Often, we think about learning languages for reasons that benefit our lives in lots of ways. Learning a language makes you healthier, sexier, and smarter. But what can it do for others? In this post and podcast episode, I'm presenting two interviews with women who are working to change people's lives through the power of language.
Read more5 Creative Ideas for Boosting Results and Adding Fun in Your Online Language Lessons
Language tutors are a favourite resource in any successful learner’s arsenal. But it’s not always easy to stay excited about your language lessons, and to turn up regularly…If there’s no creativity in online lessons, no one gets to have the results or the fun that they should have.
No problem! Check out the following 5 ideas for lessons in any language, and you’ll be on to a winner!
Read moreEpisode 23: Teach (Yourself) a Language with Tammy Bjelland from Language in Bloom
It's episode 23 and I'm back with another lovely and inspiring interview. Tammy Bjelland sparkles with all the energy she brings to language learning and teaching. She teaches, trains, offers curriculum design and runs her own podcast, the Business of Language Podcast. Let her enthusiasm pull you along in this interview!
You'll hear about:
- What you're going to do with that language later
- The many secret benefits of languages in your career
- The 7 superhero skills of language learners: Empathy, Independence, Curiosity, Versatility, Creativity, Autonomy and Self-Discipline
- How group learning can be a HUGE advantage for you
- How to develop your custom curriculum
- Tammy's truly impressive looking course Language Learning Formula
"You have to learn to teach yourself a language. It's a skill in itself"
Tips of the Week
Tammy was by far the most decisive guest I've ever had on this podcast. She went straight for tip number one as your Tip of the Week!
1) Practice your pronunciation with Soundcloud
2) Practice your pronunciation and get instant feedback by talking to Siri in a foreign language
3) Make a food log in a foreign language (thanks for the tip to Ron Gullekson
Tips and Links from this Podcast
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.
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.”
- Angelika’s Awesome German blog
- Angelika Davey on Twitter
- Jared Romey chats about Spanish at Language Book Club
- Online course Beginners’ German for Busy People for only $10!
- Teach Yourself German books on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
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 I came to Online Teaching: A TEFL-Free Story
Many people who find me and my work through Fluent often assume that I took the classic route of learning how to teach online after studying for a TEFL exam, but that's not actually true. In fact, I never set out to be an entrepreneur at all. In today's blog post, I want to share this awesome interview with me and Gabby Wallace from Laptoplanguageteacher.com.
It's an in-depth look at how I started out in language teaching, and how my independent streak actually helped me discover my own niche in this market. As you can see, I'm just as scared as you are when it comes to that niche challenge!
Here are the top 4 Lessons you can Learn from this Video
- If you work online, collaborating with your colleagues is the door to success
- When you blog, you start sharing your views and standing out in a wholly new way. It is one of the most fun experiences on the internet. If you want to learn more about how to start a language blog, check out Fluent's Quick'n'Easy Guide to Language Blogging.
- Your prices can send a powerful message to new students. I have spoken to so many language students who felt that they actually
- Bonus Lesson: That's a crazy hairband.
And of course, I also mentioned various ways of working with me in the video. The 50 Calls project is now finished, yes I actually spoke to 50 amazing people. It was so much fun!
The feedback I got from them helped me create the course Compass, which is now available to online teachers right here on Fluent as the (renamed) Savvy Brand Toolkit. I'd love for you to check it out, and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter so that I can send you discount codes and promotions when I run them.
Event Coming Up
Gabby and I are running a joint Facebook event on 7 May. It's called the Online Teaching Show and designed to help online teachers get the word out. All for free, so please come and join us by registering here on Facebook.