Benny Lewis's Blog, page 59
August 13, 2018
How to Make French Grammar Simple with French Songs
How many people have told you they learned their native language with flashcards or vocabulary lists?
Here’s my guess: zero.
If you’re anything like me, you learned your first language as a child by absorbing it naturally. Without really thinking about it. Without studying for hours to get ready to finally speak. No, you absorbed some of the language, then you spoke (and made mistakes!), and so on.
“Ok, great, but I’m not a child anymore!”
Exactly. Meaning you’re even smarter, you make conscious decisions on your own, and you can learn faster. If a child can absorb a language without opening a book, how can you do the same thing?
You can pay for an expensive plane ticket.
You can pay for one-size-”fits”-all language classes.
Or you can learn in the comfort of your home, use music, and have fun.
I’m going to show you how to make French grammar for beginners fun with French songs. No need to buy a fancy textbook, or a bottle of red wine with bread and cheese (I don’t think it’ll help you to learn French, but you can still have some while learning!).
Are you ready for French conjugation 101 with music? Let’s get started!
The Frozen Passé Composé
When you introduce yourself in French, you usually start by explaining where you are from, or how you learned French.
In order to do that, you need to use le passé composé. But I won’t tell you how to use it, or give you the different grammatical rules. Instead, I’m going to show you different examples of passé composé with several French songs.
Let’s start with Libérée, Délivrée , from the Disney movie Frozen:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQP9XZc2Y_c
This is the French version of the popular song Let It Go. Here are a few passé composés:
J’ai lutté, en vain. - I fought, in vain.
J’ai laissé mon enfance en été. - I left my childhood in summer.
Maybe you recognized the verbs lutter (to fight) and laisser (to let, to leave). Here lutté and laissé are the past participles of the verbs lutter and laisser, respectively. All verbs ending in -er have their past participle in -é.
But that’s not something you memorize or really think about. You absorb it naturally by committing the lyrics to memory or just singing along many times. That’s why I don’t want to give you grammar rules. Learning more grammar won’t do you any good if you don’t actively live and feel the language through music, videos, and real conversations.
This kind of approach might take longer than just reading the rule in a textbook, or reviewing your flashcards. But the learning experience is totally different, because you’re discovering the rule on your own. Sure, you might (and you will!) make mistakes. And that’s perfectly normal. The more songs you learn, the better you’ll get, and you’ll be able to correct yourself.
With this approach you’re also training your oral comprehension skills and your pronunciation while absorbing new vocabulary and grammar.
“But I don’t understand. If I want to learn le passé composé, how do I find it in the first place? How would I know that lutté and laissé are part of le passé composé?”
Great question. And the answer is simple: you don’t. You don’t chase grammar rule after grammar rule as if you had an endless grammar bucket list. You forget about grammar.
Here’s what you do instead: you learn the song. You learn that j’ai lutté is I’ve fought. And then you connect the dots and think: “Hmmm lutter and lutté…seems like there’s a pattern here.” Or not. Maybe you need more songs or more time to see the pattern. And it doesn’t really matter if you need more time. Because you’re still learning French and honing your communication skills in the meantime.
It may seem counterintuitive. When you’re learning grammar with a textbook, or new words with flashcards, it feels as if you’re learning while you’re studying. It’s a good feeling. However, when you’re learning songs, it doesn’t seem like you’re getting any further. But think again! For every song that you’re learning, you’re absorbing hundreds of words and dozens of grammar rules in context. Just one song can go a very long way!
Grammar is like a drug. One line of cocaine for breakfast will make you more productive during the next hour. But in the long run, will you be that much more efficient? Probably not. Learning one more rule of grammar may seem like you’re making progress. But are you really working on your communication skills? Probably not.
Here’s an exercise for you to practise: Can you find le passé composé of the verbs terminer (to finish), recouvrir (to cover, to wrap), grandir (to grow up), écrire (to write), venir (to come) and voir (to see) in À l’ombre du showbusiness (by Kery James)?
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qVjAqDHa7E
What about in Ainsi bas la vida (by Indila)?
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XdfQgcHCIw
Moana? Present Tense!
The second reason why I prefer to use songs to learn grammar and vocabulary is the audio. Textbooks usually don’t give you the contracted forms that native speakers use on a daily basis. They don’t give you slang or even the liaisons. But songs do.
Listen to the song Le bleu lumière (French version of How far I’ll go from the movie Moana/Vaiana):
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsxFgyAzNu4
Here are a few examples of le présent simple (the simplest form of present in French) from the song:
Si je pars - If I leave
Je ne comprends pas - I don’t understand
La mer m’appelle - The sea is calling me
Le présent simple is simple (no pun intended). Let’s take the verb “to leave” as an example:
je pars - I leave
tu pars - you leave
elle part - she leaves
And it’s even simpler than it seems. Because pars and part actually have the same pronunciation. That’s why you need some form of audio input. When you start learning a foreign language, you can’t guess this kind of thing from the written form alone.
Le Futur d’OrelSan
There’s a simple way to use the future tense in French without memorizing conjugation patterns.
Watch Notes pour plus tard (by French rapper OrelSan):
https://vimeo.com/238921216
Here are two examples of the future tense from this song:
tu vas beaucoup trop boire - you’re going to drink way too much
j’vais devoir - I’m gonna have to (Note the very frequent contraction when you speak: j’ instead of je.)
You only need to know one verb (aller - to go) and how to conjugate it with le présent simple. Then you can use any verb you want with the future tense. Keep it simple! You can see it as the French equivalent of to be going + infinitive.
Here’s another example:
ça va s’voir - it’s gonna show, people are gonna see (it)
You get to see another contraction here with s’voir. We usually write se voir, even if we contract it when speaking.
Modal Verbs 101 with OrelSan
Modal verbs are a super-weapon for language learners. They give you the ability to use any verbs you know without having to conjugate them. In English, they are can, must, should, need, etc. Here’s what they look like in French:
tu peux courir à l’infini - you can run to infinity
je veux profiter - I want to enjoy
je veux prendre - I want to take
on peut faire - we can do
These lines come from La terre est ronde , by OrelSan.
Again: pay attention to the audio! Even though pouvoir has different spellings when conjugated (peux, peut), the pronunciation is the same.
Alternatives for the Past and the Future Tenses with Indila
There are other ways to talk about a past situation or a future event. I’ve only given you the easiest options so far. Here are examples for the past from Ainsi bas la vida , by Indila:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XdfQgcHCIw
c’était un triste soir - It was a sad evening
même s’il était tard - even if it was late
qu’on m’attendait - that people were waiting for me
je savais - I knew
c’était lui - it was him
quand je les entendais - when I was hearing them
And for the future, from Feuille d’automne by Indila:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUjlWQxGTlg
j’attendrai - I will wait
tu viendras - you will come
Don’t focus on these too much. Just know that they exist. You will absorb the conjugation patterns little by little as you learn more songs.
Le Subjonctif d’Oxmo
The subjunctive is usually the pet peeve of language learners. In French, it’s rather simple though. Most verbs (those ending in -er) don’t change, whether subjunctive or not. The other ones are altered, but you won’t often meet the subjunctive in French anyways. The next lines come from the songs douce and Jamais quand il faut , by Oxmo Puccino:
que tes cellules puissent lire - that your cells can read
que sa douce Alice pense à lui - that his tender Alice thinks about him
Keep in mind that even the French are confused when it comes to the subjunctive, including yours truly. I often make mistakes and use the non-subjective forms instead, even though French is my native language!
Le Conditionnel
While it’s easy to use the conditional in English (throw in a “would” or a “could” here and there), it’s a little bit more complicated in French. The French don’t use this kind of modal verb. Instead they conjugate the verbs.
But no worries, because the conjugation pattern of the conditional tense is fairly simple and repetitive. The songs Tourner dans le vide (by Indila) and Du disque dur au disque d’or (by Big Flo et Oli) each have an example of the conditional tense:
j’aimerais - I would like
t’aurais pas besoin - you wouldn’t need
Sing, Sing, Sing!
Instead of typical French grammar exercises (such as fill in the blank), why not learn a song or two?
Share with us your favourite French song in the comments and what you learned from it.
The post How to Make French Grammar Simple with French Songs appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
August 8, 2018
How to Say “Happy Birthday” in 25 Different Languages
Birthdays are a joyful occasion, to be sure!
Traditions for celebrations around the world always vary, but birthdays are one of the things that all people have in common, even if they speak different languages. So take this as an opportunity for more speaking practice! After all, who doesn’t like to be wished a Happy Birthday? You could even plan a birthday celebration in the language you’re learning!
Have you wondered if other cultures sing a Happy Birthday song, like in English? Do they give gifts? What about cake? Read on and learn how to say Happy Birthday in many languages around the world, and the cultural meaning behind it.
Happy Birthday in Spanish: Feliz Cumpleaños
Translated as “Happy Completed Years,” everyone’s birthday is a big day of celebration in most Spanish-speaking countries. In Mexico, they sing their own unique birthday song, Las Mañanitas (“Little Mornings”). And instead of blowing out candles on your cake, the birthday boy or girl has to eat the first bite without using utensils or hands. Usually, a family member will shove the cake in their face, all while singing “Mordida! Mordida!” And, of course, a birthday party is not complete without the world-famous piñata!
Happy Birthday in French: Bon Anniversaire
In French, people wish each other a “Good Birthday!” Birthday parties in France are much like those in English-speaking countries. They celebrate with a big party, cake and presents, and sing Joyeux Anniversaire. The big difference is that schoolchildren have Wednesdays off, and go to school on Saturdays. So most birthday parties are actually thrown on Wednesday when all the kids are out of school. As for Sundays, that’s considered family time. So most parents won’t organise birthday parties then.
In Quebec, you’ll hear Bonne fête! far more often than Bon anniversaire. This literally translates as “Good party!”
Happy Birthday in Italian: Buon Compleanno
The most notable thing about birthdays in Italy? They prefer to stay home! The food and cakes are often homemade. But when it’s your 18th birthday, everyone goes all out. It’s not unusual to see an 18th birthday party with hundreds of people wishing you a “Good Birthday!”
Happy Birthday in German: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag
This is more accurately translated as, “All the best on your birthday.” Birthday parties started in Germany in 1200 A.D. and are known as kinderfeste. In Germany, it’s considered quite bad luck to wish someone a Happy Birthday early, and they have many fun celebrations based on their age. Such as turning 16 and getting flour dumped all over you, or having eggs cracked over your head when you turn 18!
Happy Birthday in Japanese: お誕生日おめでとうございます (Otanjoubi Omedetou Gozaimasu)
“Congratulations on your birthday!” In Japan, they celebrate Shichi-Go-San, which literally means 7-5-3. These are lucky numbers and children go to a Shinto shrine on 15th November if they had a lucky birthday that year. They pray and give thanks for their good health and strength. All children go when they are three years old, boys when they are five, and girls when they are seven.
Happy Birthday in Korean: 생일 축하 (Saeng-il Chugha)
Also translated as “Congratulations on your birthday.” In Korea, 100 days after you’re born, you celebrate your first birthday! Parents celebrate their child’s life with a small feast, and they predict the child’s future by the items he or she picks up. If the child is sick, the parents will skip over the day so as to not bring bad luck on their child. They also send rice cakes to as many friends and family as possible because sharing rice cakes brings a long life. Lastly, they offer up food such as rice to Samshin Halmoni, the Grandmother Spirit, for taking care of the baby.
Happy Birthday in Chinese: 生日快乐 (Shēngrì Kuàilè)
In China, birthdays are mostly celebrated when you are very young or older than 50. It’s common on your birthday to eat longevity noodles without breaking them so you bring in good luck and a long life. Some people even wait until they are 60 years old to have their first birthday bash! There are also some taboos about certain ages, so men don’t celebrate their 40th birthdays, and women don't celebrate 30, 33, or 66.
The literal translation of Shēngrì Kuàilè is something like, “Birthday is Happy.”
Happy Birthday in Cantonese: 生日快樂 (Sang Yat Fai Lok)
Be careful with your birthday gifts! Never give a clock or a pair of shoes as a gift, as the words for them sound like “funeral,” which is terrible luck. And gifts should be given wrapped in red or gold paper, especially for an elderly person.
Happy Birthday in Russian: С днем рождения (S Dnem Rozhdeniya)
In Russia, the birthday tradition is to pull on the birthday boy or girl’s ears by how many years old he or she is. They tell the child, “Grow up -- don’t be noodles,” so the child will grow up strong. They don’t sing a birthday song, but if the person has survived a dangerous incident - like a car crash - they celebrate that day as their second birthday.
Happy Birthday in Portuguese: Feliz Aniversário
Feliz aniversário means “Happy Anniversary," and it's the frequent translation for "Happy Birthday." But it’s more common to just say “Parabéns” (“Congratulations”). Birthdays in Portugal are very similar to those in English-speaking countries. But birthdays in Brazil, like Russia, include pulling on the ears for good luck. They also decorate their homes with brightly-coloured paper flowers and banners for the festivities.
Happy Birthday in Dutch: Gefeliciteerd Met Je Verjaardag
“Congratulations on your birthday!” Birthdays are a big deal in the Netherlands. And most people have a Birthday Calendar that, interestingly, they keep by the toilet! The calendar reminds them of everyone’s birthdays for the year because forgetting one (or trying to skip your own!) is a major slight to your loved ones. A 50th birthday is the biggest celebration of all, as it’s said the man or woman “sees Abraham” or “sees Sarah” – referring to the biblical couple who bore a child in old age.
Happy Birthday in Afrikaans: Veels Geluk Met Jou Verjaarsdag
Like Dutch, this saying means “Congratulations on your birthday.” Do you see a consistent theme here? Most countries say “congratulations” instead of “happy.” In South Africa, the 21st birthday is the most significant. Parents usually give their children a key made of gold, silver, or aluminium, to symbolise unlocking the future and all it has to offer.
Happy Birthday in Polish: Wszystkiego Najlepszego Z Okazji Urodzin
“All the best for your birthday!” In Poland, they have their own birthday song which goes: “ Sto lat, sto lat, niech żyje żyje nam ” (“A hundred years, a hundred years may they live”). It’s also common to have a separate celebration for your birthday called, imieniny. This is a celebration on the feast day of the saint the person is named after!
Happy Birthday in Swedish: Grattis På Födelsedagen
“Birthday congratulations!” The Swedish love celebrating birthdays, and often wake up the birthday boy or girl by bringing breakfast and presents in bed. They sing their own birthday song, “ ja, ma du leva ” ("Yes, may you live"). They traditionally celebrate with cake coated in green marzipan, and presents are wrapped in the colours of the Swedish flag: blue and gold.
Happy Birthday in Danish: Tillykke Med Fødselsdagen
“Good wishes for your birthday!” The Danes make a BIG deal about birthdays. They have a huge love for their flag, and a miniature flagpole by your birthday cake (or on your birthday cake) is a must. They also make great fun with the Danish birthday song. The birthday boy or girl gets to choose which instruments the singers will pretend to play while singing! (Like air-guitar, except nearly a full band or orchestra.) It’s quite a lively event.
Happy Birthday in Norwegian: Gratulerer Med Dagen
“Congratulations with the day!” In Norway, it’s a big deal to celebrate “round” birthdays – 30, 40, 50, and so on. They’ll sing “ Hurra for deg som fyller ditt år ” (Hurray for you who fills the year) and host a huge party. For children in school, the birthday child will dance in front of the class while the others sing the Norwegian birthday song.
Happy Birthday in Finnish: Hyvää Syntymäpäivää
While “Hyvää syntymäpäivää” is most commonly said, you can also say, “Onnea syntymäpäivänäsi,” which is more common on birthday cards and Facebook. The Finnish also celebrate Name Day, where a different name is assigned to each day of the year. The day that your name is assigned to, you get to celebrate!
Happy Birthday in Tagalog: Maligayang Kaarawan
“Happy wishes!” Because the Philippines is predominantly Catholic, birthdays often start with Mass. They have four big birthday milestones: 1st birthday, 7th, 18th (for girls), and 21st (for boys). Seventh birthdays are celebrated as the age which kids make the first steps towards adulthood. This is the age where kids are held more accountable for their actions and start primary school. A girl’s 18th birthday is called her “debut” and is celebrated with 18 flowers, 18 candles, and 18 treasures.
Happy Birthday in Swahili: Furaha ya Kuzaliwa
“Happiness for the day of being born.” Birthdays aren’t a major thing in most Swahili-speaking countries, and many times it’s only the day of birth that's celebrated. The baby’s birth is cause for a big community celebration and party. Each group has individual traditions – even as simple as the baby’s first journey with his or her mother.
Happy Birthday in Hindi: जन्मदिन की शुभकामनाएं (Janmadin Kee Shubhakaamanaen)
“Good wishes for your birthday.” In many parts of India, birthdays are celebrated with both Western and Hindu practices. A birthday usually starts with a blessing at a temple, abundant prayers, and a mixture of rice and turmeric paste anointed on the forehead. Then the day's followed with more Western traditions such as the Happy Birthday song and cake cutting.
Happy Birthday in Bengali: শুভ জন্মদিন (Śubha Janmadina)
Birthday celebrations are not very common in Bangladesh. But when a baby is born, sweets are given out amongst family and friends to celebrate. They also hold a small celebration for the naming ceremony.
Happy Birthday in Tamil: பிறந்தநாள் வாழ்த்துக்கள் (Piṟantanāḷ Vāḻttukkaḷ)
This translates as “Wishing success and happiness on your birthday.” In Sri Lanka, babies celebrate their first birthday at 31 days old and receive a special gift from their parents. Usually it’s a good luck charm, one that the child keeps with them for the rest of their life. Going to a shrine and doing good deeds to attract good karma on one’s birthday is also common tradition.
Happy Birthday in Telugu: పుట్టినరోజు శుభాకాంక్షలు (Puṭṭinarōju śubhākāṅkṣalu)
In the Telugu-speaking region of Andhra Pradesh, girls will often decorate their hair for their birthday. They'll weave in many flowers (think of Rapunzel’s braided hair in the film Tangled) and will receive gifts of turmeric rice from their parents.
Happy Birthday in Malayalam: ജന്മദിനാശംസകൾ (Janmadināśansakaḷ)
In the southern state of Kerala, India, birthdays don’t always follow the Gregorian calendar. Many South Indians follow the Malayalam calendar instead. This system calculates their birthdays based on astrology. So many times, their birthdays aren't celebrated on their day of birth, but their astrological birthday.
Happy Birthday in Arabic: عيد مولد سعيد (Eyd Mawlid Saeid)
“Happy feast of birth.” Birthday celebrations are not always a priority in Arabic-speaking countries. But most celebrations are like those in Western culture. In Egypt, some people celebrate the birth of the baby by dipping the child in the Nile river, a ceremony stemming from Pharaonic times. On the seventh day after birth, they hold a celebration called subu and celebrate with many flowers, fruit, and rituals for good luck.
Happy Birthday in Esperanto: Feliĉan Naskiĝtagon
Although Esperanto is an artificially-constructed language, it does have one birthday tie: an Esperanto holiday, Zamenhof's Birthday. Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof created Esperanto to be a universal second language and to promote internationalism. So, people who speak the language use his birthday as a good excuse to get together.
Spread Well Wishes All Over the World!
There you have it! You’re now an expert polyglot in Happy Birthday the world over. It always means a lot to be wished a Happy Birthday, but to hear it in your native tongue from a foreign friend is truly special. It shows you put thought and effort into it.
So now you can in get some speaking practice with your friends worldwide. Even if it’s just to say Happy Birthday in other languages and spread some good cheer.
What are your favourite ways to wish someone a Happy Birthday? Do you have a favourite language to say it in? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The post How to Say “Happy Birthday” in 25 Different Languages appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
August 6, 2018
Food in German: Everything You Need to Know about Eating in Germany
German dishes reveal a lot about the country’s history, the different regions, and what’s important to the German people.
What’s more, German food is super tasty. Who can complain about getting to know a culture and its people whilst eating Spätzle or a Weißwurst Frühstück? Whether you’re a meat-eater, a vegetarian, a beer drinker or completely teetotal, there’s something for everyone.
In this article we’re going to take the ultimate deep-dive into German food and culture, learn some important words and phrases, and explore the foods you definitely can’t afford to miss.
German Food Culture: What You Need To Know
Germany has a rich and diverse food culture that changes from region to region. Germany has only been a unified country since 1871 (and was reformed again in 1990) which makes it hard to say any food is quintessentially German. Why?
Because each of the counties in Germany was once its own standalone state or was part of a different region; each area has its own deeply ingrained culture and traditions. What might be considered traditional in Bayern may be alien in Saarland. However, there are lots of similarities and consistencies which make German food recognisable and tie all of the different regions delicacies together. For example, seasonal eating is important to the Germans.
You can tell what time of year it is just by looking at what fruits and vegetables are available in supermarkets. From asparagus to goose and strawberries to cookies, there’s a season for everything.
Germans are also really proud of their bread. They still have a great baking culture, and there are lots of different variations of bread to choose from. It’s rare to find a German who doesn’t feel their bread is the best in the world!
You’ll also find that most German foods are simple but heavy. They focus a lot on meat, garden vegetables, bread and beer. Nowadays you can get lighter versions of all of these foods, but it’s all quite filling.
Germans also tend to eat quite early.
Traditionally the main meal of the day was at lunchtime, with a lighter meal coming in the evening (though some Germans might argue that breakfast is the main meal, with meals getting progressively lighter through the day). Evolving work habits and influence from other western cultures have pushed the main meal back to a more internationally recognisable time of the mid-evening. Some people still like to eat their main meal much earlier, but it’s not as clear of a divide as it used to be.
103 Essential Vocabulary Words For Food In German
Before we dig into German food and culture let’s look at some of the essential words you’ll need. Whether you’re reading a menu, ordering in a restaurant, or want to talk about that crazy pork dish you had for lunch, these words will come in handy.
I've split them into different sections for each part of the day, so you can learn them sequentially. And, some of them, like the verbs in the section below, will be used in action later in this article.
Ordering Food in German
bestellen (to order)
nehmen (to take)
gerne (gladly)
Beilage (sides)
dazu (with that)
die Rechnung (bill)
der Tisch (table)
zum hier Essen (to eat here)
zum Mitnehmen (to take away)
German Vocabulary for Breakfast (* Frühstück*)
das Brötchen (Bread rolls)
das Weißbrot (White bread)
die Butter (Butter)
die Margarine (Margarine)
der Joghurt (Yoghurt)
der Honig (Honey)
das Ei (Egg)
das Rührei (Scrambled Egg)
das Spiegelei (Fried Egg)
das gekochte Ei (Boiled Egg)
der Käse (Cheese)
die Wurst (Sausage)
das Würstchen (Little Sausage)
die Marmelade (Jam and Marmalade)
der Schinken (Ham)
der Kaffee (Coffee)
der Tee (Tea)
die Milch (Milk)
German Vocabulary for Lunch (Mittagessen)
der Salat (Salad)
die Kartoffel (Potato)
die Bratkartoffel (Fried Potato)
das Kartoffelpüree (Mashed Potato)
die Pommes Frites (French Fries)
die Krokette (Croquette)
das Gemüse (Vegetables)
der Blumenkohl (Cauliflower)
die Tomate (Tomato)
der Spinat (Spinach)
der Kohl (Cabbage)
der Mais (Sweetcorn)
der Spargel (Asparagus)
der Pilz (Mushrooms)
die Karotte (Carrot)
die Zwiebel (Onion)
die Erbse (Peas)
die Bohne (Beans)
der Lauch (Leek)
das Fleisch (Meat)
das Rindfleisch (Beef)
das Schweinefleisch (Pork)
das Kalbfleisch (Veal)
das Geflügel (Poultry)
der Fisch (Fish)
das Hähnchen (Chicken)
das Lamm (Lamb)
der Speck (Bacon)
das Kotelett (Cutlets/Chops)
das Schnitzel (Austrian Style fried slice of meat)
die Spätzle (South German-style pasta)
die Brezel (Pretzel)
der Knödel (Dumplings)
der Reis (Rice)
die Nudeln (Pasta)
das Mehl (Flour)
der Essig (Vinegar)
das Öl (Oil)
German Vocabulary for Evening Meals (Abendessen oder Abendbrot)
das Brot (Bread)
die Fleischwurst (Meat sausage)
die Geflügelwurst (Poultry sausage)
das Vollkornbrot (Whole wheat bread)
der Lachs (Salmon)
der Senf (Mustard)
das Ketchup (Ketchup)
die Gurke (Gherkins)
das Bier (Beer)
der Wein (Wine)
das Wasser (Water)
das Salz (Salt)
der Pfeffer (Pepper)
German Desserts
die Schokolade (Chocolate)
der Kuchen (Cake)
das Bonbon (Small sweet or dessert)
die Nuss (Nut)
die Praline (Chocolate with filling)
der Keks (Cookie)
das Eis (Ice cream)
die Sahne (Cream)
der Zucker (Sugar)
die Süßigkeiten (Small sweet-things)
die Rosine (Raisins)
der Süßstoff (Sweetener)
Fruits in German
das Obst (Fruit)
der Apfel (Apple)
die Birne (Pear)
die Banane (Banana)
die Orange (Orange)
die Zitrone (Lemon)
der Pfirsich (Peach)
die Pflaume (Plum)
die Traube (Grape)
die Erdbeere (Strawberry)
die Himbeere (Raspberry)
die Kirsche (Cherry)
How To Order Food In German -- Helpful Phrases
Ordering food in Germany is really easy! Staff are friendly and helpful and will be patient if you’re trying to order in their language.
The simplest way to order food is to say the number of items you want, the word “mal” (times) and then the name of the food you would like to eat, and the word “bitte” (please). For example:
Einmal Wiener Schnitzel bitte (One wiener schnitzel please)
Zweimal Cheeseburger bitte (Two cheeseburgers please)
Einmal Flammkuchen und dreimal Pommes bitte (One flammkuchen and three portions of french fries please)
But if you’d like to order in a more polite way, you can use the phrase Ich hätte gerne which roughly translates to “I would like to have” (This uses the Accusative case, which means any time the word “der” is used, it becomes “den”).
Ich hätte gerne Knödel bitte (I’d like the dumplings please)
Ich hätte gerne Kalbfleisch bitte (I’d like the veal please)
Ich hätte gerne Käsespätzle mit Speck und ein Bier, bitte (I’d like to have the Käsespätzle with bacon and a beer, please)
If you want to ask if something comes with the dish - like if a burger comes with fries, or if you have to order them separately - you can use the to signify that.
Sind beim Hamburger schon Pommes dabei/inklusive? (Does the hamburger come with fries?)
Ist der Apfelkuchen immer mit Sahne? (Does the apple cake come with cream?)
Ist bei Eiern immer Toast inklusive? (Do the eggs come with toast?)
German Restaurant Phrases
There is a whole world of German restaurant phrases you can use to do more than just order.
Before you eat, it’s polite to say “Guten Appetit” to the people on the table. This can be alien English speakers, where we don't have a word like this to start the meal (I still get caught on on this after a year of living in Germany), but it's correct procedure here.
Once you’ve tucked in, you can begin to describe the food you’re eating by using some of the phrases below:
Lecker! (It’s tasty!)
Sehr gut (very good)
Ich finde es scharf (It’s spicy)
Ich finde es ein bisschen fade (It’s a bit bland)
Es ist köstlich. (It’s delicious)
Oh nein, es ist kalt (Oh no, it’s cold)
Es ist heiß! (Hot!)
Sehr, sehr saftig (Very, very juicy)
If you want to see how the food of everyone else is, you can ask a simple one-word question, too. “Schmeckt's?” translates to “how does it taste?” and is probably the only short question you can ask in German.
Let’s say you’re enjoying your food, but you go to grab your drink and notice it’s empty. How do you order another one? For that, you’ll just need the word “noch” followed by the amount of the drink you want.
Noch ein Bier bitte (Another beer please)
Kann ich bitte noch eine Cola haben? (Can I have another Cola please?)
Noch zwei bitte! (Another two please - if they already know what you’re drinking)
Then, once you’ve eaten your food and you’re ready to pay, you can ask for the bill in a few different ways:
Die Rechnung bitte (The bill please)
Wir möchten zahlen (we’d like to pay)
Können wir bitte zahlen? (Can we pay please?)
Manners And Eating Habits In Germany
Table manners in Germany are pretty straightforward, especially if you come from a western background.
If you’ve gone out to a restaurant, you usually won’t have to wait to be seated unless it is explicitly signposted to do so. If a restaurant is busy, it’s also perfectly okay to take a place next to strangers, as long as you ask their permission before you sit down. It’s a pretty free and easy culture like that.
Much like you would at home use “bitte” (please) and “danke” (thank you) as much as possible when talking to waiting staff.
In a nice restaurant, it’s also considered polite to receive menus, pour drinks and place your order in order from the oldest woman through to the youngest man. This is a dated principle, but depending on the company you’re keeping, it’s worth knowing it.
Wait until everybody is sat at the table before you start eating. Keep your elbows off the table, and before you begin to eat wait until everyone has been served, or until someone says “Guten Appetit”.
On special occasions such as a birthday or wedding it’s considered rude to start drinking your drink until a toast has been made, too.
Germans tend to eat with a knife and fork, unless you’re eating food that is designed to be eaten with your hands, like a burger. Otherwise, use your cutlery and try to keep both of them in your hands throughout the meal.
In my experience, it’s more common for people to eat just two courses - usually a starter and a main - but it’s not unusual to have all three, or a dessert instead of a starter. If you’re hungry, just keep eating! It’s also polite to stay seated until the last person has finished their meal.
You’ll also find that Germans like to order a Schnaps after their main meal. This is a small glass of alcohol and could be anything from a whiskey or rum through to a Jägermeister or a limoncello. My girlfriend’s father tells me it’s supposed to aid digestion, but I’m waiting for a doctor to back that up.
5 Traditional German Foods You Have To Try
Traditional German food is simple, warming, heavy and delicious. It’s more in the direction of Grandma’s kitchen than French or Italian high cuisine. But that’s a good thing!
It’s winter food that tastes good all year round. And you just have to try these five foods while you’re in the country.
1. Flammkuchen
Flammkuchen is a really thin and crispy rectangular pizza. Traditionally it’s topped with creme fraiche, onions and bits of bacon, and melts in your mouth when you take a bite.
The French often argue that they invented this, and the Germans adopted it, but many Germans would tell you the exact opposite. All I know is that it goes great with a lunchtime beer!
2. Schnitzel
Schnitzel, although technically Austrian, is a flattened and fried piece of meat served throughout Germany.
You can get it in a few different styles. There is the traditional Wiener Schnitzel from Vienna, which is served with veal and potatoes. You can also get it Jäger Art (hunter’s style) which is served with pork. Or, if you’re a vegetarian like Benny, some places even do a cheese version!
3. Käsespätzle
Käsespätzle is a German-style pasta covered in cheese, with a little seasoning on top. It’s quite a substantial dish, but it’s a pleasant break from the meat-heavy dishes that usually fill the menu.
It’s especially lovely on a cold day, or if you’re walking outside on somewhere like the Christmas Markets.
4. Weißwurst-Frühstück
The first time my girlfriend’s family gave me Weißwurst-Frühstück, I was a little surprised. The ingredients are:
Two boiled sausages
One large pretzel
As much sweet mustard as you want
One pint of beer to wash it down
Safe to say it’s not what I expected at 09:30. But it was delicious. And if you’re in Bayern (Bavaria), I highly recommend you indulge.
5. Maultaschen
Maultaschen are a classic food from the Swabia region of Germany.
They’re balls of flour that are usually filled with mincemeat and vegetables that are then fried and served in gravy or stock. Like Spätzle, they’re a German style of pasta, but they’re a world away from their Italian cousins.
Most Popular German Foods
German foods vary in popularity depending on the season. Each season brings its own speciality that both restaurants and home-cooks alike serve at their tables.
In late spring it’s Spargel (asparagus) season, which the Germans go absolutely wild for. In fact, they have a designated period of the year known as Spargelzeit (asparagus time), from the middle of April to the 24th June. They even crown asparagus queens to mark the start of the season.
Specifically, Germans want to eat white asparagus that only grows at this time of year. It’s often served boiled, with butter or hollandaise sauce, as an accompaniment to meat.
As the spring gets into flow and summer approaches, you’ll see lots of fruits gain popularity as well. Rhubarb, cherries and peaches all begin to become active ingredients in the German kitchen.
Once the coldness of winter sets in, and especially around Weihnachten (Christmas) you’ll begin to see people preparing goose to eat with their families. I’m yet to try it, but there’s always a buzz when the restaurants start serving it.
German Food Facts
Want some cool stuff to talk about over dinner? These German food facts are for you!
I mentioned at the start of this article that Germans are proud of their bread. And, there’s a lot to be proud of. There are over 3000 types of German bread to choose from, and they’ve even applied for UNESCO recognition as a protected part of their culture. There is even an official bread institute with its own bread sommeliers and registered bakers.
In Bayern (Bavaria) beer is widely considered more of a basic food than a drink.
When John F. Kennedy made his speech before the Berlin wall in 1963, he proudly proclaimed “Ich bin ein Berliner” which translates to I am a Berliner, but a Berliner is also a type of food, so JFK could also have been saying, “I am a jelly doughnut”.
A German woman, Martina Servaty, holds the world record for juice extracted from treading grapes in one minute at 8.6 litres (1.89 gallons).
What’s The Wurst That Could Happen?
Phew! That article was longer and heavier than most German meals. But, you made it all the way through it.
By now you should have a clear idea of German culture, eating habits, traditional foods, and the key vocabulary and phrases you need for your time in Germany.
If there’s anything I’ve missed, or that you’d like to have seen included, please let me know in the comments! I’m open to learning about any and all German foods I’m yet to try.
The post Food in German: Everything You Need to Know about Eating in Germany appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
August 1, 2018
Spanish Irregular Verbs: The Ultimate Guide
This article will look specifically at irregular verbs in Spanish. If you don't know what that means, don't worry. I'll explain what an "irregular verb" is, what the most important ones are, and how you can learn them quickly and efficiently. I won't assume much if any existing knowledge of Spanish grammar - so don’t be put off if you’re a complete beginner.
And even if you're not a complete beginner, hopefully you’ll still learn a thing or two!
So first, a quick primer on the difference between a regular and irregular verb:
What Is An Irregular Verb, Anyway?
To understand the difference between regular and irregular verbs, it helps to take a closer look at how verbs work in English. They usually follow a pretty simple pattern. I'll illustrate it with the verb "walk":
To use "walk" in the present tense, you simply stick a pronoun in front of it, e.g. "I walk" or "they walk". The one exception is the third-person singular form (he/she/it), which has an "s" on the end: "he/she/it walks".
So far, so simple. Other tenses are just as easy: for the present continuous tense, you stick an "-ing" on the end of the verb and combine it with the present tense of the verb "to be", as in "he is walking". Or you can put an "-ed" on the end of the verb to make it past tense: "I walked".
These aren't the only tenses, of course, but the point is that the different forms of the verb "walk" are made using some simple, consistent patterns that can be applied to many other verbs:
walk, walks, walked, walking
help, helps, helped, helping
play, plays, played, playing
climb, climbs, climbed, climbing
And so on. Most English verbs follow this simple pattern; as such, they're known as regular verbs.
But wait - what about the verb "speak"? This word doesn't follow the pattern above; its past-tense version is not "speaked" but "spoke". Similarly, "buy" becomes "bought", not "buyed", and "throw" becomes "threw", not "throwed".
These are just a few of the many, many English verbs that don't play by the normal rules. These are the irregular verbs.
Spanish is similar. There are some basic patterns that most verbs - the regular verbs - follow, but there are also many irregular exceptions. If you want to communicate effectively in Spanish, you need to learn which verbs are irregular, and what their irregularities are.
But before we get deeper into the verbs that break the rules, let's remind ourselves what those rules are in the first place.
A Quick Recap of Spanish Regular Verbs
Remember that Spanish verbs (regular or irregular) can be divided into three categories, based on the ending of their infinitive form:
"-ar" verbs, such as hablar (to speak), cantar (to sing), and bailar (to dance)
"-er" verbs, such as deber (to owe), correr (to run), and comprender (to understand)
"-ir" verbs, such as vivir (to live), existir (to exist), and ocurrir ("to happen")
The regular present tense forms in each case are:
hablar
deber
vivir
yo (I)
hablo
debo
vivo
tú (you, singular informal)
hablas
debes
vives
él/ella/usted (he/she/you, singular formal)
habla
debe
vive
nosotros (we
hablamos
debemos
vivimos
vosotros/vosotras (you, plural informal)
habláis
debéis
vivís
ellos/ellas/ustedes (they/they/you, plural formal)
hablan
deben
viven
(Remember that the vosotros form is only used in Spain; in Latin America, use ustedes.)
Hopefully you've spotted some of the patterns. For example, the first-person singular forms all end with "-o", and the second-person singular forms all end with "-s".
You'll spot similar patterns when you learn the rest of the tenses. For example, in the first-person plural (the "we" form of the verb), Spanish verbs always end in "-mos" no matter what the tense:
corremos - we run
corrimos - we ran
correremos - we will run
corríamos - we were running
I won't go into depth here about all the different patterns and regularities you can find in Spanish verbs. It's just worth noting that, when you hear that a single Spanish verb can have almost 100 different forms, it's not as scary as it sounds. Learn to spot the patterns, and it'll drastically reduce the amount of memorisation that you need to do.
The reason this is relevant to our discussion of irregular verbs is that, while irregular verbs are less regular (duh), you tend to see the same sorts of patterns shining through. No matter how weird and abnormal an irregular verb is, you can still expect that the first-person plural form will end in "-mos", and with very few exceptions the first-person singular form will end in "-o", to name just a few examples.
So bear this in mind as we explore the wild and wonderful world of Spanish irregular verbs. Always be on the lookout for the shortcuts that will reduce your mental workload and make everything easier to learn.
Spanish Irregular Verbs By Category
Unfortunately, while the vast majority of Spanish verbs are regular, irregularities are disproportionately found among the common verbs that get used the most often - words like "be", "have", "go", and "know".
This makes sense when you think about it: the more often a word is said, the more chances it’s had to change and evolve over the centuries.
But let's think about English irregular verbs again for a second. There are many of them - but sometimes you find groups of words which all follow the same pattern, like "blow/blew", "throw/threw", and "know/knew". If you remember that these words all go together, you can learn them as a single unit.
Thankfully, Spanish irregular verbs can often be grouped like this too. So let's look at the most important groups to learn.
Stem-Changing Verbs in Spanish
The simplest irregular verbs in Spanish are the so-called stem-changing verbs. They're easy to learn.
The "stem" of a verb is the part you get when you remove infinitive suffix (that is, the "-ar", "-er", or "-ir") from the infinitive form. So the stems of hablar, deber, and vivir are "habl-", "deb-", and "viv-" respectively.
When dealing with regular verbs, you never change the stem. All you do is remove the infinitive suffix and add an ending like "-o" or "-as".
Many verbs, however, have an added complication. It's best illustrated by example. Here are the present-tense endings of cerrar ("to close"); pay close attention to the stem:
cierro - I close
cierras - you (s.) close
cierra - he/she closes
cerramos - we close
cerráis - you (pl.) close
cierran - they close
Do you see what's going on? In the first, second, third, and sixth forms, the vowel in the stem changes from "e" to "ie". Other than that, everything is as normal - the endings are what you would expect if the verb was regular.
It might seem confusing that the stem only changes in four of the six verb forms. To understand why this is the case, realise that in the "-amos/-áis" forms, the stem is unstressed; in both of these cases the stress goes on the second syllable.
The vowel in the stem of a stem-changing verb only changes in those conjugations where that vowel is stressed. In practice, you only need to know that these are the yo, tú, él/ella and ellos/ellas forms (i.e. the first, second, third, and sixth forms given above). But it's better if you understand why this is the case. It's as if you're "stressing" the vowel so hard that it breaks apart into two pieces.
To understand why the stem's vowel is stressed in some verb forms and unstressed in others, see this detailed explanation of accents and word stress in Spanish.
Types of Stem-Changing Verbs in Spanish
There are three main types of stem-changing verbs in Spanish, plus a few weird ones which don't fit into those three main categories.
I'll start with the categories. First of all, you have verbs which change an "e" to an "ie". We've already seen cerrar above, which follows this pattern. Some of the most important similar verbs are:
acertar - to guess
advertir - to advise, warn
atender - to attend to
atravesar - to cross
calentar - to warm/heat (up)
cerrar - to close
comenzar - to begin
confesar - to confess
consentir - to consent
convertir - to convert
defender - to defend
descender - to descend
despertarse - to wake up
divertirse - to have fun, enjoy oneself
empezar - to begin, start
encender - to light
encerrar - to enclose, encircle
entender - to understand
fregar - to scrub
gobernar - to govern
helar - to freeze
hervir - to boil
mentir - to lie
negar - to deny
nevar - to snow
pensar - to think
perder - to lose
preferir - to prefer
recomendar - to recommend
remendar - to mend
sentar(se) - to sit down
sentir - to feel
sugerir - to suggest
tropezar - to stumble, trip
Secondly, verbs which change an "o" to a "ue". For example, here's colgar ("to hang") in the present tense:
cuelgo - I hang
cuelgas - you (s.) hang
cuelga - he/she/it hangs
colgamos - we hang
colgáis - you (pl.) hang
cuelgan - they hang
Here are some more examples from this category:
absolver - to absolve
acordarse (de) - to agree on
almorzar - to eat lunch
aprobar - to approve
cocer - to bake
colgar - to hang
conmover - to move (emotionally)
contar - to count, to tell
costar - to cost
demoler - to demolish
demostrar - to prove, demonstrate
devolver - to return (an object)
disolver - to dissolve
doler - to hurt
dormir - to sleep
encontrar - to find
envolver - to wrap
llover - to rain
moler - to grind
morder - to bite
morir - to die
mostrar - to show
mover - to move (an object)
poder - to be able to
probar - to prove, sample, test
promover - to promote
recordar - to remember
remover - to remove
resolver - to resolve
retorcer - to twist
revolver - to mix, shake
rogar - to beg, pray
soler - to be accustomed to, to usually be/do
sonar - to sound, ring
soñar - to dream
tener - to have
torcer - to twist
tostar - to toast
tronar - to thunder
venir - to come
volar - to fly
volver - to return (from somewhere)
The third common category of stem-changing verb is that of verbs that change an "e" to an "i". For example, corregir ("to correct"):
corrigo - I correct
corriges - you (s.) correct
corrige - he/she corrects
corregimos - we correct
*corregís - you (pl.) correct
corrigen - they correct
Here's the list you should learn:
colegir - to deduce
competir - to compete
conseguir - to get, obtain
corregir - to correct
decir - to say
despedir - to dismiss, fire, say goodbye to
elegir - to elect
freír - to fry
gemir - to groan, moan
impedir - to impede
medir - to measure
pedir - to ask for, order
perseguir - to follow, pursue, persecute
repetir - to repeat
reír(se) - to laugh
seguir - to follow, continue
servir - to serve
sonreír(se) - to smile
vestir(se) - to get dressed
And finally, some weird stem-changing verbs that don't quite fit into the above categories:
First, the verb oler ("to smell" - either to smell an object, such as a flower, or to emit an odour). This is a "o" to "ue" stem-changing verb as above, with the added detail that when the stem changes, you must add an "h" to the beginning:
huelo - I smell
hueles - you smell
huele - he/she/it smells
olemos - we smell
oléis - you (pl.) smell
huelen - they smell
(Remember that an "h" in Spanish is always silent, so this extra letter doesn't have any effect on the pronunciation.)
Second, the verb jugar is the only example of a verb whose stem changes from a "u" to a "ue":
juego
juegas
juega
jugamos
jugáis
juegan
Third, two verbs exist that change an "i" to an "ie". They are adquirir (to acquire) and inquirir (to inquire). So in the first-person singular they're adquiero and inquiero, respectively.
Can you figure out the other five present-tense forms of adquirir and inquirir? Hopefully by now it should be easy.
Spanish Verbs With an Irregular "yo" Form
A confession: I misled you slightly earlier. I told you that decir, which means "to say", is an "e"-to-"i" stem-changing verb. This isn't wrong - but I left out an important detail.
Decir is one of a small number of verbs which has a non-standard yo form. Remember that yo means "I". "I say" is (yo) digo, which isn't what you'd expect if you followed the rules that I already explained above.
To be clear, here are all six present-tense forms of decir:
digo - I say
dices - you (s.) say
dice - he/she says
decimos - we say
*decís - you (pl.) say
dicen - they say
As you can see, the first form uses the weird "-go" suffix; the rest of the forms proceed as normal, subject to the stem changes that I already explained.
Several other common Spanish verbs follow this pattern in the present tense. The first-person singular form is irregular; all other forms are either regular or, as in the case of decir, have a stem change.
Here's what you need to learn. For each verb, I'll give the infinitive, the first-person singular (which is irregular), and the second-person singular (so you can see the stem change, or lack of it).
Irregular "yo" form with no stem change
conocer - "to know" - yo conozco, tú conoces
dar - "to give" - yo doy, tú das
hacer - "to do, make" - yo hago, tú haces
poner - "to put" - yo pongo, tú pones
salir - "to exit" - yo salgo, tú sales
traer - "to bring" - yo traigo, tú traes
ver - "to see" - yo veo, tú ves
oír - "to hear" - yo oigo, tú oyes
saber - "to know" - yo sé, tú sabes
ir - "to go" - yo voy, tú vas
estar - "to be" - yo estoy, tú estás
caber - "to fit" - yo quepo, tú cabes
lucir - "to wear" - yo luzco, tú luces
valer - "to be worth" - yo valgo, tú vales
Irregular "yo" form with a stem change
decir - "to say" - yo digo, tú dices
tener - "to have" - yo tengo, tú tienes
venir - "to come" - yo vengo, tú vienes
Ser
It's time to look at the biggest and baddest of all Spanish irregular verbs: ser, which means "to be".
Like its English counterpart, ser is highly irregular - and not just in the first-person singular. Here are the six present-tense forms of ser:
soy - I am
eres - you (s.) are
es - he/she/it is
somos - we are
sóis - you (pl.) are
son - they are
I recommend you commit these conjugations to memory as soon as possible. It's probably the most important irregular verb in Spanish, and it will show up in most of the sentences you’ll see, hear, read, or speak.
Haber
Another highly irregular (and important) verb is haber. The dictionary might tell you that haber means "to have", but this doesn't paint the full picture.
To say "I have a dog" in Spanish, you'd say "tengo un perro". Tengo, as we saw above, is the irregular first-person singular form of tener, and tener is the normal way to say "have" in this sense in Spanish.
So where does haber come in? Well, think of an English sentence like "I have eaten ". The word "have" is doing something different here. It doesn't convey ownership or possession, which is what tener is for. Instead it's a grammatical device that changes the tense of the word, in this case telling you that the action took place in the past.
This is the primary function of haber in Spanish - it's used in compound tenses, like the "have" in "I have eaten". Here's how it's conjugated (and I'll stick with "eaten", comido, as my example):
he comido - I have eaten
has comido - you (s.) have eaten
ha comido - he/she/it has eaten
hemos comido - we have eaten
habéis comido - you (pl.) have eaten
han comido - they have eaten
The End of the Beginning
You don’t need to learn all of this now. For one thing, if you still haven’t got a solid grasp of regular verb endings, you should work on that before worrying too much about irregular endings.
When you feel ready, go forth with these irregular endings, and, as always, don’t be afraid to make mistakes . If you forget which verbs are irregular, and say something like yo sabo instead of yo sé, people will still understand what you mean.
In fact, mistakes like “yo sabo” are common among children who are learning Spanish as their first language - which just goes to show, it doesn’t always come naturally even to native speakers!
What tricks helped you learn Spanish irregular verbs? Let us know in the comments.
The post Spanish Irregular Verbs: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
July 30, 2018
How to Learn English Fast: The Language Hacker’s Method
What if you want to learn English fast? Then there are some steps you should follow so that you don’t waste any of your precious study time or lose interest in studying.
Let’s get to it! Here are my 9 steps for how to learn English fast.
Step 1: Find a Good GREAT Reason to Learn English
Are you surprised that the first step isn’t about how to learn English words or grammar? Don’t be! Finding your Big Why is much more important than knowing which words to learn (“the what”) or the best study methods for English (“the how”).
Before “the what” or “the how”, start with “the why”. Get a pen right now, or open a text document on your computer, and write down why you want to be fluent in English.
Don’t write a reason just because it sounds cool. Really think about why learning English is important to you. You don’t have to show it to anyone. Just make sure that your reason is great enough to motivate you throughout your English mission. The more motivated you are to study English, the easier English will be to learn.
During the remaining eight steps in this article, if you ever find that you’re losing interest in studying English, come back to this step and remind yourself why learning English is a great idea.
Step 2: Decide Exactly What You Want to Do in English -- And When You Want to Do It
I’ve studied a lot of languages in the past 15 years. I’ve learned that I make much faster progress when I have a clear goal in mind than I do when I’m just studying aimlessly.
In this step, take the same sheet of paper you used in step one. Write down exactly what you want to achieve, and when. If you’re reading this article, then you probably want to learn English fast. In that case, your goal should be ambitious. Even if you’re not in a big hurry to get fluent, make your goal clear and specific. Here are some examples of bad (unclear) and good (clear and specific) goals:
Bad Goals
I want to speak English fluently
I want to go to university in another country
Get a girlfriend/boyfriend who speaks English
Good Goals
Within 8 months, I want to be able to read and understand any article in the New York Times.
Within 6 months, I want to score at least 6.0 on the IELTS English exam so I can apply and be accepted to an exchange program at Swansea University.
Within 3 months, I want to be able to talk with English speakers in social situations about everyday topics such as sports, music, films, travel and food.
Notice how the bad goals have no time limit. When do you want to complete your goal? This is important. If you have a time limit, then you can evaluate your progress during your studies and figure out if you need to change your routine to meet your goal. Each of the good goals has a very clear deadline.
The bad goals also don’t include a clear measure of success. What do you mean by “fluently”? Which university do you want to attend and what are the English requirements there? If you want English friends or romantic partners, what do you want to talk to them about?
Before you move on to step 3, write down a clear, well-defined goal that you want to achieve in English.
Step 3: Find English Resources that are Just a Little Bit Challenging
If you want to learn English fast, this step is key.
If your English is still basic or lower intermediate (for example, if you find this article a little bit difficult to read), then don’t try to read the New York Times yet! It will only discourage you. Instead, look at resources such as VOA Special English News where you can listen to news stories in clear, slow English.
Make sure your study resources aren’t too easy, either. If you’re an intermediate English speaker, reading children’s storybooks or Wikipedia in Simple English might make you feel confident if you understand every word. But in fact, you’re just wasting your time. Are you really learning English if you’re only seeing words you already know?
The perfect English resources will be just easy enough that you can understand the basic ideas without looking up any words in the dictionary, but difficult enough that you have to look up several words if you want to understand everything in detail.
Try out as many different English resources as you can. Discard the ones that are too easy or too hard, and keep using the ones that are just right for your level.
Step 4: Find English Resources that Match Your Goal
Make sure everything you do in your English studies brings you closer to your goal.
If your goal is to talk with native English speakers about films, then watch English films. If you want to pass an English exam so you can study abroad, get a tutor who’s qualified to prepare you for that exam. If you just want to learn how to have casual conversations in English, then go to meetups and language exchanges where you can chat about everyday topics.
This is why it’s so important to have a good, clear goal. If you aren’t sure where you want to be in three months, six months or next year, then you won’t know where to start looking for good practice material.
Step 5: Learn New English Words -- Lots of Them!
I’ve met too many English learners who put all their effort into perfecting their accent and grammar. They’re already trying to sound like a Wall St. stock trader or a BBC Brit, before they know enough vocabulary to talk about these subjects.
This is a mistake. Your English will take you much farther if you have a wide vocabulary than it will if you speak with a perfect accent but don’t know very many words. Most English speakers in the world speak English as a second language. Nearly all of them speak it with a foreign accent. So we native English speakers are used to hearing foreign accents, and we don’t mind it at all.
Perfect grammar also isn’t as important as vocabulary at first. Lots of native English speakers haven’t mastered English grammar, and they get by just fine. You can still be fluent in English and make some grammar mistakes. But you can’t be fluent if you only know a few words.
What you can say makes a bigger impact than how perfectly you say it. Even the president of the EU speaks English with a foreign accent! So don’t worry about it. You can still go very far in life even if you don’t sound like a native English speaker.
6. Speak! Speak! Speak! Speak English!
No amount of listening, reading or writing practice will make you a good English speaker. If you want to speak English, you need to practise speaking it.
The easiest way to do this is to take English lessons at home on Skype. Start by searching for tutors on italki. If you don’t have money for tutors, you can search for conversation partners to do a free language exchange. A language exchange is a conversation that you have with a native English speaker who wants to learn your native language. You take turns talking in English and your native language.
There is no substitute for speaking practice. Do it as often as you can.
7. Practise Your English Every Day
Daily practice is important for a few reasons.
It keeps you motivated
If you do something every day, it will become a habit. Once you create a habit, you’ll be motivated to continue it.
It saves time
When you only study once or twice a week, you forget a lot of the new things you learned in your previous study session. So you have to waste a lot of your valuable study time reviewing things you’ve already learned. If you study every day, material that you learned the day before will be fresh in your mind, which means you’ll spend less time in review.
You can skip a day without big consequences
If you decide to study for a little while each day, then it’s not a big deal if you have to miss a day of studying for some reason. But if you study for a long time once or twice a week, then missing a day means losing a lot more study time.
Try to practise all four skills every day: reading, listening, speaking and writing. If you don’t have time to do all four, then I recommend at least speaking and listening.
8. Make Time to Actively Study English
Reading online in English, watching English TV, and having English conversations will all help you use what you’ve learned. But you still need to set aside active studying time each day. This is time where you do flashcard drills, quizzes, lessons with a teacher or other structured study. This way, you’ll be sure that you’re really learning new material instead of only reusing things you already know.
9. Make Mistakes! Fail Fast and Fail Often
Failure is an essential part of language learning. Mistakes are actually a really easy way to improve your English.
If you’re like me, you were probably taught that mistakes are bad. That might be true if you’re an engineer, but not if you’re an English learner. You’ll never speak English fluently if you’re too afraid to make mistakes while you learn. The more mistakes you make, the sooner you’ll be corrected, and so you’ll learn faster.
Don’t be worried about looking foolish when you talk to native English speakers. Most English speakers don’t speak any other languages. So we’re very impressed when foreigners communicate with us in English, even if they make mistakes. If you make a genuine attempt, English speakers will be more than happy to help and encourage you. Try it and see!
Above All, Don’t Give Up
I know you can learn English fluently. How do I know? Because millions and millions of people all over the world have proven that it can be done. The more you practise, make mistakes, and speak, the faster you’ll get fluent in English. So why not start today?
The post How to Learn English Fast: The Language Hacker’s Method appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
July 26, 2018
85 Cute Nicknames from Around the World (with Translations)
So to celebrate, I thought I’d put together a post about other cute nicknames from around the world.
Pumpkin, peanut, bubby, baby, babe, bae, honey, darling, sugar, sweetie, honey bunch… English is packed full of fun, creative, and cute nicknames to call your loved ones. From food, to animals, to just plain gibberish words – lots of us love giving a cute nickname to our significant other, family, friends and children.
And it’s not just English. In every language, people have terms of endearment to show their love and affection. Learning these can add new depth to your language learning – especially if you’re learning a language to speak with loved ones.
Learning cute nicknames is also a fun way to expand your vocabulary, and it develops your cultural understanding. Many of the words used as nicknames reflect social relationships, and are intertwined with the values of a particular culture.
Let’s get into it! Here are some cute nicknames from around the world.
Cute Spanish Nicknames
Spanish is known as a passion-infused language, so there’s no shortage of cute nicknames in Spanish!
Spanish has some creative pet names, such as mi perrito (“my puppy”), mi cielito (“my little heaven”), and amorcito (“little love”).
In English, you can say “you’re my better half”. In Spanish, you say media naranja, or “half an orange.” You can pull out cute nicknames for your girlfriend such as ojos de ángel (“angel eyes”), or mi reina (“my queen”). Likewise, you can call your boyfriend things like mi rey (“my king”) and mi sol (“my sun” – think of Khaleesi and Drogo here). Then there are the popular terms mi vida (“my life”) and mi corazón (“my heart”), both of which are gender neutral.
Spanish has plenty of cute nicknames for girls and boys, too. The most popular are chiquito and chiquita (“little boy” and “little girl”), or chulo and chula (“cutie”). You could address older kids, or even your friends, as chica and chico.
Examples of how you can use them:
Hola, chica - “Hey, girl”
Ven aquí, mi chiquito - “Come over here, little one”
Eres mi media naranja. Te amo - “You’re my better half. I love you”
Cute French Nicknames
The French have tons of affectionate pet names they call each other! But some of them are a little less cute when translated to English. Nicknames like mon saucisson (“my little sausage”), mon petit chou (“my little cabbage” but used like “sweetie”), mon gros (“my fat one”), and ma puce (“my flea”) are a bit strange in English.
I don’t know about you, but being called a flea doesn’t sound all that affectionate!
But others are much cuter, such as ma fraise (“my strawberry”). Then there are names like mon amour (“my love”), mon ange (“my angel”), and ma chérie or mon cher (“my darling” for a woman and a man).
If there’s a French-speaking lady in your life, try out some nicknames like mon chat (“my cat”), ma belle (“my beautiful”), mon trésor (“my treasure”) or mon bijou (“my jewel”). There are so many different ways to address your loved ones in French!
For guys, there are the endearing terms mon prince (“my prince”), mon ours (“my bear”), or even mon loup (“my wolf”). If your husband is on the crotchety side, you could tenderly call him mon râleur – “my grumpy one.”
Looking for good nicknames to use for your kids? Try mon bébé (“my baby”), mon doudou (“my cuddly thing”), and mon cœur (“my heart”). Other fun names are mon petit monstre (“my little monster”) and mon vilain (“my naughty one”). They’re all used the same way as “sweetie” or “honey” in English.
Try expressing your love with phrases like:
Je t’aime, ma belle* - “I love you, my beauty”
Il est mon petit monstre* - “He is my little monster”
Merci, mon loup.* - “Thank you, my wolf”
Cute Italian Nicknames
Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to be whispered sweet nothings in Italian? Italy is known for being warm and affectionate, and their nicknames help infuse that affection into the language.
You can watch almost any movie set in Italy and hear someone say “Mio amor!” – “My love”. This can be shortened to simply Amore or even Amo. Meanwhile in southern Italy you sometimes hear “Vita mia!” – “My life”.
Pet names, called nomignoli, are used freely and often for everyone, especially for children. There are tons of cute Italian nicknames for boys and girls. Parents can call their children cucciolo and tesoro, which is “puppy” and “treasure”. There are other fun ones, like bambino (“baby”), mimmo (“child”), or even the very signature Italian term, polpetto – “meatball.” All these are in the masculine “o” ending - you can change the “o” to an “a” to make it a feminine word when talking to girls.
With your significant other, you can use romantic terms like gioia mia (“my joy”), Biscottino (“little biscuit”), or Pasticcino (“cupcake”). You can even passionately exclaim, "Luce dei miei occhi!" (“Light of my eyes!”) when you see your loved one -- although that’s often used more as a joke.
As for cute Italian nicknames for friends, you can use bella and bello (“beautiful” for women and men respectively), or cara and caro (“dear”). Young people will more commonly call their friends zia or zio (“aunt” or “uncle”). Some people will only call their closest friends these terms, while others refer to everyone with pet names like these.
Try them out in sentences like:
Pensando a te, amore mio* - “Thinking of you, my love”
Sei bellissima, cara* - “You’re beautiful, dear”
Sei il mio mondo, topolino* - “You’re my world, little puppy”
Cute German Nicknames
There’s a surprising number of ways to express your affection and liebe auf Deutsch.
Granted, some German expressions may seem a bit odd to call someone. One of the most common and popular nicknames for women is Maus or Mauschen, which translates to “mouse” and “little mouse.” It’s common to hear a man call his wife or girlfriend that.
Even more interesting, the Germans have created their own hybrid animal nickname, which I personally love: Mausebär (“mouse bear”). Adorable, right?
Another good nickname for your boyfriend or girlfriend: Schnuckiputzi. A hybrid word, it stems from schnuckelig and putzig, which mean “cute” and “sweet”. So it's used like “sweetie” or the more fun “cutie-patooty.”
None of the above fit your love? Try cute couple nicknames like Honigküsse (“honey kisses”), Zuckerbienchen (“little sugar bee”), Perle (“pearl”), and Liebling (“darling”). You can even take it up a notch with Kuschelbär (“cuddle bear”).
Cute nicknames for children like Erdbeerchen (“little strawberry”), Bärchen (“little bear”), and Schatz (“jewel” or “treasure”) are common. That’s where I got the name for my new puppy Schatzi!
And you can always make a nickname even better by adding the diminutive, -chen or -lien. That basically just makes it extra cute and “little".
Try them out with phrases like:
Ich liebe dich so sehr Honigküsse*: “I love you so much, honey kisses”
Mein schatz, komm hilf mir*: “My jewel, come help me”
Du bist der beste, schnuckiputzi*: “You’re the best, sweetie”
Cute Japanese Nicknames
The interesting thing about Japanese is they don’t often use nicknames at all. The language is very formal – always referring to someone by their last name plus -san. For example, Mr. Tanaka is Tanaka-san.
So when it comes to expressing love, affection, and friendship in Japanese, it’s usually as simple as calling your significant other by their first name only. Using someone’s first name symbolizes a comfortable, mutual affection or friendship. Calling someone you don’t know by their first name is a big no-no in Japanese culture. Whoever has seniority in the relationship has to be the one to establish that it’s okay to be called by a less formal name.
But, the Japanese do have some cute nicknames. They love to make everything とてもかわいい (totemo kawaii, “very cute”). A common example is shortening a celebrity’s name: Hikki for Utada Hikaru, MatsuJun for Jun Matsumoto of Arashi, and Maririn and Meetan for Mariko Shinoda and Megumi Ohori from AKB48.
Japanese also has some pet names that they’ve borrowed from English, like ダーリン (darin, “darling”) and ハニー (hanii, honey). But it’s much more common to create cute names by shortening the person’s name and adding -chan, -kun, or -tan. Although the general rule of thumb is -chan for girls, -kun for boys, and -tan for gender neutral, it all depends on the person and situation.
In anime and video games, you'll often hear guys called "-chan," and it’s very common to refer to a child by their first name plus -chan or -kun. But for adults, ask what they would like to be called.
There are some affectionate nicknames for spouses, too. A wife can address her husband as 旦那 (danna, “husband”) or 旦那さん (dannasan, which in this case adds cuteness). And a husband can call his wife 嫁 (yome, “wife” or “bride”). They’re as close to the English “hubby” and “wifey” as you can get in Japanese. And they are mainly only used during the honeymoon stage of a marriage. After that, things get a little more subdued with the standard 夫 (otto, “husband”) and 妻 or 奥さん (tsuma and okusan, “wife”). In Japanese, it’s not common to show much affection in public, and these terms are only used between the couple or with close friends and family.
Examples of how you can use them:
おはよう、ともちゃん (Ohayou, Tomo-chan): “‘Morning, Tomo-chan!” (Nickname for a friend, Tomoyo)
旦那さんは今夜料理しています (Dannasan wa konya ryouri shite imasu): “My husband is cooking tonight”
ハニー、大好きだよ (Hanii, daisuki da yo): “Honey, I love you”
Cute Korean Nicknames
As with Japanese, Korean has rules about calling someone by their first name only – and it’s not very common. How you address a person defines your relationship, and you must be on close terms to start calling them a nickname. But unlike Japanese, creative and cute nicknames in Korean are quite common!
A lot of times in K-dramas, you’ll hear couples call each other cute names like 귀요미 (kiyomi, “cutie”), 애인 (aein, “sweetheart”), or 여보 (“yeobo”, darling or honey, as a married couple). They even have a cute nickname for girls who whine - 찡찡이 (jjing-jjingi, “whiny”).
Other pet names include 자기야 (jagiya, “baby”) and 내 사랑 (nae sarang, “my love”). For husbands, you could say 오빠 (oppa, “honey”) or 왕자님 (wangjanim, “prince”). You could call your wife or girlfriend 공주님 (gongjunim, “princess”).
You can even call out the affectionate greeting, “안녕, 내 사랑!” (annyeong, nae sarang!, “hello, my love!”)
Ways to use these Korean pet names:
여보 난 당신을 사랑합니다 (yeobo nan dangsin-eul salanghabnida): “Honey, I love you”
나의 아름다운 공주님 (naui aleumdaun gongjunim): “My beautiful princess”
이봐 귀요미 (ibwa kiyomi): “Hey cutie”
Now Go Practise Them On Your Corazón, Bébé, or 내 사랑 (Sarang)!
I hope these nicknames from around the world will help you get more speaking practice with loved ones and build deeper relationships! After all, what’s more enticing to practise speaking than when you can see someone’s reaction to a lovely new nickname? So start sweet-talking away!
What other cute nicknames in these (or other) languages do you know of or like to use? Do you have a special pet name for your significant other? Tell us in the comments!
The post appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
July 19, 2018
How to Practise Speaking a New Language… Without the Anxiety Rush!
I’d finished school, where I’d fallen in love with languages. And I wanted to keep learning.
But I had no teacher to tell me how to learn.
I tried a few different things, but nothing seemed to be working. So I turned to my trusty friend, Google. “How to learn a language”, I typed in the search bar.
And there was one bit of advice that I kept seeing. It seemed like everything I read was encouraging me to get out there and speak my new language.
As you’re reading Fluent in 3 Months (Fi3M), there’s a good chance that you’re familiar with this advice.
Back then, as a self identified introvert and shy person, the idea of speaking my new languages wasn’t for me.
That’s not to say that it wasn’t good advice (it’s really good advice). It was just that it wasn’t something that I wanted to do.
(In a beautiful twist of fate, these days I’m the Community Manager for the Add1Challenge , which helps people start speaking their target language as quickly as possible).
I rebelled, trying to do a bunch of other different things such as buying every coursebook my local bookstore had to offer and spending way too much time on LiveMocha, but again, none of those things worked.
Now, if I wanted to watch TV in my target language, or read an author I adored in his or her original language, I might have been alright.
The truth was, I was afraid of speaking. But I also felt drawn to speaking. I really wanted to have real conversations and meet interesting people from other countries. I wanted to see the world, and be more independent when I travelled.
With dreams like that, there was no way for me to get around it: I had to start speaking.
But that didn’t mean I had to play by the rules.
Instead, I decided to find a way that I could start speaking on my terms. I was determined to find ways to speak that would feel right, work with my personality and make me a little more comfortable.
I’ll get to what I found in a moment, but first, a quick detour…
What’s All the Fuss About Speaking?
Let’s just get something clear. You don’t actually need to speak your target language to learn it. Speaking is a really effective way to learn a language, but it’s not the only way.
You can actually learn a language without speaking. It all depends on your goals.
Speaking is only important if you want to connect with other people.
So if you just want to watch TV in your target language, read a newspaper, or listen to podcasts, then focus on developing your reading and listening skills.
But here’s the deal… many language learners I meet want to connect with others. They just don’t know where to start, and they feel scared of speaking. So they settle, and set lower goals.
If that’s you, it’s time to stop settling -- and I want to show you the first steps out of that mindset.
As an aside, this is why I love the Add1Challenge -- because we’ve seen hundreds of language learners get out of that “settling” mindset and push themselves to have real conversations (at the end of the Add1Challenge, participants have a 15 -minute conversation in their target language -- we guarantee it).
Why is Speaking so Scary?
When you start speaking a new language, everything feels awkward.
New sounds. New words. Weird grammar. And you know you’re making a ton of mistakes.
The idea of speaking a new language feels fun… but fear and uncertainty push back and leave you feeling anxious.
Add into the mix meeting new people (italki tutors or language exchange partners)... and it’s no wonder so many language learners end up running away terrified!
But when you push through that fear (and I know you can, I’ve seen so many others do it), you’ll find a whole new world on the other side. And you’ll discover that you can connect with people from other countries and cultures faster than you ever thought possible.
So how can you do this?
A Plunge into the Deep End -- Or Small Steps
The only way to beat the fear is to stand up to it. Ultimately, you have to push through it. For some people, plunging in at the deep-end and arranging a Skype call with a conversation partner is the best way to do it.
For others, it’s easier to take small steps.
Here are the first two steps I’d recommend you take:
Find ways to practise speaking that you can do on your own. I’ll explain why this matters in a moment.
Remind yourself often (daily is best) of the reasons you want to speak your new language. These could be:
Meeting People: When you speak another language, you have the opportunity to get to know people you’d otherwise never be able to communicate with. Each language that you speak can open up an entirely new world to you.
Travel: When you can speak the local language in your travels, you’ll find you get on much better. You’re able to communicate better, order food, purchase train tickets, and more confidently navigate your way around. Plus, it makes your travel safer because you can understand what’s going on around you.
Overall understanding of your target language: Because speaking is a form of language production, it takes your understanding of the language to the next level. It's one thing to understand. It's entirely another to produce.
Confidence: Speaking another language is a HUGE confidence boost.
Job opportunities: Speaking a foreign language can mean you have more job opportunities or even get you a raise at your current job.
Authentic cultural experiences: When you speak another language, you’re not stuck hanging out in the tourist zones or English bubble when you travel. You can go off the beaten track.
Of course, these are just a few of the benefits of being able to speak another language. Others might be that you can communicate with family that speaks another language, improve your memory, or even become more articulate in your own language. And I’m sure that you can think of a few more.
Speaking to Yourself -- Not as Crazy as It Sounds
Here are a few good reasons to practise speaking your target language -- and you’ll get all these benefits even if you in your own company before you go out there and have real conversations:
Muscle memory: When you speak, you train your brain, mouth and tongue to coordinate with one another. You teach them to produce the correct sounds and shapes at the correct time. To speak a new language, you physically need to train your muscles. Not practising speaking the language before diving into your first conversation would be like picking up a musical instrument you’ve never played before, and trying to perform in front of an expert player. The world’s not going to end, but you probably won’t walk away from the experience feeling amazing.
Production improves understanding: When you actually produce language, you’re further developing your insight in the language in a way that just consuming it doesn’t allow.
The spoken language is often different from the written language and the only way that you’re going to master that part of the language is by being exposed to it. You could argue that films and movies do this to some degree, but even that medium is fixed. You’ll never get the spontaneity and improvisation that come with real life speaking.
Verbal communication is about more than words and grammar: And again, this is where things like tone, speed, and so on come into play.
How to Get Speaking Practice Without a Conversation Partner
Speaking with a conversation partner is an important part of learning a language -- especially if connecting with others is your goal.
But you don’t have to jump straight into a conversation without a bit of practice first. Here are just a few of the ways that I’ve snuck in some extra speaking practice so that I felt more confident when it was time to meet up with a conversation partner.
1. Siri, Alexa or “Hey Google”
Change Siri, Alexa or your Android’s settings so you can talk to your device in your target language. Then start doing it!
This is an excellent challenge because it demands good pronunciation. It’s a good (and entertaining) challenge if you feel you’re ready for it.
2. Voice to Text
Many mobile devices and computers have a voice to text feature that lets you dictate notes and messages instead of typing. By changing the language of your device, you can talk to your device in your target language, and see how much it understands. Another good way to test your pronunciation!
3. Talk to Yourself (When No-One’s Listening)
If you aren’t ready to talk to other people, you can always talk to yourself. It may feel uncomfortable, but it’s really effective and it not only helps you train your speaking muscles, but it also helps you to discover any gaps that exist in your vocabulary.
Not sure what to talk to yourself about? Narrate what you’re doing or tell yourself a story about your day so far. I like to do this to practise what I’m going to say when I meet up with a language exchange partner.
4. Talk at a Friend
Don’t want to talk to yourself? Talk at a family member, friend or even a pet!
This is a bit different than actually conversing in your target language because you don’t have the pressure of needing to understand what’s being said to you and you don’t have to worry about mistakes because it’s likely the other person won’t understand you.
This method works for two reasons:
Even if someone doesn’t understand the language, they’ll likely still be able to tell where you’re hesitant
You’re “performing” in your target language (which slightly ups the pressure compared to talking to yourself), but you’ve taken out the stress of meeting someone new
5. Voice-Record Yourself Speaking
This is a good way to take the conversations you have with yourself to the next level. When you record yourself speaking, you can play it back and hear mistakes you might not otherwise have noticed.
6. Video Yourself Speaking
This is similar to recording your voice, but it also allows you to check your body language and expressions when you watch the video back.
To take this to another level, you can even post all or a portion of your video online. That way, you get speaking practice on your own terms and then you can get feedback on your speaking from other learners or native speakers I love sharing my videos on Instagram, but other learners use Snapchat, Youtube, and Facebook Live.
7. Read Aloud
You can do this with any resource -- a book, a comic, an online article, the exercises in your textbook, it really doesn’t matter.
It’s all about training those mouth muscles and getting used to speaking your new language.
It’s one of my favorite things to do, but you have to be careful when you’re doing it. Sometimes, when reading aloud, you don’t actually take in what you’re reading. Be sure that if you choose to do this, you aren’t just going through the motions. Pay attention to not just the words you’re reading, but what they’re telling you.
8. Call-and-Response
Call-and-response programs are audio lessons along the lines of Pimsleur or Michel Thomas.
These are courses that provide you with audio in your target language, and also the opportunity to either repeat, emulate, or answer prompts.
To put it simply, the course “calls”, and you respond.
I’ve had great success with these courses, and they help immensely with accent and pronunciation.
9. Sing Along!
Find music you enjoy in your target language and learn the lyrics. It’s a fun way to use the language and you get to learn about the music of that culture, too.
10. Google Translate
I love using Google Translate to check my pronunciation, especially for Chinese and Korean.
Wondering how to do this? Set the source language to your target language and the translation to English. Record yourself saying a word or a phrase and then check to see if the translation is correct. If it’s not, switch directions and translate from English to your target language, and click the speaker icon to hear a computer pronunciation of the translation.
My French family and English family use this tool to communicate with one another (learning a bit of each other’s language in the process).
11. Shadowing
Shadowing is a technique for when you’re watching a movie or TV show in your target language. Listen to a line or two, pause the movie and repeat the line. Imitate the character as closely as possible.
You can also use shadowing with podcasts, talk radio and YouTube videos.
12. “Voice Journalling”
You can use journaling to work on your speaking. Write your journal in your target language, and read aloud as you write. Doing both at once will help you memorise the words and phrases that you’re writing down.
13. Voice Messages
Tools like HelloTalk or even WeChat, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger all let you leave voice messages.
This means you can send and receive voice notes to your exchange partners or friends in your target language. That way, you can practise speaking and listening without the pressure of a real-time conversation.
14. The Mimic Method
Idahosa Ness of the Mimic Method believes the best way to learn a language is by mimicking sounds -- just like babies learn.
Following a sound-based course such as the Mimic Method is a really good way to get speaking practice. If you dive deep with this course, your accent and pronunciation will strongly resemble that of a native speaker. It’s then up to you to work on vocabulary and grammar.
You can read my review of the Mimic Method here.
15. Glossika
Glossika is known for its mass sentences method, and most learners associate it with improving listening comprehension. The web version, however, allows you to turn on your microphone and repeat the phrases so that you can get speaking practice, too.
Speaking is a Lot Easier than You Thought!
If you’re not ready to have real conversations, but you know you need to start speaking, there are a lot of things that you can do to practise and prepare.
But remember… you are probably ready to start chatting with real people sooner than you think. It can be a little scary, but the reward is worth facing that fear.
If you’re ready to take your speaking and conversing to the next level, the Add1Challenge is the perfect place to do it. You’ll be working towards a 15-minute conversation in your target language with the support of that community and the Fi3M Add1Challenge team.
What About You?
What are some of the ways you’ve worked on speaking? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
The post How to Practise Speaking a New Language… Without the Anxiety Rush! appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
July 16, 2018
How to Learn Swahili: An In-Depth Guide
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Image credit: raymondsanti[/caption]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 you might want to consider giving this language a shot yourself. Here’s why you might like to learn Swahili:
7 Good Reasons to Learn Swahili -- East Africa’s Lingua Franca
Reason 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. It 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, and is the most widely-spoken African language. It is the national language of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and the DRC, and is used as the “lingua franca” throughout East and Southeast Africa.
Reason 3: You’ll Expand Your Ideas of How Language Works
If you’re used to Eurocentric languages, it might be a surprise to learn that 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, reflecting 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
There’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 they 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, that 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 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, who 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.
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… Don’t they speak English in Kenya?”
Yes, English is the official language of Kenya (Swahili is the national language), and 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.
While in Kenya you’ll come into contact with many highly-educated Kenyans whose English is excellent, especially in the tourism industry, 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.
Why Swahili is an Easy Language to Learn
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 fact, 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.
You’re not Starting From Scratch with Vocab -- 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 which is 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 – Swahili word for “lion”
rafiki – Swahili word for “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?
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, and you don’t need to change around the order of words 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.
My 3 Top Tips for Learning Swahili Through Immersion in Kenya
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,” 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!
Swahili Courses and Resources -- So You Can Learn Swahili at Home
So, now you’re motivated to start learning Swahili on your own, where do you begin?
Free Resources for Learning Swahili
SwahiliPod101 . This podcast course 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!
LanguageTransfer Complete Swahili is an audio-based course where 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 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. There is no audio yet for this module. It’s not the biggest problem, since Swahili is a phonetic language. However, for this reason, I highly recommend getting started with the SwahiliPod101podcast first.
The BBC has a Swahili YouTube channel called Dira la Dunia . This is more advanced, and uses very formal news jargon - not super colloquial.
An easier YouTube channel for beginners is Swahili Fairy Tales , geared towards children, with English subtitles
Paid Resources for Learning Swahili
*italki. italki, of course, remains a fantastic resource (here’s the Fi3M review of italki). 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!
Teach Yourself: Complete Swahili by Joan Russell .
This textbook and accompanying audio 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 Swahili
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 Greetings
Formal Greetings in Swahili
Habari? – “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 Swahili
Sasa? – “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 Vocabulary
Ndiyo – “Yes”
Hapana – “No”
Asante – “Thank you”
Karibu – “Welcome/You’re welcome” (also: “close” / “near”)
Mzungu – “White person” (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”
The post How to Learn Swahili: An In-Depth Guide appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
July 14, 2018
Teen Learns Chinese: My 3 Month Language Mission
Fast forward a few years, to last August. I had not remembered much from the Mandarin class I had taken, but I did have lots of fun eating Fruit Loops and noodles with chopsticks. I decided that I would try to take up the language again, hopefully with more success. I took a few lessons, trying to use pinyin as much as possible, and avoiding Chinese characters at all costs. Of course, I had a few bumps along the way. One teacher I had told me I did not need to learn characters to speak Chinese, but then expressed her disappointment when could not identify Chinese characters she showed me on her flashcards. Ultimately, school started a few short weeks later, and I lost the time, energy, and vocabulary in the back to school rush.
That brings me to today. This school year has been absolutely amazing for me. I have taken several challenging (but rewarding) classes, became the 1st student in my school’s history to move from Spanish 1 to Spanish 3 Honors (another story for another time), and made so many new friends, some of whom are immigrants chasing their own American Dreams in my town! I have also met many Chinese speakers, many of whom I did not know before.
As the weather got nicer and warmer here in the Northern Hemisphere, I wondered what I would do over my summer break. Many things came to mind, such as family trips, athletic camps, as well as relaxing after a busy school year. However, I realized that there was one goal of mine that I never attained from the previous summer; learn Mandarin Chinese.
That’s why, for the summer of 2018, I am going to learn Mandarin Chinese, once and for all! When I first thought about this goal, I wanted to make it permanent, so that I could not let myself down again. I also desired to make my goals known to a large audience, so I could help people with their own struggles, regardless of any language they may be trying to learn. In this article, I will outline all of the steps I will take to learn Mandarin Chinese, the level I hope to be at by the end of the summer, my progress reports I will give to you (my audience), as well as what I think I am in for during this challenge. One thing is for certain… I cannot wait to start!
My Method
One obvious question you may have for me is this; how will you go about learning “the toughest language on Earth”? Although it will be difficult, but not as hard as many people think , I will do what I have been doing for all of my other language learning journeys.
First, I will take some formal lessons for the language, mostly online. I find that this helps me a lot, due to the fact that it gives me some information that I may find helpful in my conversations with native speakers. I also like to get some basics in the language down before I begin to have language exchanges with people.
Once I begin to have conversations with people, I will try to continue my lessons online, as they become more focused and tailored to my actual needs (as well as wants) in Mandarin. This helps me to incorporate new vocabulary into my conversations, and therefore helps me stick it into my memory for good.
Another thing that I like to learn at this stage is how to form adverbs. I discovered this necessity when I began learning Italian. When I first began having my conversations, I used molto (very) more than I would have liked. Every adjective had molto when I wanted to emphasize how something was, from molto bene (very good) to molto felice (very happy) to everything in between.
Once I learned how to form adverbs, such as bellissimo (wonderful) and felicemente (happily), I became more confident in my ability to speak Italian. I also received many compliments from native speakers on the variation of my speech. Going into this challenge, I wonder how easy/difficult it will be to form these adverbs.
Unlike my previous journeys with Mandarin, I will definitely make a concerted effort to learn the Chinese characters that I need to this time around. Although it may be difficult to learn all of the characters that I need to, it may be worth a try since my last experience with only pinyin did not pan out so well.
How Will I Stay Accountable to My Goal?
In past experiences, my Achilles’ heel has been not having an “accountability buddy”, or a group of people pushing me to do better, or just stay on track. This phenomenon was outlined in a study that was done by The American Society of Training and Development. When a person sets a goal for him/herself, and commits to another person, the chances that the goal is met is 65%. However, when that same person builds in meetings with their partner to check in on their progress, the same person’s chances of succeeding go up to a whopping 95%!
This makes sense in the world of language learning. Programs like the Add1Challenge have countless success stories of people who never had the opportunity, drive, or motivation to learn a foreign tongue. However, once they are put into contact with fellow learners, who push, inspire, and help their fellow challengers, their language ability soars! The only difference between the Add1Challenge and learning independently is the addition of a whole network of people rooting you on (and what a difference it makes!).
The Add1Challenge has helped many people learn a language that they have struggled with in the past. Regardless of gender, age, or nationality, these people came together for a common goal: the ability to hold a 15 minute conversation with a native speaker. That’s why I will be a part of the Add1Challenge along with several other language learners pursuing fluency in their respective languages.
In addition to the Add1 Challenge, I will be writing monthly updates on my language learning progress. In these updates, I will include videos from my lessons/conversations, and insights on what went right/wrong, and any adjustments I may be making to my process.
One really cool aspect about my town is that there are a few different Chinese restaurants, run by immigrants from China! Although it is always neat to connect with speakers of Mandarin Chinese over the Internet, I always prefer face-to-face conversations with people. These interactions that I hope to have with the native speakers will be very fascinating and inspirational, and I anticipate that I will be able to share videos of these conversations with you. ;)
What Level Am I Aiming For?
In determining what level I aim for, I have a little analogy that I like to use. You may have heard this before: language learning is like a mountain. You will push and struggle, and the “mountain” will be very steep and slippery at times, but when you eventually reach the summit, all that you have sacrificed and struggled for will be worth it in the end.
Although a helpful comparison, this is not actually the one that I use. When I think of my personal language mountain, I think of a certain level that I would like to achieve, usually way higher or out of reach for me (but not too far out of reach). Then, I put my head down, and work extremely hard on reaching that point on the mountain.
Why do I do this? Too often, I see people set good goals for themselves, but then ultimately go at a slow pace, knowing that they will reach the goal at some point. What ends up happening is that these people eventually lose interest in the original goal, because they are going at such a slow pace with their work (Note: This is solely based on my own experiences with people setting goals and learning languages).
I, on the other hand, would like to work hard on my progress, and then come up a little short of my goal. Although I may be disappointed that I missed my mark, I usually reach a level higher than I thought possible, because my original goal was so far-fetched. If I had set my goal at the level I had reached (say, B1), I would have only probably reached an A2, just because I have set a lower bar (mentally) for myself.
For my Chinese, I will use the Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì (HSK) standards to measure my progress. In case you are not aware, the HSK is the way people measure their progress in Mandarin Chinese. It is basically the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) of China.
In three months, I aim to be at HSK Level 4 (roughly a B2 for CEFR). What does this mean? The official definition of the HSK Level 4 states: “Students can speak about a broad range of topics in Chinese and can communicate with native speakers on a high level”. On a reading level, it requires knowledge of anywhere from 250-600 characters.
To memorize the characters that I need to, I will probably use tools such as Memrise . I may try reading Chinese magazines and newspapers, or even comic books (although that may not be my cup of tea). If I want to get bold, I may try immersion on my computer and/or other devices!
Conclusion
To conclude, I cannot wait to start my Chinese challenge! I believe that it may be difficult at times, but I will have a phenomenal group supporting me, from my friends to be at the Add1 Challenge, to my family encouraging me at home, to you, the readers, whom I will stay accountable to.
This summer will be one of the busiest summers I have ever had. I have work for my classes in the fall, will be attending some athletic camps, all on top of relaxing and spending some quality time with my friends and family. And, of course, learning Mandarin Chinese tops the list of things to do!
If you have any tips or hints for me, please let me know! I would love to hear from you, and try your suggestions!
The post Teen Learns Chinese: My 3 Month Language Mission appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
July 13, 2018
Pen Pals 101: How to Find and Keep a Pen Pal to Practise Your Language Skills
Finding a pen pal is a great way to connect with people from other parts of the world, to learn a foreign language, and to open yourself up to a new culture.
Of course, these days we have Skype and email, which make connecting with others around the world much easier. But the desire to connect with people in different countries has been around far longer than the Internet! The postal service has been helping people learn languages and make new friends for hundreds of years.
And, even in this technological age, using snail mail to connect can still be incredibly effective. Thousands of people all over the world are looking to learn a language with a pen pal, and if you like writing letters (or if you think it’s something you might enjoy), it could be the language learning solution you’ve been looking for.
Let’s look a little closer at what a pen pal is, and how being one can help you learn a language.
What is a Pen Pal?
Pen pals are long-distance friendships you maintain by writing letters to each other.
The best pen pals are usually those who have an interest in learning about different people, cultures and languages. They want to connect with the world outside their borders, but on a more personal level.
Traditionally these pen pal opportunities would have been advertised in a newspaper or magazine. There would be a short profile about the person who was looking for a pen pal, and you could decide to send them a letter based how well your interests matched up.
This might sound like an odd way to start a friendship, but many pen pals go on to become best friends and forge lifelong bonds thanks to these common interests.
Nona Avery and Alice Powers are a great example of this. After seeing Alice listed as an American looking for a pen pal in a popular girl’s annual, Nona sent a letter to her from her home in England. She received a response two weeks later, and they’ve been sending bi-weekly letters to each other for the last 72 years!
Technology has changed how pen pals find each other, with many websites offering to connect pals from all across the globe. But the written word remains at the core of their relationship, whether that’s through an app like HelloTalk or good ol’ fashioned pen and paper.
How Can a Pen Pal Help You Learn a Language?
Pen pals have always had their role in language learning.
As I’ve mentioned, the desire to connect with someone on the other side of the world and practice your language skills before getting to the country predates Internet access and the invention of Skype. And the practice is still used today, despite all of the technology available to us.
Being a pen pal is a less intimidating way of connecting with someone while practicing your writing skills in your target language. Crafting a letter to send to someone can help you learn new vocabulary, practice talking about specific themes, and improve your grammar. Developing these friendships can also create opportunities to travel to countries and experience life there as a local.
Take The Guardian columnist Libby Page for example. As part of her school French course, she was connected with a girl called Juliette who came from a town in western France. Libby would send her letters in French and receive a response in English so that Juliette could practice her skills. Their letters would be filled with grammatical errors, and drawings to try and make their points clearer, but neither of them cared; they were learning by doing. After a few months, Libby had the opportunity to go to France where she stayed with Juliette and her family. They went to school and socialised together, and Libby experienced a side of French culture she couldn’t have seen by just going on vacation. An opportunity that wouldn’t have been available without her pen pal connection!
If you enjoy writing and connecting with other people, having a pen pal is a great way to support your language learning efforts.
Who Are Pen Pals For?
Pen pals are for anyone looking to learn a language or discover more about another culture.
Adults often worry if being a pen pal is just for young people or if it’s weird for older people in the community to take part. But that’s one of the best things about being a pen pal; you don’t have to meet any specific requirements.
It doesn’t matter if you’re: tall, short, old, young, employed, studying, pink, purple, from Mars or have a penchant for chocolate cake. As long as you’re open to new people and experiences, you can be a pen pal.
The 3 Different Types of Pen Pal
Technology has created lots of options for pen pals to connect with each other. So you can customise the type of pen pal you want to be based on how you like to write to people:
Snail Mail: This is the traditional type of pen pal you’ve read about in this article so far. You send proper letters to fixed addresses in different countries. If you like the way receiving a handwritten letter makes you feel, this type is for you.
Email: Many people prefer email to snail mail these days because it’s free, quick and easy.
Digital: These are pen pals you connect with via instant messaging or services like HelloTalk. Here you can have daily or ongoing conversations with a pen pal through your mobile phone. If you prefer a fast-paced digital world, there are lots of options here.
I find the most personal connections come from snail mail because a lot of time, care and attention goes into sending a handwritten letter. But you can still develop deep connections with people using the other two as well.
10 Websites to Help You Find a Foreign Language Pen Pal
Pen pal websites have replaced the magazine and newspaper advertisements that Nona and Alice used to find their pen pals 72 years ago.
There are now opportunities to connect with hundreds of like-minded people who want to share the language learning experience with you. It’s as simple as joining a website, uploading a profile, and finding people to write to.
Many people join these sites purely for language learning. So, it won’t be too long until you find yourself connected with someone who speaks your target language and wants to learn your mother tongue.
Here are ten websites you can join to find your pen pal:
InterPals
Global Penfriends
Conversation Exchange
HelloTalk
PenpalsNow
Penpal Party
My Language Exchange
Polyglot Club
Students of the World
PenPal Schools
Don’t be disheartened if it takes a while to find a pen pal, or if you have to wait a little while for a response. This is a normal part of the process, and these letters can often take longer to craft if they’re being written in a second language.
How to Find a Pen Pal as a Language Student
If you’re currently attending a language school, or you’re studying a language as part of your school curriculum, there may be some pre-arranged pen pal opportunities for you.
Lots of independent language schools are connected to a local community and may be able to connect you with people in that community to become pen pals. These may come through a teacher’s personal connections, or from professional connections the school has set up with a sister school elsewhere.
Your normal junior, middle or high-school may also have connections with a student exchange program for language learning. These often come with the opportunity to connect with other students in your connected school as pen pals.
Either way, it’s worth asking your teachers if they’re able to connect you with a pen pal.
What to Write in a Pen Pal Letter
Once you’ve found a pen pal, it’s time to write your first letter.
This can be a scary task because you want to express yourself well and make a good first impression. But don’t stress yourself too much here; it’s supposed to be a fun process where you learn from your mistakes!
One of the great things about the CEFR language framework is that the levels progress in the same way as getting to know someone would. This means pen pal letters are accessible no matter what level you’re at.
As an A1 (beginner) learner, you may only be able to ask them their name, where they’re from, what their hobbies are and which music they listen to. That might also be all the information you’re able to give about yourself. But that’s great! Many conversations start around these topics anyway.
If you’d like a simple structure for your first letter, I’d recommend something like this:
Introduction: Say a little about who you are, where you’re from, and why you wanted a pen pal.
Talk about your shared interests: Mention some of the shared interests that made you want to write to them. What did you feel you could bond over and why?
Ask some questions about their life: What information do you want to learn about them?
Mention what you’ll be doing between now and their next letter: This will give them something to write to you about. For example, if you’re going to a concert that could prompt a question in their next letter.
Sign off: Thank them for reading your letter, let them know where to contact you, and let them know you’re looking forward to their response.
To keep the conversation going and ensure your pal writes back to you, it’s important to be curious. Ask questions about their life, take an interest in who they are and talk about the things that matter to both of you. And when writing about yourself, you’ll sound more interesting if you describe one or two events in detail rather than gloss over several events. For example, if talking about a party, don’t just say, “The food was good and everyone had a nice time”. Mention something funny or memorable that happened, or describe the food or the ambience in some detail.
Mr Postman, Look and See…
When you’ve sent your letter all you have to do is wait for your reply!
This can take a few days or a few weeks depending on where you’ve sent your letter, so don’t be too upset if you don’t get a response straight away.
If you don’t get a response at all, don’t worry, you can try again with a different pen pal using the same ideas I’ve shared in this post.
The post Pen Pals 101: How to Find and Keep a Pen Pal to Practise Your Language Skills appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
