Language Resources
When it comes to learning languages, the expression “all work and no play…” is true. Without any playtime, language learning can be dull. That’s not to say there isn’t value in doing the book work – there is a ton of value. It just means that it isn’t all you should do. Finding a way to engage with your language beyond hitting the books is important...
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Language Resources
Learning a language can be challenging. It takes time and effort. And sometimes, you can’t help but wonder what you were thinking when you started. But what if language learning could be fun? What if you could watch your favorite tv series while you learn? This is exactly what I’ve done with Netflix. I’ve found a way to use it to my advantage, and I...
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Eurolinguiste / Language Resources
This month, I completed my Add1Challenge Day 90 video pretty early for Korean. My teacher needed to travel, so the last few weeks of the challenge, I went full throttle with my Korean studies. I was pretty nervous about needing to record my Day 90 long before the deadline, but on Day 64 I took a deep breath, hit record, and made it 16 minutes. ...
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Culture & History / Language Resources
Every language has its own share of proverbs. Knowing a few in your language can give the impression that you’re well-versed in the culture that speaks it. In my studies, I’ve had the pleasure of coming across a wide range of proverbs in different languages. Whether they’re the chengyu in Chinese, idiomatic expressions, some other adage, it’s clear that many of our values are shared across...
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Language Resources
Engaging with the language that we’re learning in meaningful ways is not important to our learning the language, but also to staying motivated, connecting with the language, and learning more about the culture. Discovering music, podcasts, books, tv shows, and movies in Spanish is an amazing way to dive into the language. But how do you know just what native source material to choose? Hopes...
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Culture & Cuisine / Language Resources
Los Angeles is often deemed the cultural hub of the Pacific Rim. Its inhabitants speak more than 224 recorded languages, so it’s no surprise that restaurants in and around the area reflect this diversity. Growing up, I unknowingly ate quite a few Croatian dishes. These were recipes that were passed down and that were just things my dad made when he was in charge of dinner –...
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Language Resources
I’m always the first two write things down, make lists, plan projects out and wait to start until I feel I’m organized enough to get going. I often write down my goals because there’s something about the process that makes them more tangible and I use a variety of apps and systems to track what I’m doing when I’m doing it and how. Writing down...
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Language Resources
When I first started studying languages on my own, I was constantly distracted by the next, new, shiny thing. I’d purchase a coursebook, start to work through it and then stumble across a web-based language learning tool. Immediately, my attention would shift and I’d dive into the new resource, abandoning the first. Eventually, I’d reach the stage where the material grew challenging. I, of course,...
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Language Resources
When I decided to learn Japanese, I kept hearing and reading one complaint from other Japanese learners: “Ugh, Kanji are so hard to learn.” “Just wait until you get to Kanji.” After learning Chinese, I wondered why Kanji was such an obstacle for so many Japanese learners. Was it because it was yet another writing system on top of Hiragana and Katakana? Was it because Kanji...
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Language Resources
Do you want to learn Russian? Perhaps you find yourself struggling to find resources that help you start speaking. When I started out, I certainly did. Many of the tools that I found when I started learning Russian were grammar-heavy textbook style resources and they didn’t offer me a lot in terms of day-to-day conversation. Rather than learning how to say “what did you do...
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