How to Learn a Language

The smart independent language learner's new favourite podcast.

About the show

How to Learn a Language is the podcast with the very self-explanatory name!
We’ll cover all aspects of language learning, especially focusing on learning how to learn languages better. From time to time guests might pop by to share how they learn languages, but mostly it’ll be me and you hanging out so hey, get comfy and let's learn how to learn a language.

Follow for more at https://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/podcast

Got a question? A topic you'd like covered or a guest you'd like to hear from? Email me at lindsay[at]doeslanguages[dot]com.

How to Learn a Language on social media

Episodes

  • BONUS MINI: Costa Rica + Is Immersion Everything?

    September 7th, 2018  |  3 mins 23 secs
    bonus mini, central america, costa rica, language learning, language stories, the americas

    "If I went there, I'd be fluent..." "Immersion is all you need!"...Is it? In this Bonus Mini episode, I reflect on my time in Costa Rica and how immersion changed my Spanish.

  •

    BONUS MINI: Pipil + Language Nests

    August 31st, 2018  |  4 mins 21 secs
    bonus mini, el salvador, language revitalisation, language stories, pipil, uto-aztecan languages

    Pipil is a language spoken in El Salvador. There's not many speakers nowadays, but revitalisation efforts are happening, including the beautifully named language nests...

  •

    BONUS MINI: Garifuna + Gender Differences

    August 24th, 2018  |  4 mins 27 secs
    belize, bonus mini, central america, garifuna, language stories, the americas

    Researching Garifuna led me down the first of many internet rabbit holes from this Bonus Mini series. This time, it's all about different languages for different genders.

  • BONUS MINI: Cuba + Is Cuban Spanish Hard?

    August 17th, 2018  |  7 mins 48 secs
    bonus mini, cuba, language learning, language stories

    Ooo! Bonus Mini episode?! Yes! Over the next 7 weeks, I'll be sharing 7 Bonus Mini episodes with you. To get us started? We're in Cuba and asking the question: Is Cuban Spanish hard?

  •

    BONUS: Dalriada Gaelic - Back From The Brink

    June 8th, 2018  |  25 mins 12 secs
    bonus, celtic languages, dalriada, dialect, europe, language stories, scotland, scottish gaelic, united kingdom

    Bonus Language Stories?! Yup. Woohoo! This episode, I chat with Àdhamh Ó Broin who is working to bring Dalriada Gaelic, an endangered dialect of Scottish Gaelic, back from the brink.

  • Guarani in the Heart of South America

    May 25th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  25 mins 56 secs
    guaraní, language stories, paraguay, south america, the americas, tupi-guaraní languages

    Guarani is an indigenous language that defies all odds to exist today as it does alongside Spanish in Paraguay. But what odds? How does it thrive in the modern world? In this episode of Language Stories, we're exploring the story of Guarani in Paraguay.

  •

    Nicaraguan Sign Language

    April 27th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  27 mins 15 secs
    central america, language stories, nicaragua, nicaraguan sign language, sign languages, spanish, the americas

    Every language has a unique story, but Nicaraguan Sign Language is pretty special. A language emerging in the 80s amidst a revolution? In this episode of Language Stories, we're exploring the story of Nicaraguan Sign Language.

  • MINI: The Panama Canal

    April 14th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  5 mins 58 secs
    central america, english, language stories, spanish, the americas

    Trade has always influenced the languages we speak. But what happens with language at one of the busiest and most important trade routes in the world, the Panama Canal? In this episode of Language Stories, discover languages at The Panama Canal.

  •

    Keeping K'iche'

    March 30th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  18 mins 2 secs
    central america, guatemala, k'iche', language stories, mayan languages, the americas

    K'iche' is a Mayan language spoken in Guatemala by over a million people. Join us for this episode of Language Stories as we explore K'iche' Maya at a local homestay and in a busy market town, as well as learning how to learn K'iche'.

  •

    MINI: All About You

    March 16th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  6 mins 27 secs
    central america, grammar, language stories, south america, spanish, the americas

    As we've been travelling through Latin America and heading into a new Spanish-speaking country every few weeks, I've realised something. I arrive in a new Spanish-speaking country and don't know how to address YOU.

  •

    Unbelizeable!

    March 2nd, 2018  |  Season 1  |  21 mins 11 secs
    belize, creole languages, english, language stories, spanish, the americas

    Belize isn't like the rest of Central America. Belize speaks English. But that's not the full story...

  •

    MINI: You Know a Word in Nahuatl

    January 12th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  10 mins 13 secs
    language stories, mexico, nahuatl, the americas, uto-aztecan languages

    Nahuatl is a language spoken in Mexico that maybe you've never heard of until now. But guess what? You know a word in Nahuatl.

  • Maya Isn't Dead

    December 29th, 2017  |  Season 1  |  23 mins 56 secs
    language stories, mayan languages, mexico, the americas, yucatec maya

    Think of this episode as a bit of a myth buster. Answering the questions you didn't even know you had about a language that you didn't even know still existed: Maya.

  •

    MINI: Star Wars: A Language Story

    December 15th, 2017  |  Season 1  |  7 mins 55 secs
    constructed languages, fictional languages, guatemala, language stories, star wars, the americas

    It's another Mini Episode! This time we’re in Tikal, Guatemala, aka Rebel Base Yavin 4, and we’re talking all things...Star Wars. In particular the languages of Star Wars.

  •

    Montreal: Beyond Bilingual

    December 1st, 2017  |  Season 1  |  26 mins 14 secs
    language stories, montreal, north america, the americas

    We're making our way up North America. This time we visit Montreal, a city that goes beyond the French and English bilingual expectations you might have. This is episode 3 of Language Stories - Montreal: Beyond Bilingual.

  •

    MINI: Chinatown in Havana

    November 17th, 2017  |  Season 1  |  6 mins 34 secs
    cuba, havana, language stories, the americas

    Havana, Cuba has a Chinatown. Nothing too unusual about that, right? Well what happens when that Chinatown doesn't really have a Chinese population? This is episode two of Language Stories.