🌍 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!

🌍 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!

🌍 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

🌍 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!

🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH

What’s it like to grow up speaking three languages—and then add several more? In this episode, we’re joined by Guglielmo, a Cuban-born polyglot raised in Germany, who shares how he navigates his multicultural identity while mastering languages like French, German, Italian, and even Mandarin.

From preserving his Cuban accent to rapping in French to learn grammar, Guglielmo brings a powerful mix of experience, culture, and creativity. He also unpacks why learning a language is a lot like dancing—and why letting go of perfection might just be the secret to fluency.

Whether you’re a beginner or on your fifth language, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical insights to help you stay consistent, think in new languages, and embrace the flow.

The guest: https://www.languagesthroughmusic.com/

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!

#tandem #languageexchange #cuba #podcast

🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH

How do you go from speaking only Portuguese to mastering English, Spanish, and German — all while juggling work, university, and moving across countries? In this episode, we sit down with a Brazilian software engineer Elzo who built his own language learning system from scratch and used it to unlock new careers, friendships, and global opportunities. From his first English lesson at age 22 to working in Germany and navigating the workplace in a foreign tongue, he shares how “one hour a day” became a life-changing habit. We also dive into his methods, motivation, daily routine, and how language learning is more like physical training than academic study. If you’re a busy professional dreaming of becoming multilingual, this conversation is packed with real, practical insight and inspiration.

The guest: none this time…

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

3:49 Growing Up & First Steps in Languages

9:18 Self-Taught Fluency

30:54 Working & Living Multilingually

42:13 Reflections & Advice for Learners

49:47 Outro

🌟 What topics/language should we explore on the next episode of the new tandem podcast? Let us know in the comments!

#tandem #languageexchange #busylife #grindset #podcast

🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH

Can you be funny in a language you barely speak? In this hilarious and eye-opening episode, Neeraj (Nee Ridge) shares how stand-up comedy became his gateway to mastering over 10 languages.

From bombing on stage in Mandarin to testing punchlines with strangers on Tandem, he proves that making mistakes—and laughing through them—is one of the best ways to connect through language. You’ll hear wild stories from open mics around the world, insights on how humor changes across cultures, and why being bad at something publicly can lead to major growth.

You'll learn how comedy can speed up language learning, how to overcome the fear of speaking imperfectly, and why some jokes only work in certain cultures. Neeraj shows that with curiosity, courage, and a sense of humor, anyone can break language barriers—and maybe even get a few laughs while doing it.

The guest: https://www.tiktok.com/@neeridge?lang=en

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

4:32 Multilingual Comedy

38:13 Language Learning Techniques

1:06:00 Outro

🌟 What topics/language should we explore on the next episode of the new tandem podcast? Let us know in the comments!

#tandem #languageexchange #Comedy #podcast #storytelling

🌍 JOIN TANDEM TODAY: https://tandem.go.link/lcLQH

Michele and Michelle explore the Netherlands through its language, culture, and famously direct way of life — from gezelligheid and King’s Day to cycling cities and quiet Sunday towns. Later, they’re joined by Maryna, a German polyglot living in Amsterdam, who shares her experiences learning Dutch, embracing honesty, and finding beauty in everyday Dutch life.

The guest: https://www.instagram.com/metamorfinia

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

2:04 What to do in Utrecht

6:03 Small towns Netherlands

10:54 King’s Day in the Netherlands

13:56 Sinterklaas, More Chaos Than Christmas

17:05 Other Butch holiday traditions

19:49 What Makes Dutch Culture So Unique?

23:36 What is Gezelligheid?

28:57 Guest interview

🌟 What topics/language should we explore on the next episode of the new tandem podcast? Let us know in the comments!

#tandem #languageexchange #Netherlands #podcast #storytelling