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As a musician, I’m used to being in circumstances where I’m the only girl. While there are more and more female musicians entering the ranks, it’s still pretty unusual. In a way, this has become “normal” for me. When I entered the language learning space and many of the well-known figures and speakers were men, it didn’t strike me as unusual. But much like in...
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This past year has been a year of simplifying. Of creating better processes for my studies and my work. And of decluttering my physical and mental spaces. It’s worked quite well for me, but there was one realm I avoided. The digital. Visualizing just how many physical objects you’re dealing with is easy. You can take all of your books off your shelves and pile...
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I know what you’re thinking. Japanese has three – sometimes four – writing systems. Where do you start? As I shared in one of my earlier Clear the List posts, I recently took on what I think will be my last language – Japanese. I wanted to do things differently this time, so I decided to take a conversational approach to the language, meaning I’d focus...
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I’m no stranger to learning new writing systems. And while taking on another system gets easier after you’ve done it once or twice, the practice still needs to happen. There are no shortcuts to learning a language. Even though the work still needs to be done, doesn’t mean that you can’t have a little fun along the way. An important part of taking on a...
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One whole month of Japanese study is now under my belt – I can’t believe it! The good news is that though I’m starting to get into more challenging content, I am still completely in love with the language. On to #clearthelist If you’re new around these parts, #clearthelist is a linkup where we share our monthly goals, and by we, I mean myself, and...
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Writing is one of the most important exercises related to language learning and a very effective way of converting passive vocabulary to active. Other benefits include its ability to polish the learner’s grammar, particularly when you have the opportunity to have your writing corrected. And, as a creative activity, the process can be rather enjoyable. School, again, often gets in the way when it comes...
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Last month, the Language Reading Challenge theme was to read an introduction to your target language. Those who were at an intermediate or advanced level could find an article or chapter in their coursebook that explained something that they were struggling with in particular. Because my focus language, at the moment, is a language that’s new to me, I was able to read an introduction....
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Are you using cartoons to expose your kids to a new language? Here’s how to turn it from a passive experience to an effective language learning activity for both of you. Let’s start by clearing something up. Just sitting your kid in front of 2 hours of Tintin a day isn’t going to do the job ok? If it did, this would be a really...
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At first, learning Japanese can seem daunting. Not only do you need to learn three separate writing systems (four if you count romaji), but you have to deal with honorifics and particles. Thankfully, there are several aspects of the Japanese language that aren’t nearly as challenging as your first impression may lead you to believe. Plus, there are a variety of high quality materials available...
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In the online tutoring space, the competition is fierce. There are a number of big platforms and you can find tutors for really low prices. But when it comes to finding a good tutor, the dollar tag shouldn’t be the deciding factor. The quality of the teachers is what you want to look for. When I’m on the hunt for a new language teacher, it’s...
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