European Spanish Words of the Week with Rosa for Beginners #8 - Clothing Accessories

In this Beginner lesson, you’ll learn Spanish words about Clothing Accessories. Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, where you will find Spanish lesson notes and many more fantastic lessons and learning resources. Leave us a message while you are here! Learn European Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! How would you react if someone put you on the spot with [...]

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How to Use Tinder as a Language Learning Tool

I used Tinder for two years, before I met my boyfriend. As a shiftworker, I worked odd hours and thought the app would be a good way to meet people - in my hometown of Sydney, Australia and as an expat in both Doha, Qatar and London, England. I mostly viewed it simply as a fun game I could play, when I was bored or lonely, living as an expat in a brand new country. It was never anything serious - just a way to get out of the house and meet new people. Yet, one day, I “matched” with someone who introduced me to a whole new world of Tinder. Turns out, the app is actually pretty handy for anyone learning a language. You read right. Tinder isn’t just for dating. With a bit of fine-tuning, you can add this app to your arsenal of online resources for language learning. Plus - you might make a few new friends along the way!

My Experience With Using Tinder for Language Learning

I discovered that Tinder can be used to learn languages by accident. I don't seem to have access to this document. Would you mind buying me David I was swiping away in London, when I “matched” with a spunky (that’s Australian for handsome) boy from Prague. He was fluent in three languages – Czech, German and English. He lived in Austria, was learning Russian, and looking to improve his English. We were having quite a good time chatting, when he proposed moving onto Skype. I was concerned at first, imagining a situation similar to the harrowing I had experiences with Chatroulette as a teenager (anyone who stumbled onto this webpage last decade will know exactly what I’m talking about). He assured me he just wanted to talk. He called me up and we had a chat as he walked home from work. His English was far more advanced than my German, but it was quite fun. Here was an opportunity to make a new friend from a country and cultural entirely different from my own. The door was opened and Tinder immediately become a much more interesting app to use.

How to Start Using Tinder as a Language Learning Tool

Here’s what you need to do to make Tinder work for you as a language learner.

Step 1: Download the App

If you haven’t used the app before, the process is pretty simply. You download it through the App Store or Google Play. When you first launched Tinder, you’ll be asked to create an account. The only way to do this is to login through Facebook. Don’t have Facebook? It’s easy enough to create an account for your purpose, as all you’ll need is your first name and a few pretty pictures. Once your account is setup, select your photos and type up a bio. This is important - people are more likely to “swipe right” on you if you take the time to pen a little bit of information about yourself. I would write something along the lines of: Australian living in London. Bookworm. German language-learner. Loves dogs. You can write more, or less. It’s up to you. I always feel less is more!

Step 2: Sign Up For Tinder Plus

This step costs money, but it’s a must if you plan to use Tinder for language learning. By signing up for Tinder Plus you can change the location of where you search for Tinder matches. I live in London in the UK and I’m learning German. Chances are, there are plenty of German speakers in London. But there are many more non-German speakers. I could spend hours flicking through Tinder, hoping by chance that I’ll encounter a German speaker who has then also matched with me. With Tinder Plus, I could eliminate London entirely, opting to search for people in Berlin, seriously increasing my chances of finding someone I can practise speaking German with. It’s entirely up to you, whether you want to invest the money in the paid version of Tinder. I only suggest it, as I think it saves time and your time is a far more valuable asset than money!

Step 3: Choose Your Tinder Location

If you do decide to go with the paid version of Tinder, the next thing you need to do is decide on where you want to start swiping. This is particularly helpful if you’re living in a country where only a few people speak your target language. For example, are you living in America, wanting to learning Icelandic? You may also be looking to practise your speaking skills on a region with a particular dialect. If I really wanted to test my German skills, I could focus on a city in Switzerland or Austria and see if I could actually understand what was being said. It doesn’t matter which location you pick, as you can always change it later.

Step 4: Get Swiping!

Let the game begin! Start swiping. Swipe left for people you don’t like, right for people you do. Take the time to read the bios before making your decision. You can get a lot of useful information by taking a couple of minutes to do this.. I find if people do play an instrument, make films for a living, or speak multiple languages they’ll let you know up front. This will make deciding on who you end up “liking” a much easier process. I’ve also found that people who take the time to write a bio tend to be the most fun to talk to online.They’re also the most willing to talk. These are the types of people that you’re going to want to be looking for - people who are up for anything (I don’t mean in a sexual sense!).

Step 5: Get Down and Dirty Straight Away

Once you do have a few matches, I think it’s important not to beat around the bush. People are on Tinder for all sorts of reasons - boredom, looking to make friends, quick hook ups, or with the hope of starting a relationship. You’re here to learn a language, not break hearts. So, be upfront. Tell the person that you don’t currently live in their area - but you are looking for someone to chat with. Explain your language learning quest to them. Be prepared for rejection. Some may un-match you without another word. Don’t take it personally. There will be people out there who are up for having a chat, happy to participate in your experiment. Consider this - you’ve got something valuable to offer, simply with your native language. You’re looking to strengthen your language skills and guaranteed there are other people on the Internet who are in the same boat as you. My German may be sketchy, but I’m 100% fluent in English. There would be people in Germany just as interested in looking to strengthen their English writing, reading and speaking skills as I am in German. Everyone wins!

Step 6: Move From Tinder to Skype

This last step is entirely up to you. I approached it with the same sort of trepidation as I would in giving a stranger my mobile number. I would only give someone my Skype handle if I’d had a few conversations with that person and felt completely comfortable with my decision. Common sense applies, as with most decisions you make in the online dating world. You may not be interested in speaking to your new online friends, merely content with texting. It’s up to you. And if the conversation moves into territory that you don’t feel comfortable with – get out of there and be merciless with the block button.

The Benefits of Using Tinder as a Language Learning Tool

I strongly believe in the adage “practice makes perfect”, particularly with language learning. If you are truly serious about becoming fluent in a language, you should be using a whole range of methods to increase your knowledge. While adding to your vocab list or practising pronunciation, you should also be studying movies or singing your heart out in the shower. Learning a language should never be a chore, especially when there are so many opportunities to approach it from a creative angle and make the process enjoyable. The beauty of Tinder is that it opens up the possibility of speaking with ordinary people. It provides you with an opportunity that learning in a classroom or from textbooks alone never could. Rather than studying a language in its standardised form, Tinder will allow you to learn slang, experience different dialects and talk about cultural trends. Best of all, you’ll be communicating in your language, with those who speak it fluently. That’s why you wanted to learn after all, wasn’t it? Plus - you never know. You could even meet the love of your life along the way!

Would You Use Tinder For Language Learning?

That’s my experience with using Tinder for language learning. Now I want to know – would you do the same? Feel free to share your thoughts with the community. See you in the comments!

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Spanish Vocab Builder #37 - Rooms in Your House

Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com ! Our Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Mexican Spanish words and phrases from the Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Mexican Spanish Vocab Builder! In this lesson, you’ll learn the names for Rooms in Your [...]

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CBI Il Ripassino 03 | Review your Italian with the Coffee Break team

This latest episode of the Coffee Break Italian Ripassino will help you review some of the words and phrases you’ve learned in previous episodes of our course. In this lesson, Francesca, Katie and Mark are focusing on the topic of giving directions.

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The premium version of Coffee Break Italian provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your Italian studies. The premium version includes the following elements:

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Episodio 201: Algunos lugares curiosos de España

Discover some hidden places in our country while you practice your Spanish. We present to you some interesting places to visit or mere curiosities. Transcript available: "Hola y bienvenido o bienvenida de nuevo a SpanishPodcast.net En el episodio de hoy, voy a hablaros de algunos lugares de nuestro país que son bastante curiosos por algún motivo. Algunos porque tienen ciertas características que los hacen lugares especiales, algunos por su especial belleza, otros por simples curiosidades. Estos lugares no suelen formar parte de los catálogos turísticos, al menos en los más habituales, así que es probable que no los conozcáis ... "

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10 German Songs to Help You Learn German Faster

German is one of the first languages I ever learnt (at school in Ireland and later in Berlin). It remains one of my favourite languages. That said, I remember well how frustrating German could be. How I had to wrap my head around German grammar and memorise the intimidating long words.

Why Study German With Songs?

When people try to tell me that particular languages are hard to learn, I’ll argue back until I’m blue in the face. Why? Because when it comes to difficulty, I think all languages are created equal. German is no exception. Even so, it doesn’t hurt to oil the wheels of learning with a bit of fun. I love music and often incorporate it into my language learning process. Here’s why.

It’s Fun!

For me, studying from grammar textbooks can be quite dull at times. Reading tables of verbs doesn’t help me internalise them in any way - I just tend to get bored. On the contrary, I find music to be a helpful language learning tool, simply because I enjoy it so much. Listen to a song long enough (especially a catchy and upbeat song), and you will inevitably find yourself singing along to it. I don’t know about you, but I’m generally always up for an impromptu karaoke session.

Your Accent Will Improve in Leaps and Bounds

There’s a reason why I’m a massive advocate of getting out of the classroom (or onto the Internet) when studying a language. You’re not going to learn to talk like a native merely from reading a textbook. You have to get out there and hear how people speak in their native tongue. You can do this in person, through watching films, or listening to music. To know a language, you have to live it. So, if you want to speak like a German, you’re essentially going to have to pretend to be one.

It Will Give You a Unique Insight into German Culture

Luckily, music is an easily accessible gateway into a foreign culture. You can learn a lot about a people through the tunes that they listen to. Throughout the ages, human beings have chosen to celebrate and commiserate with the aid of music. It doesn’t matter whether you’re listening to the current top 40, or singing a song from the last millennium. You’ve got a front row seat to an art form that highlights both the values and heritage of a particular culture.

You’ll Strengthen Your Memory Skills

Why is it that we get commercial jingles stuck in our head? Well, it’s because music engages certain parts of your brain that spoken language doesn’t. So, you’re more likely to remember foreign words, if you hear them in a song, rather than in conversation. The music itself will act as a trigger point, stimulating words that you may otherwise have trouble recalling. Active repetition of learning via song lyrics will help strengthen your memory skills overtime. That means you’ll be growing your vocabulary while having fun. And of course, this language hack will give you a wicked advantage over others, the next time you partake in a karaoke session. Here are some German songs you can use to strengthen your knowledge of this particular language. You have my permission now to go forth and listen to them obsessively.

1. Rammstein – Ich Wille

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOnSh3QlpbQ Rammstein have been rocking around on the world stage since the mid-nineties. The majority of their songs are performed in German, although they do often integrate many other languages (English, French and Spanish, to name a few) into their lyrics. Ich Wille is perfect for those at a beginner’s level. The lyrics are short, simple and straight to the point and the song is sung entirely in German. Best of all this particular tune is family friendly – which is notable in itself. As a hard-core rock band, Rammstein don’t tend to see keeping their songs PG as a top priority.

2. Helene Fischer – Atemlos durch die Nacht

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haECT-SerHk Helene Fischer is Germany’s answer to Britney Spears. Her songs are pop-y, fun and catchy – pretty much guaranteed to get stuck in your head. Atemlos durch die Nacht happens to be the most successful song in German history. I wouldn’t be surprised if i were to find out that most German speakers would know the words to it. It’s certainly the impression you get if you’re at a German club and the DJ puts this track on. Best to learn the lyrics if you should ever find yourself in this particular situation, so as not to look out of place!

3. O Tannenbaum

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS4wTuvR7Ik Although this is a song that is generally best served during the festive season, it’s another good one to start with. I would be surprised to meet anyone who didn’t know the words of this song off by heart in English – my guess is that they would have been deeply ingrained since childhood! The video itself is aimed at children and features subtitles so you can sing along.

4. David Hasselhoff – Du

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SebarSe6u4c David Hasselhoff’s music career may have never got off the ground in the United States, but he was a massive hit in Europe, particularly in German speaking countries. So much so, that he performed his iconic song “Looking for Freedom” on New Year’s Eve 1989 at the Berlin Wall (the song hit #1 in the German charts that year). “Du” is unique among the other songs on this list, as the Hoff is not a native German speaker. He doesn’t run his words together – he sings clearly and distinctly (and with such fervent passion!), which makes this song yet another good choice for those who are just starting to tune their ear to German.

5. Marlene Dietrich - Lili Marleen

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZAV4hsP5WU This German love song grew in popularity during World War II. Originally a poem written in 1915 during the first World War, Marlene Dietrich’s cover is probably the most well known recording of the song. Funnily enough, the tune was popular on both sides of the trenches during WWII, making it one of the most famous German-language songs in the world.

6. Nena – 99 Luftballons

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lur-SGl3uw8 This anti-war protest song became an international hit when the English version was released. The original German rendition tells the story of an army general sending pilots to shoot down what turns out to be harmless children’s balloons, floating on a country border. This leads to a 99-year long war, in which there is no winner.

7. Stereo Total - Wir Tanzen Im Viereck

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX3r7LtwMS0 Here’s a song you can sing and dance along to! The beat is catchy and the lyrics repetitive. It’s probably the most bizarre song on this list. The band in question are the multilingual Stereo Total, who mix things up by often producing songs in French and English as well.

8. Disco Pogo – Die Atzen

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWsQQgbKkjc Disco Pogo is yet another catchy party tune, that’ll have you shaking your tail-feather in no time at all. I dare you to keep a straight face during the chorus. Dingalingaling indeed.

9. Deichkind - So’ne Musik

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdIP3hyxi3k This song takes us well into intermediate to advanced language learner’s territory. Hip-hop is not a genre for everyone, but I recommend you give this song a go. Deichkind are notorious for their humorous lyrics and So’ne Musik is no exception. If you’re eager to pick up some German slang while testing out your rap skills, then this is the song for you.

10. Klee – 2 Fragen

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG--_hTSSfo Klee are a German pop group influenced by English bands such as Coldplay and The Cure. “Two Questions” speaks of the point at the end of a relationship, where you look at your significant other and fail to recognise them. It’s a sweet little song that is fairly easy to sing along to. You’ll be craving something with a bit of a slower pace after the last two tunes!

Songs are a Great Way to Learn

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of songs. A small warning: Be sure to avoid falling in the trap of passive learning. Write down the lyrics as you listen to the song, until you have it memorised. Add words you’re unfamiliar with to your vocab list. Also, don’t be afraid to belt out the lyrics with an exaggerated German accent. You may feel silly at first, but you’ll be sounding like a native in no time at all. And even if you sound silly, it’s so much fun! To prove that I know what I’m talking about, see this music video I made (with a pretty terrible accent, and off-key, in true karaoke style but clearly enjoying myself) about a song in German that was popular while I was living in Berlin. Above all, enjoy yourself. Language learning is not supposed to be a chore. It’s something you undertake because you have a particular passion for a country or culture. If you choose to mix up your learning, you’ll be far less likely to get disheartened along the way. What are some of your favourite German songs? Let me know in the comments.

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Newbie Lesson S2 #25 - Spanish Preterit: Did Everyone Finish the Spanish Homework?

You sat up all night last night studying your Spanish. In fact, you have been studying your Spanish a lot lately. You didn’t sleep much last night and were almost late to school today because of the lack of sleep! But you’re here now, and you’re prepared to show your teacher just how well you’re [...]

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Episodio 200: Que me quiten lo bailao

Today we explain the expression "que me quiten lo bailao", an expression used in all kinds of contexts and situations. It's an expression used to talk about experiences of your daily life. Transcript available: "Hola a todos y bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy vamos a hablaros de una expresión curiosa que se utiliza en algunas ocasiones. Se puede escuchar en muchas conversaciones del día a día entre los nativos y también en programas de televisión, por poner un ejemplo. Esta expresión es “que me quiten lo bailao” ... "

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Episode 25 (Preview) – Season 4 – Coffee Break Spanish

Mark and Carmen are back with another episode of Coffee Break Spanish Season 4. In this episode we’re reading María’s diary entry following the first day of the dive for the missing treasure. Language points covered include the imperfect subjunctive following antes de que, the words madrugar and trasnochar, and the subtle difference between pasar miedo and tener miedo.

In the preview episode available here on the Radio Lingua site, on iTunes and on Soundcloud, you’ll be able to listen to Carmen and Mark’s introduction, to the core text of this episode, and to the summary in English of what happens in the text. For a full analysis of the text and in-depth discussion of the words and phrases contained in the episode, you can subscribe to our premium version. For further information, please see below.

Accessing the Premium Version

The premium version of Coffee Break Spanish Season 4 provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your advanced studies of Spanish. The premium version includes the following elements:

• full-length audio episode: in each episode Mark and Carmen discuss the language covered in each text in depth, providing further examples and testing you on your understanding;
• transcript: a full transcript of the entire episode including notes on complex language and grammar points;
• bonus audio episode: test yourself on the key constructions included in the audio episode with this bonus audio translation exercise.

The members’ version can be accessed through our membership system. You can purchase a membership using the links below.

• Season 4: Lessons 1-40
  £79.00 GBP inc VAT / approx $112.00 USD ex VAT for non EU customers)

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Multilingual Dating: Should I Date Someone Who Speaks Another Language?

When I was a senior at high school, I had a Brazilian exchange student live with me for three months. We became best friends instantly. On the first day at school, all the girls had a crush on him. Even the teachers. I don’t know exactly what it was. Perhaps his accent, possibly it was his style, or maybe it was the fact he kissed girls on the hand when he greeted them. I soon realized one word summed it all up: “foreign”. There are plenty of things that are attractive about dating a foreigner. They look different, they sound different, and they have a different view of the world. But what about the language aspect? Is it a good idea to date someone in your target language? When I was in university, I dated a Brazilian girl for two weeks but I didn’t bother to learn any Portuguese. The language barrier was an issue. Then she dumped me. Let’s just say I doubt she remembers my name. Then, while studying abroad in Ghana in 2012, I had a Ghanaian girlfriend. She was great and extremely helpful for me to learn the local language, Twi. I also learned heaps from her about Ghanaian culture, food, dance, and more. When I first arrived in Vietnam in 2014, I went on a bunch of dates with Vietnamese girls hoping I could learn some Vietnamese from them. Some of them barely spoke any English. This made it pretty challenging to communicate. I went on some dates where we spent most of time in silence. Finally, I found a keeper. In fact she was a Vietnamese teacher! So it came with many benefits. Thanks to these experiences, I’ve learned that there are a lot of benefits when you date someone in a language you're hoping to learn (I call this your "target language"). But there can also be a lot of inconveniences. Luckily, I’ve learned from my mistakes and I am here to share my secrets.

Dating in Your Target Language: The Good

Being in a relationship with someone who speaks your target language has lots of benefits. Here are my favourites:

Learning From Experience is Better than Textbooks

One of the best parts about dating someone in your target language is that you can learn the real life experiences and not from a boring textbook. You’ll get to practice with your partner regularly and grow together. You’ll also learn at a faster pace because you’ll (hopefully) have more fun in the process.

No Fear of Making Mistakes

With a boyfriend or girlfriend, you can practice conversations without the usual fear of making mistakes. It can be scary to practice a foreign language with a stranger, but you shouldn’t have this problem with your partner. Getting comfortable with one another’s mistakes is good practise for later on in your relationship, too. Plus, it’ll invite funny and cute mistakes.

Your Goal Is Clear

Finding a partner who speakers your target language gives you a clear purpose for why you are learning the language. You’ve found someone who makes your heart flutter, and you want to get to know them better. In Vietnamese, there’s a saying, “học trên giường" which means, “study on the bed.” Vietnamese people always tell me it’s the best way to learn. I always respond, “mình ngủ trên sàn mà!" It means, “but I sleep on the floor!”

Accountability

Many language learners struggle with accountability. They don’t have anyone checking in to ensure they’re making progress. With a partner, there’s no hiding from your language learning. If you forget a word, he or she is going to know. If you take a week off, you’ll be in the dog house! In addition to accountability you’ll get more exposure to your target language. That’s assuming you see your partner on a regular basis, though if you’re hanging out with your Skype tutor more often than you’re going on dates with your partner, you may have a problem anyway!

New Food and Culture

If your partner comes from a different country, that usually means new food and a new culture. Both are great benefits in a relationship! You will will open up new perspectives on life as well as open your mouth and enjoy new flavors and spices. Also, if you take a trip to your partner’s home country, you’ll have a free tour guide.

Dating in Your Target Language: The Bad

Unfortunately, it’s not all sunshine and cuteness. If dating someone in your target language brought no challenges, then perhaps the term “polyglot’ and “polygamous” would be combined to create a new one: “polyglotamous”. I’ll admit, that was a lame attempt. Anyway, before I smash my head on the keyboard for that horrible joke, below are a few things to be aware of when dating someone in your target language.

Miscommunication

Communication is crucial in any relationship. Having a foreign partner can lead to a lot of misunderstanding. When you speak your native language, you know exactly what you are saying and what it means. But when you are learning a new language, you often make mistakes. You may say something you don’t really mean that could offend your partner. Or maybe you say something that ruins your plans. Maybe you call him or her “sweetheart”, but you say “sweet fart” instead. You’ll need a good sense of humour, or that could go downhill very quickly! For example, in Vietnamese, I used to mix up the days of the week. One time, I told my girlfriend that I would meet her on Thursday, but I thought I said I was meeting her on Friday. Same but different? Not exactly! Thursday rolls around and she’s angry and confused because I wasn’t answering her calls. I’m confused at why she’s angry because I thought I said we were meeting on Friday!

You May Get Lazy

If your partner is too easy on you, you may end up not working as hard as you would if you had a class or a tutor. If they love you for who you are, they may not push you to learn more. Also, if you’re immersed in the country, having a local partner can be dangerous because when you go out, he or she does all the work. When you go to a store, your partner is the pro. When you go to a restaurant, they do all the ordering. While this is convenient, it does NOT help you improve your language skills.

Mixing a Student/Teacher Dynamic into Your Relationship

Learning from your partner can create an interesting dynamics between you (the student) and your partner (the teacher). If your partner is not a certified teacher, they may not be confident and comfortable helping you with the language. You may ask a lot of questions that they can’t answer. Your partner may not want to be your teacher, so this could lead to a lot of problems as well.

Dating in Your Target Language: The Ugly

This isn’t really the ugly parts, rather the neutral parts. Because I believe that EVERYONE IS BEAUTIFUL! Below are the aspects of international relationships that can go both ways, depending on you, your partner and the situation.

Your Relationship Develops With Your Language

If you learn a language for a long period of time, you’ll start to more about the culture as well. Personally, I find this fascinating. The more I learn Vietnamese, the more I understand Vietnamese culture and the more I understand my girlfriend. I understood the jokes, we sang songs together, and it got more exciting. This can be a bad thing, though. Sometimes you can learn things that you may not like. For example, the more I learn Vietnamese, the more I swear in Vietnamese. My girlfriend hates this. You may also discover some things about your partner only when you fully understand the language and culture.

Nonstop Questions

With a partner who speaks your target language, you have a teacher available to answer your questions 24/7. They can help you with your struggles no matter how big or small, whether it’s just a spelling question or pronunciation. While this is a good thing for you, it can also be a bad thing if they’re not up for it. Maybe she wants to learn your native language, so you end up doing some sort of language exchange. But again, do you want to be a teacher? Does she want to be a student? If she wants to learn your language, then how can you learn hers? Are you two going to compete? Is it clear what your expectations are? How many times can you call late at night with a language question? While it’s nice to have a teacher around whenever you want, there are many things that can go wrong if the expectations are not clearly set.

Patience

Dating someone in your target language forces you and your partner to develop patience. Now, this can be seen as a good thing, as your relationship will force both of you to develop patience with one another. But on another note, you could drive each other crazy. If you constantly ask questions and constantly make mistakes, it may be tough on your partner. It’ll be similar to them having to babysit a kid constantly. Babysitters get paid for a reason.

In Conclusion: Don't Break Hearts to Learn a Language

You may not agree with some of these points. You may be dating someone in your target language right now and have zero issues. Please remember, not every situation is the same. When it’s all said and done, like almost anything in life, you never know until you try it yourself. Sure, dating someone in your target language may come with many advantages, but it can also be uncomfortable if you are not clear and honest. So, keep that in mind. Most importantly, please don’t break anyone’s heart just because you want to learn a language. And make sure that the term “polyglot” and “polygamy” are not to be confused! Your turn: Have you dated someone in your target language? Let us know what happened in the comments.

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Episodio 199: El silbo gomero

In Spain there are some languages other than Spanish. Today we talk about the 'Silbo Gomero', a curious language that is not spoken, It's whistled! Transcript available: "Hola y bienvenido o bienvenida a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy te vamos a hablar de una curiosidad que existe en nuestro país, aunque está localizada en un lugar muy concreto. Hoy te vamos a hablar de un idioma que existe en España, que no es el español y que tiene una característica bastante curiosa. Hoy te voy a hablar del silbo gomero ... "

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News #200 - 5 Ways to Get Every Spanish Lesson for Free + Your New Feature Inside

Imagine having an all-access pass to brand new Spanish lessons…for free. You’d never need to buy another textbook again! The lessons come directly to you. You learn Spanish with the help of real teachers. And you’re closer to your goal of learning Spanish. Get Your All-Access Pass! Click here to get 25% OFF ALL Plans! How can [...]

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Spanish Vocab Builder #36 - At a Hotel

Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com ! Our Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Mexican Spanish words and phrases from the Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Mexican Spanish Vocab Builder! In this lesson, you’ll learn words and phrases to use At [...]

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Coffee Break Spanish One Second Search 03

Welcome back to the One Second Search – an exciting activity which tests your Spanish vocabulary. In our last newsletter, we shared with you a video about growing up in los años sesenta, setenta y ochenta so the vocabulary hidden in the grid below is related to this topic.

Your challenge:

1) Look at the word grid below which is filled with items of vocabulary related to the Newsletter article.

2) Write a sentence using the first word you find and share it with the Coffee Break Community by posting it as a comment.

3) See what other words you can find.

¡Que tengas suerte!

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Coffee Break French One Second Search 03

Welcome back to the One Second Search – a fun activity to test your French vocabulary. In our most recent newsletter we wrote about la semaine de la langue française et de la francophonie. Here’s your challenge:

1. Look at the word grid below which is filled with the names of ten places in the world where French is spoken.
2. Take a note of the first place name that you find.
3. Once you have found all ten place names, post a comment telling us not only the first place that you found, but also the place where you would most like to go and why.

Bonne chance!

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Episodio 198: Tener malas pulgas

Today we talk about a Spanish idiom that can be used with two meanings, depending on the verb used. Transcript available: "Hola de nuevo. ¿Qué tal estás? Nosotros seguimos intentando crear episodios que sean útiles para ti y que te sirvan para mejorar tu español. Hoy te voy a explicar una expresión típica del español: tener malas pulgas ... "

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Culture File: Mexico #23 - The Mass Media

Learn essential Mexican cultural information with SpanishPod101.com! In this 25-lesson English-language series, you’ll hear about cultural topics ranging from important economical activities and tourist destinations to history, influential figures, and traditions in Mexico. You’ll know more about Mexico than the locals in no time! In this lesson, you’ll learn about The Mass Media, while building your [...]

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Episode 24 (Preview) – Season 4 – Coffee Break Spanish

It’s time for a new lesson of Coffee Break Spanish and we join Rory and María again for the latest instalment in the story of their search for the sunken treasure. This lesson continues our advanced series for Spanish learners, and Carmen and Mark are on hand to discuss the complex language points throughout the lesson.

In the preview episode available here on the Radio Lingua site, on iTunes and on Soundcloud, you’ll be able to listen to Carmen and Mark’s introduction, to the core text of this episode, and to the summary in English of what happens in the text. For a full analysis of the text and in-depth discussion of the words and phrases contained in the episode, you can subscribe to our premium version. For further information, please see below.

Accessing the Premium Version

The premium version of Coffee Break Spanish Season 4 provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your advanced studies of Spanish. The premium version includes the following elements:

• full-length audio episode: in each episode Mark and Carmen discuss the language covered in each text in depth, providing further examples and testing you on your understanding;
• transcript: a full transcript of the entire episode including notes on complex language and grammar points;
• bonus audio episode: test yourself on the key constructions included in the audio episode with this bonus audio translation exercise.

The members’ version can be accessed through our membership system. You can purchase a membership using the links below.

• Season 4: Lessons 1-40
  £79.00 GBP inc VAT / approx $112.00 USD ex VAT for non EU customers)

Subscribe links

Subscribe in iTunes | RSS Feed | Purchase members’ audio and transcripts | Members’ login

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Stealth Learning: The Fast, Easy Way to Learn a Language

Do you wish you could make faster progress in your language learning? I know I do! Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE studying languages. In addition to my mother tongue (English), I’ve dabbled in seven languages, have become fluent in one (French), and speak another one at an advanced-intermediate level (Thai). But it didn’t come quickly. I started studying both languages over 15 years ago (25 years in the case of French!). What gives? Why so long? Well, like Fluent in 3 Months founder Benny Lewis, I started by following the “traditional” approach to language learning: taking classes and doing my homework. No more, no less. A fat lot of good that did for me! To this day, the only languages I can speak at a useful level are those that I stopped studying in a traditional manner. It still took a long time, though. Even though I had taken my language learning out of the classroom, I still employed the strategy of only studying my target language when I had explicitly scheduled some time to sit down and focus on studying in one way or another (be it watching Thai cooking shows, chatting with Thai speakers on italki, or listening to lessons on ThaiPod101). The rest of the time, it was English, English, English! I did this for years. My skills progressed at a slow crawl as a result. Well, you know what they say about insanity: it’s doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I realised that if I wanted to start learning quickly, I needed to do something different. One of my most useful strategies has been what I call “stealth learning”. It’s brought me from being able to chat only about food and the weather in Thai, to being able to chat about tons of complex subjects that are important to me. I still struggle with it. But this year, my resolution is to speak Thai with full fluency before the year is out. Stealth learning will be one of the more important strategies I plan to use to reach my goal.

What is Stealth Language Learning?

If you’ve seen the movie The Karate Kid, you’ll remember all those times in the movie when Mr. Miyagi made Daniel do chores around his house, such as painting the fence, sanding his deck, and waxing his cars (“Wax on, wax off!”). We later discover the real purpose of the chores. Yes, Daniel was painting the fence and waxing the car. But what he was actually doing was learning how to block punches and kicks. In doing all those chores, he gained muscle memory and learned how to block without even knowing it! Wouldn’t it be great if you could do the same thing with language learning? Learn a foreign language without even realising it? Well, you can’t. At least, not quite. You can’t learn a language without actually realising you’re learning. It would be pretty cool if you could! But like the Karate Kid, what you can do is incorporate your learning into normal activities you’d do anyway. That way, you end up studying your target language without explicitly setting aside time to do so. Language learning becomes the result of the activity rather than the activity itself. In short, stealth learning means going about your daily life without always having to plan special “study time”, and still fitting a lot of studying into your day. Here’s how you can put stealth learning into practice.

7 Simple Strategies for Stealth Learning

Stealth learning is really simple: think of any normal activity you do - such as using your phone, listening to music, or watching TV - and find a way to incorporate your target language into it. Here are the techniques I use:

1. Change Your Phone or Computer Settings to Your Target Language

This is such an obvious language learning strategy that I overlooked it for a long time! But now that I’ve tried it, I can personally vouch for its effectiveness. I’ve had my phone in Thai for several months now, and it’s been so useful for everything from listening to Google Map audio directions in Thai to understanding technical information about my phone in Thai. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the Thai translation for “Your phone’s memory is almost full. Please go to your settings to delete some files”; I see it every couple weeks (I think it’s time for a phone upgrade). An added benefit of this is that it will discourage your family from “borrowing” your phone or computer when you’re not looking!

2. Label Objects Around Your House

This is an easy way to learn the names of household objects. Give it a try! Just take some sticky notes and write the name of each object in your target language only (don’t write the English word on it). Stick it on the object in your house, and every time you use it, say the name of it out loud. This is a real-life variation on Benny’s Google Image search suggestion for learning vocabulary in your target language. But instead of setting aside time to google for vocabulary words, you’ll be able to see them all around your home as you go about your business.

3. Listen to Music in Your Target Language

I recently learned how powerful it can be to learn songs in my target language. While doing some research for another article a few months back, I discovered the Spanish band Amaral and the Mexican band Maná. Now I’m totally hooked on both of them! I listen to them all day at work. I’ve learned a tonne of their songs, and although I’m not actively studying the language, this has helped me get nearly to upper-beginner level in conversational Spanish. I’ve had some luck with this in Thai as well, but I haven’t yet found a Thai band that I absolutely love enough to listen to their stuff really often - with one exception: Venus Butterfly is a Thai rock band that formed in 2001, in which yours truly played the guitar and trumpet at their first live gig.

4. Play Games in Your Target Language

Most people enjoy playing games. And since you’re reading this, I’m guessing that you like learning languages. So why not combine the two? Pick games you’d play anyway, even if you weren’t learning a foreign language. In my case, I love crosswords, Scrabble, and other word games. So I downloaded the app Word Search Multilingual, which has word search puzzles in thirty languages. When you solve a puzzle, it shows you the list of words you just found, along with a link to their dictionary definitions in English. I could play this all day. Depending on the language you’re learning, and the type of games you like playing, there might be a few of your favourite games available online in your target language. For instance, if you love memory games and are learning Spanish, try searching for “juego de memoria” online and see what’s available.

5. Stop Reading the News in Your Native Language

You probably spend a little time every day catching up on the news. If you’re at an intermediate or advanced level in your target language, reading the news is a highly effective way to practice your language skills while doing something useful. I downloaded the Sanook.com news app onto my phone to get the news in Thai. There’s almost certainly a news app out there in your target language. Just be sure to actually use it, and don’t cheat by reading the news in your native language first!

6. Commit to Counting in Your Target Language

I don’t know why it is, but numbers have always been a difficult aspect of foreign languages for me. Virtually all of the language learners I’ve met say the same thing. I don’t just mean learning the numbers in a foreign language. Anyone can do that in an hour or two. I mean mastering numbers. Thinking numbers in your target language. This is much more difficult. I know people who speak English with native-like fluency and have for decades. But when it comes to quickly reading a series of numbers, or counting, they nearly always revert back to their native language. You can avoid this trap by making a conscious effort to always use numbers in your target language, right from the beginning. You have to count anyway, right? So why not do it in your foreign language to get some practice in at the same time? When reading phone numbers or quantities, do so in your target language (either out loud or in your head). This technique has helped me a lot in French. Even though I’m fluent, I used to find it insanely difficult to read any numbers in French, or understand when they were recited quickly to me. These days, whenever I read a phone number or another series of numbers, I go out of my way to read them in French.

7. Watch Well-Known TV Shows in Your Target Language

Somehow, I doubt that I’m the only one who watches the same episodes of my favourite TV shows multiple times (especially when my favourite TV shows get cancelled after only fourteen episodes - cough Firefly cough). If you know a certain TV show well enough, then watching it in a foreign language won’t be difficult at all. You already know what the characters are going to say; only now, you can hear how it translates to your target language. The trick is finding TV shows that are dubbed in your target language. Most popular movies and TV shows are available to order online on DVD. If you’re willing to pay for international shipping, you can order them from online stores in the country where your target language is spoken. Alternatively, you can search YouTube and other sites on the internet for your favourite TV shows in your target language. The downside is that they might not have subtitles, but if you watch shows that you know really well already, you shouldn’t need subtitles anyway. By the way, if anyone knows where I can find a Thai dubbed version of Firefly, I’d be eternally grateful ;-)

Learning Opportunities are Everywhere - Add Them to Your Life Wherever You Can

With stealth learning, you can integrate language learning into many of the daily activities you already do. While these are a fantastic way to supplement your studying, they should not replace your studying. Continue to set aside time in your schedule to focus entirely on studying your target language. And always, always be sure to plan regular times to speak with real people. I can’t emphasise this enough. If I didn’t have regular Thai lessons and language exchanges with native speakers, I wouldn’t benefit nearly as much from the stealth learning methods I use. You can learn a foreign language fluently in nearly any time period you choose. It took me nearly twenty years to be comfortable enough in French to consider myself fluent. Don’t do what I did! If you want to speak a language fluently without waiting literally decades, take every opportunity you can find to integrate language learning into your everyday life. Have you found stealthy ways to incorporate language learning into your daily habits? Please share your ideas in the comments. I’m always looking for new ways to practice my target languages!

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Inner Circle #26 - February 2016: 7 Minutes & 7 Seconds to Spanish Learning Success

Last time, you learned how to make your own language learning profile. This time, we’re talking about the 7 minutes and 7 seconds to Spanish learning success. If you’ve had trouble sticking to language learning this year, this is for you.   In this Inner Circle Lesson, you’ll learn:   1. How To Develop a Learning Routine in [...]

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Episodio 197: Instrumentos tradicionales de España

In this episode we talk about some traditional Spanish musical instruments. We also talk about when they're used and you can hear some sound examples. Learn how traditional Spanish music plays. Trascript available: "Hola y bienvenido o bienvenida a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy vamos a hablaros de algunos instrumentos tradicionales españoles. Seguramente conozcas algunos instrumentos típicos de nuestro país, pero es posible que no conozcas otros ... "

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Spanish Vocab Builder #35 - Airplane

Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com ! Our Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Mexican Spanish words and phrases from the Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Mexican Spanish Vocab Builder! In this lesson, you’ll learn words and phrases for traveling by [...]

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Episodio 196: La rutina en España

Today we talk about the daily routine of a Spaniard. What are the customs of the Spaniards? What are the opening hours of schools, stores, shops and businesses? Learn Spanish while you know how the daily routine is in Spain. Transcript available: "Hola y bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy hablamos de la rutina, cómo es el día a día en España. ¿Por qué hablo contigo de la rutina? Pues porque hace poco he tenido la oportunidad de salir de la rutina diaria, es decir, hacer algo un poco diferente a lo que hago todos los días. En el episodio número 48, hicimos un diálogo titulado “vuelta a la rutina”. En aquel episodio hablamos un poco sobre este asunto y también sobre la expresión “dar abasto”. Hoy voy a hablarte de forma un poco más extensa sobre la rutina ... "

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Absolute Beginner S2 #12 - Writing a Spanish Letter to a Friend

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You had a late night last night because you were out partying with friends in Spain. It is now early afternoon, and you can hardly stay awake at your job. Thank goodness for Spanish working hours, because you plan to take full advantage of that long lunch break today. In this lesson, [...]

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How to Apply Stoic Philosophy to Language Learning

What upsets people is not things themselves, but their judgments about these things. - Epictetus, Stoic philosopher

An ancient way of philosophy has been on the rise recently. Stoicism is all about adjusting your thoughts to make yourself happier. When I first learned about Stoic philosophy, I realized that I had been practising it already. I’d never thought about having a philosophy on life, but once I read about it, it made so much sense. I wanted to apply Stoic philosophy to everything in life. Entrepreneurship, exercising, dating, and more. Eventually, I started thinking: “How would a Stoic philosopher apply Stoic principles to language learning?” Stoicism is not an all or nothing deal. It’s up to you how far you want to take it and apply it into your life. There are a lot of ways that it can help you become a better language learner and also make language learning more fun. Here are some really useful Stoic tools.

1. Ask Yourself: What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

For this practice, ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?”. This is positive practice because it prepares you for the worst if it actually does happen. Once you are done thinking about this and you go back to reality, you are more appreciative for what you still have. An example of this is consciously thinking about your dog dying. How will you feel? You’ll be sad. You’ll have a little doggy funeral in your backyard, share some stories, and then the house will be quieter. Maybe you’ll buy a new dog, maybe not. When you snap back to reality and realise your dog’s not dead, you’ll be more appreciative. Plus, when the day comes and your dog dies, it’s not as shocking since you’ve already thought about this scenario and dealt with it in your mind. How to apply this to language learning: In language learning you can do the same thing by asking yourself “What’s the worst that can happen?” When you talk to someone, expect no one to understand you. If signing up for ten lessons scares you, think about the worst possible scenario. Maybe you don’t like your teacher and you end up learning nothing. Or, picture this scenario: You forget all of your French and freeze up when you meet someone from Montreal. After a few awkward silences, you switch the English. That’s not so bad, is it? You can prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. That way, if you try to practise your target language and people don’t understand you, you are not surprised because you’ve already thought about that happening as a possibility. And if they do understand you, you will be surprised and even happier.

2. Choose to Be Uncomfortable

Many of the early Stoics took the idea of negative visualisation even further and put themselves in difficult real life situations. So, instead of picturing a scene in which they lost all their money, they’d actually spend a few days living in poverty to keep themselves humble and remind themselves to live a simple life. They did this to make sure that they were still able to have fun and be happy even if they didn’t have the most comfortable lifestyle. The best way to apply this to language learning is to go through language immersion. How to apply this to language learning: Cut out your native language completely. This can be as intense as you would like. You can start with putting your phone in your target language, or maybe your computer. You could also spend one evening without speaking your native language and only speak in your target language. Set yourself up for failure by trying to talk to someone in a language you don’t know. You’ll feel stupid and may get a little embarrassed, but you’ll see that it won’t be so bad. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations where you are forced to use your target language. Maybe a restaurant, a Skype call, or using an online teaching platform.

3. Laugh at Yourself, Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously

Self-Deprecation is the act of reprimanding oneself by belittling, undervaluing, or disparaging oneself. Basically it’s being excessively modest. Stoics use this as a way to avoid arguments from stupid people. They used it as a way to turn tension into humour. You can do the same. How to apply this to language learning: When you are practising your target language, if people start to make fun of your accent or your lack of vocabulary, don’t let it get to you. Instead, make fun of yourself. Say “Haha, don’t I sound like a fat 5 year old with this accent?”

4. Live Below Your Means

Another reason Stoics used to live like paupers was to remind themselves of their values and to stay humble. They call it “practicing poverty.” How to apply this to language learning: Instead of constantly spoiling yourself with new language learning materials, try to make the best of what you have every once in awhile. Use the same small book for a week. Or actually dig into that online course your bought a few months ago. Take one set of flashcards, and spend six hours memorising them. After you know them, get creative! Turn them in sentences. Turn them into little poems, or lyrics. Try to connect them. Having too many resources can be overwhelming anyway. So it’s good to practice language learning without much.

5. Live in the Moment

Practicing Stoics do their best to “live in the moment”. This phrase has become a cliché, but it will never lose its power. How to apply this to language learning: In language learning, your past lessons don’t really matter. How long have you been studying? That’s not relevant. How many tutors you have had? No one cares. Your grade that you’ve got in school? ENOUGH ALREADY! All that matters is your language ability right now and the progress you are making. And that’s all you should be focused on.

6. Set Goals That Are In Your Control

Stoics discuss how  people set unrealistic goals with no clear cut tactic of how they are going to get there. These goals often have so many external influences or are hard to track. Stoics prefer setting goals that it's within their control to achieve. How to apply this to language learning: “I want to be the best Spanish speaker in my friendship group” has a lot to do with other people and their ability to speak Spanish. Instead, try to be practical and focus on the more intricate details of how you’re going to achieve good Spanish skills. A better goal would be “I want to spent more time learning Spanish than everyone I know.” Setting a goal that is in your control helps you feel even more accomplished and gives you more motivation. For example, you can set a goal that’s to study 30 minutes a day, or maybe you set a goal to have a conversation with a native speaker once a week. Thinking that you can get a Mexican girl to fall in love with you because you learned Spanish? NO. That's not Stoicism.

7. Don’t Respond To Insults

Stoics use this strategy as a way to communicate with ignorant people who are trying to bother them. By ignoring insults, they can stay focused on the substance of the argument. Staying calm also helps them gain the upper hand. How to apply this to language learning: In language learning you can use this strategy by not reacting to miscommunication. If you have to say something five times before your conversation partner finally understands it, that’s okay. Each time you repeat yourself, you should be just as positive and enthusiastic as the next.

8. Feeling Unhappy? Take A Look At Your Values

Stoics believe that when they’re unhappy, it’s not the world around them that’s the problem. It’s their thoughts that are the problem. In other words, what matters is not a change in circumstances, but a change in attitude. How to apply this to language learning: If you are not happy with how it’s going, what you are learning or the progress you are making, perhaps, you need to make some changes. That could mean switching to a language you really want to learn. It could mean finding a new teacher. Or, perhaps it means learning the vocabulary words you want, not what your tutor or textbook suggests. It could mean skipping grammar to focus on learning songs. You’re in control here, you are the language learner, you get to decide how it goes.

How to Apply Stoic Philosophy to Language Learning

I don’t expect you to become a philosopher and start philosophising in a foreign language! But philosophy can be a big help in language learning. Hopefully you’ve picked up a few tips from this article that’ll enable you to make language learning more fun, available, and effective. The next time you hit a roadblock on your language learning adventure don’t acquiesce to defeat. Rather, accept your shortcomings, change how you view your perceived problems and see where you can improve. And if you get discouraged, remember this fun fact: Socrates never even wrote anything down. So, you’re further ahead than you think.

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Episodio 195: ¡Allá tú!

'Allá tú' is a widely used expression in Spanish. Do you know in what context is it used? In this episode we explain their meaning and how it's used. Practice and improve your Spanish with us! Transcript available: "Hola a todos y bienvenidos a SpanishPodcast.net otra vez. ¿Estás listo o lista para aprender un poco más de español? Pues, ¡allá tú! :D Esta es la expresión que vamos a aprender y practicar hoy: allá tú. "

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CBI Il Ripassino 02 | Review your Italian with the Coffee Break team

In this episode of the Coffee Break Italian Ripassino, you can test your understanding with a listening comprehension. We’ve provided a set of lesson notes as a pdf document (available here) and we suggest that you listen to the episode and try to answer the questions included in this document.

Listen to the episode

The audio lesson is free, as are all the main audio lessons of Coffee Break Italian. Use the audio player to listen to the lesson, or subscribe in iTunes to receive this lesson and all future lessons automatically.

Accessing the Premium Version

The premium version of Coffee Break Italian provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your Italian studies. The premium version includes the following elements:

• video flashcards: listen to each lesson and see the words and phrases covered in the lesson displayed on the screen of your computer, phone or tablet (mp4 format);
• bonus audio materials: use our review lessons to practise the language covered in the main lesson, and to pick up some useful bonus vocabulary (mp3 format);
• comprehensive lesson notes: study the language of each lesson in greater detail and access additional information about the Italian language (pdf format).

The members’ version can be accessed through our membership system. You can purchase a membership using the links below.

• Season 1: Lessons 1-40 £79.00 GBP inc VAT / approx $112.00 USD ex VAT for non EU customers)

Subscribe links

Subscribe in iTunes | RSS Feed | Purchase members’ audio and transcripts

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CBI Il Ripassino 02 (Lesson Guide) | Review your Italian with the Coffee Break team

We’re back with the second episode of our Ripassino. This post is only for the lesson notes and comprehension questions associated with the audio episode which you can find here.

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News #199 - 2 Tactics Successful Spanish Learners Use & 2 New Features Inside

Do you do this too? In our experience, top Spanish learners often start out with a goal, no matter how small. For example… “I want to introduce myself”, or “I want to speak for 5 minutes” or “I want to talk about my hobbies.” They find the lessons that’ll help them achieve that goal. Then, [...]

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Spanish Vocab Builder #34 - Fruits

Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com ! Our Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Mexican Spanish words and phrases from the Mexican Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Mexican Spanish Vocab Builder! In this lesson, you’ll learn diffrent Fruits words. Click here [...]

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Coffee Break Spanish One Second Search 02

Welcome back to the One Second Search – an exciting new activity which tests your Spanish vocabulary. In our last newsletter, we shared with you a story about the benefits of learning a language so the vocabulary hidden in the grid below is related to this topic.

Your challenge:

1) Look at the word grid below which is filled with items of vocabulary related to the Newsletter article.

2) Write a sentence using the first word you find and share it with the Coffee Break Community by posting it as a comment.

3) See what other words you can find.

¡Que tengas suerte!

 

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Coffee Break French One Second Search 02

Welcome back to the One Second Search – an exciting new activity to test your French vocabulary. In our last newsletter, we told you all about la chasse au trésor à la Tour Eiffel so the vocabulary hidden in the grid below is related to this topic. Your challenge:

1. Look at the word grid below which is filled with items of vocabulary related to the Newsletter article.
2. Write a sentence using the first word you find and share it with the Coffee Break Community by posting it as a comment.
3. See what other words you can find.

Bonne chance!

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Coffee Break Italian One Second Search 01

Un nuovo gioco!
Welcome to the One Second Search, an exciting new activity to test your Italian vocabulary. If you are subscribed to our Newsletter, you will have read about the possible creation of a new word in the Italian language.

Your challenge:

1) Look at the word grid below which is filled with items of vocabulary related to the Newsletter article.

2) Write a sentence using the first word you find and share it with the Coffee Break Community by posting it as a comment.

3) See what other words you can find.

In bocca al lupo!

 

In order to help you with the challenge, we have provided English translations of the words contained in the search below:

• “full of petals”
• flower
• teacher (female)
• word
• dictionary
• clear
• child
• to respond / reply / answer
• Italy
• language

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Episodio 194: ¡Vamos a la Luna!

Learn Spanish and improve it while you learn about the Moon, astronomy and science. Today we travel to the moon. Fasten your seatbealts! Transcript available: "Hola y bienvenido o bienvenida de nuevo a un episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Hoy vamos a hablar de naturaleza, de ciencia y de romanticismo. Hoy te vamos a hablar sobre la Luna. Hemos creado este episodio por un correo electrónico que nos ha escrito Malcolm desde la ciudad de Philadelphia. Malcolm tiene 11 años y escucha nuest ... "

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Absolute Beginner #14 - Are You Getting Sleepy…Can Spanish Help?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! You stayed up half the night, and now you’re paying the price. You stagger out of your hotel room, and you ask the first person you see in Spanish, “I’m very tired. Is there somewhere I can get some coffee?” Maybe you said the wrong thing, because the person looks at [...]

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Culture Hacking: The Real Secret to Mastering a Language

Do you ever feel like you just can’t move on to the next level with the language you’re learning? You put in tons of effort, but it just feels impossible to move off the plateau? You have a large vocabulary, and you understand a lot but when it comes to speaking, you keep wondering why you can’t sound like a native speaker? Well, I had the same feeling with English when I started to learn it many years ago. It’s a language radically different from my mother tongue, Hungarian, and after reaching an upper-intermediate level, I was wondering if I would ever speak like a native. I spent long, endless hours memorising flashcards and going through grammar books. I diligently immersed myself by reading tons of articles. But somehow I felt very far from true mastery of the language. I could manage everyday situations in English but I was hopelessly far from being mistaken for a native speaker even for a fleeting moment.

How Linguistics Completely Transformed My English Journey

When I discovered cognitive linguistics and cultural semantics (more on that later - it’s not as scary as it sounds), I went from one “aha!” moment to another. Soon, I realized why I was wrong about languages. I used to look at learning a language as most of us are led to believe:

1. Memorise many words and phrases
2. Apply grammar to them to make sentences
3. Practise with others to make your reactions automatic

Needless to say, it’s easy to get tired of this process and lose motivation. It took me quite a while to break free from this mindset. Thankfully, after getting my hands on some of the best linguistic research I could find, a whole new world opened up before me. I could now see a tremendous wealth of culture and imagination where I had only seen a randomly connected sequence of sounds before. I came to understand that the secret recipe for mastering a language is the following:

Master every bit of the culture and you can achieve native-like mastery of the language itself.

When I realised this, my English studies immediately gained a new momentum. Fast-forward to now. I can already write articles in English for native speakers, talk at a conference without grasping for the right word and easily discuss all sorts of ideas (Okay, maybe not particle physics or rocket science but that’s another matter). Mastering English has been an incredible gift in my life. I received a new mindset, a new set of emotions, and a new way of thinking. My personality has been subtly but powerfully impacted. I would say I even took on a secondary identity. Cultural semantics has played a very important role in this process. But what is cultural semantics?

What the Heck Is Cultural Semantics?

To put it simply, cultural semantics is the study of the meaning of words and phrases and their connection to culture. Many words in a language are unique; they cannot be exactly translated into other languages. Every word has a whole range of connotations, images, and associations that you cannot map to another language. The English words “patronise” and “fun”, and the phrase “common sense” all reflect English (and American) mentality and culture. They cannot be simply translated into my native language of Hungarian, because Hungarian people have a different mentality, a different mindset and this is reflected in their language. That’s one of the main reasons why memorising words is not an option if you want to achieve mastery. Instead of rote learning, one needs to go beyond the surface and uncover the hidden culture behind words and phrases. It’s like cracking an exciting secret code, or connecting the dots in a detective story. Let me now crack for you the secret cultural code behind a few common English expressions.

The Secret Cultural Code behind Everyday English Words and Phrases

There are countless English words that have no exact counterparts in Hungarian, nor, as far as I know, in other European languages. The reason is that they capture an aspect of English or American mentality that is not present in other European cultures. ”Reasonable”: One can easily count tons of expressions with this one word alone: reasonable doubt, reasonable guy, reasonable time, reasonable request and many others. There’s a similar word to “reasonable” in Hungarian but I could never think of saying anything like reasonable request or reasonable doubt. These phrases are deeply rooted in a society that admires science, reason, logic and common sense. The word reasonable is linked to the idea that there is a certain common sense and everybody is supposed to follow it. However, it’s a highly culture-specific concept together with _common sense_and its range of use can be very hard to understand and master for a non-native speaker. ”Make a difference”: As far as I could see, Americans tend to have an innate desire to impact the world in a positive way with their work and actions. The phrase to make a difference is practically non-existent in most languages I know. There is some form of saying “to change the world” but it’s not a popular dream shared by millions of people. ”Fun”: I have never before come across a word in any language that describes such a wide spectrum of enjoyable activities from shopping to listening to a lecture. If translated literally from English into Hungarian, the words fun and enjoy can have a hedonistic overtone because we lack exact counterparts to these words. The word enjoy can have a stronger meaning in most European languages than it has in English. In most of them it couldn’t be said, for example, enjoy your meal or enjoy your time. Maybe that’s why English has given me a sense of casual cheer and a more easy-going mentality.

The Cultural Mindset that’s Embedded into English

The following approaches and mindsets are unique to English, and come across in the language. Softeners. A little bit, quite, rather, really, probably, presumably, I think, evidently, obviously, as far as I know and many other so-called softeners lend a special character to the English language. If you don’t use them, you can easily come across as abrupt, rude, or even uneducated. It was a revelation for me when I first started to see how these phrases work. Interestingly, I also started to use them more and more in my mother tongue. My family and friends have even begun to tease me for becoming too English. An indirect approach. There are few European cultures that can express meanings in such a subtle and indirect way as English. Before saying something, you’re supposed to think carefully if it’s going to hurt someone else’s feelings, or if your comments will be considered prying. Many of the Anglo-style indirect and polite requests could easily cause confusion in other European cultures where it’s not the norm to be indirect. It’s enough to think of those funny phrase collections where you can see how the British say something, what they mean and how other Europeans understand it. For example, “quite good” is often understood as praise by most Europeans, while the British might mean “it’s quite disappointing”. As an other example, “you must come for dinner” can often be said out of politeness by the British, without implying an actual invitation. However, it can be confusing because this phrase would be taken as an invitation in most parts of Europe. I learned to be much more tactful, polite and sometimes indirect after mastering English. I would say it’s one of the most obvious ways English has left its mark upon me. Positive thinking. One can argue about the pros and cons of positive thinking but one thing seems to be certain: thinking positively is an essential part of Anglo-Saxon culture and it’s imprinted on the fabric of the English language. This is apparent from the way many English speakers replace negative words (e.g. problem) with positive and neutral words (e.g. challenge or issue). Positive thinking is an all-pervasive idea. Some authors, like Barbara Ehrenreich, even attribute large-scale social changes to this mindset. As you can see, the connection between language and culture goes far deeper than a few generalisations about the Italians being romantic and the Germans precise. Most words of a foreign language reveal a specific mentality. It’s most easily felt when you translate from one language to another. Maybe you know the feeling when a translation just doesn’t “feel” the same as the original version. Through understanding everyday words and phrases from a native speaker’s standpoint, you can unravel their culture in a very detailed and practical way, just like you can crack a secret code.

Culture Hacking: The Real Secret to Language Mastery

Language learning, at least once you’re past the beginner level, is not about memorising sequences of random sounds until you can utter them automatically. Language learning is not about sweating over grammar rules and trying to get them right every time you speak. Language learning is all about discovering the beauty of another culture. It’s like travelling to a far-away, exotic country. It’s about being energised by the seductive charm of a new culture. As you walk through new lands, you soak up the atmosphere of a different people. You immerse yourself in their history, music and food. At every corner you come across something that makes you stop, smile and wonder. Mastering a language is exactly the same. No matter what language you’re learning, let the pulse of a new culture run through your veins.

The post Culture Hacking: The Real Secret to Mastering a Language appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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El aprendizaje descomplicado

Hola a todos los seguidores de SpanishPodcast.net Hemos creado este pequeño episodio para avisaros de que nuestro nuevo audiobook ya está disponible. El título de este audiobook es: El aprendizaje descomplicado.

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Spanish Listening Comprehension for Absolute Beginners #20 - Arranging Furniture in a Room

  Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Do you find yourself only understanding bits and pieces of Mexican Spanish conversations? Do you spend hours trying to figure out what that person said to you in Mexican Spanish? Then this Mexican Spanish Listening Comprehension for Absolute Beginners series is for you! In each lesson of this five-part series, [...]

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