#100 Celebrating 100 Episodes with Scott Young

#100 Celebrating 100 Episodes with Scott Young

Author: Fluent in 3 Months May 23, 2022 Duration: 52:04

Our first ever Language Hacking Podcast guest, author, and course creator, Scott Young, revisits the show to catch up with Benny and Shannon and share what’s changed for him over the last two years with his language learning and projects.

Scott is an expert on learning and how to work better. He’s a best-selling author who took on the MIT Challenge, A Year Without English, and many more intensive learning projects. In this episode, he shares many of his thoughts on momentum, confidence, and balancing life with other pursuits.

Featured Resources

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

  • How Scott’s life has changed over the past two years
  • Building a multilingual family and learning Macedonian
  • How to stay engaged in learning
  • Dealing with the long-term maintenance work of learning languages
  • How to get back into learning after losing momentum and confidence
  • Time and energy management for intensive learning projects
  • Setting concrete learning goals
  • Top 5 things Scott learned since our last discussion with him
  • How to prioritize personal projects

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy


There’s a certain magic that happens when you step off a plane and try to order a meal in a language you’re still fumbling through, or when a simple conversation with a stranger on a train opens up an entirely new perspective. Language & Travel Hacking, from the team behind Fluent in 3 Months, lives in those messy, authentic, and profoundly rewarding moments. Host Benny Lewis, a nomadic polyglot and best-selling author, doesn’t just theorize from a studio; he records from the road, sharing raw, real-time experiences and the practical strategies that actually work when you’re navigating a foreign market or building confidence in a new tongue. Each episode feels like a candid chat with a well-traveled friend who’s made all the mistakes so you don’t have to. You’ll hear the sounds of street markets and train stations in the background as Benny breaks down the psychology of language learning, offers actionable tips for picking up phrases quickly, and discusses how travel itself can be the ultimate classroom. This podcast is built on the idea that fluency and cultural connection aren’t distant goals reserved for the gifted, but accessible skills you can hack through smart, intentional practice. It’s for anyone who believes that the deepest way to explore a place is through its language, and that every journey is an opportunity to reshape how you see the world-and yourself. Tune in for honest stories and tangible advice that will change how you approach your next adventure, whether it’s across the globe or right in your own neighborhood.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 271

Language & Travel Hacking
Podcast Episodes
Travel Health Hacks: Avoiding and Managing Illness on the Road [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In this episode, Benny explores how knowing area codes can enhance travel experiences and even improve social interactions. When traveling, recognizing phone numbers based on area codes, particularly on apps like WhatsAp…
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Benny dives into how travel has changed over his 21 years as a digital nomad. Reflecting on his early travels in the 2000s, Benny shares how meeting people and finding affordable accommodation used to be easier, with too…
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In this episode of the Language Hacking Podcast, Benny shares updates from his latest travel adventures. After completing a bus journey across South America, he's now traveling down the Amazon River and visiting all 26 B…
Benny's travel update: 3 huge South American travel projects for 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:25
In this episode of the Language Hacking Podcast, host Benny shares his travel plans and projects for the year, all centered around South America. He discusses three major travel projects: visiting all Brazilian states, t…
Ask Benny: Other ways to avoid being an obvious foreigner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:00
Benny Lewis discusses strategies to avoid standing out as an obvious foreigner when speaking a new language, drawing from his experiences in Brazil. Academic choices of written words, like or simply saying things that ar…