Benny Lewis's Blog, page 73
April 14, 2017
Learning a Language Through Music: Here’s How It’s Done
Of course you can! From slow, crooning love songs to the latest boy band hits, music is a really useful tool for language learning.
Pop music isn’t the whole story, though. Any style of music, by any artist, as long as it has lyrics, can be useful in language learning. You just need to approach it the right way, and make sure you choose music you enjoy.
Let’s look at how you can go about learning a language through music.
Learning a Language Through Music Transforms “Studying” into Fun
The most important part of learning a language is talking with native speakers. The second most important part? Self-study.
Songs are great for self-study because they make your study sessions fun. Having fun while you study is a really effective way to learn.
So drop your dictionary and turn up the boombox! Or, since you probably don’t have a boombox, plug in that smartphone to some external speakers and crank it up! (That doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, does it?)
How Songs Help You Learn a Language
Learning songs in your target language is an incredibly useful tool for your language goals because…
Music is Sticky: Ever had a song stuck in your head? Who hasn’t! Music sticks in your brain - which is why songs are so often used in language classes to help students memorise new words. Most people who enjoy music listen to their favourite songs over and over until they know them by heart. This repetition, accompanied by a catchy tune, is the perfect formula for getting new words and phrases stuck in your brain so you can’t get rid of them. No grammar charts required!
Music is Portable: You can take music with you to listen to anywhere, unlike textbooks, movies or conversation partners. Keep a playlist handy on your phone to listen to your favourite songs in your target language anytime you have a few minutes free. Be sure to listen actively; pay attention to the words, pronunciation and cadence for maximum benefit.
Singing Songs Improves Your Pronunciation: The joy of singing along to songs you love makes it easier for you to pick up correct pronunciation.
Song Lyrics Help You Learn Vocabulary in Context: Learning how vocabulary is used in sentences is a key part of learning how to speak a language in the real world. You can’t learn isolated words in your target language and expect to get fluent.
Think of it this way. Even if you could download a foreign-language dictionary into your brain, that still wouldn’t make you a very good speaker in your target language. You would have no idea how to put words together into complete sentences.
In fact, some people actually have memorised foreign-language dictionaries for competitions such as Scrabble, but still can’t speak the language at all!
Listening to songs in your target language gives you something that no vocabulary list can: a context for words. You get to hear how words are used in real life. When you learn complete sentences along with their English translation, you’re learning how to use complex grammar without the need to memorise all the rules behind it. This means that you’ll be understanding and speaking your target language more like native speakers in less time than you would with some other study methods.
Inspired to try it for yourself? Here are some hints for how to get the most out of using music for your language learning.
Pick Songs You Enjoy
This might seem obvious, but a lot of language learners I’ve met will just listen to the radio to get exposure to songs in their target language, or download whatever’s popular in that language right now. Others only try to find songs that have a slow rhythm so that the words are sung slowly enough to be easily understood.
Why does this method so often fail? You’ve got to choose songs you can live with, songs that you’re willing to listen to hundreds of times.
Find songs that you love, and you’ll take almost all the effort out of learning those songs. You’ll want to listen to them on repeat, and you’ll want to learn the words so you can sing along. This can be true even if the song isn’t in your target language. I’ve met several people who learned the words to the French song Magic in the Air even though they don’t speak any French at all, just because they enjoy the song so much.
How can you find songs that you’ll like? Easy. You probably already know what kind of music you like in your native language. You can use an app like Spotify or Pandora to search for music of same genre, but in your target language. Check YouTube as well to see if there are any music videos that display the lyrics for you to follow along.
Get the English Translation AND Original Language Lyrics
Depending on how advanced you are, you might not need the English lyrics. But no matter what your level, you should definitely get your hands on the lyrics in the song’s original language. Trust me, you don’t want to try to learn all the words to the song without that reference. If you hear the wrong thing, it will be tough to “unlearn” those incorrect lyrics in the future! Believe me. To this day, I still hear the words “Knock, knock, knockin’ on Kevin’s door” when I listen to Bob Dylan’s Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door!
Listen to the song while following along with the lyrics. I prefer to follow along with the original and the English lyrics side-by-side at first. For those first few listens, you’re not really gaining a lot of vocabulary in your target language. What you are doing is getting an ear for the sounds of the song (by listening to the words and sounding them out as you read the original lyrics), and learning what the song is about (by reading the English lyrics).
How you go about learning the song is up to you. If you prefer to memorise the lyrics in your target language and be able to sing the song verbatim before ever looking at the English lyrics, that’s fine. If you prefer to start by studying the English lyrics while you listen, so that you can hear a line of the song and instantly know its English translation without knowing what the individual words in that line mean, that’s fine too.
You can also follow a combination of these approaches, or invent your own unique approach. As long as you persist, you’ll eventually have the song memorised and understand its meaning. Repetition is the key (remember what I said about picking a song that you like?).
Break the Song Down into “Chunks”
Learning a whole song can feel overwhelming, especially if most of the words in the song are new for you. There’s no need to force yourself to learn the whole thing in one chunk. Break it up into verses , lines or even words.
The chorus is a good place to start. It’s repeated often throughout the song, and usually has the catchiest tune.
Pause and rewind as often as it takes until you’re comfortable with one section of the song. Only then should you move on to the next. When you move on to the next section, don’t just forget about the previous section. Start the song over again, and listen to everything you’ve already learned up until the new section. You’ll reinforce the lyrics that way, as well as have a better idea of how the song flows from one line to the next.
Don’t Just Listen: SING
The best way to learn a language is to speak it .
The best way to learn a song is to sing it!
Choose songs you love, and you probably won’t be able to resist singing along to them anyway. Suffering from inhibition? Don’t be shy. You don’t have to sing badly in a foreign language on video and post it online for the world to see! Just do whatever works for you.
Sing home alone, while you’re cooking dinner, or in the shower. Sing to your dog, cat or tortoise (Language hacker tip: if your dog howls along with you, that means you’re doing it right.)
Learn to sing even a small handful of songs in your target language, and you’ll surprise yourself - and the native speakers you talk with on a regular basis - with the big steps in your progress over a short period of time.
I doubt you’ll stop at just a small handful of songs, either.
Chances are, you’ll get hooked on learning a language through music, and it will become a regular part of your study routine. A part which barely feels like studying at all.
The post Learning a Language Through Music: Here’s How It’s Done appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 11, 2017
How I Learned Portuguese in 3 Months (Mission Complete!)
Be sure to catch up on earlier updates if you haven’t already:
Portuguese Mission: Day 0
Portuguese Mission: 1 Month Update
Portuguese Mission: 2 Month Update
The question is: Did I reach the B1 (lower-intermediate) level of Portuguese that I wanted to?
Here's my end of mission video:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctw2G8sAo7E
In this article, I’ll go over my study activities from month three, discuss my final video, and take a look back at my mission and see whether I accomplished my goal.
The Final Month of My Portuguese Mission - a Day-by-Day Countdown
I thought I’d do things a little differently in this article and outline everything I did during the final month of my Portuguese mission.
I kept a journal of my exercises every day as I did them, so I thought I’d share it with you so you can see how a month of Portuguese study breaks down day-by-day.
Day 57
I discovered the podcast BrazilianPodClass. All of the podcast episodes are FREE on iTunes, and I listened to episode 106.
Day 58
I listened to another BrazilianPodClass episode, but it didn’t hold my attention very well. It’s really structured, with vocabulary lists and grammar drills. I prefer to listen to more natural Portuguese.
I then listened to three NHK World News Portuguese episodes.
Day 59
I went for coffee with my new Brazilian friend (who I met at a Portuguese Meetup event in month two) and we spoke for 1.5 hours in half Portuguese, half English. She explained some grammar to me.
Later, I listened to the album Um Novo Tempo by the Brazilian band KLB while driving, and tried to pick out as many Portuguese words as I could.
My Brazilian friend told me about some free Portuguese channels for the Roku! I downloaded CB TV Canal Brazil and Rede Nova TV (both available as Roku channels or streamed live online) and watched the latter for about 15 minutes.
Day 60
Nothing (driving all day for week-long event out of town). Hopefully I can fit some studying in this week even though I’ll be busy every day and most evenings.
Day 61
Nothing (all-day/evening commitment).
Day 62
I listened to three episodes of Practice Portuguese podcast: “A História de Amor de Pedro e Inês” (“The Love Story of Pedro and Inês”), and Diálogos 14 and 16 and PortuguesePod101: Intermediate season 1 lesson 10.
I then listened to some songs from the KLB album Um Novo Tempo - about 30 minutes.
On Duolingo, I earned 20 XP. In this and all other Duolingo sessions, I always dictated my Portuguese answers into my phone instead of typing them out.
Day 63
Nothing (all-day/evening commitment).
Day 64
Duolingo: 80 XP.
Day 65
Duolingo: 10 XP. Listened to more of the KLB album, got a few more lyrics from each song!
Day 66
Nothing (driving home all day from my week-long trip).
Day 67
I listened to six Practice Portuguese podcast episodes.
Day 68
I watched 15 minutes of Brazilian TV on the two new Roku channels. The shows weren’t very interesting, so I’ll try again later.
Day 69
I listened to the KLB album again during a walk, and understood even more lyrics! I need to commit to memorising a few of their songs by the end of my mission. They seem like they’d be easy to learn.
I then watched 20 minutes of the cooking show “Cozinha sob pressão” (“Kitchen under pressure” - the Brazilian version of “Hell’s Kitchen”). I love cooking so I thought I’d like this show. But I’m not a big fan, because I didn’t realize it would be like Hell’s Kitchen, which I’m also not a fan of.
Day 70
Some podcast listening today:
NHK world news podcast, one episode.
Practice Portuguese podcast, four episodes: Atualidade 1 and 2, Artigo 18, and “A Lenda de Rainha Santa Isabel” (“The legend of Queen Saint Isabel”).
Day 71
I listened to the practice Portuguese podcast: Diálogo 20, Atualidade 3, and Artigo 19, then I watched the Rede Nova TV channel for 30 minutes.
Day 72 - 73
Nothing (no good excuse, just took a little break).
Day 74
I listened to a 37 minute Practice Portuguese podcast (Artigo 20) and 11 minutes of Artigo 21.
Day 75
I listened NHK World News Portuguese: 4 episodes.
I was horrified at this point to look back and realize I had totally slacked off and only spoken Portuguese with a real person once in the previous 18 days!! It was time to buckle down and speak the language, damnit! I committed on Day 75 to speak Portuguese with a native speaker every day for the rest of my mission.
Day 76
I booked an instant 30-minute tutoring session on italki in Portuguese with a Brazilian community tutor.
I also listened to a new Quinta do Bill album, “Filhos da nação” (“Sons of the nation”) while driving. I LOVE the title track. I plan to learn it by heart.
On Duolingo, I earned 40 XP. I want to finish the tree before the end of my mission!
Day 77
I had 30-minute instant tutoring in Portuguese with a different Brazilian community tutor. Then I listened to NHK World News for the previous day (13 mins). Finally, I listened to two hours of Portuguese music on Google Play Music (though I was working during it, so not listening much). The group Vozes Trinadas (“Trilled Voices”) has some beautiful songs, but they aren’t ideal for trying to memorize.
Day 78
I completed a one-hour lesson on italki with a Brazilian community tutor. Then on PortuguesePod101 I listened to upper intermediate season 1 lesson 16, and lower intermediate season 1 lesson 23.
I had a great day on Duolingo, earning 150 XP! I’m still trying to finish the tree before the end of my mission.
Day 79
I completed a 1.5-hour lesson with a European Portuguese community tutor on italki. This was intense! I also listened to two episodes of a new podcast, Portuguêses no Mundo (Portuguese people in the world). It’s about Portuguese emigrants around the world. The stories are fascinating. It took about one hour for two episodes.
With Duolingo, I earned 10 XP.
Day 80
I attended a one-hour lesson with a different European Portuguese community tutor from italki. Meanwhile, on Duolingo I earned 250 XP. I tested out of some sections, so I got the XP quicker than usual. I also listened to two more episodes of the “Portuguêses no Mundo” podcast.
Day 81
I completed a thirty minute lesson with a professional Portuguese teacher from italki. We didn’t get to chat much in the language because he spent most of the time telling me about his language learning philosophy. I also earned 30XP on Duolingo.
Day 82:
I listened to the previous four episodes of the NHK World News podcast. No speaking practice!
Day 83
I had an intense day with PortuguesePod101, listening to intermediate season 1 lessons 5, 7, 13 and 14, and upper beginner season 2 lesson 22.
I also had an instant tutoring session with a Brazilian Portuguese community tutor on italki for 30 minutes (I love these instant tutoring sessions!).
Day 84
No conversation practice today !
The day went well in other ways.
I completed one PortuguesePod101 lesson: lower beginner lesson 10. I also listened to Portuguêses no Mundo - one episode (the guest lives in China), and to two albums by the popular Brazilian band Legião Urbana: A Tempestade and O Descobrimento do Brasil. I liked two songs by them enough to file away for memorization later. This is what usually happens with music: I listen to hours and only find one or two songs I enjoy.
With Duolingo I earned 240 XP!
Finally, I memorized the KLB song Vão Passando os Minutos (“The Minutes Go By”). It’s a nice song with clear, easy lyrics, but it still took over an hour to memorize completely. I find song memorization useful, but dull and repetitive, so I don’t do it as often as I should.
Day 85
I completed a one-hour italki lesson with one of my previous European Portuguese community tutors: we found out we’re both interested in French cinema, so we had a lot to talk about!
I also listened to NHK World News, two episodes, and earned 90 XP on Duolingo.
Day 86:
I had scheduled a one-hour lesson with Tatiana, my regular Portuguese teacher, but she had to cancel it. On PortuguesePod101 I completed Intermediate season 1, lessons 11, 12, 15 and 16.
Day 87
I listened to two Portuguêses no Mundo episodes: Singapore, and Berlin.
No conversation practice again!
Day 88
I attended a Portuguese language meetup at a wonderful Portuguese cafe and bakery! I spoke for two hours in Portuguese! Afterwards, I recorded a video of myself speaking with Fátima, one of the members (which you can see later in this article).
Duolingo: 300 XP
Day 89
I listened to two more episodes of Portuguêses no Mundo. It’s such an addictive podcast.
Day 90
I did an online Portuguese placement test and scored 126/150, or 84%! The test placed me as an advanced learner! Maybe I am a B2 after all! Though I really only feel like a B1.
[caption id="attachment_20734" align="aligncenter" width="997"]
My Portuguese exam result.[/caption]Day 95
I had supper at Fátima’s house (the same Fátima who helped me with my video on Day 88), with a large group of Brazilian friends from our meetup group. Such a fun way to end my mission!
As you can see, my study routine was not perfect. Some days I only studied Duolingo for a few minutes, and some days I did nothing at all. But I wasn’t aiming for perfection. I just wanted to do the best that I could every day.
That said, about halfway through my final month, I decided that I should be able to do better, so I kicked myself in the butt and spoke Portuguese with native speakers a whole lot more in the last half of the month.
Portuguese in 3 Months: How Did I Do?
I’ve studied seven foreign languages in my life, and I made more progress in my listening comprehension during these three months than I ever did after a much longer period in my past language studies. Whatever shortcomings my no-reading-or-writing method may have had, this totally makes up for it. I can have actual conversations in Portuguese instead of just reading Harry Potter books!
Even though I probably would’ve memorized more vocabulary by writing it down and doing lots of reading, I would’ve just been learning to recognise the words by sight, not by sound. I wouldn’t understand them when someone said them to me.
For me, listening comprehension is a lot more important than reading comprehension. I didn’t learn Portuguese so I could read the newspaper or Harry Potter, I learned it to go out and use it in the world.
My Portuguese Level After 3 Months of Study
Reaching a B1 level was my goal, and I think I reached it solidly. I took an online test on Day 90 and it ranked me as an “advanced” student. But the test was all reading and writing, so it was pretty easy to guess the right answers when I recognised a word root or verb ending, even if I wouldn’t understand the phrase if someone spoke it aloud.
I would have liked to have a listening comprehension test, but I couldn’t find a good one online. That said, I don’t need a test to tell me that I have pretty impressive listening comprehension (in my humble opinion!).
On the other hand, I’m still not satisfied with my speaking skills. Despite my last-ditch effort during the final two weeks of my mission, I know I didn’t speak enough over the three months. It’s super frustrating to look back and know I could have done more. Obviously it’s not too late to keep practising speaking, but I still have that nagging regret about not doing it during my actual mission. Lesson learned for next time! (And there will be a next time, oh yes.)
Portuguese in 3 Months: My Final Mission Video
Here is the final video of my Portuguese mission. Remember to click "CC" to view the English subtitles.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctw2G8sAo7E
I felt pretty good about this video.
Partly because I made it immediately after a two-hour meetup where I spoke lots of Portuguese, so I was in the groove, and partly because I feel more at ease chatting with someone in person than I do on Skype.
In person, people make more gestures when they speak, so you get a bigger range of body language to help you follow the conversation a bit better.
What Did I Learn from my Portuguese in 3 Months Mission?
I took away three key learning points from this mission:
Benny has it right with his speak from day 1 approach. Do NOT underestimate the value of speaking your target language. It improves your listening comprehension at the same time. And it works your muscle memory. Those last two weeks where I spoke Portuguese nearly every day made a really big difference. My listening comprehension was impressive because I had listened to spoken Portuguese nearly every day for three months. Now if I had only spoken Portuguese every day too, my speaking skills would be equally good - and my listening comprehension even better.
With italki, I prefer community tutors to certified professional teachers. Certified teachers seem to want to follow a rigid structure where you start with beginner material, and don’t move on until you’ve mastered it. This makes sense to them because this is the way they learned to teach the language. I only did three lessons with professional teachers, and I didn’t return to them, preferring to stick with community tutors who were more flexible and more willing to follow my lead.
I thrive more in an unstructured learning environment. I learned more Portuguese in three months of studying what I want, when I want, than I did in any other language I had ever studied in all those classrooms before. And I definitely had a lot more fun doing it. I may not take an exclusively listening/speaking approach in every future language mission, but I will keep trusting my own instincts when it comes to what, when and how to study. No more following someone else’s lesson plan!
What’s Next?
As soon as my mission ended, I bought a five-lesson package from my regular teacher, Tatiana, on italki. Lesson packages expire after six months, so this ensured I wouldn’t slack off and give up my Portuguese studies.
I would love to continue with Portuguese to the same extent that I did during my mission, but I have other language obligations. I’m going on a trip to Mexico soon (my first ever trip to a Latin American country) with my French-speaking in-laws, so I want to brush up on my French and learn some Spanish before I go. (I’ve previously studied Spanish for one semester at university - 16 years ago! And I got a C.) I’m pretty fluent in French so I’m not worried about studying it at the same time as Spanish, but adding Portuguese into the mix will definitely confuse me!
Then, less than two months after that, I’m heading on a trip to Thailand, and I want to improve my Thai before I go. So continuing my Portuguese will have to wait a couple of months. But I’m planning on visiting Brazil in the next year, so I definitely won’t let Portuguese slip too far down my list of priorities.
Resources I Used in My Portuguese Mission
Before I wrap up, I’d like to share all the resources I used for my Portuguese mission.
Courses and Tutors
italki
PortuguesePod101
Duolingo
BrazilianPodClass
Meetup.com to meet Portuguese speakers for real-life conversation practice
TV Shows, Podcasts and Music
Got Talent Portugal, Got Talent Brazil
Practice Portuguese podcast
NKH World Radio Japão Portuguese News
Arena de Filmes movie podcast
SBS News, an Australian multilingual news broadcaster
Conta-me Tudo storytelling podcast
Portuguêses no Mundo
TEDx talks in Portuguese, but it’s very difficult to search for TEDx talks by spoken language; you’ll get hits even if it’s just subtitles in your target language
Cozinha sob pressão TV show
Bem-vindos a Beirais Portuguese TV show
Caillou in Portuguese
Dora, a Exploradora (Dora the Explorer), 17 episodes, but they have since been removed from the site I used
Bands: KLB, Quinta do Bill, D.A.M.A., Pato Fu
Apps
Flashcards Deluxe/Anki (for iOS and Android for audio flashcards
CB TV Canal Brazil app for iOS and Android, and the Rede Nova TV Roku app for watching Brazilian TV
(Not exactly an app) Changed my phone’s OS to Portuguese for my entire mission
Thanks for Following My First-Ever 3-Month Language Mission
I won’t lie, it was a little (OK, a lot) scary to put my mission out there on Fluent in 3 Months (Fi3M) for the world to see. But I received so much positive feedback from readers that I’m glad I did.
I’m thrilled to have been a part of the Fi3M language mission tradition, and once I improve my Portuguese a little more (to the point where I won’t forget it if I let it go for a few months), I plan to choose a different language and do another 3-month mission. I hope my experience encourages you to do your own language mission too!
See you in the comments!
The post How I Learned Portuguese in 3 Months (Mission Complete!) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
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April 7, 2017
How to Use Systems (Instead of Goals) to Get Results in Language Learning
Perhaps you’re aiming to reach A2 level in French in the next 3 months. Maybe you’re looking to gain basic knowledge of Italian before your trip to Rome in a couple of weeks. Or perhaps you’re aiming for German mastery.
Whatever your goal, setting a goal is the natural thing to do when you start learning. Choose your language, set a target and work towards it.
Over the last 13 years I’ve set some big language goals. Some I achieved, some I didn’t. And I’ve helped hundreds of thousands of language learners achieve theirs with this blog.
From all my language missions and goals, I learned a valuable lesson:
The goal isn’t what’s important. What matters is the system you follow to reach your goal.
In fact, the wrong type of goal can actually hold you back from learning a language. Let’s take a look at why that is...
Goal vs. Systems: What’s The Difference?
A goal-based approach focuses on where you’re going, while a systems-based approach focuses on how you’re going to get there.
If your language goal is “to become fluent in Italian in six months”, a very simple system could be daily Italian practice.
For example, one of my big goals in language learning was to learn Arabic while living in Brazil. That was my goal. But it was the systems I put into place - daily Skype conversations, finding and filling the holes in my knowledge - that allowed me to reach my goal of being able to genuinely travel Egypt using my Arabic.
The way to tell you have a system in place is, if you were to remove your goal and just focus on what you do every day, would still end up where you want to be?
If you took away my goal to learn Arabic in Brazil and I still did all of my tasks every day, would I still have learned Arabic? I think so, because by that point I’d put in at least 150 hours of practice and had spoken the language for 91 days back to back.
I’ll share some specific systems you can use for language learning in a moment.
First, let’s look at why the difference between systems and goals matters to language learners, and why goals might be stopping your progress.
The Problem With a Goal-Based Approach to Language Learning
There are a lot more drawbacks to setting goals than you might think. Especially when it comes to language learning.
Learning a language is a huge task that takes hundreds of hours. As such, language goals can be overwhelming. As Scott Adams points out, the enormity of your goal can start to create negative emotions. And nothing can stop your language progress faster than feeling bad about what you’re doing.
James Clear makes a similar point about how goals relate to feelings - you don’t feel good about yourself until you achieve them. Of course, this can leave you feeling glum.
The difficult emotions created by setting goals is part of the reason you’re tempted to throw your arms in the air and exclaim, “I’m just not good at learning languages!”.
Let’s say you’ve set yourself the goal of learning B1 level Mandarin in three months. That’s a heck of a big goal (as I well know!) and if this is your first foreign language it can feel like you’ve got a mountain to climb. But you set out to do it anyway. That means you’re going to need to:
Immerse yourself in Mandarin (phone, computer, television, books)
Study for at least two to three hours each day
Have at least one conversation in Mandarin every day
That’s a lot of work to try and fit into your schedule.
And, if you miss a day or two (because life happens and you might just do that), you have a tight deadline breathing down your neck. If you miss enough days you’ll be tempted to say, “Screw it, I’ll come back to it at another time!” and give up on your goal altogether.
I’m not saying that goals are always bad. I’ve previously written about setting appropriate goals. I’ve achieved, and seen people achieve, goals that most people would have called “unrealistic” or “impossible”. But in almost all of these cases it’s been the system that they committed to, and not the goal itself, that created that success.
So why are systems the better choice?
Why Systems Are a Better Choice For Language Learners
Many language learners I speak to are surprised when I ask them to remove their goal and just look at what they’re doing every day. They often find that their goal and the system they’re following to achieve it don’t match up.
That’s why I consider systems-thinking the first step in getting real about language learning.
By focusing on a system rather than a goal, you give yourself more control over your language learning.
If instead of saying that you want to speak B1 Mandarin in 3 months, you were to say to yourself, “Every day I’m going to practise my Mandarin to a level that I enjoy”, how much more achievable would that be?
In other words, a system is right here, right now, and in front of you. If you follow your system you’re able to progress your language skills, no matter how big or small, each day. And much like brushing your teeth before going to bed, language learning becomes a habit.
On some days you may only enjoy learning for 30 minutes. On others you may want to dive into your books for three hours at a time.
That’s a system in action.
If you have to miss a day you can pick up right where you left off and recommit to the process. That takes away that negative, guilty feeling you get when life gets in the way of a goal.
Using Systems to Speak from Day One
The number one concept I talk about when it comes to language learning is Speak from Day One . That’s not a goal for you to achieve; it’s a system for you to follow.
On day one you may only be able to speak two Tarzan-like sentences, like “I Benny. Me blogger”. That conversation might be 10 seconds long. But after two weeks that will grow to a real introduction about who you are, where you’re from and what you do, and asking questions back.
You’ll start to see real progress unfolding right before your eyes. It also has a built-in feedback loop. You can see what you’re doing right (positive feedback) and see where you need to improve (negative feedback).
In the next section let’s look at some systems you can implement to make consistent progress with your language learning.
What Systems Can Language Learners Use?
The Seinfeld Strategy: A Little Practice Every Day
This system comes straight from the famous comedian, Jerry Seinfeld! It’s a system for creating consistency and building momentum, which is perfect for language learning. All you need for this is a calendar and a pen.
Seinfeld believed that the best way to create good jokes was to write jokes every single day. I firmly believe that the best way to learn a language is to practise it every day!
Let’s say you want to learn German. Each day that you sit down to practise German, no matter how long for, you can go to your calendar and put a big cross through the day, marking that you’ve accomplished what you set out to do.
After a few days you’ve got a stack of crosses that show you just how much you’ve achieved.
It also gives you a big positive feeling when you go up and cross out the day. After three months you’ll have so many crosses you can’t help but see how far you’ve progressed!
Habit Stacking: Tying Language Learning To A Bigger Routine
Trying to force a new skill or habit into your day can feel quite hard. But as SJ Scott writes in his book, Habit Stacking if you tie your language learning system to a bigger routine, it’s much easier to stay on track.
Your day has lots of different routines in it. Getting up in the morning, commuting to work, eating your lunch, coming home from work, going to bed, to name just a few. By using these habits you already have you can begin to add other habits into that framework.
Let’s say you’re on your lunch break at work, which might look like this:
You go for lunch at 12:30
You get your lunch out of the work fridge and sit at the desk
You eat
You wash your tupperware
You go back to work
These are all habits you have (whether you realise it or not) and you can use them as a framework to add in your next habit. So, where could you add your language learning into here?
I’d say you could do it right here:
You eat
You review your Anki flashcards
You wash your tupperware
You don’t have to move because your phone is probably already in your pocket. There’s also usually a bit of time between eating and going back to work so you can slot it in perfectly.
HabitBull: The Habit Coach In Your Pocket
I love it when I find tech that can help you. And, HabitBull is a cool little habit app that helps you create a system for your language learning.
My friend Maneesh wrote a great post about how creating a system of tiny actions, like just opening the Duolingo app, can be the start of lifelong language habit. That ties in perfectly with your new system-based approach.
Choose a tiny action like opening your language workbook, logging into italki or opening Anki, and set it as a habit in HabitBull. Then set it as your habit to achieve for that day. It’ll then remind you when you should complete that action.
It’s the coming together of the last two steps because you can feel the gratification of ticking the box to say you’ve completed it. And, you even get daily motivational message to keep you pushing through too!
You can also time it to be part of a bigger routine, like your lunch break, so you can begin to really cement that habit.
Time to Put Your Language Learning System in Place
Having a language-learning goal to aim for is a great place to start, but without a solid system in place you’re setting yourself up to fail.
So now is the time for you to focus less on where you want to be and begin to look at what you’re going to do. Think about how you want to approach your language learning and implement it into your day-to-day routine.
If you’re able to create a system where you can immerse yourself at home for three hours a day, then take advantage of it. Or if small steps and incremental daily progress are your cup of tea, start there. Your system should be unique to you and how you learn.
The most important part of this is to commit to your process and focus on what you can achieve right now.
What system will you follow as a result of reading this article? What systems do you already follow? Let me know in the comments.
The post How to Use Systems (Instead of Goals) to Get Results in Language Learning appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 4, 2017
Tutorial: How to Hack Facebook Live Video to Learn a Language
I didn’t!
At least not until a few weeks ago when I stumbled across a feature that had been hiding behind a little tab on my Facebook home screen.
Recently, I was surprised to find out just how much you, the readers, struggle with listening. In fact, when I asked the question on Facebook, your biggest language-learning problems were Listening and Speaking (they finished almost neck and neck!).
[caption id="attachment_19621" align="aligncenter" width="558"]
We asked: "What language skill do you struggle with the most?"[/caption]So, I took it upon myself to try and find some ways to help you improve your listening skills each and every day.
Read on for some practical tips on how to use Facebook Live to improve your listening skills in another language, while getting a deeper insight into another culture.
Why Facebook Live Videos are a Great Language-Learning Tool
I’m always excited when I find a new tool for learning languages. And, if it connects you with real native speakers, then it’s even better. That’s exactly what Facebook Live does.
Facebook Live Video allows you to watch things happening LIVE in another part of the world. You get to watch a different culture through the the lens of someone else’s mobile phone or webcam.
With Facebook Live, you can find normal people talking about their problems, celebrities trying to connect with their audiences, and news channels sharing the day’s critical stories. That’s really just the start of the content.
Why do I like Facebook Live so much as a language-learning tool?
Because it’s real. You get to see real life. In technical language, you’re exposed to a range of audio qualities. Not everything is recorded in a vacuum like a podcast (though podcasts are great too!) or professional YouTube video. Instead you’ll have to listen through traffic noise, background conversations and the occasional interruption.
Finally, you don’t need a lot of time to dip into Facebook Live. It’s informal and much like television you can tune in and out whenever you’re able to.
Okay, so that’s why Facebook Live is a good option. Now let’s dive into how you can use it.
How to Language Hack Facebook Live Video for Language Learning
When you’re on the Facebook homepage at a desktop computer, you’ll see a sidebar filled with all of the Groups, Games and Pages that you’re a fan of. Towards the bottom of that sidebar you’ll find a little section of ‘Apps’. It should look a little something like this:
Simply click on the Live Video option at the top, and that’ll take you to the next step.
Now you’ll find yourself at the Facebook Live Video Dashboard. This is where you can see everyone who is live on Facebook right now. How cool is that?
There are three parts to this dashboard that you should know about and I’ll quickly take you through each of them. The first is the ‘main’ video that shows up in the top left. This shows people who are live right now based on Pages that you like or interests that you have:
The second is popular videos from around the world that you can choose from. Here you’ll be able to find videos to watch in lots of different languages:
And the final section is the world map. Each one of these little blue dots represents someone who is live from that exact location and you can tune in to their feed at just the click of a button:
With this world map, you have - at your fingertips - access to people who are natively speaking their language and talking about different topics. Just hover over a blue dot to get a preview and see if it’s something you want to listen to:
The first time I found this I must have spent an hour playing with different live videos. I found a Dutch question-and-answer session, a Japanese shopping channel, a Polish news network and I spent a while brushing up on my German watching an Austrian press conference.
If you really want to challenge yourself you can type in questions and comments, interact with other commenters and build your written skills, too.
More Ways to Use Facebook Live for Language Learning - Hang Out With Me!
Now that I’m familiar with Facebook Live, I’ve started broadcasting my own Facebook Live videos.
Join me on the Fluent in 3 Months Facebook Page for Q&As about language learning, travel tips interviews with other polyglots, and live missions and challenges such as playing video games in other languages.
Want to make sure you’re the first to know when I’ll be running a live event? Then sign up for Fluent in 3 Months email updates. I’ll also send you weekly language learning tips! You’ll see a sign up box beneath this article, or you can join here.
How Do You Improve Your Listening Skills for Free?
Facebook Live won’t replace my favourite tool for improving my listening skills, podcasts. But it’s a great addition to your Swiss Army Knife of language-learning tools.
I want to know: what tools do you use to improve your listening for free, aside from speaking to people? Let me know in the comments!
The post Tutorial: How to Hack Facebook Live Video to Learn a Language appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
March 31, 2017
How to Speak French: The Faster Way to Learn French
Très bien !!
Millions of language learners around the world are already learning French, so you’re in great company.
And you can learn to speak French fluently faster than you think.
Yes, some aspects of French can be difficult, just like with any language. But for the most part, French is an easy language to learn.
I reached an advanced level of French, getting a B2 certificate in less than a year after starting to learn French, and later preparing to sit C-level exams.
You can do it, too.
I’d like to share seven steps to help you speak French. This is the language hacker’s approach to learning French. You can use this approach whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been learning French for years.
Follow these steps, and you’ll be speaking French before you know it.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Fall in Love with French
What’s the key to speaking French? Passion.
French is the language of love. And to speak any language, you’ve got to fall in love with it. Or at least find a really good reason to stick with it, even when the going gets tough.
Your big why for learning French will keep you motivated through the ups and downs of learning a new language. It will be something to hold onto whenever you feel frustrated with learning French and start to wonder “What was I thinking?”
Everyone has their own big why for speaking French.
Here are some really good reasons to fall in love with French:
To travel the world. French is an official language in over 25 countries, and is widely spoken in many more.
To have conversations with French-speaking family members.
To read French literary classics (think Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Alexandre Dumas and Gustave Flaubert).
To connect with French native speakers.
To get an inside view of French culture.
Why do you want to learn French? Find your own personal, meaningful reason to study French, and use it to keep you on track throughout your language journey.
Step 2: Create a Mini-France in Your Home
You don’t need to live in France to immerse yourself in French. In fact, you can surround yourself with French wherever you live
Here’s are some of my favourite tips you can use to immerse yourself in French.
Turn your smartphone into a French speaker. Switch the language settings on your phone to French. You can do the same with your computer.
Look for French speakers in your city. Most cities around the world, big or small, will have a community of French speakers. Chances are, there’s one near you.
Watch French TV and movies. Switch on the subtitles to speed up your learning.
Listen to French radio. You can learn a lot of French by listening to French songs.
Want to learn more about the immersion from home approach? Then check out how I learned Japanese while living in Spain and Egyptian Arabic while living in Brazil.
Step 3: Write Your Own French Phrasebook
You’ll learn French much faster if you focus on words and phrases that are relevant to your life. Plus, when you have real conversations in French (I’ll come to that in a moment), you’ll be able to talk about yourself.
That’s why I recommend creating a personalised French phrasebook. This is a collection of words and phrases are your relevant to you.
I suggest starting your personal phrasebook with:
“Je viens de [your home country]” (I’m from [your home country])
“Dans mon temps libre, j’aime [your favourite activities]” (In my spare time, I like [your favourite activities])
“Je veux apprendre le français parce que [your reasons for learning French]” (I want to learn French because [your reasons for learning French])
“Je suis un(e) [your occupation]” (I’m a [your occupation])
Any other interesting information about yourself (Have you learned any other languages? Travelled to unusual places?)
Step 3: Accept that You’re Going to Sound Funny at First
If you’ve never spoken out loud in a foreign language, it can feel awkward.
This is especially true with French. French includes sounds that don’t even exist in English. When you’ve only ever spoken one language, forming your lips and tongue into new shapes to make unfamiliar sounds can feel jarring, like hearing a wrong note in a well-known song.
Some language learners let this hold them back. They feel embarrassed about saying things wrong and making mistakes.
Push through this fear by speaking French even when you feel silly. You’ll learn French much faster that way.
And trust me, no one’s going to laugh at you.
Step 4: Fast-Track Your French with Language Hacks
Language hacks are shortcuts that help you learn a language faster.
Here are a few of my favourite language hacks that can speed up your French learning:
Spaced Repetition Systems (SRS). SRS is a great method for memorising vocabulary and phrases using virtual flashcards. My favourite SRS tool, Anki, is free and allows you to create your own flashcards, so you can build a deck from your personalised French phrasebook.
Mnemonics. A memory palace is an effective way to burn French words onto your brain.
The Pomodoro Technique. Break up your study sessions into 25 minute chunks. This gives you better focus, so you learn more in a shorter time.
Step 5: Have Real Conversations with Native French Speakers
The most effective way to learn a language is to speak from day one. This is especially true if you have conversations with native French speakers.
Where can you find native speakers to practise with? It’s actually really simple.
No matter where you live you can still find people, either online or offline, to speak with in French. I like to search for native French speakers on:
italki. This is the first place I go to find French speakers. You can find language exchange partners (free!), or pay for one-on-one lessons (reasonably priced).
Meetup.com. Most major cities have a Meetup for French speakers or French learners. CouchSurfing is another of my favourite ways to meet French speakers.
HelloTalk. This free mobile app helps you find French speakers who are learning your native language.
You may also like to join my Speak in a Week crash course to give yourself a huge confidence boost in your French speaking skills after just seven days. It’s free.
Step 6: Use Conversational Connectors for More Natural Conversations
Conversations involve a lot more than simply exchanging bare facts. They would be awfully dull if they did. In a world like that, a conversation with a work colleague might go something like this:
You: “How was your weekend?”
Them: “It was fine.”
You: “Mine wasn’t.”
Them: “Oh.”
Boring, right?
I bet you don’t talk like this in your native language. More likely, you enrich the information you communicate by adding phrases to show your mood or level of politeness, or to simply transition smoothly between topics.
The same conversation, spoken more naturally, might sound more like this:
You: “So, how was your weekend?”
Them: “It wasn’t bad, thanks for asking. How about yours?”
You: “Actually, it wasn’t that great, to be honest.”
Them: “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?”
See how much better the conversation flows?
Both conversations communicate essentially the same information, but the second one uses conversational connectors . These are short phrases that serve to make the conversation sound more natural, and less jarring and “staccato”.
The conversational connectors in the dialogue above are “Thanks for asking”, “How about you?”, “Actually”, “To be honest” and “I’m sorry to hear that”. These are phrases that people use over and over in their daily conversations, no matter what the topic.
If you learn these and other conversational connectors in French, your conversations will reach new heights. You’ll be able to hold the other person’s interest and make your sentences sound less “raw”. You’ll find you’re chatting longer with French speakers. This extra practice in turn will make you an even better French speaker.
Step 7: Focus on the Easy Aspects of French
French really isn’t easier or harder to learn than any other language, but you can quickly forget this if you only focus on the difficult aspects of French.
Whenever you get discouraged, think about all of the ways that French is actually an easy language to learn:
French is an easy language because it:
Has no cases (nominative, accusative, etc), unlike Russian.
Is not a tonal language, unlike many African and Asian languages.
Shares a lot of vocabulary with English due to their intertwined histories.
Uses the Latin alphabet.
Only has two noun genders, unlike German, which has three.
Remember these facts when you’re learning how to speak French, and the tougher aspects of the language suddenly won’t seem so bad!
You Can Do It!
Everyone who has ever learned to speak French (even native speakers, who learned when they were kids) was once a beginner in the language. They all managed to learn to speak French fluently, and so can you.
You just need to use your French as much as you can. Spend as much time immersed in French as you can. And, most importantly, believe in yourself.
Bon courage !
The post How to Speak French: The Faster Way to Learn French appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
March 28, 2017
How to use Social Media for Instant French Immersion
Think about it this way:
Cost of a round-trip ticket between New York and Paris by plane? $500-$2000.
Cost to open your favourite browser and click on YouTube? $0. Granted, you have to pay your Internet subscription or buy a coffee to use the wi-fi at a local café.
If your goal is to learn French, you can either spend all your money on a plane ticket and hope for the best, or save your money and start right now.
With social media, it has never been easier to create an immersion environment at home. I’m not talking about passive learning here. No, I’m talking about serious active learning and engaging with online communities in French.
By taking part in French social media, you can:
Take part in French conversations with Facebook comments.
Make connections with French people all over the world on Twitter.
Share French videos on Snapchat to practise your speaking skills.
Tag your French-speaking friends on Instagram and speak French in the comments.
Comment on the lives of French native speakers and ask direct questions with Periscope.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best French YouTube channels, French Facebook Pages, and French accounts on Snapchat, Twitter and Periscope. Plus more!
I recommend you start your French immersion on your favourite social network. No need to overwhelm yourself by trying to use them all at once.
Keep in mind that the French social media accounts I’m sharing here are only the tip of the iceberg. As you start digging into French online communities, you will discover more and more resources, and your learning experience will become more and more enjoyable!
French YouTube Channels
[caption id="attachment_20620" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Les Tutos is a funny French YouTube channel.[/caption]Why pay for Netflix or download illegally when you have access to hours and hours of French video content on YouTube for FREE? To me, YouTube is probably one of the best places online to get immersed in a foreign language without breaking the bank.
Get started with these three popular French YouTube channels, all of which have the option of French subtitles on at least some of their videos. And if you are a very beginner, I included two other options. You can start learning with these two and then go back to the French YouTubers.
Natoo
Natoo is a French woman who started on YouTube in 2011. She makes skits and comedy vlogs about common situations from everyday life. For example, she made a video named [La recherche des clés](https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=x8vyG...) (in English: Looking for keys). Her channel has French and English subtitles on almost all her videos.
SolangeTeParle
Solange talks about culture, girl problems and depression among a lot of other things. She called herself a poétubeuse: a mix between poète (in English: poet) and YouTubeuse (feminine for YouTuber in French). She went viral with her video about the differences between French from France and from Quebec in 2015. Some of her videos have French subtitles.
Les Tutos
This is probably one of my favourite YouTube channels ever.
Jérôme makes tutorial videos (tutos is a French short word for tutorials). But you have never seen something quite like this. He uses absurd humour, high energy and exaggeration. You can even cook with les tutos, for example with this recipe for crepes.
This channel was first a mini TV show that ran on French television in 2013/14. Nowadays, there are new videos once or twice per year. But don’t worry, there are around 50 videos already uploaded. They are ideal for people who have an intermediate to advanced level of French. The good news is that most of his videos have French and English subtitles.
Easy Languages
Easy Languages interviews native speakers in the street. You get access to raw content with French and English subtitles. This is one of the best options to start learning French. They also have simple and easy-to-understand videos to teach you the basics. Take a look at the different playlists to find the ones you like most.
Disney Songs in French
Another option for beginners is to start with Disney songs. You probably have already heard most of them in your mother tongue. This playlist has more than 40 Disney songs in French with French subtitles. Choose a song, listen to it several times and start repeating what you hear. Little by little you will improve your listening and pronunciation skills while learning vocabulary with the subtitles.
The Insider Trick for Finding More French Videos on YouTube
Now that you know a few French YouTube channels, you can easily find an infinite number of other channels in French.
How?
Well, I’m glad you asked.
Go to the About page of any of the channels I mentioned above. On the right, you will see a list of featured channels. These are channels recommended by the YouTuber.
Et voilà ! Now you have access to even more French YouTube channels.
French Facebook Pages
After reading this section, you will be able to watch funny videos and learn more about French pop culture at the same time. Now that’s how to make the most of your time on Facebook. Say goodbye to cat videos!
[caption id="attachment_20621" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Les Lapins Crétins are the French version of Raving Rabbids - and they have their own Facebook page.[/caption]Fallait pas le dire
This Facebook page, whose name loosely translates as “you didn’t have to say it”, features questions and thoughts about everyday life and random facts. This way you will learn common words you can use on a regular basis.
Les Lapins Crétins
Les Lapins Crétins are the French version of Raving Rabbids. Lapin is French for rabbit and crétin is an informal word for stupid. On their Facebook page, you will find short phrases with funny pictures or short videos to illustrate them.
Quotidien avec Yann Barthès
Yann Barthès became famous in France with his entertaining news show Le Petit Journal (“The little newspaper”). It featured skits and videos making fun of politicians and French society.
A few years later, Yann left Le Petit Journal and created a new show, Quotidien (“daily”) on another television station. The concept is the same and on the Facebook page of Quotidien you will discover funny snippets from the show.
Random fact: Le Petit Journal team made a banner with the name Cassoulet (a French recipe) and displayed it on Times Square when Obama was first elected.
Eric et Quentin
Eric et Quentin are two French comedians. They became very popular when they were at Le Petit Journal, but also followed Yann Barthès when he left.
Now with Quotidien, they keep doing what made them famous: funny skits during the show. Nowadays, they also make very short videos (like Snapchat stories) called La Story d’Eric et Quentin where they make fun of the news.
Martin Weill
Martin also was part of Le Petit Journal and then went to Quotidien. He is a young reporter who became famous for going to places like Iraq or dangerous neighbourhoods in Mexico.
Rémi Gaillard
Rémi is the most famous French prankster. He made videos of himself recreating Mario Kart in real life, playing soccer in the street to annoy cops and even organising a party in a store. You can find his pranks on his Facebook page - and they come with English subtitles.
French Twitter Users
If you are an absolute beginner at French, I recommend that you start with the first two accounts in the list below (Thomas Pesquet and Cyprien). The other Twitter accounts aren’t as easy to understand. But once you’ve reached an intermediate level, go back to these pages, follow them and get ready to laugh!
Thomas Pesquet
Thomas is a French astronaut. From November 2016 to May 2017, he is part of the International Space Station as a crew member. On his Twitter account, you follow his journey in space. If you’re a beginner, this page is perfect to start your immersion experience on Twitter as Thomas translates his French tweets into English.
Cyprien
Cyprien is one of the most popular French YouTubers. On Twitter, he communicates with his audience and shows his everyday life with tweets and pictures.
Nain Portekoi
Nain Portekoi is a Twitter account that features black humour. He makes fun of the news and politicians with satirical comments. His name can be read as n’importe quoi, which means ”anything” or ”nonsense” in English.
Jean-Moundir
Jean is another satirical Twitter user. He makes fun of politicians and invents jokes with random pictures.
Sam
Sam often talks about French grammar with humour. But most of all she retweets lots of funny posts from various accounts. You will be able to see French humour in action from a lot of different people.
Discover the Hidden Side of France with French Instagram Accounts
[caption id="attachment_20623" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Instagram gives you an insider's view of the beauty of France.[/caption]France is the most popular country in the world in terms of tourism and receives more than 80 million foreign tourists every year. It has more than 30 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but you don’t have to buy an expensive plane ticket to come to France and see all of these beautiful places. Get comfortable, go to Instagram and admire the great diversity of landscapes from your laptop or smartphone.
Le Musée du Louvre
The Louvre is one of the most visited museums in the world. It’s the home of Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo among many others. On its Instagram page, you will see the large buildings and different pieces of art.
Avia Travel France
Avia’s page posts pictures of various cities around France. Follow them for a virtual walk in the streets of Paris, Lyon or even Bordeaux.
Le Pays Basque
Discover le Pays Basque on this page. It’s a region located in the Southwest of France that is famous for its strong identity.
Les Pyrénées
Les Pyrénées is a mountain range in the South of France. It is (with le Pays Basque) another region that borders Spain. Enjoy the snow-capped landscapes in winter and the green pasturelands in summer!
Janelle & Scott Gould
Janelle and Scott help you discover France through the eyes of an Australian couple traveling in the country. Their goal is to bring French style into your life. Follow their page to get lost in the streets of French cities.
L’Equipe de France
If you’re into sports and specifically into soccer, you will enjoy these beautiful pictures of the French national soccer team. Not only the men, but also the women are featured.
The Insider Trick for Finding French Instagram Accounts
If you want more pictures of France, google “[name of the city/region] tourisme instagram”. You will find pages dedicated to the cities and regions you want to see, with beautiful pictures and descriptions in French.
French Snapchat Stories
Snapchat stories are the best place to watch raw content. No editing, no subtitles. A direct contact with the French world! Let these French influencers share their lives with you!
Tibo InShape
As his name suggests, Tibo is a fitness guy. He’s a YouTube celebrity and he’s a very entertaining character. You will see him training and talk with his audience on his Snapchat account: @tiboinshape.
Emma
Emma is a young YouTuber with several channels on YouTube. She specialises in DIY, beauty and fashion. With Snapchat (@emmactz), she shares beauty reviews and makeup tips with her unique sense of humour.
Malika Ménard
Malika was elected Miss Normandy 2009 and then Miss France in 2010. After her year as Miss France, she studied and became a journalist. Since then she has been presenting sports shows and blogging about fashion. On her Snapchat account (@snapmalikamenard), she features the different places she visits in France and around the world, plus her meals and her workout sessions. And all of that exclusively in French!
Learn French on Periscope
On Periscope, you will find a different type of content, as you can interact directly during live broadcasts. Ask your questions in French and they will answer to you in French during the broadcast. Don’t be shy - join the conversation!
[periscopepic]
WeScopeTV
This is the most popular Periscope account in French. WeScopeTV is a group of talented Periscope users who create various types of content. You will find music, tech reviews, events, food, and more.
Kwasi
Each morning around 8:45 am (Paris time), Kwasi gives advice and tips about social media. He interacts a lot with his audience to answer their questions. Hone your entrepreneurial skills in French and start the day in a friendly mood!
PPC
PPC was one of the first French social channels to see the potential of Periscope. Its creator, Pierre-Philippe Cormeraie, was one of the founders of @wescopetv. On his own channel, he features several types of content: interviews, events and walks in Paris and Provence. He also has a show with another Periscope user where they talk about the news.
Bonus: How to Find More Social Media Channels to Learn French
In reality, this article gives you way more resources than just the ones described here. Most accounts presented above are present on the other apps. For instance, Tibo InShape who I introduced in the Snapchat section has a very popular YouTube channel. Look around and you will find a lot more content!
With this post, you just got the blueprints to create your own immersion environment in French. So, what are you waiting for?
The post How to use Social Media for Instant French Immersion appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
March 21, 2017
How to Speak English Like the English
So, being from England, I'd like to share some thoughts on how to speak English like the English.
Let's start with a story you might hear from a mate down the pub in any town in the south of England:
Bloody hell mate! A fortnight ago I was down the local having a chin-wag with this fit bird, feeling pretty chuffed with myself, when some dodgy-looking bloke came up and started getting lairy with me. I don't know what he was on about; I thought he was taking the piss, but he wouldn't stop giving me aggro. I reckon he must have been off his tits. Next thing I knew the Old Bill had shown up and nicked this geezer before he could scarper. What a load of bollocks!
If an English learner saw the above paragraph on a language test, they might decide to give up and learn Esperanto instead.
If an English person saw it, however, they'd effortlessly understand that the narrator had been talking to a pretty female in a pub two weeks ago when they'd been accosted by an aggressive and possibly drunk man who was then arrested by the police.
If you're a native English speaker staring at the above and wondering if I'm just making it up, I assure you, you ain't seen nothing yet.
In this article, I’m going to share how to speak English with an English accent. Before I do that, I’d like to clear up a few common myths about England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom.
Myth 1: The British Accent
I need to clear one thing up. There’s no such thing as a “British accent”.
We Brits rarely use that term ourselves, and we tend to roll our eyes when we hear it used in American TV shows.
It’s far more common in the UK to be specific and talk about English, Welsh, Scottish, or Northern Irish accents, the four of which are very distinct from each other. These four accents still only represent broad categories that can be subdivided further.
Myth 2: The United Kingdom and England are the Same Thing
To those who don't understand the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England - or where other places like Scotland fit into all of this… look it up.
Seriously, it’s not that hard to understand. (This video does a neat job of explaining.)
Myth 3: English Citizens Speak the Original Version of English
Do English folk really speak the the “original” version of English?
It’s actually a dubious claim.
Linguists agree that over the last few hundred years, the accents and dialects of Britain have changed more than the American dialects they gave birth to. In other words, modern American speech is closer to the way British people spoke in 1776 than modern British speech is.
[caption id="attachment_20244" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
This is how I imagine it sounded.[/caption]Suffice to say that I'm from England (specifically, I grew up in Oxfordshire), and I can tell you a little bit about the way they talk in the other three Home Nations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), but this is an article about English English, one of the oldest dialects of the world’s biggest language, and the one that gave it its name.
English vs. American English - What’s the Difference?
1. The Rhotic Accent
How exactly then have our accents diverged since the Boston Tea Party? Many books have been written about the precise phonetic details of different English dialects, but for now I’ll stick with just one: rhoticity.
If you have a “rhotic accent”, that means you pronounce the letter “r” every time it’s written, and most American dialects (along with Irish and Scottish ones) remain fully rhotic.
In England, on the other hand, most of us at some point in the last few hundred years stopped pronouncing the letter "r" when it comes before a consonant (or is at the end of a word). For example in my own name, George, which I pronounce like the word "jaw" with an extra "j" sound on the end, no "r" to be found.
In most parts of England (the main exception being the West Country), people pronounce "father" identically to "farther", "pawn" identically to "porn", and "panda" identically to "pander", while to most Americans and Canadians those word pairs are all distinct.
Non-rhotic accents can be found outside England too, particularly in places that we colonised more recently than North America like Australia and New Zealand. They can be even found in a small number of places in the U.S., most famously in Noo Yawk. But rhoticity remains one of the clearest, most prominent dividing lines between different varieties of English.
2. Vowel Sounds
Vowel sounds have shifted a fair bit over the years. In many cases sounds which used to be pronounced differently are now pronounced the same, or vice versa, but the merger or split only happened on one side of the Atlantic.
I pronounce “cot” very differently from “caught”, but to many Americans they’re homophones. Similarly with “merry”, “marry”, and the name “Mary”, which are three distinct words in British speech, but sound the same in most American accents. In the other direction, I’d pronounce “flaw” identically to “floor” (there’s that lack of rhoticity again), but in American English those words are usually separated not just by an “r” but by two noticeably different vowel sounds.
3. Vocabulary
Where things start to get really confusing is with vocabulary, and I’m not just talking about slang. In Britain the Royal Mail delivers the post, while in the U.S.A. the Postal Service delivers the mail. Confusing, huh?
Many of our vocabulary differences are totally arbitrary: if I did something on Saturday or Sunday, I'd say that I'd done it at the weekend, whilst an American would talk about having done it on the weekend.
Other differences allow for extra shades of meaning: Americans only talk about being "in the hospital", whilst British English retains a distinction between being "in the/a hospital", which just means you're literally inside the hospital building, and "in hospital", which heavily implies that you're in the hospital as a patient.
It's like the difference between being "in school" and "in a school"... except Americans use the word "school" slightly differently too. In the U.S., "school" refers to any educational establishment including college, whilst in the U.K. it's only used to refer to primary and secondary education: the school that you do before going to “uni”, a British abbreviation for “university” that Americans don’t use. To add to the confusion, "public school" means something completely different here; for historical reasons a "public school" in the U.K. is a type of very expensive and exclusive private school, whilst a free, government-funded school (what Americans call a public school) is a "state school." Do you follow?
If you’re from America, you may have raised an eyebrow at my frequent use of the word "whilst" in this article. This word sounds very archaic and old-timey to American ears, but it lives on in the U.K. as a synonym of "while".
The verb "to reckon" is also alive and well in the British Isles, while in the U.S. it’s not really used anymore, except stereotypically by rural moonshine-drinking folks from the South: ”I reckon this here town ain’t big enough for the both of us!” Then again, I find it weird when Americans say “I wish I would have”. This construction sounds just plain wrong to me. In England we say “I wish I had”.
Where do you go to buy alcohol? In the U.S. it's probably a liquor store, but in Blighty (that means Britain) it's more likely to be at the off-licence, so named because it's licensed to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises, as opposed to a bar where you can both buy alcohol and drink it in the same building. After a visit to the off-licence (or "offy", where I'm from), a Brit might get pissed, which means "angry" to an American but "drunk" to us.
Another American synonym for "angry" is "mad", but in the U.K. that word exclusively means "crazy" - which caused confusion recently when Bill Clinton described British politician Jeremy Corbyn as "the maddest person in the room". In context it was clear that Clinton had meant “angry”, but many British commentators misinterpreted the statement as a comment on Corbyn's mental health.
What About the Different Accents You’ll Find Inside England?
So far we’ve just been looking at the differences between American English and English English. I’ve barely touched on the enormous regional variations that you'll find within England: from the town I live in I could drive two hours in any direction and be somewhere where the people sound completely different.
The stereotypical “posh” (upper class) accent (often called “received pronunciation” or RP) is generally only found in the south, but it’s only the most formal form of southern speech; many shades of variation exist. Up north people sound very different not only from southerners but from each other. For some reason - probably the fact that the north historically has had a lower population density and so the towns have been more isolated - there’s much more regional accent variation in the north, and you can generally pinpoint where a northern person is from from their accent with a higher degree of accuracy than you can a southerner. Liverpool and Manchester are 90 minutes’ drive from each other, and yet the people in each city sound completely different.
We're Only at the Tip of the Iceberg, and it's Time to Go Swimming
Remember our discussion a few moments ago about how a Brit who'd been to the offy might end up pissed? If he got too plastered (drunk) last night he might be hanging (hungover) the next morning and have a lie-in (he stayed in bed later than normal). When his friends ask him what he did last night, he'd tell them that he'd gone out on the piss (gone out drinking), or maybe even on the pull, which means that he wasn't just drinking last night but looking for a fit (attractive) girl to take home.
Now it's the morning, but maybe today he'll skive school (skip class), or, if he has a job, pull a sickie (call up his boss and pretend to be ill so he can get the day off). If his boss realises that he's talking rubbish (lying, bullshitting), he might give him the sack (fire him).
Our British friend isn't really ill (sick), he just can't be bothered to go to work. I've never been able to precisely explain "can't be bothered" to Americans, but it's an extremely common expression in the U.K. used when you don't want to do something because it's too much effort and/or you're lazy. If you want to be more vulgar, you can upgrade to "can't be fucked", a phrase which shouldn’t be taken too literally. A happy halfway point is "can't be arsed": a fine example of the British spelling and pronunciation of the American "ass". (“Bum”, by the way, is another word for "arse" here, unlike in the U.S. where a "bum" is a homeless person, known in the U.K. as a "tramp".)
Then you have “sod”. This ubiquitous British insult refers to an unpleasant or disliked person (see also "wanker") and is considered mildly rude on roughly the same level as “crap” or “damn”. It can also be used as an exclamation (“sod it!”) or an intensifier (“that sodding wanker”). To my astonishment, while researching this article I learned that the word "sod" originated as an abbreviation for "sodomite". I've been using this word my entire life, and I apparently never even knew what it meant. Sodding hell!
I’ve only scratched the surface here - I could write far more about the many peculiarities of English English, and the above is just a taster. If I’m being honest (another British turn of phrase - Americans more naturally say “to be honest”), I didn’t really think about most of these things until I started travelling, meeting people from all over the world and finding that many of the expressions I thought were international are in fact uniquely English, or vice versa.
What are Your Favourite Local Words?
Do you have any other fine examples of incomprehensible Englishisms? Or do you have any favourite words or turns of phrase that are common where you're from, but that no-one else understands? Let me know in the comments.
The post How to Speak English Like the English appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
March 18, 2017
How 3 YouTubers Learned Brazilian Portuguese by Making Videos
In this post, you will learn how three language learners used making videos on Youtube as their secret weapon in learning the language they love - Brazilian Portuguese.
Enter Gavin, Josh and Alonzo.
How Gavin Roy Improved his Portuguese by Making YouTube Videos
GavinRoy shares videos in Portuguese on his YouTube channel, SmallAdvantages.Here’s what Gavin says about how he learned Portuguese:
I was originally attracted to the Portuguese language because of its melodic beauty, but I fell in love with the language because of the people who speak it.
Brazilians are some of the most full-of-life people you will ever meet, and the honor they feel when a foreigner attempts to learn their language is a guarantee that you will be encouraged to converse, helped when you make mistakes, and even welcomed into their homes.
What’s more, Portuguese is really similar to Spanish. With a base structure and vocabulary that is anywhere from 40-60% (depending on who gives the estimate), it would be silly to start learning Portuguese from scratch if you already speak Spanish. In fact, Portuguese is mutually intelligible with Spanish, although this interaction is much easier for native speakers of Portuguese from what I understand. I originally learned Portuguese from my Spanish, and let me tell you: what an epic language hack!
If you are not familiar with Spanish, my secret weapon to learn Portuguese is to film yourself talking and then watch it – simple as that.
From the moment I started my YouTube channel, which is 90% in Portuguese, I made mistake after mistake, forgot word after word, and then had to relive each moment again while editing the video and then again after posting the video.
However, each of these became a mistake I never made again. I also picked up on other little mistakes I hadn’t noticed and even speech tics of mine that I was able to correct because I watched my films. Having native Portuguese speakers review my speech (and often politely correct me in the YouTube comments) was also a fantastic resource: ask and you shall receive, because Brazil has the second largest YouTube presence in the world behind the US. My YouTube channel SmallAdvantages now has 450k+ subscribers and growing!
Stop being a perfectionist, lose your pride, hit record, and babble! And then upload your video to YouTube :)
For Josh Plotkin, Teaching Portuguese is the Fastest Way to Learn
Josh Plotkin teaches Portuguese at his blog Brazilian Gringo and on his YouTube channel. Here’s his top tip for learning Portuguese:
My #1 tip of learning Portuguese is to convince yourself that the world is going to end and that the only way you'll survive WWIII is if you marry a Brazilian and get a citizenship.
This mindset shift worked like a charm for me in learning to speak Portuguese.
[caption id="attachment_20629" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
No, this is not my Brazilian wife.[/caption]So create whatever mindset that empowers and motivates you to make learning Portuguese happen.
Teaching what you learned is also a great way to learn faster and improve recollection. And if you share it publicly others can see what you're up to and help you grow.
Especially if Brazilians sees your journey, they will support you in incredible ways that you never thought of before.
Create some kind of record of your journey with Portuguese. Whether that's through a blog, a YouTube channel, or just simply sharing every moment of inspiration on Facebook.
Alonzo William Jr. Learned Portuguese for a Journalism Project, and Never Looked Back
Alonzo William Jr. runs the Everyday Strangers project, where he travels to different places, interviews strangers, and takes their photograph. Here’s what he says about Brazil and learning Portuguese:
I'm a huge fan of Brazilian culture. From the martial arts, the food to the people. I find it easier to learn from something that inspires you.
Brazil will be the first place outside of the U.S. where I will take the Everyday Strangers project. Because communication is the meat of my project, I challenged myself to learn the language of any country I visit.
One of the key that helped me learn Portuguese is to make language learning as fun as possible.
Example: One of my favorite MMA fighters, Anderson Silva, is from Brazil. Knowing this, I'll watch one of his fights and then listen to his post fight interviews in Portuguese. It makes listening more interesting. So study content that you're actually interested in! It helps a great deal!
And the thing that helped me most was to make the choice to stay away from my comfort zone.
Believe it or not, I'm naturally an introvert, so there were moments where I would try to take the easy route like avoiding Skype sessions because I felt like I wasn't "prepared".
The bottom line is you will never be prepared, you have to actually get prepared by making mistakes and learning from them.
The Add1Challenge - Could You Learn Portuguese in 90 Days?
Alonzo William Jr. learned Portuguese by taking the Add1Challenge. He says:
I took the leap of faith to join the Add1Challenge to push me out of my comfort zone and see how far I can go learning Portuguese in 90 days.
Here is his out of comfort zone video speaking Portuguese in the Add1Challenge on Day 0:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSigLp4hwxI
And here is his result speaking to a Brazilian in Portuguese for 15 minutes, 90 Days later:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71GqDfPIbnM
Alonzo says:
If an introvert like me can do this and get this kind of result studying just 4 days a week, 30 minutes a day for 3 months, anyone can.
So make language learning fun and make the choice to stay away from your comfort zone, then you will speak this beautiful language of Portuguese before you know it.
Take Action to Learn Portuguese, Today
You can have the most amazing Portuguese hacks, the most comprehensive Portuguese materials and the most effective Portuguese learning methods in the world but it’s completely useless if you don’t put them into a consistent learning routine in your everyday life.
If we all know this, why don’t we do it?
Because most of us are too comfortable in our comfort zones AND we scare ourselves to death by imagining how many mountains of hours and hours and hours we need to put in BEFORE we can have a conversation in Portuguese.
But…
What if we break down the hours of learning Portuguese to just 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week for 90 days?
This is exactly what Alonzo did in the Add1Challenge.
Could You Do the Same in 90 Days?
Most people are surprised by this result, including Alonzo himself.
Yet Lisa (Day 0 / Day 90), Adam (Day 0 / Day 90) and many, many other language learners who took part in the Add1Challenge got similar results.
After helping thousands of language learners speaking their target language in holding at least a 15 minute conversations with a native speaker in 90 day, what we found is…
We often underestimate the power of consistency, because we have never been consistent for a long enough to allow the result to reveal itself, especially in learning to speak a language.
A routine of just 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week for 90 days is what we found the minimum sweet spot if you want to be able to have a 15 minute conversation with an Italian in just 90 days.
Learning Portuguese is not so intimidating anymore right?
You can now implement these hacks into your learning routine on your own.
Better yet, apply for the Add1Challenge and begin this 90 day journey together with other Portuguese learners around the world.
We will be opening for application very soon so if you’d like to join the Add1Challenge to finally speak Portuguese with Brazilian in 90 days, you can join us here.
See you inside!
The post How 3 YouTubers Learned Brazilian Portuguese by Making Videos appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
March 17, 2017
Happy Paddy’s Day! (3 NEW Irish-Themed Videos for Language Learners)
Just kidding, we Irish don't actually ever say that - even on today, the day of our world-famous patron saint, St. Patrick!
Despite being associated with all things Irish, St. Patrick wasn't actually Irish by birth. Historians agree that he was born in Britain at some point in the 4th century A.D.
According to his own writings, St. Patrick was captured by Irish pirates at the age of sixteen and enslaved for six years. After this he escaped and returned back to his family in Britain, who presumably were surprised to see him again after all that time!
Eventually St. Patrick decided to return to Ireland as a missionary, and spent the better part of his life spreading Christianity across the Emerald Isle. While there's some evidence that he wasn't the first Christian to cross the Irish sea, he's generally regarded today as the founder of Christianity in Ireland.
Why is St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th?
Traditionally, St. Patrick is believed to have died on March 17th, although no-one is sure of the exact year.
That’s why nowadays, March 17th is better known as St. Patrick's day. In Ireland it's a public holiday marked by parades and celebrations all across the country, most notably in Dublin where the festivities go on for 5-days.
We Irish are not the only people who like to have fun on this day: St. Patrick's day parades are currently taking place all across the world, including in London, Boston, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, and even on the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat, which is one of only two places in the world outside Ireland that have St Patrick's Day as a public holiday (the other being the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador).
So, in keeping with today's Irish theme, I figure that this is a good opportunity to share some videos I've made lately about the Irish language and culture! Here they are:
New Video: 9 Reasons to Learn Irish: Lindsay & Benny collab!
This video is a collaboration with YouTuber Lindsay Williams, who's made a fantastic series of videos following the format '9 reasons to learn (language)'. (For a sample, see 9 Reasons to Learn Icelandic, 9 Reasons to Learn Croatian, and 9 Reasons to Learn Esperanto.) Fortunately, she hadn't made '9 Reasons to Learn Irish' yet, so I was able to make one with her!
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFTx2x6RxWA
New Video: How to Speak English Like the Irish
A very popular post I wrote in the early days of this blog was How to Speak English Like the Irish, where I outlined the basics of how we Irish folk put our own unique twist on the world's most widespread language. (See also the sequel, Advanced Hiberno English.)
But if you want to explain how a particular accent or dialect sounds, there's only so much you can convey in writing. This video should hopefully make things a bit clearer!
Video coming this weekend. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to not miss it!
New Video: How to Pronounce Irish Names
A great thing about the Irish language is that the spelling is highly phonetic and consistent. The problem is that the spelling rules are very different from what you might be used to! For example, how do you pronounce Niamh and Siobhán, both fairly common Irish girls' names? Your first guess is probably wrong.
In this video I give the rules for how Irish phonetics work, in what I hope is an easy-to-follow way. Hopefully this will help you wrap your head around Irish names and spelling.
Video coming this weekend. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to not miss it!
That's all for today.
Happy St. Patrick’s day!
If you enjoyed any of the above videos, be sure to leave a comment, and subscribe to the YouTube channel so you don't miss any new videos in future.
Is St. Patrick's day celebrated where you're from? How? Tell me your best St. Patrick's day stories in the comments.
The post Happy Paddy’s Day! (3 NEW Irish-Themed Videos for Language Learners) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
March 14, 2017
Traveling Jobs: Get Paid to Travel Using Your Language Skills
Don’t worry, there is a way to fund your travel adventures that doesn’t involve spending your savings or draining your bank account.
You can be paid to travel the world.
The good news is your passion for languages may be your golden ticket to finding jobs that travel. Whether you’re an advanced language learner or a beginner, there are plenty of opportunities to make money using your native and foreign language skills.
I’ve spent the last nine years working remotely and using my language skills to make a living.
In this blog post, you’ll discover:
The secret to finding paid online language jobs that allow you to work from anywhere in the world, take extended vacations, or even work from home.
How you can land online language jobs even if you don’t have previous experience working remotely.
How to use the “Foot in the Door Strategy” to start making money with your language skills within days, not weeks.
So, how to make money and travel?
Traveling Jobs: The World is Your Office
The number of freelancers, contractors and temp workers is on the rise worldwide. By 2020, more than 60 million of the workforce in the U.S. alone will be contingent workers according to the personal finance company Intuit. That means the golden opportunity to be your own boss and live a remote lifestyle is only going to increase.
[caption id="attachment_20234" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
This is me beside the Eiffel Tower in Paris.[/caption]Earning money while traveling is actually a lot easier than most people think. There has never been a better time to start working remotely and using your language skills to make money on the side. With technology, work is no longer tied to a specific location. The internet has granted us the opportunity to work from a laptop virtually anywhere in the world.
The truth is, you don’t have to be rich to afford travel. Many of these language jobs can fund your adventures. No matter what languages you speak, there’ll always be a way to cash in on your language skills and work from wherever you please.
There are more opportunities than ever out there. The key is knowing how to find them.
Travel Jobs: How to Get Your First Assignment
It’s easy to overcomplicate things when it comes to finding online language jobs. Most people start off on the wrong foot by making a website, logo and business cards. These things all have a time and place but they won’t get you clients and they certainly aren’t necessary when you’re just getting started.
To land your first gig within days, in the beginning you should take stock of your skills and aim for:
Short assignments you can complete, so you don’t get in over your head.
Jobs that don’t require highly specialised technical skills you don’t have.
Work that will let you leverage your existing skills from past jobs, education, hobbies, etc.
By looking for online jobs that fit this criteria, you’ll quickly build a reputation and a portfolio. Clients will begin to recommend you to other clients, and it becomes easier and easier to find work.
The Different Types of Online Language Job that Let You Travel the World
Before you pack your bags, first you need to find the right online language job to fund your trips.
Exactly how do you find these elusive online language jobs? To help you cut through the clutter of job postings, I’ve put together a list of flexible gigs that can be done from anywhere.
I’ve also included links to online marketplaces where you can find your first gigs.
Online Language Teacher
No matter what your native language is, there is someone out there with a desire to learn it. The best part is you’ll have a flexible schedule and you can work from the convenience of your own home or preferred workplace.
When students are looking for a foreign language teacher, the internet is the first place they turn to. Teaching online is a great way to earn money on the side while you travel.
You don’t always need to have formal credentials to teach. Most students are looking for someone to practice basic everyday conversation with. If teaching online appeals to you, there are online platforms like italki where you can sign up to give paid lessons.
Voiceover Artist
If you’ve ever been told you have a great voice, then working as a voiceover artist will be a great way to cash in on your talent.
There are a variety of reasons a voiceover artist in your native language may be needed. For example, educational training, product videos, video games, and even those annoying phone recordings you hear while you’re on hold. No matter where you are, you can record remotely from your hotel or Airbnb, since almost all of your clients will be virtual.
Will you need to be lugging around thousands of dollars worth of sound equipment? Not at all! You don’t need to be a recording studio tech-guru these days. All you need is a laptop, recording software and a mic. There are a number of online marketplaces, like VoiceBunny and PeoplePerHour where there are projects available today.
Location-Independent Translator
If you’re serious about becoming a location independent translator you can get started in less time than you think.
Translation is a multi-billion dollar industry and there are plenty of pieces of the pie to go around. With that being said, it does require skill. Being fluent in another language doesn’t make you a translator any more than having hands makes you a surgeon.
Outside of technical and highly specialised translations, there are a variety of translation jobs available no matter your skill level. In general, translators only translate from a foreign language into their native language.
It’s extremely useful to specialise and translate a subject matter that you’re well versed in. That means if you absolutely hated science in high school, don’t offer to translate projects on molecular biology.
So, what are the upsides of working as a freelance translator? For one thing, it’s 100% remote. You have the freedom to work when you want, wherever you want. If you’d like to get your feet wet in the translation industry, it’s best to go where the clients are, instead of trying to nail down your work. Start off small by using translation job boards for your first few gigs, like ProZ or TranslatorsCafé.com.
Many of these translation jobs are entry level and are a great way to build your experience in the industry. This was the chosen path of yours truly and over time I was able to build my skills and eventually work as a full-time freelance translator.
Travel Writer
Who wouldn’t want to be paid to write while traveling to exotic destinations? Especially if you’re a native English speaker, there plenty of opportunities to share your travel adventures and there are many publications that will pay you for your stories.
You can write travel guides for tourism websites, share tips on destinations, and write articles for travel blogs. In fact, you don’t need formal education, training, or years of experience to make a living writing.
All you need to have are interesting travel stories that will inspire readers. You can cash in by writing for publications such as Wanderlust and AFAR.
Language Tester
One of the many jobs I’ve done to capitalise on my language skills is working as a language tester. Many companies and government institutions rely on the language skills of employees.
As a language tester, you work in your native language, verifying that candidates are able to communicate at working proficiency. This includes reading and grading written passages or evaluating the candidate’s oral fluency over the phone. The best part is many of these assignments are long term and can supplement your income as you travel.
Language testers are 100% remote. You don’t always need to have a language testing certificate or credentials. I certainly don’t and continue to work as a language tester. Language testing positions can be found on freelance marketplaces such as Upwork.
Copywriter
If you’re able to write clear, concise, compelling copy in your native language, then you might want to give copywriting a shot. Copywriting is a form of marketing designed to get people to take some form of action through persuasion.
Copywriters write everything from blog posts to product descriptions, to website copy. If you’re planning on traveling and working remotely, there are many opportunities to earn from your writing.
Native English copywriters are especially in demand by companies trying to break into English-speaking markets, including the U.K., North America, and Australia.
You can directly pitch your copywriting services to these companies or go through one of the many freelance marketplaces where thousands of jobs are waiting to be completed.
Bilingual Virtual Assistant
If you have great organizational skills and have worked in an administrative setting, then working as a bilingual virtual assistant is a great way to merge your existing skills and language capabilities.
Tasks may include providing anything from scheduling interviews to handling social media accounts.
You can find virtual assistant jobs on websites such as FlexJobs.
If relying on freelance gigs isn’t your thing and you’re looking for part-time or full-time remote opportunities, then working as a bilingual virtual assistant may be for you since you’ll earn a steady paycheck as you travel the world.
Customer Service Representative
There have been numerous occasions where I have traveled and found myself in need of a customer service representative who speaks my native language.
Just this summer I was in Playa del Carmen trying to track down my cab which was running late to take me to the airport. I was put on hold on the phone and I breathed a sigh of relief when I was connected to an English speaking customer service agent.
Companies like IBM, Amazon, and American Express offer remote customer service jobs. Many of these companies are trying to save the huge cost of operating a call center.
Pay is anywhere from $14 to $16 an hour, which may not sound like much but will be more than enough when you minimise expenses or travel to countries where the cost of living is lower than it is back home. There are part-time and full-time positions that will let you work from the comfort of your Airbnb or hotel.
How to Use the “Foot-in-the-Door Strategy” to Find Travel Jobs Within Days
Finding remote work doesn’t have to be a painfully slow process. In fact, you can find many of these jobs within a matter of days.
If you’re new to the world of freelancing there is an easy three-step process I like to use called the, “Foot-in-the-Door Strategy.”
By using the Foot-in-the-Door Strategy you can shave weeks, if not months off the prospecting process. All you need to do is:
Determine which job you’d like to do
Find a freelancer already working for that company
Send a short email to pick their brain
Let’s say you’re trying to break into freelance translation. Maybe you’ve sent dozens of resumes before, but you didn’t get a call back from translation agencies.
Instead of randomly applying to agencies you can simply go on LinkedIn, find and contact freelance translators or project managers already working for that company and send them a message.
The filters on the left can be used to narrow down your search. You can sift through the search results by geographical location, shared connections, or group members.
Once you identify the people you’d like to contact, send a message - I recommend keeping it to 90 words or less. It only takes a split second for someone to decided whether they’re going to read your message or delete it. Sending a long-winded message is a surefire way to get your request overlooked. For that reason, keep it short and sweet to maximise your chances of getting a response.
The Foot-in-the-Door Strategy is a great way to get some insider information. It also helps you land work faster if you’re trying to break into the translation industry because you are directly connecting with the people who can point you in the right direction to getting your first translation project. It’s always better to learn from others instead of figuring things out on your own.
You can say something along the lines of this:
John,
I came across your LinkedIn profile during my search of the translation industry. I’m an aspiring translator and I’d really like to hear what your experience as a freelance translator has been like, especially having worked for AA Translations.
Let me know if you have 5-10 minutes to spare, I’d like to hear your opinion. We can set up a time to talk. Let me know if that’s possible.
Best regards,
Maryam Abdi
As you can see, the message is highly relevant to the receiver and gets straight to the point. It clearly shows that you’ve done your homework.
Once they agree to talk, you can chat over email or set up a phone call. Ask open-ended questions about their experience working with the translation agency, the type of projects they work on, and their likes and dislikes about the agency you’d like to work with.
Naturally, the conversation will bounce back to you. Use this as an opportunity to express your interest in working with the agency and ask for an introduction to a recruiter.
You Can Earn a Living While You Travel the World
One of the biggest obstacles that stand in the way of most people’s travel dreams is money. And by cashing in on your language skills, you can keep your travel adventures going for months, even years, like I have.
Working while you travel doesn’t mean you have to stick to one job. The beauty of remote work means you can clock in from your laptop and easily make the world your office. To keep the money rolling in as you travel, it’s best to diversify and squeeze every drop of opportunity you have from your language skills.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, try to do several different language jobs simultaneously. Regardless of how popular or how small your native or foreign language is, cultivating the right mix of online language jobs can keep work flowing as you travel the world.
Now I want to hear from you. What are some traveling jobs you’d like to do using your language skills? Comment below to share your thoughts.
The post Traveling Jobs: Get Paid to Travel Using Your Language Skills appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
