Kerstin Cable's Blog, page 7
October 2, 2019
Clear the List October 2019: My italki Speaking Challenge Plans
Hello and welcome to another blog post in the Clear The List series, the monthly language learning round-up about language learning goals and progress. Gretchen Rubin says
The days are long, but the years are short.
Well, I get the feeling that the days were >< this long in September. Nothing like a check-in post to remember what even happened!
If you’re inspired to try your own check-in, why not join our #clearthelist blog round-up hosted by Shannon Kennedy and Lindsay Williams.
What Happened in September?In the last week of September I spoke a lot of German! My husband i...
< this long in September. Nothing like a check-in post to remember what even happened!
September 19, 2019
A Language Learner's Guide to Mindset, Mantras & Emotions
When was the last time you felt discouraged by a language learning setback?
Discouragement and insecurity get the best of everyone from time to time, but the worst part is that we’re afraid to admit it. Even in a community of language learners, we have a bad habit of hiding in fear during our setbacks and comparing ourselves to those who are experiencing success.
Think back to a time you doubted yourself. Did you ever wonder:
Am I learning the right way?
Why am I not making more progress?...
September 4, 2019
#clearthelist September 2019: The Eleven Languages I Spoke in One Month
Imagine you’re on a long-distance cycling trip, perhaps through all of a country or state. You know the destination and you’re pedalling every day, always pushing ahead even if you know you may not arrive for many days. On a journey like that, what would you be without a necessary stop to find yourself on the map now and then? Can you do it without GPS? I don’t think I could!
Learning a language is a lot like navigating a long trip like that. We often know our destination before we get going...
August 15, 2019
5 Hilarious Games for Learning Languages in a Group
It’s an open secret among experienced language teachers: We love playing games!
During my retreats and lessons, I’ve had so many experiences when an hour of Articulate in German helped my students speak fluently with more ease than a hundred other lessons. In this guest post, Italian teacher Gloria presents her top 5 games for learning languages.
Many of these games will be a lot of fun for learning other languages, too. Over to Gloria…
Among the tools we can use to learn languages, games are...
August 3, 2019
#clearthelist August 2019: How I Keep Motivation for Learning Languages
Hello and welcome to #clearthelist, a monthly language learning goals round-up. This blog round-up of goal trackers is hosted by Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy here.
What Happened in July?July 2019 seemed like a long month with lots going on. Here at Fluent, I’m currently head down in some preparation work for big things to come later in the year, such as my first membership community and a course update for the Language Habit Toolkit.
I spent 10 beautiful days on holiday visiting Ham...
August 1, 2019
Indigenous Languages Explained: What You Need to Know Today
How would you feel if you were the only person left in the world who spoke your native language?
It seems unthinkable, right? Yet, it’s a reality for more than a few speakers of indigenous languages that are at risk of dying out. In fact, it’s estimated that one indigenous language is lost every two weeks.
Out of around 7,111 languages, about a fifth are endangered or vulnerable on some level. Indigenous languages make up at least 4,000 of the world’s languages, though it’s impossible to kno...
July 21, 2019
How to Maintain a Language While Starting a New One
You've climbed the hill of your first foreign language, maybe finding yourself at level A2 basecamp or even up on the plateau of endless conversations. Maybe you've even ascended further, building your language home and living near the peak for many years.
And now, you're beginning to think about learning the next language. Maybe you've got a trip coming up or you're simply feeling the curiosity.
It's time to learn a new language! The only question is:
How can you keep your other language fres...
July 14, 2019
The Most Popular Language Exams (And Why They're Great For Independent Learners Too)
Language exams can add to your routines and make you a much better language learner. At the end of this article, you'll find a handy list of popular tests and exams in a whole bunch of languages.
Listen to this podcast to hear from Gareth and me on the Fluent Show:
Why Take a Language Exam or Language Test?You may find yourself wondering why a language test would be useful for you at all, especially if you’re not studying for work or school. But there are a few excellent reasons to dive into...
July 1, 2019
#clearthelist July 2019: My Chinese and Welsh Progress After a Break
“Inelegantly, and without my consent, time passed.” - Miranda July
Welcome to Clear the List, my monthly language learning goals update. Yep, that time again already!
Clear the List is a round-up hosted by my friends Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy, and if you’re interested in joining then don’t hesitate to check out the Clear the List linkup for #clearthelist, hosted by Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy.
Let’s go!
What Happened in June 2019?The biggest event in my June 2019 was the Flu...
June 25, 2019
Discover Spotify, the App for Learning Languages With Pop Songs
How would you like to learn a language with the help of a famous musician?
Sounds awesome, right? Truthfully, the idea isn’t so far-fetched.
Learning a new language isn’t all about studying grammar and memorizing vocabulary. In fact, many of us have listened to music in another language and even learned a few things from our favourite songs.
For exa...
