Tag: learning

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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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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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Fear and Loathing in Linguistics: 5 Videos About Language

"buy this new thing, suckers"
With the right language, Keynotes could still get interesting.

Learning languages seems to be a very popular topic with book writers and advertisers (remember to check out my language school commercial post) – but fortunately, many people have recently taken to producing videos about language. “Fortunately” – because for a visual and impatient learner like me, a good video and a good presentation can often make learning much more interesting. If you’re keen to discover some of the most exciting language videos available on the intertubes, meet me after the jump.

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Getting Closer: How to Figure Out Your Integrative Motivation

UWS - Stephen Yang_50.jpg
Photographer's mantra: "Come closer" - works for learning languages as well.

“So, where are you guys from?”

We had just finished a delicious paella and were settling the bill with a charming Spanish waiter. The city was British (well – Welsh), the restaurant – Spanish. All around us, people were easing into what promised to be a nice, sunny weekend – many languages, nationalities and styles. It felt right to be asked, and OK to be able to answer the way we did.

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Learn a Language, Lend a Hand: How to Learn Languages Through Charity

“It feels too good to be true.”

helping Haiti
Not everything must cost you money.

We had just come across an awesome idea, and were staring at the screen in disbelief. Somebody out there was actually doing things we had been dreaming of doing. And managing to change the world for the better at the same time.

The best thing is, we actually had three “Eureka” moments like this while searching the Web. They’re all described below, ranging from the very easy to the radical and bold. Whatever their difficulty level, these designs have one thing in common. They will let you learn a language and help people who need help – all this without having to pay a penny for your lessons.

Get in, and hold on tight.

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