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BRAVE Blog

You May Not Enjoy This: Getting Through The Chore of Language Learning

sad

The myth of foreign language study is always similar: learn a new language, meet new people, have fun, explore, live the good life. Today, I want to write about the other perspective. What happens when learning languages is nowhere near that enjoyable? How to deal with this? Read on; we really need your input here.

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BRAVE Blog

Old Tools, New Tricks: 4 Polyglot-friendly Features

You probably know and love the feeling of discovering something new and useful in your toolbox – or a new app for your favourite phone – or a secret button in your car (OK, that last thing doesn’t happen that often). And if you’re always looking for ways of learning languages better – you’ll probably have found the four features I’m going to mention today. In case you didn’t, though, here goes: foreign language learners’ Easter Eggs (sort of)!

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BRAVE Blog

Chaos and Focus in Language Learning

Peace 

Shut up, I’m trying to learn to speak a language,” said no one ever.
Foreign language study is different from learning maths or history. Today, I want to look at two states which – although contradictory – still feature in every language learner’s work. How to use them? How to make the most of them? Let’s find out.

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BRAVE Blog

Polyglot’s Nemesis: The Anatomy of an Excuse

O OUTRO LADO DO MEDO É A LIBERDADE (The Other Side of the Fear is the Freedom)

“Stop making excuses and get to work.”
“That’s just a bad excuse and you know it.”
Well, do you? How much do you really know about your excuses? Do they really matter to your language study? And if they really tend to upset the work of all language learners – wouldn’t it help to learn more about them?
Let’s do that tonight. No excuses here. Come on, this one won’t hurt 🙂

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BRAVE Blog

What to do with language? Coding has all the answers

my Apple II IRC hangout

What’s it all for? What good is learning a language, really? Why should anyone bother, and what should we do once a language is learned and mastered? I found my answers on TED.com – and tonight I’m sharing them here. Feel free to add yours.

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BRAVE Blog

Two memory techniques for forgetful language learners

object.

“Tip of the tongue” must be the world’s most hated place. That feeling when you can almost remember the word in a foreign language – but it never comes to you until it’s too late? Well, you don’t need to have that feeling ever again. Learn from the masters and improve your learning with these two crafty approaches!