The Fluent Show - Episodes Tagged with “Language Teaching”

Equality, Tea, and Spicing up your Language Learning

Kerstin Cable — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 16:00:00 +0100

Words in the Wild: Equality and Tea

I've been out in the wild, seeing and discussing words in the English language, and in this episode I presented the best of them to Lindsay to discuss what they can reveal about us and about society.

First, we discussed social justice words. What really IS mansplaining? Is it just a word to describe any occasion when a man explains something to a woman? Or is there more to it?

What do you think of the social justice words like hepeating, mansplaining, manel, and the responding #notallmen and broflakes?

And our second word in the wild was tea - short and sweet, but is this even translateable?

Motivation Tips

Even though this is not Lindsay's average October of falling leaves and dropping temperatures, we took a deep dive into the season to discuss how you can get motivated for learning a language in autumn/fall.

Plus, we've got some absolute evergreen tips mixed in for you to help anyone learning a language by themselves. Learning a language by yourself is not always easy, and motivation is a huge challenge. There are so many interesting and exciting ways to get going, so here are some of our best:

You can read our full list of motivation tips in detail at www.fluentlanguage.co.uk/blog/podcast-episode-67

Little tip: Try our sponsor Clozemaster as your new app addiction. Get it done in the morning, and you'll be set for the day.

"You assume they don't have chick lit in Polish"

Kerstin Cable — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 07:30:00 +0100

In this episode, polyglot expert Shannon fills in for Lindsay - we catch up on our language learning and Duolingo, and then discuss why and how reading makes you fluent and smart and cultured.

Remember: If you visit our sponsor Clozemaster at www.clozemaster.com/cllp, you'll be supporting the Creative Language Learning Podcast for free!

Listen to find out..

Why did Duolingo wait so long to release Korean?

K-Pop and Kimchi lovers, look out for Duolingo's latest offering.
We catch up on news with the world's (probably) biggest language learning app, looking at its course offers and money-earning developments. They have a Pro membership now, but we're not mad at them!

How early should you read?

Reading from day 1 is what it's all about, and we discuss why it can boost fluency and memory when you start by reading right away. Think connecting what you see with what you hear to avoid stumbling blocks like bad spelling, dodgy pronunciation, and all-round low confidence.

What about difficult scripts?

While I've "elegantly" avoided learning complex writing systems such as Hiragana or Arabic for my languages, Shannon was on hand to advise on what it's like to learn another script.

How to find input for your level

It's hard to get over these two problems:

Coursebooks are obvious, but they're so limited and dull.
Books for learners are great, but they take for actual ever to read.

In this show, we share a few tips for reading in your target language and in a way that is actually interesting! Shannon reads with her son and loves the Lingq app, and I am a big fan of magazines.

Revelation about the Lingq app

I have tried reading-focused app Lingq before, but didn't quite get it...while Shannon is their biggest fan! What gives? Shannon shares tips and insights from what it's actually like to use this app.

Why you shouldn't just read Harry Potter in another language

Translated literature opens up linguistic worlds to you, but you could be missing a trick. There is nothing like reading the words that came from a country, and I make the case that it is always worth it to spend the extra time and effort on finding texts that are originally written in another language.

The Language Reading Challenge

For more inspiration and a look at what Shannon and other polyglots are reading right now, head to Goodreads to join the Reading Challenge hosted by Shannon.

What do you think? What do you read in your target language? And have you tried Shannon's challenge?

Special Guest: Shannon Kennedy.

But WHY!!!! Are You Learning A Language?

Kerstin Cable — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 08:00:00 +0100

A feedback question from James led us to discussing why we chose the languages we are learning right now.

We don't need them for our working lives, or our everyday lives.

We don't have Welsh or Korean family.

We're not travelling there.

There isn't even a big Welsh or Korean community in our towns.

So..what gives?

A lot of you guys might be experiencing the same thing when you're learning a language. It's not the kind of activity that everyone gets up to every morning, so friends and family get curious. We get into the dangers of the "why" question.

We also strayed into discussing the identity of what is "British", and how Britain interacts with language learning. You'll also find out how polyglots are made.

Takeaway from This Episode

Should you be asked why you are learning a foreign language (or two...or three), you are not obliged to go looking for a reason that satisfies the other person.

Links from this Episode

How to Study Korean Website

Dear Listener, if you would like to send us a question to discuss on the show, you can simply do so by tweeting with the hashtag #cllp