The Actual Fluency Podcast for Language Learners

In this episode Kris is joined by Rick Dearman to talk about using forums to help support you in your language learning, language conferences, and much more.   Special thanks to OPTILINGO for sponsoring the podcast. You can check out this innovative language learning app, designed to make you SPEAK a language by going to https://optilingo.com  To find out more about Rick go to:   https://forum.language-learners.org/  https://autodidactic.info/  Announcement: The podcast is now on YouTube!  That means you can watch this episode as a video, by going to the Actual Fluency YouTube channel. Watch as Kris learns the trials and tribulations of video editing to create a whole new dimension of the podcast. Thank you so much for listening!

In the episode I'm joined by Spanish Teacher and Educational Author, Jennifer Degenhardt. We go over why school language learning is in such a bad state in many schools, and what innovative and energetic teachers like Jennifer can do to improve the results the kids get from the classroom.  We also talk about her diverse and inclusive range of educational materials, as well as her experience spending a year learning Spanish abroad in latin America. === SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by OptiLingo. Go check out a modern language learning app that focuses on speaking EARLY without the boring drills and grammar memorisation. Try OptiLingo: https://optilingo.com === EPISODE RESOURCES Jen's Website: https://digilangua.co/

In the episode I'm joined by Portuguese teacher and YouTuber Liz Sharma to talk about Portugal, Portuguese (European vs Brazilian) and how Liz moved from the U.K to Portugal. Since I just moved to Portugal myself I got to ask a lot of curiosity-driven questions, including what Portuguese learners normally struggle with. === SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by OptiLingo. Go check out a modern language learning app that focuses on speaking EARLY without the boring drills and grammar memorisation. Try OptiLingo: https://optilingo.com === EPISODE RESOURCES Talk The Streets: https://talkthestreets.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAHp6bCNcUg6PTHaZ-hI3Bw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkthestreets/

Brought to you by OPTILINGO -- https://optilingo.com In this episode I'm joined by Olle Linge from Hacking Chinese to talk about his "random" journey into Chinese, founding the Hacking Chinese website (10 years anniversary this year) and a ton of language learning methodology and academic vs non-academic perspectives. A lot of the advice in the episode are centered around Chinese, but almost all of it is applicable to every language. Enjoy! Here's what we talk about in the episode: How Olle "randomly" stumbled into his Chinese language passion and ability What the differences between academic and non-academic language learning are How to learn the tones, and characters of Chinese How to succeed learning any language And much more! LINKS: Olle's Special Offer for Actual Fluency Listeners: https://actf.lu/olle Hacking Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com

Brought to you by OPTILINGO -- https://optilingo.com Editor's Note: A previous version of this episode had some audio issues, which have been fixed. In this episode I'm joined by "A Māori Phrase a Day" author Hēmi Kelly, to find out a little more about Māori, which is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, as well as the language. Hēmi is a full-time lecturer in te reo Māori at the Auckland University of Technology. His academic research and writing focus largely on the revitalsation of the Māori language and translation studies. Hēmi is a licensed translator and graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo (The Institute of Excellence in the Māori Language). In 2017, Hēmi translated Witi Ihimaera’s novella in Sleeps Standing and published his first book A Māori Word a Day in 2018. In 2019, Hēmi published his first creative writing piece in English in Purakau, a collection of Māori myths retold by Maori writers. Here's what we talk about in the episode: What is "Māori" and where is New Zealand? What is the relationship between the Māori and non-Māori population in New Zealand? What is the legal status of the Māori language What is being done to revitalize the language for the last 100 years What is happening today to improve relations and cultural understanding? What is the Māori language, and what does it sound like? + Much more! LINKS: A MAORI PHRASE A DAY FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/263436354660573/ A MAORI PHRASE A DAY Book: https://www.amazon.com/Maori-Phrase-Day-Hemi-Kelly-ebook/dp/B081ZJ79C7 HEMI'S TEDx TALK: Te Reo Māori: A new era for the language https://youtu.be/93u5sM4JJbU

Brought to you by OPTILINGO -- One of the most popular guests of the podcast returns to share all the details for her upcoming project, that she co-hosts with Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy: Women in Language (September 17-20, 2020) Here are some of the things we discuss during the episode: * What Kerstin has been up to for the past 2 years since her last appearance * How did the idea for Women in Language come about? * Why there is a need for a conference like Women in Language * What separates Women in Language from all other language conferences * What other projects Kerstin is working on * How her programme, Teach & Thrive helps teachers scale their business and income * Discussion on why language teachers are well-placed to make passive income, and how anyone in theory can get started with this as a career. * and a lot more! LINKS:  Kerstin's Blog: Fluent Language Women in Language Kerstin's Advanced Teacher Training: Teach and Thrive

Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm joined by my friend Lina Vasquez, an amazing polyglot who shares her passion for languages, self-development, and many other topics on her YouTube channel.  In the episode we dive DEEP into the mindset behind self-development and language learning, and offer some ideas on how anyone can level up their life and be better in every way they want. Resources: Lina on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClZjE2TEk59ZbxH_hZiBkog ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com

Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm joined by Italian teacher Gloria Spagnoli who shares her insights as both a language learner and teacher. She specifically talks about finding your confidence and inner resources. Finally we touch on the difference between a teacher and a student, and how you can level up your language lessons. Resources: http://speakita.com/how-to-find-your-italian-voice/ ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com

Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode I'm joined by Spanish teacher Maria Ortega Garcia, who shares unique insights as both a language learner and teacher. She specifically talks about connecting with the language you're trying to learn, and making it yours. This has been the most succesful approach she has seen over the years. We also touch on some ideas of improving tutoring for students and teachers alike. Resources: ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com

Brought to you by Optilingo. In this episode Tetsu Yung returns to update on his childrens' language learning (5 languages!) and talks in detail about the ONE PARENT ONE LANGUAGE methodology, he's been using for over 8 years now. We also chat briefly about LangFest, the annual conference usually held in Montreal, Canada. The event is currently postponed until 2021 due to the ongoing situation. Resources: Tetsu on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/asktetsu LangFest: https://langfest.org (postponed until 2021) Episode 87: https://actualfluency.com/87-tetsu-yung-raising-multilingual-children/ ---- Get a free lesson with Optilingo: https://optilingo.com