Kerstin Cable's Blog, page 20

Party Invitation: Join us for a Creative Language Learning LIVE Episode

Language lovers, Fluent fans, Creative crew, we have a special invitation for you.

Just like last year, Lindsay and I are excited to create a live episode for the European Day of Languages. And that's not all this time. We also get to celebrate a milestone episode of the show: It's episode 50!

You guys stuck with us, listened and wrote in to 50 episodes of the show now, and we want to thank you and tell you how much we appreciate you for this. It's awesome to know that there are language geek...

Peace, Words 'n Harmony (Podcast Episode 49)

Hey everyone, welcome to episode 49 of the Creative Language Learning Podcast. This one is perfect for you if you have ever wondered whether language learning is the way to change the world.

Topic: Language Learning Can Bring World Peace

Language is a beautiful caress that can make strangers melt into friends, but la gusgen is also a verbal door that can be closed in the face of outsiders. (Eddie Butler)

We went for deep stuff, and discussed the many ways that language learning can improve t...

Benny Lewis Has a New Language Hacking Series: Here's My Review

In today's review, I'm excited to bring you guys my first impressions of Language Hacking German - A Conversation Course, the new book by Benny Lewis.

In this series, you can also get books for learning Spanish, French and Italian.

TL;DR: I'm impressed with the design, structure and method used by these books.

They're awesome, if you're anywhere between A1 and A2 pick up a copy and use it to practice. Also looks like a good potential Christmas present.

Benny has organised a great giveaway for...

Do You Need a Native Speaker To Practice a Language? (Podcast Episode 48)

Hello and welcome to Episode 48 of the Creative Language Learning Podcast!

We started off our episode with some insights into what's going on with our language learning - in a new format! It's called the good, the bad and the struggling. Listen in and tell us what you think!

What's your Good, Bad and Struggling?

We'd love to hear from you guys on this one. If you want to share what's good, bad and difficult in your languages right now, send your feedback to us. We read every one and your languag...

The Story of Bilingual German-English Live Training

One of the worst moments I've ever experienced in German teaching was the time I tried to introduce a class of lunchtime learners to the Akkusativ case. Armed with whiteboard and sample sentences, I walked into the class, and I felt so ready and so excited to be teaching this (what I thought) awesome system in grammar.

"So when you have an object in your sentence, here's what happens..", I explained to them, with colour-coded underlining to illustrate. I thought I was doing well..until I saw e...

A Good Handle on the Hangul (Podcast Episode 47)

In this episode, we let you guys take us where you wanted us to go with your awesome listener messages.

Some of What We Talked AboutWhere to go when you travel to Lithuania(home of our first listener)Great tips for studying Korean, like how to study the grammar and where to go next after learning Hangul scriptIs there ever a perfect language coursethat is not too slow and not too fast?How to set yourself little language goalsGreat apps on your smartphonethat help you learn languages (we mentio...

Top 5 Photo Spots in the Mosel Valley, Germany

When you travel to a location as outstanding as the Mosel valley, it would be a shame to forget your camera. I recently headed home to spend a week preparing for the Fluent German Retreat, and on my trip I collected a few top tips to share with you.

The following sites are not to be missed and can be visited in a day or two. But wie alles an der Mosel, it pays to take your time and slow down to find a relaxed pace.

Top 5 Photo Spots in the Mosel Valley1) Porta Nigra, Trier

Where would Trier l...

Mastery and Advanced Level Language Learning (Podcast Episode 46)

Thanks for our good friends at Flashsticks for their ongoing support of the Creative Language Learning Podcast. Try their free app and get 10% off anything on their site using code KERSTIN10.

When you reach the higher language levels, it's not enough to just study. How does it feel to reach a level where you are looking for ways to go beyond fluency? How can you move towards mastery?

There's no Lindsay in this episode (don't worry, she'll be back very soon!), so I found myself two experts who...

How An Encounter With Tibetan Monks Inspired Christine To Learn Three New Languages

What is it that makes me so happy about language learning?

It's not just about showing that the human brain is capable of miraculous feats. It's also about using language as a lmetaphor for understanding other people.

LWhen Fluent reader Christine McKenna contacted me by email with her story, I was drawn to it immediately. She speaks of language changing her perspective, and tells a story of how incredible it is to dive in and let your studies lead you to a new life. Christine is a yoga teach...

The Book That Will Change How You See Language Learning (+ Clever Notes & Action Plan FREE)

One of the most common things I hear from language learners is

"what is the best way to do this?" You want to know how to learn a language, in as much detail as possible.

And it's hard to answer that question once and for all, for everyone. People are different, and no one's going to teach you good habits overnight. I know there are plenty of players out there telling you that their way of doing flash cards or listening to native content is the real answer.

But seriously, guys. What it rea...