Best Heidi Lovejoy Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 74: Authenticity as a Language Content Creator w/Emily Harris 50:32

4d ago50:32

50:32

Today's episode is not to be missed! I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Emily Harris, the language loving woman behind Language Travel Adoptee, a YouTube channel aimed at helping others gain confidence in their language learning through self awareness and personal growth. Emily shares a lot of her own personal experiences learning lan…

1
Episode 73: Meet Your Energy Where It's At 5:02

11d ago5:02

5:02

Today's episode is just a little reminder to meet your language learning energy where it is, not where you want it to be. It's too easy to push ourselves too hard or to be hard on ourselves when we aren't pushing, especially when we start to compare the intensity of or time spent with our languages to what it was a few days or months ago. What's im…

1
Episode 72: All About Language Projects 18:22

18d ago18:22

18:22

In today's episode I'm talking more about what I think of language projects, the benefits of framing language activities and goals as projects, and what types of projects you could jump into in order to boost your skills, confidence, and motivation in your languages. Anything can be turned into or framed as a project, and for some it may just seem …

1
Episode 71: B2 Exam Complete! Here Are A Few Personal Reflections 17:40

25d ago17:40

17:40

After a break to finish preparing for and actually taking my Italian CILS B2 exam, I'm back with a few reflections on this project I took on to take my Italian to the next level. As I studied and prepared for this exam, I noticed a lot of differences between how I was approaching it versus how I used to study and prepare for tests. It was a much le…

1
Episode 70: A Polyglot's Journey of Discovery, Struggle, and Finding His Way - Interview with Polyglot Kuba 1:06:43

2M ago1:06:43

1:06:43

In today's episode I'm chatting with my dear friend, Kuba, a polyglot and passionate language learner who has a fascinating history with languages. As a native Polish speaker, Kuba learned Spanish and English in school, Hungarian at University and through immersion, and Catalan through immersion before diving into a world of self-study. After becom…

1
Episode 69: Functional But Not Fluent 20:40

2M ago20:40

20:40

Probably all of us have, at one point or another, had a goal of being fluent in our target language(s). When we think of being fluent, we often think of easily speaking the language, not having to think about what we're going to say, and just being able to spontaneously use the words and grammar we've acquired. There's this weird place I've found m…

1
Episode 68: Planning, Confidence, and Reflection w/Bront'e Singleton of The Polyglot Fox 50:00

2M ago50:00

50:00

Today's episode is one you won't want to miss! I recently sat down with Bront’e Singleton, the incredible woman behind The Polyglot Fox, to chat about her experiences learning languages and coaching others, guiding them to finding the right language path for themselves. Bront’e has a long list of languages she speaks and learns, and she is so inspi…

1
Episode 67: Let's Talk About Flashcards 30:08

2M ago30:08

30:08

We've probably all used flashcards at one time or another to memorize vocabulary in our new languages, and I'm sure we've all hated them or at least been bored by them. Many, many language learners, coaches, and teachers bluntly tell us to stop using flashcards because they don't work. But that's simply false. It's a narrative built on the assumpti…

1
Episode 66: Manifesting in Language Learning w/Angel Pretot of French Fluency 58:28

3M ago58:28

58:28

Manifesting. Some people love it. Some people believe it's hogwash. Wherever you stand, the truth remains that our actions lead to consequences. When our actions are in line with our goals (something that takes conscious awareness and intention), then the consequences will be in line with our desires. So it makes sense that our actions that are ali…

1
Episode 65: When Progress Isn't Helpful 26:05

3M ago26:05

26:05

As language learners, we always want progress, right? We all want to move forward, learning new words and taking in the grammar. Yet, many times in my language journey, I've found myself making some progress just to look back and realize that the progress I made was actually the opposite of helpful. Instead, it was holding me back from reaching my …

1
Episode 64: What I Love About Language Dabbling 11:31

3M ago11:31

11:31

Are you a language dabbler? Do you enjoy playing around with new languages in a fun and non-committal way? Language dabbling isn't for everyone, but I really enjoy it, and I find several benefits to dabbling that actually help me keep my main languages going. Of course there are often connections between languages that help to strengthen our unders…

1
Episode 63: Trust (but Verify) Your Language Knowledge 11:14

4M ago11:14

11:14

Do you find that you doubt yourself way more than you believe in yourself when it comes to your language knowledge and skills? I certainly do, and it isn't always warranted. No matter your level, I think we can all find a balance in our language lives where we can trust what we know and also take time to verify when we come across something in the …

1
Episode 62: What's Your Excuse? 17:23

4M ago17:23

17:23

Have you ever noticed that the word "excuse" has grown a very negative connotation? It's far too easy to internalize the idea that we should be in our languages all the time, every spare moment of every day, and if we aren't, then whatever the reason, it's "just an excuse." While perhaps once intended to motivate, this phrase and similar others mor…

1
Episode 61: Welcome Back to Season 4! 22:30

4M ago22:30

22:30

Welcome back! Season 4 is finally here, and I'm just starting off with a quick chat about what you're going to find in these episodes and also what I've been doing with my language learning for the last four or so months. I've been doing a ton of intensive language time with both Italian and German, I've been dabbling in a couple languages, and I'v…

1
Episode 60: Celebrating Your Wins! 20:24

9M ago20:24

20:24

In this Season 3 finale of Love, Joy, and Languages podcast, I share and celebrate language learning wins from listeners across the globe. Real life stories from real life language learners, inspiring us to see every bit of progress along our language journeys. In this episode, you'll hear stories from four language learners who recognize a variety…

1
Episode 59: A Joyful Chat with a Special Guest Co-Host 1:01:12

9M ago1:01:12

1:01:12

I invited a very special language learning and language loving friend to co-host this episode with me and chat all about the joys of language learning. This is a very familiar voice in the language learning community, and it's such a pleasure to have Lindsay Williams of Lindsay Does Languages on the show! We had an absolute blast talking about lovi…

1
Episode 58: Sometimes We Need to Get Better First 15:49

9M ago15:49

15:49

Are you the kind of language learner who meets something above your skill level and starts to tell yourself that you're just bad at this thing? It's too big. You're not the kind of person who can. You kinda already knew this language was too hard to begin with. I've found myself doing this loads of times while learning Italian and German, but a rec…

1
Episode 57: Multitasking or Monotasking? 29:39

9M ago29:39

29:39

Today I'm talking about multitasking and monotasking. Multitasking, for me, is becoming something that really stresses me out. More often than not, I make mistakes and have to redo something, get easily distracted and frustrated, or completely forget what I'm doing. Multitasking affects our language learning not only when we're trying to do multipl…

1
Episode 56: Learning Languages w/Card Games - Interview w/Tiara Youngblood of Speak in Spades 1:06:34

9M ago1:06:34

1:06:34

Today's episode is an extremely joyful chat with Tiara Younbgblood of Speak in Spades. A passionate langauge learner and card/board gamer, Tiara shares where her love of games and puzzles began in childhood and how they’ve been a stable foundation of curiosity and knowledge throughout her life. She takes us on her language journey, which includes L…

1
Episode 55: What Really Matters? 11:17

10M ago11:17

11:17

This month has been an absolute whirlwind. Things are so busy, and every day there are so many things that need my attention, between work, kids starting school, general parenting, appointments, and house chores. Honestly, it's just all too much. I recently realized, however, that as my to-do list grows but my time and energy shrink, I've started a…

1
Episode 54: How Language Learning Is Making Me A Better Parent 32:35

10M ago32:35

32:35

Though "parent" is in the title, this is an episode for all. Language learning was the first area in my life where I started being able to face some of my personal demons and really start on a path to self-acceptance and growth. The skills I've gained through this journey of learning languages have absolutely been useful in other areas of my life, …

1
Episode 53: A Note on Building Habits & Routines 20:33

10M ago20:33

20:33

In today's episode I'm talking about building habits and routines. This all started with me wanting to make a habit out of going to the library every week with my kids, getting books, and reading them. Sounds simple, right? But after a few weeks of the kids complaining and us bringing home books that were then never opened, I started to feel like t…

1
Episode 52: Learning, Improving, and Teaching...Deutsch mit Kris 1:04:37

10M ago1:04:37

1:04:37

In today's episode, I’m chatting with German teacher Kris of Deutsch mit Kris. Kris shares her story of how she got into the German language as a high school student from the Southern United States. She had the typical story many of us know growing up in a place where only one language is spoken, taking a few years of language in school, and perfor…

1
Episode 51: Set Yourself Up For Seeing Your Progress 21:01

11M ago21:01

21:01

In today's episode I share 4 (or 4.5) tips for creating benchmarks along your language journey to guarantee that your future self will recognize and believe that you're making progress. In language learning, it's really easy to be so down in the weeds and the details of studying and practicing that progress feels slow or even stagnant. Yet, every s…

1
Episode 50: Listening, Speaking, and Overstimulation 14:56

11M ago14:56

14:56

In today's episode I'm talking about overstimulation and how it affects my language learning. As language learners, I think we often get the message that speaking and listening are the most important skills to work on. I’ve struggled with getting in a significant amount of speaking and listening practice in both of my languages, which comes with a …

1
Episode 49: Good Advice Gone Wrong: Move to a Country of Your TL 25:10

11M ago25:10

25:10

In this third episode of "Good Advice Gone Wrong," a segment in which I highlight some really good language learning advice that can also go wrong, I talk about moving to a country where your target language is spoken. I hear (or read on social media) language learners giving this advice almost daily, and I can't deny that it's amazing for immersio…

1
Episode 48: Heritage Language Preservation - Interview with Dr. Veronica Benavides 48:23

12M ago48:23

48:23

In today's episode, I'm speaking with Dr. Veronica Benavides. Veronica is a Harvard-trained doctora of education with several years of experience in creating meaningful learning environments for children. She is also the founder and CEO of The Language Preservation Project and host of Talking to Grandma podcast, both of which were created as resour…

1
Episode 47: 20-Minute Language Time Placeholder 24:26

12M ago24:26

24:26

If you’re like me, you sometimes find yourself listening to a podcast like this about language learning, in your native language or one that’s very advanced, as a way to escape the actual language learning you want to be doing. It sounds crazy to those who don’t experience this feeling, but language avoidance is a real thing for many language learn…

1
Episode 46: Back to the Beginning 25:43

12M ago25:43

25:43

In this epsiode, I share my current situation with German. For a long time I felt like I was at an impasse with the language, and I needed to decide to either commit to pushing forward or circle back around to the beginning to strengthen my abilities. I distinctly remember being at this place with Italian, and that time, I pushed forward. The probl…

1
Episode 45: Give an Immediate Boost to Your Conversation Practice 11:55

1y ago11:55

11:55

Today I share my list of words and phrases that I often switch to my native for during convo lessons. Kenny of Something Polyglot once pointed out to me that I often switch to English for things like, “How do you say?,” or “What’s the word?” Once he brought this to my attention, I started noticing lots of little phrases that aren’t part of the main…

1
Episode 44: Language & Cultural Identity - Interview with Urmi Hossain 48:53

1y ago48:53

48:53

In this episode, I share a fascinating and wonderful chat I had with Urmi Hossain, a polyglot, author, YouTuber, and a woman empowering and inspiring others. Urmi shares her history of language learning, which began in childhood as she grew up in Italy with Bengali heritage. She tells of growing up in Sicily, speaking Bengali at home and Italian in…

1
Episode 43: Language Learning Jealousy 25:42

1y ago25:42

25:42

One of the biggest issues language learners have is making comparisons to others. Comparison is part of human nature, though, and I’m not here to tell you to just stop comparing because it’s the thief of joy and no one else is like you so comparisons aren’t even legit to begin with. Even though I believe those things are true, they’re also not exac…

1
Episode 42: 3 Quick Tips For Getting Unstuck In Your Languages 11:47

1y ago11:47

11:47

In today's episode, I share my top tips for what to do when you feel stuck in your languages. It's totally normal to reach a point where you don't know what to do next, what to study, or you feel uninspired, your motivation is dipping, and you feel like your learning is getting stagnant. This can happen at any point in your language journey, and I …

1
AFP 191 - Benny Lewis: Recovery from bad times, Korean Mission, and the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp 54:39

1y ago54:39

54:39

In this episode we catch up with Fluent in 3 Months founder Benny Lewis about his latest language learning mission (Korean), the new and improved Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp, and a very open discussion on how he recovered from a few horrible years of depression, divorce, debt, and weight gain. Benny's Website where you can find everything including…

1
Episode 41: The Value of Not Finishing 34:02

1y ago34:02

34:02

Welcome back to Season 3! In this episode, I talk about how we view and use resources with respect to finishing them. In Episode 1, I talked about history of having a strong internal desire to finish every resource I use or language project I begin. I’m a bit of an extreme case, I think, because it’s been more than just wanting to finish what I sta…

1
AFP 190 - Luca Lampariello: The Impact of Mindset on Language Learning 47:54

1y ago47:54

47:54

In this episode, Kris and Luca Lampariello discuss the importance of building confidence and identity in a language to overcome perfectionism and fear of making mistakes. They also touch on the impact of mindset on language learning, the benefits of speaking a language even imperfectly, and the challenge of maintaining multiple languages. Lampariel…

1
AFP 189 - Emily Harris: Language Learning, Culture, and Perfectionism as a Transracial Adoptee 58:16

1y ago58:16

58:16

In this podcast episode, language learner and transracial adoptee Emily Harris discusses her own experiences as an adoptee when it comes to learning her heritage language, and her experiences with perfectionism and finding balance in language learning. She also talks about her language learning journey, including her initial attraction to German an…

1
AFP 188: Cara Leopold - Expat Experiences, Listening Skills, and Movie Club 1:13:50

1y ago1:13:50

1:13:50

In this podcast episode, I'm joined by Cara Leopold, an English listening specialist, and founder of Leo Listening to talk about her experience learning French, moving to France, and eventually integrating in the local community as an expat. We also discuss English listening skills, and her new project: The Movie Club, which helps English speakers …

1
AFP 187 - Heidi Lovejoy: Perfectionism and Language Learning 2:07:13

1+ y ago2:07:13

2:07:13

In this episode of the Actual Fluency Podcast, host Kris Broholm interviews Heidi Lovejoy, the creator and host of The Love, Joy and Languages Podcast. They discuss the topic of perfectionism and its effects on language learning, mental health, and imposter syndrome. Lovejoy shares her struggles with perfectionism while learning Italian, how it aff…

1
Episode 40: Celebrating Your Wins! 25:30

1+ y ago25:30

25:30

In this Season 2 Finale, I share and celebrate language learning wins from listeners across the globe. Real life stories from real life language learners, inspiring us to see every bit of progress along our language journeys. In this episode, you'll hear stories from eight language learners who recognize a wide variety of wins in their language jou…

1
Episode 39: A Joyful Chat with a Special Guest Co-Host 1:02:28

1+ y ago1:02:28

1:02:28

I invited a very special language learning friend to co-host this episode with me and chat all about the joys of language learning. By now you're probably familiar with my Italian teacher, Kenny from Something Polyglot, and it was an absolute pleasure to speak with him about loving languages and finding joy in learning them. Learning a language is …

1
Episode 38: Non-Level Victories in Language Learning 20:26

1+ y ago20:26

20:26

In today's episode, I talk about language victories we have along our journeys that have nothing to do with reaching the next level. Moving up a language level is often our overarching objective, but sometimes reaching a new level is so far away that it's difficult to recognize our progress. And progress, by the way, doesn't only show up in results…

1
Episode 37: Celebrating My 3-Year Soberversary (And What That Even Has To Do With Languages) 28:02

1+ y ago28:02

28:02

In today's episode, I share a bit of the more personal parts of my life. Last week I celebrated three years of sobriety, and while it may not be obvious how this ties into language learning, I can say that the link between these two things is very strong for me. I can say for sure that my early experiences learning Italian while living in Italy had…

1
Episode 36: Listener Q&A: Textbook vs. Real Life Learning 25:02

1+ y ago25:02

25:02

A listener reached out on Instagram and asked if I would do an episode on textbook learning vs. real life. Having lived in Italy for 4 years and Germany for a 1 1/2 years to-date, I have experience learning both Italian and German while living in those countries, and I’ve also used language textbooks, as well as taken textbook-based classes in each…

1
Episode 35: Happy New Year! A Year with No Language Goals 30:41

1+ y ago30:41

30:41

Do you set New Year's resolutions for your languages? Better yet, do you set long-term language goals no matter the time of year? For years, I tried every goal-setting method I could find, yet over and over I found myself avoiding anything I had formally set as a goal, especially in language learning. In today's episode I recount this (failed) goal…

1
Episode 34: If I Believed in Myself 30:30

1+ y ago30:30

30:30

In today's episode, I explore all the details of what my life could look like if I had more self-belief, especially as a language learner. This content is prompted by Emily Richardson of The Language Confidence Project, a daily podcast that gives language learners a boost of courage, no matter our life situations. In Episode 35 of her show, Emily t…

1
Episode 33: Curiosity, Inclusion, and Representation in Language Learning Spaces - Interview with Elle Charisse of Speaking Tongues Podcast 1:03:23

1+ y ago1:03:23

1:03:23

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Elle Charisse, the host of Speaking Tongues Podcast. Elle is a change maker in the language learning community as someone who notices issues like gaps in representation, conversations being ignored, communities being overlooked, and she does something about it, letting her curiosity of the world and …

1
Episode 32: Impostor Syndrome, Part 2 21:48

1+ y ago21:48

21:48

This is the second of a two-part series in which I talk about impostor syndrome as a language learner. I know many of us in the language learning community have experienced or do experience impostor syndrome – that feeling that we're faking it, we're frauds, we aren't deserving of the praise we receive for our achievements, and one day someone is g…

1
Episode 31: Impostor Syndrome, Part 1 17:46

1+ y ago17:46

17:46

This is the first of a two-part series in which I talk about impostor syndrome as a language learner. I know many of us in the language learning community have experienced or do experience impostor syndrome – that feeling that we're faking it, we're frauds, we aren't deserving of the praise we receive for our achievements, and one day someone is go…

1
Episode 30: An Open Letter to Beginner Me 8:28

1+ y ago8:28

8:28

In this episode, I simply read a letter I wrote to beginner me. She was so excited to start her language journey, but she was also very lost. She had no idea what was ahead of her, but she jumped in head-first with a lot of motivation...and fear. I've made a lot of mistakes in my language learning journey, and it's hard not to look back and wish I'…

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Heidi Lovejoy Podcasts

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