Benny Lewis's Blog, page 18

June 20, 2022

Go in Spanish: “Ir”, “Vamos” and Other Phrases (+ Easy Conjugation Tips)

You’re probably familiar with phrases like ¡Vamos! (“Let’s go!”) in Spanish. But have you mastered the irregular verb ir (“go”) in Spanish yet?

“Go” is one of the most common verbs, so it’s one you’ll want to get the hang of first. Since it’s an irregular verb, it can be a bit tricky.

So, we’ll talk about the verb ir today, and I’ll show you how to conjugate it too.

We’ll also look at other related words to “go” in Spanish, like “go to bed” or “go away” as well as other movement verbs.

So let’s get going!

function runSplitTest(){var randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1console.log(randomNumber)var copy = "";if (randomNumber == 3){ copy = 'A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away in Spanish for at least 15 minutes with the "Fluent in 3 Months" method. All it takes is 90 days. <a href="https://fluentin3months.com/challenge... this link to find out more.</a>'} else { copy = 'Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online Spanish course, here’s the course I recommend: <a href="https://www.fluentin3months.com/olly-... Uncovered - Learn Spanish Through the Power of Story</a>, a course with a fascinating new method by my friend Olly. You can try it for free for 7 days!'}console.log(copy)var copyToChange = document.querySelector("p.copyText").innerHTML = copy;}runSplitTest();Table of contents“Go” in Spanish How to Conjugate Ir in Spanish Ir Conjugation Pattern “Let’s Go” in Spanish How to Say “Go Away” in Spanish “Go to Sleep” in Spanish “How is Your Day Going” in Spanish?“Where Are You Going?” in Spanish Other Spanish Movement Verbs to Know Time to Go to Your Next Spanish Lesson!“Go” in Spanish

“To go” in Spanish is ir.

In Spanish, you need to know what category the verbs fall into: -ar, -er, or -ir verb endings. So while ir looks like it should be an -ir verb because that’s all it consists of, it’s actually an irregular verb.

This means it doesn’t follow the usual conjugation in Spanish but instead does its own thing. And ir can be quite tricky for beginners.

The good part, though, is you’ll get lots of practice with this verb because it’s so commonly used!

So let’s look at how to conjugate it.

How to Conjugate Ir in Spanish

To conjugate ir in Spanish, we have to memorize the irregular pattern:

I go: yo voyYou go: tú vasShe/he/you (formal) goes: ella/él/usted vaWe go: nosotros vamosYou (plural, Spain) go: vosotros váisYou (plural, Latin America)/They go: ustedes/ellas/ellos van

So upon first look, you’re probably like “Why is it so strange?!” But take a closer look.

Ir Conjugation Pattern

If you already know some of your Spanish conjugation, you may recognize that ir actually conjugates like an -ar verb in Spanish in present tense. It shifts to a “v” and then follows the same general pattern as -ar verbs: -o, -as-, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.

The only difference is “I go” in Spanish – yo voy – ends in -oy.

So it’s not that bad once you see the pattern!

Of course, it changes for each tense (and the future tense, “I will go” uses ir as the root), but there are always patterns you can pick up on.

As for “going” in Spanish, it depends on what you’re going to say. If you’re saying “I am going” in Spanish, as in, going somewhere, you can use ir + a:

Voy a la tienda.
“I’m going to the store.”

You can also use this same pattern to talk about things happening soon in the future:

Mañana voy a estudiar para el examen.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to study for the test.”

For “I have to go” in Spanish, you’ll combine tengo que and ir:

Me tengo que ir ahora.
“I have to go now.”

If you want to learn more Spanish verb conjugations, check out our other articles:

Spanish Verb Conjugations: How to Master the 3 Most Important Verb Tenses Master the 3 Most Important Verb Tenses in Spanish How to Use Reflexive Verbs in Spanish Future Tense in Spanish: An Easy Guide“Let’s Go” in Spanish

You’re probably familiar with this one! “Let’s go” in Spanish is “¡Vamos!” You can also use vamos to say “come on.”

This is the imperative conjugation. You can also say vámonos, which is used almost interchangeably. But there is a nuanced difference.

Vámonos is often used to say “let’s go (leave this place)”, where vamos is used to say “let’s go (to a place)”.

Last, there’s also vayamos or vayámonos, which are the subjunctive equivalent of vamos/vámonos. The subjunctive form means to express a wish or desire, so vayamos is more like “I’d like us to go” or “Let’s go (if that’s cool with you)”. It’s also more formal.

Some related expressions:

“Let’s go home” – Vamos a casa“Hurry up” – Date prisa“Move it!” – ¡Muévete!“Come along!” – ¡Ándale!“Let’s go together” – Vamos juntas/juntos“Let’s go out” – SalgamosHow to Say “Go Away” in Spanish

You can command someone to leave by saying “¡Vete!”

The verb “to go away, to leave, to go out” is irse. But there are other phrases you could use too, like:

“Leave me alone!” – ¡Déjame en paz!“Go away” (Lit. “erase yourself” in Mexican Spanish) – Borrate“Back off!” or “Beat it!” – ¡Lárgate!“Get away!” – ¡Aléjate!“Get out” – Quítate“Go to Sleep” in Spanish

If you want to say “go to sleep” in Spanish, you have to learn the verb for “sleep” which is dormir.

Like we talked about before, you need to use the ir + a pattern when saying “go to” or “going to”. So “go to sleep” is ir a dormir. Just conjugate ir to fit the pronoun of the sentence.

For example:

Me voy a dormir.
“I’m going to sleep.”

As for “to go to bed” in Spanish, this one is a new verb: acostarse.

Acostarse also means to “lie down” or “turn in”. So you could say something like:

Me acuesto en la cama.
“I lie down in bed.”

Me voy a acostar e la cama.
“I’m going to lie down in bed.”

Me voy a la cama ahora.
“I’m going to bed now.”

“How is Your Day Going” in Spanish?

We also use “go” often in English when asking how someone is doing, like “How is your day going?” or “How’s it going?”

So to ask “how is your day going” in Spanish, you would say ¿Cómo va tu día? or ¿Cómo llevas el día? You might also hear the phrase ¿Qué tal tu dia?, which doesn’t use the verb ir but instead uses the question phrase qué tal.

For “how is it going” in Spanish, there are many similar ways to ask this, but only some actually use “go”. Here are some:

“How is everything?” – ¿Cómo va todo?“How are you?” or “What’s up?” or “How’s it going?” – ¿Qué tal?“How are you?” – ¿Cómo estás?“How’s it going?” – ¿Cómo te va? or ¿Cómo va?

In English, we often ask “How’s it going?” to mean “How are you?” But if you’re asking about something, like a project, then you could say something like:

¿Cómo va tu proyecto?
“How’s your project going?”

¿Cómo va todo por allá?
“How’s it going over there?”

“Where Are You Going?” in Spanish

“Where?” in Spanish is dónde. (And if you need a refresher of question words in Spanish, freshen up your skills with this article.)

So to ask “Where are you going?”, you say ¿Adónde vas? The more formal version would be ¿Adónde va?

To change it to something like “Where are we going?” in Spanish, you only need to change ir to match its pronoun. In this case, it’d be ¿A dónde vamos?

If you’re wondering where someone has been, you can change ir to its past tense form and ask: ¿A dónde fuiste?

Other Spanish Movement Verbs to Know

Now that you’ve learned a lot of ways to use “go” in Spanish, let’s cover some other common movement verbs!

Run: correrFly: volarApproach: acercarseFall: caerArrive: llegarBring: traerThrow: lanzarEnter, go in: entrarGet out/leave: salir or irseGet off: bajarGet up: levantarseClimb: escalarRide: montar*Move forward: avanzarMove something: moverRoll: rodarCome: venirDodge: esquivarPush: empujarJump: saltarCrawl: arrastrarseEscape: escaparLie down: tumbarsePick up: recogerCross: cruzarExercise: ejercer, ejercitarReturn: regresarWalk: caminarSwim: nadarDrive: conducirFollow: seguir

A tip here: Try pairing similar or opposite words to learn together. For instance, caminar (“walk”) and correr (“run”). Or llegar (“arrive”) and salir (“leave”). It’s easier to remember new vocab this way.

Now it’s your turn. Try using these new words in sentences, and play around with conjugating them. Get used to them, both in writing and speaking.

Start with the words that are most relevant to you, words you think you’ll use the most. Using a flashcard app can really help, too!

Time to Go to Your Next Spanish Lesson!

Let’s wrap things up! Let’s refresh what we just learned:

Ir is “go” in Spanish. It’s an irregular verb, so watch out for conjugation! In present tense, that looks like:

We learned that ir + a* means “go to” or “going to” like:

Voy a la tienda.
“I’m going to the store.*

And we learned phrases like:

“Let’s go” – Vamos“Go away” – Vete“Go to sleep” – Ir a dormir“Go to bed” – Acostarse“How’s your day going?” – ¿Cómo va tu día?“Where are you going?” – ¿Adónde vas?

… And a lot more!

So now it’s time to move on to your next Spanish lesson. And I have some recommendations for you:

101 Common Spanish Words to Know ¡Lo Siento! and 25 More Ways to Say “Sorry” in Spanish Spanish Adjectives to Add Sparkle to Your Sentences 20+ Resources for Spanish Reading for Every Level Benny’s Top Resources for Learning Spanish

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Published on June 20, 2022 04:00

June 17, 2022

The Beginner’s Guide to the Bengali Language [With Basic Words and Phrases!]

Why should you learn the Bengali language, also known as Bangla? Let me convince you.

Bengali, which originates from India and Bangladesh, is one of the most spoken languages in the world. It is a beautiful literary powerhouse as well as a language that sparked a global language movement.

Interested and want to learn more? I’ll highlight some of the top reasons to learn Bengali and then get you started with some basics.

Table of contents3 Great Reasons to Learn the Bengali Language 1. Bengali is Consistently a Top-10 Language 2. Bengali Has a Rich Literary Culture 3. The Bengali Language Movement Inspired the UN International Mother Language Day 5 Perks of Learning Bengali 1. Bengali Has Flexible Word Order 2. Verbs Are Easy 3. There’s a Lot That Bengali Lacks… for the Better!4. Bengali is Mostly Phonetic 5. Bengali Shares a Lot of Words with Languages You May Already Know Getting Started: Your First Bengali Words and Phrases Basic Bengali Greetings Introducing Yourself Know Who’s Talking – A.K.A. Let’s Talk Pronouns and Conjugation Conjugating in Bengali Basic Bengali Survival Phrases Overcoming Common Bengali Challenges Watch Out for Tricky Sounds Learn the Alphabet to Conquer Pronunciation Be Aware of Colloquial Bengali Find and Stick to Your Favorite Resources Just Keep Learning!3 Great Reasons to Learn the Bengali Language1. Bengali is Consistently a Top-10 Language

As of 2022, Bengali has the seventh-largest number of total speakers and the fifth largest number of native speakers of any language in the world.

According to a 2011 survey, it is the second most spoken language in India. Bengali is an official language in West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam in India, and the national language of Bangladesh.

Surprisingly, it is also an honorary official language of Sierra Leone! This is because the Sierra Leone government wanted to thank the Bangladeshi peacekeepers who helped the country during the 1991-2002 civil war.

The Bengali diaspora is also massive. There are millions of people from Bangladesh and the Bengali regions of India abroad, so you can surely find Bengali speakers in just about any country.

2. Bengali Has a Rich Literary Culture

Throughout India, Bengali has a reputation as the language of beautiful written works. It has a rich history of poetry, and many works from Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic, and Persian languages have also been translated in Bengali.

Have you heard of Rabindranath Tagore? This Bengali writer from Kolkata, India was the first lyricist and also the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. He also was a major figure in the Bengali resistance against the British Raj. The Indian national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana,” was adapted from one of Tagore’s Bengali poems.

Tagore translated many of his own works into English, but there are noticeable differences from the original Bengali. This gives you even more reason to read them in the original!

3. The Bengali Language Movement Inspired the UN International Mother Language Day

As we can see, Bengali has not only been a literary language—it has also been politically significant. When India gained independence from Britain, the province of East Bengal (now Bangladesh) joined Pakistan. It became known as “East Pakistan,” and modern-day Pakistan was known as “West Pakistan.”

However, people in West Pakistan had a very different culture from the people in East Pakistan. They didn’t even speak the same language: people in West Pakistan spoke Urdu, not Bengali! This led to many social tensions. Even though Bengali speakers formed the majority of the population of Pakistan, the political leaders tried to replace Bengali with Urdu in East Pakistan.

On February 21, 1952, students at the University of Dhaka gathered to protest to make Bengali an official language of Pakistan. Police fired on the demonstrators, killing many of them. This sparked larger civil unrest, strengthened the Bengali people’s unity, and ultimately led to the Bangladesh Independence War. In 1999, UNESCO declared February 21 to be International Mother Language Day as a tribute.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Bengali speakers take great pride in their language, even now!

5 Perks of Learning Bengali

As an Indo-Aryan language, Bengali may not be as difficult to learn as you think! Here are some of the best parts about learning Bengali.

1. Bengali Has Flexible Word Order

Unlike English, Bengali is a subject-object-verb language. Also unlike English, it has quite a loose word order.

Often, in Bengali, this subject-object-verb structure is more like a suggestion than a rule. Depending on what you want to emphasize, you can push your subject all the way to the end of the sentence, or sometimes even leave it out if you want!

For example, all of the sentences below can be acceptable to say, “Do you drink water?”:

আপনি পানি খান? (Apni pani khan? / Literally, “You water drink?”)পানি খান আপনি? (Pani khan apni? / Literally, “Water drink you?”)পানি খান? (Pani khan? / Literally, “Water drink?”)2. Verbs Are Easy

Don’t worry about needing to memorize countless irregular verbs in Bengali. There are only a few, so conjugation rules can be applied to almost every verb. Speaking of which, there are five noun categories to conjugate for, but you can get by with just four of them.

In addition, negating verbs is incredibly easy. Most of the time, just add না (na) to the end of a sentence!

For example:
তুমি স্কুলে যাও। (Tumi skule jao. / You go to school.)
তুমি স্কুলে যাও না। (Tumi skule jao na. / You don’t go to school.)

Need to ask a question? Just use rising intonation at the end of the sentence, or add কি (ki) either after the subject or at the end.

For example, to say, “Do you go to school?” you can say any of the following:

তুমি কি স্কুলে যাও? (Tumi ki skule jao?)
তুমি স্কুলে যাও কি? (Tumi skule jao ki?)
তুমি স্কুলে যাও? (Tumi skule jao?) (With rising intonation)

3. There’s a Lot That Bengali Lacks… for the Better!

Bengali leaves out a lot of complicated characteristics of many other Asian and European languages. Bengali is not a tonal language, and it also doesn’t have gendered nouns like in Romance languages. It also isn’t as strict about singular vs. plural nouns as many other Indo-European languages.

4. Bengali is Mostly Phonetic

Bengali has its own written script, which Assamese also uses. The Bengali alphabet is a descendant of Sanskrit and shares a lot of commonalities with Devanagari.

It is phonetic, so if you know the writing system, you can pronounce almost anything!

[infographic]

5. Bengali Shares a Lot of Words with Languages You May Already Know

Like Hindi and many other Indian languages, Bengali originated from Sanskrit. Therefore, it shares a lot of words with many other South Asian languages.

Legacies of Muslim rulers and trade in the Bengal area gave Bengali a rich vocabulary of words with Arabic, Persian, and Turkish origins. If you’ve already learned some of these languages, you’ll surely see a lot of overlap!

Nearly a hundred years of British colonization brought a large amount of English words into Bengali. Don’t know a word in Bengali? Just try using the English word with a Bengali accent!

This is especially true with “modern” words, such as those relating to transportation, technology, and business. For example, to say “the phone is dead,” you can just say টেলিফোন ডেড হয়ে আছে (telefon ɖeɖ achhe). Easy, right?

Getting Started: Your First Bengali Words and PhrasesBasic Bengali Greetings

Bengali has invariably been influenced by geography and religion.

If you are in India, which has mostly Hindu Bengali speakers, you would usually greet someone with the Hindu phrase নমস্কার (nɔmɔshkar). The recipient would repeat the same phrase back.

On the other hand, if you are in Bangladesh, you would usually greet someone with the Muslim phrase আসসালাম ওয়ালাইকুম (assalam walaikum). If someone greets you this way, respond with ওয়ালাইকুম আসসালাম (walaikum assalam).

Unsure of which to use? Don’t worry. Regardless of the listener’s religion, you can always ask, “How are you?”:

কেমন আছেন? (kæmon achhen?) for people you don’t know well or you would show respect to,কেমন আছো? (kæmon achho?) for friends or people of a lower rank than you.

Another similar greeting is কি অবস্থা? (ki ɔbɔstha?, “What’s the situation?”). You can reply with ভালো আছি (bhalo achhi, “I’m fine”).

Done with your conversation? It’s time to say goodbye! You have a few choices here:

পরে দেখা হবে (Pɔre dekha hɔbe) – “See you later”ভালো থেকো (Bhalo theko) – “Take care” (casual)ভালো থাকবেন (Bhalo thakben) – “Take care” (respectful)Introducing Yourself

Now that we’ve greeted our speaking partner, it’s time to share more about yourself! You can do so with the following phrases:

আমার নাম … (Amar nam…) – “My name is…”আমি … থেকে এসেছি (Ami … theke eshechhi) – “I’m from…”

(Note: most countries’ names in Bengali sound much like their English equivalent.)

Therefore, I would introduce myself as:

আমার নাম খেলসি। (Amar nam Khelsi.) – “My name is Kelsey.”আমি আমেরিকা থেকে এসেছি। (Ami Amerika theke eshechhi.) – “I’m from America.”

To ask the listener about themselves, use the following questions:

আপনার নাম কী (Apnar nam ki?) – “What is your name?”আপনি কোথা থেকে এসেছেন (Apni kotha theke eshechhen?) – “Where are you from?”Know Who’s Talking – A.K.A. Let’s Talk Pronouns and Conjugation

Let’s learn to break down a bit of the above.

As mentioned earlier, there are four main categories of nouns and pronouns in Bengali, and each has its own way to conjugate verbs. The four categories are:

First person – I আমি ami, we আমরা amraSecond person, casual – you (singular) তুমি tumi, you (plural) তোমরা tomraThird person, casual – he/she/it/they (see below)Honorific – you, he/she/they (see below)

Third person, casual: There are several different words for the third person singular: এ, ও, সে (e, o, she). They all have plural versions: এরা, ওরা, তারা (era, ora, tara).

All words can be used with people or objects. They carry different nuances with them depending on how close the pronoun is to the speaker.

For example, you could use the same pronoun এ (e) and conjugation for “he,” “she,” (if they are close to the speaker), and “this.”

Honorific: The honorific conjugation can be used for both the second person (আপনি apni) or third person (ইনি ini, উনি uni, or তিনি tini – here again you have your choice depending on proximity to the speaker) that you want to show respect to. The verb conjugation is the same for all of them.

The plural form of আপনি (apni) is আপনারা (apnara). The plural forms of ইনি (ini), উনি (uni), and তিনি (tini) are এঁরা (ẽra), ওঁরা (õra), and তাঁরা (tãra) respectively, each pronounced more nasally than their casual counterparts above.

Note: Gender and singular vs. plural do not affect conjugation.

Conjugating in Bengali

Now that we have established pronouns, I’ll show you how to conjugate verbs. This is very easy!

To conjugate in the present tense, simply add the following to the end of the verb stem:

First person: iSecond person, casual: oThird person, casual: eHonorific: en

Therefore, to say that someone or something “am/are/is,” change the verb আছ (achh, “to be”) as follows:

First person: আছি (achhi)Second person, casual: আছো (achho)Third person, casual: আছে (achhe)Honorific: আছেন (achhen)

Fun fact: There is an added fifth category to conjugate for: তুই (tui). This is an even more casual version of তুমি tumi. It is only used when talking to extremely close friends, younger siblings, small children, and animals.

Be careful: it can be extremely rude if you use it wrongly!

The four cases already introduced will suffice, so you don’t need to worry about this one as a beginner.

Basic Bengali Survival Phrases

Taking a trip to a Bengali-speaking area soon? Here are a few more key phrases to help you navigate your way. For questions, remember to use rising intonation at the end.

আপনি ইংরেজি বলতে পারেন? (Apni Ingreji bolte paren?) – “Do you speak English?”টয়লেট কোথায়? (Ʈoyleʈ kothae?) – “Where is the bathroom?” (Note: For asking the location of anything else, just say the word and add কোথায়? kothae?.)দাম কত? (Dam kɔto?) – “How much is it?”এটা কী? (Eʈa ki?) – “What is this?”কয়টা বাজে? (Kɔyʈa baje?) – “What time is it?”আমি একটু বাংলা বলতে পারি। (Ami ækʈu Bangla bolte pari.) – “I speak a little Bengali.”আমি বাংলা বলতে পারি না। (Ami Bangla bolte pari na.) – “I don’t speak Bengali.”আমি বাংলা পড়তে পারি না। (Ami Bangla poɽte pari na.) – “I can’t read Bengali.”আবার বলেন? (Abar bolen?) – “Could you repeat that?”… মানে কী? (… mane ki?) – “What does … mean?”ওটা দিন (Oʈa din) / ওটা দেন। (Oʈa den) – “Give me that.” (Note: The verb conjugation depends on the dialect.)Overcoming Common Bengali Challenges

As with any language, learning Bengali comes with its own set of hurdles. Here is what to watch out for as well as my suggestions as to how to overcome them.

Watch Out for Tricky Sounds

Bengali has a lot of sounds that don’t exist in English, so you’ll do well to tune your ear and practice a lot.

Many students need a lot of practice to differentiate between Bengali’s multiple T’s, D’s, and R’s. Several consonants are dental, meaning you pronounce them with your tongue touching behind your front teeth. Others are retroflex, meaning you bend your tongue back to touch the roof of your mouth.

There are also aspirated consonants, which you pronounce with a puff of air, and unaspirated consonants, which you don’t push out air to pronounce. For practice, you can place a piece of paper in front of your mouth. If the paper moves when you pronounce a consonant, you are likely pronouncing it with aspiration.

For example, there are four different types of T’s in Bengali.

ত (t, dental and unaspirated)থ (th, dental and aspirated)ট (ʈ, retroflex and unaspirated)ঠ (ʈh, retroflex and aspirated)

Therefore, the word টাকা (ʈaka, “money”) is different from the word থাকা (thaka, “to stay”).

The four types of D’s in Bengali are:

দ (d, dental and unaspirated)ধ (dh, dental and aspirated)ড (ɖ, retroflex and unaspirated)ঢ (ɖh, retroflex and aspirated)

Finally, there are two types of R’s:

র (r, dental)ড় (ɽ, retroflex)

Listen to native speakers and always be aware of where your tongue is. Do you need a puff of air?

Don’t worry – this seems like a lot, but you’ll get the hang of it.

Learn the Alphabet to Conquer Pronunciation

On top of the sounds that English speakers can easily mix up, the romanization of Bengali is not very standardized. Therefore, sometimes Bengali written with the English alphabet can look extra confusing.

For example, the word জ্বর (jɔr / “fever”) may be romanized as jor, jvara, jôr, dʒɔr, or something else.

In addition, some romanized materials will not differentiate between the different T, D, or R sounds above.

Learning the Bengali alphabet will help you overcome these hurdles.

Be Aware of Colloquial Bengali

Bengali has two forms: চলিতভাষা (cholitbhasha) and সাধুভাষা (shadhubhasha). The former is modern, colloquial Bengali, while the latter is mostly used historically in writing.

Some resources will still introduce historic forms of Bengali first, so watch out for this. If you are using a tutor, remind them that you want to learn Bengali as it’s actually spoken.

In addition, keep in mind that there are many regional dialects of Bengali. While generally Bengali is split into “Indian” and “Bangladeshi,” there are still many regional accents within these two! These result in slightly different vocabulary, verb conjugations, and pronunciation.

Nevertheless, they are usually mutually intelligible, so a native speaker from India will still be able to understand you, even if you learned Bangladeshi Bengali, and vice versa.

Find and Stick to Your Favorite Resources

Despite having so many speakers, there are relatively few resources for learning Bengali. For example, to date, there are no Bengali courses on Duolingo or Innovative Language’s 101.com podcast series.

However, there are still plenty of resources out there! The Mango Languages app has a fantastic introductory course on Bengali, and Mondly also has a Bengali course. Part of the Linguaboost Bengali course can also be found for free as a podcast.

If you prefer learning from a book, there are several to choose from. Popular textbooks include Teach Yourself: Complete Bengali as well as Colloquial Bengali. Lonely Planet’s Hindi, Urdu, & Bengali Phrasebook has very practical language for a variety of situations.

Find an app, coursebook, or tutor that you like, and keep up with it.

Just Keep Learning!

Interested in Bengali yet? Now that you have a basic grasp of the language and culture around it, you should be ready to start for real!

Stick around, because I look forward to sharing more Bengali language tips with you.

Good luck on your language learning journey!

Language Hacking Podcast, ep. 30: Nissa on learning Bengali in 3 Months Preply Review – a Detailed and Honest Review of the Preply Language Tutor Platform How to Learn a Language in 2022 – Ultimate Guide with 35+ Language Hacks Magnetic Memory Method: An In-Depth Review from a Language Learner Mondly Review: My Experience Using Mondly to Learn 5 Languages [In-Depth Review]

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Published on June 17, 2022 04:00

June 13, 2022

How to Learn Swahili: An In-Depth Guide (With Resources!)

I’d like to show you how to learn Swahili.

Are you familiar with some Swahili words or phrases like Jambo and Hakuna Matata? Now, learn how Kenyans ACTUALLY speak!

Image credit: raymondsanti

While living in Kenya for the past year and a half, I’ve been studying the Swahili language (known as “Kiswahili” to its speakers) and have found it to be an excellent language for me to learn as an English speaker.

And I think you might want to consider giving this language a shot yourself. Here’s why you might like to learn Swahili:

Table of contents7 Good Reasons to Learn Swahili – East Africa’s Lingua Franca Reason 1: A Diverse History Reason 2: It’s the Most Widely-Spoken Language Across Africa Reason 3: You’ll Expand Your Ideas of How Language Works Reason 4: It’s a Shared African Language, Without Being Colonial Reason 5: You’ll Get Unique Experiences and Extra Insights into Kenyan Culture Reason 6: Kenyans are Very Encouraging When You’re Learning Swahili Reason 7: Swahili is Easy!“But Why Learn Swahili? Don’t they speak English in Kenya?”The Difficulty of Learning Swahili: Why Swahili is an Easy Language to Learn Swahili Has No Gendered Nouns or Articles Swahili Verb Conjugations Are Really Simple There are Plenty of Swahili Words You Already Know Swahili Pronunciation is Easy Asking Questions in Swahili? That’s Easy Too!Learn Swhaili Through Immersion in Kenya: My 3 Top Tips 1. Listen to How Native Swahili Speakers Speak English 2. Be Aware of the Different Regions in Kenya 3. Visit Remote Areas in Kenya Where Few People Speak English Learn Swahili at Home With These Swahili Courses and Resources 4 Free Resources for Learning Swahili 2 Paid Resources for Learning Swahili Getting Started with Learning the Swahili Language Swahili Pronunciation Guide Swahili Greetings Formal Greetings in Swahili Informal Greetings in Swahili Basic Swahili Vocabulary7 Good Reasons to Learn Swahili – East Africa’s Lingua FrancaReason 1: A Diverse History

Swahili is a Bantu (African origin) language with a large Arabic influence. It also includes some loan words from languages such as English, German, and Portuguese.

Swahili originated on the East African coast due to a rich and diverse history of trading and cultural exchange between Arabic nations, coastal Africans, and Europeans.

Reason 2: It’s the Most Widely-Spoken Language Across Africa

Swahili is spoken by an estimated 90 million people in Africa alone. It is the most widely-spoken African language.

Swahili is the national language of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is used as the “lingua franca” throughout East and Southeast Africa.

In other words, it’s the common language that two people will use to communicate if they don’t share the same native language.

Reason 3: You’ll Expand Your Ideas of How Language Works

If you’re used to Eurocentric languages, these rules of the Swahili language might surprise you.

In Swahili, plurals are formed by changing the beginning of a word, rather than the ending. For example, a singular teacher is mwalimu and multiple teachers are walimu. One shoe is kiatu, but many shoes are viatu.

Another different concept is that of telling time.

In Swahili language and culture, the day begins at 7:00 a.m., which is usually around the time of sunrise. Therefore, 7:00 a.m. is translated to mean “hour one” or saa moja (moja is the word for “one”). 8:00 a.m. is “hour two” or saa mbili, and so on.

This reflects a different way of looking at time than in the Western world, where we mark midnight as the beginning of the new day, or Judaic culture, where the day begins at sunset.

Many other differences exist that will help to expand your perspective of how language functions, and how this can be reflected in the culture.

Reason 4: It’s a Shared African Language, Without Being Colonial

Where is Swahili spoken? Across East Africa. And that’s something else about Swahili that I find interesting.

If you look at nations such as Nigeria or Ghana, other former British colonies, those nations don’t have a shared language that is an African language. If people from these countries are from different tribes and grew up speaking different native languages, they would need to use English or pidgin as a common second language.

Meanwhile, in Kenya and throughout East Africa, people can communicate using a shared African language, which has much in common with their own native languages. They don’t have to rely on a colonial language to be understood throughout their own country.

Reason 5: You’ll Get Unique Experiences and Extra Insights into Kenyan Culture

As Fluent in 3 Months founder Benny Lewis has mentioned many times, speaking the local language gives you special access to certain aspects of the culture.

Kenya is certainly not the only country where you can get a “local price” on items at markets rather than paying the foreigner’s price, or “Mzungu tax.”

One highlight of my time in Kenya was when I was able to spend one week in a rural women’s village in the county of Samburu. I was able to live with the women and their children and become fully immersed in their lifestyle, a truly special experience.

Because the village was rather isolated from any big cities or cosmopolitan centers, English was very rarely spoken. Most of the villagers spoke Kisamburu, their mother tongue, but quite a few knew Swahili as well.

Because of my proficiency in basic Swahili, I was able to communicate with them, and we formed quite strong bonds. The language barrier is so real when it comes to forging friendships or even just being understood.

I was able to have such a great experience in this village because of my ability to communicate with the women in our shared second language, Swahili.

Reason 6: Kenyans are Very Encouraging When You’re Learning Swahili

A popular reason language learners give for not speaking their target language enough is that they feel self-conscious when they try, or they are worried about embarrassing themselves in front of native speakers.

This could not be further from the attitude of Kenyans towards “Mzungus” (white foreigners) who make attempts to speak Swahili.

When I was practicing my Swahili during my travels in Kenya, I was often met by pleasantly surprised looks from the locals. They would say things like “si kawaida!” (it’s not usual) when they heard me speaking Swahili.

Kenyans in general are really into Western/American culture, and they are very welcoming towards visitors from the US and Europe. Most Kenyans you meet will love to hear you speaking Swahili!

I even got some compliments on my accent and grammar, even though my Swahili is far from perfect.

Here are a few basic words and phrases you can learn to start interacting in Swahili as soon as possible. I’ll list more at the end of the article.

Reason 7: Swahili is Easy!

By studying Swahili, I’ve learned for myself that it can be a relatively easy language to learn.

In a moment, I’ll show you the hacks I’ve discovered that make Swahili an easier language than you’d think.

First, an objection I’ve sometimes heard to learning Swahili:

“But Why Learn Swahili? Don’t they speak English in Kenya?”

Yes, English is the official language of Kenya (Swahili is the national language). Many English-speaking tourists or expats living in Kenya get by relying only on English.

However, this doesn’t mean it is spoken by 100% of Kenyans – far from it.

While many Kenyans speak three or more languages fluently (Swahili, English, and their native language or “mother tongue”), the level of English proficiency usually highly correlates with how much education they’ve received.

In Kenya, you’ll come into contact with many highly-educated Kenyans whose English is excellent, especially in the tourism industry. But there are also many Kenyans, especially in rural areas, who speak very little English.

Furthermore, English-speaking Kenyans usually learn Swahili before they learn English, and therefore feel more comfortable with Swahili.

The Difficulty of Learning Swahili: Why Swahili is an Easy Language to Learn

Is Swahili hard to learn? It’s easier than you might think.

Swahili is usually ranked in Category 2 or 3 by various language learning programs when it comes to its difficulty for English speakers.

However, I find it to be quite an easy language to grasp for those who have grown up speaking English, or had exposure to Eurocentric or Romance languages (particularly Spanish or Italian).

Here are a few reasons why you’ll find Swahili not only interesting and practical to learn, but also a fun and easy language to pick up:

Swahili Has No Gendered Nouns or Articles

For many English speakers, the “gender” of nouns can be one of the most frustrating parts of learning a language.

Author and humorist David Sedaris expressed his frustrations with trying to remember what gender each noun has while learning French in his essay Me Talk Pretty One Day:

“I spent months searching for some secret code before I realized that common sense has nothing to do with it. Hysteria, psychosis, torture, depression: I was told that if something is unpleasant it’s probably feminine. This encouraged me, but the theory was blown by such masculine nouns as murder, toothache, and rollerblade. I have no problem learning the words themselves, it’s the sexes that trip me up and refuse to stick.”

In Swahili, you won’t need to worry about whether nouns are masculine or feminine. In fact, you won’t have to worry about articles at all! Swahili has neither definite (the) nor indefinite (a, an) articles.

For example, to say “I need a chair,” You would say Ninahitaji kiti.

The first part of the sentence, Ninahitaji means “I need,” and the second part, kiti, means “chair.” This sentence can either mean “I need a chair” or “I need the chair.” The exact meaning is easily implied by the context of your sentence.

You also won’t need to worry about gendered pronouns. The pronoun for “he” and “she” is one and the same. So the sentence Yeye ni mwalimu is used to say both “He is a teacher” and “She is a teacher.”

The same is true for Anacheza: “He is playing” or “She is playing.” Again, the meaning is worked out from the context.

In a world that increasingly recognizes the non-binary aspect of gender, one could argue that Swahili is by default a very gender-inclusive language.

Another easy aspect of Swahili is that it has no formal “you” pronoun, as languages like Spanish and French do.

As an English speaker, the idea of a formal “you” was something I frequently found puzzling. While working for an Ecuadorian-based travel company, I’d often wonder if I should address my coworkers as tú or usted.

And then, did I get the verb conjugations correct to go along with either the formal or informal pronouns?

I’m sure this comes quite naturally to Spanish speakers, but for someone who isn’t used to it, this formal/informal pronoun business often gave me a headache. I generally didn’t want to offend anyone, so I usually went with the formal “you” by default.

Swahili Verb Conjugations Are Really Simple

In Swahili, rather than memorizing conjugations and endings for the numerous verbs you will learn, you really just need to learn the infinitive and root form of each verb.

For example, let’s take the infinitive verb kutembea, which means “to walk.” Each verb’s infinitive form includes the ku- prefix. To just use the root of the verb, we say tembea, meaning “walk.”

Some examples:

Ninatembea – “I am walking”Nilitembea – “I walked”Nimetembea – “I have walked” (recently)Nitatembea – “I will walk”

Here, the verb root and the subject pronoun (ni – “I”) stay the same, and we just change the tense marker: na, li, me, and ta.

There are Plenty of Swahili Words You Already Know

As Benny has mentioned, when starting a language, you’re rarely starting completely from scratch.

Even if you think you’re totally clueless when it comes to an African language, I can bet you’re familiar with more words in Swahili than you think.

The first example that comes to mind is safari, a word of Arabic origin that is the Swahili word for “journey.” Chances are, you’re also used to hearing this word in English in the context of a trip, usually to see animals, often in Sub-Saharan Africa. Any user of Apple products is also no doubt familiar with the Safari web browser.

In Kenya, you might hear the phrase Safari njema which means “Have a good trip!” This can also help you remember the Swahili word safiri, the verb for “travel.”

Jenga is another word known by many people in the US as a block building game, but its name actually comes directly from the Kenyan verb “build.” For example, Anajenga means “he is building”.

Additionally, if you’re at all familiar with the Disney movie The Lion King, you know some other Swahili words as well:

simba – “lion”rafiki – “friend”Asante sana – “Thank you very much.” This can be heard in the song that Rafiki the baboon sings. The whole song goes “Asante sana, squash banana, wewe nugu, mimi hapana” which is a bit of a nonsense song that translates to “Thank you very much, squash banana, you are a baboon and I’m not.”Hakuna matata – “no problem/no worries.” Before The Lion King, hakuna matata was used in a well-known Kenyan song “Jambo Bwana” by Them Mushrooms. You’ll find that nowadays, Kenyans really only say the phrase hakuna matata to tourists. More commonly, you might hear haina shida which means essentially the same thing: “No problem!”Jambo – used as a greeting, again only for tourists. Jambo literally translates to “matter/issue/thing.” If a Kenyan greets you with Jambo, most likely it means they are trying to be friendly but assume you don’t know any Swahili. If you want to continue the conversation in Swahili, you can respond Sijambo, and then maybe follow with another Swahili greeting like Habari yako?

Swahili also uses cognates and loan words from other languages:

Portuguese – familia (“family”), meza (“table”), bandera (“flag”)German – shule (“school”)English – musiki (“music”), Afrika (“Africa”), basi (“bus”), boti (“boat”), benki (“bank”), hoteli (“hotel”), kompyuta (“computer”), teksi (“taxi”), blanketi (“blanket”), posta (“post office”), shati (“shirt”), suti (“suit”), soksi (“socks”), tai (“tie”), picha (“picture”), chai (“tea” or “chai”)

Hint: try sounding them out phonetically, remembering that Kenyans speak English with a British accent – Rs following vowels are generally dropped. You can consult the Pronunciation Guide at the end of this article for help as well.

Swahili Pronunciation is Easy

There are only five basic vowel sounds in Kiswahili, and they are similar to the Spanish and Italian vowels.

Most of the consonants in Swahili can be found in English, too. Plus, written Swahili is phonetic, meaning you can pronounce nearly any written word you see, once you learn a few pronunciation rules.

See the Swahili Pronunciation Guide I’ve provided at the end of this article for all the details on Swahili pronunciation.

Asking Questions in Swahili? That’s Easy Too!

With Swahili, you don’t need to learn any additional “question” words, such as est-ce que in French. You don’t need to change around the order of words either, like when we ask a question in English.

Instead, simply change your inflection to move upwards at the end of the phrase to indicate a question. If you find this odd, consider the English phrase “He is visiting soon” and think of how you can turn it into a question just by changing your inflection.

Note: In formal Swahili, you can preface a question with the word Je (For example: Je, unajua Kiingereza? – “Do you know English?”), but in casual conversation, it is not necessary. You will be understood if you simply pay attention to your inflection.

Learn Swhaili Through Immersion in Kenya: My 3 Top Tips

I’ve learned Swahili by living in Kenya, so I’d like to share some insider tips on learning Swahili, in case you’d like to do something similar.

(In the next section, I’ll share some of my favourite Swahili courses and resources that you can use if you’re planning to learn Swahili at home.)

1. Listen to How Native Swahili Speakers Speak English

Since so many English-speaking Kenyans often learn Swahili first, the way they speak English is usually based on direct translations of Swahili. The way they speak English can help you with your understanding of Swahili grammar.

One example that comes to mind is whenever I hear someone say in English “You’re being called.” This is almost always said in the passive form, rather than the more active “Someone is calling you.”

This comes from a translation of the Swahili phrase Unaitwa, which naturally is a passive construction.

Another example is how Kenyans will ask “Are you taking coffee?” or “Are you taking tea?” rather than what we might say in the US, “Are you having/drinking coffee?”

This is also a direct translation from Swahili. The verb “take” is chukua, so you might say, Unachukua kahawa?

2. Be Aware of the Different Regions in Kenya

For those who are visiting Kenya hoping to practice Swahili, you will get a different experience depending on which part of Kenya you visit.

Those at the Kenyan coast will speak more proper or “clean” Swahili (Swahili sanifu) than those in Nairobi, as this area is where the language originated.

As an English speaker, I’ve found the Swahili spoken here to be very easy for me to understand, and likewise, the Kenyans at the coast seem to have an easier time understanding me.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s capital city Nairobi is known for “shang.” It’s a kind of Kenyan slang that uses both English and Swahili words and is essentially its own dialect.

Shang is hard to understand if (like me!) you’ve studied Swahili from more academic sources, or have spoken/studied a lot with coastal Kenyans who speak “clean” Swahili.

However, if you’re interested in sounding more hip and less like a square, you might want to add a few shang phrases to your vocabulary.

3. Visit Remote Areas in Kenya Where Few People Speak English

Kenya is a hugely diverse country, and if you’re visiting, you owe it to yourself to see the rural countryside and learn more about the people and traditions outside of the urban centers.

Since these rural areas are usually far removed from hubs of business, commerce, and globalization, it means that English is likely to be spoken much less frequently in these areas. People may tend to speak mainly in their mother tongue and use Swahili as a second language.

In a situation like this, you’ll be surrounded with new, different sounds from the local tribal languages.

There are 43 different tribes in Kenya, which means 43 different local languages. These include Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Kisamburu, Kimaasai, and many many more. These languages are much less known to the average English speaker than Swahili, and they will probably sound more foreign.

As you hear these local languages and as you are forced to speak in Swahili to be understood, you will start to appreciate any progress (however small) you have made in learning Swahili compared to another language that is totally foreign to you.

In other words, when it’s a choice between Swahili and the local language, Swahili will feel more comfortable to use!

Learn Swahili at Home With These Swahili Courses and Resources

So, now you’re motivated to start learning Swahili on your own, where do you begin?

4 Free Resources for Learning Swahili

1. SwahiliPod101

The Innovative Language podcasts are a favorite resource of the Fluent in 3 Months team.

SwahiliPod101 would be my first recommendation for learning Swahili.

Look for their beginner lessons first – they help you with basic pronunciation and greetings. This is a great way to get a first taste of the language, spoken by native speakers.

This course teaches Kenyan Swahili. Take advantage of the week-long free trial, for great bite-sized listening comprehension videos, and get the most use out of it while you can.

I wish I’d used this more when I was still on my free trial!

2. LanguageTransfer Complete Swahili

LanguageTransfer Complete Swahili is an audio-based course.

Teacher Mihalis Eleftheriou provides a scaffolded, deconstructed look at the language with actual students for you to learn alongside. A great, easy-to-grasp approach that progresses logically.

The only reason this isn’t listed as number 1 is because Eleftheriou isn’t a native speaker himself.

DuoLingo Swahili

When I first started learning Swahili, the DuoLingo Swahili module did not exist.

It’s a great tool, but a few things should be noted.

First of all, this module is for Tanzanian Swahili. It’s essentially the same as Kenyan Swahili, but it helps to be aware of what some regional differences might be.

Namely, Tanzanians are known to speak very proper or formal Swahili, like the kind that is spoken at the Kenyan coast. Meanwhile, Kenyans speak a bit more casually, especially around urban centers like Nairobi.

Additionally, the Swahili DuoLingo module was perhaps taken out of beta a bit too soon. There are still a few mistakes in the more advanced lessons, but it is improving every day.

I highly recommend getting started with the SwahiliPod101podcast first.

3. BBC YouTube Channel

The BBC has a Swahili YouTube channel called Dira la Dunia. This is more advanced, and uses very formal news jargon – not super colloquial.

4. Swahili Fairy Tales

An easier YouTube channel for beginners is Swahili Fairy Tales, geared towards children, with English subtitles

2 Paid Resources for Learning Swahili

1. italki

italki, of course, remains a fantastic resource.

I’ve been working with a Swahili tutor named Jackie, from Kenya. Due to the strength of the US dollar compared to the Kenyan or Tanzanian currency, you can find a private Swahili tutor for an excellent rate.

I currently pay $5 USD for a 30-minute casual conversation practice lesson, an incredible bargain!

2. Teach Yourself: Complete Swahili by Joan Russell

Teach Yourself: Complete Swahili by Joan Russell is textbook with accompanying audio. It was a huge help to me as I was starting to learn the language.

Note that this also mainly deals with Tanzanian Swahili, but is easily applied to the Swahili spoken in Kenya.

Getting Started with Learning the Swahili Language

Here are a few basics and “survival phrases” to get you started with learning Swahili:

Swahili Pronunciation Guide

There are five basic vowels in Swahili:

a – “ah” as in “father”e – “eh” as in “get” (sometimes more of an “ey” sound like “hey”)i – “ee” as in “see”o – “oh” as in “gopher”u – “oo” as in “tooth”

The “y” sound behaves similarly to how it does in English, and blends with other letters, rather than standing on its own as a separate syllable.

There are no diphthongs/blended vowels, so when you see two vowels next to each other, pronounce them both in succession. Examples:

Kiingereza – kee-eeng-er-EZ-ah (“English language”)Nimesahau – nee-meh-sah-HA-oo (“I forget/I have forgotten”)

In addition to the vowel sounds, here are some tips with the consonant sounds in Swahili:

m/n – When an “m” or “n” precedes a consonant, in most cases the syllable is hummed with a nasal sound.

Examples:

Mzungu – mmZOONG-oo (“white person”)ndogo – nnDOH-go (“small”)dh – “th” as in “this”.ng’ – This is perhaps the one sound that can be really foreign to English speakers. Think of the “ng” in “song” and try to imitate that when you see ng’.

The stress comes on the penultimate syllable of every word

Examples:

kitabu – kee-TAH-boo (“book”)twiga – TWEE-gah (“giraffe”)Swahili GreetingsFormal Greetings in SwahiliHabari? – “How are you?” (literally “news”)Mzuri – “good/well” (in response to Habari?)Sana – “a lot/very/very much”Hujambo/Hamjambo? – “How are you?” (singular/plural)Sijambo/Hatujambo – “I’m fine/we’re fine”Informal Greetings in SwahiliSasa? – “What’s up?” (literally “now”)Niaje? – “How are you?”Mambo? – “What’s up?” (literally “things”)Vipi? – “How’s it going?”Poa – “good/cool” (response to Vipi?)Basic Swahili VocabularyNdiyo – “Yes”Hapana – “No”Asante – “Thank you”Karibu – “Welcome/You’re welcome” (also: “close” / “near”)Mzungu – “White person” (If you’re white, expect to hear this a lot!)Twende – “Let’s go”Maji – “Water”Chakula – “Food”Tafadhali – “Please”Sawa – “Okay”Samahani – “Excuse me”Pole – “Sorry” (to express sympathy)Rafiki – “Friend”Nataka – “I want…”Nataki hii – “I want this one”Nipe… – “Give me…”Ngapi? – “How much” (e.g. “How much is it?”)Ghali sana! – “Too expensive!”Bei nzuri – “Good price”Kidogo – “A little”Unajua Kiingereza? – “Do you know English?”Sijui – “I don’t know”Sielewi – “I don’t understand”Useme polepole – “Could you speak slowly please”Naitwa **** – “My name is **_**”Wapi – “Where?”(Choo) iko wapi? – “Where is the (toilet)?”Unatoka wapi? – “Where do you come from?”Natoka Marekani – “I come from the USA”Kwa heri – “Goodbye”

Original article by Maria Price, updated by the Fluent in 3 Months team.

The post How to Learn Swahili: An In-Depth Guide (With Resources!) appeared first on Fluent in 3 Months.

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Published on June 13, 2022 04:00

June 10, 2022

How to Read Japanese Manga [+ 10 Easy Manga Series for Beginners Learning Japanese]

Is your goal to read Japanese manga in its original language?

For many studying Japanese, our love of anime and manga are big reasons for our interest in the language.

I know for me, as a child, my love of Sailor Moon, CardCaptor Sakura, Dragon Ball Z, Tenchi Muyo, and Hamtaro set me on the path to speaking Japanese and finding my Japanese language exchange partner.

(Call back to the classic Toonami days, amirite?)

But reading in Japanese can seem tricky due to Japan using 3 different writing systems. Where do you even begin?

Well, manga is actually a great way to start learning to read in Japanese, and I’ll explain why here.

function runSplitTest(){var randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1console.log(randomNumber)var copy = "";if (randomNumber == 3){ copy = 'A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away in Japanese for at least 15 minutes with the "Fluent in 3 Months" method. All it takes is 90 days. <a href="https://fluentin3months.com/challenge... this link to find out more.</a>'} else { copy = 'Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online Japanese course, here’s the course I recommend: <a href="https://www.fluentin3months.com/olly-... Uncovered - Learn Japanese Through the Power of Story</a>, a course with a fascinating new method by my friend Olly. You can try it for free for 7 days!'}console.log(copy)var copyToChange = document.querySelector("p.copyText").innerHTML = copy;}runSplitTest();Table of contentsWhat is Japanese Manga?Why Read Manga in Japanese? – With Manga, You Will Like Learning Japanese How to Learn Japanese to Read Manga 1. Pick a Relevant Topic that You Know 2. Make Sure You Have a Solid Foundation of Japanese 3. Try to Get a Flow Going 4. Read It Again… And Again… And Again!Japanese Onomatopoeia: Manga Edition 10 Japanese Manga Series to Get Started Reading 1. Yotsuba＆!2. Shirokuma Cafe 3. Dragonball 4. Doraemon 5. Neko Ramen 6. Pokemon 7. Chi’s Sweet Home 8. Sailor Moon 9. Slam Dunk 10. One Piece Where to Buy Manga in Japanese and Read Manga Online Read On!What is Japanese Manga?

This may seem obvious for the otaku (“nerds”) here looking to learn to read manga in Japanese. But for those of you who are looking for an easy way to start reading Japanese, you may need an explainer.

What is Japanese manga? Well, manga is the Japanese term for “comics.” They’re the Japanese version of Marvel, DC, and other comic books we have in English.

And if you think comics are for kids – think again. Manga has some of the greatest storytelling and art around. Just like in English, there are comics aimed at kids and adults in all sorts of genres.

What is Japanese manga called? In Japanese, it’s written as 漫画 (manga) in kanji. Nowadays, manga and anime, which are Japanese terms, are used internationally to talk about comics and cartoons from Japan. Much like ramen or karaoke have been adapted into English as well.

Is Japanese manga in English? Yes – there are tons of Japanese manga in English and many other languages. Most of them you’ll find listed below also have English translations. So if you want to use both to learn, or you’re only interested in reading manga in English, you’ll still have that option.

Reading manga is a possibility sooner than you might expect, and a much better place to start than… say… the Harry Potter novels in Japanese. (As so many language learners use those books for their first novel in a new language!)

So if you’re a relative beginner to Japanese, and looking for an easy introduction to reading in the language, this will be perfect for you.

Why Read Manga in Japanese? – With Manga, You Will Like Learning Japanese

You may hear people discourage others from learning Japanese with manga and anime. Why?

Because its exaggerated and slangy language isn’t thought to be ideal for students learning to speak realistic Japanese. And because reading in Japanese is automatically labeled as hard.

While that’s true, if you love manga and anime, then it’s a great tool to use.

See, we’re more likely to put in hard work and consistent effort to learning something when we like it. Studying a textbook is a necessary evil sometimes, but if that’s all we do, we never apply the language to the things we love.

If we aren’t using Japanese for the reasons we’re learning the language, then why bother learning it at all?

So don’t worry about the naysayers.

The other reason to read manga is because… it actually has tools to make it easier!

Most manga include what’s called furigana next to the kanji. Furigana are small kana characters written alongside the kanji to let you know how to read it.

So as long as you know how to read hiragana and katakana, the two writing systems that make up kana, then you can read manga.

The second benefit is that manga is essentially like reading a picture book. The visual cues and shorter, easier dialogue make it ideal for beginners learning to read in Japanese.

How to Learn Japanese to Read Manga

So let’s talk about strategies for how to read Japanese manga.

Reading manga in Japanese can be a challenge at first, but stick with it! The payoff is worth it.

1. Pick a Relevant Topic that You Know

You can plug away slow and steady at a manga above your level, sure. But that can be tedious, boring, frustrating, and demotivating.

When reading is too slow, it makes it hard to get into the story and enjoy the process. So while it’s tempting to jump into your all-time favorite series right off the bat, take it easy at first.

Pick a Japanese manga series that has a simple narrative on a topic you already kind of know something about. Some good categories to start with might be:

Slice of lifeSportsSchool lifeRomance and dramaFood

Often, the first vocab and grammar we learn in Japanese are centered around everyday life routines like these. So picking a manga in line with that will help.

2. Make Sure You Have a Solid Foundation of Japanese

While manga is a great tool for learning Japanese, it’d be hard to learn from just that.

So it’s a good idea to maximize your study time outside of reading manga to get the most out of it when you do.

I recommend starting with the 101 core Japanese words that, besides particles, make up about 50% of all spoken language. From there, you can work up to the most common 1,000 or so – that will help you understand roughly 70% of spoken speech.

So in a Slice of Life manga, you’d understand quite a bit. Less so if you choose something like Full Metal Alchemist or CardCaptor Sakura, which include a lot of alchemy and magical words not typically used in daily life.

That said – if that’s what you love, go for it!

It’s also a good idea to have a basic grasp of Japanese grammar. At least, I recommend knowing:

Formal and informal verb conjugation in positive present and past tenseFormal and informal verb conjugation in negative present and past tenseて-form, the -ing verb form in Japanese

This is enough to get started and learn more as you go. But if you’re interested, I’d check out JTest4U which has nice summaries of grammar patterns by Japanese Language Proficiency Test level.

Another great option is Tae Kim’s Japanese Grammar Guide.

JLPT N5 and N4 are easiest, and mastering those grammar patterns will go a LONG way toward reading comprehension. Once you’ve got that down, working on slang and colloquial grammar would be the next best steps for reading manga.

Other good options:

Genki I and Genki II for traditional textbook study for N5 and N4 grammar and vocabJapanese Uncovered by Olly Richards, a beginner’s Japanese story that’s guided with study materials. This puts emphasis on learning through reading and is a great option if reading manga is your end goal.Japanese The Manga Way, a textbook which uses actual manga to help you learn grammar and structure3. Try to Get a Flow Going

Rather than reading a little, stopping to look up a word, and reading some more, try to read all the way through. Or at least a few pages at a time.

You don’t have to understand every little thing to make progress. Understand what you can on the first pass. Focus on just reading as smoothly as you can.

When you’re done, think about what you read. Did you get the main idea of what was going on? How much did you understand?

If you understood more than 90%, this may be a bit too easy for you. If you understand 60%-80%, this is probably the sweet spot. Less than 60%, you may feel frustrated reading this novel, but if you’re enjoying it, keep going!

Now, go back and highlight the words you didn’t know. You can use sticky notes to annotate and add your new words, grammar, or notes. Or use a journal.

Look up the words and grammar, add them to your flashcard deck, and then reread the passage.

I recommend only adding a few words to your deck at a time (10 or so), that way you can review them without getting overwhelmed, and you’re focused on small, steady progress.

4. Read It Again… And Again… And Again!

That’s right – read it until it becomes easy and those new words are now ingrained in your head.

Once you can read it smoothly and understand the majority of the content with ease, move on to your next section or book in the series.

The more you read, the easier it’ll get, so you’ll have to do less note-taking and re-reading over time. But stick with it!

Japanese Onomatopoeia: Manga Edition

I wrote a whole guide to Japanese onomatopoeia and what it is because I think onomatopoeia is SO FUN. And Japanese uses it all the time, in everyday life.

But it’s especially common in manga. So here are some common Japanese onomatopoeia to get you started:

イヤアー, iya-: scream of terror or surpriseガシャーン, gashan: crashドキドキ, dokidoki: heart racing, heart beatingキラキラ, kirakira: sparklingコロコロ, korokoro: rollingジーッ, ji-: stareザーザー, za- za-: pouring rainチン, chin: dingニコニコ, nikoniko: smileピピピピ, pipipipi: beep beep beep

You’ll notice that onomatopoeia are often written in katakana. They also often repeat, are drawn out by the ー, and often have a small ッ (tsu) at the end. This ッ isn’t pronounced but is used to either mark the sudden hard ending of a sound, or for emphasis.

10 Japanese Manga Series to Get Started Reading

So you may be wondering… What’s the most popular Japanese manga to read as a beginner?

I would say most people would recommend Yotsuba&! first, as it’s many Japanese learners’ first venture into reading manga.

But if you’re wondering what is the most popular Japanese manga of all time? It’d probably be One Piece. Which also made it onto this list.

While other popular novels, like Gantz (one of the most popular Japanese horror manga), may entice you – they’re probably above your level right now. So read at your own discretion.

Here are my recommendations based on ease, reading level, interest, and popularity:

1. Yotsuba＆!

Yotsuba&! follows a 5-year-old girl who is spunky and full of energy. This may sound too young, but it’s about her family, too, and it’s one of the most popular and easy-to-read Slice of Life manga.

2. Shirokuma Cafe

Also known as “Polar Bear Cafe,” this manga is a Slice of Life story following everyday conversations between a polar bear, a penguin, and a panda. It’s a fun and light read, with some comedy, and highly recommended for beginners.

3. Dragonball

How could I not mention this one? Dragonball will keep you busy for 42 volumes, and it’s considered one of the greatest manga ever. The story follows Goku from his childhood to his adult life as a Super Saiyan. I mean, come on – you know the story of this legend! “It’s over 9000!”

4. Doraemon

Doraemon is as beloved as Pikachu, Mario, or Hello Kitty in Japan. The story follows a young boy, named Nobita, and his robot Doraemon from the future. Doraemon has a magical pocket that he pulls gadgets from to help them get out of (and into) all sorts of hijinks.

5. Neko Ramen

Exactly as it sounds: the story of a cat who makes ramen! It’s a super cute, fun story that’s very easy to read for beginners.

6. Pokemon

I don’t feel like this one needs much of an introduction – but maybe you didn’t know there was a manga version of it! There is, and it’s very accessible for beginners, especially if you already know about Pokemon. Although be warned: many characters names are completely different in Japanese – except Pikachu!

7. Chi’s Sweet Home

Another slice of life manga about a cat, named Chi, and her family. This one is easy to read and follow without getting overwhelmed because the chapters are standalone. It’s also very visual, with simple conversations and lots of onomatopoeia.

8. Sailor Moon

My favorite!! Fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight is none other than our heroine Usagi Tsukino, Sailor Moon. While this one does contain more magical elements and planetary aspects, it’s a pretty easy one to follow along with.

9. Slam Dunk

A sports manga about a high school kid who decides to play basketball. It’s fast paced, but easy to follow, and one of the most recommended sports manga.

10. One Piece

I already told you this was one of the most popular of all time, with endless volumes to keep you occupied. The story follows Luffy and his pirate crew, the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy’s looking for the greatest treasure, “One Piece,” so he can become the King of the Pirates.

Where to Buy Manga in Japanese and Read Manga Online

Okay, but now the tough question: Where to read manga in Japanese?

Well, let’s start with where you can buy Japanese manga. These sites are great options:

Amazon Japan Kinokuniya CDJapan YesAsia

Even regular Amazon carries many of these manga in Japanese, but they can be a bit more expensive than other sites.

But where to read Japanese manga online? ComicWalker is a free site with manga in English and Japanese. You do have to have some knowledge of Japanese to navigate it, though.

This article from Anime Expo lists more options for reading manga online!

Read On!

Which manga will you start with? No matter what you choose, reading is a fantastic way to improve your Japanese and have fun while you’re at it. Give it your best!

When you’re ready, here are some other articles to keep improving your Japanese:

Japanese Uncovered Review: Is the Force Strong with This One?Innovative Language Review – Complete Pod101 Language Course Review (with Screenshots and Video Results)Learn Japanese with Video Games 42 Great Japanese Books to Learn Japanese Faster The Best Apps to Learn Japanese on Your Phone

The post How to Read Japanese Manga [+ 10 Easy Manga Series for Beginners Learning Japanese] appeared first on Fluent in 3 Months.

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Published on June 10, 2022 04:00

June 6, 2022

Teach Me Spanish: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Benny, teach me Spanish!

So you want to learn how to speak Spanish? Good choice!

Spanish is relatively easy to learn, because once you’ve learned how to pronounce the letters, you can sound out any word. There are no complicated pronunciation rules, unlike in English.

On top of that, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.

Spanish also has a special place in my heart, being the first foreign language that I ever became fluent in.

Where should you begin with learning Spanish?

Starting a new language can be daunting, especially if it’s your first time trying it outside of a classroom environment. Where to begin? What’s the most important material to learn right away, and what can wait until later?

Here’s what we’ll talk about:

Table of contentsTeach Me Spanish: Equipment and Time Teach Me Spanish: Your First Hour Teach Me Spanish: Your First Day Teach Me Spanish: Week 1 Teach Me Spanish: Week 2 Teach Me Spanish: Week 3 Teach Me Spanish: Week 4 Teach Me Spanish: Month 2 and Beyond

Let’s take a look at what you should do in the first hour, first day, first week and first month of learning Spanish.

Teach Me Spanish: Equipment and Time

Before we begin, you will need the following:

NotepadPenComputer or tablet with internet connection

Optional extras:

Spanish phrasebook$10 – $20 per week to spend on language teachers

To follow this guide, you’ll need to set aside around four hours each weekend (I recommend scheduling out Saturday mornings), plus around 45 minutes per day on weekdays.

I also suggest you start at the weekend to give yourself a “first day” boost.

Here’s where to start on that first day…

Teach Me Spanish: Your First Hour

Your first step in learning Spanish is to create a personalised Spanish phrasebook.

Why do this? In my approach to learning Spanish, you’ll focus on learning Spanish that’s relevant to you, your life, and your reasons for learning Spanish.

Get a fresh notebook, and a pen, and write “My Spanish Phrasebook” on the cover.

This notebook will contain the Spanish phrases that you need to know, rather than the one-size-fits-all phrases found in most Spanish courses and phrasebooks.

Let’s get that first page filled! Head to thes Spanish phrases section of the Omniglot website, and write down the translations for:

HelloGood MorningGood AfternoonGood EveningGood NightGoodbye

Whatever your reasons for learning Spanish, these are likely to be the words and phrases you’ll use more than any others.

As you write down the translations, click the Spanish word on Omniglot to hear the correct pronunciation. Say the words out loud as you write them down.

Also as you write out the phrases, pick apart what you write. In other words, look inside the phrases and see how the language works. Which part of the phrase means “good”? Which part means “morning”? Figuring this out for yourself is really powerful, because the act of doing so burns the vocabulary into your mind.

If you want more options, you can check out these posts on Spanish greetings and Spanish goodbyes.

Teach Me Spanish: Your First Day

Your first day studying Spanish is a Scavenger Hunt of Spanish words and phrases.

Your aim for this day is to collect essential Spanish phrases that are specific to you and your life.

In other words, you’re preparing to talk about who you are. By the end of the day, you should have gathered phrases that allow you to answer the questions:

What’s your name?Where are you from?What do you do for fun?What’s your job?Where do you work?

As you write down the answers to these questions, don’t get too fancy. Keep the sentences simple for now, so they’ll be easy to remember.

Remember: you’re looking for the words and phrases that enable you to answer these questions. When you’ve discovered a useful phrase, add it to your personalised phrasebook.

Where should you look? The internet is a fantastic resource, particularly if like me you’ve got a job or hobby that’s not in most phrasebooks (I’m a travel writer, author and speaker at conferences). Browsing Fluent in 3 Months’s Spanish posts can get you started.

A phrasebook can also be helpful, as most phrasebooks include a pronunciation guide. Sticking with an old-fashioned paperback phrasebook also means you avoid the potential distraction of Facebook and email.

Finally, if you’ve got any friends that speak Spanish, give them a call and ask for their help.

Also, during your research, don’t worry about collecting every phrase you discover. Ignore irrelevant phrases and pick only the ones that you think you’ll use during your first conversation in Spanish (I’ll get to that part in a minute).

Try to memorise a few phrases as you write them down. That means speaking them out loud to yourself. Go over the phrases one final time once you’ve collected them all.

A word of warning: Don’t stress about grammar. That will come much, much later.

I like to think of learning a language as similar to learning to drive. You could spend weeks studying the inner workings of combustion engines, and reading books about the principles of driving, and still not be able to drive around the block.

You learn a car by driving. The same is true of learning a language. There’s no substitute for just doing it.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 1

On your first day, you started creating your personalised Spanish phrasebook. Now you’re ready to start using it!

You’ll use it in several ways:

First, revisit your phrasebook every day and work through the phrases you’ve noted down. This is the key to fluency: exposing yourself to the language over and over so that thoughts, phrases and responses come to you automatically.

Second, you should add five words to your phrasebook every day. Again, focus on adding words and phrases that are relevant to your life. If you’re not sure what to add, the following are useful for most people:

Numbers Days of the weekMonths of the yearGreetings and pleasantries (such as “How are you?” and “Pleased to meet you”)

Finally, you’ll use your phrasebook for your first Spanish conversation.

Before the end of this week, have your first conversation with a native Spanish speaker. I know it’s a scary prospect, but don’t skip over this part! It’s the only way you’ll actually learn Spanish.

Where do you find native speakers to practise with? I recommend italki, which will hook you up with Spanish speakers with whom you can chat over Skype. It gives you the option of meeting with a Spanish teacher (paid, though not expensive) or a language exchange partner (for free).

Whatever you do, do not skip this step. It’s essential to learning the language, and the earlier you get started, the quicker you’ll progress.

If you’ve got the money (it can be as little as $5) I recommend you do your first Spanish conversation with a teacher rather than a language exchange partner. Teachers are more likely to be patient with your slow speaking speed and your mistakes. They’ll also be experienced in helping you focus your learning efforts.

Language exchanges, on the other hand, are free. However, the downside is that you have to spend half the time helping your exchange partner speak your native language. Plus language exchange partners are likely to be less experienced in teaching a language.

Be sure to arrange with the tutor in advance to keep the lesson entirely in Spanish. This ensures that you’ll have a chance to practice all of the Spanish you’ve learned so far.

Once you practice them with a real person, you’ll never forget them. Trust me.

Need help building your confidence to take this step? Then sign up for my free Speak in a Week course.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 2

This week is all about embedding the vocabulary you’ve already learned, and expanding the tools you use to learn Spanish.

Your personalised phrasebook is brilliant for collecting new words and phrases, but it’s not ideal for helping you memorise vocabulary. There’s where Anki comes in.

Anki is available for iOS and Android, and it allows you to create your own deck of virtual flashcards to help you memorise words and phrases. What makes Anki really powerful is that it uses a Spaced Repetition System to help you memorise vocabulary. That means it prompts you to memorise words and phrases when you’re just on the verge of forgetting them. This is the most effective way of keeping them in your memory.

An added benefit with Anki is that you’ll have a study aid you can use anywhere. You can pull out your phone to review a few flash cards whenever you have a few spare moments, such as in an elevator or in line at the grocery store. By the end of the day, you’ll have memorized quite a few new words and phrases without ever having to set aside any actual study time.

This week, you should start reading in Spanish too. Check out my list of Spanish reading resources for ideas on where to start.

Don’t expect yourself to understand everything – you’re just starting out, so you’ll need help with most words. Keep a virtual Spanish-English dictionary so you can look up new words as you read.

When you read any phrases you’d like to learn, add them to your personalised phrasebook and your Anki flashcard deck.

Finally, keep speaking! Aim for two conversations with native Spanish speakers this week.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 3

By now, you should have a sizable repertoire of you-specific vocabulary. It should be enough for a short, simple conversation in Spanish about one or two topics that interest you.

That is, if you’ve kept up your practice. Have you?

Chances are you’ve had some days when you felt super motivated, and some days when life happened and you didn’t do any language learning.

If you feel like you’ve stalled, this week is the time to put things right.

I’ve done many language missions over the years, and they’ve taught me something important about weekly studying. It’s far more effective to distribute your total weekly study time over every day of the week than to do all of your studying in one or two days. Studying less often means you have to spend more time in each study session reviewing what you learned last time. You also risk falling out of your routine and giving up on your language mission.

So keep up the daily studying! Even if you can only commit to a few minutes each time. That’s where Anki comes in handy.

Your main task this week is to create a study schedule that works for you.

In your study sessions, keep adding to your Anki deck and your personalised phrasebook.

Did you know? On your Anki deck, you can add words or phrases. I’ve found that complete phrases are more helpful on a flash card than an individual word. Phrases give you context for the words along with correct examples of how to use them.

Finally: Don’t let this week go by without at least one conversation with a native speaker. Ideally, aim for three conversations this week. You should schedule as many face-to-face conversations (either in person or on Skype) as you can fit into your schedule. When you look back at the end of your first month and see how far you’ve progressed, you’ll find that conversations with native speakers were the cornerstone of your learning.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 4

This week is all about maintaining the healthy study habits you set up last week. Follow the schedule you set for yourself, and see how it works.

What if you find you’ve been too ambitious? Tweak your schedule so that it works for you. The important thing is that you study every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Set your sights too high, and you’ll overwhelm yourself and end up quitting.

Here’s what to focus on this week:

Keep adding to your personalised Spanish phrasebook and your Anki deckListen to a Spanish podcast or radio show (we’ve collected some of the Internet’s best Spanish listening resources). Don’t stress about understanding what you hear, just treat it as an immersion experience.Find a Spanish song that you enjoy. Write out the lyrics then sing along.

Most important of all: aim for four conversations with native speakers this week.

Speaking should always remain top on your list. After all, your goal is to learn how to speak Spanish.

Teach Me Spanish: Month 2 and Beyond

Follow the schedule above, and you will surprise yourself with your progress. It’s amazing what having real conversations with native speakers does for your confidence.

Keep that confidence and swagger!

Around two thirds of any given conversation, article, song, podcast or article (in everyday use) is made up of just 300 words. Here are 101 Spanish core words to get you started on your vocabulary journey

Fluency could be much closer than you think.

No matter what route you take to learning Spanish, just be sure to do what works for you. That’s the only sure-fire way to learn, and keep learning, your new language.

The post Teach Me Spanish: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners appeared first on Fluent in 3 Months.

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Published on June 06, 2022 04:00

Is French Hard to Learn? 4 Reasons French Is Easier Than You Think

Is French hard to learn? You might have heard it is, or tried it out and got discouraged. But I know by experience it is easier than you might think.

Speaking French can transform your life and open you up to a whole new culture, and many wonderful friendships. So I can completely understand why you’d want to learn how to speak French.

However, I’ve heard from a lot of readers who are struggling with learning French. Shouldn’t they just give up completely or turn their attention to one that seems far easier?

Don’t be silly! Why learn a language that seems more useful, when in a matter of weeks you could be having your first conversation in a language that will open you up to over 75 million speakers in over 50 countries?

French is not hard to learn, especially when compared to English! And especially when you go about it the right way.

function runSplitTest(){var randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1console.log(randomNumber)var copy = "";if (randomNumber == 3){ copy = 'A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away in French for at least 15 minutes with the "Fluent in 3 Months" method. All it takes is 90 days. <a href="https://fluentin3months.com/challenge... this link to find out more.</a>'} else { copy = 'Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online French course, here’s the course I recommend: <a href="https://www.fluentin3months.com/olly-... Uncovered - Learn French Through the Power of Story</a>, a course with a fascinating new method by my friend Olly. You can try it for free for 7 days!'}console.log(copy)var copyToChange = document.querySelector("p.copyText").innerHTML = copy;}runSplitTest();Table of contents1. You Will Understand More Quickly Than You’ve Been Told: You’re Not Learning French From Scratch 2. You Will Speak Earlier Than You Think: French Is Simpler to Pronounce than English You Somehow Already Know What You Will Be Facing 3. You Can Manage the Grammar With a Few Rules: Gendered Words aren’t as Confusing as They Seem Some Rules For Gender Use in French 4. You Will Get Help: French People are Happy to Help You Learn French Go Forth and Conquer – Just Like William Did!

Learning French isn’t going to be as difficult as you think. In fact, it’s a language that is much easier to achieve fluency in than you would have ever expected.

Don’t believe me? Well, at least give me a chance to explain myself! Read on to find out why.

1. You Will Understand More Quickly Than You’ve Been Told: You’re Not Learning French From Scratch

English and French share a common alphabet and a large portion of vocabulary. In fact, English has more in common lexically with French than any other Romance language (which include the likes of Spanish, Portuguese and Italian).

The Romance languages belong to the Indo-European family, as does English. However, we largely have William the Conqueror, the first Norman King of England, to thank for the abundance of French words within the English language.

William led the successful Norman invasion of England in 1066 AD. He spoke no English when he ascended the throne. And although he tried to learn Old English, he failed to master this foreign tongue.

French was instead spoken within England’s courts for centuries after, which completely transformed the language to what we know it as today.

French rapidly became fashionable to learn amongst the social classes. It was spoken in schools and universities and within the court of law. Modern English words in the fields of medicine, economics, law and politics, which have a strong basis in Latin, bear a similarity to French.

English is a Germanic language that had previously had much resemblance to other Nordic languages, German and Dutch. It began to take on words of Anglo-Norman and Anglo-French origin, which influenced the vocabulary permanently.

You would be surprised at some of the words you probably use in everyday language that in fact had French origins, such as pork, blue and administration.

So, if you’re fluent in English, you’ll already have a head start in French vocabulary. You’ll be familiar with the spelling, pronunciation and meanings of words such as café, debut, encore and petite, amongst many others.

This makes French one of the easiest languages for native English speakers to begin speaking from day one.

2. You Will Speak Earlier Than You Think: French Is Simpler to Pronounce than English

Consider this.

If tomb in English is pronounced toom and womb is pronounced woom, then shouldn’t bomb be pronounced boom?

I’ve got another one for you.

Enough, rough, tough and then… slough!

How about those homographs! These are words that are spelt the same but have a different meaning. Examples include:

“I lead the dog to the water bowl that is made out of lead.”

“She wound the bandage around the wound.”

…What?!

English is not consistent when it comes to pronunciation. If you’re like me and you grew up speaking this language, rules like this will come naturally to you. You learnt them over time, through trial and error.

However, this can be extremely confusing for new learners. All languages have many rules. The problem is, English has about as many exceptions as there are rules themselves!

French pronunciation can seem difficult at first. Like English, there are a lot of silent letters. Nouns can be pronounced differently depending on whether they are masculine or feminine.

Similarly, there are several rules for French pronunciation that can drive English speakers mad. Indeed, it may seem that French at first glance, is as tricky, complicated and inconsistent as English.

I do, however, have a point to argue against this case.

You Somehow Already Know What You Will Be Facing

French is a language that English speakers come into contact with on a regular basis. It is deeply ingrained in our culture!

France is hop, skip and a jump away from the United Kingdom and Ireland. A decent chunk of Canada is French speaking. It’s a popular option in Australia, where it’s mandatory to spend one year at school studying a second language.

And I know if you were to ask many Americans what their dream destination was, Paris would be at the top of many people’s lists.

When you start learning French, you’ll already know what you’re going to have difficulties with.

You’ll be aware that you’ll have issues pronouncing that guttural ‘r’ at first. Or that many words end on silent letters, such as in the case of comment ça va? You’ll be mindful of the fact that contractions are mandatory in the French language, such as in the case of “j’adore”.

This is knowledge that you’ll have been subconsciously building upon your entire life, will no doubt come in handy as you begin to wrap your head around the French language.

3. You Can Manage the Grammar With a Few Rules: Gendered Words aren’t as Confusing as They Seem

While gendered nouns are prevalent in many European languages, they can be a source of continual frustration for English native speakers.

English nouns do have gender – but the gender is tied directly to the biological sex of the noun, with inanimate objects remaining neutral.

As a result, gender rules can seem confusing and pointless to English speakers. We are left scratching our heads as to how on earth it was decided that the sun (le Soleil) is masculine while a car (une voiture) is feminine.

However, there is no discounting the fact that the knowledge of genders in French is important. Gender has influence on pronouns, endings of adjectives and verbs and the article placed before the noun. (Le, la, un, une and so on, so forth)

Some Rules For Gender Use in French

Luckily, there are several rules you can follow to determine the gender of an object in French. Here are some to consider:

Certain nouns referring to animals that can only be male of the species will be masculine, such as le taureau (“bull”). This is the same for feminine nouns, such as la jument (“mare / female horse”).There are generic terms, which can refer to either a male or female of a species. Le mouton for example, can be a sheep of either gender.Place names not ending in -e are masculine (Paris). If they do end in -e, they’re feminine (L’Irlande).You can pretty much guess the gender of a word based on the ending. Words ending in –ment, -er, -eau and –ou tend to be masculine. On the flip side, -tion, -sion, -son and -ée are feminine.

Once you’ve learned the rules, you’ll generally be able to predict the gender of a word.

Knowledge of genders is a requisite in learning many languages. Spanish, Italian and Portuguese all use two genders, while German and Russian use three.

If you are already fluent or have some knowledge of any other of the number of languages that use gendered nouns, you’ll find yourself at an advantage in learning to speak French. For example, a Portuguese speaker would have less trouble learning French in this regard, than they would in English.

If your goal is to learn more languages and you’re starting with French as a native English speaker, breathe easy! The more you learn, the more genders will make sense to you and the easier it will be when you move onto your next language.

4. You Will Get Help: French People are Happy to Help You Learn French

I hate stereotypes!

Although I found it extraordinarily difficult to get along with Parisians when I first lived in Paris, during the second time around, I was determined to remain open minded. I managed to leave with a more positive impression of the French overall after only a few hours there.

Here is the thing: I couldn’t just expect things in Paris to be exactly as they were in Ireland, or any other country I had previously lived in. I forced myself to be more understanding and as a consequence, I got what I had always hoped would happen – someone told me I spoke French très bien.

A Parisian said I spoke good French! Dreams do come true!

There are complaints that the French can be incredibly negative. If you can’t speak their language, they judge you. If you are learning their language and make a mistake, they’ll look down their noses at you with an air of disdain.

Either way, you can’t win!

Upon genuinely understanding the culture more, I didn’t find these to be true at all. Most people I’ve met have been happy to help me when I’ve been stuck – you just have to ask for it.

In fact, I’ve found it is English speakers that are more likely to ignore you when you make mistakes, out of fear of hurting anyone’s feelings! We’re a sensitive lot, that’s for sure.

If you’re struggling to understand spoken French, there’s no harm in politely asking whomever you’re talking to if they can slow down. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to oblige.

I find listening to be one of the more challenging aspects of learning a language, but fortunately there are many free resources for French available online.

Go Forth and Conquer – Just Like William Did!

French is not a hard language to learn – indeed there are many aspects of it that make it a much easier – and, I daresay logical– language than English.

So don’t get despondent and don’t give up. You’ll be eating your body weight in croissants in Paris before you know it!

How to Learn a Language in 2022 – Ultimate Guide with 35+ Language Hacks FrenchPod101 Review: 30 Days with FrenchPod101 An In-Depth Review of the Staircase Method — Learn a Language through Story French Learning Hub Benny’s Top Resources for Learning French

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Published on June 06, 2022 04:00

May 30, 2022

Can You Learn German in 3 months? Here’s How I Did It

How long does it take to learn German? Learning German doesn’t have to be hard.

Back in 2010, I went from a beginner level to near mastery in German in just 3 months. But I’m not a language genius, or a natural with languages.

I’ve revealed the techniques I’ve used to learn German in my in-depth guide Why German is Easy.

To create this guide, I took the “hardest” grammar and vocabulary points and presented them in a new way that shows you how you can learn German as quickly as possible.

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s inside.

Table of contentsGerman Is Easy The Easy Way to Pluralise Words in German 9 Simple Shortcuts for German Plurals How to Use These Rules-of-Thumb for Guessing German Plurals Can You Really Learn German in 3 Months?

This blog post is an extract from my language hacking guide Why German is Easy, in which I sum up everything I learned by learning to speak German in 3 months.

German Is Easy

If languages came “naturally” to me, then I would have aced German the first time round.

I didn’t.

I spent five years studying German at high school, and I got a C as my final grade. The worst is that I couldn’t even order a train ticket in German when I visited Munich a few years ago.

After I became fluent in my first four languages, I decided to give German a second attempt. I aimed to be a fluent German speaker in just three months.

After just three months of living in Germany, I passed four out of five sections of Goethe Institut’s Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (German mastery exam).

What changed? I stopped telling myself how hard German was and started focusing on the positive. Creating a positive filter made the language easy for me.

Yes, you read that right. German can be easy.

This isn’t about fooling yourself with empty mantras or willing the universe to make it easy for you. There are very logical and systematic ways of looking at German to make sure that you keep this positive feedback loop up and make swift progress in the language.

The Easy Way to Pluralise Words in German

If you want to learn German fast, here’s a big question you’ll ask yourself:

Why can’t German just add ‘s’ for plurals like in English?

This question comes up a lot, but it ignores the many irregular plurals we have in English, too.

By far the most common plural ending for feminine nouns in German (and occasionally for some masculine or neuter ones) is –n or –en. This sounds familiar when you look at certain English words, like “ox/en” and “child/ren”.

In English, we actually did this quite a lot in the past! The archaic/poetic word brethren, now used in fraternal order, actually used to be the standard plural form of “brother” (initially written brether).

This is even more evident in word root changes. For example, English has “foot”/”feet”, “(wo)man”/”men”, “tooth”/”teeth”, “mouse”/”mice”, “goose”/”geese”. This is actually more complicated than the German equivalent of adding an umlaut and no ending or –e/-er endings in words like Hand/Hände, Wand/Wände, Nacht/Nächte, Apfel/Äpfel, Vater/Väter.

Once again, it’s ordinarily suggested that you simply learn the plural as you learn the word. So theoretically, every time you meet a new word you’d have to learn the gender, the plural, and the word itself, as well as any special case declensions. Phew, sounds exhausting!

This is not a practical solution, especially for beginner to intermediate learners who have many other things to worry about. So once again, I recommend you use some short cuts!

9 Simple Shortcuts for German Plurals

One of the books for German learners that I highly recommend Hammer’s German Grammar and Usage by Martin Durrell, and in the book the author shares some very helpful statistics. I’ll share the most important ones below, but keep in mind that you shouldn’t try to memorise these right now, just use them for reference to help you understand the simple rule of thumb I’ll introduce.

Masculine:

Most masculine nouns have a plural in -e or ¨e. The umlaut goes over about half of the nouns where it would be possible (i.e. not over i or e), g. Arm/Arm(e), Hund/Hund(e), Fuß/Füß(e), Stuhl/Stühl(e).Most masculine nouns ending in -el, -en, or -er form their plural without an ending or umlaut, g. Onkel, Bäcker, Computer (same in singular and plural).A small number of masculine nouns have the plural -en or -n, especially “weak nouns” (see any grammar book explanation for what this means).

Feminine:

Over 90% of all feminine nouns have the plural -en/-n, g. Arbeit(en), Regel(n), Studentin(nen) (the last n gets doubled for -in ending nouns).About a quarter of feminine monosyllables have a plural in ¨e, g. Hand/Händ(e), Nacht/Nächt(e), Stadt/Städt(e), etc.

Neuter:

About three quarters of neuter nouns have the plural -e, e.g. Bein(e), Jahr(e).Slightly less than a quarter of neuter nouns have the plural ¨er/-er. The umlaut is used if possible and the majority are either mon- osyllabic, e.g. Dorf/Dörf(er), Kind/Kind(er), or start with ‘Ge’, e.g. Gesicht(er), Gehalt(er), Geschlecht(er).Neuter nouns ending in -el, -en, -er (note that this is the same as for masculine); diminutives ending in -chen, -lein; and words formed with …e all have the same plural as the singular form, e.g. Mädchen, Gebäude, Messer, Kissen.-s is used with many recent loan-words from English or French: Chef(s), Hotel(s), Restaurant(s), Team(s), Tunnel(s), and for abbreviations like LKW(s) and for most words ending in a vowel other than unstressed -e: Auto(s), Genie(s)

There are other possibilities and very occasional exceptions. However, these rules cover the vast majority of the nouns you will ever come across in German.

Ideally, you would learn the proper plural of nouns as you come across them, but since this may not be practical if your priority is to communicate as much as possible in a short time, you will, once again, be better off guessing.

How to Use These Rules-of-Thumb for Guessing German Plurals

Learning off precise plurals should also be low priority when compared to learning new vocabulary or more important aspects of grammar.

This is another situation where I can confirm from personal experience that Germans will understand you perfectly well if you use the wrong plural. Just like if a beginner English learner said to you that he saw six “mouses”, it would sound a little weird, but you would understand it no problem.

In an academic examination you would lose points for writing down the wrong plural. However, with human beings you will gain points for actually saying something, rather than keeping your mouth shut for fear of saying it wrong.

Based on the statistics above, you have a pretty decent chance at guessing the correct plural! The most common ending is -e, so try this one first. If the singular already ends in -e, it is slightly more likely to be feminine so add an -n.

Use this rule of thumb, then try to learn the above list, and finally get feedback from natives and spend more time reading, and you will quickly see the exceptions.

As always, this is not a perfect solution. But saying a word in what sounds like plural will get you further. The context and use of numbers or die (genderless plural article, even though it’s the same as the feminine article) will make it much clearer that you mean plural.

Can You Really Learn German in 3 Months?

Like I said earlier in the post, this blog post is an extract from my language hacking guide Why German is Easy.

(Psst… Pick up your own copy here!)

I learnt German in 3 months. It is a mission totally possible.

In fact, it’s a mission that many Fluent in 3 Months Challengers have taken up. And they have succeeded! Here’s an example:

The Fi3M Challenge guides beginners in any language to have a 15-minute conversation with a native speaker after only 90 days.

If you want to give it a try, you can check out my list of the best online resources to learn German over here!

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Published on May 30, 2022 04:00

May 27, 2022

How to Learn a Language Fast: 8 Simple Language Hacks

If you’re here, chances are you have a burning question on your tongue: How to learn a language fast?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

Here are eight language hacks to learn a language faster:

Surround yourself with your target language and block other languages out.Include your target language in your rest time.Determine a clear, specific goal before you start.Find out what learning activities work best for you.Accept mistakes and use them to your advantage.Practice using silence and patience to think in your target language.Take advantage of memorisation and memorisation techniquesMake the most of language exchanges.

But I haven’t always known about them. In fact, I’m able to share these hacks with you today because I was, at a time in my Chinese language learning journey, wondering the exact same thing.

In this post, I will tell you about the hacks that helped me break through my Chinese learning block.

Table of contentsHow to Speak a Language Fast: My Experience with Chinese 1. Avoid Focusing on Two Languages at Once 2. Plan Exhaustion Into Your Study Goals Examples to Include Your Target Language in Your Rest Time 3. Before You Take Your First Step, Decide Where You Want to Go Examples of Clear Goals 4. Create Your Own Learning Activities and Enjoy Personalised Learning Examples of Learning Activities 5. Love Mistakes and Laugh at Yourself 6. Love Silence and Learn to Think Better in Your Target Language 7. Don’t Forget Memorisation 8. Master the Art of Language Exchange How to Make the Most Out of a Language Exchange Recap and Next Steps: How to Learn a Language FastHow to Speak a Language Fast: My Experience with Chinese

“How has this gone so badly?” I thought.

I was taking the official listening exam in Chinese proficiency, and I could not understand a single word of the recording.

The test was “elementary” level, and I was there, handing the paper to the teacher at the entrance to the classroom. Confused.

I had studied by myself at home for years, and I had lived for nine months in “full immersion” in my new country. I’d also attended Chinese classes for three hours per week.

How could I perform so badly?

When I received by mail the “Not-Passed Diploma”, my confusion turned into frustration. Who was to be blamed for my failure? I had really spent a lot of time studying seriously, religiously, with friends, books, music, movies, and language exchange. Was it me? Was it the teaching system of the school?

What was wrong?

It was not my first language learning experience. By the time I began learning Chinese, I was fluent in two languages besides my mother tongue and had studied other languages at a basic level.

But this time, I entered into the adventure of an exotic language from a remote place, and I failed.

After some time, things got better. However, it was a long and winding road with many obstacles.

During the following years, I discovered some secrets about language learning. These are not ideas I invented, and most of them have been well-known to many expert learners. But for me they were a discovery.

One way or another, I made a big change in my perspective of my learning process.

Here’s what I learned…

1. Avoid Focusing on Two Languages at Once

A drop of water falling on an uneven surface will follow the direction of the steepest slope. The brain does the same with languages.

In the presence of two messages in two different languages, the brain focuses on the easiest one, often blocking or ignoring the second one.

The brain seems to work at different speeds with different languages. Changing from one language to another implies changing speed, like shifting the gear in a car.

The moment I open a textbook and begin to study, my brain changes gear, which takes a small amount of effort. If for a moment I get distracted by a written text or an audio message in my mother tongue, my brain will shift gear again – no effort needed.

In other words, it is easier to “shift gears” from a more difficult language to an easier one than the opposite.

Here’s the simple lesson I learned: while learning languages, don’t get distracted by anything in a language different to the one you are learning.

This is more difficult at a beginner’s level, because you might need an explanation in a language you can understand, or you might need to check the dictionary. But I always try to create, as much as possible, an environment without distractions in other languages.

Try it for yourself. Which language are you learning? French? Find a free day in your schedule. Try (as much as possible) not to read, listen or even say anything in a language other than French.

From early in the morning (or even from the previous night) listen only to music in French, read the news (even if you understand just a bit) in that tongue, and make the effort to think, with simple phrases, in French.

If you want, you can be more radical with this. Remove all material from your desk that is not in French. Set your computer and your phone to French, so when you sit down to study, you can’t possibly “slide” towards your native tongue.

Try this, even for half a day, and you will notice the difference.

2. Plan Exhaustion Into Your Study Goals

We’ve all had the experience of making a clear and decisive resolution: I will exercise twice a week. I will not lose my temper at the office. I will study Japanese every day.

After a beginning full of energy and determination, our motivation fades out and we find ourselves in the same situation: no exercise, losing our temper, and not studying Japanese.

The problem might be bad planning, unrealistic goals or lack of motivation. But there is another aspect we can take into consideration. Often, we make plans and make decisions for the times in which we will have a lot of energy.

Why not plan instead for those moments in which we will be exhausted?

It is good to ask yourself: How do I rest? Walking in the forest? Reading novels? Listening to music? Watching sports? Doing handicrafts? Painting?

Take your preferred way of relaxing, and add an element of your target language.

Examples to Include Your Target Language in Your Rest Time

Do you like walking in the park? What about listening to a language podcast while you walk?

Enjoy reading novels? Look for a book adapted to your level.

Love listening to music? Have you tried learning a song in your target language?

Is watching sports your thing? Then watch the same sports matches you usually would, but listen to commentary in your target language. If this isn’t possible, then look for sports you can watch with commentary in your target language.

Is your favourite “hobby” spending time with friends? Then make a new friend interested in learning the same language as you. Learn together.

Still stuck for ideas? Then listen to the radio, music or news while doing other things, even if you only understand ten percent of the content.

At the beginning, these new ways of relaxing will feel unfamiliar – perhaps even difficult. You will need time to adapt. But after a while it will be as effortless as the way you used to rest before.

And most importantly, your brain will work by itself without you noticing. It will store information that it will bring up again when needed.

You might ask: isn’t it more effective to study with intensity, order and attention?

This question is a trap. I am not saying that you should only study in ways that allow you to rest, but there are many moments in which this is the only way you can study.

Make the most of your rest time!

3. Before You Take Your First Step, Decide Where You Want to Go

What is my “level” in my mother tongue? Most probably I would say that it’s at least “advanced”, or “native”. But that is hardly a real description.

Am I able to write a contract in precise legal terms? Do I understand the slang of my language from different countries or cities, or even age groups? Am I able to explain the intricacies of grammar to a foreigner?

Each one of these abilities could be a goal to attain in my own language.

When I decide that I will start (or continue) learning a language, I need to find a reason to learn the language… And I need to set clear goals.

Not only dreams, but clear specific goals, including the time and resources I am willing to spend on learning a new language.

For example, it might be that I am learning Russian because I enjoy studying “something”, and it happened that I found a Russian textbook at home. In this case my objective is to enjoy the act of studying.

It is a valid objective and studying Russian is just a means to attain that goal.

Perhaps I sing in a choir that sometimes performs songs with French, Italian and Latin lyrics. I would like to understand a bit of these three languages to make the singing more meaningful. In that case what I need is good pronunciation, together with some basic ideas about grammar and vocabulary.

We can imagine a more demanding situation: I want to apply for a scholarship that requires a certain level in Japanese. Or my boss just told me that in order to get promoted I need to be fluent (whatever that means) in Finnish.

It is then necessary to set clear goals.

Examples of Clear Goals

Here are some examples of goals:

Within one month acquire vocabulary concerning seafood products.By 10th August, be able to read in a loud voice fluently, without stammering, and clearly, even if I don’t understand what I read.At the end of the year understand what the evening news is about in my target language.In three weeks decide what kind of materials I need to begin learning a language.Pass the intermediate level test in Quenya as a Foreign Language in February.Survive my trip to Inner Mongolia.Teach a university course in French next September.

Some people explain goal setting in terms of motivation – to stay motivated, you need a goal. That’s true, but it’s also about putting in place habits that mean you’re likely to achieve your goal.

This could be attending Chinese class on Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. Or it might be reading for five minutes in the morning. Listening to music while jogging on Thursday afternoons. Or watching a video course on Saturdays at 8 a.m.

It’s important to connect your big goals with concrete activities that you can do at very precise moments of your schedule. If you do this, you’ll reach your goals.

4. Create Your Own Learning Activities and Enjoy Personalised Learning

For some strange reason still unknown to me, at the language schools I’ve come across they always want to teach many different things… But very rarely do they want to teach you how to learn.

In a restaurant, this approach would make sense; we go to a restaurant to eat, not to learn to cook.

In language learning, it does not make sense.

From my experience of many failures (which led to later successes), one of the most useful things you can do is develop personal learning activities. This is especially necessary when you get beyond the basic level in a new language.

Creating personal learning activities means you examine yourself and your progress (instead of the school examining you), and find direction in your study that’s relevant to you and your goals.

How can you examine yourself? On a regular basis, ask yourself:

What is my weak point now?Which area do I want to strengthen now?In which field do I need to acquire vocabulary?Where do I commit more mistakes?What am I afraid of?

Then create a simple learning activity to address the issues you discover. Not sure where to start with this? Just create something. Try. Fail. Work. Adjust. Change. Practise. Examine. Fail. Try again.

Examples of Learning Activities

Some of the things I’ve tried (some of which work only in a full immersion situation) include:

Going to a shopping centre and trying to buy 101 different things, even if at the end I didn’t buy anything. (Don’t make the vendors waste much time.)Listening to music while reading the lyrics and singing aloud. Then singing without reading the lyrics.Creating a database of phrases and vocabulary from a novel, and reviewing the list using a free flashcards app.Reading an article every day in my target language, and talking about it at lunch with friends or colleagues. This worked much better when they didn’t know I was doing it as a language learning activity.Keeping a diary in my target language. One or two phrases a day.

I didn’t choose these activities randomly or because they came to my mind. At that moment in time, I needed to improve my vocabulary or listening skills, or reach some other concrete goal. I also chose them because they work for me. They deliver the results I want.

These activities work best when you persist at them. In my experience, they don’t seem very useful to start with. But after a few weeks I really began to notice the effects.

What do I do when I need ideas for creating or improving these personal learning activities? I draw inspiration from other learners, by reading blogs and websites.

5. Love Mistakes and Laugh at Yourself

I was supposed to teach at the university. Naturally, I had to pretend that I was able to teach an entire semester in the language in which I had failed so many times. I knew my pronunciation was just terrible and I had not mastered the vocabulary.

So, I found myself in front of a classroom with almost one hundred students who were surprised to see that their new teacher was a foreigner hiding under a local name. I was so nervous that I had diarrhea that day, but that is another story.

Nevertheless, I tried to calm myself and began to speak. I greeted the students and thanked them for joining my class, but after some seconds a question came to my mind:

“What are you doing here? This is ridiculous.”

Suddenly I got nervous again, blushed and started to sweat profusely.

I survived the semester without using a single word in English (or any other language besides Chinese). Every week I had to give birth to a new lecture. It was both a very tiring and enriching experience.

Did I perform well? Of course not.

One year, after the end of the semester, I had dinner with one of the students, who is now a very good friend. He told me, laughing, that he didn’t understand much of what I had said during class the year before. I loved that! It was another fantastic failure diploma, and coming from a friend it was a real treasure.

I enjoy my classes. I don’t know if the students always do, but I do. One of the things I like is that we laugh at my mistakes.

Often I mispronounce words, I forget terms, or forget the right stroke of a Chinese character. Sometimes my students cannot understand my questions, or I cannot understand their answers to my questions. Often they just smile, sometimes they laugh, they imitate my tones, they try to correct me on the spot.

There is only one way to survive, and that is to learn how to enjoy failure.

This has many advantages. First, we laugh, and it is good to laugh. Second, because I visibly enjoy failure, my students are not ashamed to correct me. Third, I no longer feel afraid of making mistakes.

There is a moment in which it’s particularly useful to laugh at yourself: on really bad days. We are not machines, we are not computers. In theory, once an app is installed on a phone it will work in spite of the weather and the day of the week.

Human beings are not like that. It might happen that, for unknown reasons, your Spanish is less fluent on Mondays.

Don’t get frustrated. Smile!

Even if you make hundreds of embarrassing mistakes in one day, your friends are still your friends.

6. Love Silence and Learn to Think Better in Your Target Language

If you want to learn a language fast, love silence, speak less.

I know this sounds like poor advice. And I profoundly believe in the standard methods of language learning: listen more, speak more, read more, write more. Yes, and at the same time: love silence, and speak less.

Love silence. After each failure (grammatical mistake, wrong pronunciation), big or small, don’t ignore it so as not to lose motivation. Instead, stop, in silence, and ask yourself: what went wrong? What can I learn from this?

Even better, write down your mistakes. Which important word were you not able to say?

Loving silence, interior silence, enables you to be a better listener. I have seen trillions of learners who attain an intermediate level but don’t progress any further. Even if they are often corrected by others, they don’t notice it because they are too busy listening to themselves.

Loving silence also enables you to think a microsecond before speaking. For some language learners who love talking, it is difficult to turn long, rich, complex phrases in their mother tongue as they appear in their brains, into the simple, poor, ugly phrases in the language they are learning. But it is necessary to pass through that step.

I might want to say “Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them.” But if I want to translate that into the language I am just learning, I will fail.

I need to learn to stop a bit, and turn that into something much simpler, like this: “I am tired. Should I sleep or work?”

7. Don’t Forget Memorisation

Memorisation has bad press. We have heard many times that good education, including language learning, is about understanding, creativity, practising, or many other things… It’s certainly not about memorisation, as it was in the past, in the dark, oppressive, terrible past.

Memorisation is the ugly duckling of learning. It’s boring, takes so much time, and so often is useless. These characterizations are partly true, but I would still say “train your memory”. Then you might discover that memory is a fantastic realm to be explored.

One of the best ways to train your memory is through image association. This technique has been used for millennia and is about far more than simply improving your memory. I would go as far as to say that it’s a way of living, of seeing reality, of “reading” the world around us.

Image association not only helps you memorise and recall isolated facts. It helps you develop various habits of the senses and the imagination that reshape your brain.

After you’ve entered into this realm of memory training, you’ll find that the way you learn is completely different and far more effective. You’ll also have little patience for phrases such as “I have bad memory”.

Because these techniques are about a new way of seeing the world, they take time to learn, and cannot be applied immediately. The time you invest will be repaid with a high interest rate.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymiqq7o8Wgw

8. Master the Art of Language Exchange

“We are here in front of a cup of coffee for the first time, ready to help each other to learn a language. Now what?” This is a common scenario in the first session of a language exchange.

How do you get past this awkward stage?

After finding a language exchange partner, one of the first things I do is to establish a common goal. If we don’t have a common vision, the language exchange will hardly work.

In my case, language exchange partners come from two sources: friends-of-friends and websites.

When you find people on websites, check out their profile to see why they want to learn a language. A person might write that he or she is interested in meeting new people, romance, or cultural experience. I avoid people who want these things. Instead, I search for people who want to learn a language, because that’s my focus.

Also, I never contact anyone who wants to learn ten languages. Most probably, they lack real motivation, and might not persevere.

For reasons unknown to me, for the first session of face-to-face language exchanges, almost all my exchange partners choose a place more expensive than what their budget would allow for a habitual meeting.

I almost always begin with: “let’s go to a cheaper place.”

After we order a cup of coffee or dinner, I introduce myself and explicitly say that my focus is to learn a language. I let my exchange partner know that I have strong motivation, and that I have some experience teaching and learning.

I also explain what I expect from them (“Don’t worry if you don’t have experience”, “It’s ok if you aren’t a grammar superhero”, “If after some weeks you don’t want to continue, just say it”, etc.).

Finally, I outline the rules of the game (one hour for your language, one hour for my language, frequency and time, etc.).

I have been doing language exchanges for years. Other people might have different experiences, but in my case they evolve in one of two directions:

After a few meetings we both realise that we are not going anywhere and the exchange naturally dies.We meet for a long time, end up being friends, and after a while we don’t care much about language.How to Make the Most Out of a Language Exchange

In almost all cases, I need the exchange more than my partner does, so it is up to me to arrange the meetings and to prepare the material for both languages. Often I go to their place, spending more time travelling. If we’re short of time, I sacrifice my learning time. And all that is fine.

It is normal that I, being the one who needs it more, should add fuel to the engine to keep it working. I should not expect my learning partner to have the same amount of interest and make the same effort; it’s part of the game.

In almost all cases, sooner or later my learning partner gets influenced by my enthusiasm and becomes more active, making the entire experience rich and pleasant (In my current exchange it is the opposite, he is more hardworking and says that I always arrive late).

I’d also say that an effective language exchange session requires a clear direction.

The direction might be given by a textbook or a selection of topics, or a clear goal, such as preparing for a test. I try never to arrive at a session without knowing what we will do that day.

With a private teacher, it is not so different. Unless I’m still at a basic level, I don’t allow a private teacher to take the reins of the class. I always let my teacher know what I want, and what I need.

Learning is my objective and I need the help of others. I can use many means to learn such as books, recordings, and language apps. But I don’t use people.

Even if it might mean going slower or losing some good opportunities, I try to create situations in which both my exchange partner and I receive something. At the same time, sometimes I allow myself to be used. I have my goals, others have theirs.

Language exchange is something very personal and what works for some might not work for all, but one of the key components of a fruitful exchange is laughing lots and having fun. Show gratitude when you receive help from others.

Recap and Next Steps: How to Learn a Language Fast

So these are my tips to learn a language faster. If you want to keep the list for easy access, here is a useful infographic:

If you’re learning Chinese, like I did, don’t worry. With the right resources and the right mindset and strategy (that you can get from the tips above), you’ll do great.

For those of you looking for more language learning content, here are great articles that will help you find exercises and techniques to use for your strategy:

How to Improve Your Listening Skills as a Language Learner – an In-Depth Guide 8+ Fun Grammar Games to Help You Learn a Language Spaced Repetition System: Learn Vocabulary and Never Forget It!

Original article by Mario Corti, updated by the Fluent in 3 Months team.

The post How to Learn a Language Fast: 8 Simple Language Hacks appeared first on Fluent in 3 Months.

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Published on May 27, 2022 04:00

May 23, 2022

Hello in Swahili – “Habari?” and 14 More Swahili Greetings (and Their Response!)

What if I told you there is no exact translation for “hello” in Swahili, and yet there are dozens of ways to greet people?

When you’re learning a new language, one of the first things you’ll want to know is how to say “hello.” Salutations are an essential part of the Swahili language and culture, and Swahili is so rich in different types of hellos that conversations of greetings can continue for minutes.

Whether you are planning a trip to Tanzania or Kenya or just want to impress a friend, here are some of the most common “hello” phrases to help you sound like a native Swahili speaker!

Table of contentsSay “Hello” in Swahili to Your Friends: Colloquial Swahili Greetings 1. Habari?2. Mambo?3. Vipi?4. Upo?5. Niambie 6. Inakuwaje?7. Unaendeleaje?8. Umeamkaje?9.Umeshindaje?Beyond the Standard Responses Polite Greetings 10. Hujambo?11. Shikamoo 12. Salaam Alaikum Other Greetings 13. Hodi 14. Habari za Siku Nyingi?15. Pole na Kazi Sample Conversation Example Dialogue 1: Between Friends Example Dialogue 2: Between a Younger and Older Neighbor “Hello” in SwahiliSay “Hello” in Swahili to Your Friends: Colloquial Swahili Greetings

Swahili values friendliness. It’s important to learn the most common colloquial phrases to avoid sounding stiff.

Nearly all of the colloquial greetings are actually questions that require a certain response from the listener.

I will give you the most standard response for each set of questions, but also provide a section on words that can be flexibly applied as responses to any of the questions.

1. Habari?

Habari literally means “news”.

Habari can be used in many different sentences, such as Habari za asubuhi/mchana/jioni? (literally “[What is] the news of the morning/afternoon/evening?”). This expresses how English speakers would say “good morning/afternoon/evening.”

You can add virtually any noun after za, such as kazi (“work”) to ask “How’s work?” or familia (“family”) or kwako (“your place”) to ask “How’s your family?”

You will also hear ya instead of za (ex. Habari ya asubuhi?) with no change in meaning. Similarly Habari yako/zako? (“[What is] your news?”) as well. If you are asking two or more people, you would say Habari yenu/zenu? instead.

Habari will sometimes be used alone (as just Habari?) or may be removed when a phrase trails after it, creating questions like Za kwako? and Za jioni?

Standard response: Nzuri

2. Mambo?

Literally meaning “things” or “affairs,” mambo is the plural form of jambo. It’s one of the most commonly used greetings in casual Swahili speech.

A quick note: many foreigners will be told to greet people with jambo, which was popularized by the hit song “Jambo Bwana.” However, you will almost never hear a native Swahili-speaking adult greeting other native speakers with jambo. It’s mostly used just for tourists!

To sound like a local, use mambo instead.

Standard response: Mazuri or poa (“cool”)

3. Vipi?

Vipi literally means “how?” and can be used alone or in combination with another word or phrase. For example, you can pair it with mambo to become Mambo vipi? It’s as casual as “How’s it going?”

There is no particular standard reply, so you can respond with whatever you like from the section “Beyond the Standard Responses” below.

4. Upo?

“You are [here]?” This is a contextual phrase that’s hard to translate literally and threw me off the first time I came across it. “Of course I’m here. You see me right here,” I thought.

However, I quickly realized this is another common greeting to ask how you are. It’s now one of my favorites for its simplicity and shortness!

It may also be used if the speaker hasn’t seen the listener for a bit.

If you are greeting two or more people, you will say Mpo? instead. You may also hear -ko replacing -po (resulting in Uko?, etc.), although this is less common.

Standard response: Nipo (“I am” – for one person) or tupo (“we are” – for two or more people)

5. Niambie

Niambie! (“Tell me!”) This enthusiastic greeting is usually short for sentences like niambie habari yako (“tell me your news”). It’s not a question, but it’s still inquiring about how you are, usually between people who are already on friendly terms with each other.

You may also hear sema (“say”) used in the same way as niambie in this case.

There is no exact standard response, so you can say whatever you feel, such as mzuri (“good”), niko poa (“I’m cool”), or sina jipya (“I don’t have anything new”).

6. Inakuwaje?

“How is it?” This is just about the same phrase as used in certain dialects of English.

Standard response: Nzuri

7. Unaendeleaje?

Unaendeleaje? translates to “How have you been progressing?” It’s similar to the English “How have things been going?”

Although it is still fairly casual, it shows that you’re interested in the listener and their affairs on a deeper level than the greetings above. For this reason, you shouldn’t throw this phrase around quite as lightly to people you don’t know or are meeting for the first time.

You may also hear this as Unaendelea vipi? with vipi replacing the je. This can also be applied to all of the phrases below ending in je with no change in meaning. If you are speaking to multiple people, say Mnaendeleaje?

Standard response: Ninaendelea vizuri or simply vizuri

8. Umeamkaje?

This is a common way to greet someone you care about in the morning. Whereas English speakers ask, “How did you sleep?” Swahili speakers most commonly ask the question Umeamkaje? (“How did you wake up?”)

However, it is also possible to ask Umelalaje (“How did you sleep?”), although it is not used as frequently.

When greeting two or more people, use Mmeamkaje? instead.

Standard response: Nimeamka vizuri, vizuri, or salama (“peaceful”)

9.Umeshindaje?

This phrase is pretty cool: “How have you won?” It’s similar to asking, “How was your day?”

Like the other phrases above, it is used to dig a little deeper. It is often used between friends, family, and community members. When asking this to multiple people, say Mmeshindaje?

Standard response: Nimeshinda vizuri or simply vizuri

Beyond the Standard Responses

You may have noticed that there is a vast array of different standard responses.

Swahili has over a dozen different noun classes (somewhat comparable to genders in many European languages), and most nouns, verbs, and adjectives must match according to their class.

This is often thought to be the most difficult aspect of Swahili to get the hang of. This may seem daunting, but don’t worry: Here is a shortcut to have you mastering greetings in no time. There are a handful of responses that can be used for all of these greetings above that can be used regardless of noun class. They include (in descending order of slanginess):

Salama (“peaceful”)Safi (“clean”)Poa (“cool”)Freshi (“fresh”)Shwari (“calm”)

Therefore, when someone asks you, Habari za asubuhi? you can respond, poa. When someone asks you, Mambo? you can respond, poa. When someone asks you, Upo? you can respond, nipo poa. And so on and so forth, with your choice of word from the list above, depending on how hip you want to seem.

The best part? Let me tell you.

Perhaps due to their near universal applicability, these are some of the most common responses you’ll hear in colloquial Swahili. They’re even more common than some of the standard responses.

Note that the older the other person is, the more likely they will stick to a phrase toward the top of the list, such as salama or the standard response.

Also, this list is not exhaustive. The responses include a vast array of street slang that is ever evolving. While I was living in Tanzania, it seemed every month I learned a new slang response, like mzuka or bie.These vary depending on what part of the Swahili-speaking world you are in or where the person you are talking to is from.

You can also strengthen any of the responses with sana (“very”), kabisa (“totally”), or tu (“just”). You can respond to greetings with phrases such as nzuri sana, nipo kabisa, or salama tu.

Keep in mind that even if you’re not doing well or feeling fine, you should generally still respond in a positive manner to Swahili greetings. Usually, people don’t say, “Bad” when asked, “How are you?”

If you are close with the other person and prefer to be honest on a rough day, you can express this with siyo poa sana (“I’m not very good”) or hivyo hivyo tu (“Just okay”).

Polite Greetings

Learning polite and formal Swahili is equally important as learning the colloquialisms.

Why?

There will be times when you want to be perceived as proper and showing respect, and here are the best ways to do so. Luckily in these cases, the standard responses are the only responses possible.

10. Hujambo?

This greeting has roots in the word jambo introduced above and is a mildly formal way to greet someone. It’s more similar to “hello” than the colloquial “hi” in English.

The equivalent when speaking to multiple people is Hamjambo? This is often used when talking to strangers you don’t want to sound too casual with, when giving a speech, or when an older person greets a younger person.

Standard response: Sijambo (for one person) or hatujambo (for two or more people)

11. Shikamoo

Swahili culture holds age and status in high regard. When you greet someone significantly older or with more authority than you, you are expected to show respect by using shikamoo.

A child may use this toward an adult, a student toward a teacher, a young adult to an elderly neighbor, a citizen to an elected official, an employee to a boss, etc.

If you are greeting a group of people you want to show respect to, you can make this word plural by saying shikamooni.

Standard response: Marahaba

12. Salaam Alaikum

The Swahili-speaking world is religiously diverse, and especially if you are in a predominantly Muslim area such as Zanzibar you will not want to miss using Salaam Alaikum.

Literally meaning “Peace be upon you,” this is a common greeting across the Islamic world, and you may find it spelled a few different ways in Swahili (such as salam aleikum or a-salamu alaykum).

Even if you are in a predominantly Christian area, if you know the listener is Muslim, feel free to use this phrase.

Standard response: Walaikum assalam

Other Greetings

We’ve covered the most universally applicable phrases, but there are still a handful of greetings for specific situations we haven’t gotten to yet.

Check them out below!

13. Hodi

Use hodi when you are entering someone’s home or room. It’s the English equivalent of saying, “knock knock,” or “Hello, anyone home?” You can also repeat the word twice with no change in meaning, so you can also say hodi hodi.

If you are the listener, respond with “welcome”: karibu (to one person) or karibuni (to two or more people).

14. Habari za Siku Nyingi?

Habari za Siku Nyingi? is a Swahili version of “long time, no see,” and literally means, “What’s the news of many days?” The response would be the same as the other habari expressions in the first part of this article.

You may also be greeted with siku nyingi sijakuona, (“Many days I have not seen you.”). If you’re very close with the other person, you can almost jokingly accuse them with Mbona huonekani? (“Why don’t you appear?”).

There’s no standard response, and you can just greet the person back however you like.

15. Pole na Kazi

Pole is a quintessential Swahili word. It can mean anything from “sorry” to “slow,” and as we saw above, kazi means “work.”

This expression can be used when greeting someone who has been exerting effort at work or who has returned from their workplace, for example. It shows you appreciate that someone has worked hard–almost identical to otsukaresama in Japanese.

If you want to show your appreciation to the listener that they have also been working hard, you can respond with pole na wewe (“You too”) or otherwise simply asante (“Thank you”).

Sample Conversation

As I mentioned at the beginning, greetings in Swahili are so important that they can go on for several lines of dialogue. It’s actually quite rude to jump straight to the point without asking someone how they (and possibly their entire family) are doing first!

Here are two examples of dialogues showing how people may actually greet each other in Swahili (and in fact, may go on for much longer!)

Note that the second person uses a different greeting from the first.

Example Dialogue 1: Between Friends

A: Upo?
B: Nipo. Mambo poa?
A: Mambo poa kabisa. Habari za familia?
B: Nzuri sana. Za kwako?
A: Salama tu.

Example Dialogue 2: Between a Younger and Older Neighbor

A: Shikamoo.
B: Marahaba. Hujambo?
A: Sijambo, asante. Habari za mchana?
B: Safi sana. Habari za kazi?
A: Habari za kazi nzuri.

“Hello” in Swahili

There you have it! 15 greetings to use in Swahili.

Don’t worry if you can’t remember all of these phrases right now. If you are just starting out on your Swahili language journey, I recommend you choose just a couple of phrases. Use them until you get the hang of them.

If you are more experienced, try testing out a new greeting every now and then.

Tanzanians, Kenyans, and others from the Swahili-speaking world are incredibly welcoming people and will happily greet you in their language, so you’ll become a greeting master in no time!

The post Hello in Swahili – “Habari?” and 14 More Swahili Greetings (and Their Response!) appeared first on Fluent in 3 Months.

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Published on May 23, 2022 04:00

May 20, 2022

Dead Languages: How (and Why) to Learn a Dead Language

Why learn a dead language? This is the question I’ll answer in today’s post.

What is your “why” for learning a new language? Maybe it’s because you want to feel a greater connection with people around the world. To have improved travel experiences or immerse yourself in a different culture different from your own.

But what if you find yourself looking for a greater connection to history? To a religion or your heritage? Or even a desire to better understand the languages that you currently speak? You’re looking for the type of connection that you just can’t get with a modern language.

Latin, Ancient Greek, Old Viking runes and Egyptian hieroglyphs call to you and you feel it’s time to answer.

These are dead languages – those that no longer have a native speaking community. How do you learn a language without native speakers?

Table of contentsWhat is a Dead Language?How Many Dead Languages Are There?What Are Some Dead Languages?1. Latin 2. Coptic 3. Mandan 4. Sanskrit 5. Gothic 6. Old Norse 7. Ancient Greek Why You Should Learn a Dead Language How to Learn a Dead Language Dead Languages: Conclusion

Before we get into how to learn a dead language, or even an extinct language, let’s take a step back and talk about what they are.

What is a Dead Language?

Many often confuse dead languages with extinct languages, so I think it’s worth spending a moment to differentiate the two.

A dead language is a language that is no longer the native language of a community, even if it is still used in other contexts. Its uses tend to only exist in specific situations – perhaps academia or amongst individuals or in special circumstances – such as the use of Latin in the Vatican City.

In contrast, extinct languages are those that are no longer in current use and that do not have any speakers.

While scholars have tried to draw a clear line between the two, the division is still a little fuzzy.

Why?

Because both languages underwent the same process and no longer have any native speakers. The difference is that dead languages may still have communities that speak the language.

How Many Dead Languages Are There?

According to various sources, there are thousands of dead languages. Maybe as many as hundreds of thousands. There’s a lot of history on that list.

What caused so many of the languages once spoken around the world to die? Turns out, there are a lot of factors that can lead to the end of a language.

Language death happens either when a language absorbs another language – usually a major language absorbing a minor – or the language loses its last native speaker.

This typically happens over a long period of time, but there are exceptions. Sometimes there are radical language deaths where the native speakers stop speaking the language, whether by force or choice.

What Are Some Dead Languages?

As I mentioned before, there are thousands of dead or extinct languages that I could feature on this list. Here are seven:

1. Latin

As far as dead languages go, Latin is the most studied. It’s also one of the most famous dead languages.This is because it was (and is) taught in schools, because of its importance in the Christian church, and because of its use in legal or political situations.

Latin’s death happened through the natural process of language change, meaning it was gradual. Latin became Vulgar Latin which then led to the splitting up of the language into the various Romance languages. The result? Latin fell out of use.

If you’re interested in learning any of the Latin languages, like Portuguese, French, Spanish, or Romanian, it would be a great asset to you as a learner.

Some of the famous writers in the language include Ovid, Julius Caesar, and Cicero. More modern material is now available in the language, so fans of The Hobbit, Harry Potter, Winnie the Pooh, The Adventures of Tintin, Le Petit Prince or even The Cat in the Hat have learning materials to enjoy.

Recommended Latin Resources

Getting Started with Latin by William E. LinneyWheelock’s Latin2. Coptic

Ancient Egyptian is one of the earliest known written languages, and it was spoken until the late 17th century in the form of Coptic.

If you’re into hieroglyphics or different writing systems, Ancient Egyptian would be a fun language to learn.

Like Latin, Coptic is still a language of religion (in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria) and today, there are several hundred fluent speakers. Many learners use hymns to study the language, but there are a few additional resources available for those interested in learning the language.

Recommended Coptic Resources

Memrise Introduction to Sahidic Coptic3. Mandan

Mandan is a Siouan language from the North Dakota area. It was one of about three languages to die in 2016 with the passing of Dr. Edwin Benson.

The language is currently taught in schools, and there are extensive materials available for the language at the North Dakota Heritage Center. There are two main dialects: Nuptare and Nuetare. The latter fell out of use, and only Nuptare survived into the 20th century.

The Mandan language has some similarities to the Welsh language and at one point, scholars even believed the language to be displaced Welsh. In the 1830s, Prince Maximilian of Wied created a comparison list of Mandan and Welsh words, but there is a debate about the validity of these origins.

Recommended Mandan Resources

MHA Language Project4. Sanskrit

Sanskrit is an ancient Indian language and the liturgical language of Hinduism. It was the lingua franca of much of the east for more than three thousand years.

If languages like Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, or Bengali, among others, catch your attention, Sanskrit could help you learn them. It’s essentially the Eastern equivalent of Latin in the West and many languages in the modern world have Sanskrit roots.

Recommended Sanskrit Resources

LearnSanskrit.org Complete Sanskrit from Teach Yourself5. Gothic

The Gothic language is an extinct language that is from the Germanic language family. The Codex Argenteus, a translation of the Bible produced in the 6th century (but copied from a 4th century version), is the most well-known source for Gothic, but the language has a significant body of texts in comparison with other Eastern Germanic languages.

The language began to decline for a variety of reasons during the 6th century including geographic isolation and a defeat by the Franks. By the 9th century, it fell out of use. There may be evidence, however, that it was in use until the 18th century.

However, the versions of the language that survived past the 9th century are significantly different. Many argue that they may, in fact, be different languages.

Recommended Gothic Resources

An Introduction to the Gothic Language by William H. BennettGrammar of the Gothic Language by Joseph Wright6. Old Norse

Scandinavians spoke the North Germanic language, Old Norse, between the 9th and 13th centuries. During the 10th century, Old Norse was the most widely spoken European language. It reached from settlements in North America (Vinland) all the way to Volga, in present-day Russia.

Modern descendants of the language include Icelandic and Norwegian, so learning Old Norse would give you a leg up if either interests you. It would help with Faroese, Danish and Swedish as well.

Recommended Old Norse Resources

A New Introduction to Old Norse: Grammar A New Introduction to Old Norse: Reader7. Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek, the language of Homer, Aristotle, and Socrates, is a language of intellect (it has been the subject of scholarly studies since the Renaissance). It dominated parts of Europe from the 9th century BCE to 6th century CE.

Many of the words used in scientific fields come from Ancient Greek, and tech industries are following suit. If you work in these industries, studying the language would be an interesting way to further explore your field and understand the origins of the terms you use each day.

Learning Ancient Greek would also help you with modern languages such as modern Greek or Crimean. As with Latin, texts such as Harry Potter and Asterix are translated into the language.

Recommended Ancient Greek Resources:

Greek: An Intensive Course Le Petit Prince Harry PotterWhy You Should Learn a Dead Language

Why should you learn a dead language, or even an extinct language? If you can’t use the language to communicate with other people, is there any point?

Yes, and here are just a few reasons you might benefit from learning a dead language:

Like Esperanto, learning a dead language like Latin or Ancient Greek could help you learn other languages more easilyLearning a dead language gives you a window into history that you just don’t get from modern languagesYou still get all of the cognitive benefits you would get from learning any language – modern or notAcademic or professional benefits, meaning you can advance your careerYou can read ancient texts the way they were intended to be read – in their original languageNot a lot of people are doing it, so it sets you apartYou gain a greater connection to history and different culturesHow to Learn a Dead Language

Ideally, to learn a language, you’d want a course book to explain the grammar, a dictionary for vocabulary, audio to work with, literature, and speakers to practice with.

Unfortunately, in the cases of most dead languages, these are all things you’d be counted lucky to have. So what happens when resources like this don’t exist for the language? How can anyone learn the language?

Linguists often work to reconstruct languages based on fragments of writing – letters, documents, or records – they come across. They patch these together to estimate what the language sounds like and what the missing pieces might be.

You can see an excellent example of how this is done in Tim Doner’s talk at the 2014 Polyglot Conference.

Thankfully, as a learner, you don’t necessarily need to do this.

Today, many of the dead languages that learners are most interested in have grammar or course books readily available. They’re often the result of the work done by those who reconstructed the languages, or by those who got their hands on those reconstructions and primary sources.

When this isn’t the case, there are often archives that include texts originally written in the language. Learners then use the text in the target language and a translation of the same work, using the two to study the language.

For more recent dead languages, audio often exists. A language like Eyak, an Alaskan language, has audio, a dictionary, collections of folktales, and grammar.

The Internet is another incredible resource for those interested in dead languages. Before, finding others who shared your passion for say Old English or Biblical Hebrew was difficult if not impossible. Nowadays, however, a quick Google search changes this.

While dead languages don’t have native speakers, you are still likely to find other learners. Some of these will be better than you at speaking or understanding the dead language you’re learning. As a learner, these people are an invaluable resource.

To practise speaking a dead language, you just need one person, one speaker or fellow learner who is just a little bit better than you. They don’t have to have mastered the language as long as they are a decent speaker. Try to create a structured learning process with them. If they are a teacher, that’s even better. Some teachers can definitely be worth any price. If they are a fellow learner who just wants to help you, it puts a little bit more of the lesson structure preparation on you.

Dead Languages: Conclusion

When you think of dead languages, it’s easy to forget that they were living languages. Much like English, French, Korean or Arabic, people once loved, laughed and experienced life through languages like Hunnic, Rumsen, or Norn. Reading and learning these languages offers you the chance to connect with those who cursed, philosophized or debated in them and grow more deeply connected with history.

And who knows? Perhaps languages that are extinct today may regain a place in modern society.

Hebrew was extinct for around two millennia, but a nationalist movement in the 19th century revived the language. Today, there are millions of speakers.

Cornish, a language spoken in Cornwall, England, is headed along a similar path.

How to Learn a Language in 2022 – Ultimate Guide with 35+ Language Hacks How to Relearn a Language from High School You Think You Forgot The Best Way to Learn a Language [Scientifically Proven, Polyglot Tested]Preply Review – a Detailed and Honest Review of the Preply Language Tutor Platform Magnetic Memory Method: An In-Depth Review from a Language Learner

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