Podcast Episode 17: Discover a Travel-Loving Lifestyle with Gabby Wallace

In this episode, I giggle my way through a football reporter’s discovery that German is a useful language - live! You will also hear my interview with Gabby Wallace, a friendly and experienced teacher who has made the whole world her office.

gabby wallace

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Where in the USA they still had a queen in the 1950s

  • Why Discipline and Sharing are the two most important techniques in language learning

  • How to combine the best of Japanese learning traditions with the best of the American classroom

  • How real language learners improve through videos

  • And best of all: How to become location independent, and how to have an immersion trip

  • How I flounder when I’m actually asked to explain Memrise

“The bottom line: It always comes down to motivation.”

— Gabby

Article of the week

Tips of the Week

As our video girl, Gabby didn’t hesitate to choose tip 3 for this episode, so go ahead and try it out.

1) Try some gist reading: Skim through an article quickly and try to get the gist

2) Bulk add your excel or word lists to Memrise

3) Get smarter about video with Yabla

Tips and Links from this Podcast

Support the Creative Language Learning Podcast on Patreon and I’ll send you a nice card.

Gabby Wallace

Laptop Teacher

Go Natural English

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix - they have subtitles and audio in German, French, Spanish and Portuguese

Jeremy Ginsburg teaching Vietnamese on Youtube

Please don't forget to head over to the Flashsticks Sponsor Page to support this podcast.

Podcast Episode 16: Discover languages, dialects and scripts with Lindsay Dow

In Episode 16, I'm introducing our new co-host: Lindsay Dow from Lindsay Does Languages. I’m bringing Lindsay in for more Creative Language Learning Podcast because she's just been so much fun for you to listen to. The episode is supported by Flashsticks (use code KERSTIN10 on www.flashsticks.com for a 10% discount).

podcast languages

In Episode 16, you’ll hear:

  • A discussion of the world’s many different scripts and writing systems, with Lindsay’s recent forays into Amharic and how I worked in Korea for 2 days

  • What makes a dialect different from a language, and where is the line?

  • What travelling to Europe and getting your Health Insurance card can do for your world perspectives

  • A live recording of my first ever #iglc Instagram Language Challenge video

Tips of the Week

In this episode the tables were turned and Lindsay allowed me to choose the tip of the week from three awesome creative tips she had researched. I loved it! My favourite tip ended up being tip 3, using a language in order to learn a language.

1) Open your ears and get into the exercises at listeningpractice.org

2) Learn a language with Pinterest. Both Lindsay and I love this social network and we have about how you can enhance your lessons and learning adventures with it. Here they are:

3) Learn a new language via a language that you already know

Links for Episode 16 of the Creative Language Learning Podcast

Thanks for reading this article on Fluent, the Language Learning Blog. If you are feeling able to give $1 to keep the podcast and the blog going strong, please head over to Patreon and become a supporter!

Podcast Episode 15: From marrying a soldier to writing a German language blog, with Angelika Davey

My guest this month is Angelika Davey, owner of the blog angelikasgerman.co.uk. Angelika has been teaching German independently for many years.

angelika davey

Listen to our interview to find out more about

  • Keeping your mind agile, and whether it really matters to anyone under 50

  • The ultimate showdown: Age vs. Attitude! Which one makes you a better learner?

  • Why learning German is your best choice for business

  • What it’s like to date someone from a different country

  • A new and innovative approach that makes even the best private teacher affordable and accessible to yo

Article of the Week

Multilingual Families: Even our Dog uses 3 Languages

Tips of the Week

Angelika chose Tip 1 as her Tip of the Week.

Tip 1: Read cereal packets, clothing labels and anything you can get (see Language Surfer blog)

Tip 2: Discover foreign culture at home

Tip 3: Use Eurovision to learn your Target Language (see Koko the Polyglot)

Tips and Links from this Podcast

Don't forget to take advantage of the special $10 German Course offer!

“If I’m selling to you, then I speak your language. If you’re buying from me, dann müssen Sie Deutsch sprechen.”
— Willy Brand

Links to Amazon and Udemy are affiliate links so they cost you nothing more but they support Fluent Language and this podcast. Thanks for your clicks. If you are feeling able to give $1 to keep the podcast and the blog going strong, please head over to Patreon and become a supporter!

 

How to enjoy Language Learning more by being lousy at it

If you are a long-term follower of the Fluent blog, you might already be familiar with my love of Pinterest. I spend the odd free minute over on that website, admiring pictures, getting inspiration and using it to learn about education and teaching..

The Growth Mindset

Today I came across a really great graphic illustrating the growth mindset (previously discussed in episode 9 of the podcast), which is such a helpful way for language learners and strivers of any kind to treat perfectionism and become ongoing learners. Adopting a growth mindset has been proven to contribute to both learning success and happiness in scientific studies. In fact, it is absolutely invaluable for adult learners because it does away with this nonsensical myth of talent.

Here's the amazing core message:

Learn to enjoy being lousy.

That is all. Mind blown? Let's move on to this graphic showing how you can do it.

Thank you, Ryan Thomas

Thank you, Ryan Thomas

Online Perfection

When you admire people's well-prepared Youtube videos and considered posts that outline their study routines, it is all too easy to feel inferior. A fixed mindset keeps you trapped in those situations, it forces you to feel that the situation is unfair and you are lagging way behind. But the growth mindset would look at another person's success, then look at what you are accomplishing and say "I don't need approval, I want to gain more knowledge!". In fact, I cannot say this any better than Edudemic already has, so please head over and read the following article on the Growth Mindset. Inspiring, fantastic stuff.

Use Growth for Everything

If you are struggling with adopting this mindset for your language learning, think of other learning situations you have been in during your life. Driving, cooking, sewing, musical instruments. We all started out pretty terrible at those, and the more you do it, the better you get. Yes, that's all of us. German and Arabic and Tagalog are no different.

If you want to read more about using Pinterest in your language learning routine, you can read my step-by-step guide on this blog.

New Podcast: Becky Morales on Perfect Pronunciation and Having 4 Bilingual Kids

becky language podcast

Hey, welcome to lucky episode 13 of the Creative Language Learning Podcast. In this episode, I'll be sharing a delicious foodie article and talking about Kid World Citizens with Becky Morales.

You Will Learn More About:

  • How Becky went from Maths major to Spanish lover in college
  • What it takes and what it means to become bilingual
  • How to put together a golden approach to teaching language
  • Why pronunciation can be something you master at any age if you only have time, dedication and fun
  • How to create an environment where you can learn a language to any level from your own home

Article of the Week

Top Five Russian Pasta DIshes on Transparent Language

Bonus! Recipes of the Week

Jewish Noodle Kugel

German Spätzle

Kazakh Beshbarmak

Tips of the Week

Out of the following three tips, Becky chose number 1 as her favourite tip -  personalize your language learning experience by building your own vocab decks.

1) DIY your Memrise Courses

2) Start with Pronunciation (here's Gabriel Wyner's take)

3) Incorporate all the senses into your vocab learning habits (Science Daily)

Tips and Links from this Podcast

The Top 10 Podcasts to Help you Learn a Language

Heartwarming video of Brazilian students practicing with elderly Americans

Kid World Citizen : Becky's Website

The Global Education Toolkit for Elementary Learners, Becky's book onAmazon.co.uk and on Amazon.com (Buy through this link to support my podcast!)