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What potholes might you encounter if you transition to a new location after language school? A growth mindset and safe, supportive relationships can help you smooth out the road ahead. Guest: Amy G., ESL Certified

Do you think your age negatively influences your language learning? Maybe there are challenges, but age can work to your advantage if you do what is important for all language learners.

If you work with a language coach you can exponentially increase your chances for language learning success. Guest: Andrea W., language acquisition coach, Acquire co-founder and developer

Instead of just always plowing ahead, take time to look backwards and evaluate your language learning journey so far. Then you can confidently move forward with heightened vision, better goals and clear direction.

Holiday celebrations can mean unsettling surprises. Predict the unpredictable and gain cultural perspective by asking beforehand relevant wh-questions.

Since laughter is good medicine indeed, here’s your chance to catch some of the funny super-duper bloopers you may have missed in previous episodes. The takeaways will remind you of lessons to be learned from an honest language learning mistake.

Eavesdrop on this rather unusual conversation with a man learning a Bantu language amid semi-nomadic herders in Southern Africa. How does his profile reflect what a good language learner is and does? Guest: Caleb Fetterhoff, B.A. Music, AIM International

28 A Balancing Act Too much time studying or analyzing a language at your desk can easily distract you from learning through real-time communication out in the community. Is this your struggle? Hear how a linguist and Scripture translator intentionally tried to achieve a balance while learning a minority language in Ethiopia. Guest: Dr. Travis Williamson, Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics, Moody Bible Institute

Gain sociolinguistic competence by speaking not only accurately but also appropriately in any given context. Examples and tips for observation and investigation will help you avoid painful mistakes. Guest: Dr. David Broersma, Professor of Linguistics and TESOL, Lee University

Don’t take technology entirely off your plate with an immersion-only mindset. Instead, choose nutritiously from a menu of various online options. Guest: Dr. Thor Sawin, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

If you understand what fluency really is and is not, you can then work toward actually achieving it in your language learning program. Guest: Dr. Natalie Mullen, Institute for Cross-Cultural Training, Wheaton College

Play to your advantage as a couple learning language by minimizing competition and maximizing individual strengths. Hear an upfront and personal story of mutual support and encouragement. Many elements apply to all language learners. Guests: Scarlett A-W., (MSc Global Development) and Jordan W., (M.S. Professional Counseling)

Attitudes can determine how you respond to the demands of language learning. What attitudes help? What attitudeshinder? Guest: Karen Griffith, former Director of Second Language Acquisition at the Center for Intercultural Training

Wives and moms can step into the challenges that all language learners face by gaining perspective and enlisting strategies to build those all-important relationships. Guest: Jodi Bunn, M.A. Intercultural Studies

Is achieving a native-like accent a reasonable goal for L2 speakers? Mary Lynn suggests an alternative as a more attainable standard and highlights factors regarding accent you may not have previously considered. Host, Mary Lynn Kindberg (M.A. Linguistics)

20 Not Your Average Flashcard Climb out of your vocabulary abyss with WordClimber, a new digital flashcard tool specifically designed to support language learning at all levels. A language learner himself, the creator behind WordClimber details how its unique features optimize your exposure to new words, facilitate timely review and strengthen motivation. Listeners receive a subscription discount. Guest: Peter Armstrong, web developer and Internet entrepreneur.

What was it like for the Kindberg family to intentionally stay with a Chilean family when they first arrived in the country?  Mary Lynn and Patti, the daughter, each relate the story from their own cultural perspective and tell what resulted overall. Guest: Patti Fuentes, Santiago, Chile.

Identify signs and sources of stress to help re-engage your language learning brain and implement coping strategies. Guest: Jeff Blake, Mission Training International (B.A. Linguistics, M.A. Counseling)

How do you choose which language(s) to learn in a multilingual context? If you understand the sociolinguistic dynamics of language choice by native speakers themselves, then you as a language learner can make informed decisions of which language(s) to target for what purpose. Guest: Dr. Steve Quakenbush, sociolinguist, SIL International

Why invest a lot of time in language study for just a short stint overseas? A nurse for two years in the Middle East attests to how her dedicated efforts to learn Arabic paid off in significant work roles and remarkable relationships. Guest: Juliana J. (B.S. Nursing)