Moving to a new country is never easy (did someone say culture shock?), but it can be especially challenging if you need to learn how to live your life in a different language when you get there. How will you buy groceries or make a doctor’s appointment? How do you get a job and then, once you have one, navigate the workplace? Our guest for this episode of Language Chats, Dory Wang, understands this all too well from her own first-hand experience of moving to Australia. However this also makes her particularly well-suited for her role as a Senior Digital Content Producer for SBS Learn English, a free service to help Australian migrants improve their English and live well in Australia. Dory shares with us her personal story of moving to Australia as an adult, learning English and how she has gotten to where she is now in her life and career. She also tells us about SBS Learn English, the type of content that SBS Learn English provides for the newest members of our community and what makes it different to other resources available for English-language learners in Australia. Have any questions for Dory or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with us and other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links Language Chats Ep #093 - Informing and entertaining Australians in over 60 languages: A chat with David Hua from SBS Australia Australian Government - Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) IELTS Monash University - Master of Communications & Media Studies SBS Chinese SBS Learn English - Podcasts | Videos | Articles Language Chats Ep #103 - Researching language to make society better: A chat with Dr Howie Manns SBS Learn English - Pronunciation with Janice Petersen Facebook - SBS Learn English Find Dory on LinkedIn

In this episode, we’re chatting with Dr Howard (Howie) Manns, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics at Monash University. We were so excited to have the chance to speak with Howie, because we are fascinated by his language story and his academic work - from growing up in a monolingual environment and then (unexpectedly) becoming a linguist through joining the US Navy, to working as a researcher who now studies Australian English, Indonesian, tactile (deafblind) Auslan and intercultural communication. We hope you enjoy this great Language Chat - we could have spoken with Howie for hours (but have made sure that we didn’t take up more than an hour of his precious time)! Have any questions for Howie or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with us and other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links Howie has kindly provided us with an excellent set of notes and additional links for those interested in finding out more! We have included these below in addition to any relevant links/work referenced in the episode. US Defense Language Institute, Monterey, Ca Howie’s plane in the US Navy (ES-3A Shadow) Howie discusses language and idioms and how they impact our view of the world on Episode 1 of the SBS Audio podcast The Idiom, hosted by Rune Pedersen Our interview with Rune Pedersen: Language Chats Ep #098 - Hit the nail on the head: A chat with Rune Pedersen, host of The Idiom podcast An open-access book Howie co-wrote about language in post-Suharto Indonesia: Style and Intersubjectivity in Youth Interaction by Dwi Noverini Djenar , Michael C. Ewing and Howard Manns Some downloadable papers Howie has written on language in Indonesia: https://monash.academia.edu/HowieManns Howie and colleagues reviews the decline of Indonesian, what Australia gets wrong about language and what we can do about it: https://theconversation.com/the-number-of-australian-students-learning-indonesian-keeps-dropping-how-do-we-fix-this-worrying-decline-216348 Howie and colleagues report on discussions with Victorian Indonesian educators and argues for more collaboration in the second language space. He also points to successful second language efforts in other parts of the world and how these might hold some answers for Australia: https://www.melbourneasiareview.edu.au/invigorating-indonesian-studies-in-australia-through-collaborative-online-education-practices/ Howie promotes multilingualism and community language-learning on ABC Radio National with Hoang Tran Nguyen, project manager, community advocate, co-founder, ViệtSpeak: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lifematters/languages-of-our-community/103163890 ViệtSpeak - a community-based, non-profit advocacy organisation situated in Melbourne's west An Auslan-interpreted introduction to Howie’s Deafblind communication project (led by Louisa Willoughby): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIu7ltZ51R4 Here’s a written introduction to Australian Deafblind communication (behind a paywall but get in touch with Howie for a pre-print version): https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-6430-7_15 This is a 30-minute lifestyle documentary about the amazing Heather Lawson, who Howie mentions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjFOtIqjmxg These are a pair Auslan signs Howie referenced, which sometimes cause confusion for Heather: “pub” https://auslan.org.au/dictionary/words/pub-1.html “know” https://auslan.org.au/dictionary/words/know-1.html *Errata: in the podcast, Howie said it was “pub” and “think”. This is incorrect. It is “pub” and “know” that cause confusion. “Pub” and “know” are clearly differentiated in visual Auslan, but this distinction is not always clear in tactile Auslan. Howie presenting on the hidden power of language and misconceptions about English “errors”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjC39sfgbrY&t=376s Howie reviews the history of Standard English and how the collective grammar of World Englishes may be challenging the standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUry0z_BVU4 Howie, Kate Burridge and Simon Musgrave present on “Truth, truthiness and public science discourse”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktsFxREFZU8 Howie’s articles on Australian language and society for The Conversation (many co-written with Kate Burridge): https://theconversation.com/profiles/howard-manns-111255/articles Howie and colleagues introduce their project on Australian slang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPhb-_52XGc Howie and colleagues write about their project on Australian slang: https://auslanguage.net/slanguage/ Howie appears on the ABC Kids podcast “Imagine This” to answer the question, “Where do words come from?”: https://www.abc.net.au/kidslisten/programs/imagine-this/how-people-make-words/13929010 A few Indonesian language articles from Howie: Howie menulis tentang menurun Bahasa Indonesia di Australia dan bagaimana bisa diatasinya: https://theconversation.com/jumlah-pelajar-australia-yang-belajar-bahasa-indonesia-terus-menurun-bagaimana-mengatasinya-217444 Howie menjelaskan mengapa orang-orang di negara lain berbicara dalam bahasa yang beda: https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-mengapa-orang-orang-di-negara-lain-berbicara-bahasa-yang-berbeda-133940 Find Howie at Monash University | The Conversation

About this Language Chat In this episode, we’re chatting with Canadian-Australian Andrea Plawutsky - currently based in NSW - who has brought her interest in tourism, China and Asia together across her career. From teaching English in north-eastern China, living and working in Thailand and then working in the travel & tourism industry in Australia, we loved hearing about Andrea’s experiences with learning and enjoying language around the world, in both professional and personal contexts. Have any questions for Andrea or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with us and other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links Haymarket HQ Find Andrea on LinkedIn | [email protected]

Penny is a long-time travel lover and in this episode, she tells us about her most recent international trip which was actually a bit of a reconnaissance mission… As she will soon be helping others to discover new cultures, languages and adventures through her new venture, Pip & Co Travel. We chat about Penny’s history of embracing language and culture through travel, how we can all enrich our travel experiences with even the most basic openness and interest in the language and culture of your destination, the challenge of getting locals to engage with you as a traveller, the beauty of people-to-people connections, as well as the upcoming trips in Asia and the Pacific that Penny has planned for small groups later in 2024 and in early 2025. Do you love mixing language, culture and travel? Have a question for Penny? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links Language Chats Ep #016 - Language Travel - What is it and how to get the most from it Pip & Co Travel Pip & Co Travel - Việt Nam - FAMILY Southern Vietnam Explorer Trip

100 EPISODES of Language Chats have now made it out into the world! To celebrate this exciting occasion (and the start of a new year, hello 2024), we’re going back through our archive to reminisce about some of our favourite episodes. We’ve had so many great chats over the last five years, it wasn’t easy narrowing down our top eps! But it has given us an opportunity to think about some of the great discussions we’ve had between the two of us and with many others across the last 99 episodes. If you’re a long-time listener of this podcast, then this may prompt you to go back and re-listen to some of these great chats! Alternatively, if you’ve joined us recently, then consider this a hitlist of episodes to scroll down to and enjoy :) What’s been your favourite episode of Language Chats so far? What would you like to hear more of on this podcast? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with us and other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. (PS: Bec apologises for her somewhat grainy audio quality in this episode… Sadly, at-home podcast recording setups are not always foolproof. Coming back to you with cleaner audio in Ep #101!) Episode Links Language Chats Ep #047 - The power of podcasts for language learning: A chat with Pete from Aussie English Language Chats Ep #006 - From Third Culture Kid in France, to teaching French in Australia: Interview with Devy Baseley Language Chats Ep #003 - Foreign Language TV Series - What We’re Watching Language Chats Ep #077 - A fresh approach to PD for languages teachers: A chat with Kelly Harrison from Languages Roadshow Language Chats Ep #024 - The Language Learning Landscape in Australia: Our observations Language Chats Ep #025 - The Language Learning Landscape in Australia: how it’s changed for adults and independent learners Language Chats Ep #085 - Creating Australia’s first comprehensive language policy: A chat with Prof Joseph Lo Bianco Language Chats Ep #039 - Enthusiastic about linguistics: A chat with Gretchen & Lauren from Lingthusiasm Language Chats Ep #020 - Bite-sized language podcasts for busy people: A chat with Mark from Coffee Break Languages Language Chats Ep #050 - It’s language trivia time! Celebrating our 50th episode Language Chats Ep #055 - Leading a bilingual school: A chat with Stanley Wang, Principal of Abbotsford Primary School Language Chats Ep #093 - Informing and entertaining Australians in over 60 languages: A chat with David Hua from SBS Australia Language Chats Ep #060 - Low pressure, low commitment: Let’s dabble together in March (2022)!

In this episode, we're welcoming linguist Karla Zuluaga back to Language Chats to hear more about the interesting work she is involved in as a Community Linguist on Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory. Born in the Philippines and having grown up in NSW, a couple of years ago Karla made the big move to the Northern Territory to work with the Groote Eylandt Language Centre. She tells us more about her role as a Community Linguist, the work the centre does to promote, maintain and preserve the language of the island  - Amamalya Ayakwa (Anindilyakwa) - and her experience of the beautiful language, culture and environment of this island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Have a question for Karla or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links Language Chats Ep #042 - Introduction to Australian indigenous languages: A chat with Karla Zuluaga (Part 1) Language Chats Ep #043 - Introduction to Australian indigenous languages: A chat with Karla Zuluaga (Part 2) Anindilyakwa Land Council & Groote Eylandt Language Centre Groote Eylandt Language Centre - YouTube | Facebook NT Mob Sharing Stories in Language Groote Eylandt - Northern Territory Travel  

Feeling a bit ‘under the weather’ because it’s been ‘raining cats and dogs’? Maybe you’ve found yourself ‘in a pickle’! But if a Danish person said to you that ‘there’s no cow on the ice’ (det er ingen ko på isen), would you know what they mean? Idiomatic expressions are a really interesting part of language and in this episode, we’re chatting with Rune Pedersen, host of The Idiom, a podcast co-produced Think HQ CultureVerse and SBS Audio which explores culture through weird and wonderful idioms from Australia and around the world. Danish native Rune speaks with us about his background and interest in language, his own experiences living, studying and working with different languages across multiple countries, how The Idiom came to be and what inspired the creation of this podcast, and what captures his curiosity at the moment. Have a question for Rune or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links The Idiom podcast, co-produced Think HQ CultureVerse and SBS Audio Monolingual vs multilingual: The key to communications that will resonate with Australians today - Mumbrella Find Rune on LinkedIn | Think HQ

In this episode, we’re chatting with our intrepid traveller Penny, who is on the trip of a lifetime around Australia with her family! After setting off in August 2023 for a 5-month road trip around the country, Penny and her family are discovering parts of Australia that they’ve never been to before, encountering different languages and cultures, and experiencing all the fun, challenges and practical considerations of travelling with a camper trailer in tow. Have a question for Penny about her trip? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links About Kungarakan country - Kungarakan Culture and Education Association (NT) Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park - National Parks and Wildlife Service (SA) Wilpena Pound (SA) Coober Pedy (SA) Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Parks Australia (NT) Language | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (NT) - palya means ‘hello’ (and can also be used for ‘goodbye’, ‘thank you’ and ‘finish’) in Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Watarrka National Park (NT) Bush Food of Australia aka Bush Tucker - Welcome to Country 10 ways Aboriginal Australians made English their own - The Conversation What is the Indigenous voice to parliament, how would it work, and what happens next? - The Guardian Kakadu National Park (NT) Royal Flying Doctor Service Country kids return to online classrooms as School of the Air starts new year - ABC News Follow Penny’s trip on Instagram: @lingo_mama | @wandering_wilstones

In this episode, we’re again chatting with two members of the Language Lovers AU Community based in Australia - Han-Yu Ong and Ingrid Botha - who both kindly took the time to tell us (and you!) about their respective experiences of learning other languages, the part that language plays in their lives, and what has motivated and inspired them. Have a question for Han-Yu, Ingrid or us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links My Bilingual Family Podcast - SBS Audio Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook

In this episode, we’re chatting with two Melbourne-based members of the Language Lovers AU Community - Lily Cerôn-Fernández and Deb McLeod - who both kindly took the time to tell us (and you!) about their respective experiences of learning other languages, what has motivated and inspired them, and where languages have taken them in their lives. Have a question for Lily, Deb or us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links Victorian Curriculum - Languages - VCAA Alliance Française de Melbourne Lily’s website - Spanish Gym Language Training | Instagram: @spanishgymlanguagetraining Coffee Break Languages Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a hot topic at the moment, and in this episode of Language Chats we’re speaking with Melbourne-based conversation designer Grace Frances, whose work involves training AI assistants to interact with people and the creative aspect of conversational AI. We chat with Grace about what conversation design is and what it entails, how she found herself working in this exciting new field from a background in linguistics and copywriting, the ethics of working in this space, and the potential opportunities that AI could provide from a language and accessibility perspective. We hope you enjoy listening (and learning!) from this chat as much as we did! Have a question for Grace or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links A guide to conversation design: why, what and how - Conversation Design Institute What is Natural Language Understanding & How Does it Work? - Simplilearn The Power of Tech for Good: Why AI Needs a Moral Compass - Grace Frances on Medium The Evolution of Etiquette: Why Language Matters in Conversational AI - Grace Frances on Medium Find Grace on LinkedIn

In this episode, we’re speaking with David Hua, Director of Audio and Language Content at SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) Australia, Australia’s multilingual, multicultural and Indigenous media organisation. We speak with David about his own cultural and linguistic background, what inspired him to get into the media industry, the role that SBS has in modern Australia, what he is most proud of in the work that SBS does, and representation of culturally and linguistically diverse people in Australian media. This episode was recorded in NAIDOC Week 2023. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia, especially those of the lands on which we recorded this episode - the Wadawurrung, the Wurundjeri and the Cammeraygal people. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. We live and work on land that was, is and always will be Aboriginal country. Do you have a question for David or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) Australia ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Our History - SBS Australia SBS to broadcast live COVID-19 updates on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand in multiple languages - SBS Australia SBS Language - News & Podcasts SBS to serve more multilingual Australians than ever; investing more in Indo-Pacific and First Nations languages - SBS Australia NAIDOC Week 2023 Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan - SBS Australia Acknowledgement of Country in your language - SBS Australia Pitch your podcast idea to SBS - SBS Audio Media Diversity Australia David Hua - SBS Corporate | Twitter

In this episode, we’re chatting with Tom Shugg, VIC-based co-founder of Meg Languages. Meg Languages focuses on creating global citizens and getting students excited about learning a language by providing live Mandarin & Spanish language instruction in classrooms across Australia and around the world. Tom tells us about how he was inspired by a school trip to China in Year 9, studying Chinese at university and abroad, how Meg Languages came to be, the challenges of finding language teachers in both remote and metropolitan areas, and an exciting new project which the Meg Languages team is working on. We hope you enjoy this great chat as much as we did! Have a question for Tom or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad. Episode Links Meg Languages About Meg Languages The School of the Air - ABC Education Find Tom Shugg on LinkedIn

Love watching movies from around the world? It turns out that Bec goes to the cinema quite a lot and always has a recommendation for a film up her sleeve! Most of the movies she goes to see are in languages other English - surprise, surprise! - so in this episode, Bec is sharing a few of the international films that she’s watched over the last year or so which might also interest other language- and film-loving folk. Have a question or want to share your film recommendations with us too? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad! Episode Links Palace Cinemas | Australian Movie Theatre & Cinemas Language Chats Ep #079 - Foreign Language TV Series & Film - What We’ve Been Watching in 2022 (with Lamont from Days of French ‘n’ Swedish) Language Chats Ep #057 - Foreign Language TV Series - What We’re Watching in 2021 Language Chats Ep #030 - Foreign Language TV Series - What We’re Watching in 2020 Language Chats Ep #003 - Foreign Language TV Series - What We’re Watching German Film Festival | Presented by Palace Der Fuchs / The Fox - German Das Lehrerzimmer / The Teachers’ Lounge - German Sisi (TV series) - German (currently available in Australia on SBS On Demand) Corsage - German Sisi und Ich / Sisi & I - German Sissi (1955) - German Alliance Française French Film Festival November / Novembre - French Mascarade - French Scandinavian Film Festival | Presented by Palace Margrete den første / Margrete: Queen of the North - Danish Smagen af sult / A Taste of Hunger - Danish Metsurin tarina / The Woodcutter Story - Finnish À plein temps / Full Time - French Language Lovers AU Community

In this episode, we’re speaking with Yoshito Darmon-Shimamori, a London-based languages teacher and author, writing specifically for multilingual children. Yoshito grew up in France, bilingual in French and Japanese, and learnt English and Spanish at school. His wife is Korean and they are now bringing up their children to be multilingual and multiliterate in their three home languages: Korean, French and English. We speak with him about his language-filled home environment, his work promoting multilingual parenting and the importance of making language purposeful, and creating a bilingual graphic novel which is adaptable to any home language. Do you have a question for Yoshito or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad! Episode Links Library4Multilinguals Library4Multilinguals - Youtube Activities for Multilingual Families - Youtube Find Yoshito on Instagram: @multilingual_dad | LinkedIn: Yoshito Darmon-Shimamori

In this episode, we’re speaking with US-based Lauren Williams, a speech language pathologist and founder of Polyglot Station and Language TV Club. As well as working with language day-to-day, Lauren is also a long-time language enthusiast who has studied French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese (and dabbled in others!). We chat with her about her work as a speech language pathologist, her language learning experiences, how Polyglot Station and Language TV Club began and how they have grown. We hope you enjoy this Language Chat! Have a question for Lauren or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad! Episode Links Language Chats Ep #36 - Fascinated by sound: A chat with opera singer and speech pathologist, Sarah Lobegeiger de Rodriguez Language Chats Ep #73 - From Linguistics to Speech Pathology: A chat with Erin Tibbitts Polyglot Station | @polyglotstation Language TV Club | @languagetvclub Drôle (French language series) Dark (German language series) Find Lauren on Instagram: @livingonlanguage

In this episode, we’re speaking with Michelle Parkin, a member of the Language Lovers AU Community! Michelle is a passionate teacher and language enthusiast, who has studied German, French, Italian and Portuguese, and LOVES listening to podcasts! Michelle tells us about her language learning journey over the years, from learning at school, independent language learning, returning to study languages at university level and her teaching experiences as well. We talk about the many (and varied) resources that she has tried, tested and enjoyed at different learning stages to achieve specific language learning goals. Have a question for Michelle or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group, Language Lovers AU Community, to connect with other like-minded language lovers in Australia and abroad! Episode Links Eurovision Song Contest 2023 - Liverpool, UK For those in Australia, you can watch all the Eurovision 2023 Semi Finals and Grand Final on SBS On Demand Loreen - Euphoria | Sweden | Live - Grand Final - Eurovision 2012 Women In Language Conference Duolingo How To Use Reverse Tree Duolingo To Improve Your Language Learning - ILoveLanguages.com Coffee Break German podcast Language Chats Ep #020 - Bite-sized language podcasts for busy people: A chat with Mark from Coffee Break Languages Easy German podcast Easy Languages University of New England (UNE) - Language Courses Italki German Uncovered Drops Find Michelle on LinkedIn | Instagram @threepointlanguage Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook

In this episode, we’re chatting with Damian Bolton, an Indonesian language teacher based in Canberra who brings his passion and fascination for languages into the primary school classroom. Damian tells us about how he came to learn Indonesian after growing up in regional NSW with very little exposure to languages other than English, how an exchange program after high school changed his life, his love for his work as an Indonesian language teacher and what he thinks about the perception that Indonesian is an ‘easy’ language to learn. If you’d like to connect with other Aussie language lovers like Damian, join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community and get involved in the conversation! Episode Links Wiradjuri language - Wikipedia Indonesian matters in our schools - Pursuit - The University of Melbourne Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook

In this episode, Penny & Bec are chatting about where our interest in language has taken us in life, both literally and figuratively. We talk about what learning other languages has inspired us to do and how it’s allowed us to have some pretty cool experiences over the years - which have influenced our studies, careers and personal lives - as well as the things that we perhaps wish we had (or hadn’t!) done along the way. What has language given you the opportunity to do? How has learning another language impacted your experiences and view of the world? Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community and let us know your thoughts! Episode Links Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook

Our guest for this episode is Joseph Lo Bianco, Professor Emeritus of Language and Literacy Education at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne. We were delighted to have the opportunity to speak with Joe about his career and work on language, culture and literacy education in Australia and around the world. Among many other interesting research projects and advisory roles, in the late 1980s he wrote The National Policy on Languages, Australia’s first explicit and comprehensive language policy, and the first multilingual national language policy in an English speaking country. Tune in and let us know your thoughts! Join the Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook to take part in the conversation or get in touch with us here. Episode Links Professor Joseph Lo Bianco - Find an Expert at The University of Melbourne Research Gate - Joseph Lo Bianco Excerpts from The National Policy on Languages (1987) - Multicultural Australia Australian Education Review: Second Languages and Australian Schooling (2009), Joseph Lo Bianco, University of Melbourne Find Joe on Twitter @josephlobianco | LinkedIn

In this episode, we’re chatting with John Jang, a Korean-born Australian who has already had many interesting and varied experiences in his life so far… Many of which have involved learning other languages! John’s first language is Korean and he learnt English as his second language after migrating to Australia as a kid, but he has also studied Japanese, Italian, German, Tunisian Arabic, and French. John is the Co-Founder and CEO of Pengguin, a videoconferencing app which helps make online language lessons more fun and interactive, and also works as a co-producer of Easy Arabic at Easy Languages. Do you have any questions for John or for us? Join the Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook to take part in the conversation or get in touch with us here. Episode Links Polyglot Conference Pengguin.com - The future of language learning is at play Geotastic - multiplayer geo quiz app Easy Languages Easy Languages on YouTube Easy Arabic on YouTube Find John on LinkedIn

About this Language Chat In this episode, we’re chatting with Natalie King, a member of the Language Lovers AU Community who shows us that you can learn and continue to learn other languages no matter what stage of life you find yourself at. We’re so inspired by her story! Natalie has studied Latin, German, Japanese, French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Turkish at different times in her life, and we loved speaking with her about her experiences of learning languages through various methods (at times when there have been more - or less! - resources available), the important part that being brave has to play, her enviable travels around the world and how language learning brings her joy. Does Natalie’s story inspire you too? Join the Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook to take part in the conversation and let us know about any questions you might have! Episode Links University of New England - Study Languages Rosetta Stone Language Learning Language Chats Ep #081 - Embrace feeling like an idiot: A chat with Benny Lewis from Fluent in 3 Months Mosalingua Agglutinative language - Encyclopedia Britannica Italki Conversation Exchange - Language learning with native speakers Skritter - Learn to Write Chinese and Japanese Characters The Chairman's Bao - Chinese Immersion with Graded News Anki - Flashcards SBS News In-Language - news in more than 60 languages Find Natalie on Instagram at @natalinguist / @scoutaroundtheworld

A fresh year, a fresh start! In this episode of Language Chats, we speak about Bec’s attempts at speaking other languages during her Christmas travels, Penny’s plan to re-start a language this year, a different strategy for learning grammar structures, as well as how the chat in our last episode is encouraging us to be fine with feeling like an idiot (thanks to our guest Benny Lewis for the sound advice!). What are your language plans for 2023? Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community and let us know! We’d love to hear from you. Episode Links Language Chats Ep #081 - Embrace feeling like an idiot: A chat with Benny Lewis from Fluent in 3 Months French Speak How the chunking method can help you learn English - Lingoda (this article is intended for English learners, but the concept is absolutely applicable to other languages too!) Learning Language in Chunks - The New York Times

Full-time traveller, polyglot, author and founder of Fluent in 3 Months, Benny Lewis is our first guest on Language Chats for the new year! Benny is well known in the language learning world for his ‘speak from day one’ attitude and his popular blog, YouTube videos and books (Fluent in 3 Months and the Language Hacking series), through which he shares his experiences, strategies and tips for other people wanting to learn a language in a faster, smarter way. Tune into this episode to hear from Benny about how he went from feeling like he just didn’t have the ‘language gene’ to speaking seven languages at B2+ level (and being conversational in many others), everything that Fluent in 3 Months encompasses and why he’s proud to be “the idiot polyglot that the world needs”. If you enjoyed this episode, let us know! Subscribe and leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice - we love hearing from you! - and become a member of our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community to join the conversation. Episode Links Fluent in 3 Months Fluent in 3 Months - Bootcamp Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World by Benny Lewis Language Hacking series (Teach Yourself) Find out more about Benny and Fluent in 3 Months on Instagram: @irishpolyglot @languagehacking / YouTube: @irishpolyglot @fi3m Language Hacking podcast

It’s our last episode for 2022 and now that the festive season is here, we’re chatting about gift ideas for language lovers (whether the language lover in question is you or someone else)! From books and games to things that you may be able to gift to a language-loving friends or family members who live further away, we hope this episode helps provide you with some ideas and thought-starters for useful, fun and inspiring presents, no matter how you celebrate at this time of year! This episode is sponsored by Clozemaster - an app which aims to help bridge the gap from advanced beginner to native level content and help you to rapidly expand your vocabulary in another language. It’s free to sign up and get started! The paid version, Clozemaster Pro, gives you more advanced features such as unlimited sentences, more stats and customised review - use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off your Clozemaster Pro subscription. Do you have a great gift idea for a language lover in your life? Share it with us in the Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook or let us know here. Episode Links Clozemaster - Download from the App Store | Google Play (use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off Clozemaster Pro!) Language Chats Ep #058 - Unwrapped! Christmas Gift Ideas for Language Lovers Film / Screenplay books (e.g. Das Leben der anderen - Filmbuch or Werk ohne Autor - Filmbuch in German) Ciao Bella! Six Take Italy by Kate Langbroek Coffee Break Languages books - available in French, Italian, German & Spanish Ep #020 - Bite-sized language podcasts for busy people: A chat with Mark from Coffee Break Languages The Fabulous Lost and Found series by written by Mark Pallis, illustrated by Peter Baynton Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Palace Cinemas Movie Club / Palace Cinemas Gift Card So Frenchy So Chic 2023 - Melbourne | 15 Jan 2023, Sydney | 21 Jan 2023 Polyglot Station / Language TV Club Classic board games available in other languages (e.g. Monopoly classique in French) Language Learning Planner - The Intrepid Guide Language learning app subscriptions (e.g. Clozemaster - remember to use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off Clozemaster Pro!) Online lesson credits (e.g. Italki) Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook | Instagram: @languagelovers.au | Website: www.languagelovers.com.au

If you need a recommendation for a new TV series or film to watch, look no further - our annual ‘What We’ve Been Watching’ episode is back for 2022! We have always loved chatting about what we’ve been watching in other languages and, this time, we have a special guest to join us! We invited Lamont from Days of French ‘n’ Swedish back to join us for a second time on Language Chats in 2022 to hear about what he’s been watching as well (those who follow Lamont’s YouTube channel may know that he also loves to share his thoughts about international TV series that he’s seen). We cover quite a lot of series and films in this chat, so see the episode links below for titles, languages and where you can currently watch in Australia. This episode is sponsored by Clozemaster - an app which aims to help bridge the gap from advanced beginner to native level content and help you to rapidly expand your vocabulary in another language. It’s free to sign up and get started! The paid version, Clozemaster Pro, gives you more advanced features such as unlimited sentences, more stats and customised review - use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off your Clozemaster Pro subscription. What have you been watching in other languages this year? Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community and let us know! Episode Links NB: Where possible, we’ve noted where you can currently (Nov 2022) watch these series in Australia. If you are located outside Australia, you may need to look a little further to find where these shows are available for you to view! Clozemaster - Download from the App Store | Google Play (use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off Clozemaster Pro!) Ep #071 - An Aussie language learner on YouTube: A chat with Lamont from Days of French ‘n’ Swedish Trapped / Ófærð - Icelandic (SBS On Demand) Borgen: Power and Glory / Borgen: Riget, Magten og Æren - Danish (Netflix) Caliphate / Kalifat - Swedish (Netflix) My Brilliant Friend / L’amica geniale - Italian (SBS On Demand) The Quiet Girl / An Cailín Ciúin - Irish Gaelic The Day / De Dag - Flemish Tabula Rasa - Flemish (Netflix) Compartment No. 6 / Hytti nro 6 - Russian, Finnish True Colours - English / Arrernte (SBS On Demand) Cry Wolf / Ulven kommer - Danish All Quiet On The Western Front / Im Westen nichts Neues - German (Netflix) Joyeux Noël - English, French, German Extraordinary Attorney Woo - Korean (Netflix) Dubai Bling - Arabic (Netflix) SBS News in Arabic SBS News in Mandarin Days of French ‘n’ Swedish - Lamont’s YouTube Channel Find Lamont on Instagram at @days_french_swedish

Does learning a new skill (e.g. a new language!) make you feel energised and excited, or frustrated and anxious? Or perhaps you’ve felt a combination of both? In this episode of Language Chats, Penny & Bec are chatting about the earliest stages in language learning and all the feelings that come with it - good and bad! - after Penny saw this article in The Guardian which talks about how to embrace being a beginner. We discuss our own experiences of being beginners in different languages, tempering the very real anxiety and insecurity that we can all face in the struggle of learning something new, as well as the joy and satisfaction that can come from developing new skills, which can be especially enhanced by being in the company of other learners. This episode is sponsored by Clozemaster - an app which aims to help bridge the gap from advanced beginner to native level content and help you to rapidly expand your vocabulary in another language. It’s free to sign up and get started! The paid version, Clozemaster Pro, gives you more advanced features such as unlimited sentences, more stats and customised review - use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off your Clozemaster Pro subscription. Can you relate to these feelings when you’ve been a beginner too? Have you embraced and experienced a ‘beginner’s mindset’ (or will you aim to in future)? Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community and let us know your thoughts! Episode Links Clozemaster - Download from the App Store | Google Play (use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off Clozemaster Pro!) Learning new skills can be daunting. Here are four ways to embrace being a beginner - The Guardian The Bureau (French-language series - currently available to watch in Australia on SBS On Demand) Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community to chat and share with other like-minded language lovers in Australia!

In this episode, we’re chatting with NSW-based Japanese & English teacher Kelly Harrison, the founder & director of Languages Roadshow. Languages Roadshow offers face to face events, online courses, creative resources and individualised support for teachers and schools, to empower educators to implement innovative teaching methods. Kelly tells us all about her journey and experience of learning Japanese and becoming a teacher, why she decided to start Languages Roadshow, the challenges that languages educators face across Australia in both metro and regional areas, and the impact that learning about language education and language development has had on her life professionally and personally. This episode is sponsored by Clozemaster - an app which aims to help bridge the gap from advanced beginner to native level content and help you to rapidly expand your vocabulary in another language. It’s free to sign up and get started! The paid version, Clozemaster Pro, gives you more advanced features such as unlimited sentences, more stats and customised review - use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off your Clozemaster Pro subscription. If you are a language teacher who can identify with some or all of the things discussed in this episode, then we would love to hear from you! Let us know your thoughts. Episode Links Clozemaster - Download from the App Store | Google Play (use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off Clozemaster Pro!) Languages Roadshow - Professional Development for Languages Educators What is Content and Language Integrated Learning? (CLIL) - Pearson AFMLTA - Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations Australian Curriculum Language Disorder Australia Find out more about Kelly and Languages Roadshow on Instagram: @languagesroadshow / Facebook: Languages Roadshow / LinkedIn: Kelly Harrison Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community to chat and share with other like-minded language lovers in Australia!

So… You’re not a beginner anymore in the language that you’re learning, but you’re still a long way from considering yourself fluent. How do we deal with this hazy - and sometimes, seemingly endless - period of being kind of intermediate? In this episode, Penny & Bec speak about their experiences of this tricky but also empowering learning stage that comes after beginner, whether you like to describe it as intermediate, post-beginner, conversational or otherwise. We chat about the challenges of defining this period in your language learning, the fluctuations in confidence you can experience as well as the freedom that comes with having greater knowledge and choice in how you continue to learn. We’re also delighted to have the support of our very first sponsor, Clozemaster - an app which aims to help bridge the gap from advanced beginner to native level content and help you to rapidly expand your vocabulary in another language. It’s free to sign up and get started! The paid version, Clozemaster Pro, gives you more advanced features such as unlimited sentences, more stats and customised review - use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off your Clozemaster Pro subscription. What are your experiences of this stage in your language learning? Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community and share your thoughts with us! Episode Links Clozemaster - Download from the App Store | Google Play (use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off Clozemaster Pro!) Language Chats Ep #074 - Independent but not alone: Self-managed language learning The Chairman’s Bao - News-based graded reading for Chinese learners Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook

In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Jenna Lo Bianco, a Melbourne-based educator, author, PhD candidate and mum of two, who lives and breathes all things Italian. Jenna is one of the most enthusiastic and passionate language educators we know (we challenge you to not feel motivated to support language education in Australia after listening to this episode!) and we were thrilled to have her on the podcast to tell us about all the doors that language has opened in her life and career. From teaching and higher study, to writing extensively for fiction and non-fiction, it is the Italian language and culture which has been the common thread through so many of the wonderful opportunities that she has experienced so far - we are inspired just thinking about it! Do you have any questions for Jenna or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community to join the conversation. Episode Links Find out more about Jenna on Instagram: @the.italian.teacher / LinkedIn: Jenna Lo Bianco Ep #070 - Normalising multilingualism in Australian families: A chat with Sheila Ngọc Phạm Ep #068 - Living and loving a language-filled life and career: A chat with Katerina Forrester Segmento Italian Magazine

When you think of self-study or independent language learning, do you picture yourself studying alone, at a desk, perhaps with a few books and a laptop? Maybe some headphones too? There’s nothing wrong with this image at all, of course! But learning a language in a way that is entirely self-directed, in a way that suits your needs, motivations and available time, doesn’t necessarily mean learning alone and without any support, resources or recommendations on where to go to next. In this episode of Language Chats, we speak about our experiences of independent language learning over the years, methods and strategies that we’ve found helpful, how we’ve decided what works for us (and how to acknowledge when something isn’t working), and some other bits and pieces that we’ve learnt along the way about motivation, commitment, resources and goal-setting. What are your experiences of independent or solo language learning? Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community and share your thoughts with us! Episode Links Join us at Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook

If you think that speech pathologists only work with stutters and lisps, then listen in - the world of speech pathology is much wider than you might realise! In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Melbourne-based speech pathologist (or ‘speechie’) Erin Tibbitts who has long had an interest in languages and linguistics. Born in New Zealand and having lived in a range of places around the world before studying and settling in Melbourne about 20 years ago, we speak with Erin about her language story, her ‘chameleon’ accent in English, her studies in linguistics and speech pathology, and her work as a speechie both in healthcare and more recently in the public service, where she now helps to facilitate communication in the justice system in Victoria. Do you have any questions for Erin or for us? Get in touch or join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community to continue the conversation! Episode Links Language Chats Ep #036 - Fascinated by sound: A chat with opera singer and speech pathologist, Sarah Lobegeiger de Rodriguez IPA Chart with Sounds | International Phonetic Alphabet Language Chats Ep #072 - Re-tuning your ears: Practising listening skills in another language

How do you like to practise your listening skills in another language? Does listening form a greater (or smaller) part of your language learning routine than reading, speaking or writing? In this episode, Penny & Bec chat about different ways they like to work on their listening in other languages and some of their experiences with this developing this skill in different languages over the years. We speak about our favourite ways to get listening practice, how listening doesn’t have to be passive, and some methods and strategies we’ve found helpful along the way. What have you found most helpful for your listening skills in another language? Join our Facebook group - Language Lovers AU Community - and share your thoughts with us! Episode Links Improve your Listening in a Foreign Language - The Ultimate Guide - Joy of Languages Simple Danish Podcast - Denmark&Me Coffee Break Languages (you can also listen to our chat with Mark from Coffee Break Languages in Episode 20!) Japanese podcast for beginners (Nihongo con Teppei) SBS Radio - Podcasts (available in 68 languages!) SBS Italian - Slow Italian, Fast Learning podcast SBS French - SBS Easy French podcast SBS Japanese - Slow Japanese podcast Language Reactor Google Chrome extension

YouTube can be a real treasure trove of information and inspiration for language learners, especially when it comes to hearing about other people’s experiences and how it might be able to help you in your own language learning journey. If you’re like us, we love hearing tips and recommendations from others! In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with NSW-based Lamont, the creator behind the Days of French ‘n’ Swedish YouTube channel. Lamont has been learning languages for over five years now with a major focus on Swedish and, with over 54,000 subscribers on YouTube (as of July 2022), his informative language learning videos clearly have a significant audience of interested viewers! We chat with Lamont about his own language learning experiences, his YouTube channels and how this started, why he decided to stop learning French, his favourite YouTube videos that he has created, and more. Do you identify with some of the things we spoke to Lamont about in this chat? Have any questions for us or our guest? Contact us here. Episode Links Days of French ‘n’ Swedish - Lamont’s YouTube Channel Italki Language Reactor Google Chrome Extension (formerly called Language Learning with Netflix) You can listen to some of our thoughts on the Language Learning with Netflix tool here: Language Chats Ep #008 - Language Learning with Netflix: A Game Changer for TV Lovers Matt vs Japan YouTube Channel IMMERSION: The Movie - Days of French ‘n’ Swedish How to read FANTASY in a foreign language - Days of French ‘n’ Swedish Find Lamont on Instagram at @days_french_swedish

Our guest in this episode of Language Chats is Sydney-based writer, editor, producer and scholar Sheila Ngọc Phạm who has worked across radio, print, online and film. Languages are a big part of Sheila’s life, as a bilingual English/Vietnamese Australian whose interest in language led her to study linguistics and learn a number of other languages through her travels and experiences in life so far. We chat about her linguistic background as the child of Vietnamese parents growing up in Sydney, her love and enjoyment of language, her work on two particular podcast series (Tongue Tied and Fluent on ABC Radio National and My Bilingual Family on SBS) which focus on language in Australia, the challenges for those trying to raise children bilingually, multilingualism in Australia, and more. Sheila is also a member of our community on Facebook, Language Lovers AU Community - join us there too if you’d like to be a part of the conversation and connect with other like-minded language lovers! We loved this chat (and could have spoken with Sheila for hours!) so we hope you enjoy it. Contact us here to let us know your thoughts about this episode or if you have any questions for us or Sheila. Episode Links Find out more about Sheila on her website here / Twitter: @birdpham Tongue Tied and Fluent podcast (ABC Radio National), produced by Masako Fukui and Sheila Ngoc Pham My Bilingual Family podcast (SBS), produced by Masako Fukui and Sheila Ngoc Pham Some of Sheila’s writing on multilingualism: Bringing up a bilingual child is hard work. But passing on your mother language is a gift beyond words by Sheila Ngọc Phạm for Tongue Tied and Fluent on Earshot (ABC Radio National) Five common myths about raising bilingual children by Sheila Ngoc Pham, Masako Fukui Language Death by David Crystal

Do incentives or rewards play a part in how you stay motivated in your language learning? In this episode of Language Chats, we speak about how we incentivise or reward ourselves for our language learning efforts (if at all!) and the range of things and feelings that can serve us in this way as learners. Rewards don’t always come in physical, tangible forms - they can be something very internal, like a feeling of pride at having stepped outside of your comfort zone or having been understood in your target language. We also chat about how this relates to goal-setting, motivation and routines like habit tracking or maintaining a streak. Are you a ‘slave to the streak’ like Bec? Or do you love travel like Penny and use your trips as both your motivation and your reward? Join the Language Lovers AU Community and let us know your thoughts! From this episode onwards, we will also be starting each episode of Language Chats with an acknowledgement of country. This is something that has featured in two of our previous episodes - Ep #42 Introduction to Australian indigenous languages: A chat with Karla Zuluaga (Part 1) & Ep #49 Connecting to indigenous culture through language: A chat with Yaaran from @wiradyuri - and is a simple but important gesture to pay respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we live today. Episode Links How the Acknowledgment of Country became a core national custom — and why it matters - ABC News

Have you ever wondered what the most challenging and rewarding things about being a high school language teacher in Australia would be, when English is everywhere? It’s a task that teachers like Kat take on everyday and honestly - we’re in awe! In this Language Chat, we speak with Kat Forrester, a Melbourne-based French language teacher, language enthusiast and self-confessed syntax geek who lives and breathes a love of language everyday. Kat tells us about her experiences of learning, studying and teaching, what’s inspired her, what motivates and challenges her to pass on her love of French to her school students, and lots more. We hope you enjoy this chat as much as we did! Do you have any questions for Kat or for us? Contact us here. Episode Links You can find Kat online at I Love French Australia Blog | Instagram: @ilovefrenchaustralia | Facebook: I Love French Australia Easy Languages YouTube channel Camille - Le Fil Tryo Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority - French

In this episode of Language Chats, we’re chatting with one of our Language Lovers AU Community members, Julie Eggleton. Julie is originally from the Gold Coast but now lives with her family in Switzerland (and we are very jealous of the beautiful view of the mountains which she has from her desk at home!). We speak about her experiences of learning French and German over the years, living overseas and learning a language once you’re in a country where the language is spoken (hint: immersion isn’t a magical way to learn a language without any of the hard work!), the challenges of trying to learn another language for work and for life, and what kids can teach us all about persistence. Do you have a question for us or for Julie? Contact us here. Episode Links Women In Language - a unique online event designed to champion, celebrate, and amplify the lesser-heard voices in language learning Agnieszka Murdoch - 5-Minute Language Forgetting your native language is a thing - Agnieszka Murdoch

Have you lost the fun from your learning? What comes to mind when you think of fun + language learning?    In this episode of Language Chats, together with some members of Language Lovers AU, we discuss the best tips to get the fun back into your languages.   From journaling to tracking your motivations, making real-life connections, gamifying your learning, and going to a cafe, we talk about what makes it fun for others and for us.   We love hearing from you. What’s your best tip for making your learning fun? Share your recommendations with us on the Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook or contact us here. Episode Links Eurovision - Ukrainian entry from 2021 Lyrics training Lingo Legend app Drops app Say what with friends Polygloss app  

In this episode of Language Chats, we’re chatting with one of our Language Lovers AU Community members, Kathy Ismail. Malaysian-born and now based in Melbourne, Kathy is an enthusiastic language lover who grew up in a very multilingual environment in Kuala Lumpur and an interest in language has stayed with her ever since! Kathy is an architect by trade but also hosts a Malay language program on Melbourne community radio station 3ZZZ.   We speak with Kathy about her language learning story and the languages which have taken her interest, the role that language plays in her life and how she got involved in hosting a show in her mother tongue on local community radio.   Does Kathy’s story resonate with you? Do you have any questions for Kathy or for us? Let us know.   Episode Links 3ZZZ Melbourne Ethnic Community Radio 3ZZZ Malaysian Program

Need a recommendation for something new to read? In this episode, we chat about our favourite books about language, travel or both (and a few books that we’re planning to read soon)! From novels that whisk you away to another place where you find yourself surrounded by new sounds and experiences, to non-fiction reads about how language is changing and where it has come from, let us tell you a bit about the language- and travel-related reads that have inspired, enlightened and delighted us over the last few years.   You’ll find links to all the books we mention in the show notes below.   Have a great book recommendation? Share it with us on the Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook or contact us here.   Episode Links Because Internet: Understanding how language is changing by Gretchen McCulloch Ep #039 - Enthusiastic about linguistics: A chat with Gretchen & Lauren from Lingthusiasm The Grape Series by Laura Bradbury Almost French by Sarah Turnbull All Good Things by Sarah Turnbull Lingo and Babel by Gaston Dorren Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China by Fuchsia Dunlop Dreaming in Chinese... and Discovering What Makes a Billion People Tick by Deborah Fallows Mother Tongue: The Story Of The English Language by Bill Bryson How Language Works by David Crystal Languages Are Good For Us by Sophie Hardach The Yield by Tara June Winch Empires Of The Word: A Language History Of The World by Nicholas Ostler How Language Began: The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention by Daniel Everett The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language by Steven Pinker I Heart Rome by Maria Pasquale Ciao Bella!: Six Take Italy by Kate Langbroek Still Life by Sarah Winman La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italy and the most Enchanting Language in the World by Dianne Hales The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows Not A Year Off: The Story Behind Language Stories by Lindsay Williams | Language Stories podcast  

What place does a passion for languages have in your life? How can we better experience a language and a culture more fully as learners, especially if we don’t live in a place where the language is spoken? In this episode, we speak with Elfin Waters from All About Italian, who is an Italian language coach based in Cremona, Italy. Elfin helps people who are passionate about Italy to nurture their connection to the country and the language through TV shows and language immersion retreats. With her friends and fellow teachers Silvia and Barbara, she also co-hosts the podcast Con Parole Nostre which is centred on genuine conversations between friends in Italian. Elfin shares her story with languages with us, her thoughts on how enjoying the things that bring you joy and passion are an important way to care for yourself, the positive impact of multilinguals and language learners on a community, using TV series as a tool for language learning, and more. Have any thoughts that you would like to share with us or with Elfin? Join the conversation on our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community, follow us on Instagram @languagelovers.au or send us a message. Episode Links All About Italian You can find Elfin on Instagram at @allaboutitalian Elfin’s Coffee Break with Montalbano sessions Con Parole Nostre podcast

We love hearing about the experiences of Australians who are living abroad and have the opportunity to use other languages day to day! In this episode, we chat with Jess (you might know her as @aussieinasia on Instagram or Mindful Lang on YouTube) who is currently teaching English in South Korea. She tells us about her experiences of learning Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Arabic, her path to living, studying and working in Asia, her goals for this year and some of her learning tips. Have any questions for Jess or for us? Let us know! Episode LinksYou can find Jess on Instagram @aussieinasia | YouTube: Mindful Lang Join the Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook to take part in the March 2022 #DabbleChallenge!

t’s a pretty great feeling when you discover and meet other people who share the same interests as you, right? Women in Language is the virtual place where we first got in touch with each other and realised that, yes - there are other people just like us, who love languages too! Now coming up to its fifth edition, Women in Language is an online event created to champion, celebrate and amplify female and non-binary voices in language learning, organised by Kerstin Cable (Fluent Language), Lindsay Williams (Lindsay Does Languages) and Shannon Kennedy (Eurolinguiste). The 2022 event is coming up on 4-6 March and tickets are now on sale! In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Lindsay about this year’s event and how the amazing community around this fun, exciting and accessible online event has grown over the years. Will you be attending Women in Language? Let us know! Episode LinksGet your ticket to Women in Language 2022 here! Ep #029 - Sharing the voices of Women In Language: A chat with Kerstin from The Fluent Show

Happy New Year, language lovers! We’re back for 2022 and looking forward to another great year of Language Chats! To get things started on an exciting note, in this episode we’re announcing something fun for our community - a low-pressure, low-commitment language challenge which was suggested by one of our members (and past Language Chats guest), Evan, which will be focused on having a dabble in a new language. Why dabble alone when you could dabble at the same time as others and share the experience? There’ll be more info on this coming via our Facebook group, so join here if you’re interested in having a dabble with us in March! Episode LinksWordle - A daily word game - this is the original English version but there are versions in many other languages popping up online! Language Chats Ep 23 - Russian, French and long-term goals in mind: A chat with Evan Walters Language Chats Ep 59 - Reflections: Looking back on our language learning in 2021 Join the Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook to take part in our Dabble Challenge in March! Language Chats Ep 7 - Dabbling: Why It’s Ok To Not Commit

How do you feel about your language learning in 2021? Did you reach the goals that you set out to achieve, or did this crazy year throw you just as many curveballs as 2020? In this episode of Language Chats, we’re reflecting on our language learning this year and how this might impact our plans for 2022. We chat about how we feel about the year as a whole, what worked for us and what didn’t, as well as what we are thinking of aiming towards for next year. This is our last episode for 2021, so we’d like to also say a big THANK YOU to you for joining us and tuning into Language Chats! If you haven’t already, stay in touch with us by following us on Instagram and Facebook, or by joining the Language Lovers AU Community. We wish you a safe and happy festive season and look forward to recording more fun episodes in 2022! Episode Links Language Chats Ep #038 - Looking back to look ahead - our language plans for 2021 Terrace House (TV series in Japanese)

It’s getting to that time of year… It’s almost Christmas! Are you thinking about what language-related goodies you’d like to find (or put) under the Christmas tree, or which ones you can gift to a language lover who lives further away? In this episode of Language Chats, we’re talking about what we’d like Santa to bring us (*hint hint* friends/family/significant others) as well as gift ideas for language lovers like us, whether they are near or far. What language-themed gifts would you like to give or receive this festive season? Let us know! And a big thank you to the members of our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community for sharing their thoughts on this with us too. This episode is not sponsored - all ideas and recommendations are purely based on our personal opinions! Episode Links Italki Gift Cards NativShark The Cultured Kid The Language TV Club Memrise uTalk LingoDeer Clozemaster Free to Feed - Melbourne Lingo Mama - Wiradjuri Language Trip (28 April – 1 May 2022) To Asia, With Love by Hetty McKinnon Destination Flavour by Adam Liaw Irregular Endings - Printable Bilingual Calendars & Notepad Templates Say What With Friends - Language card games @wiradyuri - Wiradjuri Bali Yarra (Baby Talk) flash cards The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book: Lexical perplexities and cracking conundrums from across the globe by Alex Bellos Lingo by Gaston Dorren Babel by Gaston Dorren Ep #056 - Not just textbooks: Structure in language learning Babel: The Language Magazine Græs Magazine

Need something new to watch? Despite those childhood warnings about getting square eyes, we still both watch an almighty amount of TV and we particularly love watching series in other languages (so it’s educational, right?). In what has become an annual tradition for Language Chats, we’re chatting about what we’ve been watching this year - from light-hearted Scandinavian series to French reality TV, drama to documentaries, we’ve covered some serious multilingual viewing in 2021! What have you been watching? Let us know here, in our Facebook Group or Instagram. Episode Links NB: we’ve noted where you can currently (Nov 2021) watch these series in Australia. If you are located outside Australia, you may need to look a little further to find where these shows are available for you to view! Rita - Danish (Netflix) Welcome to Sweden - English / Swedish (SBS On Demand) Nailed It - English (SBS On Demand English / with Vietnamese subtitles) How Tippi Hedren made Vietnamese refugees into nail salon magnates - BBC News New Gold Mountain - English / Cantonese (SBS On Demand) The Parisian Agency / L’Agence - French (Netflix) Destination Flavour Japan - English (SBS On Demand) Squid Game - Korean (Netflix) Netflix hit show 'Squid Game' spurs interest in learning Korean - Reuters The Sleepers - Czech (SBS On Demand) The Serpent - English / Dutch / French / Thai (Netflix) The Durrells - English / Greek (The youngest Durrell (Gerald) wrote My Family and Other Animals in 1956 - If you haven’t read My Family and Other Animals, do so – preferably with a child - The Guardian) Never Look Away / Werk ohne Autor - German (SBS On Demand)

How does the word ‘structure’ make you feel in the context of learning a language? The idea of structured learning might conjure images in your mind of textbooks or classrooms, but structure can come in many forms - some more or less effective for different people in a different stages of their learning. In this episode of Language Chats, we’re chatting about our experiences of learning languages in both structured and less structured environments, and the kinds of structure that have worked (and those that haven’t) for us. What experiences have you had of more and less structured language learning? What did you love and what did you loathe? Let us know or share your thoughts on our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community! Episode LinksDeutsche Welle (DW) - Learn German Language Chats Ep #002 - Independent vs Class Learning - The Pros and Cons

Bilingual education is being embraced by more schools, educators and communities in Australia, as its benefits become more established and accepted. Although still a niche part of the Australian educational landscape, there are a number of bilingual schools around the country, which allow students to learn through another language in addition to English. In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Stanley Wang, Principal of Abbotsford Primary School in Melbourne, the home of Australia’s longest running Chinese-English Bilingual Program. Stanley was also recently awarded the 2021 40 Under 40: Most Influential Asian-Australian Award in the education category. We chat with Stanley about how he became a teacher, bilingual education in general, its benefits and challenges, what it’s like leading a bilingual school and his own personal experiences of learning and enjoying language, including the free online Mandarin Conversation Club (中文之友会) he runs online for adults. What are your thoughts on bilingual education? Do you have any questions for us or Stanley? Let us know! Episode LinksFind Stanley on LinkedIn Abbotsford Primary School Abbotsford PS on Facebook 中文之友会 (Mandarin Conversation Club) ABC News - Young Australians share how they built careers in the middle of COVID pandemic (2021 40 under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians Awards) 华人青年荣获“40位40岁以下最具影响力亚裔澳大利亚人”奖 畅谈奋斗历程

How much do you know about Filipino food, culture and language? Did you know that Australians of Filipino heritage make up the fifth largest group of Australians born overseas*? In this Language Chat, we speak with Fides Mae Santos-Arguelles, independent business consultant and co-founder of The Entree.Pinays, a food-loving entrepreneurial group of Filipinas working together to bring Filipino cuisine, culture and community to the hearts, minds and tastebuds of Australians on Wurundjeri country. We chat about growing up with Filipino heritage in Australia, pride for community and identity, the diversity of Filipino languages and dialects, and how The Entree.Pinays aims to improve the representation and celebration of Filipino food, culture and community in Australia. Do you have any questions or thoughts to share with us or Fides? Let us know! Episode Links The Entree.PinaysWebsite: entreepinays.com Instagram: @entree.pinays merkado-market.com A Christmas Message in our diverse dialects Curious about Filipino food? Try cooking some dishes:Gourmet Traveller: The Entree.Pinays make Silog SBS Food: Calamansi Gin and Calamansi Tart, and adobo (pork & chicken) or mushroom adobo (with Yasmin Newman on Adam Liaw's The Cook Up) The Calamansi Story In My Kusina #isocooking IGTV series Try Fides’s Dad's Bistek Kapampangan Turon Banoffee Pie by Grace Guinto, Co-Founder and Chief Baking Officer of Sweet Cora Filipino restaurants to dine in Melbourne:Chibog West Footscray Mama Lors Werribee

Australians aren’t well known for their language skills (unfortunately)… But is this just a stereotype? Do we really struggle at learning languages, or are we just expecting too much, too soon, when we set out on a language learning journey? In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Margaux Josse, a Melbourne-based French language teacher who has been teaching French to Australians of different ages, backgrounds and motivations across a range of professional contexts for over six years. We chat about what it’s like teaching Australians another language, how she came to teach her mother tongue to others, her experiences of her students’ challenges, strengths and motivations, how things have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the part that intercultural differences and similarities can play. Have a question for Margaux or for us? Get in touch! Episode LinksFind Margaux on LinkedIn

In this episode of Language Chats, we’re talking the ‘F’ word! Maybe not the F word you are thinking about…. but FLUENCY. Our very own Language Chats co-host Bec talks about her French language learning experience from a beginner 5-year-old kid to becoming ‘fluent’. What does fluent mean to you? Is it a goal of yours? Can you be fluent in a particular context and not in others? What about all the pressures of admitting you are fluent? Does it take confidence to talk about your language skills with others? We chat about all of these questions and more in this fun episode. Have a question for Bec or for Penny? Get in touch! Episode LinksDiscriminations: combattre la glottophobie by Philippe Blanchet

In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Italian teacher and artist Ermy Pedata of The Language Rose. Ermy is passionate and enthusiastic teacher (her positivity is infectious!), who loves to help her students learn Italian through their interests and passions. We chat with her about her own language learning journey and how art led her back to languages, her tips to help people connect their language learning with what they love, and how she has applied this approach to her own language learning. Have a question for Ermy or for us? Get in touch! Episode LinksThe Language Rose - Ermy Pedata Sing & Speak Italian - The Language Rose Ermy’s Youtube Channel Want to see some of Ermy’s art (and her earlier English practice)? Check out Ermy’s Deviant Art profile!

50 episodes of Language Chats! We can hardly believe it! It’s been a little over two years since we started recording this podcast and we’re still here… But so are you! We have a lot of fun chatting language between ourselves and with others, but it’s extra special that there are other language lovers out there who enjoy listening to these language chats too. So, thank you for tuning in and engaging with us on our favourite topics! To celebrate this little milestone, we’re putting each other to the test with some language trivia! If you’re a fan of the occasional pub quiz but have always wished that there were a few more language-themed questions so you can show off your real talents… You’ll love this episode! So pop on your headphones, turn up the volume and play along with us (and maybe pick up some fun facts to share at your next dinner party)! Did any answers surprise you? Any questions you wanted to know more about? Let us know! And if you’d like to join an online trivia session with some other language lovers, join our Facebook group here! PS: Sources for the questions are linked on our website but avoid clicking until after you’ve listened if you’re keen to see which answers you already know!

Wiradjuri is the Australian indigenous language of Wiradjuri country, in central-southern New South Wales. As a revival language, it is experiencing growth and provides an important connection to the local indigenous culture; however it also faces significant challenges to keep it alive and active. In this episode, we speak with Wiradjuri man Yaaran (Aaron) Ellis who currently teaches the Wiradjuri language in Young, New South Wales. We chat about his experience of learning and teaching the language, the importance of language as a way of connecting to culture within his own family, sharing Wiradjuri in classrooms and online via social media, the challenges ahead and his hopes for the language’s future. This episode was released in NAIDOC Week 2021. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. We live on land that was, is and always will be Aboriginal country. Episode Links Find Yaaran on Instagram: @wiradyuri (look out for #WiradjuriWednesday!) | Twitter: @bigibila Wiradjuri Bali Yarra (Baby Talk) Flashcard Set Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage (Charles Sturt University) AIATSIS - Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies First Languages Australia NAIDOC Week

Farsi (Persian) may not be a language that you hear about people learning often in Australia; however the official language of Iran has an estimated 70 million native speakers and 110 million speakers worldwide, and it’s the language that has captured Sydney-based Candace Powell’s language-loving heart for the last several years. In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Candace about how she became interested in learning Farsi, how she has been learning the language and finding resources as a learner in Australia, tracking habits for language learning, what it means to be conversationally ‘functional’, her favourite words in Farsi and more. Do you have any questions for Candace? Contact us here, or contact Candace directly via her Instagram account @the.far.see Episode LinksNaTakallam - online language learning & cultural exchange Find Candace on Instagram: @the.far.see

How important are podcasts to you for learning a language? Being so accessible, podcasts are a great way to practice your listening skills for any language! But it’s not always just about the language itself. Listening to podcasts can also be a way to learn more about another culture and about other more subtle aspects of communicating in another language too. In this episode, we speak with Pete Smissen, creator of Aussie English, a podcast and learning platform that helps advanced English students level up their Australian English whilst also learning about the country’s unique culture, history, and more. We chat about he came to focus his work on helping English learners to better understand Australian English, his interest in language and the languages he has learned the highs and lows that he’s faced as a learner and a creator, and his best tips for language learners. Got a question for us or for Pete about Aussie English? Get in touch! Episode LinksAussie English Français Authentique podcast Language Chats Ep #040 - Native or Non-Native Teachers/Tutors: The Pros & Cons

In this episode, we speak with two members of our Language Lovers AU Community - Andrew & Xuran (Sharon), who are both currently language teachers of Chinese at schools in Geelong, Victoria. We chat with them both about their respective journeys with language learning and how they became interested in languages, teaching Chinese in Victorian high schools and how they bring many languages into their home with their two young sons. Can you relate to their experiences? Do you have any questions for Andrew or Xuran? Let us know! Muzzy BBC Vloggers: Blondie in China, 歪果仁研究协会 Ychina One Parent One Language (OPOL) Bella Devyatkina - Young Polyglot Stephen Krashen: Language Acquisition and Comprehensible Input Chinese-language radio in Australia: 3CW (1341/1629 kHz Victoria), SBS Chinese

Have you learned (or would you like to learn) a language that uses another script or alphabet? Or does the idea of learning a language that is written in a *completely* different way scare you? In this episode of Language Chats, we chat about Penny’s experience of learning Japanese and Mandarin, the excitement of learning to ‘crack the code’, the visual nature of learning other scripts and alphabets, whether it would be possible to skip learning a script (#controversial), and which scripts we’d love to learn in future. Have a question or want to share your experience with us? Get in touch! Show links available on our website - languagelovers.com.au Follow us on Instagram or Facebook, and join our community on Facebook here - Language Lovers AU Penny @lingo_mama and Bec @bec_languages

The world of EdTech is growing and dynamic, offering greater access to exciting and diverse learning materials to students around the world. In this episode of Language Chats, we had the pleasure of speaking with Philippa Kruger, Global Head of Languages at Education Perfect. We chat about Philippa’s background as a French teacher and how she progressed into the exciting world of EdTech, what EP is, how it came to be what it is today (hint: it started with languages!) and how it can help students, teachers, parents and adult learners all around the world. Tune in and let us know your thoughts - we’d love to hear from you! If you haven’t already, follow us on Instagram or Facebook, and join our community on Facebook here - Language Lovers AU. Episode LinksEducation Perfect Contact Philippa Language Lovers AU episode #044 shownotes Follow Penny @lingo_mama and Bec @bec_languages

If you haven’t already listened to Part 1 of this conversation, you can listen to it here. This is Part 2 of our chat with linguist Karla Zuluaga, who gives us an introduction to Australian indigenous languages and their current context, based on her studies, knowledge and experience to date. In this second half of our conversation, we chat about bringing indigenous languages into education in indigenous and non-indigenous communities, as well as how we can better inform ourselves on indigenous languages and cultures in our local areas or all around Australia. Check out the episode links below for the resources mentioned in this chat! Episode Links‘Dreamtime’ and ‘The Dreaming’ – an introduction - The Conversation AIATSIS (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies) AIATSIS - Map of Indigenous Australia Welcome to Country: A Travel Guide to Indigenous Australia | Website | Instagram First Languages Australia Gambay Indigenous Language Map 50 Words Project Word Up Podcast - ABC Get in touch with Karla: Email | LinkedIn Language Lovers AU website and shownotes for this episode Find Penny @lingo_mama and Bec @bec_languages

There are over 250 indigenous languages in Australia, but most Australians know very little (if anything at all) about them. There is important work being done around the country to document, revitalise, revive and share the languages which have existed in Australia since long before colonisation, but if you’re like us and you want to know more - where does one even begin? In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with linguist Karla Zuluaga who gives us an introduction to Australian indigenous languages and their current context, based on her studies, knowledge and experience to date. We chat about learning about indigenous languages as a non-indigenous person, language revitalisation and revival in indigenous communities, and bringing indigenous languages into education. This chat was so interesting that we spoke for longer than our usual episode length, so we’ve split our discussion with Karla into two parts - the remainder will follow in Episode 43! Karla is an aspiring linguist and a lifelong learner. She holds a Bachelor of International Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Anthropology and a Master of International Public Diplomacy. She has studied over 10 languages from around the world to varying levels of proficiency. Karla has a special interest in endangered languages and is pursuing a career in language revitalisation. This episode starts with an acknowledgment of country in both Darkinjung and English. Would you like to share your knowledge of Australian indigenous languages with us? Or is there a particular topic regarding indigenous languages that you’d like to know more about? Get in touch - we’d love to hear from you. Episode LinksWomen In Language UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council Indigenous language programs: Charles Sturt University, Charles Darwin University, Curtin University edX course: Noongar Language and Culture (Curtin University) Language Death by David Crystal AIATSIS - Living Languages Show notes and all the episode links available at our website - Language Lovers AU Follow Language Lovers AU @languagelovers.au Follow Penny @lingo_mamaFollow Bec @bec_languages

Have you ever taken part in an online language challenge to keep yourself on track and stay motivated in your learning? Debs Bensaul (@franklyfrancophone | @essentiallyitalian | @towardsfluency ) is a long-time Language Chats listener and member of our Language Lovers AU Community. Based in Sydney, Debs is a committed learner of French and Italian who regularly takes part in the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge as a learner and volunteer community coach. We talk about her experiences of learning languages so far, why she’s found the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge and its community so helpful, some of her favourite resources for French and Italian, AND *drumroll*… Her language cubby house! (Is it a language lover’s paradise? Are we both jealous? Oh yes, we certainly are.) Have you had a similar or a different experience to Debs of taking part in an online (or offline!) language learning challenge? Did it help you too? Let us know - we’d love to hear from you! PS: Wondering why Bec is so quiet in this episode? Well… We had a little technical issue during our recording and it turns out that we lost almost all of Bec’s audio from this recording. Doh! Luckily this didn’t impact the rest of the audio for Debs and Penny, so we’ve edited the episode just a little bit so that you can still enjoy all the great info that Debs shared with us. Fluent in 3 Months (book) by Benny Lewis / Fluent in Three Months website The Courage to Speak (course) with Shannon Kennedy italki Fluent in 3 Months Challenge: the Add1Challenge (previously run by Brian Kwong) became the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge in August 2017. Michel Thomas Method: French Coffee Break Languages - and to find out more, tune into our chat with Mark from Coffee Break Languages (Episode 20)

What’s been your experience with tutors and teachers? Have you had mostly native teachers or a mix of non-native and native teachers? In this episode of Language Chats, Bec and Penny chat about their experiences over the years, and the pros and cons of both. Plus are you going to be at the Women in Language online conference? It's from 4-7 March 2021 - you can get your ticket here! Italki Get your Women In Language ticket here! 4-7 March 2021 Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook Bec @bec.languages and Penny @lingo_mama Language Lovers AU

You might not know it yet, but you’re about to get very enthusiastic about linguistics. Yes, that’s right! The science of language and communication is fascinating and we recently had the pleasure of chatting with Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne, hosts of Lingthusiasm, a podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics. We talk about what linguistics is, why it is so interesting and relevant (especially to those who love learning other languages!), whether we should all learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and more. Through their podcast and a number of other projects, Gretchen and Lauren make linguistics so accessible, interesting and fun that you can’t help but wonder if you made a terrible life decision if you didn’t study linguistics at university. But never fear - if you haven’t studied linguistics before, you haven’t missed the boat! See more in the links below about how they are helping everyone to learn more and get as enthusiastic about linguistics as they are. Episode LinksLingthusiasm - A podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne Find out more about Gretchen: Website | All Things Linguistic | Twitter Find out more about Lauren: Website | Superlinguo | Twitter Crash Course Linguistics Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch On familects: Kitchen Table Lingo by The English Project Language Lovers AU Community on FacebookBec @bec_languages and Penny @lingo_mama

Was 2020 a year you needed a break from language learning? Did you step back and change your direction and plans? In this episode of Language Chats, Bec and Penny reflect on the past year and think about the learnings they will take with them into 2021. Consistency, not being hard on ourselves, getting back to what we love doing, not wanting to lose our sense of self and discovering what really works for us are just some of the learnings we talk about! Are you taking on something new this year? What have been your learnings from 2020? Share your plans with us for 2021! You can get in touch with on email, or on Instagram or Facebook. Episode LinksComme Une Française – 30 day listening challenge Lindsay Does Languages – Solo Language Learners Toolkit Ep #019 - Online language lessons (Part 1): Is this right for me? Ep #012 - Online Language lessons (Part 2): Getting the preparation right Language Lovers AU Community on Facebook Bec @bec.languages and Penny @lingo_mama Shownotes and more details on our Language Lovers website.

Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process but that doesn't mean that they are always pleasant! In this episode of Language Chats, we chat all about embarrassing mistakes we’ve made in our language learning, how we recovered and what we learned. From tonal mishaps to pronunciation blunders, we’ve made a few! What funny/embarrassing experiences have you had when trying to speak another language? Let us know! We love hearing from you. And don’t forget you can join our Facebook group to be part of future discussions just like this. Episode LinksFollow Language Lovers AU on Facebook and Instagram Follow Bec on Instagram Follow Penny on Instagram

How does a love of music and a love of language come together? In this episode of Language Chats, we speak with Melbourne-based speech pathologist and opera singer, Sarah Lobegeiger de Rodriguez, who describes herself as “a person with a complete and utter fascination with sound”. We chat about her love for music, words and sound, how this impacts her experience of learning other languages, fighting for empathy with respect to accents, and the complex way that our voice and language can influence how effectively we communicate. As a fully qualified speech pathologist, Sarah has a special interest in pronunciation clarification and vocal therapy / rehabilitation. You can find out more about Sarah and her work at Voice Science on their website or on social media, linked below. Links:Voice Science: https://thevoicescience.com/ Find Voice Science on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Twitter | LinkedIn Language Lovers AU: Language Lover AU website @languagelovers.au Bec: @bec.irregular.endings Penny: @lingo_mama

This year has been a test for us all! When life intervenes (and this is not just during pandemics, but other life changes can throw up big changes in how we approach language learning), it’s important to have a few reasons at your disposal to keep you going in language learning. In this episode, we chat about our different motivations for language learning and what has kept us on track this year during the pandemic and why even when we have lots of time we still find we get tripped up and find slumps of motivation hitting us. How has your language learning been going during this year? Has it all gone to sh!t for you and have you lost your mojo? Or are you discovering new ways of learning and new motivations? We love hearing from you! Please get in touch and let us know! And don’t forget to join our Facebook group to be part of future discussions just like this. For shownotes and episode links: Language Lover AU website Follow Language Lovers AU: @languagelovers.auFollow Penny: @lingo_mamaFollow Bec: @bec.irregular.endings

Some language apps are really gamified, some have video, animations or audio, and some use spaced repetition. There have been some fad apps that have come in and been replaced by others – there sure is lots going on in this app world! In this episode of Language Chats, Bec and Penny reveal their favourite apps and others that aren’t near the top of the go-to list. What apps do you love or loathe? Let us know! And don’t forget to join our Facebook group to be part of future discussions just like this. For episode details and links: www.languagelovers.com.au/podcast/ep-034 Connect with us:@languagelovers.au Bec: @irregular.endingsPenny: @lingo_mama

Lina Vasquez is a Latvian-Australian personal development coach, polyglot, YouTuber, speaker and entrepreneur. Having been immersed in a multicultural environment from a young age, she studied law and languages in Australia and Germany and now speaks a total of eight at various levels. Lina has always been curious and a free soul and her experiences of other countries as a teenager, led her to create this global life for herself. Penny and Bec got to “meet” Lina at the recent 2020 Women in Language online conference, with her presentation “Redefining the Language of Our Personal Identity & Breaking Binary Linguistic Stereotypes".In this episode of Language Chats, we talk with Lina about how languages have changed her life, and about the links between our own identities and language. How can we ask better questions? How can we be less judgemental and more open-minded? For more please visit www.languagelovers.com.au/podcast Let us know here, in our Facebook Group or Instagram! [email protected] - @lingo_mamaBec - @irregular.endings Episode LinksYouTube @linavasquez Facebook @linavasquezofficial LinkedIn @linavasquez Instagram @_linavasquez Website lina-vasquez.com Women in Language 2020 Conference presentations (plus access is available for 2019 and 2018 too)

From the Quebecois accent to the Southern Vietnamese accent, we've both had experiences of struggling with accents or feeling proud of their accent in their second language. In this episode, we ask if accents matter, or is the main goal actually just comprehension? In this episode, we’ve done something a bit different and put some questions out to our Language Lovers AU Community Facebook group about accents and language learning and got some amazing responses back. What are your experiences of accents in your language learning? Let us know! And don’t forget to join our Facebook group to be part of future discussions just like this. For episode details and links: www.languagelovers.com.au/podcast/ep-032 Be proud of your accent and the story that it tells! Connect with us: @languagelovers.auBec: @irregular.endingsPenny: @lingo_mama

Is there such a thing as a right time to introduce a new language? Do we need to be at a certain level such as B1 or equivalent before adding in a new language? Or does it all come down to your motivation and goals and it when it just feels right? In this episode, Penny and Bec talk about if there is a right time to introduce a new language into your language learning mix. What's been your experience with adding a new language? Let us know here, in our Facebook Group or Instagram! @languagelovers.au@lingo_mama (Penny)@irregularendings (Bec)

What we’re watching!We love watching foreign language TV and in this episode we round up our latest discoveries. From German fantasy thrillers to Danish political drams and Spanish food documentaries to Indian love stories, we cover all kinds of genres and languages in this episode! What have you been watching? Let us know here, in our Facebook Group or Instagram! Head to our website for the shownotes and links for this episode.

Excuse us while we have a little fangirl moment on the podcast because, in this episode, we chat with someone who has been a massive inspiration to us both - Kerstin Cable from fluentlanguage.co.uk and The Fluent Show! Kerstin tells us about where Fluent Language started, how her podcast grew out of a series of interviews on her blog, a bit about her personal experience of learning languages and about Women In Language, an online conference that she organises with Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy, which is designed to champion, celebrate, and amplify the voices of women in language learning. (Fun fact: Penny & Bec actually met through the first Women In Language conference in 2018!) We loved speaking to Kerstin and hope you enjoy this Language Chat too. Have you listened to The Fluent Show before? Join Kerstin on 9 October for a livestream to celebrate the 200th Episode of The Fluent Show! This year’s edition of Women In Language will be happening from 17-20 September 2020. Are you excited to attend Women In Language (again or for the first time)? Let us know here, in our Facebook Group or Instagram! Episode Linksfluentlanguage.co.uk - Kerstin’s website The Fluent Show - Kerstin’s podcast Episode 131 - The Fluent Show - "The Tyranny of the Shoulds" with Dr Roger Kreuz Episode 172 - The Fluent Show - Marc Okrand on Creating the Klingon Language Find Kerstin on Facebook (Fluent Language Learners) / Instagram (@kerstin_fluent) / Twitter @fluentlanguage - @thefluentshow Women in Language - 17-20 September 2020. Tickets on sale now!

In this episode, we chat with Maddy Norris - a fellow language lover here in Australia and long-time Language Chats listener! Maddy is a NAATI-certified Mandarin Chinese to English translator and has also spent time learning a number of other languages including Japanese, Korean and French. She tells us a bit about her experience of studying languages in Australia at school and university, working as a translator and her language learning ambitions that lie ahead. Can you relate to some of Maddy’s experiences? Would you love to work with a language that you’re learning? Let us know! Episode Links @maddyloveslanguages - Maddy’s Instagram profile Korean courses at the Centre of Adult Education, Melbourne French courses at the Alliance Française de Melbourne Language Lovers AU Community - Facebook group Language Lovers

If we had our time again, would we choose the languages we studied? Languages are often chosen for us, rather than us choosing them when we’re kids. If Bec had her time again, would she choose French? Is it really a choice? Penny chose to learn Japanese after school in year 7, but what drew her in? In this episode of Language Chats, we talk about language learning as children in school. How difficult is it for kids to develop an emotional connection to the language if it’s thrust upon them? How do we make it more about just learning the language? Would we change what we studied if we could? Is there anything you’d change about your language learning experience as a kid? Get in touch and let us know! We love hearing from you. Share your thoughts and questions with us here, on Facebook or Instagram. Full shownotes and links available at www.languagelovers.com.au/podcast/ep-027 Follow: @languagelovers.auFollow Bec: @irregular.endingsFollow Penny: @lingo_mama

In this episode, we’re chatting with a fellow Melbournian and Australian language lover - Michele Frolla from The Intrepid Guide. Now based in the UK, Michele tells us about how she became interested in languages, how her blog and website The Intrepid Guide came about and, most recently, how she has started sharing her own love of ltalian through her new online course! Do you love to learn even just a little bit of a language before you travel? Like Michele, have you seen the impact of having a deeper connection with the language that you’re learning on your learning success? Share your thoughts and questions with us here, on Facebook or Instagram. Full shownotes and links available at www.languagelovers.com.au/podcast/ep-026 Follow: @languagelovers.au Follow Bec: @irregular.endingsFollow Penny: @lingo_mama Episode LinksThe Intrepid Guide | Language Guides & Travel Tips from Around the World The Intrepid Guide | Facebook | Instagram Michele’s Italian Phrases for Travel course

Technology, access to resources, and motivations to learn a new language have completely changed in the three decades since Australia’s National Policy of Languages was written. In this episode, we chat about what these changes mean for adult independent learners today, plus the power of online communities for support, motivation and inspiration. We also lament the lack of public profile people celebrating their bilingualism - and mention a few names you might not even know speak a second language! Stay tuned for further episodes about the Language Learning Landscape in Australia - we have plenty to say on this topic! What are your observations? Let us know your thoughts!

In this episode, we share with you some of our general observations about what we like to call ‘the language learning landscape’ in Australia. For as long as we’ve known each other, we’ve been talking about elements of this in bits and pieces - our experiences of learning languages at school and uni, which languages were perceived as being ‘useful’ or ‘good for your career’ while others were seen to be an ‘unusual choice’ (!), the power and prominence of English despite the many languages used in our communities, and where languages other than English fit into our education systems. This is just an introduction, as this is a BIG topic and we’ll be going into a bit more detail in future episodes! What are your observations of ‘the language learning landscape’ in Australia? Let us know your thoughts!

In this episode, we’re chatting with another language lover living in Australia - Brisbane-based Evan Walters studied French at school and has been learning Russian for the last five years. We chat about his language learning story, his different motivations for learning French and Russian, the role of long-term goals and routine, and the place of travel in his language learning. Are you an Australian language lover who would like to share your story? We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with us here.

There’s been a lot of changes to life in 2020. Bec and Penny chat about their language goals and progress so far this year and the impact of Covid-19. Bec has discovered she enjoys her ‘blended learning’ approach for German and Penny is intent on not being too hard on her self and celebrating her weekly French class. More: www.languagelovers.com.au/podcast

Just a couple of episodes ago, in Episode #019, we chatted about whether online lessons could be a good option for you as a language learner. In the meantime, COVID-19 has impacted the world in a huge way - many of us are spending a lot more time than usual at home, travel is out of the question and online learning for young people as well as adults has become more than just an interesting option, but a fact of life. As Bec gets ready for her first experience of finding and booking some one-on-one online lessons for German, we talk about getting prepared for your first online language learning sessions with a tutor, including some practical considerations as well as a few ideas for how to make sure you get the most out of your time.

While Bec was in Scotland recently, she had the opportunity to meet and speak with Mark, the founder of Coffee Break Languages (also known as the Radio Lingua Network). Bec got to chat with Mark about his own story as a language lover and how Coffee Break Languages came to be, as well as the podcasts and other products that Coffee Break Languages offers to language learners all around the world. Have you listened to any of the Coffee Break Languages podcasts? Which one would you like to start with, or listen to next? Tell us what you think - we’d love to hear from you! Episode LinksCoffee Break Languages

In this episode of Language Chats, Penny and Bec chat about how online language lessons work, the pros and cons of learning online and some tips on how to choose your teacher or tutor. Penny is a long-time convert to online language lessons and challenges Bec to give it a go! Do you take language lessons online? Let us know how you find it!

Have you dreamed about using your language skills in your job? In this Language Chats episode, Bec shares her experience of using French in the workplace. Bec shares how a bilingual office operates in Australia as well as some tips about how to make the leap and work in an environment using your second language. Do you use your language skills in your job? Get in touch and let us know! We love hearing from you.

Lindsay Williams is a polyglot from the UK and learns, teaches, blogs, vlogs, eats, sleeps, and breathes everything language. Languages were never really a thing for Lindsay until she decided to take Spanish at GCSE because she wanted to translate Shakira songs. Since then, it’s been a growing passion that has led to her making languages her business. Lindsay Does Languages was born in 2012 as a local company in the heart of little old England offering private language tuition. Since then, Lindsay Does Languages has evolved to offering coaching packages and online courses both for language learners and online language tutors. In this episode of Language Chats, Bec and Penny talk to Lindsay about one of her big language creations - Language Stories. Lindsay and her husband travel the world for Language Stories, to share the stories of the the multilingual, bilingual and monolingual people they meet along the way. Listen, watch and read about Language Stories here.

Penny and Bec chat about language travel in this episode - what it is and how to get the most from it! Penny is a long-term fan of language travel and has been on language trips to to Vietnam, China and Taiwan as part of her Vietnamese and Chinese learning. With an upcoming French language trip planned for New Caledonia, Bec asks Penny why she loves language travel so much. Penny loves the face-to-face connections that language travel allows you to have, the opportunity to use phrases, words and structures that you’ve learned in a real-life setting, soaking up the culture, food, history of the place and exposing your children and partner to a new language and culture too (so that they can see how amazing learning languages can actually be)! Have you been on a language trip? Or are you considering going on one? Let us know! We love talking about language learning travel - so hit us up with any questions! Links: New Caledonia French Language Trip - May 2020 held by Penny from Lingo Mama Language Trips including Vietnam in November 2020 held by Penny from Lingo Mama Language Trip information Language Trip blogs by Lingo Mama German retreats held by Kerstin from Fluent Language Spanish retreats held by Katie from Joy of Languages Spanish retreats held by Maria from Embodied Spanish French retreats held by Jessica from French Sunny Side Italian retreats held by Katie from Joy of Languages

How do you feel about grammar? Does it scare you like it does Penny? Or are you grammar-lover like Bec? In this episode we chat about the technical terms that can be off-putting and ways to overcome our fear of learning grammar. What’s your experience been with learning grammar? Are you a grammar lover or a grammar phobe?

Bec has just come back to Australia from Japan, where she went to attend the 2019 Polyglot Conference in Fukuoka! This was Bec’s first time at this special event for everyone who loves language, so in this Language Chat we talk all about what it was like and how it works, the kinds of presentations and workshops there were to see, and the experience of being in the same place as 400 other language lovers from all over the world! Have you attended the Polyglot Conference (or an event like this) before? Or do you have any questions for Bec about this event? Contact us here.

In this episode of Language Chats, Bec asks Penny about learning tonal languages. In particular, the two tonal languages Penny has learned - Vietnamese and Mandarin Chinese. Penny talks about the process of learning a tonal language as a beginner (lots of drills and repetition!), the importance of trying to mimic the sounds you hear, going back to basics and losing your inhibitions. Are you learning a tonal language? Let us know what works for you and what your challenges have been! Lingo Mama - Check out Penny’s blog posts on Vietnamese and Chinese!

In this Language Chat episode we chat about our experience of taking part in the inaugural Language Event - Melbourne held on 21-22 September 2019. It was a weekend filled with presentations on a range of language-related topics like raising a multilingual family (Richard Simcott), language reclamation and revival (Professor Ghil'ad Zuckermann), how the voice works and using it in different languages (Sarah Lobegeiger de Rodriguez, Voice Science), and how to have immersion language experiences locally rather than travelling abroad (our own Rebecca Howie), while also providing an amazing opportunity for a bunch of language lovers to meet, hang out and chat. Bec interviewed Richard Simcott who is the convenor of this event and the annual Polyglot Conference, plus some of the other attendees at the event. We’ve included these in segments in our chat. Enjoy!

Learning a language takes time – it can be both fun and fulfilling, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not hard work! Outwardly, it can seem like it happens overnight for polyglots, but we have to remind ourselves that this isn’t the reality. So it’s always refreshing (and comforting!) to read and hear from other language learners who have had the same struggles and challenges as us! In this episode of Language Chats, Bec and Penny discuss their favourite language bloggers to follow for inspiration, motivation and language learning tips and resources. There are so many more language bloggers out there! Do you have any favourites or go-to language blogs? Let us know who or what you’ve been following lately! Find links for all the bloggers we mention over on www.languagelovers.com.au/podcast/ep-011

We all learn differently, but how do we find our ‘sweet spot’ for language learning? What methods and tools do you find work most effectively for you? It’s pretty easy to get distracted by the bright and shiny new tools out there… But do you prefer ‘old-school’, more traditional methods, like being guided by a textbook and making flashcards? Or do apps and online lessons take up the majority of your study time? Maybe you use a combination of both? In this episode, Penny and Bec talk about what type of language learners they think they are and the kinds of language learning methods they think work best for them. What language learning style suits you best? And does this change depending on the language you’re learning or the language learning goals you’ve set? Let us know!

This episode of Language Chats is two listener questions combined. Jess from Melbourne wrote in to ask about how important it was to undertake formal qualifications in a language, and Jo also from Melbourne asked how we both ended up studying European (Bec) languages and Asian (Penny) languages predominantly. We chat about our experiences studying at uni and how we developed our love of the languages we’ve chosen to study.

If you’re into watching foreign language TV shows on Netflix as much as we are, you’ll love the Language Learning With Netflix Chrome Extension. In this episode of Language Chats, we talk about what this Chrome extension is, how to set it up (it’s free!), which languages it supports, and some of our thoughts on making the most of it for language learning. We chat some of this tool’s features and how we’ve been using it, including: Having two sets of subtitles (both the original language and a language of your choice) as you watch Watching a series you’re already familiar with and changing the audio and primary subtitles to your target language (while also having secondary subtitles in your mother tongue) Slowing speech segments (80% speed) Keyboard shortcuts – play, pause, and forwards/backwards to the next set of subtitles Hovering over the words in the primary subtitles to show the meaning in context, as well as some secondary meanings Selecting your level when choosing subtitles and more difficult words will be highlighted We also discuss some of the current limitations and improvements we’d like to see: Currently only possible to use this on desktop via Google Chrome Subtitles are not always spot on – make sure you select human translated subtitles (over machine translated subtitles) in Options if this is available for your target language Bec would love to see the gender of nouns (relevant for languages such as French, Italian, German etc. that have grammatical gender) also noted in the pop-up ‘meaning’ box when hovering over the word in the subtitles Are you using Language Learning With Netflix? What shows are you watching and what languages are you watching them in? Get in touch to share your thoughts! Episode LinksLanguage Learning with Netflix - Chrome Extension Language Learning with Netflix - Catalogue Dark (TV Series - German original language) Jackpot (Film - Vietnamese original language) Office Girls (TV Series - Mandarin Chinese original language) The Crown (TV Series - English original language)

About this Language Chat In this episode of Language Chats, we talk about dabbling in a language and why there’s nothing wrong with just learning a few words without committing to larger, long-term goals. Penny is dabbling in French at the moment and, by not fully committing to learning the language, she admits that it’s taken the pressure off - she can just enjoy just having fun and mucking around with the language without thinking about whether or not she’s making enough progress. We chat about: What ‘dabbling’ even means to both of us How an initial dabble can take the intimidation out of starting to learn a language (which can sometimes be the biggest hurdle!) How dabbling in a language can create a deeper and more meaningful travel experience Why only learning small amount doesn’t make the learning any less interesting or useful When does dabbling stop and ‘serious learning’ begin? And when is the right time to make that transition? (For Penny, a potential upcoming trip to a French-speaking country might just get her over the line…) Who else is dabbling or playing around in a language? Get in touch! We’d love to hear your story!

For the first time, we have a guest with us on Language Chats! Devy Baseley is a language lover in Brisbane, who grew up in France with an Irish Mum and a Cambodian Dad. We chat to Devy about speaking more than one language as a child and now, as an adult, her experiences of teaching (and learning) languages here in Australia. Devy is the founder of French Speak, a French language school in Brisbane. Tune in to also hear Devy’s top tips for French beginners (and don’t worry if you’re not learning French - her tips are great guidance for any language learner)! Merci beaucoup to Devy for joining us and we hope you enjoy this chat! If you’re a language lover in Australia (or an Australian living abroad) and you’d like to share your experiences of language learning with us, please get in touch with us - we’d love to hear from you.

This episode is a listener Question from Deborah in Sydney.Deborah’s question - “I have been learning French for a number of years. I struggled with various means until I finally hit upon a combination of styles that worked for me. The class room environment just didn't suit me. I was one of those people who sat at the back and didn't answer, and there was always that one person who would constantly interrupt the lesson to argue a grammar point with the teacher. Once I discovered Italki things got better, I had the teacher all to myself, and I was encouraged to talk in French. But I discovered I missed the social aspect of language learning. So I joined various Facebook groups, and did different challenges until I found one that fit and now I have the best of both worlds. So much so that I've started learning Italian. The problem is, how do I maintain one language while learning a new one?” Bec and Penny discuss how we’ve been here too - learning two languages at once and going through phases in our language learning, mixing up words and completing forgetting words. Learning one language already puts you in a great position to learn a new language, because you’ve had the chance to put into practice the methods and tools that work for you. We ask is learning two languages from the same language family a help or a hindrance? We also discuss time and how to allocate language learning time to both the language you’re maintaining and the new language.

Bec and Penny chat about all the language events happening around the world and dream about the events they want to attend. We speak about how its often the social aspects of language events and conferences, especially for independent language learners that are the drawcard. Have you been to a language related event, tell us how it was – what was your experience like?

Watching TV series in another language can be a great listening exercise, but we’ve also both found ourselves inspired (or at least tempted) to learn new languages that we’ve heard - sometimes for the first time - through a TV show. Penny and Bec chat about some of the foreign language TV series that they are enjoying at the moment (and the languages that they are enjoying through these shows!), many of which are available online through streaming services such as SBS On Demand and Netflix in Australia.

Do we have this mentality that in order to learn a language we have to attend a class? Penny is considering returning to uni to do a Diploma of Chinese language. Bec and Penny debate the pros and cons of class/group learning versus independent learning and how technology has changed how we approach language learning.

Language Chats is a podcast for Language Lovers in Australia (and beyond). Join Bec and Penny as they chat all things language learning! We can’t tell you how to get fluent in fifteen days… But we can tell you about the small wins, the mental blanks, and all the things that inspire us to keep learning languages as adults while living in Australia (which can generally feel pretty far away from almost everywhere).