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I had the pleasure of chatting with Derek Allen, a hyper-polyglot from the United States who is studying Icelandic and lives in Reykjavík. During this lively interview, you will hear about how many languages Derek speaks, how he maintains the languages that he has learned, his tips for language learners, what it is like living in Iceland, particularly as a person of color. You will also hear some other random facts about him. Just to give you an example of a random fact, Derek shared with me after the show that his favorite pastimes include talking to strangers on the internet and posing nude on the beach. Below is one of Derek’s nude photos. We had a blast chatting and I hope you enjoy this episode.

Derek Allen nude on the beach in Iceland - All Things Iceland Podcast - From Foreign To Familiar

Questions I Asked Derek During the Interview

  1. How many languages do you speak? What are the names of the languages?
  2. Did you grow up in an environment or household with many languages spoken around you?
  3. When do you realize that you enjoyed learning languages?
  4. Why did you decide to learn Icelandic?
  5. How long have you been studying Icelandic?
  6. What advice do you have for people who want to learn Icelandic?
  7. What advice do you have for people that are struggling to learn Icelandic?
  8. Do you have any techniques for learning a language, like a certain method or some language learning hacks?
  9. How do you maintain fluency in the languages that you have learned?
  10. What other languages do you plan on learning?
  11. Was there anything that delighted or shocked you when you moved to Iceland?
  12. What has been your experience living in Iceland as a person of color?
  13. What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?
  14. Do you have any tips for people who plan to visit Iceland?

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Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for reading (and listening) and see you soon!