America the Bilingual is a storytelling podcast designed to inspire people on their journey to bilingualism. We'll listen to people who have become bilingual, especially native-English speakers who learned another language as adults (that is, the hard way). How did they do it? Why did they do it? How do they lead their bilingual lives? You'll find out every two weeks.
Host Christopher Emden interviews publishing executive Maja Thomas about her journey to becoming bilingual in English and French, embracing the culture and overcoming challenges.
15 Dec 2025
80 - Season 6 - You Can Finally Learn That Next Language You’ve Been Thirsting to Speak
“The whole idea of language learning is saying things wrong until you begin to say them right.” That’s Steve Leveen, founder of America the Bilingual, diving deeper into three new perspectives he encourages adult language learners to adopt. He also shares details of the new Levenger Master Class workbook, How to Learn a Language for Life, that he and multilingual entrepreneur Akshay Swaminathan, cowrote. Episode 80 of the America the Bilingual podcast, You Can Finally Learn That Next Language You’ve Been Thirsting to Speak, is now live.
Thanks to members of the America the Bilingual Project team for this episode: Mim Harrison, editorial and brand director of the America the Bilingual Project, who wrote and directed the episode; Fernando Hernández Becerra and his production house in Guadalajara, Mexico, Esto No Es Radio, which provides sound design and mixing; and Jen Cavagnaro at Daruma Tech, who manages our website.
Music credits, in order of appearance:
Soft and furious - Super connected sleep
https://bit.ly/3rN902r
Kevin Macleod - Quasimotion
https://bit.ly/KevinMacleod_QuasiMotion
Soft and furious - What’s your name again
https://bit.ly/456BynS
Lloyd Rogers - Twelve from the black book
https://bit.ly/44uduv4
Peter Gresser - Skipping in the no standing zone
https://bit.ly/49bUZOw
Fernando Air-Nandez - You live the language
Loyalty Freak Music - Everything is so alive
https://bit.ly/3MYSPJu
13 Nov 2025
79 -Season 6- “What Language Barrier?” Meet the Indiana Jones of Language Learning
“I've never learned how to say no properly in my life, to prepare myself properly for things. I just figured if I kept saying yes to things, eventually something good would happen.”
For Mark Ford, not saying no has allowed him to do some of the most important things in his life. Which is why it became easy—in his heterodox fashion—for him to learn first French, then Latin, and now Spanish.
The Spanish is the result of his building an award-winning resort in Nicaragua and the community foundation he created right across the road, which has become an education and trades hub for the non-English-speaking local people.
The French gave him entrée to the Peace Corps after college. But only because the officials didn’t give him the boot for not knowing a word of it when he landed in French-speaking Chad.
The Latin was to meet a PhD requirement. Although let’s just say that the former altar boy in him might have frowned on his modus operandi.
But he’s forgiven for that, because good things for many people have happened thanks to his determination to embrace other languages.
In this lively conversation with Steve, Mark also shares his secret for learning a language. And you won’t have to crack open an app to do it.
Thanks to members of the America the Bilingual Project team for this episode: Mim Harrison, the editorial and brand director of the America the Bilingual Project, who wrote and directed the episode; Fernando Hernández Becerra and his production house in Guadalajara, Mexico, Esto No Es Radio, which provides sound design and mixing; and Jen Cavagnaro at Daruma Tech, who manages our website.
Music credits (in order of appearance):
HoliznaCC0 - Whatever
https://bit.ly/4qDgZsk
Koi Discovery - Beer blues
https://bit.ly/3pIQxmi
Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion
https://bit.ly/KevinMacleod_QuasiMotion
HoliznaCC0 - ICE temple
https://bit.ly/4qHGb1c
HoliznaCC0 - Sunny afternoon
https://bit.ly/47vvyp9
HoliznaCC0 - Unwind
https://bit.ly/3X4hb6m
Koi-discovery - END
https://bit.ly/4qDhLFK
HoliznaCC0 - Laundry on the wire
https://bit.ly/3Jc8R1p
Wax lyricist - Green
https://bit.ly/4qA7c6s
Koi-discovery -Synthetic_synapse
https://bit.ly/4oOlxup
Inside a recent episode
81 - Season 6 - She's always had Paris
Published 14 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] She had learned something about French society she hadn't realized. It's very hierarchical and it's very much, higher education is extremely important in terms of your social standing. And so the fact that I hadn't finished college was not a good thing. So she returned to UC San Diego and to French classes. I was studying French literature and I loved it so much. My favorite author is probably Colette. When she writes about the town that she grew up in and her mother, I could barely stand to read it because I would just get so, I just felt like she had the childhood that I wished that I had. I had to put that book away for a while until I finally got to France and now I can enjoy it without being sad because I'm now living the dream that I had. […]
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