#117 Dr. Barbara Oakley on Learning How to Learn

#117 Dr. Barbara Oakley on Learning How to Learn

Author: Fluent in 3 Months September 19, 2022 Duration: 1:01:02

Featured Resources

Patreon Extended Episode

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to extended episodes and loads more content. Here’s what you’ll hear in the long-form episode:

  • Motivation around learning and how to make progress when you feel like you’re bad at something
  • Dr. Oakley’s 3 language survival tools
  • Advice Dr. Oakley would have given herself when she was starting out with language learning
  • How to get back into a language you stopped learning
  • How Dr. Oakley would start learning a new language today
  • Dr. Oakley asks Benny what to do when a teacher assigns you things that just don’t make sense for you personally

Learn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.

Featured in This Episode

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

  • How Dr. Oakley got into learning how to learn
  • Joining the military to learn a new language at the Defense Language Institute
  • Using the Speak from Day 1 Approach
  • How Dr. Oakley’s philosophies around language learning influenced her learning in other fields
  • Working as a Russian translator on Soviet trawlers, teaching in China, being an Army Captain in Germany, working as a radio operator at the South Pole Station and how these things shaped Dr Oakley’s perspectives
  • How teaching makes you a better learner through retrieval practice
  • The story behind the MOOC “Learning How to Learn”
  • Tricks for encouraging your kids to love learning

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
#140 Peggy on “Little Victories” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:14
Do old-school language learning methods still work in our technology-focused and app-driven world? Fluent in 3 Months student Peggy tackled this question while learning Spanish with us. She also discovered how to balance…
#139 Will Scott on Learning French Daily [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:37
“Before the Challenge I would have laughed if you told me I was going to study [French] every day for a week.” This is what Fluent in 3 Months Challenge participant and French learner, Will Scott, shared. Discover how he…
Ask Benny: How Did the Korean Mission Go? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:22
In this episode, Benny goes over his Korean mission and lists some of the best decisions he’s taken and the setbacks he’s encountered.He analyses the CEFR level he is at, outlines a plan to improve over the next weeks, a…
#138 Anika on How to Learn Telugu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:05
How do you learn to speak another language when there are little to no resources available for learners?Fluent in 3 Months student Anika took head-on as she learned Telugu with us. She shares how she taps into native res…
Ask Benny: Can I Learn a Language With My Partner? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:56
Benny gives his opinion on learning a language with the help of your partner and why it can cause difficulties both to the language learning and the relationship itself.Instead, he suggests alternatives that would still…
#137 Victoria Galmarini on Mundo Lingo and Language Exchange Events [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:59
What’s it like attending an in-person language exchange event?Victoria Galmarini, Lead Manager for MundoLingo, an in-person language exchange organization, shares how to run a language exchange event, ways exchanges diff…
Ask Benny: Why 3 Months? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:15
Benny answers the big questions that a lot of skeptics asking him: Why 3 months?Listen to this episode to hear the founder of world-famous Fluent in 3 Months language brand explain how setting himself a deadline of three…
#135 Azren on Going from Window Cleaner to Language Teacher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:10
How can you find good resources to learn uncommon or less popular languages?Azren grew up multilingual and made a career out of his passion for languages. He currently speaks English, French, Spanish, Gujarati, and Manda…
Ask Benny: How Do You Start Speaking From Day 1? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:54
Join Benny as he explains how he has started his Korean mission from absolute scratch—and how you can do the same! The steps are simple:Avoiding English at all costs—so no English conversation, even with your tutor.Cheat…