Month: November 2011

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BRAVE Blog

I’m a Polyglot, Get Me Out of Here: Culture Shock And How To Recover

If only culture shock was made of chocolate...

There is one method of learning languages which, so far, hasn’t been questioned or doubted. Incidentally, this is one of the oldest methods as well. It’s difficult even to find a name for it: the method involves simply going to another country, living there and acquiring the language.

There is, however, one downside to this full-contact method. This time it’s well-researched, documented and analysed. What exactly is culture shock, and how to deal with it?

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Taboo 101: A Five Minute Guide to Swearing in Any Language

Taboo Mapping: A Polish - English example.
CENSORED
This post is totally safe for work. No explicit lyrics (except the ones on your mind).

“Nonononono. You gotta put more tongue into it…”

It was beginning to work. Five minutes into a random conversation with two folks in a pub, we were already finding a common language, and it wasn’t English. After they’d left, I felt proud, but a bit puzzled. I taught these guys one of the most offensive words in one of the world’s hardest languages. The puzzling thing was: why do people care so much about these words?

I’ve thought about it long and hard. I have consulted masters and gurus. Now I know. And after reading this post, you will, too. Meet me after the jump.

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BRAVE Blog

7 Wonders of Nature – and the Languages to Learn There

Amazon: lots of water, many languages. (Credit: new7wonders.com)

Yesterday was one of these moments that make you want to get up and sing that “Boom-de-yada” song from TV. A list of 7 wonders of nature was announced – this time, the 7 wonderful places were chosen in an online vote. A brief look at the list is enough to inspire wanderlust in everyone. Before you go, though, click through to the rest of this post – and find out some awesome facts about the languages spoken in each of the winning regions!

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Android Language Learning Toolkit – Apps Every Language Learner Must Know

United Collors of Android.

I have a few serious weak spots, and gadgets are one of them. So despite this age of austerity and my minimalist intentions, I have recently given in and bought myself an Android phone. Guess what…I’m loving it so far. Ofandroid image course, one of the first things I did (after Angry Birds, all right?) was looking for a right way to boost language learning skills with the use of my shiny device. There are many apps out there, but which ones will do the trick – and not cost you a lot? Click through to find out!

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You Are Not So Smart (At Learning Languages)

Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs - June 6, 2009 - Great American Ballpark
"Dude, just stare on the screen for 15 seconds and French teaches itself. True story."

Everybody on the intertubes is talking about a book which tells them unpleasant things about themselves. This, in itself, is a phenomenon worth noticing – and then, the book turns out to involve some pretty useful topics. What is this book? Why didn’t I write it? And how does that concern learning languages? All will be explained in todays post: I will deal with several common misconceptions people have when learning a language. See if you can spot the one you’re guilty of…hop on!

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Ninjas and Negotiators: 4 Ideals Of Language Teachers

The nutty professor
The style not described below: No. 5, Nutcase.

It’s a curious thing: you probably don’t remember any of your mediocre teachers. People tend to remember the good ones (gratefully) and the horrible ones (in their nightmares). In language learning, teachers not only need to teach you about their subject, but also serve as a model for how to use the knowledge – somebody to communicate with. Choosing your teacher wisely can make or break your study – fortunately, there are ways of knowing what kind of teacher you need, and how to get one. Read on to find them out!

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