 4 in the UK

How to Achieve a New Year's Resolution of Learning a New Language Jan 03, 2016

Show notes

We discuss language progress. Lindsay has been extremely disciplined, and Kerstin's been to a community class.

How to find the time for language even when you're megabusy
Community Classes and Polyglot Clubs have lots in common

New Year's Resolutions!

What we think about the resolution that is "I will become fluent in..." or "I will learn the language..."
Why "fluency" is an ambition and not a goal
The unfailing SMART goalsetting technique
Working out what is driving your resolution and "what your problem is" can help you get more motivation to change
How can your resolution serve you even if you don't achieve it?
Why is excitement essential when fear is destructive?
And what are our themes and resolutions for 2016?

The Episode Takeaway

Set yourself a theme for the new year!

WEBINAR ON SATURDAY

Join us LIVE on Saturday at "The 5 Step Process to Setting Successful Language Goals"

Links and Tips from This Episode of the Creative Language Learning Podcast

Welsh Club Preston
Mirror.co.uk: 5 Cheap Ways to Learn a Language
BBC Languages
Forget New Year's Resolutions on I Will Teach You a Language
How to Achieve a New Year's Resolution to Learn a Language on Fluent in 3 Months
Onions have layers
The Four Tendencies Framework by Gretchen Rubin
The Inner Game of Tennis

smartergerman-podcast — **How to Be Super Efficient (The German Episode) with Michael Schmitz** Dec 21, 2015
Show notes

Note the episode contains two mild swearwords!!

Things get real with Michael Schmitz, creator of the SmarterGerman blog and teaching system. Michael is dedicated to bringing German learners to a high level in just a few months. And he has some frank opinions about what it takes to get there.

If you want to learn about efficient German learning, this is your show. Listen to discover:

Why teaching at Berlitz made Michael want to start his own thing

Why having fun is way overrated in language learning

What efficiency is all about

How to become an efficient and productive learner

Why a polyglot and a language teacher is not the same thing

Why you should never need external motivation to learn German

"Language learners need someone to kick their ass sometimes."

Links From This Show

Michael's website SmarterGerman

Binaural Songs: How to use damit in German

Speak German like a Native, my Pronunciation (and Spelling) Course

Irregular Verbs Wizard App

Tips of the Week

Michael chose tip 1, and added that productivity and efficiency allows for the opportunity to become a creative thinker. Listen to his advice - excellent stuff!

1) Become a More Productive Learner with 12 tips from 5 Minute Language

2) Plan your Imaginary Trip

3) Sing Grammar Songs

This episode is sponsored by **Hello Talk, the most focused language exchange app out there.** Visit their website today to download the free app on Android or App Store.

What You Are is What You Say (Language and Identity) Nov 30, 2015

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 28, a fun collection of language learning news. Lindsay and I shared our progress in Japanese and Welsh, read out wonderful listener feedback, and finally moved on to 3 big news items.

What's it like when your language changes to express who you are?

The episode features an interview with J from Compassionate Language Learner who identifies as gender-neutral and has some fabulous things to say about the topic.

See The World in a New Way with Emoji

An emoji is ‘word of the year’, but is it even a word? Is this good? * Emoji word of the year

Lindsay’s Video: Is Emoji a Language?

African Languages Aren’t English

The East African Council has just switched its lead language from English to Kiswahili.

Could Kiswahili become an African lingua franca?

We love hearing from you!

Tips of the Week

Lindsay’s tip is using the Interlinear books method of learning a language.

Only two tips in this episode: 1) Make weekly commitment meet-ups such as going to exercise classes with a language buddy 2) Discover Binaural songs and Interlinear Books

And Even More Interesting Links!

Inside the #Add1Challenge with Brian Kwong Nov 22, 2015

Show notes

This episode is brought to you with support from Other Cats to Whip, a super cute book of French idioms. Get 10% off with the code FLUENT at www.othercatstowhip.com.

In this episode, Lindsay went out and discovered the world of Brian Kwong, creator of the #add1challenge. Brian has studied 5 languages and created one of the most successful trends in the polyglot world.

Listen to hear more about how it all works inside the challenge:

How the Study Groups and Mastermind Groups work
Which schools approach turns out to be a rocking technique
How the challenge changed for Brian as he took it again
How Lindsay once saves a Chinese tourist’s world!

Brian also gives us a hint as to what the future holds for the Add1Challenge!

Word of the Week:

An English word that Lindsay was struggling with ;)

tout Pronounced taʊt

A person who sells or endorses tickets, accommodation or taxis, often in the street or public places.

Links from the Show:

Tips of the Week

As always, our guest was hugely impressed with our selection of tips. Brian chose tip 3 as his favourite, because it’s the one way you’re guaranteed to build sentences.

Slow down YouTube videos: Click the cog in bottom right hand corner of video, click speed, and slow down or speed up.
Use Snapchat: Record multilingual clips throughout the day and they’re only there for 24 hours, no comments, no pressure on mistakes!
Find a study buddy to text: Use HelloTalk, Tandem, MeetUp, Facebook groups etc to find a study buddy and start a WhatsApp or iMessage thread where you vouch to only use the language you’re both studying.

Do whatever it takes in this hour so you’ll want to learn another hour tomorrow. (Anthony Lauder)

**Language Events, Language Careers, Language Inspiration** Nov 09, 2015
Show notes

This episode is brought to you with support from Other Cats to Whip, a cute French book that you can buy for 10% off using the code FLUENT.

What was language learning like before the internet?

What’s so great about an event like the Language Show?

Our ideas for Langathon and Language Speed Dating

Language and Careers: What’s out there beyond Teaching and Translating?

Lindsay’s passionate explanation of “Primary Languages” in the UK, and how to instil a language passion for life in younger learners

Our appreciation of multilingual actors and subtitles in TV and movies

Our podcast also featured a short interview with Dan McIntyre from the University of Huddersfield and our discussion around what fluency involved.

Tip of the Week

Lindsay chose Tip 2 as the winning tip for this episode and added more great ideas on how you can present to people, even when they are not learning your language.

1) Draw a trilingual vocab chart to practice vocab divergence

2) Prepare a presentation for your tutor or buddy

3) Swipe in two languages using the Swiftkey Keyboard app

Links and Interesting Stuff from This Show

Podcast: Episode 13 with Becky Morales about raising bilingual children

Daniel Brühl

Monsters by Gareth Edwards

The Add 1 Challenge

The Lingo Show on the BBC

Babel Language Magazine

Learning English with Phrasal Verbs, Lindsay's new online course

Language Learning Events around the World

Language Show Live

Polyglot Gathering

Polyglot Conference

Polyglot Workshops

eurolinguiste podcast — **Becoming a Musician Can Make You a Fantastic Language Learner** Oct 18, 2015
Show notes

**Take just 2 minutes and win prizes by telling us about you in our Creative Language Learning Podcast Listener Survey.**

In Episode 25, I enjoyed a conversation with Shannon Kennedy. Shannon writes the travel, language and life blog Eurolinguiste. She's a musician. And knows seven languages.

During the course of this interview I took the neatest notes I have ever written. My guest Shannon Kennedy just has that effect on you. She's calm, considered and very experienced in language learning.

You'll hear about:

Why Shannon's blog a language learning blog with travel tips and recipes

How to take responsibility for your books and apps

What it takes from you when you study with a teacher

What it's like to study a language as an introvert

How becoming a musician can make you a fantastic language learner

The Benefits of Language Switching

The lovely lovely word *indulge*

Tips of the Week

Shannon's choice of the week was tip 3, because transliteration can help you no matter if you are learning another writing system or an unusual grammar structure.

1) Join a Choir, learn a language

2) Use Mind Maps for learning a new language (here's an article about this in German)

3) Use transliteration to master foreign writing systems

Tips and Links from this Podcast

The Digital Language Collective

Eurolinguiste

Shannon sings and plays the Sax

Guest Post: How to Learn French as a Food Lover

**Don't forget to us about you in our Creative Language Learning Podcast Listener Survey. Thanks so much!**

Special Guest: Shannon Kennedy.

Teach (Yourself) a Language with Tammy Bjelland from Language in Bloom Sep 18, 2015

Show notes

It's episode 23 and I'm back with another lovely and inspiring interview. Tammy Bjelland sparkles with all the energy she brings to language learning and teaching. She teaches, trains, offers curriculum design and runs her own podcast, the Business of Language Podcast. Let her enthusiasm pull you along in this interview!

You'll hear about:

What you're going to do with that language later
The many secret benefits of languages in your career
The 7 superhero skills of language learners: Empathy, Independence, Curiosity, Versatility, Creativity, Autonomy and Self-Discipline
How group learning can be a HUGE advantage for you
How to develop your custom curriculum
Tammy's truly impressive looking course Language Learning Formula

"You have to learn to teach yourself a language. It's a skill in itself"

Tips of the Week

Tammy was by far the most decisive guest I've ever had on this podcast. She went straight for tip number one as your Tip of the Week!

1) Practice your pronunciation with Soundcloud

2) Practice your pronunciation and get instant feedback by talking to Siri in a foreign language

3) Make a food log in a foreign language (thanks for the tip to Ron Gullekson

Tips and Links from this Podcast

Special Guest: Tammy Bjelland.

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Takeaway Of The Week

We Want To Hear From You!!

Topic: Watching TV in a Foreign Language

1) What type of TV do you watch?

2) HOW do you watch?

3) Where can you find cool things to watch? (Big Link Collection)

The Takeaway

New Year's Resolutions!

The Episode Takeaway

WEBINAR ON SATURDAY

Links and Tips from This Episode of the Creative Language Learning Podcast

Links From This Show

Tips of the Week

What's it like when your language changes to express who you are?

See The World in a New Way with Emoji

African Languages Aren’t English

Tips of the Week

And Even More Interesting Links!

Word of the Week:

Links from the Show:

Tips of the Week

Tip of the Week

Links and Interesting Stuff from This Show

Language Learning Events around the World

Tips of the Week

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Kerstin Is British Moment

European Language Charts!

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