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PODCAST

Language & Travel Hacking

Fluent in 3 Months

International best-selling author and nomadic polyglot Benny Lewis shares his real experiences and advice while on-the-road about travel and language learning. Learn more at: https://www.fluentin3months.com/podcast/

education language learning

All Episodes

7:10

Benny's next language project

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2026/03/02

In this episode, I’m announcing a return to one of my core languages: Mandarin. Earlier this year I focused on a short-term project in a brand-new country, but now I’m shifting back to a long-term priority. Mandarin has been on my core list for years, yet it’s the one I’ve neglected most. I first learned it intensively in 2012 when I arrived in Taipei without knowing a single word, eventually reaching a conversational level. However, the experience was stressful and overly focused on

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10:54

My 50th country! But, what's the right number to visit?

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2026/02/23

In this episode, I mark my arrival in my 50th country and reflect on what that number really means. After more than two decades of nomadic life, I’ve averaged about two countries per year. Some travellers race through dozens in a short time, while others, like me, move more slowly. I consider whether the goal should be collecting countries or shaping a style of travel that genuinely suits your values and curiosity.For me, it has always been about people and language. Rather than ticking off

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7:59

Life challenges that made me a better language learner

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2026/02/17

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking podcast, I share how two childhood challenges, hearing issues and speech difficulties, ultimately gave me an advantage as a language learner. Growing up, I rarely understood 100 percent of what I heard, which forced me to get used to guessing, filling in gaps, and tolerating confusion. So when I began learning foreign languages, the beginner stage did not feel shocking or discouraging. I was already comfortable not fully understanding and

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8:55

How ADHD made me a better language learner

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2026/02/11

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I share how ADHD, something that once made me feel like I was terrible at languages, has actually become one of my greatest strengths as a learner. Although I was only diagnosed as an adult, looking back I can clearly see how distractibility and a constant need for dopamine hits made school language classes a nightmare for me. English, Irish and German were consistently my worst subjects, and I assumed that meant I simply was not

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5:23

Kicking off my Malay/Malaysian adventure

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2026/01/23

In this episode, I’m checking in from Kuala Lumpur to kick off my first language and travel project of the year: using Malay to enrich my experience as I travel through Malaysia. I talk about how closely related Malay and Indonesian are, more like regional varieties than entirely separate languages, which means I can focus on reactivating my Indonesian rather than starting from zero. I share how I’m gradually getting my momentum back, brushing off the rust, and learning the small but

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6:50

End of year language boost

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/12/19

In this episode, I share an update on my end of year language boost after a very multilingual December. I talk about how I fully reactivated my Irish through local meetups in my hometown, without needing to travel to a major city, and how focused time plus the right books helped refresh the language quickly. I also explain my minimalist approach to language learning materials, including how I keep a small, carefully chosen collection of books at my parents’ house and rely on digital tools

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6:52

Benny's next travel/language project is...

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/12/03

I’m kicking off this episode by checking in from Ireland, where I’ve been doubling down on my Irish through meet-ups, tech immersion, and plenty of telly. This is the first stage of a longer journey that will involve several trips back and forth, all with the aim of finally becoming truly fluent in the language. After Christmas I’ll make my usual pilgrimage to the Esperanto Youth Week in Germany, brushing up my German just enough to avoid sounding too rusty outside the event. But the real

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10:33

How I’m immersing myself in Irish… in Texas!

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/11/06

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I share how I’m immersing myself in the Irish language even while living in Texas. Since I’ll be heading back to Ireland for a month and a half, I want to rebuild momentum with my Irish studies, and that means using what I call “virtual immersion.” I fill my daily life with Irish as much as possible, no matter where I am. I listen to Irish podcasts every day, study with my Anki flashcards, and spend time reviewing Irish grammar

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11:44

My story with the Irish language

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/10/22

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I share my story with the Irish language, from struggling through boring school lessons to finally reconnecting with it as an adult. In the 90s, Irish was taught in a very academic and grammar-heavy way, so despite ten years of “learning,” I could barely say a few phrases after school. Years later, after learning Spanish, Italian, and French, a French friend asked me, “Do you speak your own country’s language?” That question made

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19:00

Life in the US and visiting all 48 contiguous states

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/10/14

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I share a deeply personal and reflective look at my life in the United States and my journey to visiting all 48 contiguous states. I talk about how my fascination with America began through films and TV shows, and how, as a young Irish student, I first arrived in the States on a J-1 visa to work in upstate New York. Over the years, I returned multiple times, living, working, falling in love, and even getting married and divorced in

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6:04

Language updates: ASL and... Irish!

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/10/06

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I share an update on my current language projects. After wrapping up a major travel project in the U.S., I’ve been refreshing my American Sign Language (ASL). I’ve attended events and meetups across several states, and for the next six weeks, I’ll be in Austin, Texas—home to the Texas School for the Deaf—where I’ll have plenty of chances to practice and use what I’ve been studying online.With ASL shifting into a practice phase, I’m

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4:29

Get started on your 3-month project NOW!

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/10/02

This weekend only, I’m offering a special $100 discount when you join Bootcamp with the code OCTSALE. The offer runs until Monday, just before the next round kicks off. This is your chance to set yourself up for success and finally reach the breakthrough you’ve been working towards. Head over to languagehacking.com/bc for all the details and don’t forget to use the code before it expires. I’d love to see you in the Bootcamp, support you through your next three months of learning, and chat

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9:22

Converting between units quickly

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/09/11

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I share my quick hacks for unit conversions while traveling. For temperatures, I use my “rule of five” system to convert between Celsius and Fahrenheit. It’s based on five key Celsius points—0, 10, 20, 30, and 40—and their easy-to-remember Fahrenheit equivalents, all tied to the number five. This shortcut isn’t perfect, but it’s simple enough to check the weather at a glance without pulling out a calculator or app.I also explain my

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5:24

The logarithmic advantage of beginners

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/08/26

In this episode of the Travel and Language Hacking podcast, I talk about the unique advantage that beginners have when learning a new language. Unlike exponential growth, where progress starts slowly and then speeds up over time, language learning often follows a logarithmic curve. This means that at the very beginning, improvements happen quickly and dramatically, but they gradually level off as you advance. I share how this applies not only to languages but also to other skills, like my

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8:57

Which Operating System is best for language learners?

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/08/19

In this episode, I want to share a tip you might not have considered for language learning: your operating system. On phones, I’ve gone from iOS to Android, and Android wins hands down because it supports far more languages, including underrepresented ones like Irish and Esperanto. Simply changing your phone’s interface gives you daily exposure in a very natural way, and that small but constant immersion adds up.For computers, I’ve completely switched to Linux, and I can’t recommend it

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5:57

Travel update: 4 new US states

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/08/12

Over the past month, I reached my 44th state, Colorado, which I’d been looking forward to visiting for a long time. I gave myself a whole month there to truly experience it—running races, hiking in the mountains, exploring towns like Boulder and Denver, and meeting many wonderful people, including opportunities to practice my American Sign Language. Now, I’m ready for the next stage of my US states project. I’ll fly to Chicago, not a new state for me since I lived there years ago while

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11:30

Comparison is your enemy in a big project

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/07/31

In this episode, I talk about something that keeps coming up in my own projects: the trap of comparing yourself to others. When I first started learning Spanish, I’d constantly compare myself to other learners and beat myself up over not being as good. That kind of mindset really messed with my confidence. And now, even after all these years of language learning, I’ve found myself doing the same thing—but this time with running. I’ve been training for a bunch of half marathons, and every

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12:52

Finding meet-ups and friends while travelling solo

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/07/24

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I share how I find meetups and make meaningful friendships while traveling solo. Back when I started my nomadic journey over 22 years ago, it was surprisingly easy—I relied on just a few websites like Couchsurfing and Meetup, and that was enough to connect with interesting people wherever I went. Nowadays, things are more complicated. Oversaturation and generic events make it harder to find truly like-minded people. I still go to

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7:46

Benny’s last big US road trip

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/07/14

In this episode, I'm coming to you from beautiful Colorado — my 45th U.S. state! I dive into what might be my final big American road trip as I push to complete a long-time goal: visiting all 48 contiguous U.S. states. I talk about how this journey ties into my current language mission with American Sign Language (ASL), and how I've used everything from book tours to long-term stays and my green card to explore the country over the years. I'm lucky to have this chance, especially as a

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9:06

Why you should learn a sign language

Language & Travel Hacking ·

2025/07/07

In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking podcast, I share why I believe everyone should consider learning their country’s sign language. When I first picked up American Sign Language (ASL), I didn’t expect how deeply it would connect me to the deaf community in the US. It gave me access to a rich, often overlooked culture, and offered a completely new way to communicate and make friends. ASL quickly became one of my favourite languages, and I decided to add it to my permanent list

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270 results

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