10 of the Best Podcasts for Learning Portuguese
Who can I communicate with using Portuguese?
Portuguese Podcasts For Beginners and Intermediates
Top Recommendation: PortuguesePod101
Portuguese Language Podcasts For Advanced Learners
Portuguese Videos for Beginners and Intermediate Learners
Interested in other language podcasts?
Language Learning FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered
Oi, tudo bom?! Imagine the rich life you could live if you knew Portuguese.
You could interact with Portuguese speakers while…
- sunbathing on Rio’s praia de Ipanema and listening to samba.
- drinking port wine in Oporto on Friday.
- savoring bacalhau à portuguesa in Lisbon on Sunday.
- having fun at your neighborhood pub’s weekly language meetup.
Think these are just pipe dreams? Well, I’ve got good news for you. Just by listening to podcast episodes, you could learn enough Portuguese to converse with native speakers in a very short time.
Podcasts are super convenient to listen to on your daily commute or walk through the park. There are helpful and free podcasts for learners of all language skills. So, pop in those earbuds and open your favorite podcast app. Let’s get into our curated list of the 10 Best Podcasts for Learning Portuguese.
Extra Podcast Gem: The Fluent Show
In addition to the Portuguese podcasts you’ll find in this article, check out the Fluent Show. That’s my own podcast where we discuss languages, learning methods, and how to live a multilingual life. Click here to listen and subscribe.
Need Support On Your Portuguese Learning Journey?
Then make sure you join the Fluent Language newsletter right here! Subscribe now, and every week, I'll send you handpicked language learning tips right in your inbox.
Subscribe to Your Favorite Pod from the List
Listen on your favorite app like the Apple Podcasts app or Spotify.
Subscribe and listen to any of the podcasts recommended below so you don’t miss new episodes.
Some podcasts also post the episodes to YouTube if you are more comfortable with that app.
Leave a comment on a particular episode to interact with the host and other listeners (great extra practice for your Portuguese!).
Who can I communicate with using Portuguese?
Portuguese is spoken by over 250 million people in almost every continent. You could make friends online or travel to any of the following countries whose official language is Portuguese:
Brazil
Portugal
Cape Verde (Cabo Verde)
Angola
Mozambique
Equatorial Guinea (co-official with French and Spanish)
Guinea-Bissau
Sāo Tomé and Príncipe
East Timor (Timor-Leste) [co-official with Tetum]
Macau, China [co-official with Chinese and Macanese]
So what are you waiting for? Get in on the fun right away so you can start communicating with people all over the world. Vamo’ lá!
Portuguese Podcasts For Beginners and Intermediates
Top Recommendation: PortuguesePod101
PortuguesePod101.com (InnovativeLanguage)
This pod is a lot more than just a weekly updated audio lesson. It’s an online course, a YouTube channel, and a video podcast all under the same name. To get the most out of the site, I clicked the yellow “Join for Free” button and signed up using my email.
After signing up, you immediately gain access to hundreds of free lessons and resources.
Look forward to interesting lessons like:
“Shopping in Brazil: How Much is This?” An audio lesson that teaches you how to ask how much something is and understand different prices and numbers.
“Making an Appointment in Portuguese: Making Plans” Your friendly native speaker Paloma shows how to set up an appointment, and then breaks it down for the intermediate learners.
“Video Culture Class: Brazil Holiday: Ano Novo” You’ll see Paloma talk about the traditions of New Year’s Day. The food, the clothing, and the candomblé origin of making offerings to Iemanjá, the goddess of the seas. And don’t forget about jumping over 7 waves for good luck and love in the new year!
“Brazilian Beauty: Waterfalls” You’ll fall into a flowing dialogue broken down line by line, a vocab review, and cultural insights about the state of Paraná.
The beginner modules have over 75 lessons. Intermediate has over 100 lessons. Advanced has 50 lessons. There’s truly a ton of free material you can pick and choose from. Diagnostics interspersed throughout all levels will help give you good information on where your skill levels are.
Prefer structure? Go in order according to your level and complete one lesson a day to maintain your momentum.
Want to choose your own adventure with PortuguesePod101?
Pick any topic or dialogue that draws your attention–even if it’s more basic or challenging than you’re used to. See what sticks. See what you can handle. Have fun with the ole’ grab bag approach. Complete one a day to keep up with your good language learning habits.
CoffeeBreak Portuguese (Brazilian and European accent)
This series is so positive, effective, and welcoming that it wins my award for the PPP (Perfect Portuguese Podcast)! Twelve-year teacher Rafael, from São Paulo, and Scottish learner Ava start in straight away on real-life dialogues. As the listener, you accompany Ava on her year plus journey of saying basic intros like “Hi, how are you?” (“Oi, tudo bem?”) to describing her favorite aspects of Lisbon.
Each episode, you hear a conversation between 2 or more people (in accents from Brazil and Portugal), then Rafael and Ava break down and translate to English what you just heard, sentence by sentence. Here is where you get a lot of grammar and vocab questions answered.
The structure and invitational vibe of these episodes make it an obvious choice for beginners or any learner wanting a laid back review.
Brazilianing (Brazilian accent)
Dani is your personal and personable tutor who has created a fun mix of episodes ranging from grammar explanations about the subjunctive using song lyrics to talking about the culture of futebol. Sometimes she tells little 5 to 10-minute stories. In one episode she discusses the age-old debate on what it means to be “fluent.”
She speaks clearly and at a slightly slower than natural pace–perfect for beginners with a little bit of base. She’s super approachable (kind of like that high school Spanish teacher whose class you adored).
She even has a conversation club you can join with two different skill levels.
Fala, Gringo! (Brazilian accent)
Literally “Speak, Gringo!” it’s more like “What’s up, Gringo!” And don’t think this is a bad term for a foreigner. In this context it’s like a term of endearment.
Leni, your host, is a super affable dude. He speaks clearly with the beginner to intermediate learner in mind. His topics run the gamut and will keep your brain stimulated.
Here are just a few things his episodes cover:
Sex Education
Politics: Bolsonaro vs. Lula
Big Brother reality show
Is it safe to travel in Brazil?
The “Jeitinho Brasileiro” (the Brazilian Way), a very particular cultural concept
The literature of Clarice Lispector, a very important author
Each episode comes with complete transcripts.
Impressively, Virginia Langhammer releases a new lesson every Wednesday. She also creates free lesson PDF’s for every episode. A particularly unique approach she takes on the first audio of 2025 is a shadowing technique where she has you repeat after her, focusing on imitating her accent.
She encourages her students (you!) to slow down the speed if you need to. In “Conversation Practice” she is your conversation partner and leaves gaps for you to answer her questions and ask her back. It’s great practice for beginners.
Virginia packs a big punch with what she offers, as her freebie page is full of resources for you to up your language level.
This might be a personal favorite. What I love about this podcast is that she speaks with guests that include non-native speakers who have successfully learned to communicate. Sílvia creates a friendly vibe that invites you to listen in on authentic conversations.
She keeps things optimistic, speaking about culture, language, and even mindset. In one episode we are invited to think about our reason for learning European Portuguese. That sort of coaching and self-reflection goes a long way to keep us students motivated. We are all busy, but Sílvia helps her students remember their why to give them language-learning wings.
Because I’m used to speaking with Brazilians, I usually have trouble understanding the Euro accent. But Sílvia speaks slowly and kindly enough that I am picking a ton! It’s making me much less anxious about my upcoming trip to Lisbon.
Portuguese Lab Podcast (European accent)
With 150 episodes, this series is excellent for beginners that love step-by-step structure. You can find full transcripts, vocabulary lists, and translation breakdowns on their website. Using the listen-and-repeat method, the 10-ish minute episodes resemble traditional curriculum topics like:
At the airport
At the supermarket
At the doctor
The difference between para and por
The difference between bem and bom
The difference between saber and conhecer
Whether you plan on taking a trip to Oporto or just want to have some structured learning, this podcast might be a good option for you.
Portuguese Language Podcasts For Advanced Learners
Sometimes learners who hit an intermediate plateau feel they are lacking authentic material to lift them out of the B2-C1 rut. Café da Manhā is created for native speakers so it presents an interesting challenge. A partnership between the daily newspaper Folha de São Paulo and Spotify (which you will need in order to access this rich series). This pod was the top recommendation from our Portuguese teacher as a way to train our listening skills.
If you want a good challenge and want to keep your ear trained, while keeping up with current events, this is a great choice. They provide hot takes on pop culture, social issues, and political news.
On March 10, 2025 the topic was “Ser mulher no Brasil de hoje” (“Being a woman in Brazil today”). It tells the story of Ms. Santos, an afro-Brazilian, 30-something mother and journalism student. She speaks about her dreams and life with her daughter, while the narrator chimes in to give context to the reality for other women in Brazil.
Não Inviabilize (Brazilian accent)
“A Laboratory of True Stories,” this podcast–with the most fabulous color scheme–is taking Brazilians by storm! According to their website, they have over 1 million listeners per month, over 900 stories published, and more than 370 million plays.
They have different “channels” like Pícole de Limāo (Lemon Popsicle), “o refresco ácido do seu dia” (the sour refreshment for your day), where they highlight funny, weird, every day tales like “Parque” about Carmen, a retired teacher, who would do exercise in the park. One day while on her outdoor stroll, she saw her brother-in-law’s car where she saw him in the back seat, but he wasn’t alone…
The important staff member at Não Inviabilize
These stories are real and cause real intrigue. There’s a ton of different genres such as their terror channel called “Luz Acesa” (“Light On”) or their love channel called “Amor Nas Redes” (“Love on the Socials”).
Their team is made up of fierce women as well as a gato named Coentro-Nenê who has a doctorate in “miados” (“meows”) and “ronronados” (“purrs”). 🐈⬛
Portuguese Videos for Beginners and Intermediate Learners
Easy Portuguese (Brazilian and European accents)
Easy Portuguese is much more effective as a listening and viewing experience. So, while not technically a traditional podcast you can still get a lot out of it even if you can only listen.
Easy Portuguese brings you a variety of fun street interviews with native (and some successful non-native) Lusophones.
You can choose from the following playlists:
Portuguese from Brazil (with 140 videos 🙂)
Portuguese from Portugal (unfortunately there’s only 7 videos 🙁)
Start Here for Absolute Beginners (37 videos)
Videos range from “What to Bring to a Carnival Block” to “Are You a Typical Portuguese?” There are subtitles in Portuguese and English. Plus, fun Instagram posts!
Interested in other language podcasts?
Interested in podcasts for other languages? We've got you covered! Explore our series of the 9 best podcasts:
9 Of The Best Podcasts For Learning Italian
9 Of The Best Podcasts For Learning French
Language Learning FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered
Can I Learn Basic Portuguese in 3 Months?
Yes, you can learn basic Portuguese skills in 3 months with consistent effort and the right approach.
Here are some tips to help you:
Set Clear Useful Goals: Define what “basic Portuguese” means for you. Choose an accent (Euro or Brazilian) and consider common phrases, basic grammar, and conversational skills.
Daily Practice: Dedicate a specific amount of time each day to study. Even 30 minutes can make a significant difference.
Spice it Up With New Tools: If you’re usually an app user, shake things up with videos and books. If you like to listen to podcasts, add some notebooks.
Set up a Language Learning Notebook: It’s the best, cheapest tool. Score extra points with this $9 course full of shortcuts and pro tips.
How To Learn A Language By Yourself
If you want to boost your motivation and stay on track as you study the Italian language, I recommend the Language Habit System®. This course gives you all the tools you need to plan your studies, track your progress and take stock of where you need to go next.
Click here to learn more about the Language Habit System®
Thank you to Joe Bommarito for writing this awesome guest post.
Joe is a language teacher and freelance content and copywriter. He’s taught students in the USA, Korea, Spain, and on iTalki. Two of his favorite activities are walking in the sun and listening to podcasts. If your paths cross, he’d love to get you a tasty cuppa coffee. Click here to get in touch with him.
9 of the Best Podcasts for Learning Italian
Relax with your headphones on and become fluent in Italian! Sounds like a dream? These podcasts in for Italian learners and intermediate Italian speakers will make it possible.
Buongiorno! Who doesn’t dream of beautiful Italy: world-class landscapes, breath-taking history, outstanding food, and the culture of dolce fare niente! Well, not quite niente - which means “nothing”. There’s probably one little thing you want to try: learning Italiano!
Feel too busy to learn Italian? Want to speak like a native? Podcasts for learning Italian are a perfect solution. They're free and can fit into your daily routine—whether you're driving, doing chores, working out, or relaxing.
Discover 9 of the best resources for other languages.
All Your Italian Resources in One Place!
The Fluent Show
In addition to the Italian podcasts you’ll find in this article, check out the Fluent Show. That’s my own show, co-hosted by Lindsay Williams, where we discuss languages, learning methods, and how to live a multilingual life. Click here to listen and subscribe.
Quick Primer: How Do Podcasts Work?
If you’re curious about podcasts, but not quite sure how they work, here’s what you need to know:
You can subscribe for free to podcasts on your phone, tablet, or computer
If you use an Apple computer or mobile device, you can use the Podcasts app
On a PC or Android device, try the Spotify for a quick and easy start
Subscribing means you’ll always have the latest episode ready and waiting for you as soon as it’s published
Italian is a great language for learning by podcast, so let's dive into that top 9 list. This list has been updated in March 2020, and includes podcasts that have published within the last year. There are a few affiliate links in this post, which mean you support Fluent Language by clicking them at no extra cost to you.
Italian Podcasts For Beginners
ItalianPod101.com (InnovativeLanguage)
ItalianPod101 from InnovativeLanguage covers the basic through advanced levels of Italian. The episodes are exciting and immersive. One episode I particularly enjoyed is Must-Know Italian Slang Words and Phrases - Expressions to Describe Someone You Dislike. It was one of the most humorous episodes and I learned about how colourful Italian insults can be!
The dialogues are presented by engaging hosts in a clear, concise way covering many grammatical features and cultural topics. On the website you can sign up for premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum.
British-born Katie and Italian-born Matteo and podcast simple language learning tips from Milan. Their fun podcast picks up on the common mistakes language learners make. This one is perfect if you want to learn Italian with a friendly English-speaking guide and come out sounding like a natural.
By the way: Katie and Matteo are also the faces of Easy Italian on YouTube.
Italian Podcasts For Intermediate and Advanced Learners
Vaporetto Italiano Podcast is an engaging language learning podcast hosted by Francesco. It's suitable for all levels, and consider this podcast to be your free ticket to immerse yourself in the “Bel Paese” culture while mastering the Italian language. With authentic content delivered entirely in Italian, you’ll elevate your Italian skills and explore Italy’s rich heritage without even trying!
News in Slow Italian, an intermediate level podcast, discusses world news, grammar, and expressions in the form of slowed down audio. Every episode is a virtual immersion into the Italian-speaking world showing grammar and vocabulary in context. The hosts are engaging and they show you that the language is alive and vibrant and waiting for you to dive into it.
The audio is very clear and easy to follow. On the website there are transcripts for each episode available with grammar, expressions, pronunciation, and quizzes.
Arkos Academy is mainly for the intermediate and advanced levels of learning Italian. The audio is mostly in Italian and the recordings are at a slower than normal pace, which allows you to really focus on strengthening your listening skills. There is also a lot of information on Italian culture and society, along with transcripts from each lesson on the website so that you can follow along and actively practice both your listening and reading at the same time.
As an added bonus, the Arkos Academy website offers a directory of private native teachers and excellent articles about Italy in Italian.
This podcast is almost entirely in Italian and is mainly designed for intermediate learners although you can easily select your level and choose to listen to episodes that are right for you. The website includes transcripts as well as helps learners learn colloquialisms in the “Usi Colloquiali” (Colloquial Uses) section. Host Davide mixes stories from his own life with handy new vocabulary - a winning mix!
The Italiano Automatico podcast is great for upper intermediate and advanced learners of Italian. It’s total immersion combined with lots of interesting topics and explains idiomatic and colloquial expressions. It is the companion podcast to the popular Italian learning website Italiano Automatico by Alberto Arrighini.
An Italian podcast with a twist: In Da Costa a Costa, host Francesco Costa covers American politics in the Italian language, offering an in-depth look at the USA from the Italian perspective. The episodes are well-produced and a pleasure to listen to, and will give you plenty of interesting material to listen to. They are created for native speakers, so most suitable for the more advanced learners.
Coffee Break Italian is a podcast show that helps you take your intermediate Italian to the next level, one coffee break at a time! In each 10-episode season, they cover a range of topics to deepen your understanding of tricky grammar, broaden your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation. The show covers a variety of topics way beyond your usual textbooks.
Interested in other language podcasts?
Interested in podcasts for other languages? We've got you covered! Explore our series of the 9 best podcasts:
9 Of The Best Podcasts For Learning French
Advanced Learner Tip: Native Italian Podcasts
The Italian podcast world has come a long way in recent times, and these days you’ll be able to find a big array of native level content to listen to when you want to get Italian language immersion. You can choose from a full catalogue of shows on topics from politics to film reviews.
The easiest way to access native Italian language podcasts is to go to your Podcasts app and switch the country setting to Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, or Switzerland. There’s no restriction on your switch, and you’ll be able to access all podcasts in the same way that listeners from Italy can.
Spanish Language Learning FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered
Can I Learn Basic Italian in 3 Months?
Yes, you can learn basic Italian in 3 months with consistent effort and the right approach.
Here are some tips to help you:
Set Clear Useful Goals: Define what “basic Italian” means for you. Consider common phrases, basic grammar, and conversational skills.
Daily Practice: Dedicate a specific amount of time each day to study. Even 30 minutes can make a significant difference.
Use Various Resources: Combine different resources to keep your learning diverse and engaging. You can take a look at the Italian resources page I created by clicking here.
How To Learn A Language By Yourself
If you want to boost your motivation and stay on track as you study the Italian language, I recommend the Language Habit System. This course gives you all the tools you need to plan your studies, track your progress and take stock of where you need to go next.
Click here to learn more about the Language Habit System
Don’t forget to share this blog on social media to inspire your friends and fellow Italy travelers to immerse themselves in the language.
The Best Language Learning Tools for Autumn/Winter 2019
In this podcast episode and blog article, you’ll find the 6 top resources that will make language learning so much easier for you right now.
Have you ever googled "the best tools for learning a language?"
Oh, you were doing that just now?
Lucky you found us, because in this blog article I've got the best tools of the season all lined up for you.
What Makes The Top Tools?
Top tools are curated by me (Kerstin Cable) together with my co-host Lindsay Williams, and we have been doing this honorable job for a few years now! Every 6 months, we list the most interesting and useful language learning resources we've seen online and offline.
There's also a podcast episode of the Fluent Show where you can hear a discussion of each of these resources and what makes them great.
The Recommendations for Language Learning in Autumn/Winter 2019
Try them out yourself and make sure you listen to the podcast episode to find out which ones we chose as our top 3.
FlipWord
FlipWord inserts target language vocabulary and quizzes into every page you're reading online, so that you can learn and review vocabulary in your target language while reading the content you would read anyway. As they say, it's passive language learning.
Flipword is a Chrome Extension, soon to be available on mobile devices too. Currently, it works on every page that you read online in English, Chinese, or Korean.
The Indo-European Cognate Dictionary
Do you love languages? THOUGHT SO! Your face may light up just like mine did when you hear about the Indo-European Cognate Dictionary! In this new reference book for language learners, you can look up how one (proto-or-not-) indo-European root has evolved to show up in up to 32 different languages.
No matter if you're learning German or Swedish or Portuguese, this book is guaranteed to help you remember and understand vocab more easily. You'll thank us for this one, polyglot friend.
Mini Vocabulary Notebooks
Lindsay bought her notebook in Korea and here are a few similar ones from YesStyle UK and Amazon.com. Handwrite your vocabulary lists, then memorize them and review your vocabulary by covering up one language with the little flap.
By the way, here's a little more information about the miraculous benefits of keeping a language learning notebook.
Quizklip
Do you read articles in your target language in Chrome browser and want a nice and easy way to look up vocab? Then Quizkip has your back. This handy little extension helps you find a translation for words you don't know, and it builds a list that you can export straight to Quizlet or Anki.
Master Any Language
This website offers a large supply of free language courses, language games and vocabulary list in a wondrous range of languages. If you are curious and want to dabble in a lesser-known language like Breton, Komi, or Uyghur, you'll find lots of materials here.
LingoLog
LingoLog is an online notepad with a calendar, giving you a library of interesting prompts for language learners. Every time you write na entry in your target language, the calendar records it so you can build a habit streak.
This is perfect if you want to write in your target language and you like a very simple interface. You can also share what you've written with friends and teachers to get feedback and corrections.
Honorary Mentions
- Lupa, an app for learning Spanish with Radio Ambulante
- The Language Learning with Netflix extension for Chrome browser
What Do You Think?
Listen to the podcast episode to hear how we ranked each one of the resources in this blog post and which one is the best.
You can get in touch with us and tell us what you thought by commenting below or finding us on Twitter and Instagram.
#clearthelist May 2019: Learning 2 Languages at Once (Plus: Lots of Resources for Chinese and Welsh!)
Hello and welcome to Clear The List, the monthly language learning round-up about language learning goals and progress. This blog round-up is hosted by my friends Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy, and April marks a full year of my language goal-setting using this process.
Andiamo!
What Happened in April 2019?
The month of April started off very intense and ended a lot more relaxed. That’s how I like it!
In the first week, I was finally lifting the curtain on my new German course, German Uncovered. It’s an incredible feeling when that first student enrols and all the work translates into their language progress. I held a welcome call with co-creator Olly Richards for our first gang.
This month, I was also busy preparing for the next German retreat. These retreats are an amazing opportunity for intermediate and advanced students to visit another country, discover more about culture, and practice their language through immersion. The June edition is now fully booked for German, and you can get on that waiting list for the next event if you like.
Sign up here for news about the next German retreat.
The Fluent Show
What a month! I was so proud to release my interview with one of my favourite language authors, Dr Roger Kreuz who wrote Becoming Fluent. Roger is a psychology professor and associate dean at the University of Memphis, and our conversation about language learning was wonderful and inspiring.
If you follow the Fluent Show, you’ll know that I have a soft spot for the psychology of the language learner, so this interview was definitely a highlight of the year.
Listen to the podcast episode with Dr Roger Kreuz here
Language Goals and Progress
I’m currently working on two target languages as a learner: intermediate Welsh and very early beginner’s Chinese.
Welsh Progress
In the Welsh language, my level is now pretty functional as long as I maintain a lot of contact and produce a lot of my target language on a regular basis. And I do mean every day when possible.
In the month of April, I found it most difficult to get speaking opportunities. I didn’t arrange any meet-ups with my local conversation partner, my tutor was busy, and when I spoke to my friend Nicky it was in English because he was a guest on the Fluent Show.
Instagram yn y gymraeg
In the first half of the month, I was also struggling to find time and mental energy to learn Welsh. But once Easter came around and my workload eased up with Fluent, I feel like everything got better! I started by switching on Radio Cymru for a few mornings, then added a bit of S4C.
But the best part was creating my new Instagram account, @kersydysgu. Inspired by some wonderful Fluent Show listeners who have done this, I decided to try out the idea of a fully separate, and ONLY IN WELSH insta account. And my daily contact is through the roof because I’m already spending way too much time on the app. What a fantastic way to get more contact and write in Welsh on a regular basis.
Chinese Progress
My other language is Mandarin Chinese. I had set myself structured goals for this language for the first time last month.
Listening
My goal was to watch a bit of Easy Mandarin on Youtube, but I did nothing. Listening fell flat in April. I don’t enjoy many language instruction podcasts and I’m too low level for any natural input that I know.
Speaking
My very tentative goal of an italki lesson was realised last week. Hooray! My first tutor listened to me counting to 10 and saying “living room” and “desk” at random, then declared my pronunciation very good and my learning “a mess”.
And fair point! I had not even noticed how little I had spoken apart from sounding out the words in my apps, and how little I could say in the way of dialogue. I was incredibly motivated after that and greeted her the next time with a full introduction, including where I live, my age, and my family. Take that, language mess!
I’m very pleased that I got my head around tones and basic pronunciation before the lesson, and I’m now hoping to take some regular classes. Good reminder: It isn’t really ever too early to work with a good tutor. They know what they’re doing!
Reading
Most of my learning is still reading-based, so I kinda met my goal by default.
Writing
I think I did quite well! My notebook is in regular use at the moment, and following up the lessons has made a big difference here.
At the moment my approach is to write in pinyin and also Chinese characters, but I’m not trying to memorize any of the characters. I’m thinking stuff like 我 and 你 will start sinking in automatically.
I’m using Google Translate and the Pleco app a lot for writing at the moment.
Daily Contact Goal
Every month, I log my “daily contact” with the Welsh language. In April, it was difficult to keep anything going during the launch of German Uncovered. But once Easter rolled around and I took some time to rest, Welsh returned to my life. In the last week, my Welsh instagram account made it easier than ever and I’m on a streak.
Total: 17 day out of 30.
I also track how many times I’ve spent 10+ minutes on Chinese, mostly for fun. In April, I checked this box 7 times. Often, this signals way over 10 minutes but it’s not about the minutes. It’s about the habit.
Goals for May 2019
This month is an unusual one. I’m travelling for the first 2 weeks, to Machynlleth in Wales and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. In the last 2 weeks, I’ve got a full-time responsibility away from Fluent, so I’ll have to see how work fits around it.
Welsh Language Goals
Again, I don’t feel I need to actively split my goals into listening, speaking, reading and writing at this intermediate stage. I just want to feel like I’m as good or better, and that will be about contact and speaking.
Spending the first few days of May in Machynlleth is a good start, and in the second half of the month I hope to get started on Say Something in Welsh Level 3 and get back into meeting my speaking partner.
Chinese Language Goals
In this language I’m a total beginner (很高兴认识你) and will benefit from the goal structure. So let’s go!
Listening
Ready to try again with YouTube for Chinese beginners. I’m looking for dialogue-based or story-based input here, rather than someone explaining greetings to me in detail.
If you want to recommend a channel or listening resource, leave me a comment below.
Reading
This is the easy one for any beginner, all my apps and my textbook are reading practice. No specific goals.
Speaking
I’ve already booked one Skype lesson and hope to complete 3 by the end of the month.
(By the way, this month on the blog I have a brand new italki review - check it out if you have not tried out italki before.)
Writing
Three goals:
- to follow up each language lesson with a page or revision notes,
- to write 4 notebook pages about myself or my family (these pages are full really quickly when I write in English + pinyin + characters),
- and to figure out how to type pinyin.
That’s it! Plenty to be getting on with.
Resources
Many people have been asking me to list the resources I use for learning my languages this month. Here they are:
Chinese Resources
- italki for finding a tutor
- Chinese in 10 Minutes a day
- Pleco
- Lingodeer app
- Dropsapp
Welsh Resources
- S4C on player
- Radio Cymru on BBC radio playerapp
- parallel.cymru
- Say Something in Welsh app
- Ap Geiriaduron, the magnificent dictionary app
- a printed dictionary and Modern Welsh Grammar (link goes to a stupidly expensive version but I got mine from someone else who found it in a charity shop, so don’t forget your local 2nd hand resources!!)
- A local language partner and lovely people who speak Welsh with me. You can find these by asking around!
What are Your Language Goals for May 2019?
Have you ever studied Welsh? Are you a Chinese beginner? Juggling 2 languages like me?
Leave a comment below to tell me all about how you’re getting on, and what you are planning to study next.
Be sure to check out the Clear the List linkup full of inspiring language goals and reports, hosted by Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy.
9 Unexpected Places To Find Real-Life Language Partners
How cool would it be if you could find real life language lovers to meet up with, learn languages together, perhaps even go to class or see a show in another language? Heck yes!
In this article, get few practical tips to help you reach out and connect with your new language squad IRL.
When you’re a solo learner, the internet plays a huge role in your language learning routine. You use online resources like YouTube, courses and apps. You find cool people who share the love of language on polyglot forums, Facebook Groups and Instagram.
But how cool would it be if you could add a few real life language lovers to your squad of #polyglots? You could meet up and encourage each other, share the latest tips, cook a meal or go for a multilingual walk. Honestly, how do any of us live without wanting such delights!
You may be reading this thinking there’s no way you can find another person in your area who is learning the same language as you.
But are you really the only linguist in the village?
Here are some ideas for finding people off-screen who share your passion for learning languages.
Who To Look Out For
Before you bound out into your street armed with a dictionary and the latest edition of El Mundo expecting to bump into your new Spanish exchange partner, you need to make a profile of all the kinds of people you’d love to hang out with.
Your online network can give you hints of the kind of people you like to find. If you bloom in language exchanges, look for similar arrangements offline. If you love to read or watch the story of other language obsessives, add them to your circle. And if you follow 200 linguists on twitter, that’s another great hint for who you’d blissfully share a coffee with.
Looking at all that, it’s clear that casting a broad net will pay off. Stay open to all of people who are on a similar path to yourself, and don’t underestimate the power of a network.
I was always going to mention the dating analogy (just like we did in this podcast about having the best ever language exchange), and it’s a helpful one to consider. So here goes: Don’t look for the future life partner, and you’ll be most likely to bump into them.
Start By Asking Around
The first step is to start by mentioning your language love wherever possible, to more people than you think will want to hear it. It’s like the first rule of advertising: make sure people know what’s up!
In small talk, try to weave in that you are learning your language. If they are interested, you can mention you’d love to have a chat partner or you’ve been wondering if other people might be interested. You never know, their network might turn something up.
A Few Places To Start
Now that you are ready to embrace the many different ways a language lover may pop up in your life, here are a few places to start looking.
Meet-up Groups
Finding a local meet-up group is relatively easy, funnily enough because many groups are listed online. Here are 3 sites to check out:
Meetup.com
The classic website for local meet-ups, where you can join a few groups and start going to meetings.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite is known as a ticketing website, but browse around your local area and you might well discover a lot more, like business networking and free lectures.
This social media giant is a big player when it comes to finding local groups. Use the search bar or browse around its recommendations. I’d recommend starting your search with the local events, and checking out which groups organise them.
Local Events
Events include talks, festivals, open lectures, trade fairs, and conferences. Choose to go to something new and look out for cultural or internationally themed events.
Here are a few examples:
- Cultural celebrations like the Chinese New Year
- Travel talks about a specific part of the world
- Food festivals where you’ll find lots of international cuisines
- Language Days or Cafés like this one
- Political demonstrations and debates
- Taster lectures for starters of other languages (if you’re tempted, your kinda people will be too!)
If you live near a university, look out for the many different events organised by international and country-specific societies. And if you are religious, look out for friendly faces in your local church.
Anywhere people gather can be the place you meet your language buddy.
To Find Speakers Of Your Target Language:
Ask yourself where your target language speakers might want to go if they’re staying in your area for a while. International students may look for churches or business lectures, or a Latin American expat might attend local Salsa nights. The French speakers may come to Pilates classes, but probably won’t be found at a French learner’s event.
Have you made a language learning friend away from the online world?
How did you guys meet
Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below!
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