Travel
When I first started studying ethnomusicology as an undergraduate student, one of teachers often shared his experiences studying the music of Trinidad and Tobago. The films he played in class were exciting, energetic and impressive feats of musicianship. I learned a lot about Carnival, but I wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the beaches when I finally had the chance to make a trip out...
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Language Resources
You finally work up the courage to have a conversation in your target language. The other person starts speaking and your wheels are spinning. “Vous parlez français… C’est… Comment avez-vous… Est-ce que vous m’avez compris ?” The words come to you in fragments because you’re translating as much of what they’re saying to you back into your native language to sort out what it all...
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Culture & Cuisine
Experiencing local culture is an incredible way to fall in love with a place and its people. When you do that with someone who has insider knowledge and a vast expertise, that feeling of falling love with the city is inevitable. Especially when food is involved. With an afternoon to spare, I decided to try out the Montréal Brewpub Experience. Accompanied by a well-researched and...
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Language Resources
Sociolinguistics. Sounds like a pretty academic word, right? But the truth is, the field of sociolinguistics is a pretty interesting subject. Plus, it can be a nice thing for language learners to know about it. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics for the Language Learner When we study languages, we often focus on the language itself. The grammar, the vocabulary, the pronunciation, and so on. Sociolinguistics, however,...
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Travel
Originally named Fort Royal, Fort-de-France, is the capital of Martinique and a stop for Carnival cruise passengers. For those who love history, sightseeing or shopping, there’s plenty to do and see. Plus, the cuisine is incredible! The language spoken in Fort-de-France is, as you probably guessed, French, but you can find help in English in most areas. 1 // Shop There are a variety of...
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Language Resources
Where do you find good language tutors? It’s a question I’m often asked and one that I’ve done the best to research in order to answer as completely and honestly as possible. In an effort to do this, I recently tried out eChineseLearning, and as far as the quality of Mandarin Chinese tutors, they’re certainly at the top. A Background on eChineseLearning Before my trial...
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Eurolinguiste
It’s my birthday month and I have exciting news in store (I’ll share soon!). This past month, however, was INCREDIBLE. Why? LangFest is why. I finally made it out to my first language event and it was amazing getting to meet everyone. If you’re new around these parts, #clearthelist is a linkup where we share our monthly goals, and by we, I mean myself, Lindsay...
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Language Resources
I keep a language learning journal. Okay, yeah… It’s not really a journal. It’s just a notebook where I keep notes, questions, and interesting facts about the language I’m learning. But by the nature of the process that goes into creating it, it seems like so much more than just a notebook where I keep my notes. It’s very personal, very journal-y (-ish?). Taking notes...
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Travel
While performing as a part of the World Youth Jazz Festival in Putrajaya, Malaysia, M and I stayed in Kuala Lumpur. Although we didn’t have a lot of free time available to explore the area, we were able to spend a day in the city and visit the Batu Caves. We were only there for two full days, but if we ever make it back,...
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Language Resources
If I wanted to, I could easily say that I don’t have the time to learn a language. As I’ve shared in past posts, I have both a full time job and a full time music career. The time I can spend studying language is sometimes limited. But it’s important to me, so if I can’t make the time, I find the time. Often, at the end...
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