Benny Lewis's Blog, page 61
June 4, 2018
10 Ways to say ”Hello” in Arabic
Either way, you have landed on the right page!
How do you say “hello” in Arabic? Here are 10 Arabic greetings you can use so you’ll know how to say hello in Arabic, whatever the situation. I’ve also included the literal translations into English.
1. Marhaba - “Hello/Hi”
Marhaba is the simplest type of greeting that is used across the Arabic speaking world. Marhaba is the ideal general greeting: it is soft to say and is considered to be polite and neutral.
2. Salamo Alaykom - “Peace be Upon You”
Salamo Alaykom was the traditional Arabic greeting that was practised when Islam first started spreading. It means “Peace be upon you”.
Wa Alaykom el Salam (“and peace be upon you”) is the typical response, which basically means “And upon you peace”, as in “peace be upon you too”.
Salamo Alaykom is used when speaking to groups of people. Although it is in plural form, it can be used with both a single person or a group.
If you want to be precise though, here are the variations of Salamo Alaykom depending on whom you’re addressing.
Salamo Alayka - Singular Masculine
Salamo Alayki - Singular Feminine
Salamo Alaykoma - Dual (Feminine, masculine or mixed)
Salamo Alaykonna - Plural Feminine
Salamo Alaykom - Plural (Can be masculine or mixed)
Nowadays, this is considered to be a religious Islamic greeting, however no one will be offended if it is or isn’t used in this manner!
It’s amazing to see the difference between cultures in how to say “hello”. Look how long Salamo Alaykom is - six syllables! I live in Germany (I’ve been here five years), and our main greeting is Na.
3. Awefe - “Healths”
This is also kind of a soft and nice thing to say. In some regions however, like in the Middle East, it might be considered funny, since it is not typically used.
It basically means: “may you have a lot of health to keep you in shape for all the stuff that you are doing”. That’s why I translated it as “healths” and not “health”, because it is in the plural form, hence “healths”.
Just as a joke, write the word “health” on a lot small pieces of paper, and throw them at an Arabic-speaking friend. It might take them a while to understand, but it will be funny and worth it.
4. Ya’teek el ‘afye - “[May God] give you health”
This greeting is a bit like Awefe, but this time it is just singular and with the addition that God is referred to in the passive form. The word for “God” is not in the sentence, but is implied. Who gives you health? God gives you health. Hence, “[May God] give you health”.
Important point, this is not considered to be religious and can be used in neutral form like Marhaba.
5. Marahib - “Hellos”
This is the plural form of Marhaba. When just one “Hello” is just not enough, you throw all the hellos at them! Marahib!
6. Salam - “Peace”
“We come in peace!” - Martians
How nice is it to be greeted with the word peace? This is a calm and soft “peace” to use in greeting. It is basically like Namaste but in Arabic. Peace out.
7. Sabaho (Sabah el Kheir, Sabah el Noor) - “Morning (Good morning, light morning)*
Sabah is morning, so Sabaho doesn’t only mean morning; It means “his” morning. Who’s morning? No idea.
Sabah el Kheir is “good morning”, plain and simple
Sabah el noor is the answer for Sabah el Kheir, and means “light morning”.
A typical conversation with these phrases:
“Good morning”
“Light morning”
And then you move on with your day.
Bonus point: Yis’idle Sabahak/ik/kon.
This means “Your morning made me happy!” How sweet is that?
The “ak”, “ik” and “kon” is the difference between masculine, feminine and plural forms. “Ak” is for masculine, “ik” is for feminine and “kon” is for plural.
8. Kifak - “How are you?”
Kifak (or *Kifik if you’re speaking to a woman) is the best known way to say “How are you?”. You can also say Kif Halak? which means “How is your health?”
Sometimes it comes directly after the Marhaba. So to say it all in Arabic it would be Marhaba, kifak?/Kif halak?
When someone says this to you, you can reply with Lhamdella or Mnih.
Lhamdella is “Thanks, God”, as in thanking Him for being in a good health. Mnih is “well” or “good”.
But we all know that we lie by saying “well”. So if you are feeling down or not so much yourself that day, you can reply with meshe lhal. The literal translation of meshe lhal is “the situation is walking”. The closest translation however would be “it’s okay”.
9. Naharak sa’eed - “Good day”
I know I translated this as “good day”, but it doesn’t actually mean “good day”. It means “happy day”. In my humble opinion, wishing someone a “happy day” when you first see that person, is the sweetest greeting ever.
This is more of a “Fusha” a.k.a. “Modern Standard Arabic” than it is around a specific Arabic dialect.
10. *Sho el Akhbar” - “What are the News?”
Sho el Akhbar literally means “what are the news” as in, “what’s new?”
You can also say “Sho fi ma fi”. The literal translation for it would be “What’s in not in?”.
True story. This also means “What’s new”. I wouldn’t use it as a first greeting though. My advice is to use it is right after *Marhaba.
Bonus information on Arabic Greetings
Every Arab country has its own dialect, so even Marhaba can be different from one country to another.
For instance in Tunisia they don’t say Marhaba they say ’aslema’ which means “on peace” and *Bislema for goodbyes!
In Lebanon however, sometimes they don’t use the word Marhaba, they just go with Cava?!
Which Arabic “Hello” Did You Like?
Is there any specific Arabic greeting that you liked best? What are the best ways to greet people in your country? Looking forward to some enthusiastic conversations in the comment section below!
The post 10 Ways to say ”Hello” in Arabic appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
June 1, 2018
How to Learn Cantonese: The Easy Way to Learn Cantonese in 10 Simple Steps
[caption id="attachment_23785" align="aligncenter" width="480"]
Jackie Chan in the Hong Kong movie Police Story (1985).[/caption]As well as movies there are also countless TV dramas and Cantopop songs coming out all the time in Hong Kong:
[caption id="attachment_23786" align="aligncenter" width="534"]
Caption: Cantopop band Beyond singing their hit song Boundless Oceans Vast Skies.[/caption]But Cantonese is not just limited to Hong Kong. With 60 million native speakers, Cantonese is also spoken in Macau, Southern China in Guangdong province, parts of Malaysia and in Chinatowns all across the world.
But it's just too hard to learn, right?
Cantonese has a reputation of being a hard language, but as with any language, as long as you have a good strategy and a solid routine, you can come a long way in just a few short months.
So how long does it take to learn Cantonese?
In my first month learning Cantonese, I really didn't know what I was doing, so my progress was extremely slow. But as soon as I implemented the steps I’m about to share, I started to progress much faster. After a few months I was having good conversations with my tutor over Skype, and after six months I managed to hold an entire one-hour conversation comfortably with zero English.
After that, I went on to win the Add1challenge, and then travelled to Hong Kong where I spent two entire weeks on holiday without using a single word of English.
So, what techniques did I use? What is the best way to learn Cantonese?
In this article I will share with you 10 simple steps that you can implement today in order to become a conversational Cantonese speaker in just six months.
Step 1: Skip Chinese Characters and Find a Good Beginner’s Cantonese Course
Because your goal here is to speak, the best way to start is to find a solid beginner’s book full of dialogues with a romanized transcript.
One of the major stumbling blocks of learning any Chinese language is the writing system. It takes a huge time commitment to learn all the characters, so if you want to become conversational as quick as possible, this will only slow you down.
There are two main romanization systems used for Cantonese, Jyutping and Yale. Older resources tend to favour Yale whereas newer resources tend to favour Jyutping. For this reason I highly recommend opting for resources that use Jyutping.
For a book full of dialogues (and that teaches grammar only on a “need to know” basis), I recommend Cantonese for everyone. It offers a great choice for anyone first starting out in Cantonese.
Another popular choice is CantoneseClass101, which again is a great resource for beginners. You just have to be careful about two points. Firstly, while it does provide a good place to start for beginners, the dialogues are too short to really practise listening, so I wouldn't spent too long on this before moving on. Secondly, the vocabulary lists often mix up spoken and written Cantonese (which are often really different). Therefore, I recommend you avoid the vocabulary lists on the website all together and focus all of your attention on the dialogues.
Step 2: Get a Cantonese Tones Cheat Sheet
Characters aside, the other major stumbling block in Cantonese is the tones. While most native speakers say there are nine tones, in modern Cantonese only six are now taught as shown by the picture below:
So what is the best way to learn the tones? Luckily for us, the romanization systems have tone numbers built in. In the diagram above, the letters represent the sound and the number the tone.
What I tried to do initially was to memorize the six tones right from the start, but this didn't work at all. I kept forgetting what they meant, and I was just thinking too much and making life much more difficult than it needed to be.
What I found more useful was the above cheat sheet or diagram, which I could look at for reference. I would quickly read this over once to get an idea of what the tones are and then move on to the next step, listening.
Step 3: Listen to Cantonese Every Day
When learning a language, I cannot put enough emphasis on how important listening is. The main reason why I didn't progress very much in my first month of learning Cantonese was because I spent my time listening to the podcasts on CantoneseClass101 instead of spending time with the actual dialogues.
In order to get used to the sounds, you need to listen many times over. First listen without the transcript to see what you already know. Then, with the help of Jyutping, try listening and reading at the same time. Make sure to pay special attention to the tone markers and listen out for them as you go along.
This is where your tone chart comes in.If you forget what a number means, then look it up in your tone chart. Once you have looked it up, go back to listening.
In the first week or two of doing this I forgot the tones more times than I care to say, but the important thing was I kept listening. Over time by listening with the aid of Jyutping to help me read, I shortly became accustomed to the different tones and sounds of Cantonese.
Make sure to dedicate time every day to focus on your listening, and try not to rely on English explanations too much, such as podcasts or grammar explanations.
Step 4: Transfer Useful Cantonese Words to Flashcards
At this point you are listening every day while building up your passive Cantonese vocabulary and your comprehension in Cantonese. But you want to be able to speak, right?
The next important step to take is activating your vocabulary. My favourite and the most convenient way to do this is by using SRS flashcard apps, such as Anki.
The best thing about flashcard apps is they are on your phone, so you can take them with you wherever you go. Whenever you have a spare minute or two throughout the day, you can get your phone out and practise. This is an incredibly useful way to utilize deadtime, such as waiting at the bus stop, or waiting to reheat your lunch at work.
When you come across a word you want to learn, don't just take the single word, make sure to take the whole sentence to capture the context. Put English on side one of your flashcard, and Cantonese in the full sentence on side two.
When you are reviewing the flashcards, look at the English prompt and try to say the sentence in Cantonese from memory. The good thing about this is you see a prompt, and then practise speaking. This is similar to the skills you need to use in conversation, and it will make your first conversation easier down the line.
This will be difficult at first, so I recommend being selective about what you add. Personally, I haven't ever used any premade Anki decks because I believe it's better to add what I feel is relevant to me.
Step 5: Use Mnemonics to Make Sure Tricky Cantonese Words Stick in Your Mind
While SRS flashcards are extremely useful, and in a lot of cases you can simply review them regularly and let time do the work, there will inevitably be some words and phrases that just won't stick. When this happens, you should use mnemonics.
A mnemonic involves associating a word with a particular, memorable image. This links the new word in your brain to something you already know, and makes it easier to recall quickly. The more personal and relevant the image is to you, and the more easily you can picture it in your head, the greater the chance of it working.
Let me give you an example. I was trying to remember the expression "to go for a walk" pronounced "saan3 bou6", and kept on forgetting this. What I did was imagine myself going for a walk on a sandy beach with my dog Beau. We took him many times, so it's something I can easily picture. I associate the sand with the sound "saan3", and my dog’s name Beau with the sound "bou6".
Step 6: Fill Up Your Downtime With Cantonese Sentences
If you are like me then you probably spend a lot of time commuting to work or school every day. If you want to learn a language fast, then it is important to utilize your time well, and make opportunities for what otherwise would be wasted time, or dead time. Your commute is a perfect example.
If you live in the UK, then you can walk into almost any public library in the country and pick up a copy of a beginners Cantonese Pimsleur course for a small rental fee. And if you’re living outside the UK, then I’m sure there will be similar services you can use.
Pimsleur is an audio-based course, which means you don't need to read; you just listen and repeat. Perfect for your daily trip to and from work or school.
If you’re not driving, or don't have access to an audio course, then there are many more options available. Other things I did included downloading podcast lessons from CantoneseClass101.com. While these are not ideal for focused study, they are perfect for passive listening on your journey.
Also why not try playing the dialogues from a textbook (if your textbook comes with audio) a few times over, to really help cement what you have learned.
Step 7: Give Yourself Mini-Goals, and Mix Up Your Learning Materials
Setting goals is extremely beneficial. Not only do goals help you see your progress and achievement, but they also keep you focused and on the right track, while stopping you from doing the same thing for too long.
I’ve seen it before, when people start to get frustrated that their language learning has plateaued or that they’re getting fed up and bored of the process only to find they have been using the same resource for months on end. Setting short-term goals and mixing up your materials is a great way to keep you engaged and accelerate your progress.
The first goal I had was to complete the Teach Yourself Complete Cantonese course in a month and a half. Then when I was further along, I set myself the deadline of completing 15 dialogues from Cantonese conversations in 2 months.
There are two important things to note with these types of goals. Firstly, they are specific and measurable, and secondly, there is a deadline for completion. This allows us to break down exactly how much we need to do each day in order to meet those goals, and as I said above, is a great way to improve motivation and keep us on the right track.
Another good example of setting goals is the Add1Challenge. After a few months of learning, I decided to join the Add1Challenge where language learners from around the world share the common objective of holding a 15-minute conversation in their target language after 3 months of study. In addition to this there are three mini challenges throughout the challenge, each with a different objective.
This is the first time I realized the true power of community, accountability and goal setting in language learning. I wasn't by myself; suddenly I was surrounded by an awesome community with the same goal as me. We could share our struggles and our wins, and help each other along the way.
Step 8: Find a Cantonese Speaking Partner
While I don't speak from day one when I start learning a language, I do think it's a good idea to set a goal of when to start speaking. For me, I set the goal of speaking one month after first starting the language.
Finding a good tutor or language exchange partner is invaluable. In the early stages, we need someone patient to speak to so we can build up our confidence, experience real conversations and activate our vocabulary.
I set the goal of having three speaking sessions a week. If you want to achieve conversational fluency, it’s important to speak regularly, and speak a lot. Setting the goal of three times a week, for me is low enough to be sustainable, but frequent enough to get serious results when kept up over the long term.
Step 9: Learn Cantonese Words and Phrases that are Relevant to You
When first starting out, there are going to be a lot of things you want to say that won't be in your beginner’s book. You will want to speak about where you’re from, your hobbies and interests, your job and background.
There is no way all of this can be covered in a beginner’s course, but it’s still important. Learning phrases that are relevant to you will help you speak about yourself, and help gain momentum and build up confidence when you first start to speak.
Let me give you an example. One of the first sentences I learnt was:
我喺Newcastle大學讀咗化學工程 / ngo5 hai2 Newcastle daai6 hok6 duk6 zo2 faa3 hok6 gung1 cing4 - “I studied Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University.”
Other things that you will get asked a lot, is why do you want to learn Cantonese, and how long have you been learning Cantonese for. So it is also a good idea, to learn sentences relating to these questions so you can have pre-set answers ready to go.
我想學廣東話因為我女朋友係香港人嚟嘅 / ngo5 soeng5 hok6 gwong2 dung1 waa2 jan1 wai6 ngo5 neoi5 pang4 jau5 hai6 hoeng1 gong2 jan4 lai4 ge3 / “I want to learn Cantonese because my Girlfriend is from Hong Kong”
而家我學咗廣東話三個月 / ji4 gaa1 ngo5 hok6 zo2 gwong2 dung2 waa2 saam1 go3 jyut6 - “I have been learning Cantonese for 3 months”
Learning these phrases, and having set responses will help you build confidence and momentum. And then you can build on this and improve. If you can’t find the right vocab in your course book, try checking a reliable website or online dictionary for your language, or better yet, ask a native speaker.
Step 10: Find and Explore Interesting Cantonese Content
A lot of people argue that watching TV in the beginner stages doesn't do much to help your language learning, but I have to say I completely disagree. While it's certainly true that relying on TV alone is an incredibly inefficient way to learn, I think it can do wonders to keep you engaged and interested in the language.
The reason I value this so much is not because I can practise my listening skills or pick out odd words here and there. It's so I can connect with the culture.
Watching TV is fun. By watching TV dramas and movies with English subtitles you can just relax and enjoy the content. You’ll remind yourself of what you’ll be able to do once you have learnt Cantonese. You’ll find out more about the culture and the country. You’ll have more to talk about with native speakers, which will make it easier for you to make new friends in the language.
Cantonese has such a rich culture, and there are so many movies and dramas to choose from. Hong Kong Cinema is legendary, starring people like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and my personal favourite Stephen Chow.
My favourite film is called Shaolin Soccer. Starring Stephen Chow, the film follows a broke Shaolin Monk who reunites his old brothers to form a football team. They use their superhuman abilities to play football and showcase shaolin kung fu to the masses. This film is absolutely hilarious and iconic in Hong Kong. I am yet to meet a single Hongkonger who hasn't seen and loved this film.
For TV dramas, my personal favourite is called No Regrets. It is set during WW2 in Guangzhou, China. It centres around a triad family and the Guangzhou police force, but everything starts to change as the Japanese begin to invade and take over. The drama and cast recieved 11 TVB anniversary award nominations and managed to win 5 of them. It is an absolutely brilliant watch, and even if you have no intention of learning Cantonese, I definitely recommend it.
Listening to Cantopop is another good way to help increase exposure and connect with the culture. The most famous and probably my favourite song is Beyond - 海闊天空 (under a vast sky). Some of of my other favourites include the band Supper Moment and singer G.E.M.
You Can Learn to Speak Cantonese Faster than You Think
Despite its perceived difficulty, Cantonese, like any language, can be learnt quickly if you go about it the right way. There are many reasons you would want to learn Cantonese, from dramas and movies, to travel, history, friends and family.
Whatever your reasons, Cantonese is such an expressive and fun language to speak that it’s definitely worth the time investment. Learning Cantonese is without a doubt one of the most rewarding, enriching and all around fun things I have ever done, and something I highly recommend.
I’ve had countless experiences I wouldn't have had otherwise, from speaking with my friends, bargaining at the markets in Hong Kong and even speaking with a women in the rural parts of Hong Kong, who told me it was her first time ever speaking with a foreigner as she can't speak English.
Follow these 10 simple steps, and you too will be well on your way to holding conversations in Cantonese before you know it. The keys are consistency, routine, speaking a lot and listening every day. This last point I cannot emphasize enough!
Are you interested in Cantonese or have you already started learning? Why do you want to learn? And how is it going so far? Let me know in the comments below!
The post How to Learn Cantonese: The Easy Way to Learn Cantonese in 10 Simple Steps appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
May 28, 2018
Why Language Learners Quit – The 7 Key “Motivation Killers” (Plus, How to Beat Them)
You have no clue what they’re saying, but they’re having a real conversation - using sounds that make absolutely no sense to you. It’s like a small miracle, right in front of your eyes.
It’s a miracle you can work too, if you can do one thing right. You’ve got to overcome the biggest obstacle that all language learners face.
Can you guess what it is?
It’s not vocabulary. It’s not grammer. It’s not pronunciation, or reading, or writing.
It’s not even speaking (though that’s really important).
Even though you might not have guessed it yet, I can guarantee you know this obstacle really well.
Why?
Because… it’s you!
You have everything you need already to learn a language (after all, you did a great job with your mother tongue).
The only trick is to make sure you keep coming back, even when things are hard.
Stick with it, and you will learn another language.
In my work as Community Manager for the Add1Challenge, I’m super lucky because I get to chat with language learners every day. These are incredible people from all around the world, who have decided to work the miracle of speaking another language.
Usually, these learners get in touch because they’ve hit a roadblock (though sometimes people just want to say thank you, which is always lovely), and they need a helping hand facing it to get their language mojo back.
Here’s the deal: Coming face-to-face with a roadblock will destroy your motivation unless you know how to get around it. That’s why I call these roadblocks “motivation killers”.
So, let’s dig in. You’ll likely recognise yourself in at least one of these roadblocks. They’re the most common (and so, most powerful) motivation killers language learners face -- you’ll want to be ready for these dragons so you can slay the beast when it creeps out of its lair.
Motivation Killer #1: FEAR – “I’m afraid to talk with other people”
I know this feeling well, because I’m naturally shy. It’s something that comes up a lot in the Add1Challenge too. And there’s a good reason for that -- even if you’re not shy, meeting someone new for the first time can be a little intimidating. Throw a new language and some strangers into the mix, and it gets downright scary!
But, let your fear take control of how you act, and it will hold back your language learning. Most people (myself included) learn a language to connect -- to meet interesting people from around the world.
So it’s all too easy to start thinking “what’s the point?” whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of actually using your new language.
Here’s my three step solution to smashing through this motivation killer:
Step 1: Take Small Steps Outside Your Comfort Zone
If you’re terrified of having a conversation in your new language, start by challenging yourself in smaller ways. The next time you’re out shopping, ask the cashier if they’re having a good day. Strike up a conversation in your workplace with someone you’ve never spoken to before. Give a compliment to a stranger in the street.
Each small step will build your confidence in speaking with people.
I love how the Add1Challenge is designed to help with this. Right from the get-go, challengers are gently nudged outside their comfort zone.
The very first task of the Add1Challenge is to create an application video. For many Add1Challengers, this is the first video they’ve ever made of themselves, and certainly the first video they’ve shared with anyone other than friends and family.
Want to try this for yourself? Why not make a video of yourself speaking your target language, and share it with the Fluent in 3 Months community?
Step 2: Have Your First Conversation with Someone Who “Gets It”
Not everyone you meet who speaks your target language will want to speak with a beginner. Even so, it can be all too easy to take things personally when things go wrong.
That’s why I recommend having your first conversation (and ideally your first few conversations) with someone supportive. Chat with a friend who speaks your target language. Or find a language exchange partner or tutor using a service such as italki -- these are people who are used to chatting with learners, and who are much more likely to be understanding when your langauge skills aren’t perfect.
Step 3: Keep Yourself Accountable to Turning Up
Facing your fear is a big challenge, which is why I’d never recommend going it alone. Find a friend (or friends) who have got your back, and who’ll keep you on track with your goals.
A simple way to stay accountable is to book a language exchange session, or a language lesson with a tutor. I’ve found that this helps me show up, because I don’t want to let the other person down.
Even more powerful is to find a community to keep you accountable -- that’s why the Add1Challenge is so effective, because you’re working with dozens of others, keeping one another accountable towards the same goal.
What’s more, experienced Add1Challengers have been in that place of fear, and can offer advice and support for how they conquered their fear to have their first conversation.
It’s a HUGE help to see others all around you being open with their fears taking the plunge, and finding the buzz you get from speaking a new language.
Motivation Killer #2: FEELING MISUNDERSTOOD -- “No one gets why I like languages. I feel alone.”
When I first found my passion for languages, I didn’t know anyone who enjoyed learning new languages as much as I did. In fact, only a few of my friends cared about languages at all.
Because of my language skills, I felt like I was the “weird” one in my family and among my friends...
And let me tell you, being seen as a goofball is not AT ALL motivating.
I only started to feel accepted for my language passion when I met other language learners online. And being accepted helped me to see for myself that my language skills are pretty damn amazing.
The online language community has given me what I was missing in person: friendship and support.
That’s why I feel so privileged to lead the Add1Challenge -- I help other language learners see for themselves just how amazing they are.
The Add1Challenge is by far the most supportive community of language learners I’ve found. Everyone there has signed up because they need support and they want to support others.
Want to try this for yourself? As well as the Add1Challenge , you can also meet other language learners on:
italki - find language tutors and language exchange partners
HelloTalk - text chat with people who speak your target language
Meetup - many cities have Meetup groups for different languages
Facebook pages such as Fluent in 3 Months - interact with other followers as they comment on posts, and get inspired by their enthusiasm
Motivation Killer #3: SELF DOUBT -- “I’m not sure if I’m doing this right.”
There are tons of excellent courses on the market for self-study language learners. Some of them, like Speak in a Week, are even free!
And we’d recommend these courses.
So what’s the problem? When you learn a language on your own, you have a lot of opportunities to doubt yourself.
When you design your own curriculum, measure your own progress, and work at your own pace, it’s hard to gauge how well you’re doing. You don’t have the opportunity to nail down the mistakes you make and correct them, get feedback on your pronunciation, or even try out what you’ve learned.
In short, there’s no one to compare notes with.
The go-to advice in this case is to find a tutor or a language exchange partner. But that can lead right back to Motivation Killer #1 -- feeling scared!
So what’s a learner to do?
Take a look at the steps above for addressing your fear. And consider joining a community of language learners. It’s even better if this community helps you connect with people learning the same language as you (spoiler: the Add1Challenge does this, though you probably guessed that already!).
Motivation Killer #4: BOOKWORM SYNDROME -- “I do all this study, but I still can’t speak the language.”
Whenever I hear this complaint, I think back to where I was a few years ago with Italian. I poured hours and hours into learning Italian but couldn’t speak a word.
Even not that long ago, if someone walked up to me and spoke to me in Italian, my eyes would have grown into saucers, I would have muttered something incomprehensible, and then stepped away feeling awkward (in fact, there were a few times where that’s exactly what happened).
Afterwards, I’d beat myself up about how awkward I’d been, and at how little progress I was making with Italian.
But then I saw my mistake: To speak a new language, I had to speak the language.
Books and flashcards alone wouldn’t produce the results I was looking for. I needed to practice doing the thing that I wanted to do.
Let me give you an example of what I mean.
As well as learning languages, I’m a musician. I play saxophone.
I’m a pretty good saxophonist. And there’s a reason for that.
I learned to read music. I memorised how to play notes and patterns in different combinations, keys, and styles on the saxophone. I had a teacher who explained how to have a good tone and intonation on the sax.
Yet even with all that, what it all boiled down to was playing the saxophone. Often very badly, when I was just starting out. I had to play badly to reach where I am today -- a professional, gigging saxophonist.
If I had approached my music training the same way I approached my language study (sticking to reading and writing), I’d still be a bad saxophone player.
Simply memorising vocabulary, or listening to tips on pronunciation are no substitute for getting out there and speaking. So even if you feel the fear (see Motivation Killer #1), do what it takes to put yourself out there and speak.
Motivation Killer #5: WORD SCRAMBLE -- “I don’t understand what people say when they reply to me.”
This motivation killer happens after you’ve taken the plunge and started speaking -- it often happens during your very first conversation.
You’ve listened to loads of podcasts, perhaps you’ve even prepared a cheatsheet, and you jump on the call.
The introductions go well, you’re killing it -- and then the person you’re speaking to says something that makes no sense. You don’t understand a single word.
You smile awkwardly, ask them to repeat what they said and maybe this time you can pick out a word or two. But still, you’re flummoxed.
Why does this happen?
Here’s the deal: the way people speak out in the real world is often completely different to how they speak on podcasts or language courses. They don’t always speak clearly. They often string words together so you can’t tell them apart, and may have a different accent than what you’re used to. Their word choices may be different to the vocab you’ve learned.
The solution has two steps:
Step 1: Have a Plan for When You Don’t Understand
Learn the following phrases in your target language:
“Can you repeat that please?”
“Can you speak more slowly please?”
“What does [word] mean in English”
“Could you type that word out for me?”
By learning these four phrases, you’ll know exactly what to say when you don’t understand.
When you come across a new word in your conversations with native speakers, be sure to add it to your Anki deck (or your equivalent tool for learning vocabulary).
Step 2: Focus Your Listening
When you’re choosing lessons or podcasts to listen to in your target language, make sure they cover topics that you want to speak about. That way, you’ll be more prepared for topics that come up in conversation.
It’s also a good idea to practice active listening, following the techniques outlined in this article.
Most importantly, don’t let this motivation killer stop you from speaking. If your lack of understanding makes you feel nervous, follow the three step remedy in Motivation Killer #1.
Motivation Killer #6: FEELING STUCK: “I’m not making any progress.”
More than once along your language learning journey you’ll hit a plateau. You’ll feel like you’re wading through mud and getting nowhere.
No matter what you do, you just can’t seem to improve.
When this happens, it’s not that you’ve stopped improving. It’s just that you’ve reached such a high level in your language, you can’t see the improvements you’re making.
Here’s why that happens:
When you start learning a language, your very first word gives you infinitely more knowledge in the language than you had. Your second word? Just 100% more (because 2 is 100% bigger than 1). And the third word is just 50% more knowledge (because 3 is 50% bigger than 2). When you know 100 words, a new word is only 1% more knowledge. The percentage keeps getting smaller the more you learn. And because that percentage gets smaller, it’s harder to notice.
Let’s say you know about 1,000 words in your language. Another ten won’t seem like a big deal. But when you were starting out and only knew around 100 words, those ten new words made a difference.
It’s all about perspective -- and finding your mojo again requires a perspective shift.
You’re still making steps forward, they just don’t seem as big. And that’s a testament to how far you’ve come.
Whenever I feel stuck, I document my progress. I’ll often record videos in my target language on a regular basis.
Over a period of three months, I might not feel like I made a lot of progress. But if I’m doing the work daily, then when I go back and compare my Day 0 video to my Day 90 video, I’m surprised at the difference.
(By the way, this is what we do in the Add1Challenge -- you’ll record monthly videos of your progress so you can see exactly how far you’ve come. It’s super powerful -- and it makes me so happy to hear the virtual squeals of surprise from people looking back at their earlier videos).
Motivation Killer #7: FALSE STARTS -- “I can’t keep a consistent study routine.”
There are a ton of amazing language learning resources out there, and it’s easy to want to try them all (I know I’m always attracted to the new and shiny).
That said, it can get tempting to bounce around too often from resource to resource. The result? You never really settle into a routine.
Let me talk about my journey learning Italian again (yep, I made a lot of mistakes with Italian but thankfully I’ve learned from them).
When I started learning Italian, I had several italki textbooks on my desk, all at the same time! When one book started to get advanced, and felt uncomfortable, I’d push the book out of the way and crack open one of the others.
In doing this, I kept reviewing the same material over and over rather than learning anything new. I felt like Austin Powers in that scene where his cart was stuck sideways in a corridor. Nowhere to move forward, nowhere to move back:
Resource-hopping might not be the only reason you have a hard time keeping a routine. Perhaps it’s because you feel you have no time. Around work or school, social obligations, and other interests, it can be hard to fit language learning into your life on a regular basis.
If this sounds like you, you’re probably what is known as a ‘false beginner’. This is someone who has started learning a language a few times. You have basic knowledge of a language, but have started learning it from the beginning again and again and again.
What can you do to finally commit to your language learning for good so that you don’t have to keep picking it back up from square one?
Commit to a specific period of in-depth study. This could be as little as 30 days, although three months is ideal.
Why a specific time period? Because no matter how intense it gets, you can reassure yourself that eventually, it will all be over.
What’s more, you’ll find that over the period you study, you’ll start to build a language habit and you’ll fall in love with daily learning. You’ll also get far enough into the language that when you return to it, you won’t be going back in at beginner level -- you can pick up where you left off.
I did this a few months back with Italian. I studied Italian at university to a comfortable level, but shortly after I graduated, I put the language aside. Later, fellow Fi3M team member Holly asked me if I’d help her record a video in Italian and I jumped at the chance to reactivate my Italian skills. I spent an intensive three days picking things up where I left off and doing some review in order to prepare.
Holly and I had a good conversation, and I even got a little farther with my Italian than the level I was at when I hit pause.
You Can Smash Through Your Motivation Killers -- We’re Here to Help
If any of these seven Motivation Killers feels all-too-familiar, you aren’t alone. I’m able to write about them because I’ve known them myself!
The solutions here are an excellent starting point, but sometimes, we need to tackle them head on.
In fact, one of the reasons I love running the Add1Challenge is because I get to help language learners smash through these motivation killers in just 90 days. Not only that, but everyone who takes part ends the challenge with a 15 minute conversation in their target language -- guaranteed.
Would you like to join us? You can sign up to hear more about the Add1Challenge here.
The post Why Language Learners Quit – The 7 Key “Motivation Killers” (Plus, How to Beat Them) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
May 24, 2018
Introverts’ Revenge: The Language Learning Perks of Being a Wallflower
(Before you continue reading, I would like to inform my readers that the views in this article are intended for educational purposes only, and that I don’t claim to be an authority in the field of psychology studies. These views are based on my personal experience, and you are free to have your own opinion on the topic. If you do, feel free to reach out in the comments!)
Let’s start with a quote from Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts:
"Extroverts are more likely to take a quick-and-dirty approach to problem-solving, trading accuracy for speed, making increasing numbers of mistakes as they go, and abandoning ship altogether when the problem seems too difficult or frustrating. Introverts think before they act, digest information thoroughly, stay on task longer, give up less easily, and work more accurately."
Wham! That is a bold quotation to begin this article with.
Everything Susan Cain says applies to introverts when they’re learning a foreign language. Introverts tend to think before they speak, have better long-term memory, stay focused longer, and persevere in the long run. In the end, they tend to speak and write more accurately.
That Person with Flawless Pronunciation? I’ll Bet My Coffee She’s an Introvert
I see introverts as samurais of language learning. They’re the quiet ones, the ones you don’t notice… until they start speaking.
Have you ever been in a situation where a foreigner starts speaking the language (French, for instance), and the local people go exclaiming: “Votre accent est incroyable! Où avez-vous appris le français ?” (“Your accent is mind-blowing! Where did you learn French?”). I bet a coffee that this person is an introvert. Yes, she might well be! You might be surprised, but introvert language learners tend to have better pronunciation of the language than their extrovert counterparts.
Is it even surprising? Extroverts tend to care more about communicating something, while introverts care more about how they communicate.
The Big Myth: Extroverts are Better at Speaking Other Languages
There is a popular belief that says that extrovert language learners perform better in speaking, while their introvert counterparts perform better at listening. As a forever-language-learner myself, and a language teacher, I’ve found that my experiences don’t support this claim.
Speaking a language is not about just speaking; it’s about speaking so that other people understand us, so that they feel familiar with us, so that they care about what we have to say and so that they want to continue the conversation with us too!
As a French teacher, I make it a priority during lessons to help my students develop an authentic French accent and natural intonation so they’ll fit in when they socialize in France. I also encourage them to pursue an interest in French culture, as it helps them understand the local people’s reactions and attitudes and have better relationships with the French, in particular with the Parisians! By the way, if you plan to visit Paris and you haven’t read yet The Bonjour Effect by my friend, author Julie Barlow, run to your bookstore… It’s a must-read on the topic of codes of communication in France. I recommend it to all my new students.
That was a big digression. Getting back to our topic…
Wallflower Power! The Strengths of Introvert Language Learners
Introverts are so gifted at learning languages. They can focus on situations that require long stretches of attention. As a result, deciphering the grammar of a new language and memorizing vocabulary is a cakewalk!
By experience, as I wrote earlier, I have seen that my students who are introverts can speak better and with a more natural accent that their extrovert counterparts. Do you find this surprising? The reason is because they pay so much more attention to details and, as you know, details matter.
Introverts LOVE Reading (and Listening)
If you are an introvert, do you crave chunks of quiet time for writing, reflecting, reading novels or even surfing the web in your target language? The benefits of those activities are tremendous.
Listening to conversations helps you understand spoken language better and spot how different grammatical rules impact the sequence of words and phrases. In other words, you’re better equipped to ‘hear’ grammar. And because you listen more than you speak, you can grasp words that otherwise go by too swiftly in the conversation – thus, enriching your vocabulary.
On top of that, you’re likely to prefer smaller groups and deep conversations, and use them as opportunities to practice speaking. When conversing, you may tend to avoid mistakes by choosing the right words carefully before opening your mouth.
The Extrovert Plateau
Most interestingly, while introverts keep making progress until they reach fluency, extroverts tend to reach a plateau at level B1. Extroverts may feel more happy and fulfilled from communicating in their second language, and they may socialize more quickly. But they also tend to have a strong accent, that they can’t (or don’t feel the need to) get rid of. They tend to reuse the same words, and they don’t feel the need to enrich their vocabulary as long as they can get by in most social situations.
In my opinion, this happens because introverts tend to be perfectionists. They keep striving to get better at what do they do... although (and you may contradict me), extroverts care more about communicating, and may get stuck at an intermediate level, with no motivation to make progress as long as they can get by and reach their communication goals with the locals.
There are some exceptions, however. For instance, one of my American students, whom I’ll call Bryan, is one of my most brilliant students and probably one of the most extroverted people I’ve ever met. He is a wonderful socializer, comedian and poet at the same time, and if I must admit that pronunciation was not his strength at the beginning, he bluffed me after a few months by focusing relentlessly on his French accent and making incredible progress.
Not All Cultures Favor Extroverts (As American Culture Does)
I would like to add as a side note, that if one culture favors extrovert attitudes (for instance, American or Brazilian culture), other cultures may favor an introvert mindset (for instance, French, Japanese or Russian culture). So depending on the second language that you learn and the foreign country that you plan to visit, you may want to adopt a quieter or louder attitude.
It can be misleading for the French when they learn English, because depending whether we visit the United Kingdom or the United States, we have to renew from A to Z our verbal communication. Can you believe that? We learned one language at school (“English”) but in the United States, we speak louder than usual and be more expressive (affirming our extrovert side), while in the United Kingdom we have to adopt a more hushed verbal style. It’s still English, though!
So if you are learning French, then it is good to develop your introvert and perfectionist mindset. If you are learning Spanish, take time to know about the local culture of the country that you’d like to visit. The Spanish-speaking world is so diverse! Most importantly… be yourself :)
Just Enough for that Extra Lift
The truth is that learning a language doesn’t require you to be an effervescent extrovert. This is especially true if you learn French, because French people are usually reserved and wary of extroverts. On this topic, see my earlier note about cultures of introversion and extroversion around the world.
As you know (I know you know) introverts also tend to make fewer connections, but ones that are much deeper. Language practice is ripe at that level. For that reason, you may benefit from connecting with an instructor, whether online or in person. A long one-on-one conversation on a smart topic that engages you with your teacher is such a pleasing (and efficient!) way to make progress in your second language. Plus, good teachers are skilled at making new students more comfortable. You’re in good company, and the long-term company of a teacher-confidante can make all the difference.
Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, a middlevert or an outtavert (or who knows, just a vert?), you are reading this article because you love learning languages. We are GOOD at what we love doing, so keep learning languages, and revel in them!
The post Introverts’ Revenge: The Language Learning Perks of Being a Wallflower appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
May 21, 2018
Spanish Immersion: 16 Ways to Make it Possible for Home, Work or Play
Is it your dream to speak Spanish with ease?
You can speak confidently in Spanish - all it takes is lots of practice actually speaking in Spanish and immersing yourself in the language.
You may think the only way to do that is travel the world, and immerse yourself in the culture of Spanish-speaking countries. Now, while Spanish immersion programmes and travel are great, they're not always an option. Time, money, career, family and other life situations can get in the way.
Immersing yourself in Spanish doesn't have to cost a fortune (or any money at all!). You can immerse yourself in Spanish at home. By making small changes, you can create an immersive environment wherever you live. The key is to include Spanish throughout your home, at work, and during your free time and hobbies. So why not start now?
Spanish Immersion at Home
Here’s how you can start immersing yourself in Spanish from the comfort of your own home - wherever you live in the world.
Step 1: Start Referring to Objects in Spanish
Are you going to sit on el sofá and watch la televisión? Any vocabulary you've learned so far, start referring to it in Spanish. Don't know the word for it? Look it up. Write the word down on a sticky note, and put it on the object. Do this until you remember.
You don't need to sticky note your whole house. Start small - a few items here or there, one room at a time, or items in a similar category. You don't want to get used to seeing them everywhere, either. Otherwise, you'll start ignoring them. So change them up as you learn.
Step 2: Complete Your Daily Tasks in Spanish
Do you cook from recipes? Try looking them up in Spanish. Need to google something? Use Google.es. Checking out the news? Trying news sources in Spanish, like Google Noticias, CNN Español, or News in Slow Spanish if you're starting out. Even magazines often have Spanish versions.
Step 3: Switch Your Phone's Language Settings
You can create an immersion environment right on your phone. We keep our phones right by our side, and many of us spend hours each day on our phones, so this is a huge way to boost your language skills. Changing your phone's language settings will update your apps and functions to Spanish. You'll pick up new words fast from the repetitive use to complete tasks.
Step 4: Journal or Meditate in Spanish
Does your morning routine include journaling or meditation? Switch to Spanish and fit more practice into your day. Write as much as you can, even one sentence or single words. Date your entry in Spanish for practice with months and days.
To make it easier, try bullet journaling or gratitude journaling. Simply put, you write in bullet points about your day, feelings, or things you're grateful for. It's much easier to write because you're writing short, simple thoughts and emotions.
Meditation apps, like Insight Timer, also have guided meditation in Spanish. And meditation's great for this because you quiet the mind and allow it space to process. Plus, practising meditation or sleeping after your studies will help improve your memory. The brain breaks down info, makes new connections, and creates new mental pathways at night while you sleep. Even a quick review before bed can help you absorb it better.
Spanish Immersion in the Workplace
You don’t need to stop at home - you can also bring Spanish to work, so you can learn while you earn.
Step 5: Don't Let Your Commute Go to Waste - Use it to Learn
When you're driving around or commuting to work, plug in a Spanish audiobook, radio station or podcast. It could be for fun - upbeat music or an interesting novel - or it could be a learning podcast like SpanishPod101. Then you can learn grammar and vocabulary on the go.
Step 6: Think to Yourself in Spanish
This is a big one! While at work, you may not be able to communicate to others in Spanish, but you can think to yourself in it the best you can. Start small - one sentence, even single words as you learn them. Or, give yourself a time limit like 30 seconds to a minute.
Step 7: Write Your To-Do List en Español
Need to make a to-do list or write a memo? Do it in Spanish, and practise your writing skills. Got stuck on a word? Make a list of the words you realize you don't know and look them up later. It'll help you learn words you'd actually use in the workplace, so add them to your study lists or flashcard app. The more you do this, the easier it will become.
Step 8: See if Your Workplace Offers Spanish Immersion for Adults
Many companies recognize the need to become more global. In fact, they may even give you a pay raise for learning Spanish. So some jobs offer language immersion programmes. They could be offered at a discount through your employer, or even paid in full - they may even allow you to travel!
It's worth asking about, even if it may not be easy for you to do right now. You never know what'll come next year - and learning a new language can open up huge new opportunities in your career.
Spanish Immersion During Your Free Time
Even your downtime can be used to immerse yourself in Spanish. So sit back, relax and keep learning.
Step 9: Switch to Spanish on Social
Let's be honest - we're all on social media too much. So why not make it a learning tool? Social media is a great place to get Spanish immersion online. Start by following Spanish-speaking users so you start seeing the language in your feeds.
Write your posts in both English and Spanish. Chances are at least one of your Facebook friends will speak Spanish (at least to an extent). They might comment back in Spanish, or offer you tips to improve it.
Step 10: Search Social Media with Spanish Hashtags
Another way to get exposed to the language is to search using Spanish hashtags. See how natives are using casual speech and slang, and even comment on their posts. Start a conversation in Spanish, make friends, and practise what you know.
Social media is casual, so it's a great way to connect with others without any pressure. Use hashtags based on your interests or topics you want to learn more about, such as #comida (food), #viaje (travel), #coches (cars), #maquillaje (makeup), #entreno (workout), or #deporte (sport).
Step 11: Tune In and Learn
Wanna watch TV? Try finding a new show from Latin America or Spain. You'll be learning the language and getting exposed to the culture and body language. Most cable and satellite providers have a Spanish network, and Netflix has Spanish shows and movies you can check out. YouTube is another great option.
Step 12: Jam Out to Latin Music
Did you know Amazon Prime and Spotify have many Latin music playlists already created and waiting for you to listen to? The Amazon music app includes the lyrics as they are sung, so you can follow along and improve your listening skills. Sing along and learn the words as you go.
The key for both music and TV is to make sure you’re listening actively, not passively. Try to pick out words, rewatch videos, and practise imitating what they say.
Step 13: Read Your Favourite Books in Spanish
Books in other languages are easier to find nowadays. Most popular books have a Spanish version available - you can check out Amazon or your library for both physical or digital copies. For instance, Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone). Who doesn't want to learn how to tell someone which House they've been sorted into??
If you've already read the book, it will be easier to follow along without having to look up so many words. And reading a series helps for the same reason - the vocabulary builds upon itself as the story continues. But try challenging yourself to read new things in Spanish. Even check out the children's section at your library - many children's books are bilingual. And children's books are a great way to start reading. If you start out with something too difficult, as I did when I tried to read Lord of the Rings as a beginner Spanish learner, you’ll only get discouraged. So stick with children’s or young adult books until you’re more advanced.
Step 14: Find a Spanish Language Exchange Partner
Above all, you need to practise what you know by speaking it. You can immerse yourself as much as you want, but if you aren't speaking you aren't really putting in the study hours. Check out Couchsurfing, Meetups, or local places that host activities in Spanish. Meet new people, ask them to coffee, and start chatting.
Another option to meet people and practise speaking Spanish is through sites like italki. Find a partner with similar interests, pick topics to discuss, and set a time to connect online and chat.
Step 15: Check Out Local Spanish Activities and Events
Many cities have Spanish events, activities and services to check out to practise speaking. Things like church services in Spanish, outdoor festivals, book clubs, dance classes, even cooking classes. A quick search on Facebook or Google can lead to all kinds of events. These kinds of activities will introduce you to new people who have similar hobbies. So it makes it easy to strike up a conversation.
Step 16: Switch Up Your Game Play
I love playing games on my phone - all while learning! If you switched your phone to Spanish, your games and apps will also switch. So you can play fun games like Pokémon Go or Animal Crossing in Spanish. If they didn't switch over, you can search the name of the app + Spanish in the app store and see what comes up.
Most console video games nowadays have a free language DLC (language voice pack) you can download. Then you can switch the audio or text to your target language.
If Down the Road it Works for You, Travel Abroad
You'd be surprised to find that travelling abroad and language immersion programmes aren't just for students. There are many opportunities and Spanish immersion programmes for all ages. Spanish immersion for seniors is becoming increasingly popular as well. These types of programmes focus on retirees who want to become bilingual. So if this is a dream of yours, know it can happen at any point in life.
In the meantime, you can immerse yourself throughout your daily life right in the comfort of your home. If you do all these things, you'll be practising Spanish hours a day - which means you'll be getting in serious learning on a consistent basis. Keep it up, and you'll be fluent in no time.
What's Your Favourite Way to Fit in Fun Time in Spanish?
What are your favourite ways to immerse yourself in your daily life? Have I missed any ways you can enjoy studying without it feeling like studying? Let me know in the comments.
The post Spanish Immersion: 16 Ways to Make it Possible for Home, Work or Play appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
May 18, 2018
Passion Power! How I Learned English (and Spanish) by Sharing My Art With the World
Back then, in addition to studying English and Spanish at university, I was also studying at an art academy in Rome to become a professional cartoonist (cool, right?). As you may imagine, doing two packed courses at the same time was far from easy and, actually, pretty overwhelming.
To make things worse, as I came from an art specialized high school (because in Italy, when you start high school at 13 you need to pick a specific field to study, and it’s fairly nerve wracking if you’re multipassionate like me!), I was in a unfavourable position in comparison to my university fellows who came from language specialised high schools. Most of them already knew one or two languages in addition to their native language. And I knew...one! Or rather, I believed I knew one!
I had studied English at school so I had to know it. That’s what I thought, at least! However, unlike the Spanish course where they started from scratch, the English language course at uni was all delivered in English. You needed at least a B1/B2 level to be able to follow what was going on in the lectures. And I soon realised that my level was not really there!
I used to dread those English lectures. Every time, I would drag myself to the class while trying hard to suppress the feeling of anxiety and the tears in my eyes. I was feeling fearful, overwhelmed and clueless. Not surprisingly, I quit the course. I finally decided to study only what I loved most at that time: art.
But the Language Bug Wouldn’t Let Me Go...
Fast forward three years. I was a qualified cartoonist. Up until that point, I had been following my creative dreams, I connected with artists who I admired and created graphic novels and illustrations that I consistently shared online on art communities.Yet, I knew there was something missing.
I still had the language bug. I wanted to learn a language. Even two or three. I had always loved languages, after all. I wanted to discover other worlds and follow my artistic dreams abroad, where things looked so cool and exciting.
As you may guess, I went back to university. Same course. Same language choice (English and Spanish). Same English course that I dreaded... no more!
To my surprise, on my first day back there, I could understand what was going on. Actually, I could understand pretty much everything. Was this a dream? Nope! It was the result of the baby steps I had taken (unaware!) over those three years spent creating and sharing my art with the world. And I did it this by using English. Let me explain you how.
How I Learned English by Sharing My Art With the World
While hustling to get my artwork out into the world, I started to join artist communities online.
The first art community I joined was an American website called Deviant Art which was used by artists from all around the world. I soon realized that if I wanted to get my art known on there, I had to write my posts and the descriptions of my artworks in English. Everyone was using this language there, regardless their nationality.
So, I quickly dusted off my basic English skills and started to type. Word by word. Sentence by sentence. Paragraph by paragraph. Post by post. With lots of wordreference-DOT-com in the middle!
All this writing in English made me get the writing bug! At some point, I started blogging in English (as well as in Italian!). I wrote stories for graphic novels in English. I started a reflective journal. I was also reading a lot in English (mainly stories and graphic novels from other artists).
Plus, I eventually started to get commissions for art from English native speakers. So, I was also reading emails from my clients (yes, I managed to get English speaker clients!! YAY!) and writing to them in English. I was also receiving feedback on my art and I myself was giving feedback to other fellow artists (like, looong feedback!). We were also chatting online, exchanging ideas…and, basically, using English A LOT!
Up until that point, I hadn't actually had a real conversation in English, so I was not really a fluent speaker. Still, by sharing my art and appreciating other people’s art, I acquired a fairly wide variety of vocabulary and language registers that eventually allowed me to kick some serious butts in my English course once I went back to university!!
A Powerful New Insight -- My “Excuse” to Use English
This experience provided me with a very powerful insight: if you want to develop your language skills, you must practice them from day 1, no matter what! You need to find any excuse to practise and use the language.
And art was my “excuse” to use English.
During my second year at university, when I joined the Erasmus programme and travelled to the UK, I used this “excuse” along with many others to speak to as many people as possible. I knew that only by speaking I could achieve fluency. So I did (and, so you should too, my friend! Really!!).
An Honest Disclosure about My “Bad” English
At this point, if you're wondering how good my artwork descriptions were back to my pre-uni learning period ...well, my honest answer is: not great! If you go to my old Deviantart account, you’ll still find my first things written in English and they are full of mistakes. Still, I managed to use the language in a way to get my point across!
Communication (not perfection!) is what matters when speaking a language!
Before all grammar nerds and perfectionists out there set off on a quest to shoot me as I say this, let me clarify this point: I love grammar as it allows us to manipulate language and make it our own, but communication should be always prioritised over perfect grammar, especially when you are at the beginning of a learning journey and developing your confidence in using a new language.
Those artwork descriptions and posts full of mistakes are testament to my learning process. A testament to the the fact that if you want to learn a language you are bound to make mistakes in order to actually learn it. Those mistakes are in reality amazing stepping stones that will unravel your path to fluency.
So art taught me English, and it was also the key to unlocking my Spanish...
How I Danced My Way to Fluent Spanish
I won’t hide it. Language learning is a journey made of hard work, resilience and above all LOADS of practice, but if you mix it with what you love, the journey towards fluency gets way more fun! And as I became aware of this, I brought in what I love doing in my Spanish learning too.
I have been to Spain on holidays a few times, but I have never lived there for an extended period of time. Still, I am fluent in Spanish. I started to learn this language at university and at the end of my first university year I felt I knew it quite well. In theory.
I knew all the possible Spanish grammar rules, including any exceptions, and also the exceptions to the exceptions! But when I had to speak Spanish…I sounded like a broken record that got stuck all the time. I used to dread my conversation exams as I felt I could go into a conversation only if I had prepared in advance the topics to be discussed. Once again, I lacked practice. And, once again, art saved me.
As I was still working as a freelance artist while at uni, I started to join Spanish art communities. I started to hang out with Spanish folks online and, just like I did with English, while I was having fun appreciating other people's art, I was bring my Spanish level up. The turning point, however, came when I moved back to England to study for my teaching qualification.
Salsa Dancing -- And Solo Karaoke Parties!
The best thing about most English towns is that they are a very multicultural. You have people from all around the world: China, France, India, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Czech Republic and…Spain too, of course!
I happened to meet a bunch of Spanish folks, not only at work but also in my free time. I was mostly hanging out with Spanish people during my salsa classes. And, of course, every time I would meet them, I would speak in Spanish only (and yes, I was making mistakes but learned on the way!).
Between salsa dancing events and massive karaoke solo parties in the shower (singing, or rather shouting, latin songs like this one or this one, my Spanish speaking skills took off. I became increasingly fluent in Spanish too without even moving to Spain!
The Moral of the Story (AKA How to Learn a Language by Having Fun!)
If you could take away only one thing out of this story I hope it’s this: language learning requires consistent practice and is by default interdisciplinary; in order to learn a language, you must speak it, and in order to speak it, you've got to have different topics to talk about. So start with talking about what you love.
Let's celebrate fun and interesting language learning! The one that is built around your interests and passions, and allows you create incredible experiences that will not only develop your communication skills but will also give you the opportunity to share your gifts with like minded people from all around the world (and if you feel you want some actionable strategies to connect your passions and interests to your language learning, you can grab my free guide on my website where I take you step by step on your path towards fluency-land!).
My fluency in English and Spanish was a result of practicing these languages by doing things I love. Art brought me to languages and languages allowed me to share my artistic gifts (including some cool dancing moves!) with the world. Both art and languages set me on a incredible and rewarding lifelong learning path. Nowadays, I am grateful to have pursued both of these passions as I am now able teach learners from different countries to communicate in the language they love and share their ideas and gifts with the world.
Over to You Now, Creative Language Learner!
What kind of interests could you bring into your language learning that would help you become fluent in the language you love? And a bonus question for artists and creatives: what language would you love to learn to share your art with the world?
I can't wait to read your answer in the comments below.
Meanwhile, keep learning and, above all, enjoy it!
The post Passion Power! How I Learned English (and Spanish) by Sharing My Art With the World appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
May 14, 2018
How I Met Japanese Language Partners in a Small Town (and So Can You!)
To say I had an obsession was an understatement. Ever since, I've loved Japanese culture. The delicious food, the rich and crazy unique culture, the wacky shows, the cherry blossoms.
But more than anything, I fell head over heels in love with this beautiful language.
I learned little bits of the language my whole life. I tried Rosetta Stone. I took four years of Japanese in college, and prioritized every Japanese culture class I could take.
But even after all that, I was still failing to communicate in this language I loved.
I craved Japanese communication, but couldn't get over my fear!
Then, I met native speakers and started meeting for language exchanges. I didn't think I would be able to find many Japanese people in my area. I live in the Midwest -- the Asian population where I live is less than 1%. But once I knew where to look, I found several Japanese language exchange partners.
Even After Studying Japanese at College, I Failed the Proficiency Test
Benny Lewis, the founder of Fluent in 3 Months, has a simple 's #1 rule: speak from day one. I was an Fi3M reader, so I knew this, but I wasn't applying it. Even in situations where I had the opportunity, I would get scared.
After four years of college, I took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and failed. I did well on tests in college, but this didn’t translate across to this real-world test. I wasn't pushing myself to speak because I didn't have to. I spoke broken, toddler-like Japanese. In fact, having been around Japanese toddlers lately, I can say it was worse than that.
Taking Japanese in College Helped Me Learn Grammar, But Not What I Wanted to Say
I thought if I kept trying to memorize grammar, I'd eventually remember it when the time came to speak.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
I would become so nervous that I could never seem to think of the grammar pattern. I would stumble on conjugation, and how to work around a word I didn't know. I would resort to English because I knew my classmates and teacher could understand.
My Japanese classmates would fall back to English, too. I realize now it's because we learned topics from textbooks, rather than focusing on topics we cared about.
How Everything Changed: Japanese Saturday School
One interesting thing about Japan is that they go to school on Saturdays. So when families come here, they want their kids to continue to have a Japanese education. They enroll them in Japanese Saturday Schools.
This means that almost all the Japanese people in my area meet at the same place, at the same time every week.
The Japanese Saturday School happens to be at my alma mater and run by the Japanese families. But I had no idea it existed until my last semester of school. One of the women reached out to my teacher for help finding someone to tutor her in English, so I volunteered.
Every Saturday morning while her kids were at the school, we would meet. I felt comfortable with my new Japanese conversation partner. By making connections between English and Japanese, I was speaking and growing.
Now I Speak Japanese Several Days a Week
Once I got to know my new friend, she introduced me to another Japanese woman who's fluent in English. I became friends with her as well, and she introduced me to another family in need of tutoring.
Now, I meet for Japanese language exchanges several times a week. I even get practice reading and replying to them through social media and text.
Once I was no longer in a school setting, where I was graded on my ability to converse, I was able to get over my fear.
Japanese Skype friends and practice speaking online are still great options. But for me, having a face-to-face connection helped. Seeing that kindness in their body language was encouraging.
I'm Finally Making Progress (And This Time, I Passed the Test!)
I will admit I lucked out finding Japanese friends I connected with right away. Not every person you met who speaks your target language will click with you. But, finding them in person made a world of difference.
Because I started speaking, I was able to go back and take the JLPT again. And I passed! I knew almost every kanji and vocab on the test. I could almost make out everything in the listening section, my weakest area.
It's because now I practice speaking those words and hear them daily. I cannot stress this fact enough. Speak from day one works is because you need to hear yourself speak the words and hear how they sound outside of your head. If you don't speak, then you won't make the connection from the written symbols to the spoken word.
I'm still on my Japanese language journey. But speaking and learning Japanese has given me newfound confidence. I'm finally living a dream I've wanted since I was 4 years old, and I can't wait to continue to grow. Now, I can learn grammar again and apply it to improve what I already say -- instead of the other way around!
XX Steps To Find a Japanese Language Exchange Partner (No Matter Where You Live)
If I can find Japanese language exchange partners in a small Midwestern town, then you can find them too. The key is to find locations where many Japanese people meet (or any native speakers in your target language).
Step 1: Check Local Colleges and High Schools
See if your local schools have foreign exchange students, or classes in your target language. You may be surprised to find that your college hosts many Japanese students.
You can also connect with students learning you target language. While some students won't be motivated to speak without using English, others may share your passion. It won't be the same as speaking with a native. But, it will get you speaking with someone -- and you’ll feel less embarrassed about your mistakes, because chances are they’ll be making mistakes too.
Step 2: Look for Local Communities Who Speak Japanese
To find local community groups that speak your target language, run a Google search, or just ask around.
Japanese families want to keep their language, culture, and education in their children's lives. So, you may have luck finding a local Japanese Saturday School in your area as well! Or there might be other programs they use too -- even things like daycare or yoga classes.
The best place to start would be colleges or high schools, but a quick Google search can turn up results too. A word of caution though -- Japanese people don't always use the same online services, like Facebook. So a search online that leads to a dead-end might not be accurate.
Besides the Saturday School, I found a local church with Japanese services as well. When I went, I got to meet Japanese families, bilingual spouses, and other Americans like me. The families even host Japanese culture events and yard sales at the church!
If your target language is taught at the school you found in Step 1, ask the teacher if he or she knows of local communities. The teacher could tell you if there is a popular meeting place for people of your target language, or a local service they often use. Or they could introduce you to a friend who speaks the language. Be open to putting yourself out there -- it can be nerve-wrecking, but it's worth it!
If the teacher knows of someone, you could add them on social media first. Introduce yourself in Japanese! It will help you break the ice and come up with ideas to talk about before you meet.
Step 3: Say Hello, and Ask to Meet for Coffee
If you're given the chance to meet someone who speaks your target language, don't let it pass by! If you seem to click with someone, ask if they'd like to meet for coffee and chat in both languages.
Remember: don't make it all about you. If you want a conversation partner to stick with you , then you need to be a good exchange partner. Ask your partner what they want to talk about in advance, and plan to split the time. Study relevant words to that topic before you meet. And always ask if they have questions about English. When it's your turn, take advantage and don't fall back on English. Work around your word blocks, and don't get hung up on making mistakes!
Step 4: Remember, Your Language Partner Doesn’t Have to Be a Native Speaker (But It Helps If They Are)
If you're having a hard time meeting a native speaker, try reaching out to other language learners! Search Facebook for local groups, or even meetups. Any practice speaking is better than none at all. Work on your discipline to speak as much as possible in your target language. Since you both are learning, this may be more difficult than with a native speaker. But it's possible!
Use Google Translate or dictionaries if you can't seem to figure out how to say something. It's not foolproof, but it will keep you going. Write down what you struggled with, and then ask in language learning forums online for help.
Step 5: Still Stuggling to Find a Japanese Conversation Partner? Check out italki!
Even if you can’t find a language exchange partner in your local community, you can always find a way to practice speaking Japanese online. Benny has written many times about the benefits of italki, and I’d recommend it too as a great place to find someone to practice speaking with.
So there's no excuse not to speak! But if you're like me and need that body language to feed off of in person, then you may have to take some extra steps to warm up.
I like searching terms in Japanese on Instagram and then commenting on photos... in Japanese. I've had a few Japanese people correct me, but most reply kindly. Because I'm commenting on popular photos from people looking for social attention, I'm not as nervous. It feels more casual.
For apps and websites like italki, make sure to look for people who are similar in level and interests. Try chatting in a direct message first and see if you connect. Then move on to making Japanese Skype friends, and talking virtually face-to-face!
Now, Go Find Your Japanese Conversation Partner!
I hope these tips of how I found my Japanese language partners will help you find partners, too. Don't be scared to reach out to new people and ask to meet for a language exchange. Take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. Japanese doesn't have to be hard -- you just need to start speaking.
And if you need resources to improve your Japanese, check out Benny's Top Resources for Learning Japanese.
The post How I Met Japanese Language Partners in a Small Town (and So Can You!) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
May 11, 2018
86 French Slang Words and Phrases so You’ll Fit Right in With the Locals
First, a quick caveat: Slang is hard to teach in any language. It varies a lot by region and age group. Consider the following English slang words. Depending where you live and how old you are, you may have never heard many of these before:
hella (“extremely”)
gobshite (“foolish person”)
pooched (“broken,” “messed up”)
keener (“an eager person”)
chesterfield (“sofa/couch”...or a type of cigarette)
fag (“cigarette”...or a homophobic slur)
double-double (“Tim Horton’s coffee with two creams and two sugars”)
flat chat (“operating at top speed or maximum capacity”)
breaking bad (“going wild,” “raising hell”)
French slang is as varied as English. The French-speaking world is vast. French holds official status in 29 countries and many more smaller territories and overseas departments. Naturally, the slang is going to be as diverse as the people in these different countries.
Even within France, a country of 66 million people, the argot (slang) changes from region to region.
Understanding the slang used in your target language is a very important step toward sounding more like a native speaker. So I wrote this article to introduce you to the various slang, including swear words, used throughout the French-speaking world. You can start studying French slang at any point in your French learning project. You don’t have to be an intermediate or advanced speaker.
In this article, as far as possible, I’ll try to specify the region where each slang expression is used most. I’ll also try my best to only include REAL French slang, not the kind you might read in a textbook but which nobody actually says. (I still regularly hear from English students who learned in the classroom that “raining cats and dogs” is a popular slang expression in English. Almost no one says this anymore!)
Finally, as this can’t possibly be an exhaustive list of all modern French slang words, I’ll link to other resources around the web so you can see many more slang words used in each region.
Warning: before you proceed, be aware that this article contains quite a few bad words. I didn’t censor them because I wanted you to be able to find this page online if you’re doing a search for specific swear words in French. Also keep in mind, whether or not you’re prone to swearing yourself, you’ll definitely hear them in French-speaking countries, so it’s still worth knowing what they mean.
SMS Messages: French Text Slang
Slang used in French textos is a lot like English. It’s mostly used to abbreviate common words and expressions. French slang in text messages tends to be universal, not regional.
Here are some common ways you can expect to see French words written in your text messages with French speakers:
slt (salut), bjr (bonjour)
stp (s’il te plaît), svp (s’il vous plaît)
cad (c’est-à-dire)
A+ (à plus tard)
pq (pourquoi)
wétu (où es-tu)
je t’m (je t’aime)
Check out Maison-facile and 1fo.com for many more French texto abbreviations.
Everyday French Slang
French speakers often replace everyday words with slang words. We do this in English too. We might call a man a “guy”, “bloke” or “dude”. In some regions, a home is called a “crib”, and in others, it’s called “digs”.
Here are some ways French speakers use everyday slang:
General Everyday Slang (understood throughout the French-speaking world)
bouffer (to eat)
draguer (to flirt)
piquer (to steal)
une arnaque (a scam)
un truc (a thing)
déboussolé (disorientated)
Everyday Slang from France
un type, un mec (a guy)
une meuf (a woman, a chick)
un mail (short for “un email”, which is the unofficial way to say un courriel, the “proper” French word for email)
gerber (to vomit)
c’est nul (“that sucks”)
nickel! (“perfect!”)
c’est top (“that’s great”)
flasher sur quelqu’un (to have a crush on someone)
Find hundreds more slang vocab and expressions used in France at ielanguages.com.
Everyday Slang from Quebec
un gars (a guy)
un char (a car)
une blonde (a girlfriend - even if her hair isn’t blonde)
un chum (a boyfriend)
niaiseux (stupid or boring)
une piastre (pronounced “piasse” - a dollar, “a buck”)
les bas (socks)
Everyday Slang from Abidjan, Ivory Coast
une go (a girl or girlfriend)
un bra-môgô (a guy - a loan word from the West African Mandinka language)
le pia (money)
être calé (to be “chilling” - you might recognize this verb from a line in the famous song “Magic in the Air” by the Ivoirian band Magic System
Petit Fute has an in-depth article (in French) about many other slang words and expressions used in Côte d’Ivoire.
Everyday Slang from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
merci mingi (“thank you very much”)
un zibolateur (a bottle opener - a modified loan word from the Lingala language)
cadavéré (broken down or dead - modified from the standard word cadavre, meaning “corpse”)
Find tons more slang from French-speaking Africa on this subject’s Wikipedia page. The International Organization of the Francophonie has estimated that by 2050, around 80% of the world’s French speakers will be from Africa. So it’s certainly worth knowing some of the slang that the majority of French speakers will be using!
French Slang Insults
We all have close friends or siblings with whom we like to exchange insults. My Irish friends and I are partial to the term gobshite to address one another :) .
French speakers have their own insult terms to address good friends, or to use when they’re really angry at someone.
Obviously this section comes with a warning: don’t use these insults with anyone if you think they might be offended! They can be fine used jokingly in certain company, or maybe to complain about your boss in private.
General French Insults (from all over the French-speaking world)
bête (dumb)
Un con (an idiot)
Un connard (shithead)
Une pute, une putain (whore)
Une salope (bitch)
Un beauf (rude, vulgar man)
Un fils de pute (son of a bitch)
Insults from Quebec
Une petite nature (literally: “a little nature” - a wimp or weakling)
Un mononcle/Une matante (literally: a “my-uncle”/”my-aunt” - a loud, obnoxious man (mononcle) or a finicky, gossipy woman (matante))
Mon p’tit Chriss (literally: “my li’l Christ” - “You stupid bastard”)
French Swear Words
It goes without saying that the following jurons (French swear words) should only be used in rare cases. Treat them like you would English swear words.
It’s easy to take foreign swear words lightly because they don’t evoke the same reaction in you as they would in a native speaker. But trust me, you can cause a lot of harm and offence by using them with a native speaker. The basic guideline here is that if you wouldn’t shout the F word somewhere in English, don’t say the equivalent in French!
General French Swear Words
merde (shit...or “break a leg!” if said to a theatre actor before a performance)
ferme ta gueule (shut the fuck up)
je m’en fous (I don’t give a shit)
dégage, dégage-toi (piss off)
putain (in addition to a personal insult, you can simply shout putain! as an interjection. Roughly used like “fuck” or “shit” in English.)
la vache (“oh crap”, “oh my God”)
Youswear.com has a much longer list of French swear words and translations, each one of which has an accuracy rating based on votes by the community of readers.
Swear Words (sacres) from Quebec
osti (literally: mispronunciation of hostie, a Catholic communion host. Roughly used like “Oh God” or “Jesus!” in English - often pronounced as a whispered sssstie)
câlise (literally: mispronunciation of calice, the wine chalice in Catholic communion. Roughly used like “Jesus Christ!” in English)
tabarnak (literally: mispronunciation of tabernacle, the receptacle behind the church altar where communion hosts and chalice are located. Basically means “fuck” in English)
a combo of the above: Osti de câlise de tabarnak (could translate as “goddamn motherfucking shit”, or just about any string of vulgar words)
tabarouette, tabarnouche (“darn” or “frig”)
mon Chriss + noun (fucking [noun])
maudit (damned)
You’ll have noticed that québécois swear words are very often religious in nature. Check out the Wikipedia page for more detail on the history of these types of sacres in Quebec.
French Slang Phrases
These are expressions where the individual words in the sentence aren’t slang, but they combine into a sentence that is used slangily.
General Slang Phrases
T’inquiète (a short version of Ne t’inquiète pas - “Don’t worry”)
T’en fais pas or Ne t’en fais pas (literally: “Don’t make any” - “Don’t worry”)
Un coup de téléphone (literally: “a hit of telephone” - a phone call)
C’est n’importe quoi (literally: “It’s anything” - “It’s nonsense”)
Il a ma peau (literally: “He has my skin” - “He’s out to get me”)
Perdre la tête (to lose one’s head - used just like the same phrase in English)
For many more French slang phrases, check out the Fi3M French Idioms Crash Course article to sound more like a local in everyday French.
Slang Phrases from Quebec
Avoir de la misère à + verb (literally: “to have misery [doing something]” - “To have a lot of difficulty [doing something]”)
Avoir la chienne (literally: “to have the dog” - to be terrified)
Pas pire (literally: “no worse” - but in response to Comment ça va ?, means “not bad”)
Faire un téléphone (literally: “to make a telephone” - to make a phone call)
Regional French Vocab
Here are some vocab words that are used only in certain smaller French-speaking regions:
A Pencil
un crayon gris (in southern France)
un crayon de bois (in northern France)
un crayon (everywhere else)
A Pen
un Bic (Belgium and Kinshasa, DRC)
un crayon (commonly used in Quebec for “pen” although it also means “pencil”)
A Chocolate Croissant
une chocolatine (in Quebec and in the Toulouse region of France)
un petit pain (in northern France)
un pain au chocolat (in the rest of France)
A Plastic Grocery Bag
une poche (in southwestern France)
un pochon (in small regions of central and western France)
un sachet (near the French-German border)
un cornet (in Switzerland)
un sac en plastique (understood throughout France)
A Restaurant Bill/Check
une addition (in France)
une facture (in Quebec)
Shoes
les baskets (in France - refers only to trainers/running shoes)
souliers (in Quebec - refers only to everyday shoes. Considered an old-fashioned word in France)
les chaussures (understood throughout the French-speaking world)
Over to You
As I said at the beginning of this article, slang is notoriously hard to teach correctly. So much of it depends on shared experiences and pop culture references in different regions. So if I’ve missed any important French slang please let me know in the comments. And if you live in a French-speaking region that has unique argot words, I’d love to hear them! So comment away!
The post 86 French Slang Words and Phrases so You’ll Fit Right in With the Locals appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
May 7, 2018
Azerbaijani: The Language You Never Thought of Learning (and Why You Should)
Never thought about studying Azerbaijani? Keep reading, because there are plenty of reasons why it’s a wonderful language to learn. In a moment, I’ll show you how to get started learning Azerbaijani.
But first...
Grab Your Suitcase -- Azerbaijani Is Your Ticket into Another World
Azerbaijan is a fascinating country with its delicious cuisine, Caspian Sea shores, natural landscapes, archaeological sites and most of all, welcoming people. Not to mention that it’s the land of fire.
The Azerbaijani people will appreciate your effort to learn their language. It doesn’t matter if you are only a beginner and if your pronunciation is far from good - Azerbaijani people will appreciate the fact that you are making an effort to learn their language. You will get lots of support, help and smiles.
Your interest and knowledge show respect for the culture and people you’ve chosen to visit in your travels -- and maybe you’ll even decide to settle down in Azerbaijan!
Azerbaijani is spoken primarily in Azerbaijan, the crossroads of Asia and Europe. As such, the Azerbaijani language opens doors to travelers not only to Azerbaijan, but also to northwestern Iran, where it is second most spoken language. It’s also spoken in Georgia, Russia and Turkey.
Why You Should Consider Learning Azerbaijani
As a Turkic language, Azerbaijani lays a solid foundation for learning other modern Turkic languages, like Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Uighur. Azerbaijani belongs to the Oghuz branch of Turkic languages, so by speaking the language you’ll already be well on your way toward understanding and reading Turkish, Tatar (Crimea) and Turkmen, the language of Turkmens living in Turkmenistan, northeastern Iran and northwestern Afghanistan.
Knowledge of Azerbaijani is an advantage when it comes to international business, trade
and political affairs. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs considers Azerbaijani one of the critical languages to learn. This is due to the sheer number of Turkic languages spoken in Eurasia. To promote Azerbaijani language learning, the Bureau offers an array of scholarships and fellowships for students pursuing the language.There are currently over 30 million speakers of Azerbaijani.
Is Learning Azerbaijani Difficult?
While Turk languages can be among the more challenging languages to learn, they also have many characteristics that make them fun and interesting, and even some aspects that make them easy.
Let’s take a look at what makes Azerbaijani an easy language to learn.
Azerbaijani Spelling and Pronunciation are Straightforward -- You Say What You See
Azerbaijani is written in the Latin alphabet and (unlike English) it is pronounced as it is written, which makes it a breeze to learn pronunciation! For example, there are no silent letters like the English “-e” at the end of words.
In 1992 the Azerbaijani government officially switched from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet. As such, the letters are familiar and words are very easy to read for English speakers. The modern Azerbaijani alphabet contains 32 letters - 9 vowels and 23 consonants. In addition to the Latin letters you’ll recognize from English, some vowels and consonants have a diacritic mark above or below:
Ç / ç - çe, as ‘ch’ in child, China
Ğ / ğ - ğe, similar to a ‘g’ sound but without touching your tongue to the top of your mouth
Ş / ş - şe, as 'sh' in she, ship
*Ö / ö- ö, as 'u' in turn, burn
Azerbaijani Grammar: There’s No Gender!
There is no gender in Azerbaijani, no “he”, “she” or “it”, but one word for all three: O. The der, die and das of German, or the le, la and les of French, are not found in Azerbaijani.
Overall, Azerbaijani grammar is quite simple except some nuances detailed below.
Azerbaijani Grammar: The *Agglutinative Structure *
Azerbaijani is highly agglutinating, meaning it uses a lot of suffixes instead of words to modify words. In this respect, it is similar to Korean, Japanese and Esperanto.
For example, the word otaqlarınızdan means “from your rooms” and consists of four individual parts: otaq (“room”), lar (plural), ınız (“your”) and dan (“from”).
Another example, haralısınız means “where are you from”. If you break it up, you have hara (“where”), lı (“from”), and sınız (“you”, more polite/plural).
As you see from above examples, each individual component of the word contributes to the meaning. Let’s see the process of formation the word analarımıza which means “to our mothers”:
ana - “mother”
analar - “mothers”
analarımız - “our mothers”
analarımıza - “to our mothers”
Azerbaijani Grammar: Vowel Harmony
Adding suffixes in the form of agglutination depends on the rule of vowel harmony. Vowel harmony is often seen as a difficult problem for new learners, but with a little practice, it will soon become second nature.
For example, when you are indicating specific location, you add suffixes -da, or -də:
Berlində - “In Berlin”
otaqda - “In the room”
Evdə - “At home”
divarda - “On the wall”
With verbs in the future
tense you add suffixes -acaq or -əcək:gələcək* - “he/she/it will come”
oxuyacaq - “he/she/it will read”
gedəcək* - “he/she/it will go”
oturacaq - “he/she/it will sit”
Now here’s where vowel harmony comes in: Whether the suffix uses -a or -ə depends on the last vowel in the word before you add the ending:
If the last vowel is a, ı, u, or o, then suffix will use -a
If the last vowels is e, i, ü, or ö, then suffix will use -ə
Azerbaijani’s Missing Verb: “To Have”
Azerbaijani has no verb “to have” or “to not have”. Instead of saying “I have an object” or “I don’t have an object”, you use the phrase “my object exists” or “my object doesn’t exist.”
Azerbaijani Grammar: Sentence Structure
Like German, Japanese and Korean, Azerbaijani uses the subject-object-verb sentence structure. This means the verb most often comes last in the sentence, and generally in a phrase the most important word is the last word. Here are some examples:
O evə gedir. - “He goes home.” (literally: “he home goes.”)
Anna Fransız dilini öyrənir. - “Anna learns French.” (literally: “Anna French learns.”)
Case: There are six cases and they are nominative (unmarked), genitive, dative, accusative, locative and ablative:
Case
“bird”
“home”
Nominative
quş
bird
ev
home
Genitive
quş un
bird’s
ev in
home’s
Dative
quş a
to bird
ev ə
to home
Accusative
quş u
the bird
ev i
the home
Locative
quş da
in bird
ev də
at home
Ablative
quş dan
from bird
ev dən
from home
The Azerbaijani Language: Cultural Influences and Loanwords
Given its geographic location and a history that includes several invasions, Azerbaijani has been influenced by Farsi, Arabic and Russian.
Let’s take a look at some sample loanwords: deputat (“parliamentarian”) comes from Russian, məktəb (“school”) comes from Arabic, and bədən (“body”) comes from Persian.
Azerbaijani: Recommended Resources and Study Materials
Want to learn Azerbaijani and aren’t sure how to start? Below are some Azerbaijani learning resources so you can get started.
Azerbaijani for Beginners : After I realised that there’s a shortage of resources for learning Azerbaijani, I decided to create this book as an introduction to the language. It includes dialogues, grammar and vocabulary, and I put it together to make the learning process smooth and simple.
Azerbaijani: A Comprehensive Course for Beginners : I created this Udemy video course for Azerbaijani beginners to go alongside my textbook. It’s best used with my textbook, but it can also be used as a standalone course.
Azerbaijani Dictionary: The only free online bilingual dictionary for English and Azerbaijani. You can find it at www.azeridict.com.
The post Azerbaijani: The Language You Never Thought of Learning (and Why You Should) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
May 4, 2018
Learn Spanish by Watching TV: Here’s How to Learn Spanish with Telenovelas
That’s right - Telenovelas - they’re the most Hispano-Latino-Spanish thing since these comedy cacti wearing sombreros.
I was recently asked to give a best man’s speech in Spanish with just a few months warning. I didn’t really know where to start, and goodness knows it’s tough for English speakers to learn a foreign language. I set about trying to learn Spanish as quickly as possible, using apps, YouTube videos and a textbook, before I stumbled across the Telenovela method. Apart from the time I spent in Spain, it was by far the most useful thing I did to prepare me for Spanish in the real world.
What are Telenovelas? TV Novels with High Drama
But what are Telenovelas and why are they useful to Spanish learners?
Telenovelas (literally television novels) are produced in Latin America, and are the most popular genre of programmes there. It’s estimated that over half of Latinos watch them, and they’re popular in Spain too. Telenovelas are broadly Spanish soap operas, but the chief difference is that they normally end after six months to a year, rather than running indefinitely. Consequently, they have a very defined story arc and are characterised by high drama, such as star-crossed lovers, betrayal, a man on a quest for revenge or twins separated at birth.
My First Spanish Telenovela: Betrayal, Cheating and Wicked Stepmothers
The first Telenovela I watched was a Mexican one called Teresa. From the title sequence alone I could tell the main character, Teresa, was bad, and not just because the lyrics were “Esa hembra es mala. Es Mala. Mala. Mala.” (That woman is bad. She’s bad. Bad. Bad.) But also because she was twirling around, wrapping herself in silks, while sneering at anyone else who entered the titles — no mean feat.
From what I could make out (and a little searching on the internet) our heroine, Teresa, grew up in grinding poverty (a common theme in telenovelas, given the unequal nature of Latin American society and the fact that poor women make up the majority of viewers). Due to a series of tragedies and humiliations, Teresa vowed to do whatever it took to be rich, essentially becoming, mala, mala, mala, as the song suggests.
Here she is, looking like, let’s be honest, she’s cooking up a scheme.
As I watched, I saw betrayal, cheating, kidnapping, wicked stepmothers and more. High drama indeed. I particularly liked the way the villains self-identified by sporting comedy mustaches, sneering and smirking. They also had a rather reckless tendency of talking to the camera to reveal their evil plan the moment they were alone. Sometimes they barely waited until their unsuspecting victim had left the room. It was almost Shakespearean.
Telenovelas are Big Business (Did You Know “Ugly Betty” Was Originally a Telenovela?)
Telenovelas are big business. As well as commanding huge audiences in domestic Latin American markets they do well overseas, including the US, Eastern Europe, Italy, Spain, and even Russia. One Brazilian Telenovela was sold to 87 countries, while other shows, such as “Ugly Betty” were remade for the English-language market.
In Spain the Telenovelas are called “culebrones” (literally long snakes) due to their winding, twisting plots. This is perhaps unsurprising, since the programme makers will shoot only around 20 episodes (i.e. four weeks) ahead. This allows them to react to viewers tastes, or end or extend the show according to its popularity.
Killing off 85% of the Cast in One Episode
One article described it this way, “Drastic measures are often used to increase ratings: one of Brazil’s most famous screenwriters once killed off 35 of a 40-strong cast in an earthquake…. Perhaps more than any other drama genre, telenovelas are reactive to viewers’ tastes. Baddies can become goodies and vice versa. In the dialogue between programme-maker and viewer, one network receives 250,000 emails and 30,000 calls a month, and spends millions on research.”
But even with the massive popularity of Telenovelas in the Hispanic world, the allure of Hollywood is still tempting for the most famous actors. Notable breakout successes include the Mexicans: Salma Hayek and Gael Garcia Bernal, and the Colombian actress, Sofia Vergara. (Here’s Salma below).
I am not going to say that Telenovelas are always the best-acted shows out there. Whenever I saw the heavily mustachioed villain in Teresa shark his way across the screen, I didn’t get the sense I was watching a future star. But that didn’t make it any less enjoyable.
For Spanish Learners, Telenovelas Are Hard to Beat
For language-learning it’s hard to beat Telenovelas because of the sheer amount of Spanish you’re going to hear. While it might take a lot of effort at first, in one 45 minute episode you’ll hear hundreds of lines of dialogue. And while that might seem a little overwhelming, it’s all real Spanish, albeit with a heavier emphasis on betrayal (traición) and revenge (venganza) than you would normally come across in day-to-day life.
How to Watch Telenovelas as a Spanish Beginner
If you are a beginner you can watch Spanish telenovelas with English subtitles but I recommend putting the subtitles on in Spanish. English subtitles might seem helpful, but you’ll be concentrating on the English rather than the Spanish. Using the Spanish subtitles will help hammer home the way real Spanish is used.
The second Telenovela I watched (after Teresa, see above) was Pablo Escobar: El Patrón del Mal (the Boss of Evil), about the famed Colombian drug trafficker. It’s 100 or so episodes and goes into a lot of detail about Escobar and this important period in Colombian history.
One joy of each different Telenovela is they’ll give you an insight into the particular language and vocabulary of each Spanish-speaking country. So in the Pablo Escobar show, everyone greets each other with “¿Qué hubo?” (What’s up?”) and everyone and everything is “berraco” which is a very Colombian word meaning tough, hard, great, genius, and a bunch of other things.
In the Mexican telenovela Teresa, you frequently hear the local neighbourhood toughs describing someone as a pendejo (idiot) or exclaiming ¡Qué chido! (How cool!)
The Best Telenovelas for Spanish Learners
The beauty of technology is that there are plenty of Spanish telenovelas on Netflix. There are all sorts, and you should find one that fits your interest, and you can watch TV in Spanish in no time. As well as Pablo Escobar: El Patrón del Mal here are the best telenovelas for learning Spanish on Netflix:
El Chapo (About the Mexican drug lord)
Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraíso (Without breasts, there is paradise) A woman seeks revenge in a town controlled by the mafia - the title refers to having to get breast enhancement surgery which is pretty common in Colombia.
La Reina Del Sur (Queen of the South) A Mexican woman becomes a powerful drug trafficker in Spain.
Telenovelas will both help your language learning and your cultural understanding, (although you might not want to base your whole understanding of Latin American culture on shows like the above). When learning a language you should enjoy yourself, and be looking to push to the next level, and Telenovelas will help with both of those things. If you want even more suggestions try this list.
After Telenovelas, What Next for Learning Spanish?
Once you’ve got yourself hooked on a Telenovela, I would highly recommend using language exchanges to start talking to real Spanish speakers. After all, it’s only going to cost you the price of a beer or coffee. Or if you’re addicted and are busy binge watching telenovelas you can even do the language exchanges via Skype, from the comfort of your home.
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