Benny Lewis's Blog, page 84
November 6, 2015
Are Maths Geeks Better at Learning Languages?
x = 2
y = x + 3
x + y + z = 10
What does y equal? How about z?
Are you wondering where I’m going with this? Well, try the following language problem:
If…
ha llamado means “He has called”,
ha cantado means “He has sung”, and
hemos usado means “We have used”,
… then how do you think you say “We have sung”? What about “He has used”? “We have called”?
If you easily solved one of these problems, chances are you solved both of them. That’s because they can both be solved by deduction.
Deduction is the process of taking a set of known facts, such as that ha llamado means “He has called” and that ha cantado means “He has sung”, and reaching a conclusion, such as that ha must mean “He has”. Then you can use this conclusion to construct the new sentence, ha usado (“He has used”).
Similarly, if you know that x = 2 and y = x + 3, then you can deduce that y = 2 + 3, or 5. And if 2 + 5 + z = 10, then you can conclude that z must equal 3.
The similarity between maths and languages doesn’t end there though! It turns out they have a lot in common:
They both require abstract thought to use.
They both use logical patterns to communicate meaningful information.
They both have well-defined rules about how to represent that information.
Neither one of them ever, ever has exceptions to those rules.
Okay, the last one isn’t strictly true!
As these two disciplines have so much in common, often people who are good at maths are also good at learning languages, and vice versa. The same goes for musically-minded people, but that’s a topic for another article.
Before I go any further, I should draw your attention to my use of the word maths. To my Canadian and American readers, this isn’t a typo. It’s how those of us from the British Isles (and Australia and New Zealand) say math.
Warning: There is no Maths Gene!
If you enjoy either maths or languages, you’d probably enjoy the other, even if you don’t know it yet. At least, it was like that for me.
In high school, I was always enthusiastic in my maths and tech classes. I loved them! My German and Irish language classes, on the other hand? Not so much. They were always a struggle, and I didn’t find them particularly fun or useful.
Like many people, I assumed that these two disciplines were mutually exclusive, and that I just wasn’t born with the “language gene”. I abandoned language studies after high school and went on to major in electronics engineering. The time I spent in Spain, where I lived for many months without learning the language, served to confirm my earlier assumption that I was definitely not gifted in languages.
It took me quite a while to learn that I didn’t have to be gifted in order to love learning languages, and to get really good at it. I just needed to look at learning languages from a different perspective. In my case, this perspective was to take my language learning outside of the classroom entirely.
I also realized early on that I could apply the analytical skills I learned in engineering to better learn languages. With this approach, I discovered that I enjoyed learning languages.
This is basically what mastering any skill boils down to. If you enjoy something, you’ll want to do it a lot. When you do something a lot, you get good at it. It’s as simple as that. Notice how natural talent and gifted don’t enter the picture.
If you enjoy maths, logic puzzles or analytical problems, then chances are, you’ll enjoy learning languages as well.
Let’s look at why that is...
Maths is a Language With Verbs and Nouns
All natural human languages (and some animal languages!) have a set of words to represent objects (nouns) and words to represent actions (verbs). You can’t really form an intelligible sentence in any language without them! Well, maths also has its own version of verbs and nouns! Think about the following equation:
x + y = 10
Try to guess which elements of the equation are analogous to nouns, and which are like verbs. It’s almost like a real sentence, isn’t it? In fact, in maths, equations such as this are called statements.
Hard-core mathematicians have given mathematical notation a name: “mathematese”, and it can get pretty complicated! If you can grasp the fundamentals of the complex language of maths, then the fundamentals of a foreign language won’t be much more difficult.
You Can Apply a Maths Mindset to Language Learning
When you read about my language missions here on Fluent in 3 Months (Fi3M), you might think that I’m against the idea of taking a logical, methodical approach to language learning. It looks like I just dive in, ignoring the rules of the language.
To some extent, I do. But that doesn’t mean I’m not learning it methodically. In fact, the way I learn a language is similar in many respects to the way people learn maths.
When I start learning a new language, I tend to avoid explicitly studying grammar rules at first. I prefer to start using the language before anything else. I do this through learning some important phrases to help me communicate with a native speaker. I don’t know the specific conjugation rules that make up the phrases. I can speak the phrase and be understood without knowing these rules.
As I use the language, the grammar rules gradually reveal themselves. I learn the rules of grammar without studying them. For more complex rules, I do sit down and study how they work. But I only do this after I’ve been using the language for a little while.
Just like language, you were using maths long before you started studying the rules behind it. As a preschooler, you used concepts like subtraction, geometry, and even probability before you even knew what those words meant. You didn’t need to learn the specific principles behind these concepts to use them effectively.
Eventually, you started studying them in school. When you did, all those times you had observed these mathematical principles in the past started to make sense. Now you understood why you seemed to win more Connect Four games when you got the first move. Or why your basketball went farther if you threw it at a certain angle.
Both Maths and Languages Use Logical Patterns
Many people, especially the arithmetically-minded, love doing puzzles and games where the goal is to find the pattern to solve the problem. But they may not realize just how useful this is in language learning.
Suppose I invented a new system of representing numbers that was different from our usual 0-9 system of representation. Instead of explaining to you the rules of this new numbering system, I’ll just show you a list of the first few numbers of our normal numbering system along with the translation from each old number to its representation in my new system:
old → new
0 → 0
1 → 1
2 → 2
3 → 10
4 → 11
5 → 12
6 → 20
7 → ?
You can probably work out the correct representation of the number 7 under the new numbering system without me needing to teach you the explicit rules. You can use the data given, and infer the correct value. And if you did, congratulations, you’ve just learned the ternary numeral system!
In language learning, you can employ a similar strategy to make new sentences. Think about it: you don’t need to know every single word in the English dictionary to make words that you know are correct (or at least, perfectly understandable). For instance, if you’re a native English speaker, did anyone ever explicitly teach you that you can change a verb into its past participle by adding -ed? Probably not! More likely, you heard some examples of this rule in action, and inferred the rule by yourself.
This is why you sometimes hear young children say words like “stealed” instead of “stole”; they’re using their past exposure to the language to construct different words. They don’t always do it perfectly due to the many exceptions that exist in most languages. It’s hard to be critical, though, since they are successfully communicating!
The first time you correctly form a new word (or sentence) in your target language that you’ve never heard before, but correctly guessed because you’ve observed the language in action for a while, is an unforgettable experience. It gets addictive once you realise that you have the ability to branch away from those canned sentences you memorised at the beginning of your language mission.
If you enjoy solving logic puzzles based on patterns for fun, imagine how much fun it can get if you apply it to an entire language.
Imperfection is Everywhere - in Maths and Languages
A lot of maths purists might not think that they would enjoy language learning because of all the imperfections inherent in natural language, all of the irregularities, and the imprecision in meaning and semantics.
They’re overlooking the fact that applied maths, and so much mathematics used in engineering is full of imprecision and approximations of true values. From truncated Taylor expansions for approximating a mathematical function, to the Monte Carlo method of integration for estimating the area of an irregular shape, the mathematical world is bursting with imperfection.
So is language learning, of course! When you’re learning a new language, you’ll probably mess up and say phrases incorrectly, or stumble with tones or verb conjugations, but guess what? Getting the phrase 100% correct isn’t important as long as it’s close enough that you get the correct meaning across.
Can Language Learners be Good at Maths?
I’ve shown you how an appreciation of maths can translate into a fondness for language learning. But it also works the other way. Language lovers can become maths lovers!
There’s a great deal of evidence that mastering a foreign language is one of the hardest things you can accomplish. Far harder than understanding complex arithmetic. Why, then, do so many language learners shy away from maths and assume that they’re “no good” at it?
I think the answer is the same as why many maths students don’t think they’re any good at languages. If it’s unfamiliar territory, or if they tried it a certain way a few times and didn’t excel, then they become afraid of making mistakes and decide to just stick with what they know.
Now that you see just how much these two territories overlap, don’t be afraid to delve into both of them if you’re currently only comfortable with one. You don’t need to have either a “maths brain” or a “languages brain”. Having one reinforces the other!
The post Are Maths Geeks Better at Learning Languages? appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
November 3, 2015
5 Curious Facts You Never Knew About Icelandic
Doing the maths, just 0.005% of the seven billion people on this globe speak Icelandic. As far as world languages go, it’s safe to say that Iceland’s native language is a small player.
However, the history of Icelandic is one that would definitely ignite the interest of linguists anywhere.
Many archaic languages have died out due to outside influence, the corruption of other languages, inability to keep up with modern topics, or lack of cultural interest within a nation.
Although the number of Icelandic speakers is declining, the fact that it has remained, more or less untouched since medieval times and continues to be spoken at all, means there is probably little cause for concern in this century at least… and much for celebration.
Icelandic is an endlessly intriguing language for several little known reasons. Read on to discover why!
Icelandic: A Very Short Introduction
Icelandic is considered to be an Indo-European language, which belongs to a subgroup of North Germanic languages. This group once numbered five languages, including Norwegian, Faroese (the native language of those living on the Faroe Islands, which is also spoken in parts of Denmark) and the extinct languages of Norn (once spoken in the Northern Islands of Orkney and Shetland, to the north of Scotland) and Greenlandic Norse. It is most closely related to Norwegian and Faroese, particularly the latter, the written version of which closely resembles Icelandic.
Icelandic is not dissimilar from Old Norse, a medieval language. In fact, Icelandic is thought to be a dialect of Old Norse. It is considered an insular language in that it has not been influenced greatly by other languages and so has not changed all that much since the 9th and 10th centuries.
The Icelandic language is considered a part of the country’s national identity, which the people of Iceland both take great pride in and make great efforts to preserve.
Curious Fact 1: Icelandic Was Only Named as the Official Language of Iceland in 2011
Despite Iceland’s geographical (as well as historical – it was one of the last European countries to be settled) isolation, many languages have been spoken there since this country was first discovered. Although the recorded history of Iceland began with the arrival of Viking explorers, largely from Norway in the late 9th century, there is archaeological evidence that indicates Gaelic monks had settled in Iceland well before then.
Icelandic prevailed over the centuries, despite initially absorbing many features of the Gaelic language. German, English, Dutch, French and Basque were introduced, due to the advent of northern trade routes, with some merchants and clergymen settling in Iceland. Icelandic was also threatened during the Danish reign. It was around the 18th century that a push for language purity began, which is ongoing today.
Although Icelandic has been the national language of Iceland throughout the country’s history, it only became the “official language” by virtue of Act No 61/2011, which was adopted by the country’s parliament in 2011.
Icelandic Sign Language was also recognised that same year and became the first and official language of the country’s deaf community.
Curious Fact 2: Listening to Icelandic is a Form of Time Travel
When you look to the stars on a clear night, you are seeing the light that left its original source, in some instances millions of years ago. In a way, you’re not only gazing at the night’s sky… you’re looking back through history.
Listening to someone speak Icelandic is not a dissimilar experience. The language has changed little over time, staying true to the form of Icelandic that existed during the Middle Ages.
As it is such a small and sparsely populated country, the same dialect has been spoken for hundreds of years. On top of that, great efforts have been made to keep the language pure over the centuries, to the point that 12th century texts (such as the Sagas) can be read and understood by modern speakers.
Icelandic remains the closest living relative of Faroese, which along with Old Norwegian, form what is known as the Western Scandinavian languages. Modern Norwegian, once not dissimilar to Icelandic and Old Norse, has been largely influenced over time by Swedish and Danish, due to its geographical location near Eastern Scandinavian.
The term Íslenska was first coined in the 16th century, to describe the country’s mother tongue. This was around the time a serious effort was made to preserve the language from being influenced by foreign words, especially Danish.
The push for language purity was largely instigated by Eggert Ólafsson (1726-1768) who was an Icelandic explorer and writer. Ólafsson was well read in Old Icelandic literature and passionate about his language, country and culture. Along with many poems and texts, he wrote the first orthographical (dictating the spelling system of a language) dictionary for Icelandic. Ólafsson’s writing had considerable influence over the country at the time.
The linguistic purity movement was ignited and continued to gain momentum over the course of the next few centuries. In particular, it was greatly aided by the rise of Romanticism, which help sparked an interest in Norse mythology. Key factors were the founding of the Íslenska lærdómslistafélag (Icelandic Art-Learning Society) eleven years after Ólafsson’s death, the compilation of Icelandic grammar, written by Danish linguist Rasmus Rask (who also formed the Hið íslenska bókmenntafélagið (Icelandic Literary Society)) and the publishing of the Fjölnir journal by four young Icelandic intellectuals living in Copenhagen in the 19th century.
Government regulation of the Icelandic language began in 1918, when Iceland ceased to be under Danish rule. Modern day language matters are now overseen by the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.
Curious Fact 3: Iceland Linguists Had to Invent a Word for “Computer”
Linguistic purists hope to maintain the structure of Icelandic while developing the vocabulary. Their aim is to keep the language both true to its ancient roots, and useful for modern conversation. As you can imagine, topics of conversation have changed significantly since medieval times and many new words and phrases have since been coined.
Icelanders have been faced with two options – to adopt foreign words as languages such as English and French have done, or develop their own. They have chosen to get creative and coin new expressions, or alternatively revive old words that can be modernised. For example, the word “computer” absolutely did not exist in medieval times, so a new term had to be created - tölva. This new word is a hybrid of tala (number) and völva (a witch or female fortune teller). So the literal definition of a computer in Icelandic is a witch of numbers!
This can be a lengthy process and loan words (words borrowed from another language - think of “weekend”, which has the same meaning in both English and French) can be used, although the spelling is often manipulated to make the word appear Icelandic. One example of this is plís for “please” (which doesn’t really exist in Icelandic and frík, which translates to “freak”.
The fact that Icelandic has prevailed for as long as it has, standing the test of both time and foreign influence, proves testament to just how important the language is to the overall identity of this small nation.
Curious Fact 4: In Iceland’s Schools, Language Learning Takes Priority
Despite the movement to keep the Icelandic language pure, Icelanders recognise the merit in learning multiple foreign languages. This is a country that takes after my own heart!
Both English and Danish (or another Scandinavian language) are compulsory learning during an Icelandic student’s education. Danish is taught due to its ties with Iceland throughout history. English is the second choice, as it is seen as being the main international language.
During their education, students are given the option of learning a third language, traditionally German or French, with Spanish also becoming a choice in recent years.
Curious Fact 5: Icelanders Rarely Have Surnames
An individual’s name in Iceland does not reflect their historical family lineage. Rather, it indicates who is the immediate father or mother.
The father’s first name is used as the base for the child’s last name. If Kjartan Thorirsson and Sigurbjörn Thorvalddóttir were to have two children, Hrefna and Finnur, their names would respectively be Hrefna Kjartandóttir and Finnur Kjartansson. This would translate to “daughter of Kjartan” and “son of Kjartan”. The patronymic naming system is the most common form used in Iceland, as per tradition. However due to gender equality, these days there is nothing stopping Icelandic parents from naming their children after the mother.
Unlike the Western tradition of merging names when married, Icelanders keep their original names. They couldn’t take their spouse’s last name, as it would indicate that they had become someone else’s direct son or daughter, which of course wouldn’t make any sense!
After having given birth, Icelanders often don’t name their children straight away. Rather, they wait for a certain period of time, to see how their child’s personality develops. In the meantime, they call the child Stúlka if it’s a girl or Drengur for boy.
When the time comes to choose a name, the parents are required by law to stick to a list of approved first and middle names. There are over . If they want to name their child something that has not been previously used in Iceland, they send a request to the Icelandic Naming Committee.
Names are then accepted or rejected based on whether they can be easily incorporated into the Icelandic language. In 2014, a British/Icelandic family appealed against a decision made by the National Registry to not renew their daughter’s passport, as her name was Harriet. Previous to the ruling, Harriet and her brother Duncan were travelling under passports that named them as “Stúlka” and “Drengur”.
Many may find rulings like these to be silly and unreasonable. However, it is thanks to similarly strict guidelines that Icelandic has managed to continue on being widely spoken in its country of origin and resisted both corruption and extinction, unlike many of its North Germanic counterparts.
Over to You
Have you been to Iceland or know anyone who speaks Icelandic? Do you speak it yourself? Would you like to? Let me know in the comments.
The post 5 Curious Facts You Never Knew About Icelandic appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 31, 2015
What’s Your #1 Challenge in Language Learning?
Here’s one of the best things about being part of a community like FI3M:
It isn’t just about sharing how we succeed. Sometimes sharing how we struggle can be even more important.
Every language learner has struggles. And a lot of them experience the same exact struggles as you.
But it’s really easy to forget this – to feel like it’s just you.
In language learning, realizing you are not alone is powerfully motivational.
I recently emailed the members of the Language Hacking League and asked a very simple question:
What’s your #1 biggest problem in language learning?
I got over 2,000 responses! I could relate to a lot of them myself at various stages in my own language learning projects – it just goes to show, that you aren’t alone in your struggles.
Here’s are just a few of the stories I read in my inbox.
I lose my motivation
“It’s really easy to avoid learning when no one’s behind your back testing you, but your emails are working to push me!” – Bedoor
“The key challenge for me is self-discipline.” – George
“The number 1 thing I struggle with on a simple everyday basis is just knowing what
to do!! It can be a little overwhelming. I don’t like routine so much and need to vary my learning otherwise I’ll become bored and give up.” – Karen
“I sometimes feel that it is difficult to always stay motivated, focused and upbeat, especially when I hit a roadblock.” – Joanie
“Sometimes I just want to do something else! I get bored of practicing and just want to watch a movie in English.” – Elaine
I don’t have the time
“I’ve been studying English for all my life, since school. And a year ago I decided to start Spanish. The main problem for me was “no time”. (I have a family and a small business).” – Ольга
“Working, studying, spending time with my wife and 2 daughters, as well as building house … does not leave me with enough time to spend on my target language.” – Reza
“I’ve realized that I have to maintain EVERY language I hope to learn on a daily basis… so I’m trying to balance that.” – Robert
“Since my trip to Italy, work and life have gotten in the way, and I’ve lost most of it. My biggest thing is time. I try to spend 10 minutes a day, but after a few weeks, I’ll start putting it off, then it will be several weeks before I start up again, and it’s like starting over.” – David
I’m not confident enough to speak the language
“The problem is that I’ve been teaching myself French for four years, and I can comprehend almost all written French. However, I can speak very little and understand even less of the spoken word. I haven’t found a way to practice my spoken French at all, and while I sometimes will talk to myself in French or listen to French music, it’s far from what I should be doing to gain mastery of the language.” – Devorah
“I am not able to think quickly enough to converse. Even when my tutor speaks slowly using words she knows that I (should) know, I can’t translate quick enough in my head. Same for when I am speaking back. I am thinking of the sentence in English, then translating it, applying rules, checking my translation is correct, then speaking it. The moment is lost.” – Robert
“My biggest problem is with speaking. Yes, I do get worried about making a mistake, but more than that, my mind tends to go completely blank. “ – Erica
I don’t know which resources will help me
“I begin to feel overwhelmed with all the resources I could use, and then lose focus on how to use them effectively.” – Yvonne
“Finding materials is challenging. Also, to prepare for speaking in Spanish it turns out that videos I find are the wrong dialect for what I was trying to learn.” – Robert
“With so many apps and other new-fangled gadgets out there, how can you choose the best one?” – Steve
I can’t recall the right vocabulary
“The number one thing I’m struggling with would probably be vocabulary. I often read a lot, [and] talk to many people, so I know it isn’t for lack of that.” – Ayame
What’s Your #1 Biggest Problem in Language Learning?
Do any of these resonate with you?
We had thousands of responses from people with a wide range of situations, goals and target languages. Even so, there were clear patterns in the problems language learners faced.
Over the next few months we’ll be sharing resources, articles and courses to help you tackle these problems.
If you haven’t yet answered the question, let us know in the comments: What’s your number one challenge in learning a language?
The post What’s Your #1 Challenge in Language Learning? appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 30, 2015
5 Unexpected Perks of Speaking Another Language
Why do you want to learn another language?
Seriously, why?
Maybe you want to sharpen your mind, or expand upon your job prospects. Perhaps you’re yet to meet that special someone and want to give yourself an edge in the competitive world of dating!
Alternatively, you could be culturally motivated. You’ve planned a trip to a country that has been of some interest to you for many years and wish to be able to converse with the locals. Or, you just want to learn enough phrases to get by when travelling.
There are a few benefits to learning a language that you may not be aware of. Bilingualism has been shown to improve your overall mental health. You exercise to get your body to shape – language learning is exercise for the mind!
Or if you’re a bit of a wallflower in English, there is a strong chance that you could be the life of the party in French.
It’s blatantly obvious that learning more than one language comes with a lot of perks. Here are some that you may not have previously considered.
1. You’ll Discover Elements of Your Personality You Never Knew Existed
Those who speak multiple languages often comment on how they change as a person depending on the tongue they’re speaking in.
Say you’re fluent in both German and English. You may feel fairly easy-going when speaking and thinking in English. You smile at strangers and talk without restriction about topics like money. On the flip side, in German, you might find that you are more direct and honest, only smiling or laughing at something when you find it genuinely funny.
Research has confirmed that most people feel a personality shift when they switch from one language to another, with different traits being emphasised depending on which language is being spoken at the time. A study in 1998 of bilingual Parisian adults with Portuguese parents found that personas sometimes changed entirely, depending on whether the subject was speaking French or Portuguese at the time.
How is this a benefit? For one thing, you’ll be introduced to a part of your personality that you weren’t aware previously existed. For example, you may not think you’re all that funny in English, but you could be a regular comedian in Italian!
As you begin to learn more about the language and culture you have immersed yourself in, you’ll be building on your own tolerance and understanding of different people and their ways of thinking. In short, you’ll become a better, more rounded person as a consequence.
2. You’ll Have an Edge When Travelling the World
I often get asked how I make enough money to travel the world. My argument has always been that travel is not as expensive as people believe it to be.
Although I now earn through sales of digital tools, as an author and a professional speaker, for years before that I had to find far more creative ways to fund my travels. I worked in a youth hostel in Rome, taught English as a Second Language in several countries and worked for some time as a location-independent freelance translator.
I quickly learned that the best way to score incredible deals while living abroad was to haggle in the local language, no matter what level of fluency I was at during that time.
I also choose to predominantly live in countries where I end up paying far less for amazing apartments than I would for the equivalent in Ireland, North America or any other English speaking country. I disregard any websites and advertisements that post accommodation in English. By doing this, I avoid paying an “English Tax” and save myself a ton of money.
Having the ability to converse with the locals of whatever country you’re in gives you many advantages over other English speakers. The Internet is obviously a great tool for research, but it just doesn’t beat word of mouth. From finding delicious places to eat, local cultural activities, the best area in which to shop, those native to a city or country are going to have their finger on the pulse. If you have the ability to converse with them and immerse yourself in their culture, you’ll end up with an all the more enriched travel experience as a result.
3. You’ll Discover a Sense of Connection with Local Cultures and Histories
Although my native tongue is English, the first official language of my country is Irish. Irish, Gaeilge or “Irish Gaelic” is the third most spoken language in Ireland – particularly in the region known as the Gaeltacht, across the west coast of the country.
Irish is a required subject of study in all public schools within the Republic of Ireland. I spent eleven years “learning” Irish during my education. I am sorry to say it was my worst subject – the way it was taught was too academic. Despite my teachers’ best attempts, I just couldn’t will myself to study.
When I first started getting into language hacking, I realised that Gaeilge might not be as hard to learn as I had previously believed. I signed up for a three-week course for adults at Oideas Gael in Donegal. I was one of the worst in my class to begin with – something I felt quite ashamed of as an Irish national, with several international students attending. However, this motivated me to give the course everything I could. I have returned to Gaeilge time and time again over the years, continuing to work towards full fluency in this language.
Studying Gaeilge as an adult gave me an appreciation for my country that I just couldn’t gain from learning the language while at school. It’s a piece of my heritage that I get to take with me, no matter where I live or travel to. I’ve learned Irish dances, songs and poems since truly immersing myself in the Gaeltacht.
Many people wish to learn languages as an adult for personal reasons. This may be because the language is a languishing part of their country’s history. Alternatively, if your parents are immigrants, it might stem for a need to achieve a level of closer communication with them, or with your grandparents. Learning a language for this reason gives you a closer bond to your country and heritage in a way that can’t be matched by any other.
4. You’ll Develop a Better Memory
When you feel a little flabby and consider muscling up, what do you do? Sprawl across your couch, watching TV and cram potato chips into your mouth? Of course not. You go out running, lift weights at the gym, swim 40 laps daily, or try your hand at fencing. You do whatever it takes to get your body into shape. The more you exercise, the fitter you become.
Like your body, your brain works better with “exercise”. Learning a language is an effective way of flexing that mental muscle as you memorise vocabulary and grammar.
Unsurprisingly, language learning has been linked to memory improvement. In a study where monolingual and bilingual children performed memory tasks regarding where objects were placed within their visual field, the bilingual children outperformed monolinguals. This was particularly evident in exercises that required the focus needed to ignore distractions.
Honing your memory skills is more important now, than it has been in times past. With most answers being a mere Google search away, we just aren’t using our brains as much as we used to. On top of that, the advent of smart phones has led us to be encouraged to multi-task. Although this is seen as a positive skill, multi-tasking is in fact detrimental to our overall mental health. It means we are constantly distracted, not following through in the tasks we set out to do and as result, we’re getting dumber.
Having a good memory can enhance your life in so many ways. Socially, you’ll remember people’s faces, names and important dates. No more having to rely on Facebook to remind you that you’ve nearly forgotten your best friend’s birthday for the second year running!
You’ll become better organised, such as being able to recall your daily schedule. Forget having to constantly refer to your Google calendar – you’ll never be late to an appointment again!
The beauty of this particular perk is that the more you work at improving your memory, the easier it will be. In keeping with the fitness analogy, the first ten minutes you jog, weight that you lift or lap that you swim is going to be the hardest part of the process. As you continue to exercise, your body will adapt to your new regime and you’ll soon begin to see results, which will encourage you further.
The same can be said in language learning. It can be difficult to initially stay focused on the one task, as you are effectively rewiring your brain. However, the more you do it, the easier it will become. Your 20th conversation will be much less intimidating than your second, as you’ve already trained your mind to adapt to these new habits.
5. You’ll Keep Your Brain Healthy
It seems rather obvious to state that speaking a second language can increase your mental capabilities. Learning another language isn’t impossible, but it does require commitment and focus. You need to train yourself to stay on task, so it makes sense that language studies would affect your cognitive skills in some capacity – from memory, to problem solving.
However, according to research, learning a second language doesn’t only make you smarter – it can help delay the onset of mental diseases such as Alzheimers.
A study conducted by Canadian psychologist Ellen Bialystok suggested that bilingual speakers managed to keep Alzheimer’s disease at bay for an average of four years longer than monoglots. The study revealed that those who switched between languages everyday had the best chance overall, but also indicated that continuing to practise a language at an elementary level didn’t hurt your chances. Bialystok came to the conclusion that bilingualism helped to increase mental focus.
“It should not be surprising that intense and sustained experience leaves its mark on our minds and brains, and it is now clear that the bilingual brain has been uniquely shaped by experience.” – Dr. Bialystok
As you can see, there are many benefits to learning multiple languages. Yes, it can enhance your job prospects and make you seem more attractive. You’ll also be actively working towards sharpening your mind and bettering yourself as a human being.
And, you never know. You might learn something about yourself that was previously unknown, along the way.
So, get learning. It’s never too late to start! The best time to begin is now.
The post 5 Unexpected Perks of Speaking Another Language appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 27, 2015
French Pronunciation Guide: How to Sound More Like a Native French Speaker
When you start learning French, the pronunciation can seem really tricky. This is especially the case as it has a lot of sounds that aren’t found in English.
French is different to English. But it’s certainly not harder.
Think of all the English words that are difficult even for anglophones to pronounce, much less everyone else! “Rural juror”, “isthmus”, “Benedict Cumberbatch”…
Just like English, French pronunciation only needs a bit of practice to get right. In this pronunciation guide, I’ll walk you through the most troublesome sounds to pronounce, as well as a few subtle, easy ways you can change your pronunciation to make huge headway toward sounding like a native French speaker.
Note that when describing how to pronounce these French words, I make reference to English words that sound similar. Where possible, I tried to use words that would work in the majority of English dialects and accents, but if in doubt, imagine them being pronounced in a standard British or standard American dialect.
How to Pronounce the French “u” Sound
There’s no sound like the French “u” in English. It’s not the same as an English “oo” sound. French has both the English “oo” and a distinct “u” sound (denoted by y in the International Phonetic Alphabet), so you’ll want to learn to pronounce them differently in order to avoid any, ahem, misunderstandings.
For example, there aren’t many scenarios where you can mix up the words “thanks a lot!” and “thanks, nice ass!” in French conversation and still be understood! So don’t get your “merci beaucoup” and “merci beau cul” mixed up! To correctly pronounce the “u” sound, try this. Say a normal English “ee” sound (like at the end of the word “free”). Now, without moving your tongue, shape your lips into an “ooh” sound. Basically your lips are saying “oo” while your tongue is still saying “ee”. And voilà! You have the French “u” sound!
Exercise: Try pronouncing the following pairs of words, to really hear the difference between “u” and “ou”:
jus and joue
en-dessus and en-dessous (don’t mix these ones up; they have exact opposite meanings!)
cure and cour
juin and bédouin
(Pro Tip: copy and paste these words to searches on forvo to hear natives pronounce them to see if you hear the difference)
The Subtle Difference Between “é” and “ais”/“ait”/“et” in French
When you speak the following sentences, does the conjugation of the verb “parler” sound the same?
J’ai parlé avec lui
Je parlais avec lui
Many French learners will pronounce these in exactly the same way. In fact, they should not sound the same. This is surprising to some French learners if they’re not actively listening for the difference in sound.
The first one, parlé, ends with more of an English “ay” sound (IPA representation ‘e’), almost like “parlay”. Parlais, however, ends with a sound that doesn’t really exist at the end of any English words, hence English speakers’ tendency to hear and pronounce it like “é”. It sounds more like the English word “let” without the T at the end (IPA representation ɛ). You might wonder what the big deal is here since the two sounds are so similar, but French speakers will definitely hear the difference.
Exercise: Try these word pairs to help you distinguish the sounds:
fée and fait
sacré and secret
gelé and gelais
pellé and palais
The Real Way to Pronounce “d” and “t” Before the Letter “i”
Here’s a nice, easy change you can make in your pronunciation that will vault you closer to native pronunciation. Think of the French word “petit”. How should you pronounce the second syllable? Lots of French learners would answer that you pronounce it like the English word “tea”, but this isn’t entirely true. In many French dialects (certainly many parts of France and most of French-speaking Quebec), there’s a hidden, light “s” sound in there, making it sound a bit like “tsee”.
The same effect happens with the letter “d” before “i”. The word “dire” ends up sounding more like “dzire”. Keep in mind that the “z” is a subtle sound though; it’s almost eaten up by the D.
Even though it’s a subtle sound, it’s noticeable enough that French speakers themselves have been known to have a laugh about it!
Next time you’re listening to a native French speaker, listen for this sound in these types of syllables and make an effort to imitate them.
Exercise: Here are some words to practice with:
poutine
appétit
gentil
dieu
“En”/“an” Versus “in”
These are the characteristically “nasal” sounds that are a dead giveaway to non-French speakers that someone is speaking French. They’re really not difficult for anglophones to master. Most of the difficulty lies in making sure to not mix up the sounds. It doesn’t help that the “in”/“ain” sound in France sounds more like the “en”/an” sound in Quebec!
For “en”/“an”, try saying the word “song”, but stop just before your throat closes into the “ng” sound. You’ve just pronounced the French word cent (or sang, s’en, “sans”, or sent…but I digress!)
For “in”/”ain”/”eint”, say the word “clang” but stop just before your throat closes into the “ng” sound. You’ve just pronounced the French word clin. Easy!
The latter can be a bit more difficult for French learners, if they overthink it and end up pronouncing it like “en”/“an”. Here are a few examples to let you hear the difference:
emporter and importer
grattant and gratin
étant and éteint
lentement and lendemain
Dropping the L in Your “il” and Your “elle”
Pronouncing your “il” and “elle” like French speakers is both easier than pronouncing it the “proper” way, and an effective way to make your colloquial speech sound much more natural.
Consider the following two sounds:
ee-lee-ya
ee-ya
Say each sound aloud several times in a row. Which one can you say more quickly and easily? I bet the second one is easier. And French speakers agree! So when it comes to the phrase “il y a”, French speakers simplify it to sound like “ee-ya”. A couple of examples:
Est-ce qu’il y a du pain?
Oui, il y a beaucoup de pain
It doesn’t end there, however. In everyday French conversation, particularly when you’re speaking quickly, you can drop the L from “il” and “elle” in the majority of sentences! This is especially true when the next word in the sentence starts with a consonant. Here are some examples:
Qu’est-ce qu’il fait? (”skee” fait)
Elle connait la réponse (”eh” connait)
Tu sais qu’il veut ça (”kee” veut)
Je veux qu’elle m’appelle (”keh” m’appelle)
How “ce que” Melts into “skeu”
Another easy way to sound way more natural in your speech is to change your “ce que” to just “skeu”. You already do this in spoken phrases such as, “Qu’est-ce que c’est?”, but native speakers do it other places in a sentence as well. For example, when saying a sentence such as, “Ce qu’il dit est important”, ignore the e in “ce”. Make the words “Ce qu’il” one syllable: “skeel” – or rather, “skee”; remember the guideline about dropping the L.
It seems like a small change to make, but my French friends told me that my speech sounded more natural one day shortly after I changed this pronunciation, even though I hadn’t told them what I had changed.
Exercise: Practice with these examples:
Écoute ce que je te dis (”skeu” je te dis – or, rather dzee. Remember the “ts”/”dz”rule)
Ce que tu fais est mauvais (”skeu” tu fais)
Je veux ce qu’elle a (”skell” a)
The Infamous French “r”
The letter “r” is the holy grail of pronunciation goals for French learners. There’s no sound quite like it in most other languages. The best advice I can offer about this sound is to not give up, no matter what. It will come!
Even if you think your French “r” right now sounds like the noise people make when they think they’ve swallowed an insect, keep it up. It’s still better than pronouncing it like an English “r”. For one thing, people will see that you’re trying, so they’ll be willing to help and encourage you. For another, you do have the right idea. Just try to soften it up a bit. It’s sort of like a Spanish J sound (or the ‘ch’ in the Scottish “loch”), but it’s voiced, and pronounced a bit further back in the throat. Don’t worry about perfecting a “uvular trill” in the back of your throat at this point. It’s really not necessary, and many native French speakers never bother pronouncing it that way anyway.
Exercise: A useful way to practice this sound is with is the sentence “Regardez mon frère”, which gives you four “r” sounds in different positions: the beginning of a word, the middle of a word before another consonant, the middle of a word after another consonant, and at the end of a word. If you can say all the “r” sounds in this phrase correctly, you’re there!
A final note on the French “r”: if you truly don’t feel like you’ll ever get it, don’t worry; there are many parts of French Canada where the “r” sounds much closer to a guttural sound like a Spanish “r” than it does to a classic French “r”. You can always say that’s what you are going for!
The “re” Disappears at the End of Some Words
If that French “r” is still bothering you, what if you could simply ignore it a few times?
You probably think that with all those words that end in “re”, it must be really difficult to speak French quickly and fluidly. Take the sentence, “Je vais le faire après être revenu”. Those last two words are tough to say, with the two “re” sounds one after the other. Well, here’s a secret: most native speakers agree, so they just drop the “re” sound at the end of être! The sentence ends up sounding like “Je vais le faire après ett revenu”. Much easier!
You can generally do this for most words ending in “re” after a consonant, such as to-form (infinitives) of verbs, and words like “votre”.
Exercise: Try these other phrases to help you get the hang of it:
Je vais prendre mon bain (“prend” mon bain)
Voulez-vous du lait dans votre café? (dans “vot” café)
Elle va le mettre sur la table (”mett” sur la table)
How to Practise on Your Own
One way to practise is to just speak out loud the words or phrases you have difficulty with. You should also consider recording your voice regularly and playing it back to yourself to monitor your improvement. Ask a native speaker to record some sentences containing the pronunciations you’re having the most trouble with, so you can play them back and repeat them yourself.
Listen to some high-quality French videos to hear proper pronunciation of French words. Listening to newscasts is the best way, because news presenters generally speak in a clear, moderate-speed voice. Here are a few of my favourites:
France 24: This first-rate news channel brings you world and local French news live from their website. Not only will you benefit greatly from hearing near-perfect pronunciation of most of the words you’re having trouble with, you’ll also be keeping up with current events.
FranceTV: Get local news programmes from all around France no matter where you are.
Radio France: A live French radio news stream available on the internet. This listening resource is a bit more advanced since it’s audio-only, but this is a good thing; if you can’t see the face of the news presenters, you’ll have to rely only on the sound of their voice to understand, and you’ll pick up on correct pronunciation that much faster.
My friend Idahosa also has a fun online course that trains people on French pronunciation.
How do You Know if You’re Doing it Right?
Follow the above tips, and you’ll greatly improve your French pronunciation. But how can you be really sure that you’re getting the hang of it? You’ll want to get some feedback from a native French speaker. Yet another reason why speaking with real people is so important! I recommend you schedule a video call or an in-person meet up with a native speaker, and ask them explicitly beforehand to correct your pronunciation while you speak.
This isn’t something you’ll want to do every single time, however. I really think that fluid speaking ability, about a variety of everyday topics, is more important than accent. But scheduling regular sessions just to work on pronunciation – in addition to scheduling regular chats where you don’t keep stopping to talk about pronunciation – will quickly help your accent, and your fluidity, become more like a native speaker.
The post French Pronunciation Guide: How to Sound More Like a Native French Speaker appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 23, 2015
How to Become a Lifelong Learner
When I say “education”, what does it make you think of?
Kids? Classrooms? Teachers? Examinations?
It’s strange when you think about how we approach education in the Western world. You’re expected to spend much of your childhood in the classroom. Here you’re taught a whole range of subjects – some of which you may have little to no personal interest in.
After a decade or so of study you sit major exams. You then either enter the workforce, or go on to university to focus on a degree of your own choosing, which you may or may not actually enjoy. Once your formal education is over – that’s it. You’re expected to go out, get a job and work the nine to five until you retire!
That’s not at all how I understand education
My Story of Lifelong Education
Despite my qualifications as an engineer, I always envisioned a future where I would take strides to further my education. At twenty-one years old and living in Spain, my plan was to eventually go back to Ireland and complete a Masters degree. This was completely upended when I instead decided to make it my mission to become fluent in Spanish. I developed a love of learning alongside my passion for languages and have been challenging myself ever since. I’m now fluent in seven languages, and can hold conversations in many more.
The question I pose to you is – why should your education end somewhere between your late teens and early twenties? There is a lot to be said for lifelong learning and the personal development it brings along with it.
Why Should We Continue Our Education As Adults?
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. – Whole Earth Catalogue/Steve Jobs
As a child, your education is mandated by the curriculum set by the schooling system of your country. You study Shakespeare’s plays, learn about the history of a particular world event and feel a sense of achievement when you finally learn how to calculate the value of ‘x’ in maths class! Yet, a lot of what you learn in your youth is hardly of any use to you as an adult. It’s easy enough to finish your formal education with a full understanding of Pythagoras’ Theorem, yet find yourself at a complete loss when it comes to filing your tax return!
The beauty of learning as an adult, is that it is largely self-directed. You study because you are passionate about a subject. No one is forcing you to learn – it’s a question of choice.
There is absolutely no reason why you should finish your formal education and call it a day. As long as you keep learning, you’ll continue to question the world and your place in it. It will make you a more observant and sharper human being as a result.
How to Get Back into the Study Headspace
It can be difficult to get your mind back into study mode when you have been out of a classroom for months, or even years. But the beauty of adult education is that there are so many choices available to you. You can go to university, do a degree and follow a strict curriculum, or you can sign up for an online course and complete it at your own pace. You can even take my approach of picking up a few books, watching videos on YouTube, and teaching yourself. There are many options out there that cater for any and every working schedule.
The key is finding a form of study that ties into your life and works for you.
Let’s take a closer look at the methods we can use to ignite our desire to learn, over the course of our adult lives.
Step 1: Find Your Passion
First things first – determine what it is you want to study and why you want to do it. Maybe you learned the piano at a child, quit as a teenager and regret the decision. One thing you should never do is believe you are too old to start again.
This kind of dangerous thinking is often applied to languages. Many people believe that because they never achieved fluency in their youth, they’ve missed the boat completely. This is not true in the slightest, and I like to think I’m a living, breathing testament to that fact.
Until the age of 21 I could only speak English. Yet I’ve continued expanding on my language skills into my thirties. If I can do it, there’s no reason why you can’t either.
So, find something that you are passionate about and it won’t be a question of wanting to learn, just when and how. It can be anything – from a practical skill like speaking Italian or becoming a master in cooking French cuisine, to an area of interest such as the Ancient Egyptians or Icelandic culture.
Sit down and ask yourself – “what am I interested in, and why?” Once you’ve identified what it is you wish to learn, you can take the next steps to implement your study into your schedule.
Step 2: Make Your Time Work for You
One of the main excuses I hear from would be language learners, is that they struggle to find the time to fit learning into their already established routine. I understand that it’s tough to fit in anything alongside full time work and a family – but if you truly want to learn, you’re going to find a way to make it work for you.
Examine your daily schedule with a critical eye and take any available opportunity to further your education. Don’t spend that half hour before bed vegging out mindlessly on Netflix. Put your brain to use! Practise that new song on your guitar or get started on the lemon meringue pie you wanted to try to make for dessert. Leave your show on in the background if you have to! Just get going. You’ll thank yourself for it later.
It can be difficult to flip back into study mode as an adult. You need to push yourself at first, to make learning a habit again. As you do this, you’ll subconsciously be building upon the skills needed to become a lifelong learner.
Step 3: Set Yourself Goals and Celebrate Small Successes
“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson
One of the methods I use to motivate myself to learn languages is to set objectives, or what I call mini missions.
I’ll give myself a specific time frame in which to achieve a given goal in a language (such as fluency) and establish small milestones along the way. These can include avoiding speaking English for an entire week or trying to speak Polish with a native after an hour’s worth of study! These mini-missions can be challenging – but they certainly keep me on track and motivate me to achieve my end goal.
Rather than getting lost by looking at the bigger picture, set your sights on these objectives. Give yourself a hearty slap on the back each time you manage to tick one of your mini-missions off your list! You’re getting closer and closer to achieving your goal and learning so much along the way.
The Do’s and Don’t’s of Adult Education
Do: Study for the Right Reasons
Consider what encouraged you to pursue adult education in the first place. Is your behaviour extrinsically or intrinsically motivated?
We are extrinsically motivated when driven by external rewards, such as money or praise. An example of this would be if someone pursued the goal of becoming a polyglot for bragging rights. This is a terrible reason to invest your valuable time into a project and I really can’t see how this method of motivation could keep someone continually inspired for life.
On the other hand, you are intrinsically motivated when you are truly interested in learning about a subject or skill, simply because you derive great pleasure from it. With languages I go for quality over quantity, which is why I actually spend most of my time improving my current languages, rather than learning new ones. I know this particular type of motivation will continue to encourage me with any form of education that I undertake in the future.
What is it about this particular subject of study that interests you? Evaluate your motivation – if you are approaching your education for the right reasons, over time it won’t even feel like work. You’ll rediscover the joy in learning and should have no problem with applying this method of study to any skills you wish to pursue throughout the course of your life.
Don’t: Use Money as an Excuse
Formal education can be very expensive, depending on where you live. I know my American readers are rolling their eyes and saying: “Good one Benny. Like I’d want to get myself further into debt.”
All I have to say about that is… thank goodness for the Internet!
I have outlined many free language resources on Fluent in 3 Months (Fi3M), but it doesn’t end there. Pretty much anything you’d want to learn is available at no cost on the internet, if you look in the right place.
Want to learn how to code? Codecademy offer lessons online covering both the basics and program specific courses. Another resource worth considering is Coursera. This website provides free online programs from Universities worldwide, in just about every subject you could imagine – from business studies, to astronomy and even highly specialised courses such as “Magic in the Middle Ages”.
Alternatively, you could consider paying a monthly subscription that gives you access to a whole range of courses online. The Skillshare site offers classes on basic photography and video editing, as well as the more obscure options of book-binding and knitting. A monthly fee of $10 USD provides you with access to any and as many courses of your choosing, or you can get your first month of premium access free by signing up here
As you can see, the option of online classes means you don’t need to spend mega bucks on adult education. There are many choices out there that allow you to go at your own pace, without creating too much (if any!) of a dent in your bank account.
Don’t: Focus on Too Many Things At Once
There is one danger with self-directed study. As there are so many options available, it’s quite easy to over-enthusiastically take on more than you can manage!
I attribute my success with language learning to focus. I never take on more than one project at a time. It is only when I reach a level I am satisfied with, that I choose to move onto my next venture.
We are lucky to live in an age, where we have so many opportunities available to us. Yet with this comes a paradox – that of choice. In a nutshell, the plethora of options that we have in life can be a little too much for us humans to process.
It is quite easy to become overwhelmed with all the choices out there, put off what you wish to achieve and waste time resting on your laurels until “the perfect opportunity” comes along. I hate to be the bearer of bad news – but there is no perfect opportunity. Where language is concerned, there’s zero point waiting to find the most ideal online course, or the “best” time to start pursuing your goals. You’ve got to make a commitment, jump in with two feet and give it your all.
“There is no denying that choice improves the quality of our lives. It enables us to control our destinies and to come close to getting exactly what we want out of any situation.” Barry Schwartz – The Paradox of Choice*
The key to becoming a lifelong learner is to pick a skill you wish to excel in and stick with it. Dedicate yourself to achieving your goals and along the way you will find the joy in learning.
Remember: It’s Never Too Late to Start Learning!
It’s very easy to tell yourself that you’re too old, too busy or can’t afford to study. It’s equally as easy to get lost in these excuses.
The thing is – there is no “best time” to start doing the things you want to do. I can tell you from experience, that the best time to start is now.
As my fellow countryman W.B. Yeats put so succinctly:
“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”
You only get one life.
It’s up to you to make it exceptional.
The post How to Become a Lifelong Learner appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 20, 2015
10 Fun Spanish Songs to Help You Learn Spanish Faster
Are you studying Spanish and want a fresh way to learn?
Listen to some of the following catchy Spanish songs and you’ll give your language skills a huge boost while hardly feeling like you’re studying at all.
Here are just a few of the benefits of adding music to your Spanish study routine…
You Strengthen Your Vocabulary and Bolster Grammar
Listening to songs in Spanish can massively improve your vocabulary and grammar, because you’ll have a context for the new words and sentences you’re learning; you’re far more likely to remember words if you learn them in a song rather than in a long vocabulary list.
Think about it. When you were a preschooler, would you have memorized the alphabet as quickly as you did if you had only heard it as spoken dictation rather than as a song? Or what about the names of the notes in a scale? If you’re a native English speaker, I bet you can’t even think the words “doe, a deer, a female deer” without automatically humming the next line of the song in your head. This simple song is tattooed in your memory. And there’s no reason why you can’t extend this memory technique to more complex vocabulary and grammar, by listening to songs in a foreign language.
You Get an Ear for the Language
Spanish songs can give your listening comprehension skills a serious upgrade. I don’t know many language learners who enjoy listening to the same spoken conversation again and again, but virtually everyone I know has some favourite songs that they could play over and over all day! After only a couple of repetitions of a good Spanish song, you’ll get an ear for the sounds, and you can’t help but get the song stuck in your head. Follow along with the lyrics while you listen, and you’ll make the connection from the sounds to the words. Your comprehension will skyrocket.
For the list below, I made sure to choose songs that aren’t sung too quickly (contrary to the lightning-fast speed of everyday speech!), so you don’t have to start at a level that’s too difficult too soon. Once you get an ear for these songs, go ahead and move on to faster or more complex songs so you don’t lose momentum in your listening comprehension progress.
You’ll Learn to Appreciate the Art of Other Cultures
When you get to know the music of another culture, you get to know the culture itself. You understand the type of art that the people enjoy, and the lyrics teach you popular colloquial expressions and subtle turns of phrase that are closely linked to the values and heritage of that culture.
Your favourite songs right now are probably in your native language, but I’ve put together a diverse collection of songs from all over the Spanish-speaking world that I’m sure you’ll like at least one of.
If you don’t find the perfect song for you below, check out the links at the end to access hundreds of other songs. Don’t give up! It probably took you a while to find songs that you love in your native language, so listen to a variety of Spanish songs in order to find some that you’ll love just as much.
There’s always room for more variety in your study habits. So if you haven’t listened to any Spanish music during your studies so far, then now’s the time to change up your routine and have some fun in the process.
1. Agua by Jarabe de Palo
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAdAOm5YaJI
For beginner Spanish learners, there’s no better song to start with than this. This slow, clearly sung tune was made into a YouTube video specifically to help learners of Spanish improve their vocabulary. Not only do the Spanish and English subtitles appear as the song is sung, but the words are colour coded so you can match each Spanish word to its corresponding English word, and the infinitive of the main verb in each sentence is shown so you’ll understand the conjugation!
2. Que Será de Ti by Roberto Carlos
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyED3HhnHbM
Roberto Carlos is a Brazilian singer who has recorded many songs in Spanish (among several other languages!) and is known as the King of Latin Music. This slow and moving song about lost love would be remarkably easy to understand even without the bilingual subtitles, but the subtitles do help during the more poetic parts. Many of the key phrases are repeated throughout the song, helping them stick in your memory better.
3. Yo te amo by Chayanne
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyZenvSV15Y
A timeless love ballad by Puerto Rican singer Chayanne, this song is easy to close your eyes to and sway back and forth with the nostalgic melody. But don’t get so into it that you forget to follow along to the bilingual subtitles while you listen!
4. No me resignaré by Binomio de Oro de América
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4ZjHOdCaAI
This song is a nice example of Vallenato, a popular folk music style from the Caribbean coast of Colombia. This moderate-tempo love song by Binomio de Oro de América, a group whose popularity has spread outside Colombia to many parts of Latin America, has a pleasant rhythm that you can’t help moving to. The lyrics are also packed with the future tense, giving you lots of practice with that verb conjugation. Be sure to listen for the three classic Vallenato instruments played throughout: the accordion, the guacharaca, and the caja vallenata.
5. Carito by Carlos Vives
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=evDLpNIM504
I dare you not to have this song stuck in your head after the first listen! With a lively tempo and endearing storyline, this is a wonderful music video to sing (and dance!) along to again and again. It’s an adorable song about a schoolboy’s crush on his American English teacher, Carito. Don’t be intimidated by the quick tempo; Vives actually sings very clearly, and there are bilingual subtitles to help you along. You even get a bit of vocabulary in there about school, teaching and learning.
6. Rio Que Va Lejos by Los Fronterizos
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=07nbd_I_KHo
I love listening to traditional folk music from different countries. Instead of just being about love or loss like many pop songs, folk music is about the country itself and the land that the people live on. This beautiful Argentinian folk song evokes images of an old river, cold winds, and the coming of winter (yes, winters are cold and snowy in Argentina!).
7. Olvido by Amaral
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD2S0xJ8a-w
Amaral is a very popular music group from Spain that manages to fuse together several different Spanish and Latin music styles into truly memorable works of art. This song, with its unusual rhythm and haunting key, is captivating to the point where you’ll physically feel the silence when the song ends. It’s also an exceptionally useful song for new Spanish learners because the lyrics, while poetic and very poignant, are actually made up of quite simple vocabulary that beginners can easily learn.
8. Manos al Aire by Nelly Furtado
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGN9AVy_w-8
Nelly Furtado is a hugely successful singer, topping charts all over the world and winning both American and Latin Grammys, but did you know that she’s originally from Canada? While most of her songs are in English, this song from her debut Spanish album was the first original Spanish song by a North American to hit #1 on the Latin Billboard chart. And for good reason! It’s a foot-tapping pop song with a strong beat, but it’s not sung quickly at all, giving you a chance to catch all of the lyrics with ease. What I especially like about this song is all of the Spanish colloquialisms it contains, so you can practice listening to everyday, informal sentence patterns.
9. Muñeca de Trapo by La Oreja de Van Gogh
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk5cGIiTsfo
Another hugely popular music group from Spain, La Oreja de Van Gogh won a Latin Grammy in 2006 for best pop album for their album “Guapa”. This song, which translates as “Rag Doll”, is the first single from that album. The lyrics are a bit more advanced than the other songs in this list, but don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and give it a try anyway. It’s such a beautiful song that it’s definitely worth it.
10. Muelle de San Blas by Maná
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ5ryxJ_71g
This song is based on the tragic, true story of Rebeca Méndez Jiménez, a woman who, local legend has it, waited for 41 years at the pier in San Blas, Mexico, for her betrothed to return from a fishing expedition. She was known locally (and somewhat cruelly) as “la loca de San Blas”, or “the madwoman of San Blas”. Because the lyrics are told naturally, like a story, and are paired with a vibrant yet sorrowful melody, this is a song that you won’t easily forget.
Even More Spanish Songs to Help You Learn Spanish
I made this list to give you a taste of some of the types of Spanish music that are out there for you to practice with. But there are so many more! Try these links to find hundreds more songs to sing, dance with, and most importantly, learn to.
Rockalingua: A huge collection of free Spanish music to help kids learn the language. The songs cover a wide range of common categories, including daily routines, numbers, school-related vocabulary, kinship terms, and much more.
Spotify for iOS and Android: Get instant access to some of the best Spanish songs in the world with this free mobile app.
Songs for Teaching – the most comprehensive online Spanish music database that I’ve found to date! There’s a different song list for each level of difficulty, from children’s songs to beginner and intermediate levels, all the way to advanced songs for grammar practice and even rap songs! There are nearly 300 songs in total, so you’re pretty much guaranteed to find loads of songs that you’ll love listening to again and again.
Do you have any favourite Spanish songs that you listen to for vocabulary and grammar practice? Tell me about them in the comments!
The post 10 Fun Spanish Songs to Help You Learn Spanish Faster appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 16, 2015
Why are Scandinavians so Damn Good at Speaking English?
In 2014, the Danish were named as the best speakers of English as a second language in the world. Sweden took the crown for two years in a row before that.
In fact, nearly anyone you meet from any Scandinavian country will have a near, if not perfect grasp of the English language, as well as being fluent in their own native tongue.
How can this be? Are Scandinavians some sort of super-human language geniuses? Does the mix of cold temperatures and lack of natural light have some sort of positive effect on the brain, that makes one more susceptible to speaking in multiple tongues?
Nope! All Scandinavians I’ve met on my travels are just like you and me. What I suspect is at play is language similarity, a cultural interest in English speaking media and an education system that makes a success out of learning a second language while at school.
Let’s examine why it is that Scandinavians have an aptitude for learning English. Plus, how you can can apply these hacks in your own quests to achieve fluency in a new language.
The Hidden Root Language that Ties English With Scandinavia
English and the Scandinavian languages are all considered Germanic languages. The Germanic languages can be subdivided into three – North, West and East Germanic.
English – along with Dutch, German, Yiddish and other languages – is considered part of the West Germanic branch of languages. The Scandinavian languages (Danish, Swedish and Norwegian), as well as Icelandic and Faroese, are North Germanic. All East Germanic languages (Gothic, Burgundian and Vandalic) are now extinct.
However, it’s not that clear cut. In 2012, Jan Terje Faarlund, professor of linguistics at the University of Oslo claimed that English is in fact a North Germanic language and therefore Scandinavian. Professor Faarland notes that many Norwegian words closely resemble English – as does the structure of the language. However, until solid evidence is laid out on the table, we’ll assume that English belongs to the West Germanic family and the Scandinavian languages to the North.
The main point here is that English and the Scandinavian languages come from the same core language family. As such, English share several similarities with Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. Let’s take a look at these in a little more depth.
How English is Like Swedish
Swedish and English share 1,558 words. Examples include accent, digital and salt. However, Swedish people learning English must beware of “false friends”. These are Swedish words spelt the same as English words, but with different meanings. Examples include the Swedish word “bra”, which means “good”, and “glass”, which means “ice cream”. Don’t get too confused if a Swede asks you if you would like to eat some glass. They’re not out to get you – quite the opposite in fact!
Like English, Swedish uses the Latin alphabet, with the addition of three vowels with diacritics (a sign, such as an accent or cedilla, written above or below a letter to mark a difference in pronunciation). These are å, ä and ö.
Swedish sentence structure, like English, tends to be subject-verb-object based. That means when a Swedish person speaks “bad” English, you can get the gist of what they’re saying, despite mistakes in word order.
How English is Like Norwegian
Ownership is the same, at least when it comes to grammar! To make the possessive in Norwegian, a ‘s’ is added to the end of the word, as is done in English. A man’s bike (mann sykkel) would become manns sykkel.
You’ll find several words in the English language of Norwegian origin, such as fjord, ski and beserk.
Norwegian sentence structure is also subject-verb-object based. Even longer sentences bear a structural similarity to their English counterparts.
How English is Like Danish
There are many phonetic similarities between English and Danish. Øje is eye with the ‘j’ in Danish being pronounced the same as ‘y’ in English. Kold is cold and snegl is snail, with the same pronunciation.
The Danish alphabet is identical to Norwegian, as a 29-letter variant of the Latin alphabet. Diacritics consist of æ, ø and å.
From these similarities, you can see that Scandinavians have a bit of a head start where speaking English as a second language is concerned. Yet it is one thing to recognise that your native language bears many similarities to English, another to have the ability to speak it fluently.
Scandinavian Education: Language Learning is a Priority at School
Sweden, Norway and Denmark are all famous for their excellent publicly funded schools, with small class sizes that encourage all children to learn.
These schools start teaching students English during their primary years. The Danish tend to start learning English as a foreign language when they are around seven years old. Norwegians begin their English studies around Grades 2-7. In Sweden, English is considered a core subject, along with Swedish and Mathematics.
However, studying a language at school doesn’t necessarily guarantee fluency. I get hundreds of emails from language learners, telling me how their academic education failed them. I studied the native language of my own country for eleven years at school, along with five years of German. I absolutely could not claim to be an expert in either subject when I finished my education. In fact, I couldn’t speak either even basically.
So, what is it that sets Scandinavians apart from anyone else wishing to achieve fluency in a foreign language?
Scandinavians Recognise the Benefits of Speaking English Outside of Scandinavia
The main reason Scandinavians push to become fluent in foreign languages is unsurprising. Knowing the language native to your country brings many benefits, in a cultural and community sense. The Scandinavian languages have a rich history and the fact that they have not fallen to extinction as the East Germanic languages have done is to be commended.
Yet realistically speaking, what good is Swedish outside of Sweden?
Scandinavians recognise that there is a need to learn foreign languages, particularly if they wish to maintain relevancy on the global stage. As English is considered the main international language, there is a particular emphasis put on learning this language, above all others.
Scandinavians Love to Travel
In a recent poll, all three Scandinavian countries made the top five in terms of nationalities who love to travel.
Why do these three small countries make such a point of travel?
Consider this. Americans are notorious for being under-travelled, with only 38% of the population holding a passport in 2015. Although this is a number that is on the rise, do take into account the diversity of the landscape within the United States. From beachside holidays, hiking in the mountains, camping out in the desert, even chilling for the weekend in any number of the country’s unique cities… whatever your wish, you can guarantee that you’ll find your dream destination somewhere within the 50 states.
Scandinavians don’t have the same option. The Nordic countries make for visually stunning getaways, with unique cultural experiences such as the midnight sun and northern lights. Yet if you’re on the search for some surf, sand and sun, you’re probably going to have to look elsewhere.
I believe there are many advantages to travelling without using English.
However, it is the third most common native language in the world. For people who love to travel, there is no argument against English being a smart choice for a second language.
Scandinavians Have Business Savvy
Another reason for Scandinavians to learn English is to help them make better business deals and to stimulate economic growth. The Scandinavian countries have an abundance of natural resources, notably oil. The top importer of this resource worldwide until recently was the U.S.
Norway’s economic growth has been fuelled by its abundance of natural resources, from petroleum to fish. It remains one of the top exporters of oil in the world. Denmark ranks number 32 among net exporters of crude oil. Sweden’s not so much about the oil – though I’m sure you’ll have at least one piece of IKEA furniture lying around your house!
A small country’s economy relies heavily on exports. So it makes sense to put an emphasis on learning the language spoken by those regions most likely to import your goods.
Scandinavians Immerse Themselves in English
We’ve established motive. But who, when asked, doesn’t want to speak another language?
How is it exactly that Scandinavians exhibit such a high level of success in learning English as a foreign language?
The answer is exposure. In Scandinavia, English is everywhere!
The Scandinavian countries are mass consumers of English media. They tend to watch British and American TV and movies with subtitles, as opposed to dubbed versions. The BBC, Britain’s public broadcaster, even has a Nordic channel, which broadcasts to these three countries.
A look at the current Top 40 songs chart in Denmark shows a tendency to favour the music of English-speaking artists.
Thanks to the advent of the Internet, English media is now readily accessible for anyone wishing to engage in it. There are countless resources available online, complimented by a steady output of media from the biggest players the English speaking field – from the U.S. and Britain to Australia. Did you know you can improve your language skills from watching the likes of Neighbours and Home and Away?!
In fact, Scandinavians are so good at English, that there is a growing concern that the country’s first languages will become irrelevant. That however, is a story for another blog post!
How Scandinavia Unlocked Language Learning: Immersion is Key!
You don’t have to leave your home country to learn a foreign tongue, as the Scandinavians have proved. In fact, I’d strongly advise against it! I’ve found it more beneficial to learn the language before going to the country, as your time in that country is better spent that way, such as when I learned how to speak Egyptian Arabic during the three months I spent living in Brazil and then could use all my time in Egypt to simply explore the culture, landscape and history of that country.
There are many hacks you can use to learn a foreign language within the confines of your own country:
Make your computer multilingual.
Watch foreign language movies – just be sure that you’re viewing them the right way.
Don’t feel despondent if you’re lacking motivation. There are ways to keep on track.
Hone your listening skills – from music, to radio and podcasts, there is a staggering amount of resources for any language available online.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with big goals. Focus on making language learning a daily habit, and over time you’ll make progress.
Remember: Nothing is Impossible
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a magical time machine to send you back to your days as a child to learn another language.
You just need a bit of determination, a good plan and a clear focus. A few initial weeks of frustration can lead to a lifetime of rewards.
Note: This article relates to the prevalence of English within the three Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. It is not to be confused with the Nordic countries, which includes the likes of Finland, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the Åland Islands.
The post Why are Scandinavians so Damn Good at Speaking English? appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 13, 2015
5 Rituals to Help You Learn a Language Faster
People are motivated to learn languages for different reasons.
It might be because you’ve moved abroad and wish to understand the native tongue of the people who call that place home. Perhaps it’s for a work-related purpose. Other times, it stems from an interest or appreciation of a certain country and their culture.
Whatever the reasons, you’ve decided you want to start learning a language and that the best time to start is now.
The next question is… where do you begin?
I can understand how anyone starting out could view achieving fluency as an insurmountable task. Learning a language is a massive undertaking and it can often be very difficult to figure out the right place to begin.
Here’s the place to start…
Integrate Language Learning into Your Life
I believe there are two important points to consider when you approach language learning.
You have to make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Not for personal glory, or to make it a numbers game about how many languages you can speak. These are hardly going to motivate you in the long run. Rather, you should be striving for fluency because you are passionate about the country and culture. Learning languages takes a lot of time and involvement. Without passion for your chosen language, it can be difficult to find the motivation required to work towards your goal.
You need to make it an absolute priority. If you dedicate yourself to the one task and give it your all, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t succeed!
The key to staying on task is to make language learning a habit. To do this, we need to implement a new set of routines in our everyday lives, in order to make this habit stick.
How Do Habits Get Formed?
There is some dispute over the length of time it takes to form a habit.
The “21-Days” theory was originally coined by a plastic surgeon in the 1950s known as Maxwell Maltz. Maltz noticed that his amputee patients would take around 21 days to adjust to their prosthetic limbs.
He himself realised it generally took him around the same amount of time to form a new habit. So, in the 1960s he published a book called Psycho-Cybernetics. The book became bestseller and his theory spread like wildfire, particularly adored by self help gurus world over.
The problem with this situation was that Maltz had coined this idea merely from observing what was happening to those around him. He was sure to note that 21 days was the minimum amount of time before a new habit would form. This theory was picked upon and wildly circulated, without any scientific study to back it up.
Decades later Phillippa Lally, a health psychology researcher at University College London, published a paper that was the result of a twelve week long study. She examined the behavioural patterns of 96 people over the three-month period. Her results led her to conclude that it takes 66 days for behaviour to become ingrained, with people taking anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a new habit.
From Lally’s study, we can conclude that the amount of time it takes for behaviours to become ingrained depends entirely on the individual. Which is why you should establish a routine before anything else when you’re working towards achieving fluency in a language.
Why Forming Routine is Important For Language Learning
You’ve made the decision to undertake a task that will command a huge amount of your time and concentration.
To succeed, you need the desire to study to become automatic, without having to have constant fights with your mind over the mental activity you require to get the task done.
The first time I started speaking when learning a language, my brain couldn’t handle it. I felt completely mentally exhausted at the end of each day, like someone had ripped my mind out of my head and trampled it all over the ground.
I persisted and over time, it got easier and easier. Now when I embark upon a new mission, I don’t even think twice about how I approach my study. I know the key is to start speaking and thinking in my new language and everything will just fall into place from there.
Create some routines, make it a habit and there is no reason why you shouldn’t succeed in your mission too.
Let’s have a look at some routines you can take, to integrate language learning into your everyday life.
1. Break Tasks Down Into Achievable Chunks
When you start learning a language, it can often feel as though you are standing at the base of a gigantic mountain. You want to climb to the top, but you have no idea where to take the first step.
The key here is to break the task down into smaller, achievable goals. Don’t say “I want to be fluent in x language some day.” That kind of vague thinking will get you nowhere.
I suggest sitting down with a pen and paper and creating some achievable objectives. Give yourself a set time frame for wanting to attain fluency and make note of what you wish to have accomplished by specific dates along the way.
While I may have a fluency goal myself in many projects, what I am actually doing is keeping end-of-month goals in mind first.
2. Set Challenges to Inspire Yourself
After you’ve broken tasks down, create mini goals along the way that you can work towards in your path towards achieving fluency. These can be as big or small as you wish. For example, give yourself five days to memorise the alphabet, add ten new words to your vocabulary list every day or learn three irregular verbs a week. From there, you can set larger “mini-missions” – such as having a Skype session with a native speaker completely in your chosen language two weeks in.
Over time you can increase the level of your mini-goals. Try broadening your topics of conversation to cover more advanced subjects or challenge yourself to learn how to rap in your chosen language. At the very worst it will help improve your speaking skills. At best, you might discover a talent you never knew you had before!
Aim to have fun, in order to motivate yourself to meet your objectives. As you tick each mini-mission off your list, you’ll find yourself edging closer and closer to achieving your overall language goal.
3. Keep Yourself Accountable: Make Your Missions Public
One of the best ways to encourage progress is to tell others about your objectives. Making your mission public will also make it real. There will be more at stake and you won’t want to fail.
I recommend that all new language learners start a blog, announce their goal on our forums, or join a support group based on intensive language learning. Outline your mission in your first post and set an end date for achieving your goal. Then put aside a time every week – say every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night, to update everyone about your progress.
This public log will act as a handy reference in monitoring your progress. You can write about what is working, what isn’t and where you think your strengths and weaknesses lie.
If this kind of public (b)logging doesn’t interest you, consider emailing friends and family members to tell them about your progress. Or send weekly updates to a close co-worker. It doesn’t matter which method you take – just get it out there and make yourself accountable.
4. Focus on One Task at a Time
One reason I hear of many would-be language learners failing is because they don’t prioritise correctly. They try to do too much at once, become overwhelmed, then give up.
This is why I have only ever tried learning one language at a time. I don’t move onto a new language until I am sure I have reached a level in my current mission that I am comfortable with.
I like to use my friend Scott as an example. He has undertaken many missions of his own, such as his MIT Challenge, where he attempted to learn MIT’s four-year computer science curriculum without taking a single class. Sounds crazy, but he made it!
From late 2013, Scott and his friend Vat spent a year travelling without using English and managed to reach conversational level in four different languages over the course of twelve months.
Scott’s secret to success is simple. He’s not some sort of super being with magical tricks up his sleeve. He achieves because he is dedicated. Scott strives to keep his commitments minimal, so that he doesn’t burn out by focusing on too many projects at the one time.
When attempting to implement a new routine into your life, focus solely on the task at hand. Don’t begin learning a language amidst training for a marathon, learning how to meditate and finally starting work on that novel you’ve always dreamed of writing.
Focus your attention solely on the one task and you will begin to experience greater levels of success. The novel can wait!
5. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Sleep
Sleep is something that is highly undervalued in today’s society.
Among the horror stories about how a lack of sleep can shorten your life and affect your health, getting a good night’s rest can likewise help improve your memory and boost your creativity.
Naps have been shown to increase productivity. I am a huge advocate of siestas, as I discovered that a twenty minute afternoon nap gave me ample energy to power on through the day (and sometimes night!). I’d wake up energised and ready to tackle my projects. I have found I also need less sleep each night overall, giving me an extra few hours during the week that I can put towards work.
Don’t dismiss the importance of regular R&R. Sleep is the cornerstone of good health, on which you can build upon everything you wish to achieve in your everyday life.
As you can see, learning a language is not the impossible task many make it out to be. If you establish a key set of rituals that allow you to prioritise your learning and take care of your health, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t succeed in your mission.
Are there any routines you use to help make a new habit stick? Let me know in the comments!
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October 9, 2015
Benny’s Big List of Tips for Europeans visiting New York/USA
After thirteen years of not living in a single place for more than a few months, I’m going to call New York City home for most of the next year!
I’ll still do a bit of travelling, of course, but it will be great to have a base to come back to. And what a city to call my base! I won’t be in want of opportunities for language practice here.
Not having to pack up and move my stuff so often will mean that I’ll be able to catch up on my immense to-do list, almost infinite emails awaiting replies, way-overdue Skype/in-person spoken sessions for all my languages, and get back into making YouTube videos again! I can’t wait 
This weekend though, things are going to get interesting in the city, since the Polyglot Conference is in town. I’ll get to hang out with friends Richard, Alex, Ellen, Tim, Brian, Judith, Kris and many many others again and see new faces like David J. Peterson (creator of the Dothraki language from Game of Thrones), Barry Farber – author of “How to Learn Any Language” which was a huge inspiration for my own book, as well as meet publishers behind the Teach Yourself, Colloquial, Assimil and Routledge books. What a crowd!
Unlike at most other Polyglot Conferences/Gatherings, where I’d arrive the day before with up to 12 hours jetlag, I’ve been here already a few weeks.
Tips for anyone coming to New York
Since I was here ahead of others, who may not know the city well, I wrote up this big list of pointers for all the polyglots closing into town to share on the event’s Facebook page. A few people messaged me and said it would make a good blog post, so here it is!
I genuinely think knowing some of these points will help any visitor to the States (or New York in particular) coming from Europe. If that’s you, or if you’re just curious about making the most of a few days in New York City, enjoy!
Before flying
If you haven’t already, fill out your ESTA application IMMEDIATELY. This is mandatory for all US visitors (including EU citizens) without an advance visa. They could turn you away without it. I almost wasn’t allowed on my flight to the States once because of forgetting to fill this out before my flight.
Bring a pen on your flight and fill out the customs form they give you BEFORE you land. The precious 1 minute it takes you to fill it out before joining the queue could cost you 20 minutes of being later while the rest of your plane goes ahead of you. The queue on arrival can be terribly long sometimes, so I always walk very fast once I get off the plane to get ahead of people. Have the address you are going to stay at ready before you get on the flight, since that has to go on the form.
Be prepared that getting through immigration is frustrating. Don’t joke around, and be clear that you don’t have even the slightest intention to do anything work-related.
Sign up for traveller’s health insurance in advance, or see if your local health insurance options have travel plans. Getting sick or caught in an accident in the States could be the most expensive thing that ever happens to you without it.
What to Do When in NYC
To get around New York, I’ve been enjoying using the app Citymapper on my smartphone. I click a pre-programmed “home” address to get instant live directions back home, or input the address when I’m going out. A cool feature is that I see when my next stop/transfer is on my smartwatch, and it vibrates just before it’s time for me to get off the subway so I don’t miss my stop!
If coming from Newark airport install the NJ Transit app and buy your ticket now in advance (activate as you get off plane – it costs same price) to avoid queues at machines to get ticket on arrival. It’s a basic app, but it worked well for me. The train drops you in Penn station in the middle of Manhattan. (I don’t see a similar option for JKF, so just buy that on arrival).
To get around while in New York, the subway is your best bet for price and speed. You can get a subway card at any station’s kiosk. The price is $2.75 per ride when you have the card, so factor that in when buying it, based on how often you think you’ll be using it. If you’ll be using it a lot, then go for the unlimited 7 day card for $31.
Otherwise, hail a yellow taxi, or install Uber, Lyft and Gett apps for a slightly cheaper option. Don’t rent a car though; parking in New York City and driving across some of the bridges can be extremely expensive.
Getting a SIM card for unlocked phones in the US can be costly with the main carriers, since pre-paid isn’t very competitive here. SIM cards alone are usually $15 before you even activate them with expensive packages. One way around this if you want data is to use Ultra Me with a month of unlimited calling to the USA and 60 other countries and 1,000 minutes of calling to 15 more countries. Also, you get 1 GB of 4G LTE high-speed data (extra data: $5 for 500 MB or $10 for 1 GB). It needs to be mailed to you at your hotel or to a friend. Huge hat tip to Chuck Smith for this tip!
Very luckily, free wifi is way more prominent in the States than in many European countries, so you can rely on that. You should be able to connect to wifi once you enter the terminal at the airport, and pretty much anywhere you get drinks/food at. Always ask what the password is as you order. Starbucks has free Google-sponsored wifi without needing to buy anything.
Don’t forget that a LOT of prices you will be quoted on this visit are pre-tax and can be misleading to the unfamiliar, even in unexpected places like some supermarkets. Expect to pay more than what you see a lot of the time. The reasoning for this is because different states have different tax laws, so it would be too much work to print different price labels when selling products nationally. The work of figuring it out is left to you, the lucky customer! In New York about 9% is added.
Tipping is mandatory for most service based tasks unless someone is mean to you. Get a tipping app to help you figure it out if you aren’t with an American when you sit down to eat/drink, get a haircut/taxi, order a pizza delivery etc. It’s not about rewarding someone like back home – these people may only get $2 or so an hour and tips are their actual wages. I’ve found that it’s better to think of an American “tip” as having a different definition to the European understanding, like biscuit, 1st floor.. or fanny/fag. Thinking of it as a reward for going beyond the call of duty is simply wrong. It’s an understood extra charge for the server (since they aren’t really paid by the restaurant). Feel free to argue how confusing this is with Americans, but do not punish your server for a system they have to work in being different, by not tipping or being stingy.
Don’t bother converting dollar prices to euro. With the above extra costs it all averages out. It’s good to be budget minded and imagine them to be equivalent (even though euro is about 10% stronger at the moment).
The best way to get cash from your foreign card is to go to an ATM (not currency exchanges). Google in advance what banks in the US have the least fees for your ATM card. Only go to that bank – if you want to be absolutely sure, download the bank’s app and it will give you GPS coordinates of all of their nearby ATMs. Otherwise, try to pay by credit card, since that has best overall exchange rates. Notify your bank in advance, just in case they see the activity as suspicious and block it.
Don’t forget that you may have to deal with 5/6 hours or more of jetlag. To avoid a 6pm bed-time and missing out on all the evening fun, start staying up late NOW before you fly, so you arrive more adjusted. If that’s not possible with your work/study life, make sure to get full nights’ sleep the entire next week before going, as being well rested is your best cure. I’ve also found biphasic sleep helps me get over jetlag.
Make sure to double check US vs UK/EU English charts for when chatting to locals. For example, I have to remember that “school” is used in the US to mean 3rd level education (to me it’s only 1st and 2nd), so don’t look surprised when meet a 20+ year old still “going to school”.
Try to familiarize yourself with the ancient imperial measurement system, only still officially in full-use in Liberia, Myanmar and… here. Fahrenheit for temperatures, feet/miles for distances etc. Actually, never mind, it’s way too ridiculous. Use an app or speak to your phone’s Google search by saying “70 degrees Fahrenheit in Celsius” etc.
If on a tight budget, eat at streetcars. Yes, there are apps for finding those too! Otherwise many places have $1 pizza slices. American “slices” are almost as big as a European medium sized pizza and could do you as an entire meal. NYC pizzas are delicious, and that’s coming from someone who ate in Naples and lived in Italy!
Don’t forget to bring US plug converters! Buy them online or in your hometown in advance to avoid airport prices.
Despite what I’ve seen on TV/movies, I actually find New Yorkers to be extremely friendly and helpful. Don’t be afraid to ask for directions, but just remember that you do need to keep your guard up and make sure things don’t get stolen or you get taken advantage of.
If you have any tips to add, make sure to put them in the comments!
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