Feedback / Your voice in future episodes
Vocabulary
0:11 Cheesy: cheap and of low quality.
0:19 To jot sth. down: to write briefly or hurriedly
0:33 And all that jazz: informal. used when speaking to mean “and other similar things”:
3:50 To graduate: successfully complete an academic degree, course of training, or (in North America) high school.
4:20 Superb: admirably fine or excellent; extremely good: a superb performance. sumptuous; rich; (note: this was not the best choice of word which was used in the interview by Daniel but it was the only word that came to mind at that moment. A better choice would would have been: excellent, fantastic)
4:35 To get in the weeds: Totally immersed in or preoccupied with the details or complexities (of something)
5:32 To shoot for the moon: to try to do or get something that is very difficult to do or get an ambitious
6:10 A scholarship: a sum of money granted to a student, because of merit, need, etc., to pursue his or her studies
6:10 A host family: a family which provides board and lodging to students, usually for a fee
8:24 Albuquerque: New Mexico’s largest city, sits in the high desert.
7:31 Breaking Bad: Critically acclaimed American series.
Balloon fiesta: Fiesta is like a festival.
8:04 Diplomatically: tactful in dealing with people
8:11 To stand out: If something stands out, it is much better or much more important than other things of the same kind. He played the violin, and he stood out from all the other musicians.
8:17 To evolve: develop gradually.
9:01 To blend in: to look like things nearby
10:48 Intricacies: the quality or state of being complex or having many parts
12:25 Melting pot (of languages): a place where different peoples, styles, theories, etc. are mixed together.
14:07 To pretend: to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not, especially in order to deceive people or as a game
14:29 To juggle (juggling three languages at the same time): to keep (several activities) in progress, esp with difficulty. You might know the other meaning, when you throw 3 balls in the air and juggle with them.
15:57 US citizen: an inhabitant of a particular town or city.
16:25 To set foot somewhere: Enter, as in I’ll never set foot in this house again.
16:31 Heritage: features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages, or buildings, that were created in the past and still have historical importance:
17:08 Air quotes: imaginary quotation marks that you make in the air with your fingers, to show that you are using a word or phrase in an unusual way or repeating exactly what someone has said
18:12 Oatmeal: a thick, soft food made from oats boiled in milk or water, eaten hot for breakfast
18:51 Internship interview: the position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.
To check the balance:
19:28 The representative: a person chosen or appointed to act or speak for another or others.
19:28 A statement: here in the episode: a document setting out items of debit and credit between a bank or other organization and a customer.
19:52 Unorthodox: contrary to what is usual, traditional, or accepted; not orthodox.
21:41 Twofold: so as to double; to twice the number or amount.
22:25 To embark: begin (a course of action). // go on board a ship or aircraft.
22:27 Immerse yourself… : Here: integrate yourself into the language.
Transcript
Daniel: I am really glad that you are part of My Fluent Podcast. I watched some of your videos on your YouTube channel. It may sound cheesy, but you’re kind of an inspiration to me and I really love your channel, what you’re doing and I jotted down even some vocabulary words that I could learn. And I’m very, very thankful. So for example “I got pumped” or “all of that jazz”, really great expression and “to take something with a pinch of salt”
Eugeniu: Yes. Yes.
Daniel: Yeah. And well, my idea was to make it in four sections kind of. So I really would like to learn about your journey, how you became fluent, right? And then the second part would be what is the CELTA your experience. The third one is your YouTube channel Lingo Junkie . Also I want to touch on the other projects.
And last but not least, I would like to tackle some vocabulary. Super cool. I am pumped about it.
Eugeniu: Yes. Nice me too.
Daniel: So then let’s begin with your journey of how you became fluent in English. Because basically well My Fluent Podcast is all about becoming fluent in language, so it makes sense that we focus on that because that’s what I am striving for, and I’m pretty sure that you can share a lot of insights on your part, how you could reach this level.
So maybe you could introduce yourself so that the listeners know who is speaking.
Eugeniu: Sure. Absolutely. So my name is Eugeniu Prodan. Most people just call me Eugene cause it’s easier this way. I’m originally from a small country in Eastern Europe called Moldova. And I’ve been living in the United States for the last 10 years or so. I have a YouTube channel called lingo junkie where I share some of the language learning process or language learning advice or anything about the languages I speak.
And now I’m actually back in school. I’m studying international affairs in graduate school. So just a few fun facts about me.
Daniel: And so when exactly did your journey start, when was it when you learned English for the very first time?
Eugeniu: I would have to say probably we started learning in second grade back
in Moldova, they try to teach us English pretty early on, English or some other foreign language in my school. It wasn’t English. But it was, I think only once a week, the classes were only once a week and when you’re eight years old, I mean, you don’t really learn that much.
I don’t think, with that amount of study time. So, but still it was that early on, it was from second grade up until, you know, you graduate from high school up until 12. So I think around seventh grade they bump it up to two classes of English per week in school. And goes that way until the end until you graduate.
Daniel: Okay, great. I envy you because in my case, I was about 17 years old when I had my first English class. So
Eugeniu: Oh yeah. Big difference.
Daniel: And a while. Okay. And then you moved to the USA from Moldova to the USA, and then you still needed to learn English or did you already have a superb level of English when you moved.
Eugeniu: I don’t think, I don’t know if I’ll ever get to a superb level, but well maybe I should take a step back a little bit and let me know if it’s too far of a step back if it’s, if I’m getting too in the weeds. But basically I was really motivated from a very early age to study in an English speaking country or somewhere in the European Union, study after high school, you know, to get a college degree from one of those institutions, in Europe or the US it was just a big, big dream for me.
And with that, I knew that I would have to know a foreign language. There’s just no, no question about it. And since I was already studying English and since I was really, really passionate about learning about popular con culture in the US. I know it was a big deal. It was a big, big dream for me, but like I really shot for the moon and I thought, wow, it would be so cool to study in the United States of America.
And, I started taking some additional classes, I think in sixth grade. Yeah, sixth grade. So like at a private language institution, which I’m sure people have, in every country. So I just became, I think, a little bit more conversational things to those private lessons. And then the thing that really, really.
You know, pushed my fluency to another level was the fact that I got a scholarship to go to the United States for one year to live with an American host family, to study in an American high school to essentially be part of this American life and experience from the inside. I was 15 when I went there almost 16.
So it was pretty early on and I really owe a lot of my fluency, a lot of everything that has happened after that, in my life to that year. So yeah.
Daniel: And can you remember, how was it back then at the very beginning when you began this one year, what did you call it? There’s a program
Eugeniu: Exchange program.
Daniel: Exchange program. could other people make out that you are not from the USA?
Eugeniu: Oh, yeah. Oh yeah, for sure. They could. They could hear my accent very, very well. I think the first thing that they would ask me is where are you from? Cause I ended up being placed in a city called Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you’re a fan of the series breaking bad,
Daniel: Oh
Eugeniu: you probably know the place it’s famous for many other great things too. They have, an annual balloon Fiesta, like a hot air balloon Fiesta, where people come from all over the world and fly those hot air balloons. Another fun fact for you. But yeah, people were giving you looks, people were asking me questions, where are you from? Why do you, why do you talk like that? You know, some, a little more diplomatically than others, but yeah, it was, I was really standing out. And the good thing in a way, if, if you really care about your accent or, you know, things like that, it can evolve, you can work on it and it can evolve. And I look at some of my videos from those years.
This was I think 2009, 2010, and I hear it. I hear the difference. So, yeah.
Daniel: Was it that you had a bad feeling about it? Was it an unpleasant feeling that others would, would make it out in a way that did you, did you want to sound like a native? So was this like a goal that you wanted to achieve?
Eugeniu: I think so. I think so. I think I was a teenager at the time. I was very insecure and I wanted to kind of blend in, in a way. I don’t know if I would do the same if I was to go on an exchange program now. I feel like accents are beautiful. I think there’s no shame whatsoever in having an accent.
I mean, especially if you speak the language dramatically correct. There’s no problem. But even if you make mistakes, I mean, it’s okay. That’s totally fine too. You’re at least trying. But you know, for me, someone who had this plan. You know, this bigger plan of studying in this country of going to school or taking classes with other fellow native speakers, you know, for me, I think if you put all of that together, that was why I really want it to sound like a native.
Daniel: Yeah. You wanted to be part of the community, right? You’re, we’re integrated because I assume you love, or you love the culture and all that stuff is in Albuquerque and so on. And,I also saw a video where you actually became a citizen of the USA. Is that right?
Eugeniu: Yes. Yes. It was 2018. Like I said, so many things have happened after that year and I owe so much to that one year. Yeah, fast forward. I want to say 10 years later now I’m a US citizen living here in the United States. I can confidently say I’m fluent in English. I understand so much more of the cultural intricacies that there are in this country.
I get a lot of more jokes. I understand a lot more of those. And you know, if you really think about it, it’s not a big deal. Like if you don’t get a joke, that doesn’t mean you’re not fluent or you’re not good enough of a speaker because those jokes, for example. There’s they’re sometimes just like a reference to a movie or some line from some, I don’t know.
I don’t even know. know.But like to a lot of people that can be a big deal. That’s someone you were at work with someone that you don’t get a joke and all of the sudden the world is crashing. But no, I just want to say that it’s not it’s not like that. being fluent, and being proficient in the language, I mean, it’s completely in my point of view something else, you know.
Daniel: Okay. Yeah. I get you. Absolutely. And now we went a little bit too fast, so.
After one year you went back to Moldova, right? So what happened then? Was it difficult to go back to your own culture and stuff? Right?
Eugeniu: Yeah.
Daniel: The change of the language, because I suppose you didn’t, spoke that much Mo Moldovan or how is it called Moldovan
Eugeniu: Romanian, we speak Romanian there. Yeah. And we speak Russian and there’s a big, I guess, um, it’s like a melting pot of languages in my brain and then other people’s brains. But yeah, I went back, and that was kind of the, that was the law to go back for two years, you weren’t allowed to come back to the United States.
It was like a special visa that they gave me. Even if I wanted to stay there, I couldn’t, I have to come back and thankfully I still have two years of high school and it just worked out perfectly that I could finish up my high school. And during those two years I could work on my, you know, college applications for the United States, and get into a college in the USA.
But, back to your question, it was difficult. It was really difficult because on the one hand there was the cultural side of things because. Even a small thing, like in the USA, I was so used to giving people hugs, for example, just like you see a person that you’re, you’re hugging them, but in Moldova.
And I think in a lot of European countries, you give a, like a quick kiss on both cheeks and I totally completely forgot that that’s how we do it. And so I was going for a hug and the person, you know, the girl was going for the kiss. And so it was awkward. So lots of different things like that have happened when I was coming back.
And then people, you know, they sometimes would not believe me that I’m having a hard time remembering a word in Romanian because my school, I went to a Romanian school. So they thought that he’s just pretending like he’s this Americanized kid. And I’m like, no, seriously, I’m struggling to remember this one word.
Can you help me? And, yeah, there was a lot of that sort of linguistic gymnastics happening in my brain. Because in my home I speak Russian. And so, you know, that’s like juggling three languages at the same time.
It’s hard, but it’s fun because you know, you have so many stories to tell at the end.
Daniel: Yes, absolutely. And I remember a story from my part because my father is Argentinian. I remember once when I was about 13 years old, we went about three or four weeks to Argentina, and then we only spoke in Spanish. Right. I felt so comfortable. I was used to speak (speaking!) in Spanish in such a short time.
Right. And I only wanted to speak in Spanish. And then when we came back, it was so strange to get back to my dialect, but it is (was) weird because it was only (for!) three or four weeks. Right. So I can absolutely feel you, when you are saying that, uh, you were one year away and you came back, of course, a lot of things change.
It’s this, identity thing also and my question is, what do you feel now? Are you more a person from the USA or are you more the Moldovan person or what is your identity?
Eugeniu: Oh, that’s a great question. I struggle answering that question myself pretty much every single day. You know, now that I’m officially a US citizen with being an American it’s easy cause (because) you can just say, well, I’m American and that can mean that maybe your roots are from Europe, right? Maybe you are from Argentina originally, or your parents are originally from Argentina and you moved with them and you don’t speak a word of Spanish and you’ve never set foot in Argentina, but yeah. You have that heritage with you, so to speak, but you’ve all lived all your life, for example, in the West. So, but you can still call yourself American, you know, there’s native Americans, , who, you know, are also citizens of the US there’s. So, I mean, in a way, the easy way out is to just say, well, now I’m American and you know, that’s kind of, um, put splits at the end on it, but it’s actually far more complex than that because, you know, how are you the same?
And that’s air quotes, um, with somebody who is, let’s say an American who’s lived here for generations, right? , versus like me, a first generation American, where you actually feel kind of in-between this type of thing, you know, ’cause. I mean, I lived, I guess the majority of my life in Moldova and Europe.
So a lot of the cultural stuff, a lot of my experience is a European experience, Eastern European experience. Also not every country in Europe, I guess is the same too. So it’s difficult for me to explain that, to be honest. So I just say I’m American, but I always add, but I’m originally from Moldova in Eastern Europe.
And usually that is a great conversation starter and people ask other follow up questions and, you know, the conversation kind of started.
Daniel: And I remember one video in which you were cooking oatmeal.
Eugeniu: Yeah.
Daniel: It was kind of funny because you told us how you could pick up the American accent. And maybe you could tell us what your method was. I had to laugh quite a bit.
Eugeniu: Oh, thank you. First of all, thank you for watching all these videos Daniel. I really do. It means a lot. I recorded a video. I was cooking oatmeal like I do in the morning. That’s what I eat pretty much every single day. And I just remembered that back in college, whenever I would have an interview, you know, what job interview or an internship interview or something important where I have to speak in the morning, if it was at like 9:00 AM, I could really hear my accent.
It’s coming through very, a lot. You know, it was just in the video. I say that I could hear the Boris coming through, like Boris being a typical, you know, Russian name like Yvan. So, what I used to do. About an hour or so before the interview, I would call up my bank just to kind of check, you know, check the balance or like talk to the person, the representative, like something about my statement, just to kind of get the conversation going, just to kind of hear the language and be able to actually speak it with another person.
It’s weird. It’s kind of an unorthodox way to do it because it’s probably so much easier to like to go out in a hallway and to start a conversation with someone. I’m sure some people can just like watch a YouTube video or listen to something and get that. I guess English speech in their head, but for me, it was really important to have, it’s kind of goes both ways.
I say something to you, you say something back to me, you know, so for me calling the bank was a very safe way to do it. I’m sorry if you called your bank for like a real question and because of me, know, you were on the line for too long, but yeah. It helped me with my interviews.
Daniel: Yeah. And, and of course, to me it makes perfect sense because it’s all about get, exposure, right. And, and, and also to, to speak up. And I think it is a pretty hard task to understand someone on the telephone. I mean, even in German, I don’t like that that much because it’s just, sometimes it’s difficult.
Communication is far more difficult than one-on-one communication. (in person) and so I think this is really great.
Eugeniu: I Would just also add to the phone conversation with your bank, all the other benefits of doing it by phone and calling your bank or calling, maybe if there is a line, you know, other people won’t be as effective, you know, cause yeah.
The fact that the interview is for me in my case were mostly also by phone. You know, that was great again, practice because sometimes you just don’t really understand what the person is saying over the phone. So for me, it was kind of a twofold, benefit ’cause, you know, for one, here, the English speech, get that input so to speak.
And number two is like doing it by phone was great because the interview later on would happen also by phone. And I also have one more, quick, quick, quick thing to add, about the exchange program that I forgot to mention. Do you mind if I just save here?
Daniel: Of course. That would be cool.
Eugeniu: Nice. I was just going to add that.
So my exchange program was for one year. I think one way that I’m sort of always recommending people to embark on these, these sort of exchange programs, if they can, is to immerse themselves as fully as they can in the language, the culture, in everything. And maybe I did it a little too crazy, cause I was just so passionate about, you know, learning so much.
But I was only speaking with my family, I think once a month by Skype for half an hour. And that was it. That was the extent of my language practice of Romanian or Russian everything else. For the most part, I mean, 95% of the time was in English and in New Mexico there aren’t that many Romanian or Russian speakers.
So in school or, you know, my neighbors, they were all speaking English too, or Spanish, a lot of Spanish speakers in New Mexico. Thankfully in this environment that sort of made me, it pushed
Daniel: Yeah. You were kind of forced to learn.
Eugeniu: Yeah, exactly. Forced to learn and to pick up those little phrases and expressions.
And it was great. It was really beneficial to me. So anybody who is also doing these kinds of programs, I just always wish them this, besides all the other good things, I wish them to, you know, stay as fully immersed as possible if you’re on YouTube just, or if you’re listening to music, don’t listen.
I mean, it’s hard to say this because sometimes you get like very nostalgic and you want to listen to a song in your own language, you know? Okay, cool. But try to do more of the
Daniel: Yeah, absolutely. I also try to watch series, for example, always in English, always in English and movies as well and books as well.
Eugeniu: Yeah. Yeah, that’s great. And I would also add to this, you would think that after you’re done with the one year program, or, you know, any exchange program at the end of it, at least in my head, I was thinking, okay, I’m going to be done with it. And I’m just going to be fluent, just like there’s this particular sort of a time frame type of thing where okay, done with the program, check mark fluent, or like near native check mark. And it just doesn’t happen that way.
Daniel: So this was the interview part number one with Eugeniu. Thank you so much, Eugeniu. You are really amazing. I could learn a lot from you and I’m sure that the listeners will as well. So the reason why I split it up into two parts is I wanted to make a transcript. And besides that, I also wanted to make a vocabulary list, which I’m going to publish at the same time.
And it takes me a lot of time to revise it, by the way, for the listener: in any case you missed something out or you couldn’t understand it. This episode is also available on YouTube and it will come with an audiogram as well. So you can watch the video. And at the same time you can read along with the transcript.
I will also put all the links in my show notes so that you can find Eugeniu and his YouTube channel easily. Just a quick note. Before I finish up here, I am also on Instagram, so you can look me up by typing My Fluent Podcast on Instagram. Thanks a lot for listening. Thanks again, Eugeniu. AKA lingo Junkie.
See you soon. Bye. Have a good one.
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