Since 2014
The Actual Fluency Podcast
Real conversations with polyglots, linguists, and language enthusiasts from around the world about language learning, culture, travel, and identity.
Marcus Furness: Identity and Culture
Kris Broholm hosts Marcus Furness to discuss his language learning journey. Marcus shares how studying ancient Greek and Latin shaped his view on language and how he later shifted to modern languages for cultural connection and identity formation. They explore the cultural implications of language acquisition.
Runtime 1h 23m
Eleanor Wroblewski: US Language Learning
Kris Broholm welcomes Eleanor Wroblewski to discuss language learning in the United States. They explore challenges and opportunities for learners within the US education system and broader culture. Eleanor shares her experiences as a student and observations on American approaches to multilingualism.
Runtime 1h 38m
Noah Oskow: English teacher in Japan
Kris Broholm welcomes Noah Oskow, an English teacher on the JET program in rural Japan. Noah shares his language journey, beginning with Hebrew in elementary school, which fostered a lifelong interest in languages, particularly Japanese, leading to a career as a translator and teacher.
Runtime 1h 11m
Shannon Kennedy: Introvert language learning
Kris Broholm and guest Shannon Kennedy discuss introverted language learning. They address challenges introverts face with common advice like "just speak" from day one. Shannon, an introvert, also created a new guide on the topic.
Runtime 1h 7m
Irina Pravet: Identity, finding home and learning Finnish
Kris Broholm welcomes Irina Pravet, who discusses her journey from Romania to Canada and ultimately to Finland. They explore themes of identity, finding home in a new country, and Irina's process of learning Finnish after meeting her partner.
Runtime 1h 8m
Fight depression by learning languages
In this solo episode, Kris Broholm explores how language learning can be a powerful tool against depression. He shares personal experiences and provides actionable tips on using language study to combat feelings of low energy and sadness.
Runtime 43m
André Liss: A journey through music
Kris Broholm interviews Canadian hyperpolyglot André Liss about his journey into language learning. André discusses how music became a pivotal learning tool and shares specific songs that have shaped his life story. Kris integrates these mentioned songs directly into the episode audio.
Runtime 1h 15m
Amir Ordabayev: Why being lazy is great
It's time for more learner profiles! In this episode we get into Amir Ordabayev's backstory and find out how he learns languages and the most important criteria for success.
Runtime 1h 19m
Wouter Corduwener: Learning from Tourists
Kris Broholm interviews Wouter Corduwener about his unique approach to language learning. Wouter, an artist, shares how he practices 18 languages by conversing with tourists. They discuss developing speaking confidence and the importance of active language use.
Runtime 52m
Tetsu Yung: Raising Multilingual Children
Kris Broholm welcomes Tetsu Yung to discuss raising multilingual children. Tetsu shares his personal story, detailing how he grew up speaking multiple languages due to his family's origins and various moves. They also touch upon the prevalence of multilingualism in Taiwan.
Runtime 57m
Lindsay Williams: From tutoring to language business
Kris Broholm speaks with Lindsay Williams about the evolution of her language business. Williams details her journey from offering local, private language tuition in English, French, and Spanish to establishing an online platform and blog. She explains this shift was strategic for marketing her online tutoring and ensuring business portability.
Runtime 1h 10m
Keith Swayne: Teaching Languages over Coffee
Kris Broholm interviews Keith Swayne, a Canadian polyglot and language teacher. They discuss Swayne's unique method of teaching groups of students in coffee shops, aiming for rapid intermediate fluency. The conversation also covers Swayne's personal language learning journey and technical teaching methods for those interested in language education businesses.
Runtime 1h 5m
Alex Rawlings: Where to live and expat problems
I catch up with legendary Alex Rawlings to talk about where to live in the world, the expat problem and his latest a-ha moments in language learning.
Runtime 1h 7m
Richard Benton: Community impact of learning pt. 2
Richard Benton is back for part 2! In this episode we continue to talk about using language learning as a force of good and also the Polyglot Conference(s).
Runtime 1h 13m
Richard Benton: Community impact of learning pt. 1
Kris Broholm interviews Richard Benton about the community impact of language learning. They discuss how residents can learn languages spoken by immigrant populations, promoting local diversity. Benton advocates for communities embracing languages beyond the dominant one.
Runtime 51m
Ed Cooke: Memrise and the Membus project
Kris Broholm interviews Ed Cooke from Memrise about the Memrise project and their new Membus initiative. They discuss the multilingual road trip to record native speakers across Europe. The episode also covers effective learning techniques and methods to improve memory for language acquisition.
Runtime 53m
Michael Levi-Harris: The Hyperglot Movie (2/2)
Kris Broholm and Michael Levi-Harris continue their discussion about being a hyperglot. Michael shares his personal definition of "speaking" a language and his challenges with discipline and focus, despite his innate abilities. He also elaborates on the number of languages he is able to converse in.
Runtime 54m
Michael Levi-Harris: The Hyperglot Movie (1/2)
Kris Broholm interviews Michael Levi-Harris, writer and star of "The Hyperglot Movie." They discuss the film's inspiration, creation, and its connection to Michael's personality as a language learner. The conversation also explores similarities between Michael and the movie's main character, along with broader language learning topics.
Runtime 50m
EvilDea (Richard Delamore): Esperanto
Kris Broholm welcomes Richard Delamore, also known as Evil Dea, to discuss his deep involvement with Esperanto. Delamore shares his discovery of the language through Wikipedia and his journey to becoming a prominent content creator for the Esperanto community, including Esperanto TV and his daily YouTube videos.
Runtime 40m
Connor Grooms: Spanish in a month and Baselang
Kris Broholm interviews Conor Grooms about his documentary, "Spanish in One Month," which details rapid language acquisition. They discuss strategies for learning a language quickly and delve into Baselang, a platform for language learning.
Runtime 48m
Steve Ridout: Bootstrapped language learning startup
Kris Broholm interviews Steve Ridout, creator of the Readlang website. They discuss Steve's experiences as a freelance developer, language learner, and aspiring polyglot, including his life based in Spain.
Runtime 51m
Idahosa Ness: Pronunciation Mastery
Kris Broholm hosts Idahosa Ness, who recounts his journey learning Spanish and Mandarin. Ness explains how prioritizing native-like pronunciation and tones accelerated his language acquisition. He details developing a philosophy centered on mastering sound for faster learning.
Runtime 46m
Haikaa Yamamoto: Honour Yourself, others and the planet
Kris Broholm welcomes Haikaa Yamamoto for a conversation about honoring oneself, others, and the planet. Kris details the podcast's new video format on YouTube, including unedited episodes and behind-the-scenes content. He also invites listeners to submit questions for video responses.
Runtime 1h 14m
Daniel Krasa: Language Vagabonding
Kris Broholm welcomes hyperpolyglot Daniel Krasa to discuss his language learning journey. They cover effective study methods, practical tips, and how Daniel developed a career involving languages.
Runtime 1h 4m
Runtime