Connected By Language: Polyglot Interviews

Tandem - Language Exchange App
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The only show that finds the most dedicated language learners out there, and tries to learn from their craft! Meet and learn from language tutors and creators from all around the world in Tandem Language Exchange’s new official podcast, hosted by Michele and Michelle.

  1. APR 14

    EP. 25 - From No Plan to Fluent: Frank's Language Immersion Journey

    🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH Frank grew up in London convinced he was simply bad at languages. Seven years of French at school, five of German, and not a single conversation to show for it. So at twenty-two, fresh out of university, he did the only logical thing: bought a one-way ticket to Buenos Aires with no contacts, no savings, and barely enough Spanish to order a coffee. What followed was equal parts terrifying and transformative. In this episode, Frank walks us through what real immersion actually looks like from the inside: the supermarket anxiety, the elevator small talk, the football team he joined by pretending he understood every word, and the pandemic lockdown that unexpectedly turned Argentina into home. We also get into how that journey eventually led to a language teaching career, a viral moment on Instagram, and a philosophy about fluency that has less to do with grammar and everything to do with the confidence to just keep going. About the guest: https://www.instagram.com/frankly_speaking_english/ What is Tandem - Language exchange? Tandem is a global language exchange app on a mission to connect the world through languages. Members build confidence and improve their language skills through real life conversations with native speakers in 1:1 chats or live audio rooms.  🔗 Connect With Us: https://linktr.ee/Tandem_App 0:00 Intro  4:24 From “Bad at Languages” to Moving Abroad 14:45 Designing Immersion & Building Real Fluency 44:47 Turning Language into Career & Leverage 58:58 Reflection & Mindset

    1h 9m

  2. MAR 31

    EP. 24 - English Dominance, Dying French Languages, and the Luxembourg Exception

    🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH Luke is a British-born polyglot who grew up in a national park in northern England, spent his adult life living across eight countries, and now works at a French language school in Lille, advising, testing, and reassuring students from all over the world who come to learn French in an immersive environment. In this episode, he shares what years of living abroad and watching hundreds of students succeed and fail has taught him about what language learning actually takes. We go deep on the psychology of learning: why attitude almost always outweighs environment, what Luke calls the "tea bag effect," and how the fear of speaking to native speakers holds people back far more than grammar ever could. We also zoom out into the bigger picture: how the dominance of English threatens minority and regional languages across Europe, why France and the UK couldn't be more different in how they handle linguistic diversity, and why Luxembourg might just be the quiet model no one talks about enough. About the guest: https://www.instagram.com/lukielingual/ What is Tandem - Language exchange? Tandem is a global language exchange app on a mission to connect the world through languages. Members build confidence and improve their language skills through real life conversations with native speakers in 1:1 chats or live audio rooms.  🔗 Connect With Us: https://linktr.ee/Tandem_App 0:00 Intro 4:10 From England to France: A Life Built Around Languages 11:44 Working in Language Education 40:00 Language Diversity & Rights in Europe 57:19 Reflections & Advice 🌟 What topics/language should we explore on the next episode of the new tandem podcast? Let us know in the comments!

    1h 8m

  3. MAR 17

    EP.23 - Inside CLEAR Global: Helping 3.7 Billion People Get Their Voices Heard

    🫂 Donate to CLEAR Global today: clearglobal.org/donate 🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH In this special episode of the Connected by Language podcast, we dive into the critical mission of CLEAR Global to bridge the "digital language divide". We sit down with CEO Aimee Ansari to discuss why 3.7 billion people remain "digitally invisible". From crisis response in Nigeria to disaster preparedness in Bolivia, we explore how language barriers can become a matter of life or death and why language justice is a fundamental human right. Discover how CLEAR Global uses language data and innovative technology to ensure that half the world's population can finally access essential information in their own tongue. Amy shares powerful insights on the importance of speech data for low-resource languages and provides practical ways for multilingual listeners to volunteer their skills to save lives. Join us for this impactful conversation and learn how you can support the push for global language equality during this year's Podcasthon event. This episode is part of Podcasthon 2026, a global movement where podcast hosts interview NGOs and charities to spread awareness and support for humanitarian wonders across the world. Join Podcasthon 2026: https://podcasthon.org/ What is Tandem - Language exchange? Tandem is a global language exchange app on a mission to connect the world through languages. Members build confidence and improve their language skills through real life conversations with native speakers in 1:1 chats or live audio rooms.  🔗 Connect With Us: https://linktr.ee/Tandem_App 0:00 Intro  6:14 Personal Journey into Language and Humanitarian Work 8:46 Low-Resource Languages and Why They Matter 17:39 Beyond Translation: Building Language Infrastructure 25:16 Beyond Translation: Building Language Infrastructure 31:42 Language, Power, and Getting Involved  39:08 The Future of Language Access   🌟 What topics/language should we explore on the next episode of the new tandem podcast? Let us know in the comments!  This episode features a charitable appeal for CLEAR Global as part of Podcasthon 2026. No payment was exchanged for this interview

    45 min

  4. MAR 3

    EP. 22 - This Dutch Mother is Learning Luganda for a deeply personal reason.

    🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH In this episode of Connected By Language, Dutch content creator Jetske shares her experience learning Luganda, a language of Uganda. Originally visiting for a university minor, she eventually settled there and started a family.  Jetske explains her commitment to the language as a way to connect with her partner's family and ensure their daughter grows up with both her Dutch and Ugandan heritage. The conversation covers the technical aspects of Luganda, including its twelve noun classes, tonal pronunciation, and the use of double consonants. Ultimately, the episode highlights how learning a language serves as a form of respect for a partner's culture and identity The guest: https://www.youtube.com/@tess_chinese What is Tandem - Language exchange? Tandem is a global language exchange app on a mission to connect the world through languages. Members build confidence and improve their language skills through real life conversations with native speakers in 1:1 chats or live audio rooms.  🔗 Connect With Us: https://linktr.ee/Tandem_App 0:00 Intro 3:39 Falling in Love with Luganda 11:28 Learning Luganda as a European Adult 29:28 Baby Intermission 30:51 The Learning Process 39:57 Language, Family & Bilingual Parenting 48:24 Advice for Learners of “Uncommon” Languages   🌟 What topics/language should we explore on the next episode of the new tandem podcast? Let us know in the comments!

    56 min

  5. FEB 17

    EP. 21 - How 8 Years of Self-Directed Learning Led Me to a Career in China

    🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH In this episode of Connected By Language, we sit down with Tess, an Australian content creator and university teacher currently living and working in China. Tess shares her incredible eight-year journey of mastering Mandarin, starting from a high school trip to Guangzhou that changed her life forever. From waking up at 6:30 AM to study before school to navigating the complex world of Chinese radicals and tones, Tess reveals the specific strategies she used to transition from self-directed learning to professional fluency. We also dive into the cultural shifts she experienced, such as moving from the informal communication style of Australia to the formal professional environment of a Chinese university. The guest: https://www.youtube.com/@tess_chinese What is Tandem - Language exchange? Tandem is a global language exchange app on a mission to connect the world through languages. Members build confidence and improve their language skills through real life conversations with native speakers in 1:1 chats or live audio rooms.  🔗 Connect With Us: https://linktr.ee/Tandem_App 0:00 Intro 5:20 Discovering Chinese From a Distance 28:30 Independent Language Learning and Self-Directed Progress 42:43 From Learner to Teacher and Living the Language 53:11 Language Learning Mindset and Advice for Independent Learners   🌟 What topics/language should we explore on the next episode of the new tandem podcast? Let us know in the comments!

    59 min

  6. FEB 3

    EP. 20 - How Languages Connect Philosophers Across Borders

    🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Tanu Biswas, associate professor of pedagogy and lifelong polyglot, to explore how language can be more than a skill — it can be a worldview. Growing up multilingual in India and continuing her journey across Europe, Dr. Biswas shares how each language she’s learned became a bridge to new cultures, academic research, and deep human connection. We dive into how multilingualism can shift not just your vocabulary, but your imagination and identity. Dr. Biswas discusses the power of switching between languages intuitively, how meaning shifts across tongues, and how even listening can be a powerful act of contribution. She also opens up about her work on Childism: a growing academic movement that reimagines children’s roles in society,  and how she’s building multilingual research communities around it across the globe. Whether you're learning your first language or your tenth, this episode offers a rich, philosophical, and deeply human perspective on what it means to be “connected by language.” The guest: www.tanubiswas.net   The Childism Institute: www.childism.org What is Tandem - Language exchange? Tandem is a global language exchange app on a mission to connect the world through languages. Members build confidence and improve their language skills through real life conversations with native speakers in 1:1 chats or live audio rooms.  🔗 Connect With Us: https://linktr.ee/Tandem_App 0:00 Intro 3:08 Becoming a Polyglot Without Chasing Fluency? 19:43 Language as a Tool for Bridging, Academia, and Meaning 53:54 Rethinking What Language Learning Is For   🌟 What topics/language should we explore on the next episode of the new tandem podcast? Let us know in the comments!

    1h 4m

  7. JAN 20

    EP. 19 - Is Learning Swedish With a Non-Native Teacher Better?

    🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH Can a non-native teacher actually be more effective than a native speaker? In this episode, we sit down with Una, a Serbian-native who built a successful career teaching Swedish. We dive into her "superpower": the ability to explain the language from the perspective of someone who actually had to "survive" the learning process from scratch. Una explains the "secret advantage" that Balkan speakers have when it comes to perfect pronunciation , the "death of formality" in Swedish culture where an 80-year-old is treated like a friend , and why your face might actually hurt after trying to master the Swedish melody. From the daily ritual of "Fika" to the "trap" of Swedish grammar books, this episode is a deep dive into the unique bridge between Balkan and Nordic cultures. The guest: https://www.instagram.com/naucimo_svedski_engleski/ What is Tandem - Language exchange? Tandem is a global language exchange app on a mission to connect the world through languages. Members build confidence and improve their language skills through real life conversations with native speakers in 1:1 chats or live audio rooms.  🔗 Connect With Us: https://linktr.ee/Tandem_App 0:00 Intro 4:21 Growing Up in Serbia and Falling in Love With Languages 12:12 Why Swedish 42:25 Teaching Swedish Online 56:25 Content Creation in Serbian About Swedish

    1h 10m

  8. JAN 12

    EP. 18 - Is Brazilian Portuguese the Most Fun Language to Learn?

    🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH Guilherme, aka BrazilianPortugui, had a very interesting English learning journey. From crashing into body-language barriers as an au pair in New York to building a thriving online brand from scratch, he shares how teaching Brazilian Portuguese became a global mission rooted in culture, music, and identity. In this episode, Guilherme joins us from Bangkok to explore what makes Portuguese so expressive, why learning a language is like going to the gym, and why you should always learn a bit of the culture before opening your textbook. From pronunciation hacks to awkward double-meaning words, we get into the fun, the struggles, and the surprises of one of the world’s most musical languages. He also tells the origin story of BrazilianPortugui — his platform that started with one curious student and a single lesson idea. Today, it's helped thousands connect with Portuguese through real-world conversation and joyful cultural insights. The guest: https://www.instagram.com/brazilianportugui/ What is Tandem - Language exchange? Tandem is a global language exchange app on a mission to connect the world through languages. Members build confidence and improve their language skills through real life conversations with native speakers in 1:1 chats or live audio rooms.  🔗 Connect With Us: https://linktr.ee/Tandem_App 0:00 Intro 4:15 Growing Up Trilingual 17:31 Cuban Spanish & Linguistic Contrasts 42:04 Unique Learning Methods & Strategies 1:03:00 Outro   🌟 What topics/language should we explore on the next episode of the new tandem podcast? Let us know in the comments!

    1h 13m
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The only show that finds the most dedicated language learners out there, and tries to learn from their craft! Meet and learn from language tutors and creators from all around the world in Tandem Language Exchange’s new official podcast, hosted by Michele and Michelle.

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