My Year In Review 2019

My Year in Review 2019

pennywilson 31.12.2019 About me, Chinese, French, Language goals, Language learning, Language motivation, Vietnamese 0

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This is my second annual review. You can read 2018 here.

It’s been a mixed year for me in language learning and for Lingo Mama.

We moved houses (and cities!) and found out we were expecting our second baby at the beginning of January. My pregnancy was a pretty anxious time and I found it hard to get motivated to do any language learning or stick with anything for much time. But… there have been some really amazing things to happen this year! Including the birth of our baby girl in August this year!

So in what feels like a fairly unproductive year, I think it is even more important to reflect back and realise it hasn’t been as ‘quiet’ or as ‘insignificant’ as I think!

Some of my other highlights from 2019 are:

I presented at the Women in Language conference in March 2019

This was the second time this online conference was held and I was thrilled to be invited to speak. I presented on how to organise an amazing Language Trip – something you all know I am passionate about 😉

Follow the co-convenors Lindsay Does Languages, Eurolinguiste and Fluent Language for more information and to register for the 2020 conference!

We launched our Language Chats podcast in early 2019

Together with Bec from Irregular Endings and my co-founder of Language Lovers AU we launched the Language Chats podcast. We published 14 episodes in 2019, with many more topics and conversations planned for 2020.

Subscribe to Language Chats in your usual podcast app, or listen online at www.languagelovers.com.au/podcast.

Launch of Language Lovers Language Bites events

We’ve held three Language Bites events in Vietnamese and Greek and these have been super popular. We want to combine learning about a new language whilst in a very fun and informal environment – at a restaurant! We learn a lot about the food, culture, regional differences in these events and travel is usually a popular talking point.

Stay tuned for more Language Bites events in 2020 – our Vietnamese event is scheduled for 26 April, in Richmond, Melbourne. Buy tickets here.

My language learning

I decided on a focus of French, but I haven’t done hardly anything on Chinese or Vietnamese. My French ‘study’ as been pretty haphazard! I am loving the Coffee Break podcasts, I’ve watched a few of the BBC French language learning series. In 2020, I will need to step my efforts up and get a teacher and some structure and goals to my learning.

I’ve joined the Language League online language study club, so there will be some outside accountability and motivation for my learning in 2020!

Language Lovers continues to grow in numbers

Don’t forget to join up on Facebook and be part of the LLAU fun!

The Language Event Melbourne

I attended the first Language Event Melbourne in September. Taking Lingo Dada and Lingo Bubba #2 along (she was 4 weeks old I think!)

View this post on Instagram

Youngest attendee at The Language Event today in Melbourne! 🤗 One of the highlights of today was hearing from Richard Simcott @speakingfluently about raising multilingual children. . One of his top tips is the importance of play based learning AND consistency. Something I always find difficult with my own learning and with introducing language to Lingo Bubba (#1!) is scheduling time and making some sort of routine. 🤔 For those of you introducing language to your kids, how do you go about making a routine? What are your tips to make language learning regular and consistent in your family?

A post shared by Penny | Language Travel (@lingo_mama) on Sep 21, 2019 at 12:13am PDT

A highlight was catching up with other language lovers at the event!

I launched my New Caledonia Français Language Trip for May 2020

I have three confirmed participants so far. We are purposely keeping the group small, so if you are keen, get in touch soon! New Caledonia Trip information

A second language trip to Vietnam to learn Tiếng Việt is planned for November 2020

We are returning to Vietnam again in 2020, so please let me know if you are keen on joining this trip. You can read more about our Language Trip to Vietnam in 2018 here. Click for more information about our Vietnam Language Trip

I was featured in the Travel Play Live magazine

A photo of Lingo Bubba and I on a Chinese Language Trip in Taipei was featured in a photography competition in the magazine!

View this post on Instagram

Hey that’s me!! I was a finalist in the @travelplaylivemagazine photo competition! . That picture was taken of me and Lingo Bubba crossing a street in downtown Taipei last year. . The photo comp was about “your happy place” #happyplacetpl and I really do feel so happy wondering the streets in the big cities of Asia. I’ve visited Taiwan three times now – once on holiday, once for work in my old life in the Australian tourism industry and once last year on a Language Trip! Taiwan is a fantastic place for a language holiday to learn Mandarin Chinese. . The food is great, the country is beautiful and easy to get around, and there’s just a great vibe. . Have you visited Taiwan? Have you learned Chinese in Taiwan? . Thanks @travelplaylivemagazine and @macpac! . Pic credit: @lingo_dada 😀

A post shared by Penny | Language Travel (@lingo_mama) on Nov 18, 2019 at 8:24pm PST

I’ve sent out a handful of Lingo Mama newsletters to my wonderful Lingo Mama subscribers.

I never want to bombard your inboxes, but I hope to send out some interesting and relevant stuff in 2020.

Subscribe here!

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Thank you to you all for reading, sharing, commenting, liking and just being wonderful supporters of Lingo Mama in 2019.

I can’t wait for 2020! Happy New Year!

Until next time,

Lingo Mama

Penelope Wilson

penny.wilson2010@gmail.com

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My Year in Review 2019