Enthusiastic learner, New York resident, musician, and polyglot, Fiel Sahir, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to talk about finding mentors, learning heritage languages, studying Chinese with the Language Hacking Mandarin book, and using languages in a non-language-related field.Fiel, in his own words, says one of his greatest strengths is his endless curiosity. It’s led to him making incredible connections, learning lots of languages, finding community, and a life of learning. If you’re interested in learning a heritage language, learning without strictly “studying” or how music influences your language learning, this is the episode for you.Featured ResourcesLanguage Hacking MandarinitalkiPatreon Extended EpisodeEnjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to extended episodes and loads more content. Here’s what you’ll hear in the long-form episode:How to learn languages without “studying”The influence music has on language learningHow Benny and Shannon’s language learning philosophies have developed over years of learningFiel’s future language learning plansLearn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.Mentioned in this EpisodeLanguage Hacking MandarinitalkiPolyglot GatheringGlossikaAnkiEasy LanguagesOlly Richard’s BooksXiaoManNYCSpeak from Day 1How to Use Chunking to Fire Up Your Language LearningFiel’s Chat with Olly RichardsEpisode OverviewSome of the topics brought up during the interview are:How a long car ride led to Fiel’s passion for language learningFinding mentors and the role a good mentor can play in your growthThe power of curiosityStudying music at a German universityLearning a heritage language and connecting with cultureWhat it’s like living in one of the most multilingual cities in the worldThe powerful influence of community in language learningPodcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Fluent in 3 Months Challenge participant and Dutch learner, Corentin, chats with Benny and Shannon about “redefining” yourself as a language learner and finding success in your new identity.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 ResourcesFluent in 3 Months ChallengePatreon Extended EpisodeEnjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus content and monthly exclusives.Mentioned in this EpisodeFluent in 3 Months ChallengePaul NationMicrosoft To DoEpisode OverviewSome of the topics brought up during the interview are:Living in Brussels and needing to learn DutchHow to help your production in a language catch up to your comprehensionWhen to focus on one language learning skill and when to focus on the four core skills“Redefining” yourself as a language learnerWhy the Challenge helped Corentin more than traditional language classesTaking control of your own language learning for successUsing a to-do app to coordinate with a team while language learningPodcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Benny shares the reasons he learned Esperanto and why it's so useful, despite it not being an officially recognized language. The international Esperanto community is one that Benny loves being a part of, not least because they know how to throw a good party! And learning this as one of your first languages has been shown to have significant benefits for learning subsequent languages, giving you momentum, confidence, and skills that are highly transferable. To ask Benny a question, leave a comment on Instagram (@languagehacking) or Twitter (@fi3m), or you can email ask@languagehacking.com

Linguistics expert and language enthusiast, Simon Ager, talks with Benny and Elizabeth about creating one of the internet’s biggest (and first) encyclopedias of languages and writing systems.On his website, omniglot.com, Simon has cataloged over 340 writing systems and collated information about more than 1,600 languages. Simon has studied a wide range of languages including Chinese, Japanese, French, German, and he has a particular interest in Celtic languages.Mentioned in this EpisodeSimon’s WebsiteSimon’s TwitterRadio OmniglotOmniglot on FacebookDuolingoMemrisePatreon Extended EpisodeEnjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to extended episodes and loads more content. Here’s what you’ll hear in the long-form episode:Comparing learning music and languagesSinging as pronunciation practiceMetaskills: The skill of learning a new skillBenny and Elizabeth’s best languagesLearn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.Episode OverviewSome of the topics brought up during the interview are:Making the most of immersion experiencesSimon’s favourite resources, including Duolingo and MemriseA typical day of language learningFirst steps for using Omniglot.comUsing your languages to aid research on WikipediaGetting a Masters in Linguistics, and where it can take youCeltic languages and their revivalResponding to “why bother?” criticismIntegrating the four pillars of language into daily lifePeople-watching in your target languagePodcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Professor, polyglot and all-round language expert, Alexander Argüelles, talks with Benny and Elizabeth about his routines, methods, favourite activities and language learning interests.Professor Argüelles employs his vast experience to help people learn languages through a variety of methods, including reading circles and videos on his YouTube channel, and he shares a lot of advice and inspiration during this conversation.Mentioned in this EpisodeProfessor Argüelles‘ websiteProfessor Argüelles‘ Q&A pageProfessor Argüelles‘ YouTube channelThe Assimil MethodEpisode OverviewSome of the topics brought up during the interview are:What it’s like to be inside the brain of someone who speaks numerous languagesLearning a language in 15 minutes a dayDoing what you love in your languageReading in target languagesA daily language learning routineHow to learn a language through reading circlesWhat shadowing isThe “scriptorium” methodMythology, religion and languageDigital detox and screen-free timePodcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

This week Benny shares some exciting news in a special Ask Benny episode. Benny is heading back out on the road, to live the nomadic life he loves. This means new language challenges and lots of interesting updates from his travels. Things are also changing for the podcast, as this week we launch the option to support us on Patreon. The podcast is still continuing as normal on the usual channels, and if you sign up to Patreon at https://languagehacking.com/patreon you'll now get access to extended interviews, exclusive content from our hosts, discounts on Fi3M products and lots of other valuable language learning content.To ask Benny a question, leave a comment on Instagram (@languagehacking) or Twitter (@fi3m), or you can email ask@languagehacking.com

World traveler, tour coordinator, and language learner, Scott Brills, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to chat about “faking” comprehension, deep-diving into cultural experiences, and cross-country adventures around the world.Scott has an impressive travel résumé having taken part in the Mongol Rally, traversing India in a rickshaw, and building a business that provides travelers with rich cultural immersion experiences. If you’re interested in travel, living abroad, or multicultural entrepreneurship, this is the episode for you.Mentioned in this EpisodeScott’s WebsiteScott’s FacebookScott’s TwitterScott’s InstagramMongol RallyRickshaw RunPamoja SafarisBenny’s Mt. Kilimanjaro StoryPatreon Extended EpisodeEnjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to extended episodes and loads more content. Here’s what you’ll hear in the long-form episode:Dealing with the logistics of building work and making a living in other countriesScott’s ideal language learning routineScott’s 3 Language Survival ResourcesHow to fit in language learning as a busy entrepreneurWhat the hosts’ favorite languages areWhat languages the hosts struggled with mostMemorable gaffs the hosts made in their languagesLearn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.Episode OverviewSome of the topics brought up during the interview are:Living abroad at a young age in JapanCombatting loneliness and fear of living alone in another countryHow to get through the roadblocks along the path to fluencyWhy you sometimes just need to be thrown into the deep endRunning culinary tours in Japan and safaris in TanzaniaTaking part in the Mongol Rally, driving through 16 countries for charity and learning to rely on the support of strangersTraveling across India in a rickshaw on three different occasionsLearning a language by “faking” comprehensionGaining the confidence to approach complete strangers in another languagePodcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Our first ever Language Hacking Podcast guest, author, and course creator, Scott Young, revisits the show to catch up with Benny and Shannon and share what’s changed for him over the last two years with his language learning and projects.Scott is an expert on learning and how to work better. He’s a best-selling author who took on the MIT Challenge, A Year Without English, and many more intensive learning projects. In this episode, he shares many of his thoughts on momentum, confidence, and balancing life with other pursuits.Featured ResourcesUltralearningRapid LearnerMentioned in this EpisodeUltralearningRapid LearnerScott’s WebsiteScott’s TwitterScott’s FacebookScott’s InstagramEpisode OverviewSome of the topics brought up during the interview are:How Scott’s life has changed over the past two yearsBuilding a multilingual family and learning MacedonianHow to stay engaged in learningDealing with the long-term maintenance work of learning languagesHow to get back into learning after losing momentum and confidenceTime and energy management for intensive learning projectsSetting concrete learning goalsTop 5 things Scott learned since our last discussion with himHow to prioritize personal projectsPodcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Language Hacking Podcast co-hosts, Shannon Kennedy and Elizabeth Bruckner catch up and talk about how this last year has been a time of learning, and building self-compassion and resilience in both language learning and life.Mentioned in this EpisodeFluent in 3 Months ChallengePimsleurShannon’s SpotifyFrench SunnysideLanguage Conqueror: MindfulnessPower of NowWhen Good Things Happen to Bad PeopleAlcoholics AnonymousAl-AnonOvereaters AnonymousNarcotics AnonymousDebtors AnonymousEpisode OverviewSome of the topics brought up during the interview are:Moving your body and language learning to help with anxiety and other negative emotionsPutting yourself out there with positive energy and being open to connectionThe power of being quiet and observation before jumping inThe art of being interested in other people and being of service to othersTouch and tactile learningSneaking in language learning in unexpected situationsKeeping an index card with a list of tools and an action plan for difficult momentsMindfulness practices and language learningRe-reading your favorite books in another language12-step meetings and using them for language learningArt and music therapyPodcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon KennedyJoin Our PatreonEnjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus content and monthly exclusives.

This new episode is all about language islands. Benny explains how creating these specific areas of language knowledge, based on your personal needs or interests, is a solid way to build confidence and get speaking when you start learning a language. And using these topics as a focus will help you reach fluency quicker, as you're able to talk about your islands in depth, and with confidence.To ask Benny a question, leave a comment on Instagram (@languagehacking) or Twitter (@fi3m), or you can email ask@languagehacking.comJoin Our PatreonEnjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to bonus content and monthly exclusives.