PODCAST · education
Fluent AF
by Priscilla Tovar
Fluent AF is a podcast about language, culture, identity, and the stories that make us human.Hosted by Priscilla Tovar, each episode explores the hidden ways language shapes memory, relationships, belonging, food, superstition, and culture.Whether you’re bilingual, bicultural, or simply curious about people, Fluent AF will leave you seeing the world a little differently.New episodes every other Wednesday.
Episodes
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Episode 40: Are We Becoming One with the Bots? AI, language, creativity and what stays human
What if Artificial Intelligence doesn't destroy humanity, what if it reveals us? Our brilliance. Our laziness. Our tenderness. Our greed. And our willingness to hand over the very things that make us human. In this 10 minute episode, I follow a thread from fire to WALL-E, from Yuval Noah Harari…
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Episode 39: When Humanity Interrupts the Argument
What happens when something interrupts everything we think divides us? We spend so much time hearing about how divided we are; politically, culturally, religiously, linguistically. Then the ground moves. Someone needs help. And suddenly. nobody cares who you voted for or what language you speak....
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Episode 38: Our First School is our Home
Before the world taught us how to behave, love, communicate, spend money, argue, celebrate, grieve or even what “normal” was, our families did. In this episode of Fluent AF, we’re talking about the culture before culture: home. From immigrant-family chaos and showing love through errands, food…
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Episode 37: The People We Almost Meet
What if life is less about CASUAlidades and more about CAUSAlidades. Years before Tony and I ever spoke, we found ourselves in the same room at a roller derby party in Bogotá. Same night. Same place. Different lives. We never met. Years later, we got married. In this episode of Fluent AF, we...
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Episode 36: What Your Walls Are Saying: How Color, Space, and Design Shape the Way We Feel
Before anyone speaks, a room has already said something. Every color carries meaning. Every space influences behavior. Every building tells a story. From hospitals and classrooms to luxury boutiques, fast-food restaurants, and the homes we return to every day, design quietly shapes how we think,...
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Episode 35: Why Do We Hate the Sound of our Own Voice
In Episode 35 of Fluent AF, we ask a question almost everyone has asked after hearing a voice note, video, or recording: Why do I hate the sound of my own voice? From bone conduction and brain science to identity, storytelling, folklore, and the strange power of hearing ourselves from the…
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Video Episode 34: Language is Access: The Truth about Becoming Multiligual
Can you become multilingual without moving abroad? Most people think language learning requires talent, perfect grammar, or years of living overseas. It doesn’t. In this episode of Fluent AF, language educator and polyglot Magui Jiménez joins Priscilla Tovar to unpack some of the biggest myths...
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Episode 33: The Secret Language of Objects
Why do humans give power to objects? Form evil eye bracelets and Italian horns to rabbit's feet, rosaries, lucky socks, and candles lit in complete silence, every culture has created objects that mean far more than the object itself. In this episode of Fluent AF, we explore the strange, beautiful...
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Episode 32: From Naming Comes Knowing: The Language of the Source
Before language became content, it was survival. Literally! Episode 32 of Fluent goes back to the source: firelight, foraging, naming, memory, and the first sounds humans used to make sense of the world around them. Form ancient plant knowledge to the hidden power of grammar, this episode…
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Episode 31: What Gets Remembered vs. What Gets Erased with Aubrey Brown
Today on Fluent AF, I'm joined by writer, storyteller, artist, and the creator behind Florida Folk History, Aubrey Brown, for our longest conversation to date. We talk about seven generations of Florida, The Keys, Homestead, and the stories that survive us long after we're gone. From Seminole...
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Episode 30: You're not Bad at Languages, You're Just Uncomfortable
Most people think they're bad at languages because they can roll their R's, remember vocabulary fast enough, or sound "natural." That's not usually the real problem. The real problem is discomfort. In this episode of Fluent AF, I break down why speaking another language can make even smart,...
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Episode 29: You don't speak Spanish... So what are you? With Michelle Sanches
You Don't speak Spanish... So what are you? This week on Fluent AF, we say the quiet part out loud. Who gets to belong? Michelle grew up with a white mom and a multiracial dad. No spanish. No bilingual household. Still deeply connected to her culture. We talk identity, colorism, code-switching…
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Episode 28: Touch has an Accent: The Language of Touch, Culture, & Closeness
Touch has an accent. In this episode of Fluent AF, we explore how culture, family, and memory shape the way we give and receive affection. From cheek kisses and hugs to hair-touching, closeness, and the body language of love. Because what feels warm in one culture can fee like back up, babe in...
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Episode 27: Old Miami, New Miami: Growing up in Between with Alexandra Klumpp
What does Miami taste like? In this episode of Fluent AF, I sit down with Alex Klumpp of Beyond South Beach to talk about the city that raised us: the food, the neighborhoods, the Spanglish, the culture, and the versions of Miami that still live in our heads. We talk Old Miami vs. New Miami…
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Episode 26: The Language of Success
What did success sound like in your house? For my partner, it was “trabajé y estudié.” For me, it was “eso no da plata.” Same word. Different accents. In this episode of Fluent AF, we unpack how the language we inherit shapes the way we measure ourselves. Success. Stability. Risk. Security.…
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Episode 25: Frankenstein’s Table: Taste, Language, and Cultural Stereotypes
Frankenstein was never really about a monster. It was about misunderstanding. In this episode, we pull Mary Shelley into the kitchen and ask what happens when taste, emotion, language, and identity collide. From avocado toast in Miami to aguacate at the finca. From papaya smoothies, to abuela's...
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Episode 24: The Language of Death
Humans are obsessed with death. True crime. Serial Killers. Murder podcasts you fall asleep to. But here's the question nobody asks, if death is universal, why do we talk about it so carefully? In this episode of Fluent AF, we unpack the language of death. The euphemisms that soften it. The…
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Episode 23: Intimacy Isn't Romance, It's Literacy
We talk about intimacy like it's chemistry. Like its luck. Like it's something you either "have"... or you don't. But what if intimacy isn't romance at all? What if it's literacy? In this pre-valentine's episode of Fluent AF, we unpack how language shapes attachment, why so many of us "love hard"...
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Episode 22: Our Love Language is Music: Why Sound Connects Us Before Words with Antonio Garcia
In Episode 22, Tony and I talk about the language of music- how songs carry memory, intimacy, and identity long before we have the words for it. From hip-hop and 90's girl bands to indie, punk, jazz, we break down how music shaped us, bonded us, and continues to say what we don't always know how...
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Episode 21: War, Displacement & Therapy In Another Language
What if the language you're healing in isn't the language that holds your pain? In Episode 21, we explore war, displacement, diaspora, and therapy in another language; why trauma lives in language, how the body remembers, and what healing can look like when you return to the words you were taught...
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Episode 20: The Power of Our Voice: End-of-Year Reflection
This Episode is personal. It's about being told you're "too much." About learning to translate yourself so you don't threaten the room. About watering down wisdom and asking permission before trusting your own voice. In Episode 20 of Fluent AF, I share why this project exists in the first place....
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Episode 19: The Languages We Dream In: Sandman Energy, Memory, and the Words We Wish We Had
After 18 Episodes Fluent AF has quietly built its own universe. This time we're stepping into the dreamworld. The Sandman side of language, to explore the languages we dream in, the ones we wish we spoke, and the ones we lost along the way. Mythology, Psychology, Miami energy, identity, memory…
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Episode 18: Y2K Nostalgia Vs. Today: What stayed, what evolved, and what came back with David Tovar
Take a ride in our Y2K time machine as we (my brother David and I) breakdown how culture, technology, nightlife and music evolve and why some things never die. From Snoopy still flying in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to Goku becoming a cross-generational icon, from Kpop Demon Hunters, to...
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Episode 17: The Luxury of Slow
We live in a world that worships speed. Fast talk, fast thoughts, fast mornings powered by coffee and panic disguised as productivity. But what if the rush isn't natural? What if we've been taught to speak in anxiety, breathe in urgency, and perform fluency like a race? In this episode, I break...
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Episode 16: Feelings Without Words
There are emotions English can't name, but Spanish, Italian, and beyond? they've gotchu! In this episode, we explore vergüenza ajena, tocaya/o/x, and abbiocco; the feelings that prove langauge isn't just communication...it's identity. Tune in to Fluent AF, where words travel and feelings…
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Episode 15: Culture Shock
In this episode of Fluent AF, we break down the IV Stages of Culture Shock, from that first honeymoon rush, to the full-body cringe of realizing your habits don't translate. From Miami's " five minutes late is fashion" to "La siesta española". This one's for anyone whose rhythm's ever been reset...
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Episode 14: Ancient Greeks with Wifi
From ancient Greece to the algorithm, nothing's changed. Power doesn't sit in palaces anymore; it lives behind a paywall. In this episode of Fluent AF, we dive into how desire, attention and influence shape the modern world. From rings lights to revolutions, we explore why the real global…
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Episode 13: The Language of Spells
Before grammar was rules on a page, it was a manual for magic. Before spelling meant writing letters, it meant casting energy into form. In this episode, we step into the shadows to explore the ancient link between language and brujeria. From latin roots of grammar and grimoire to the sacred...
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Episode 12: Healing Language
Words can cut. Words can heal. In this episode of Fluent AF, we explore the power of healing language; from forgiveness and silence to breaking generational cycles and choosing not to pass pain forward. We unpack aggressive language, the weight of words inherited from our families, and how...
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Episode 11: Accents Open Doors or Slams Them Shut
Accents are passports. They can open doors or slam them shut. From Latin American Spanglish in Miami to British RP in the boardroom, accents aren't just sounds; they're social keys that unlock cultural currency. In this episode of Fluent AF, we break down how accents shape identity, power and...
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Episode X: When Animals Speak
In just 4 minutes, we’re diving headfirst into the unexpected wisdom of the animal world, from the flutter of a butterfly’s wing to the skitter of a roach, the stillness of a spoonbill, and even the quiet codes of grasshoppers, mice, and more. What do these creatures really symbolize?We’re…
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Episode 9: The Fight Against Time: Aging, Culture & Why We're Obsessed with Stopping The Clock
Time is undefeated but how we measure it, fight it, and flow with it depends on where we come from. From Swiss punctuality to Miami “5 minutes,” from Indigenous cycles to Scandinavian survival, this episode of Fluent AF explores how cultures bend the clock and how we try to Botox, filler, and...
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Episode 8: Beyond Hemmingway: Latin America's Underground Masterpieces
Beyond Hemmingway takes you south of the tourist trail-into Huila's ( Colombia) forgotten novels, Jose Eustasio Rivera's (writer) haunted death in New York, and the voices of women and ancestors who rewrote the continent in silence. From St. Augustine, FL to San Agustin, from hummingbirds to...
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Episode 7: Lost in Translation: Brains, Abuelas, & The Sh*t We Forget
Ever forget a word, a recipe, or your own voice in a room? Same. In this soul-soaked episode, we’re talking language loss across generations, the ancestral memory simmering in your abuelas rice, and the power (and struggle) of neurodivergent brains in a loud, forgetful world. It’s giving...
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Episode 6: The Power of Slang Pt. Deux
Slang isn’t how we speak…it’s how we know who we are. In this follow-up to Pt. Uno, we go deeper into slang as code, culture, and straight-up survival. From immigrant roots to prison walls to viral scrolls, slang keeps us safe, seen, and spicy-we’re talkin’ Spanglish and the notorious Miami AF...
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Episode 5: 7,000 ways to say WTF
7,000 languages. 7,000 ways to scream, whisper, or roll your eyes in “WTF.” From “no mames” to “mais c’est pas possible,” this one’s for anyone who’s ever felt lost in translation… or gloriously found. Welcome to Fluent AF, Episode 5. #languages #world #papanewguinea #fluentaf
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Episode 4: The Power of Slang Pt. Uno
If you’ve ever said “jit,” “yo fam,” “that slaps,” or “it’s giving…welcome home. This episode’s for anyone who’s ever been confused, felt cool for a second, or just wants to know why their 12-year-old cousin calls everything mid. Slang ain’t just talk…it’s home, identity, and a little bit of...
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Episode 3: Code Switchin' & Talkin' Sh*t
From Zoom calls with your professional voice to dropping Spanglish and shade at brunch, this episode spills the tea on why we switch up how we talk and who we're doing it for. We're talking identity, power, protection, and the art of linguistic shapeshifting. Plus, a little chisme (gossip), and...
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Episode 2: Multilingualism & The Brain
In this episode we’re diving into what science says about multilingual minds. Turns out, your brain on languages is pretty Fluent AF. From childhood language exposure to adult code-switching superpowers, we're talking memory, identity, and how your brain throws a little party every time you roll...
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Episode 1: Talk That Shapes Us
Your accent, your slang, your worldview…it’s all connected. Let’s unpack it! In this very first Episode of Fluent AF, we're diving into the intersections of language, culture and identity. Why do you sound different around your abuela than around your coworkers? What does your language say about...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Fluent AF is a podcast about language, culture, identity, and the stories that make us human.Hosted by Priscilla Tovar, each episode explores the hidden ways language shapes memory, relationships, belonging, food, superstition, and culture.Whether you’re bilingual, bicultural, or simply curious about people, Fluent AF will leave you seeing the world a little differently.New episodes every other Wednesday.
HOSTED BY
Priscilla Tovar
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Fluent AF have?
Fluent AF currently has 40 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Fluent AF about?
Fluent AF is a podcast about language, culture, identity, and the stories that make us human.Hosted by Priscilla Tovar, each episode explores the hidden ways language shapes memory, relationships, belonging, food, superstition, and culture.Whether you’re bilingual, bicultural, or simply curious...
How often does Fluent AF release new episodes?
Fluent AF has 40 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Fluent AF?
You can listen to Fluent AF on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Fluent AF?
Fluent AF is created and hosted by Priscilla Tovar.
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