The Lollygagging Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Lollygagging Podcast
The Lollygagging Podcast with Rick and Dave - language learning for intermediate and advanced learners covering topics of interest for polyglots and language-learners.
Rick and Dave check in on each other to make sure they're still practicing good lollygagging language skills, or at least good hygiene. (Oh, the suspense!) They also discuss the Virtual Polyglot Gathering, Rick's Listening/Reading efforts, Dave's big move, and some nasty and threatening comments towards some anonymous polyglot personalities like Gareth Popkins and Kris Broholm. Wait, I was supposed to leave them anonymous. Forget that last part!
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Show notes
00:57 Dave's new life
01:55 Rick's unchanged life
02:35 Rick's L/R Challenge results and Polyglot Gathering talk
04:09 Rick's disturbing stalker tendencies
05:32 Rick's disturbing French progress
10:17 Rick's disturbing current plans
11:00 Rick's disturbing language focus and tech tools
13:55 Dave's non-disturbing language plans
22:00 The virtual Polyglot Gathering
25:28 Who not to drink with at the Polyglot Gathering
31:43 Rick offers his Setswana stuff
And links to some things we talked about:
Polyglot Gathering
Gradint
Pimsleur
Dave and Rick pick each other's brains regarding the polyglotosity (yes, that's a real word, maybe...?) of London and other parts of the world, meetups and silent periods, and something called "daving," which is most likely illegal, or at least immoral.
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Show notes
00:47 Rehashing episode 11
01:46 Rick’s take on the multilingual beauty that is London
11:30 The concept of “daving”
14:02 Dave’s take on making time for LR and Polish
20:09 Languages Dave encounters on the east cost of the USA
21:31 The concept of meet ups
23:54 The concept of a silent period (something Dave can’t comprehend)
28:34 Rick hates HP and thus hates all children
And links to some things we talked about:
Endangered Language Alliance--poster of NYC
Polyglot Gathering
Language Learners Forum
Assimil Books
Kauderweslch Books
Nemo Language Apps
Clozemaster
Meetup.com
Upon returning from the well-beloved Polyglot Gathering, Rick and Dave discuss what they want to accomplish for the next year. In this episode, Dave says so much by saying so little. Or is it the other way around? Either way, it's going to be the best podcast you've ever heard because it's Dave. Say it with me: It's DAVE! Now with 10% more Daveness. Yes, that really is a word....
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Show notes
01:00 Rick asks Dave a probing question
01:07 Dave gives a probing answer, leaving you feeling probed
And links to some things we talked about:
Polyglot Gathering
Language Learners' Forum
Fluent Forever on Amazon
Upon returning from the well-beloved Polyglot Gathering, Rick and Dave discuss what they want to accomplish for the next year. In this episode, Rick talks about a new (to him) concept that he hopes will "melt and rewire" his brain and make him a superhuman Italian-speaking dynamo. If only he could stop spending so much time working on his English.
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Show Notes
00:56 Rick mentions our companion video
02:00 Rick’s #1 takeaway from the Polyglot Gathering
02:28 Rick’s scheme to improve Italian
03:52 Rick recaps his challenge last year (language exchanges)
04:49 Let’s talk (more) about Rick
04:59 Rick’s English need work
05:10 The LR Concept
05:46 Seriously, why is Rick learning English?
11:13 ???
12:07 Rick’s initial assessment
19:35 Can anyone benefit from this?
31:27 Sneak peek at the next episode
And links to some things we talked about:
Our post-Gathering video
The LR Method
Assimil Books
Audible and Audible Italy
Librivox
Project Gutenberg
The Language Learners' Forum
Rick and Dave discuss ways to acquire subject-specific vocabulary and to expand your vocabulary with subtle shades of meaning. Use technology to find words specific to a specific field or use a an old-fashioned book. Learn how to say "infinitesimal," preferably correctly.
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Show Notes
01:07 How can I increase my vocabulary/acquire subject-specific vocabulary?
01:39 Subject-specific vocabulary
03:43 Technical stuff (“antconc”)
07:44 Subs2SRS
10:11 Subject-specific books are out there
11:20 Thesauri for adding shade of meaning
12:55 How not to pronounce “infinitesimal”
16:31 Mix it up!
19:32 Another way not to pronounce “infinitesimal”
19:43 Word games (such as crossword puzzles)
And links to some things we talked about:
antconc
Rick's 5 part tutorial on creating Subs2SRS Anki Decks
Rick Dearman's personal YouTube channel
Basic Fantasy (Free and Legal D&D Books)
Dave's recommendation for a German thesaurus
Rick and Dave answer questions about flow, conversational fluency, materials in the target language, and Harry Potter. Listen as Rick takes the lead and discusses how he shares his techniques on pushing the intermediate-language-learning envelope, taking the listener on a thrill ride of techniques and tips until finally the listener is out of breath. Which begs the question: there's only one listener?
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Show Notes
01:20 Question 1a: How can I improve my conversational flow?
and Question 1b: How do I improve forming complete sentences?
08:49 Question 2: How do I maximize using native/target language media?
21:12 Question 3: How do I find books at my level in my target language?
28:13 Question 4: How can I think in a language?
And links to some things we talked about:
A sad obituary but nice article about Boris Shekhtman
Boris Shekhtman's book on language learning
Harry Potter Translations
Rick’s presentation at the Polyglot Gathering discussing demoralization and demotivation (in French)
And, of course, the Language Learners' Forum!
How do you acquire a decent accent? What do those weird symbols in transcriptions and fancy books mean? What does our mouth need to do in order to sound like an authentic Mongolian speaker, and will it get us arrested or admired? Heck if we know, but we talk like we do. Now with 20% more incoherent rambling!
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Show Notes
Here are the highlights to save you from pain and anguish:
01:43 Rick reveals his motivation for craving an authentic accent
03:20 Rick admits he can read after all
03:48 Rick and Dave discuss prosody
05:01 Rick discusses “accent replacement” vs “accent reduction”
12:23 Rick the Pottymouth asks about the IPA
13:27 Dave’s 2nd attempt at explaining the IPA
[ʃ] = “sh” [i] = “ee”, [æ] = “a” as in cat
17:18 Dave’s original attempt to explain IPA and mouth positions
23:23 What are diphthongs?
And links to some things we talked about:
Olle Kjellin's web page
Audacity software & free download
WorkAudioBook (The correct name of the software)
utalk
Rosetta Stone
Olle Kjellin PDF on accent reduction
PRAAT software and free download
The standard IPA chart
An interactive IPA chart
Handbook of the International Phonetic Association
Accents: A Manual for Actors
What are some qualities that will help you with language study? Do you have to be a language nerd? Should you aspire for perfection? What do Rick and Dave think are helpful traits for language learning? If you answered “yes, I can!” to any of these questions, go back and read them again because your answer makes no sense.
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Show Notes
Here are some highlights if you're in a hurry:
00:17 Rick provides an amazing fact about chickens
00:48 What qualities do you need in order to be a successful language learner?
00:58 Do you have to be a nerd to learn a language?
02:13 You need this quality (rhymes with “potivation”)
02:54 Fear of failure and perfectionism are the opposite of good
03:48 Did someone mention demotivation and demoralization? See links below
04:46 More shameless mention of the Language Learners’ Forum
05:49 Focus on these (rhymes with “lengths,” begins with “str”)
07:53 Rick mocks Star Trek fans and assumes all non-nerds are actors (?)
08:19 Rick and Dave discuss their personal strengths
13:40 Genius Rick comes up with a characteristic that Dave just finished talking about
14:06 Summing up the characteristics we think language learners need (not mentioned: stealing Dave’s ideas)
15:35 Speaking of Setswana…..
20:43 A hint at next week’s topic
And links to some things we talked about
Language Learners' Forum - Sign up and meet other language nerds!
Rick's talk on demoralization and demotivation at the Polyglot Gathering 2018 (mainly in French)
In this episode, Rick and Dave talk about how you might get your family and/or friends to support your foolish language habit. But don't expect anyone to be happy about that hat you're wearing!
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In this episode, Rick and Dave explore the myths of learning languages in unreasonably short periods of time and describe how painfully hard it is to learn a language. In fact, learning a language is almost as hard as listening to Rick talking. Still want to listen to the podcast and/or study a language? You're such a masochist, and we love you even more now...
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