All Ears English Podcast: Episode 2503

Language Expert Ingrid Piller Shares 3 Tips for Life in a New Language
Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Aubrey Carter
Featured Guest: Ingrid Piller

Episode Overview

This episode features an insightful interview with Ingrid Piller, an internationally recognized expert in intercultural communication, multilingualism, and language learning. Drawing on her latest book, Life in a New Language, Ingrid shares three key tips for thriving in a new country and language environment, based on decades of research with immigrants to Australia. The discussion centers on embracing new identities, navigating discrimination, and practical steps to building genuine belonging and connection in a new linguistic and cultural context.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Ingrid Piller’s Background and Research

• [03:03] Aubrey introduces Ingrid Piller, emphasizing her extensive experience and research in sociolinguistics, multilingualism, and intercultural communication.

• Ingrid discusses the longitudinal research behind Life in a New Language:

  • Team of six co-authors
  • Data set based on 130 migrants to Australia from 34 countries, tracked over 20 years.
  • Explored how adults become comfortable in a new language while simultaneously integrating into a new society.

• Insight:

  "It's not just about learning new words and new grammar and new pronunciation. ...If you do them in the classroom, it's kind of safe...But if you do that in real life, you know, you may not get the job…you have to sign up for a new phone plan, and it turns out to be really linguistically complex."
  — Ingrid Piller [05:17]

The Immigrant Experience & Facing Discrimination

• [07:19] Ingrid delves into the many facets of immigrant life:

  • Language learning
  • Making friends
  • Navigating work and family in a new context
  • Facing discrimination and building a sense of belonging

• Finding:
  All study participants experienced some level of discrimination or exclusion.

  • White European migrants: often experienced subtle linguistic discrimination, such as accent-based othering.
  • Non-white migrants: often faced overt racism and repeated challenges to their right to belong.

• Notable Quote:

  "[Participants] continuously have to prove like your existence or your right to just be in that space."
  — Ingrid Piller [10:27]

• Memorable Moment:
  Ingrid shares that some participants responded with humor or historical context, particularly in multicultural Australia:

  "You haven't been here longer than I have, and you know, the only people who have a right to claim this land as theirs are Indigenous people."
  — Ingrid Piller [11:41]

Ingrid Piller’s Three Tips for Building Life in a New Language

1. Be Prepared for a New Identity

[12:35]

• Language learning isn’t just about vocabulary or test scores—it's about embracing a new version of yourself.

• Expect that your sense of self will change, and that’s an integral part of adapting to life in a new language.

  "It's not just about language, it's about getting a new identity ... The reality is that you're becoming a new person, you're living a new life and you have to embrace that new identity and expect really that language learning migration will affect your whole person."
  — Ingrid Piller [12:35]

2. Embrace Growing Pains and Put Yourself Out There

[13:41]

• Actively seek real-world interactions, even if they are difficult or awkward at first.

• "Growing pains" are a natural part of the process; building new relationships and practicing your language skills requires vulnerability.

• Find allies and a support network, both among fellow immigrants and locals.

  "You have to put yourself out there. You have to embrace the growing pains…You have to find strategies to find allies…You really can't just sit back and nowadays particularly hope that the device will do everything for you."
  — Ingrid Piller [13:41]

  Host Aubrey adds:

  "We have to be willing to put ourselves out there, potentially be rejected. Because most of those experiences will be positive and will give you opportunities to practice speaking."
  — Aubrey Carter [14:42]

3. Remember: It's a Long-Term Journey

[17:04]

• Don't expect immediate fluency or belonging—these grow over years, not days.

• Even with high test scores (like IELTS 9), living, working, and connecting require time and continuous learning.

• Focus on building community and relationships over the long haul.

  "You're playing a long term game. Fluency in the new language, the sense of belonging...might not come as quickly as you hope…But belonging is achievable. Pretty much all our participants found a space where they really felt comfortable and a sense of belonging."
  — Ingrid Piller [17:04]

  "Building friends, building community, being part of something, that takes time wherever you are and wherever you go. So really focusing on community, focusing on relationships, focusing on making friends and building connections—that’s what matters."
  — Ingrid Piller [18:41]

Where to Find the Book

[19:50]

• Life in a New Language by Ingrid Piller and co-authors

• Published by Oxford University Press (2024)

• Available in e-book and hard copy formats

  "Just look up Life in a New Language. You'll find it...It's available as a publication or in hard copy, whatever you prefer."
  — Ingrid Piller [19:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “All our participants at one point or another experienced different levels of exclusion.” [07:19]
• “There’s so many things going on and you continuously have to prove your existence or your right to just be in that space.” [10:27]
• “It's about getting a new identity.” [12:35]
• “Put yourself out there...embrace the growing pains.” [13:41]
• “Fluency...and the sense of belonging...they might not come as quickly as you hope.” [17:04]
• “Focusing on relationships, making friends and building connections, that's what matters.” [18:41]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:03 — Ingrid Piller’s background and new book
• 04:29 — Research methodology and insights into real-life language learning
• 07:19 — Experiences of discrimination among immigrants
• 12:35 — Tip #1: Embracing a new identity
• 13:41 — Tip #2: Going beyond your comfort zone and “growing pains”
• 17:04 — Tip #3: The long-term nature of language learning and belonging
• 19:50 — Where to find Life in a New Language

Tone and Style

The conversation is empathetic, encouraging, and honest—blending real-world research with practical wisdom. Both host and guest acknowledge the challenges of immigration and language learning, but continually stress resilience, proactive engagement, and building genuine connection. The advice is pragmatic and empowering, rooted in solidarity and a realistic but hopeful outlook.

Summary Takeaway

This episode offers not only practical advice but also a sense of camaraderie and hope for anyone navigating life in a new language. By accepting the depth of the journey, actively engaging with others, and committing for the long run, listeners are reassured that belonging and success are absolutely within reach.