Benny Lewis's Blog, page 82

Level Up! Turn Your Language Learning Into a Video Game

“I wish I was motivated to learn a language! I’ll get started when I’m ready.”

Like most kids, I took a language class throughout high school as a requirement. I picked Spanish because it seemed like a better option than French or Latin, and I dutifully did my work because I had to.

Like most adults, as soon as I could stop taking languages classes, I stopped studying and practising and forgot nearly everything I learned.

It wasn’t until I set out on a trip around the world that I stumbled across a quirky Irishman named Benny who taught me WHY learning a language is so freaking awesome.

Inspired by Fluent in 3 Months, I immersed myself in Spanish, living with a family in Spanish for a month where I only spoke the native language. Thanks to being fully committed and motivated to the cause, my Spanish quickly came back to me, and I loved being able to interact with a family in their language. It was game-changing for me, and taught me just how enriched your life can become when you can speak multiple languages.

You’re reading Fluent in 3 Months, which means you’ve probably had a similar realisation: speaking a second language is a goal of yours, but you might struggle with consistently practicing it. We all say things like “I’ll work on the language when I’m motivated to learn it,” but the reality is that we know we can’t rely on motivation and willpower to get us to do something that we KNOW will enrich our lives. It’s not just learning languages either, but the same is true with exercise, learning a musical instrument, or writing a book. Motivation gets us started often, but after a few weeks we’re stuck wondering “what the heck happened?”

So what do we normally do? We wait. We sit around waiting for that magical motivation to kick in, or wait for us to get REALLY inspired to learn a language. And year after year, we realize we’re stuck at the beginning and haven’t made any progress!

If you’re somebody that loves the idea of learning a new language but can’t seem to get yourself to make progress, I’m going to teach you today how your favorite old school video games and heroes will help you finally learn a language, and in record time!

How to Turn Your Language Learning into a Video Game

Video games are amazingly addictive. And I should know - I’ve spent far too much of my existence getting lost in one game after another ever since I was a little kid with a Nintendo. I imagined I was Link from The Legend of Zelda, couldn’t wait to slay more bad guys as James Bond in Goldeneye, and loved slaying dragons as a powerful wizard in the online RPG, EverQuest.

Games are great because when you’re playing them, you’re trying to reach a goal. You’re trying to level up and - ultimately - complete the game. It’s a challenge, and yet you keep coming back for more.

What is it about games that keeps us motivated to return to them again and again, even (or especially) when they’re difficult?

Games can teach us how to accomplish goals in our lives that we’ve struggled with. Taking a “gamified” approach is ideal when it comes to learning a language.

Even if you’ve never played a videogame in your life, don’t worry! This will still make sense.

So, what’s so powerful about games?

1. Games show us how to make progress: Are you aware that we are happiest when we are making progress? We love making progress so much, in fact, that we actually enjoy it more than getting the thing we wanted in the first place! It doesn’t need to be big progress, just enough that we realize we are moving forward, improving, and getting better. Incremental improvement can actually be addictive...which is why video games that exploit this mental mechanism can be so addicting... from World of Warcraft to Candy Crush. We get to see instant progress and immediate feedback and gratification.

These short-term wins release dopamine— the happiness chemical—in our brains, and thus we crave more. This is referred to as the “Progress Principle” in psychology. We too can find a way to make small improvements and recognize this progress in our lives. So instead of just “practicing a language,” prove to yourself that you’re improving. Give yourself somef way to show you’re making progress! I suggest creating mini checklists with learning tasks that you complete each week.

2. Games show us rewards: Games are fantastic at getting us to go “just one more level,” or “try just one more” or think “after I finish this quest.” Every time we complete something, there’s a reward that triggers our brains again (yay dopamine!), and that reward encourages us to keep playing.

How can you add a reward system to your language learning? What if you complete a quest of 15 minutes of language learning every day for the next month, you unlock a reward of buying your favorite book or comic in your target language? Or a pass to the next language learning conference in your town? Reward yourself with things that reward you back by helping you further advance your learning.

3. Games teach us accountability: “Game Over” screen is an ever-present reality in games. The threat of “dying” adds a challenge that keeps us fully engaged and excited.

Life is no different! Where’s the accountability if you don’t practice your language? Right now if you skip your language learning, you get to just watch more shows on Netflix. However, what if every time you skipped your language practice you had to give your friend $20? And they have donate that money to a political cause you hate? Welcome to the real world of accountability!

4. Games have boss battles: In games you slowly advance and level up, earning better weapons so you can take on the big boss at the end. Your skills are tested. What better way to hold yourself accountable when it comes to learning a new language than by adding a boss battle to keep you focused on the target: actually conversing in the language? What if you booked a plane ticket to the country where your target language is spoken for 6 months from now, and a boss battle of speaking with a native speaker for 15 minutes while there?

Suddenly this shit just got REAL! Now you can reverse engineer your task/quest each week to build yourself up to that goal. This has really helped me stay on target with goal setting and completion. I like to say that I also speak and study the language of music, so I’ve used the above tactics and techniques to become a busker on the streets of New York City, and even started learning to play the violin about 18 months ago. I know how powerful this system can be when applied properly, so I’ve actually created an entire system that allows you to create a character, add missions, and level up as you complete them! I’ll tell you about it at the end of the post.

The Batcave Guide to Language Learning

Okay so now you’re ready to gamify your life. Solid work. However, if you really want to supercharge your language learning, you need to adjust how your environment subtly influences you.

I like to think of it like the Force in Star Wars: you’re being subtly pulled in a direction by everything around you, so why not structure your environment to win!

If I only played the violin or exercised when I was motivated to do so, I would never practice and I would rarely exercise!

If you only practiced a language when you felt like it, you’re never going to make progress. That’s why we need to restructure our environment to

And to do that, I’m going to recruit two close friends, Batman and Superman.

Be like Batman

Bruce Wayne needed to build a batcave, an immersive environment that helped him prepare for the bad guys. You need to build a batcave that makes your default behavior “I’m going to practice a new language every day.”

Here are two big strategies to create your own immersive environment:


Add steps between you and a bad habit that’s keeping you from practicing your language more often. If you spend four hours a day on Facebook, what if you installed Facebook NewsFeed Eradicator to make sure you’re not checking it 120 times a day? What if you cancelled your Netflix (GASP!), or got rid of your cable?
Remove steps between you and a good habit relating to learning a language. Put stacks of flashcards all over your house that you can quickly pick up and go through when you enter a room. Turn certain electronic devices (like tablets, phones, TVs, or even sites like Facebook) to your target language.


Be like Superman

Superman has a Fortress of Solitude that he retreats to when he needs to get away from day to day life. What if you created a Fortress of Language Learning in your home? It doesn’t need to be a whole room, but it needs to be a deliberate location. Benny actually makes a part of his home (even a single chair or particular corner) the "target language only" zone, where he knows that he's reading, listening, or Skyping in that language.

Remember: Language Learning is a Multiplayer Activity

Language learning is a multiplayer game. Why do you study flashcards and read language books?It’s so you can connect with other people from different places and cultures.!

So far, you’ve learned how to structure your life around mini goals and quests, and how to create a “target language only” zone. Now you need to recruit a group of allies to help you on your missions.

I heard once from somebody that you are the average of the people you associate most with. Just like we are influenced by our environment, we too are influenced by our allies. Might as well recruit a damn good group, right?

Think about who belongs in your party:


A Mentor: This is somebody who is actively teaching you on a site like italki. These people are not afraid to correct you on your mistakes and help you get a little bit better each time you interact.
Group language speakers: Attending language meet-ups in your city to practice your language with other speakers. The app HelloTalk can help with this.
A partner in crime: This can be a fellow learner who you keep accountable and vice versa. You can do this on the Add1 Challenge.


The more you practise your language out loud, the more people you speak with consistently, the faster you’ll get to conversational fluency (and a boss battle victory). So give yourself all the chances you can!

Power Through the Suck, Speak from Day One!

The first time you ever do anything, you’re most likely going to be terrible at it. Whether playing an instrument, playing a new video game, or speaking a new language: you have to “learn the ropes” and get started. This isn’t a reflection on who you are as a person, the “suck” comes with the territory!

This is why you need to embrace the suck. Be okay with being not good at your target language. It’s why Benny recommends “speaking from day 1.”

The sooner you start talking, the sooner you start making mistakes, the faster you start learning, and the sooner you get to your boss battle! As you are getting started with your language, fake it 'til you make it. It’s okay if you think you sound foolish or you mispronounce things; how else are you supposed to learn?

Make this year the year you learn a language and become a multilingual superhero!

To recap on how to make serious progress on your language learning:


Add mini quests and missions to your language learning: gamify your language learning.
Add rewards and accountability to stay on target
Create a boss battle that you work towards, and commit!
Structure your habitat with a “target learning zone”
Surround yourself with allies that help you succeed.
Speak today; get through the “I suck” part.


I’d love to hear from you how you’re planning on implementing the above with SPECIFIC examples. Leave a comment, and Benny will pick five comments send them a copy of my new book, Level Up Your Life, in bookstores and on Amazon now!



Level Up Your Life  will help you make progress on your big goals (including language learning, adventure, travel, and fitness) and have fun along the way. We’ve even built a character system where you can gamify your language learning goals and level up your life, literally!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to practicing my Spanish for an upcoming trip to Costa Rica!

The post Level Up! Turn Your Language Learning Into a Video Game appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How to Learn Scottish Gaelic

How would you feel if you were beaten up for speaking a language? What if that language was your mother tongue?

This is what used to happen to children in Scotland, if they spoke Scottish Gaelic.

In 1872, the British government introduced compulsory schooling for children in Scotland. This should have been a good thing - and in many ways it was. Unfortunately, children who attended school were actively discouraged from speaking Gaelic.

In fact, children caught speaking Gaelic were often belted by their teachers, and interrogated about who they’d been talking to. They could face further physical punishment if they didn’t give up the names of other Gaelic speakers.

Thankfully, attitudes towards Gaelic began to change in the 20th century. But the damage was done, and Gaelic entered sharp decline.

Could you be part of its revival?

Why Learn Scottish Gaelic?

Gaelic is a language rich in culture and history. It existed long before English, and nowadays many Scots are choosing to learn Gaelic as it is part of their Scottish heritage.
It has been a language in decline, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. By learning Gaelic, you would be helping in sustaining the language, and become part of an important movement that’s placing Gaelic back at the centre of Scottish life.

Since the Gaelic Language Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2005, Gaelic has become an official language in Scotland and now receives equal status with English. Since then, the Scottish government has invested a lot of money in encouraging the teaching of Gaelic and as a result, many new courses and websites have appeared. Official documents now must be translated into Gaelic and this means more job opportunities for Gaelic speakers than before.

Gaelic is spoken by around 57,000 people in the most beautiful parts of Scotland (mainly the Western Isles). Gaelic is now being taught in schools again in various parts of Scotland and there are also some schools where all subjects are taught in Gaelic. For those interested in music, the fiddle was very popular in Gaelic communities. Gaelic music, songs and traditional ceilidh gatherings are still plentiful in Scotland and in other parts of the world that celebrate Scottish culture.



Why did I choose to learn Gaelic? It really appealed to me for several reasons. The first one is that it is the second language of my home country and yet I couldn’t speak a word of it. Considering I spoke other languages, I thought I should start to dedicate time to learning Gaelic. Then my grandparents told me that my great-grandfather spoke Gaelic and that he taught the language to adults. Gaelic was spoken within the family home but it was never passed down as far as me. This made me more determined to learn the language and bring it back into the family.

I started to look around for courses and I registered on a distance learning course with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig which suited my circumstances very well. I also bought a few other resources such as books, CDs and a DVD series and I started watching the Gaelic programmes on BBC Alba to learn more about the language, culture and way of life in the Scottish highlands and islands where it is spoken.

Can I Learn Scottish Gaelic Without Living in Scotland?

Yes, you can learn Scottish Gaelic, wherever you live in the world! With the availability of distance or online courses, internet resources and books and DVDs, there are now various options for learning Gaelic without having to even set foot in Scotland!

The Best Way to Get Started in Gaelic

When starting to learn Gaelic, I’ve found it is best to start by looking at a pronunciation guide with audio such as BBC Beag Air Bheag or Akerbeltz. This is because in Gaelic, the sounds are not completely phonetic and the combination of consonants can produce some sounds that don’t exist in English or other languages. The Learn Gaelic Dictionary also includes audio for every word.

Once you’ve got to grips with the basics of pronunciation, I recommend textbooks that include a CD or audio files such as Colloquial Scottish Gaelic or Teach Yourself Gaelic. Gaelic orthography (the rules of written Gaelic) is probably the most challenging aspect of the language. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to use the audio along with your texts in the book.

When I’m using a text book, I set myself mini goals based on the textbook. For example finishing a chapter and then learning the vocabulary by creating my own flashcards with Anki and then moving on to the next chapter once I’m confident with the vocabulary I’ve learned.

The Teach Yourself and Colloquial books also teach you the grammar that you will need to be able to reach intermediate level.

Textbooks are an excellent foundation for learning Gaelic, but alone they’re not sufficient. That’s why I recommend using a variety of resources in your language learning. This prevents boredom and keeps you motivated.

The DVD series ‘Speaking Our Language’ is an entertaining way to learn Gaelic phrases and I watched one episode a week along with using my other materials.. The DVDs are filmed in Gaelic speaking parts of Scotland and contain many different speakers in each episode. The new vocabulary is displayed on the screen both during and after each episode so that you can write down the words and add them to your Anki deck.

I suggest starting speaking practice as soon as possible. That way, you will gain confidence and learn from your mistakes at an early stage and your listening skills will also improve if you can practise conversation with a partner. For this I recommend italki. The italki website lists language partners and tutors who can speak to you over Skype or Google Hangout.

To practise writing, I find writing a journal is an effective method which also helps me retain vocabulary. On sites such as Italki, you can use the notebook feature for this and you can also receive corrections from fluent speakers.

Once you reach intermediate level, I would suggest delving into a wide range of resources, such as those I’ve listed below. YouTube also has plenty of videos and Gaelic. And for “real world” practice, news websites such as the BBC, the Scotsman and Danamag are an invaluable resource.

You could also join a distance learning course where you will have the support of a teacher throughout and your course provider will provide you with resources. These are available from beginner level. I started as a beginner on the distance learning course with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the main Gaelic college in Scotland. I found having the support of a tutor was very helpful for correcting my pronunciation.

Resources for Learning Scottish Gaelic


BBC Beag air Bheag . An online Gaelic course aimed at beginner level with 35 units to complete. There is a useful pronunciation section with audio for beginners.
Learn Gaelic Online Courses . This course includes 60 lessons for beginners. The lessons are interactive and include a quiz at the end. There’s also a “Watch Gaelic” section which consists of various short videos in Gaelic with a transcript available in both English and Gaelic.
Learn Gaelic Dictionary . This is the best online dictionary available as it includes audio for each word. Translations are available for full phrases as well as individual words. An alternative dictionary is available on Am Faclair Beag.
Akerbeltz Gaelic Pronunciation Guidance . An introduction to sounds in Gaelic, some of which do not exist in English. There are 13 links at the bottom of the homepage for each section.
BBC Bitesize Gaelic . Aimed at school pupils in Scotland, this site is very useful for listening and reading exercises. This page also contains some grammar explanations and exercises.
Taic Online Gaelic Lessons . Some 55 lessons from beginner level, mainly focusing on grammar. There is also an audio guide to pronunciation, as well as a vocabulary list.
Gaelic For Parents . This resource features a variety of activities for both parents and children from ages 3 to 11 including games, songs, listening, reading and flashcards. It’s not only useful for kids!
Speaking Our Language DVDs . A four part DVD series published by the BBC starting with beginners level Gaelic lessons.
Island Voices . A project for Gaelic learners to watch videos or listen to audio and improve their listening skills. The videos contain dialogues aimed at various levels and have been filmed in The Hebrides. There are various topics to choose from and some videos contain transcripts of the dialogue for you to follow.
BBC Alba . A television channel available throughout the UK where all programmes are in Gaelic with English subtitles. The variety of programmes is excellent, they include music, culture, history, children’s, news and sport. The site also provides access to listen to Gaelic Radio ‘Radio nan Gàidheal’. The BBC iPlayer feature to watch television programmes and listen to the radio is only available to people in the UK..
BBC News in Gaelic . A BBC News website with various news articles in Gaelic, mostly relating to Scottish news.
Italki . A place to find language partners or tutors who can speak to you over Skype or Google Hangout. There is also a ‘notebook’ section where you can write your own texts in Gaelic and a fluent speaker can correct it for you.
Tobar and Dualchais Oral Recordings . This is a very interesting site comprising of thousands of oral recordings from Scotland since the 1930s, many of which are in Gaelic. The recordings include stories, songs, radio and verse.
An Drochaid Stories . Various short recordings in Gaelic with access to the transcript. Suitable for intermediate or advanced learners.
Danamag . An online Gaelic magazine containing articles on various themes aimed at intermediate or advanced level learners.
The Scotsman Newspaper Gaelic Articles . For intermediate or advanced learners, the Scotsman publishes a few online articles in Gaelic.


Courses for Learning Scottish Gaelic

For students living outside Scotland who would like to follow the structure of a course or perhaps gain a qualification from studying Gaelic, there are several options.


Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is the main Gaelic college in Scotland. They are based on the Isle of Skye and they offer courses by distance and also short courses over a week during the summer and Easter periods. The distance courses offer a chance to gain a qualification and you can study Gaelic right up to degree level. The tutorials are done in small groups by phone and you can choose a suitable time slot including evenings. For the one week intensive courses, they offer accommodation at the college and courses at various levels from beginners to advanced. They also other interesting ancillary courses such as Gaelic music and song.
Gaidhlig Gach Latha . An organisation in the USA who arrange group classes on Skype from beginners to advanced levels. The classes have various start dates throughout the year. They also offer private lessons on Skype and courses by email.
Atlantic Gaelic Academy . Offers weekly group classes taught over the internet covering five levels from beginners to advanced.
The Gaelic College offers an online Gaelic course which includes an introductory course “Beul An Tobair I” and an intermediate option, “Beul An Tobair II.” Each series is made up of 12 lessons.


What about if you want to learn on a face-to-face course? The venues listed below offer intensive on-site courses at various points in the year. These could be combined with a longer visit to Scotland:


Moray Language Centre . Based in the north of Scotland, Moray Language Centre runs on-site courses that can run from one to eight weeks at a time. They offer courses at various levels.
Ravenspoint, Isle of Lewis . A one week intensive Gaelic courses for beginner and intermediate levels are held in May, July and August. The accommodation options include staying in the home of a Gaelic speaking local family or staying on-site at the hostel. As well as language tuition, other activities are planned for the students including sightseeing and a visit to a local church service in Gaelic where the unique Gaelic Psalms singing can still be heard.

The post How to Learn Scottish Gaelic appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How to Learn a New Language Fluently

What is fluency? What does it mean to be fluent in a language?

Believe it or not, this may be the most important question you ask yourself, if your goal is to speak another language.

Why is this?

Because the way you understand fluency could set you up for failure, and mean you never reach your language goals.

Or it could mean you become fluent in multiple languages in just a few years.

Let’s take a look at why that is...

What Does it Mean to be Fluent in Another Language?

I consider myself fluent in 7 different languages, but I have experimented with many others over the years. Some I learnt in order to make the most of my travels - others were for a challenge or simply, fun!

To me, fluency is being able to function in social situations in my target language, as I would with my native language.

That’s why I aim for around a 90-95% level of perfection. In simple terms, this means being confident in using around 2,000 words, together with a broader base of vocabulary that I’m less confident in using, but that I can understand in context. I have gone way beyond this stage in some of my languages, but I wanted to be clear on what I count as fluency.

Even when I’ve reached fluency as I understand it, I know I’m going to make mistakes. I am human, after all! As long as I have reached the level where I am able to get my point across, so that whoever I am conversing with understands what I am trying to communicate, I know I am almost, if not completely fluent in that language.

So if fluency is a relatively simple goal, why do so many people fail to reach even this level in a language?

Partly it’s due to study methods. Many language learners seem to expect that if they spend enough time studying textbooks or watching foreign films, they’ll somehow magically become fluent in their target language. I’m sorry, but this is not how it works.

How to Make Sure You Never Reach Fluency

Fluency is a “chicken and egg” scenario. If you wait until you’re fluent before you speak a language, you’ll never be fluent.

That’s why I advocate speaking from day one.

I struggle to understand why so many people wait until the ‘perfect moment’ to start speaking a language. So many language learners seem to believe they can clock hours and hours of textbook study, then one day open their mouths and be able to have complex conversations about life, the universe and everything.

Being an engineer, I always fancied myself as a mathematician, rather than as a writer. When I first started Fluent in 3 Months (Fi3M), I didn’t really have a clear idea of what I was doing. I’d publish long blog posts – about my travels as well as my language-learning missions. Some of my posts had grammatical errors or mistakes, as I was the only one proofreading them. These days, there are guides all over the Internet on how to write blog posts, or draw in an audience. Well, I didn’t use many photographs and I was very fond of emoticons (and I still am! :P).

I wasn’t perfect (I’m still not), and I didn’t let this bother me.

Perfection was never the goal for me. With multiple languages already under my belt, I wanted to share what I had learned, how I learned it, and, most of all, I wanted to tell stories.

I kept publishing far from perfect blog posts, and over the years, I built up a community and a business around Fi3M. I wrote language guides, language learning courses and even became a published author!

Life isn’t perfect. If you’re going to sit around, waiting for an opportune moment to start doing all the things you want to do in life, you’ll find you have very little chance of achieving, well – anything!

Imagine if I’d waited for that “perfect” moment to start up a blog. If I’d thought my articles weren’t “good” enough to post online. If I’d effectively, been paralysed by a quest for perfectionism.

I think my life would have turned out very differently.

There are people who walk through life, waiting for the right time to do whatever it is they wish to achieve. This isn’t limited to learning a language. Maybe they want to write a book, do a woodworking course or backpack around the world. They convince themselves that they don’t have the time, means or money to do whatever it is they wish to do. And they leave it at that.

This is crazy, if you ask me! Our lives on this planet are so inconceivably short and people so often prioritise the wrong things. If you’re incredibly lucky, your life will stretch to a length of 70+ years – imagine all the things you can learn in that time, if you put your mind to it.

Yet, this is a topic for a whole other post.

The point is that the road to fluency is one that will always be riddled with mistakes. Mistakes are the only way to become a better learner and more confident speaker.

Why It’s GOOD to Make Mistakes

Yes, you read right. Mistakes are necessary, if you want to became fluent in your target language. Here’s why:

Mistakes Work Wonders for Your Self Confidence

Many people are terrified to speak their target language. My partner Lauren was so nervous before her first Esperanto conversation that she hoped for a power outage so it would be cancelled.

Feeling fear is normal.

When you first start speaking a new language, you’re going to be at a very basic level. Your vocabulary knowledge will be limited. You’ll probably speak slowly. You’ll hesitate. And you’ll feel a bit silly.

That’s totally okay.

Yes, none of us want others to think of us as stupid. But speaking another language is a smart decision, not a stupid one.

In any case, how exactly will people think you’re stupid? Many folk (at least in the English speaking world) consider those who can speak multiple languages to be vastly intelligent (though this isn’t true). I imagine in most cases, if you’re trying to learn a new language and make a mistake, people won’t mock you or call you names. In fact, I’ve found people to be largely helpful – correcting your mistakes for you with kindness and even complimenting you.

The more mistakes you make, the more confident you’ll become in your abilities.

In fact, it’s only by making mistakes that your fear of mistakes will begin to melt away.

Embrace your mistakes, starting today. You’ll never look back.

Mistakes Help You Learn Faster

I knew of someone who was learning German and was in conversation with a native speaker. In this conversation, she accidentally used the work lecken. What she meant to say was lächeln, which translates to “smile”, but she’d accidentally said: “lick”. The native speaker burst out laughing and was quick to correct her mistake for her, causing her too much merriment in the process.

Yes, people might laugh at your mistakes. But that doesn’t have to be painful.

Needless to say – she won’t be forgetting the German word for “smile” anytime soon!

Mistakes Help You Connect With People

When you’re at school, mistakes can directly affect you, usually by lowering your mark on an assessment or exam.

But what about in life?

Messing up when you’re speaking a new language isn’t going to have all that much impact on your life. At the worst, you might feel a little bit silly or have some difficulty getting your point across to whoever you’re talking to. The key factor is - you’re communicating. This is what you should be focusing on.

How to Stop Being a Perfectionist Start Speaking From Day One

We’ve established that you can’t just sit at a desk, or on your couch, somehow magically absorbing information and expect that to get you anywhere. The best way to learn a language is by taking action. Open up your mouth and start speaking!

Remember this: communication in any language is riddled with mistakes. Even your native language. English is my native tongue - yet it is not my favourite language to converse in, by any means! I sometimes stumble over pronunciations and use ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ as I find the correct way to phrase my thoughts. This is coming from someone who speaks publicly for a living!

You might be thinking this is all very well and good Benny, but how exactly can I start speaking right now?

Set Yourself Mini-Missions

Mini-missions have been the key factor in my language learning. As a traveller, I often only had a few months in each city I lived in to learn the language, which helped put the pressure on. As my skills progressed, I started learning languages before I visited certain countries. I found this method helped me greatly when it came to culturally immersing myself in wherever I was in the world at that time.

My advice would be to do the same. Give yourself a tangible timeframe for achieving fluency, then set mini-missions from there.


Spend a day talking entirely in your target language.
Cook a new recipe from scratch, using a recipe in your target language.
Plan a trip to a place where your target language is the native language


Set yourself a mini-mission now. What will you achieve in the next three months?

Sign Up for italki

One of my favourite resources for language learning is italki, a website that connects language learners with language teachers.

Once you’ve found a teacher, you hook up with them on Skype. That means you can get practice with a native speaker no matter where you are in the world.

It’s worth trying out several different teachers, until you find one who is a good match for your personality and language goals.

Meet Up With Other Language Learners in Your Area

Get out of the house and mingle! If you’re not living in the country where your target language is spoken, look for a language group in your area on Meetup.

Make a Bet

If you really want to put the heat on, wager a bet with yourself. Publicly announce that you’ll donate a hundred dollars/euro/pounds to a political party or cause that you despise, if you fail to start speaking immediately. That should light a fire under your belly!

Alternatively, give some cash to someone you trust, such as a family member, spouse or close friend. Tell them if you have failed to have a conversation in your target language by the end of the day, they can keep the money. There’s no end to the ways you can motivate or torture yourself.

Start Speaking Today - It’s Up to You

I hope you understand now why the pursuit of “perfect” fluency is a meaningless goal that really does more harm than good. Figure out what fluency means to you, contrive a method of achieving your goal and above all, don’t let fear overpower you.

Get out there and start communicating. You’ll never look back, I can assure you of that.

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6 Ways for Beginners to Outsmart “Expert” Language Learners

When you’re a beginner in a language, and you meet someone who’s studied it for years, it can be a bit of a shock.

You wonder: “How are they so damn good?”

It feels like they’re leagues ahead of you.

How can you hope to stay motivated all that time and catch up with the more advanced learners? Maybe you’re thinking that none of your hard work is going to pay off for months or years! Why even bother?

Here’s why. First of all, you don’t have to wait months or years to be able to use your new language effectively. You can start right away! Even if you’re a beginner, there are some powerful language hacks you can employ that will have you speaking on par with, or even outsmarting, those more advanced learners that you feel are impossible to compete with right now.

How can you outsmart more advanced learners? Easy, if you have the right attitude, study the right resources, and learn some speaking and listening techniques to convince other speakers that you’re not a beginner at all.

Let’s get to it! As a beginner you can outsmart advanced learners because you can...

1. Ignore the Academic Textbooks and Study the Vocabulary You Need

So much time in language classes (and to an extent, even with tools such as DuoLingo) is wasted studying vocabulary you’ll almost never need, at the expense of vocabulary that you’ll definitely need on a daily basis when using that language. Unless you plan to spend most of your time working in an office environment where you’ll be immersed in your target language, how often are you really going to need the vocabulary for “stapler”, “chalk”, or “three-hole puncher”? These words are generally taught in the classroom because they’re items commonly found in classrooms. But isn’t the whole point of learning a language so that you can use it outside the classroom?

Too many language learners get to an “advanced” level in their courses without actually being able to converse about topics that are relevant to their lives. You can avoid this pitfall right from the start. Don’t get stuck in the trap of learning vocabulary “suitable” for your level. Learn what you actually need, and use it! Think of your main goal of language learning, and head in that direction right away.

Do you want to speak the language while on holiday? Then learn vocabulary commonly found in phrasebooks. Yes, believe it or not, you can start learning phrases like “When will the restaurant close?” which contain the (gasp!) future tense, even if you haven’t yet learned the names of all the colours!

Perhaps you want to learn the language in order to work as an au pair in another country. In that case, you’d focus on vocabulary relevant to households and childcare. You might even get hired over a more advanced speaker who can conjugate verbs perfectly in every tense and yet can’t talk about any topic that wasn’t in their course curriculum!

Sure, if you want to work in an office or a school overseas, then learn that vocabulary like “stapler” and “chalk”. The point is, learn vocabulary that’s relevant to what you plan to do with the language, and your competence in that language will surpass that of the advanced students who refuse to deviate from their rigid lesson plans.

2. Adopt the Homer Simpson Method and Make the Most of the Vocabulary You Have

In The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantès met a fellow prisoner, the wise Abbé Faria, who told Dantès that he was constantly improving his Greek language skills. When asked how that was possible in prison, Faria replied, “Why, I made a vocabulary of the words I knew; turned, returned, and arranged them, so as to enable me to express my thoughts through their medium....I cannot hope to be very fluent, but I certainly should have no difficulty in explaining my wants and wishes; and that would be quite as much as I should ever require.”

I believe every language learner should put these wise words into practice.
Even if your beginner vocabulary is limited, there’s no reason why you can’t arrange the words you do know, with a little practice, to make yourself understood in your target language almost as well as any advanced speaker.

A good way to start practicing is to look at an object that you’d like to know the name of - Google image search is a convenient tool for this - and try your best to describe it without looking up any new words. Don’t know the word for “house”? Try, “thing that people live in”. “Telephone”? What about, “thing to talk to people far away”?

Soon you’ll be able to do this with any new object you see. You might need to get creative to make yourself understood in conversation, but trust me, it’s better than stopping mid-sentence every five seconds to look up the right word, or worse, not speaking at all and never learning the word! Once the other person understands your meaning, they’ll immediately tell you the correct word, and then you’ll never forget it.

A friend of mine once referred to a “tube that gives water in the kitchen” in their target language because they hadn’t yet learned the word for “tap”. And Homer Simpson once forgot the word “spoon”, but he made himself understood by asking Marge for that “metal...dealy...you use to...dig...food”. It wasn’t very elegant, but we both got what we needed in the end!

3. Take Advantage of the Goldmine of Online Language Resources

Even one year ago, there weren’t nearly as many language-learning resources available online as there are today. I regularly write articles directing my readers to hundreds of language-specific resources available online, just to try to keep up with all the new ones being released! Even endangered languages, like Occitan and certain indigenous languages of the Americas, are gaining more and more language learners thanks to the internet.

There’s never been a better time to start speaking a new language. Those speakers who started years ago might be more advanced than you now, but you can learn faster than they did thanks to the boom in high-quality online language-learning courses and free resources. And as with any project, when you see measurable results quickly, you become far more motivated to keep working toward your goal. And motivation is half the battle!

4. Steer Well Clear of the Need to be Perfect

Advanced language learners generally aren’t used to making mistakes. Many of them feel like they left “that phase” behind them long ago. But this often means that if they want to say something that they don’t know all the right vocabulary and verb conjugations for, they might just keep their mouth shut and not say it at all rather than risk saying it incorrectly and shattering their “perfect” image. They’ll stay trapped in the safe world of familiar words, reluctant to venture outside of their comfort zone, lest they feel like a beginner all over again.

Meanwhile, as a beginner, you don’t have the luxury of knowing enough grammar and vocabulary to not make any mistakes. Since your comfort zone is so small, everything you say will start out imperfect. But as long as you make it a habit to keep speaking and don’t let your mistakes discourage you, you’ll quickly get used to that feeling and you’ll never be afraid to get outside your comfort zone and say something new, even if you don’t know all of the correct words or grammar. Before long, as you keep talking with native speakers, these mistakes will simply disappear from your vernacular, maybe even without you realizing.

Make it a habit to forget about perfectionism from the beginning, and you’ll soon be learning at an exponential rate, while the more advanced learners who never got into this habit are stuck in a rut.

5. Fake it ‘til You Make it

You don’t need to be an advanced speaker of a language in order to sound like one. Learn how to inject personality into your conversations, and your ability to converse in that language will instantly hit the next level. Instead of stumbling through your sentences with ums and ahs that’ll make the other person lose interest faster than you can say, “The word is on the tip of my tongue!”, you’ll keep them engaged and maintain the conversation’s momentum, giving you far more speaking experience in the process.

Try these techniques to outshine more advanced speakers in your conversations:

The dramatic pause . If you don’t know exactly how to correctly finish that sentence you just started, don’t just halt mid-way through with a “sorry” while you gather your thoughts. Make the pause sound like a natural part of the sentence, as if you did it on purpose! Don’t just say, for instance, “I read about it in my...hang on...what’s the right word...oh yeah! Textbook!”. Instead, say, “I read about it in my - you guessed it - [dramatic pause] - textbook!” and you can bet that the other person will still be paying attention, and might get a chuckle out of your quirky speaking style, which will keep them coming back to speak with you more.

Conversational connectors . This is another phenomenal way to fill the gaps in a conversation while you’re planning what to say. Instead of one word answers to the other person’s questions, followed by “And you?”, which sounds very unnatural in almost any language, add a connector such as, “That’s a great question, thanks for asking”. Not only does the conversation sound more natural, and flow back and forth between the speakers, but you can spend those moments when you’re using conversational connectors in order to think of a good reply to the question.

6. Polish up Your “Contextese”

Even if you can’t speak your target language at an advanced level, doesn’t mean you can’t understand it at an advanced level, once you get some practice filling in the blanks when you don’t understand every word you hear in a sentence. I call this unspoken communication “Contextese”, because you’re relying on things like the body language of the speaker, the tone of their voice, and the few words in the sentence that you do understand - in other words, the context of the sentence.

So many advanced language learners spend all their study time on vocabulary and verb conjugations, and then are completely lost when they try to have a conversation where they don’t understand every word. They focus too much on just the words, instead of on everything else. Learn to see the big picture in a conversation, and you’ll stun advanced learners speechless with your level of comprehension.

Conclusion: Beginner’s Mind Can Make You a Cunning Linguist

Every language learner, no matter how advanced, was once a beginner in their target language. How long you remain a beginner, however, will depend on how cunning you are in your study techniques, and how much you use the language for actual communication. Whatever your level is now, don’t let advanced speakers scare you away from using your target language; with these language hacks, you can start using your language on par with them right now, and go from seeming more advanced to being more advanced in far less time than you would with traditional approaches.

Remember: whether you achieve competence in your target language in weeks or years is up to you. Which will you choose?

Beginners: What Are Your Top Tips?

I’m sure there are plenty of other ways a beginner can outsmart an advanced language learner.

Are you a beginner language learner who has employed other techniques to outsmart advanced learners? Tell me about it in the comments!

The post 6 Ways for Beginners to Outsmart “Expert” Language Learners appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Does Your Personality Change When You Speak Another Language?

Have you ever wondered if you have an alter ego? By learning other languages you can find a new identity!

That’s right. Learning another language gives you a new personality. If you already speak other languages, you might have noticed this for yourself.

Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll end up like the case of The Mind of Billy Milligan - the first person to ever be diagnosed with multiple personality disorder.

So, what does it mean?

Speaking a New Language is a Lot Like Being an Actor

I used to play in the theatre when I was in high school, still (sadly) being monolingual. That is when I discovered that I had to observe people in order to play a particular character.

When I was 15 I faced a hard choice. I was so emotionally involved in theatre that I gave serious thought to entering the Academy of Theatre in Moscow. However, my plans were confronted by my parents who couldn’t imagine their daughter acting on the stage. In my turn I was utterly opposed to entering a standard teaching university as I had very vivid images of teachers who despite being called teachers couldn’t add any value beyond the curriculum. At high school, I had found that soon as I started out poetry in Russian literature class, our teacher got aghast by my creative initiative.

The aftermath of my vigorous dispute with the parents was taking the entrance exams to Moscow State Linguistic University. This was on the advice of my school English tutor. It made me frown a lot.

But there during my modules on inter-cultural communication and the history of linguistics that I discovered my passion for languages, cultures and communication.

Let’s look at the theory of how that works...

The Language You Speak Influences How You View the World

Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand von Humboldt (yes, that was the name of the guy the Humboldt University in Berlin is named after) states that our worldview reflects our language and culture. Speaking a foreign language gives you a new perspective and allows you to see the world from another point of view.

Another linguist V. I . Malakhov states that our reasoning and superstitions are determined by the language we think in.

There are already neurolinguistic studies proving that the structure of the language matters and really influences the way we think. The latest comparison between English and German grammar structures has shown this. We use vocabulary to describe the world around us. And quite often a dress is white and gold for us, when it’s blue and black for our friend. While we can’t change our physical vision settings, we can change our thoughts and then our vision.

Think about your native language, your culture, your social environment - are you superstitious about number 4 if you weren’t born in Asia? Have you become more sensitive towards this number if you happened to learn Mandarin or Japanese?

Another pair of great linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf investigated the question of linguistic relativity. Notably they addressed the “mystique of the language”. They believed that the language reflects the fundamental values of the given culture and at the same time forms them. Living in big cities you may notice a gap between your system of values and of your neighbours. And when you learn a new language you may experience a contradiction with your own values when you dive deep into a new culture. So, what to do?

At the time of my discovery of academia I spoke Russian, English and Spanish. After going to Europe, I noticed the difference between opinions and values of different nations and cultures. Especially, I noticed how they each had different impressions and perceptions.

How I Taught Myself to Become Culturally Spanish

When I went to Salamanca, Northwestern Spain, in 2010 I was taken for an Italian or Argentinian as according to people I met I was very eccentric and used my hands a lot in an Italian way. At that point I didn’t know that Russian and Italian phonetic systems were very similar. And Argentinian Spanish had an Italian phonetic scale.

Being in Salamanca I observed and started copying the locals not only in their intonation but also in their manner of moving, and furthermore even the schedule of their day. I was preparing for a role of a Spanish girl from Salamanca.

Eventually in 2012 when I arrived in Santiago de Compostela to study I was taken for a Spaniard quite often. I even managed to emerge into a local group of Galician students and professionals. This was my moment of triumph and acceptance.

Each Language Has its Own Personality

I also noticed that it was much easier for me to speak my newly acquired Spanish than English, although I should have been more expert in English. I was constantly wondering about this until I was told that, like people, some languages are extroverted and some are introverted. English is an introverted language that makes it harder to speak.

Can you identify the personality of your spoken languages? Are they introverts or extraverts? And how does it influence your speech and behaviour? Have you noticed any changes in yourself when you speak them? Do you become more awkward or more of a chatterbox?

In 2011 I learnt Italian and went to Italy discovering a new world. This experience opened up for me the phrase that a language is a door to culture. If you want to unwind your personality and get slightly more optimistic, you should go to Italy, like the writer of “Eat, Pray, Love”. If you happen to be learning Italian now, look into all phrases dedicated to food. This explains a lot about the Italian lifestyle.

Why I Can’t Talk Philosophy in Italian

Have you noticed your mood changes when you switch languages? Or maybe you prefer speak a different language depending on your mood?

In 2012 in Salamanca I conducted a test study on decision-making of international young people in the field of NLP - Neuro Linguistic Programming. Students from different European countries took the test in English using the words of possibility and uncertainty in their answers. What was interesting apart from the NLP, that the nations from the Southern Europe seemed to be more optimistic than their neighbours. Was it just the good weather, I wondered?

When in 2011 I went to study to Poland I learned Polish and realised that I was using different languages for particular purposes. I adored Spanish and it warmed my heart, while Italian was for my soul - my interests, my passion. Russian was for poetry as I wrote poems since I was four years old. English was only for work. And Polish was for everyday life.

Then I started noticing that I thought about particular spheres of my life in different languages. Or, more precisely, I simply didn’t know equivalents of words or phrases in other languages. For example, I studied economics in English and I had no idea how to talk about it in a language other than English.

On the other hand, emotions that were really natural in Italian and Spanish, I was unable to explain in English or Polish.

I used to keep my diary in Portuguese while being in Spain. It just felt in-between, emotional but more relaxed.

Then I came to the point that I started writing poems first in Italian, then in Spanish and then in English. If in Italian all poems were passionate and rich with allegory, in Spanish it was more lyrical philosophy, and in English it was pure philosophy and dry thoughts. And I couldn’t write on philosophy in Italian or Spanish, it just wouldn’t dawn on me.

“It’s a Small World” or “The World is a Handkerchief”

Then I noticed another thing, while talking to my friends or partner I would tend to switch into Spanish or Italian to make a conversation more reciprocal, vivid, intimate and full of emotions rather than stick to English or any other languages. And it still feels right. Just to compare expressions “The world is small” or “El mundo es un pañuelo” (the world is a handkerchief) - I definitely prefer Spanish!

When I took up French, this was purely for reading as I conducted a research on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory on habitus (or how our habits get formed on the social level). I had to read hundreds of books in French, then discuss them in Italian with my Italian supervisor, in Spanish with my Spanish supervisor, and eventually write in English.

I still use French mainly for reading French literary masterpieces…and you will notice me debating on sociolinguistic topics in French.

Your Personality Will Change When You Switch Languages - and that’s a Good Thing

Your personality will change with the language you’re speaking - so let it happen! It’s a good thing. It’s all about imitation and acceptance. If you behave like the main social group into which you’re trying to integrate, most likely you’ll be accepted.

If you don’t make smalltalk with a British person, you may seem rude. And if you can’t cook or talk about cooking, you will be left out of an Italian conversation quite often. If you don’t ask your Chinese colleagues what they had for breakfast, how good their sleep was and other health details you will never become their 兄弟 xiongdi (a brother). It all comes to the minimum of cultural norms established and accepted by a particular society.

I call this process developing a secondary linguistic personality. The aim is to achieve a point when a foreigner can communicate in another language without being taken for a foreigner. Practice makes perfect, and it’s not only about your accent, vocabulary or intonation. It’s about your body language, your manner of leading a conversation, asking questions and sharing views with the locals.

This type of assimilation can take months or even years for a foreigner. Eventually, the personalities you explore through other languages will become habitual.

When we learn a new language - a new way of expressing our thoughts - a new way of looking at the world, we also should think about preserving our identity.

I prefer to use variations of my name in every language, like Catarina in Spanish, Katerina in Italian, Catalina in Portuguese, Kate in English (and never Katie!), Kasia in Polish, Kat in German, Katrin in French( although the pronunciation of this name is still challenging), Katya in Russian and Kata in Chinese.

What New Personality Will You Discover?

In every language I speak, I let my alter ego amuse herself and others. My desire to become an actress now expresses itself in all the languages I speak. I have obtained multiple personalities - and you can too.

What is your language alter ego? Have you released it yet?

The post Does Your Personality Change When You Speak Another Language? appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Christmas Traditions from Around the World

As you post Christmas cards, hang up tinsel and glaze your turkey, have you ever wondered about the Christmas traditions in other parts of the world?

Did you know that in the Czech Republic, teenagers dress up as devils and go in search for small children? Or that the Christmas festivities in Catalan largely revolve around the comfort of a pooping log?

Do you know where Santa actually retires to during the summer months?

Christmas is celebrated in many different ways across the globe, with some traditions that might seem unfathomable by what you are used to! Read on to find out more.

Greenland – Christmas in the Dark

It’s so cold in Greenland that Christmas trees have to be imported from Denmark – as they won’t grow within an arctic climate! The fir trees, which aren’t cheap, are decorated on the 23rd of December with candles, ornaments and kamiks - tiny little sealskin breeches. If a family can’t afford the import fees, they’ll use a traditional driftwood tree instead.

[caption id="attachment_17481" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Winter in Greenland is dark day and night, which gives Christmas an extra-cosy feel.[/caption]

Greenlanders also put an illuminated star in their windows, of both homes and public buildings. The sun doesn’t rise at all during the winter, so any bit of light in the country is welcome.

Can you imagine - Christmas in complete darkness? It’s said to give the occasion a lovely, comforting feel, as the villages of Greenland are adorned with lights and families gather together, to snuggle up and celebrate in the warmth.

A traditional Christmas dish features some fairly unusual additions. Mattak is whale skin, with a strip of blubber inside – too tough to chew, it’s usually swallowed whole. Kiviak, which is the raw flesh of little auks (an arctic bird) that are buried in seal skins months in advance and left to rot. Sounds revolting for sure, but they’re considered to be a local delicacy! Raw sushi, cooked fish, a soup known as suaasat and plenty of Danish pastries are also consumed.

Japan – Have a “Finger Lickin’ Good” Christmas

In 1974, the popular fried food chain KFC held a nationwide campaign in Japan. Known as Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii! (Kentucky for Christmas!) It came about when a group of foreigners couldn’t find turkey to gobble down on Christmas day, and substituted it with fried chicken.

KFC saw an opportunity for profit and jumped on it – offering fried chicken and wine. These days you can also get cake and champagne in the deal, for around $40 USD.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umHfb1JHovA

The meal is so popular that many order their Christmas Kentucky months in advance to avoid the waiting lines, which can be up to two hours long.

From an outside perspective, Christmas seems particularly commercialised in Japan, which is largely due to the fact that it’s not a Christian country. Although presents are exchanged and Christmas cards sent (however never in red, as it’s a colour reserved for funeral cards!), it’s not considered a holiday – rather New Year’s Eve is a religious time, to be spent in the company of family.

In fact, Christmas Eve is more widely celebrated than Christmas Day and is thought of as being a traditionally romantic holiday - much like Valentine’s Day in the western world. Couples go for long walks together to look at Christmas lights, exchange presents and often have romantic meals in restaurants… before gorging themselves on KFC the next day!

Australia and NZ – Christmas in the Summer Sun

For many people, Christmas isn’t Christmas without a hot roast dinner, mulled wine or eggnog and perhaps even the promise of snow.

[caption id="attachment_17483" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Christmas in Australia takes place in the searing heat of summer.[/caption]

However, Christmas Down Under is an entirely different affair, as it takes place in the searing summer time heat. Although both Australia and New Zealand have similar traditions to that of Ireland, the UK, Canada, and the USA, the change of season has led to a few tweaks here and there, making the holiday more suitable for the warmer climate.

In the lead up to the day itself, many people will adorn their houses with Christmas decorations. A popular tradition is for families to drive around from street to street, checking out the lights. Some neighbours rally together to deck out their houses – turning the entire street into a small fairground. Families meander around, checking out the houses and eating ice cream supplied by a nearby food vending truck. Competition to have the glitziest house in the street is usually fierce.

Carols by Candlelight is a popular event all over the country. In every city or big town, citizens gather together to sing traditional Christmas carols in a park, lighting candles as the day gradually turns to night.

[caption id="attachment_17482" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Singing carols by candlelight is popular in Australia.[/caption]

Santa is often portrayed as having swapped his winter warms for a pair of boardshorts, ditching his twelve reindeer for a mob of kangaroos or seen straddling a surfboard.

Of course a hot roast dinner makes little sense in a warm climate. An Australian Christmas Day spread consists of fruit, cold cuts such as turkey and ham and kilos of seafood, like Tiger prawns, stacks of crab sticks and perhaps even some Balmain Bugs. Not to forget a good old fashioned Aussie BBQ (shrimp – or prawns depending on how Aussie you are).

Dessert can consist of Christmas fruitcake, trifle or a pavlova), a meringue based cake, the origin of which is a cause for constant feuding between Australia and NZ.

If the family has a backyard pool and the weather is fine (as it usually is), everyone jumps in for a dip. Other popular activities include a picnic at the beach or several rounds of backyard cricket, with beers in the sun.

Catalonia – Where Christmas is Celebrated with a Pooping Log

Meet Tió de Nadal, who comes out on the 8th of December. It’s a small log, with a smiling face, that’s adorned with a traditional red Catalan hat, known as the Barretina. The name translates to “Poo Log” – I shit you not (pun obviously fully intended).

[caption id="attachment_17485" align="aligncenter" width="740"] The pooping Christmas log of Catalonia. It poops Christmas gifts.[/caption]

Children spend every day between the 8th of December and Christmas Eve looking after Tió de Nadal – covering him with a blanket and feeding him nuts, dried fruit and water every evening. The plan is to fill him up, so that he’ll poop out treats on Christmas Eve.

After dinner on the 24th, kids are given a stick to hit Tió de Nadal with, as they sing:

" Si no vols cagar
Et donanem un cop de pal."

Or:

"If you don't want to poo
We will hit you with a stick"

Inside the log’s blankets, the kids will find sweets and small toys, which have been “pooped” out by the inanimate, smiley-faced log. Once all the gifts have been collected, the log is burnt for warmth!

It doesn’t end there. Catalonians also include the figure of Caganer in their nativity scene – a defecating man with his pants down, shown “fertilising the earth”, in order to bring good luck.

Finland – The Home of Santa Claus

[caption id="attachment_17480" align="aligncenter" width="740"] The official Christmas village in Rovaniemi, Lapland.[/caption]

There is much cause for debate on which Nordic country Santa retires to during the (northern hemisphere’s) summer months, with Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Greenland all vying for the top spot.

Letters were once sent to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, where it was alleged that the townspeople worked together to ensure each child received a reply. Unfortunately, the Santa Claus service that was established by Nuuk Tourism went bankrupt, due to austerity cuts in the country.

It’s Lapland in Finland that seems to now hold the coveted position. Letters from all over the world are mailed here, with elves working diligently on replies. There’s even a Santa Claus Village, particularly popular among British tourists.

Christmas celebrations are held on the 24th, rather than the 25th of December. In Turku, the former capital of Finland, a ceremony is held to declare the beginning of “Christmas peace” – a period that starts at midday on Christmas Eve and lasts for twenty days.

From there, Finns will attend church for the Christmas Eve service, or go to a local sauna to bathe and relax. Family then gathers together to have Christmas dinner and gifts are left under the tree from Joulupukki, the Finnish Santa. He was traditionally known as a “Christmas Goat”. He was once believed to be a horned creature who frightened children, rather than giving them gifts! These days he comes knocking on the door on Christmas Eve, with presents for those who have behaved and lumps of coals for anyone who hasn’t!

Czech Republic – Watch Out for the Christmas Devil!

Christmas in the Czech Republic starts on the 5th of December, on what is traditionally known as St. Mikuláš Day (St. Nicholas Day). Teenagers dress up as angels, devils and St. Nick and go searching for small children. The kids must then recite a poem or sing a song, to prove how they good they’ve been that year.

[caption id="attachment_17479" align="aligncenter" width="740"] The Christmas angel, devil, and St. Nicholas.[/caption]

Good kids get sweets, chocolate and fruit.

Bad kids get a potato or a lump of coal and are sent to Hell in a burlap sack.

St. Nicholas Day is considered a completely separate holiday to Christmas itself. As with Finland, the 24th of December has more of an emphasis than the 25th.

Christmas Eve is associated with many superstitions, relating to love and life. For example, if you’re a single gal who throws a shoe over your shoulder and the toe points towards the door, you’ll be married within the next year!

Some other customs are that:


No lights should be lit in the house before the first star comes out.
No one should get up from the Christmas table before dinner is finished. Doing otherwise brings bad luck or death in the family.
All household animals should be fed after dinner so no one goes hungry on Christmas Eve.


Presents are placed under the tree and handed out after the meal. Many Czech children believe that their gifts are brought by Baby Jesus, who comes in the room through the window to leave presents. Like Santa, many wish-lists are addressed to directly to him.

Venezuela - A Roller Skate Date

Morning mass, known as Misa de Aguinaldo, is popular in Venezuela and is held from the 16th to the 24th of December. What is far more interesting is the mode of transport used by the citizens of the country’s capital Caracas to get to mass on time.

[caption id="attachment_17478" align="aligncenter" width="740"] In Caracas, Venezuela, it's traditional to travel to church for Christmas services on roller skates.[/caption]

Each morning, firecrackers explode and bells ring, rousing worshippers from their beds before dawn.

Caracas citizens then don their roller skates and make their way to the church. Vehicle access is blocked off in many areas before 8 a.m., keeping the streets safe for skaters. Kids are woken up early in the morning by tying a piece of string to their big toe and letting the other hang out the window. Passing rollerskaters give them a tug as they go by.

After the mass, people go out to socialise, eat tostados (deep-fried pancakes) and drink coffee.

What Are your Favourite Christmas Traditions?

How about you? How is Christmas celebrated in your corner of the world? Are there any weird or whacky traditions you delight in taking part in?

Wherever you are and however you are celebrating - Happy Holidays / Happy Festivus / Have a wonderful Saturnalia / Merry Christmas to all, from the team at Fluent in 3 Months.

The post Christmas Traditions from Around the World appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Deafblind in Japan: My 5 Week Journey

Julie Ferguson is registered deaf and blind. She also speaks five languages. Julie shared her story with us before here on the blog as well as in the Fluent in 3 Months book. This is the inspirational story of her recent visit to Japan.

Deafblind in Japan

I'm nightblind. I'm standing in Akihabara, Tokyo, in the dark. And I'm lost.

Do I:


A: keep walking until I find a train station or taxi,
B: burst into tears in the middle of the pavement,
C: ask that Japanese man over there for directions, in Japanese?


I choose option C. And I succeed.

Back in June 2015, I was registered blind due to worsening retinitis pigmentosa. What this means is that my tunnel vision is so bad now that I have less than 10 degrees of useful vision remaining. Increasing difficulty keeping up with my full-time job as a science teacher had made me suspect that it was going to be sooner rather than later. Even so, I wasn't ready for it yet.

My five-week trip to Japan had been booked and paid for a couple of months before this. Planning my trip was really exciting because I had been learning Japanese for a while, and my best friend was coming with me for the first week. After she left, I was going to do a two-week language course. Given my horrible vision and deafness, I was going to have to be extremely well prepared for Japan.

Things I Needed in Japan (in Addition to the Usual Stuff)

[caption id="attachment_17471" align="alignnone" width="740"] The specialist equipment I packed for my trip.[/caption]


my white cane
a spare white cane
my hearing aids
a spare hearing aid for my “good” ear
about 40 batteries for my hearings aids even though I probably only needed 6, maximum
a radio aid that links to my hearing aids by bluetooth so I can use my mobile phone (the radio aid can also be a microphone at short range)
my mobile phone with a Japanese- English dictionary app
a magnifying glass for reading kanji from my Japanese textbook
a magnifying glass with built-in light for reading at night e.g. bus timetables
a portable desk lamp for classroom use or in hotels
two torches (a small one on my key-ring and a larger one in my bag)
an mp3 recorder for recording and replaying lessons
my best friend, for calm and serenity


What Am I Doing Here?! (Tokyo)

We started in Tokyo, and stayed in the Asakusa part of town. Our hotel was right around the corner from Sensoo Ji, a temple dedicated to Kannon. We explored a little then went looking for food. My friend doesn’t speak Japanese other than “watashi wa vegetarian”, and polite phrases, so I was in charge of talking to people. Ordering food took a very similar pattern for the next eight days:

Friend (in Japanese): I am vegetarian.

Server: Okay!

Friend (pointing at food in menu): Vegetarian?

Server: Yes

… food comes to the table, we look at it and realise there are pieces of bacon in it…

Me (in Japanese): This has meat in it. My friend does not eat meat.

Server: Oh, there is nothing she can eat here.

We learned to stop saying “vegetarian”, and switched to “my friend does not eat meat or fish. What can she eat here?” This worked most of the time, though some bacon sometimes still sneaked in there. My proudest food moment was when I managed to ask in Japanese for bacon not to be put in her sandwich while it was being made.

I found the subway system in Tokyo very difficult to deal with. Each line would have two platforms, one for each direction. Although most signs were in English as well as Japanese, I couldn’t see any signs saying which platform to use. Luckily we were able to ask railway attendants for help, and they would show us to the right platform, put us on, and phone ahead to the station we were getting off at. At our destination, there would be an attendant waiting to help us off, and they would ask where we were going to so that they could show us the right exit as well. The railway attendants were amazing and really helped my stress levels to drop a little.

Tokyo was, for me, really confusing and overwhelming. I didn’t feel comfortable there, and my Japanese was not as good as I had expected it to be. I was struggling to follow what people were saying, and my friend told me that I was almost whispering when I spoke Japanese which probably didn’t help!

Ah, This is Better (Kyoto)

[caption id="attachment_17469" align="alignnone" width="740"] The Golden Temple in Kyoto was a highlight of my trip.[/caption]

After four days in Tokyo, we went to Kyoto by shinkansen (high speed railway) and we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of Mount Fuji on the way. We had help from the railway attendants again and made it to our hotel safely.

Our first port of call was Nishiki Market, because I’m a bit of a foodie. It was heaven walking along the market, checking out all the different food, and the other shops. When we saw a crockery shop, we had to stop and look at the lovely cups. I’m also a tea geek, so looking at the variety of tea cups was great. I ended up buying one, and told the shopkeeper how beautiful I thought it was, in Japanese. He looked really happy, so I think I managed to say it right!

While we we were travelling in Japan, we were using manaca travel cards which you swipe at train stations and on some buses. We had to put more money on the cards in Kyoto, and found the machine to do so. It took us a while to figure out how to add more money, and it wasn’t until afterwards that we realised that there was an English language option on the machine… At least it meant that we did it in Japanese! Because of my tunnel vision, I miss details like this all the time and it takes me longer to figure things out. In Scotland, I get a lot of people assuming I need help, whereas in Japan, people waited for me to ask which I liked a lot.

Something I noticed in Kyoto was that I always knew when I was near a temple, because I could smell the incense on the wind. One temple we visited was Sanjuusangen doo. We had to take off our shoes, and an assistant also wiped the tip of my white cane to ensure cleanliness. At another temple, in Nara, we bought incense sticks for my friend to take home but one broke. An obaa-san insisted on her getting a new stick, then she took us over to light the broken incense and showed us how to pray properly. She was so cheerful and spoke to us in a mixture of Japanese and English. It was hard to follow her accent, but miming definitely worked.

Time to Get Serious (Fukuoka)

My friend left for Scotland and now it was time for me to travel on to Fukuoka. At Kyoto Station, I requested assistance, being very nervous about the sheer size of the station and the importance of getting the right train. My main worry was the 20 minutes in Shin Osaka that I had for changing trains, so the assistance was a big help.

At Hakata Station, I took a taxi to my short-term apartment. Something I found tricky in Japan was the taxis. In Scotland, if I’m travelling alone, I just get into the front seat where I can see the driver to lip-read. In Japan, I had to get into the back seat so I couldn’t lip-read. Most of my taxi journeys consisted of.

Me: Here please (pass address written in Japanese)

Driver: (stream of fast sounds)

Me: Sorry, one more time please.

Driver: (stream of fast sounds)

Me: Sorry, my Japanese is bad and I’m deaf.

Driver: (silence until destination)

Once I settled into my apartment, I made a list of things I needed for groceries. I had made the list in English, then thought to write the names in Japanese in kana. This ended up being really useful in the Family Mart, because the shop assistant noticed my list then showed me to all the things I needed. The next day, I went shopping for anti-histamines (insect bites!) and an electric toothbrush to replace my broken one. The department store was unbelievably huge and I found the pharmacy by sheer accident. I had to ask where the toothbrushes were and a very helpful shop assistant who spoke no English helped me decide which one to buy. After 24 hours in Fukuoka, I was speaking more Japanese than I had in the past eight days!

It was in Fukuoka that I studied at the Genki JACS school. It made my brain hurt! I spent two weeks at this school and I really learned a lot, but suddenly having to listen and speak in Japanese for more than 20 hours a week with no escape was really tough. Given that I mostly studied reading and writing before going to Japan, I needed this. During class, we drilled questions and responses until they came out sounding more natural, as well as learning to use grammar faster. To start with, the teachers were unsure of how to help me in class but I explained that as long as I could ask them to repeat things or write them for me, I would be fine. I used my magnifier for the textbook (kanji details and furigana!), and recorded all the lessons so that I could play them back for more practice. They also asked others in the group questions before me so that I had a chance to figure out what was going on. I knew I was slowly improving because my stress levels were slowly decreasing each day.

Exploring around my neighbourhood, I found a Book Off. I really liked it there. The manga section was upstairs and I confess this freely: I have no idea how manga books are organised in a book shop. I just don’t get it. The manga I bought were found purely accidentally while browsing and trying to figure out the system. There was also a children’s section, and I hoovered up some interesting looking books there too, including one which I had to slowly sound out in katakana He Re N Ke Ra a. Huh? Heren Keraa? Oooh, Helen Kelaa. Yes, I had found a Japanese biography of one of my heroines, Helen Keller. Delighted!

On a day off, I went to see Fukuoka Castle and stopped for a tea break in a cafe afterwards. Boy, was I glad I had gone in! About 5 minutes after sitting down, the rain started to lash down then rumbling noises started. Hmm. Dictionary app out, ask the cafe woman if that was thunder, yes it was, look at my metal white cane, see lightning starting, check app again, ask cafe woman if I can stay until the thunderstorm’s done. She laughed and told me to stay, then asked where I was from. When I said Scotland, she told me that she had been to London and would like to go to Scotland one day. I had my app, she had her app, and we had a great time blethering about Scotland and Kyushu in a mixture of English and Japanese.

Before I left Fukuoka, I visited a department store. I was looking for some presents to take home with me when I saw a really cool cat apron. I couldn’t see any aprons other than the display one, so I mustered up my new and improved Japanese, asked a shop assistant if they had any more in stock and asked to buy the display one when they said it was the last one. I did it without too many long pauses, I was understood right away, and I got the outcome I wanted. Studying and practicing really does pay off.

It was the Best of Times, and the Worst of Times (Hiroshima)

Sometimes having tunnel vision leads to moments of unexpected drama. In Hiroshima, I was concentrating on finding my way to the Peace Park, and not bumping into people when I stopped and looked to my left. The Atomic Dome was just there and my heart gave an extra "thump". Later, in the museum, I was surrounded by fellow Scottish accents, which sounded almost strange after two weeks of Japanese immersion. I had a piece of home with me, in a place which documented one of the most horrific acts humans have taken against other humans, and nothing felt quite right.

[caption id="attachment_17472" align="alignnone" width="740"] My view of the atomic dome in Hiroshima, which gave my heart an extra "thump".[/caption]

From the Peace Park, I went to Hiroshima Castle. While I was there, a random older Japanese bloke came up to me and starting speaking English, things like “where are you from?”, “do you like it here?” and so on. I decided to reply to him in Japanese to see what he would do, and we ended up talking to each other in the other’s language in a perfectly friendly manner. In my conversations with people throughout my time in Japan, I nearly always started speaking in Japanese. Most people replied in Japanese, but if I asked them to repeat themselves I found that they often switched to English instead. Obviously they thought my Japanese was the problem, rather than my hearing. I really wished that they would just repeat themselves, maybe slower this time, or simplify what they had said to me, but it was hard getting that idea across when they were trying to be helpful.

After my day of walking and viewing, I wanted to experience Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki - a Japanese savoury pancake. On my map, there was a place marked “Okonomiyaki Alley” so I went hunting. It was dark, the map wasn’t as precise as it could be, and I must’ve walked past the entrance to the building that the “alley” was in several times, looking for an actual street. It was pretty frustrating but I persevered and my reward was delicious okonomiyaki cooked in front of me, with baseball on the telly in the corner, and other customers smiling at me as we ate our food. It was a good atmosphere.

[caption id="attachment_17473" align="alignnone" width="740"] Day trip to Miyajima.[/caption]

While I was in Hiroshima, I went to Miyajima on a day trip. The tram station was a little confusing, but the ticket woman pointed me to the right place, then when I was on the tram, the conductor made sure that I had a seat. He asked where I was going and, despite the background noise of the tram, I could understand him and reply. He made sure that I got off at the last stop, not before, which was kind of him. It was then that I realised that I was starting to be able to lipread in Japanese, which was a wonderful feeling.

At the top of Miyajima, at Mount Misen, I got caught up in an Osaka company trip. A man came over and asked me to take a photo of him and his friends, and explained how to use his camera. I don’t know what I was doing wrong but it took about five minutes for me to manage then we all cheered and they took another photo with me in it. We were all in the same cable car going back down, and the camera man asked me in English why I had a white cane. I said in English that I have very bad eyesight, but he didn’t understand so I switched to Japanese to explain and we ended up having a blether about their work, Brazil, and Scotland with dictionary apps to help. It makes me laugh to imagine him showing his holiday photos to people, saying “And here’s the blind woman who took a photo of us, I didn’t realise she was blind until later. Hmm, maybe that’s why she took so long to take the photo…”

Ooh, Look! I've Been Here Before (Kyoto)

If you go to Japan and get the chance to stay in a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn), do it! I did, when I went back to Kyoto and I loved it. The owners and staff were really friendly and helped with bus timetables and advice, and the breakfasts were stupendous. If I could, I’d live in a ryokan.

This time in Kyoto, I was able to go to Fushimi Inari-taisha, the shrine with the red torii. After looking around the main shrine area, I decided to take the path up the hill through the thousands of torii. I’ve never been anywhere like it, surrounded by the red of the gates and the deep green of the trees and plants. Most of the time I was alone so I took my time and appreciated the environment. It was a hot, humid day though, and when I got to the top, what did I hear but the roll of thunder. At the top of a hill. With a metal cane in my hand. And no cafe to hide in. I made the descent rather rapidly, and got thoroughly drenched too. Just another adventure in the life of Julie.

You might be able to tell that I like visiting castles. I went to Nijoo Jo, partly to experience walking on a nightingale floor. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to hear it, but I did hear a quiet chirruping sound every so often. While I was walking through the corridors, I slowly began to notice that no one else was looking up at the ceiling though. I thought this was odd because the high parts of the corridor walls and the ceiling had a lot of beautiful paintings and colours. Maybe it’s because I’m used to scanning the area around me constantly to use my limited vision better, but when I stopped and watched the other tourists, they were looking around but not up. It was a shame.

Maybe Tokyo's Not That Bad Afterall…

In Fukuoka, I had the chance to wear a yukata twice, and decided to buy one in Tokyo just before I came home. By the time I found a non-touristy looking place, I was sweltering so walking into the air con felt amazing. The shop owner was really friendly and let me look closely at some of the high-end kimono that she had on display. When I tried to comment on the embroidery in Japanese, she started to tell me about the different styles and patterns, the differences between traditional styles and more modern ones, and to teach me the names of the kimono parts in Japanese. I really enjoyed that, though the dictionary app came out and stayed out for the whole conversation. And yes, I bought a yukata; I got help with the yukata pattern and obi colour, since I’m pretty bad with shades and matching them.

I gave myself my toughest challenge on my last night in Tokyo. I hadn’t made it to an onsen, so I decided to find a public bath, a sentoo, near my hotel for one last Japanese experience. It took ages to track the place down because it was tucked in an alley, but I found it, got my tickets for a towel and a bath then went in. I had to take off my glasses, leave my white cane in the locker and take out my hearing aids. There were lots of women in there, though, and they helped me with using the taps and which bath to go into. When I was ready to soak some women came in with me and had a wee blether with me in Japanese as we relaxed in the hot water. It was difficult, but I explained that I was deaf and we managed with a lot of smiles. After, I sat by Sensoo Ji, drinking cold ume juice and admiring the lights, while plotting how soon I could come back. Tokyo might have grown on me...

What Difference Has Japan Made in My Life?

Japan taught me that yes I can speak Japanese understandably, and follow what others say to an extent. It also showed me how much more I have to learn. I already knew how much easier it is to progress in a language in the country where it’s spoken, but my speaking and listening improved more than I expected.

At my work, I’m now helping to co-ordinate Japanese language learning in my local council area, and my school has started a one-year course for senior students which I’m helping to teach. My Japanese friend who lives locally is a very important part of this project, and I’m enjoying working with her and the rest of the team. Due to a visit from a Japanese high school to my corner of Scotland, I was able to meet the Consul-General of Japan, and his deputy, who visited us from Edinburgh, and also the Depute Director of the Japan Foundation, which is based in London. I’ve even been interviewed for national radio, talking about my school’s new course and what it’s like to learn Japanese. Not bad for a science teacher!

But the biggest difference? After being registered blind, Japan restored my confidence in my ability to be independent.

I was deafblind in Japan, and I succeeded.

The post Deafblind in Japan: My 5 Week Journey appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

5 Common Mistakes Learning German (and How to Fix Them)

When you first start speaking German, you’re bound to make mistakes. You can’t expect to just open your mouth and start speaking a second language perfectly. If only it worked like that!

What’s most important is to not let mistakes hold you back. As I live by the rule of speaking from day one, I find myself making lots of errors when I start learning a new language. I don’t get worked up about it anymore – I laugh and move on.

As should you!

Here are some of the common German mistakes people make when they're learning German. Plus how you can fix them.

Mistake 1: Not Speaking German

One of the worst things you can do for yourself when learning a new language is to continue to speak in English.

Pouring hours into studying and paying for expensive courses will only get you so far. You’ll still be predominantly expressing yourself in English and this is where the problem lies.

You want to learn how to speak German? Great! To do that you have to actually start speaking German. It’s a pretty obvious solution!

I hear the excuse all the time, of people saying they’ll wait until they are “ready” before they start speaking the language. They do this due to fear. Fear of feeling stupid, fear of making mistakes and fear of failure.

How to Fix It

Well, guess what? You’re going to make mistakes. It’s natural when learning a new language! No one is going to judge you for it. In fact, I’ve found most people to be so happy to hear me make an effort to speak their native tongue, that they have gone out of their way to help me when I blunder.

Instead of waiting until you’re perfect, work on learning 20 words at a time and then use them as often as possible. Once you’re confident in remembering these words, learn more! Words will become sentences and sentences will become full blown conversations.

Mistake 2: Mixing Up Genders

Beginner to intermediate learners will generally become endlessly befuddled when learning gender assignments. These are particularly confusing if you are a native speaker of a language like English, which doesn’t use masculine, feminine and neutral articles. The whole practice can seem pointless – why are we adding genders to inanimate objects anyway?

How to Fix It

The flick of the switch for me, was not staring at a table – “Der Tisch”, and wondering how the heck anyone decided that a piece of furniture should be male. It was understanding that it was the word “Tisch” that was masculine, not the table itself. I realised there was no point sitting around and analysing parts of objects to try and figure out whether they seemed manly or girly. Instead, I had to look at parts of words, searching for patterns which would clue me onto what gender articles I was supposed to be using.

Your best bet is to look for the patterns in words, particularly at word endings. Once you have memorised a few, they will begin to come to you more easily.

Let’s look at a group of feminine articles. Die Rose (the rose), die Lampe (the lamp) and die Melone (the melon), all end in –e. There is the odd exception to the rule – such as der Käse (the cheese), which uses the masculine article. Just remember that it is not the end of the world if you stuff up and make a mistake. Someone will eventually correct you, or you’ll realise yourself and will remember for next time!

Mistake 3: Using the Wrong Tools for Learning German

I hear lots of stories about people who spent years learning languages at school, only to find themselves unable to string more than a few simple sentences together.

I myself studied Gaeilge for ten years and German for five during my school years. It wasn’t until after I left school and changed my entire approach to learning languages that I could consider myself anywhere near fluent in either one.

If studying textbooks bores you to tears no matter what the context, then it’s probably not going to do you any favours with your language prowess. You’ll probably spend a few hours trying to absorb grammar rules, a process which you’ll find so monotonous that you’ll likely give the whole thing up.

Learning a language should never be a chore, otherwise what’s the point? It should be an activity you enjoy doing and are happy to come back to again and again.

How to Fix It

You need to find ways to make learning German work for you. If you consider yourself a film buff, swap the English movies for some German classics. Love cooking? Try making Strudel using a German recipe. Too busy for extended periods of study? Use flashcards to learn vocab and take advantage of any spare few minutes you have throughout the day.

Make learning fun, a highlight of your day and you’ll have a much better chance at success.

Mistake 4: Mixing Up the Word Order

A basic sentence consists of a verb and a bunch of other words. When speaking in your native language, you put these words together automatically, without needing to think about it. However, when you begin learning a new language, other questions arise. Where do you put the verb? How do the other words in the sentence relate to it?

English tends to rely on word order to indicate the grammatical function of a word or phrase. Compare “The dog catches the ball” to “The ball catches the dog”. The placement of the words “dog” and “ball” can lead the sentence to take on an entirely different (and frankly, unlikely) meaning!

However in German there would be several possibilities for the word order of this sentence. As the verb is akkusitiv (as in it expresses the object of an action), you could say Der Hund fängt den Ball or Den Ball fängt der Hund. This doesn’t work for all sentences – only when an article is different in the akkusitiv or dativ (a category of nouns serving as the indirect object of a verb) form. But it does show that word order can be really different in German compared to English.

How to Fix It

The basic rules to remember in German are:


The main verb, in the past or present form, is almost always the second word in a sentence.
The dictionary form (always ending in -en) is placed at the end of a sentence.


If you use a connective word like tomorrow, yesterday or today, the verb comes in the second position, with the noun or pronoun following after. An example of this would be Am Mittwoch rufe ich meine Schwester an. If speaking English we would say: ”I’ll call my sister on Wednesday”, but in German it translates to ”On Wednesday I’ll call my sister”. In German the most important thing is verb position, whereas in English the importance is placed on the object.

Word order is a complex aspect of learning another language. The solution? Be aware of the differences and keep up with your spoken practice.

Mistake 5: Confusing English Words with German Words and so Mispronouncing Them

When someone wishes you a Gute Fahrt, what immediately springs to mind? It doesn’t mean what you think it means, I can tell you that! Fahrt means a “trip” or “journey” in Germany – it has absolutely nothing to do with bodily functions.

Similarly, if you were to say Du bist dick, you would be insulting them, but not in the manner that may think of first and foremost! There is no need to place your mind in the gutter, as dick is German for heavy, thick or fat. Still a bit mean, but not quite as rude as first thought!

On the flip side, consider the word Fuchs, the German word for fox. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to use this word, remember ”u” in German is pronounced “oo”. Many Germans speak English or are at least familiar with the expletives. A harmless statement could be easily be misconstrued as something entirely different.

How to Fix It

The best thing to do is to practice your German pronunciation and try not to jump to conclusions if you hear a throwaway comment that you don’t completely understand.

Why Learning German isn’t as Hard as You Think it is

Often the mistakes language learners make are purely psychological. You slip up, forget a word, or mix up the syntax. Rather than just laughing it off, you feel embarrassed. You then take every effort to convince yourself that you’re stupid, you don’t have the language gene - you should just give up now, quit while you’re ahead.

German is not a hard language to learn. Be aware that you will make mistakes from time to time and that it’s perfectly normal. They will be mere bumps in the road on your journey towards achieving fluency.

What mistakes have you made when learning German? How did you fix them? Let us know in the comments.

The post 5 Common Mistakes Learning German (and How to Fix Them) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

The Best Way to Meet People While Travelling (Even if You’re Shy)

What’s the best way to meet people while travelling?

Perhaps you dream of striking up conversations while travelling on a train across Asia. Maybe you’d love to ride a motocicleta down Latin America, meeting all kinds of characters on your way. Perhaps you’d like to while away an afternoon in an Italian cafe, saying ciao to everyone who sits on a table near you. Or maybe you’d just like to join in the general conversation while waiting in line at a French bakery.

Meeting people while you’re travelling can be a hugely rewarding experience. So what makes it so damn scary?

Some language learners are perfectly ok not being a social butterfly, but I was not. Neither are most of the shy travellers I speak to (many over email, because, well, the shyness thing). They wish like crazy that they could be more outgoing, especially when travelling.

Some of them even decided to start travelling in the first place because they hoped that they’d magically get over their shyness once they arrived in another country, and would finally get out there and meet people.

Does that sound like you?

The reality is that for some people it gets harder!

You have all the same conditions that made you shy in your home country, but now you’re throwing a foreign language into the mix. It turns out that you’re talking to just as few people on the road as you did back home. Travelling didn’t miraculously give you that confidence boost you had hoped for. You’re missing out on all the cultural experiences you envisioned yourself having, all the unforgettable adventures you had mentally planned. So you feel lonely and depressed, and just think, “If only there were some way I could just get over it and talk to people!”

Well I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is that it basically does just come down to “getting over it and talking to people”.

The good news, I can tell you from extensive personal experience, is that it’s never as bad as it sounds. You can mentally prepare yourself so that you’ll be less fearful before approaching people to talk, and feel less awkward when you actually start chatting.

What Holds You Back from Talking to People When You’re Travelling?

Start by asking yourself why you’re afraid to say hi in the first place. Do you feel like everyone else is smarter or more confident than you and that you’ll have nothing intelligent to talk about after introductions?

Do you imagine that those people you see chatting effortlessly at a party or café are naturally confident? Maybe they were born with the gift of gab. There may not be a language gene, but maybe there’s a “discourse gene”!

This is nonsense, of course. The truth is, most people are just like you. They don’t think they have natural confidence. In fact, they’re probably worried that you’ll outsmart them in the art of conversation.

Meanwhile, all that you (and they) are looking for is a casual chat about any old subject on your mind. Not some debate about the validity of Dostoyevsky’s 19th century political views as applied to contemporary socialist states. So relax!

Most people would prefer a discussion about which Disney movie is the best, what their home town is like, or where to get the best cup of coffee in the neighbourhood. So don’t let this fear stop you from approaching people.

Meeting people while travelling, however, can add an extra layer of complication.

Maybe the reason you’re too nervous to say hi to others is because you hate the fact that you can’t express yourself as well in your target language as you can in your native language. You might make an embarrassing mistake in your target language and get laughed at. You think you’ll sound dumb, and that people will look at you weird, or even laugh.

In reality, most native speakers of your target language will be thrilled to meet someone that wants to learn their language. They’ll be encouraging and want to help you any way they can.

If your level really is too limited to say much more than hello, then get some speaking practice in your target language before you leave home (or after! It’s never too late!)

What these reasons boil down to is that you’re afraid to be judged, to look stupid. But I can tell you from personal experience that this fear is completely unfounded.

The more I meet people, the more I realise how few judgemental jerks there are out there.

Even if you do meet one, just brush it off as their problem and move on. You’re never going to like every single person you meet, but who says you have to, anyway?

The great thing about meeting a lot of people is that you can let go of the ones you don’t click with, and still have lots of fantastic friends left.

Social Skydiving: Taking the Plunge and Meet People

This is the hard part. You can talk yourself out of the fear of saying hi, but if you want to meet people you still have to take the step (some say leap) of actually saying hi. Here are a few ways to just do it that always work for me.

Start Small

Don’t feel ready to attend a party full of strangers and chat with them in a foreign language? Then how about a conversation in your own home, with a person of your choosing, that you can end at any time?

You can do this by having a Skype call with a conversation partner in your target language. This way, you’ll feel safe knowing that if you really do freak out, you can always make an excuse to hang up from the call, and then block the other person!

But you know what? In all my travels, I’ve never met someone who actually decided to do that once the call began. Instead, they were absolutely thrilled that they took the plunge and did the Skype call, and wondered what they were so nervous about to begin with! It’s a fantastic feeling that you’ll never forget.

Once you take this first step, it will be that much easier to approach someone in real life at a party or event and just say hi.

Think About Nothing!

When you’re at a party or a Meetup event, and you see someone you want to talk to, don’t think about whether that person will feel like chatting. Don’t think about whether they’ll find you weird, or boring. Don’t even think about what sort of topics you’ll talk about.

Think about nothing.

Why? Because the more you think, the more easily you’ll end up making excuses and talking yourself out of it, until suddenly you’ve missed your chance and will end up regretting it for the rest of the night.

Act Confident

Even if you don’t feel it, just acting confident will make you be more confident when approaching people to say hi. It might feel forced and unnatural at first, but after a few minutes, you’ll get the hang of it and feel perfectly comfortable chatting like a social pro.

People in social settings often take their cues from others in the room. If you act confident and energetic, other people will respond in kind. They’ll become more outgoing themselves and you’ll end up having lively conversations together with hardly any effort at all.

Get Others to Approach You Instead

Still not convinced you can approach a stranger to say hi? Then get others to approach you instead! Carry around an interesting object in your hand that’ll be a good conversation starter.

When someone walks up and asks why you’re carrying it, tell them it’s because you were hoping someone would ask you just that! Sound crazy? Maybe so, but I bet that you and that other person will soon be chatting with ease about some other interesting topic, and before you know it, you’ll have made a new friend! And you just know that some of the most lasting friendships start with the weirdest meeting stories.

“So how did you two meet?”
“Well, it started when he saw me walking around with a microscope at the beach…”

After the Hello

Suppose you take this advice and summon the courage to approach someone to say hi in your target language. Now what? What should you talk about?

Usually, conversation just flows with the other person and you don’t need to work at all to come up with things to say to each other. Sometimes, however, it can be a bit harder. Instead of giving up right away, try having a few things prepared in advance to fill the lull that might come after immediately introducing yourself. Here are a few tips:

Learn Vocabulary You’ll Need

Don’t get stuck talking about the weather in your target language. Practise basic small-talk such as occupations and nationalities, as well as vocabulary related to at least one other subject of interest to you (films, sports, current events, whatever you want). Practise these words at home, with a Skype conversation on italki or an intro conversation course.

Learn Some Jokes in Your Target Language

A (clean!) joke in your target language, told with the right delivery - dramatic pauses and all - can be a huge ice breaker when meeting new people.

There are tons of online resources for jokes in every language imaginable. Learn a few by heart, and if you experience a lull in a conversation with a native speaker, you can fill the void and get the conversation rolling again.

Strangers are no More (or Less!) Scary than You

Take it from someone who spent years feeling exactly like you. Meeting people, even in a foreign language, is really, truly, never as bad as you imagine it to be. Think of it this way: do you consider yourself to be cold and unapproachable? Probably not (I hope)! So why worry that it’s true about others? Most people on this earth are just as friendly as you. Give them a chance to prove it!

There’s no magic pill that’ll give you the confidence to walk up and say hi to strangers. That has to come from you.

But once you realise that we’re all basically after the same thing - meaningful connections with others - I hope that you’ll take that first step and reach out to others, especially while travelling.

There’s a world of people out there, and a lot of great conversations to be had.

The post The Best Way to Meet People While Travelling (Even if You’re Shy) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Are You Addicted to Language Porn?

How do you indulge yourself?

The majority of human beings have vices of some degree. Whether it’s a cup of coffee in the morning, a lie in on the weekend, a piece of chocolate in the afternoon or a beer in the evening, you probably have at least one indulgence that helps you get through the day. (Of course there are other, darker vices, but I’ll avoid mentioning them, in the interest of keeping Fluent in 3 Months (Fi3M) family-friendly!)

Vices, like anything, are fine in moderation. When that piece of chocolate becomes a whole bar, the lie in obliterates your plans for your day off and the drinking gives you false courage, then it may be time to re-evaluate what value (if any) they’re adding to your life.

The problem with vices is that we don’t tend to recognise when they’re hurting us. In some instances, we may not even see them for what they truly are.

In fact, many language learners suffer from a vice that is doing more harm than good. Why? Because it’s exactly what’s holding them back from becoming fluent in a foreign language.

If you’re struggling to advance in your language learning, you may need to sit down and ask yourself… am I addicted to porn? And before you say anything else, extract your mind from the gutter! I’m talking strictly about language porn!

What is Language Porn, Exactly?

language porn /ˈlaŋɡwɪdʒ /pɔːn/

noun

Getting stuck in language books (for mental masturbation) rather than actually using the language.

In simple terms, it’s getting stuck on reading about a language, but not speaking it. It’s a bit like the difference between porn (artificial gratification without any human interaction, but simple) and sex (much more satisfying gratification, with real human interaction, but involving complicated social dynamics that can be intimidating).

Being a “language porn” addict can really set you back, especially if your aim is to become fluent in your target language.

As I have repeatedly stated, the way to become fluent in a foreign language is to start speaking it - from day one. In my view, that’s the best way to get good results.

Are You Addicted to Language Porn?

You’ve started learning a new language. You’re studying it every moment that you can, happily committing new phrases and grammar rules to memory. Your collection of books on the subject is impressive. You’ve been at it some time now and feel a slight twinge of victory whenever you’re able to translate sentences. You know your knowledge of this language is growing daily and you’re feeling pretty pleased with yourself as a result. You’ve even got a 100 day streak (no pun intended) on DuoLingo.

Yet… you struggle to speak in your new language. And really – what’s the point in learning a language, if you’re not going to use it? At base level, the need to learn a language stems from a desire to communicate.

Here are some classic signs of language porn addiction.

1. You Collect New Words, But Struggle to Pronounce Them

You love words and your vocabulary list is growing longer by the day. Although you’re growing more and more confident in your reading abilities, you have no idea how to pronounce these words. You sit alone at your desk, repeatedly saying them over and over again, cringing at your accent and wondering if you’re actually getting the pronunciations right.

2. You’re Afraid to Speak in Your Target Language Right Now…

The thought of speaking to a real person makes you break out in a cold sweat. What if they laugh at you? You’ll probably make a mistake and they’ll think you’re really stupid. Nope, now is not the right time. You need to do more reading and get to a proper position where you know you’ll be confident enough to start speaking the language for yourself.

3. …But One Day You’ll Be Ready. For Sure.

You’ve got it all figured out. You’re going to keep reading up about your language, chapter by chapter in your textbook. One day soon, you’re sure you’ll be ready to speak. You’ve invested all this time into studying – surely once you finally open your mouth, you’ll have no trouble speaking x language at all. You won’t make any mistakes and those native in this language will be able to understand you with ease. Some day soon, fluency shall be yours… you’re sure of it!

Why This Particular Addiction is So Dangerous

Getting addicted to “language porn” is dangerous because it’s a form of procrastination. It’s a trap I see new language learners fall into, time and time again. You may feel like you’re making huge advancements in your learning, but where is it really getting you?

I get emails regularly from people who have studied language in an academic setting, usually at some point during their secondary education. They want to know how they could have invested all that time (and often money) into their education and walk away often years later, able to speak their language at only the most rudimentary level.

I completely empathise with them! I studied German for five years, yet it wasn’t until I moved to Berlin sometime later and enforced a strict no English rule, that I could safely say I was on the road to fluency in that language.

I studied Gaeilge, the Irish language for eleven years and it was my worst subject at school. I absolutely hated it! As my love for language developed over my adult years, I felt a burning desire to go back and immerse myself into the Gaeltacht region. It was only then that I was able to achieve a good conversational level in the Irish language, one I could never reach at school.

For these reasons, I believe studying a language alone is never enough to help you speak a language. If you truly want to be fluent… well you’re going to have to open your mouth and start talking.

How to Recover From Your Addiction

Right – first things first. Let’s put the textbooks down and consider some other language resources. I’m not saying you have to put them away completely! It’s quite alright to consider textbooks as part of your language learning arsenal… but you should never rely on them alone.

Now that’s done, let’s look at the methods we can employ to get you talking. And no – you don’t have to quit your job, pack your bags and move to a country where your chosen language is commonly spoken. There are plenty of ways in which you can strengthen your speaking skills, without even leaving the house!

One of the first things I’d advise you to do is to sign up to iTalki. I’ve used this website for years and happily recommend it to everyone and anyone.

Thanks to informal Skype conversations, I no longer have to move to a country to learn a language. I was able to learn Japanese while living in Valencia and Egyptian Arabic from Brazil. Because of this, when I finally visited these countries, I was able to immerse myself culturally and enjoy the sights, without worrying about having to learn how to communicate with the people living there.

All you need to do is select the right teacher (don’t be afraid to “trial” a few, before settling on the right one), do a little bit of “classroom prep” and schedule that first call!

If you prefer the idea of talking to someone in an informal setting, consider signing up to italki. This website is a platform for language learners around the world to connect with language teachers or language exchange partners. You might be looking for someone who speaks Spanish, who in turn wishes to improve their English. Give a little and take a little – in the end, everyone wins.

Want to get out and mingle? I would turn to Meetup. Do a little research and find out if there are any groups that regularly meet in your area, with a view on practising their spoken skills in the language you’re learning.

If you have some room to spare, you may consider hosting some Couchsurfers. I have used this resource to host over two thousand budget travellers throughout the years. I was able to practise my languages with all those who walked through my front door – for free! Sometimes they’d even cook me a nice meal, for letting them stay!

But… What Do I Speak About? What if I Sound Silly or Bore My Listeners?

People seem to think that when they’re just starting to speak a language, they can’t talk to native speakers because they’ll bore them. Or, they’ll make a mistake and anger whomever it is that they’re speaking to.

I’ve had minimal negative reactions when I try to speak a language for the first time. Most people are patient and understanding. They’ll help you when you need it, correct your mistakes if you ask. And they certainly won’t laugh at you, nor think you’re stupid.

If someone is going to get angry with you for trying your absolute best to communicate with them, then it’s probably someone you wouldn’t want to be talking to in the first place!

Many textbook examples seem boring – talking about the weather, asking directions. I encourage you to make yourself seem interesting (This shouldn’t be hard, as I’m sure you are!). Ask the other person questions about themselves, their country and their background. Listen (it will do wonders for your listening comprehension skills!). Learn how ask a few key questions such as:


What that person wanted to be when they were growing up.
What their favourite type of music is and why.
Do they like reading? If so, what books? Can they recommend any written by native authors?
What do they wish for in life?


Listen to what they have to say and don’t forget to use connectors to keep the conversation flowing.

You Have the Power to Break Your Addiction

Addictions aren’t easy to break, but I think in the case of language porn, it’s mind over matter. The key is to stop procrastinating and get down and dirty! This real world experience will lead you to fluency much faster than a book ever could.

Are you addicted to language porn? Do you feel like it’s slowing your learning down? Let me know in the comments.

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