Episodio 266: El Siglo de Oro

Spanish Golden Age - Learn Spanish while you learn about the Spanish Golden Age. Culture, art, architecture and fights vs Cervantes! - El Siglo de Oro español - Aprende español mientras aprendes sobre el Siglo de Oro español. Cultura, arte, arquitectura y, ¡peleas contra Cervantes! Transcript available: Learn Spanish: The Spanish Golden Age

La entrada Episodio 266: El Siglo de Oro se publicó primero en Spanish Podcast.

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Spanish Reading Comprehension for Intermediate Learners #5 - A Promotional Mexican Spanish Leaflet

Learn Mexican Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Welcome to the Mexican Spanish Reading Comprehension for Intermediate Learners series. In this series, you will continue to build up your Mexican Spanish reading skills through lessons focussed on everyday activities like taking the bus or train. You’ll learn how to read tickets, notices in the station, currency exchange forms, [...]

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Absolute Beginner Questions Answered by Rosa #17 - Why EL ALGUA?

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Asking questions is a big part of learning Spanish. Every day at SpanishPod101.com, we get so many great questions from you, the listeners. And in this video series, we’ll answer those questions! Join Rosa and get some answers! In this lesson, you’ll learn the answer to the question “Why EL ALGUA?” Visit [...]

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Coffee Break French News – Live Q&A

Coffee Break French host Mark did a live Q&A broadcast on Facebook last night in which he answered listeners’ questions and made some exciting announcements about future Coffee Break French projects. Watch the broadcast below. Please note we had some technical problems at the beginning of the broadcast, but you can skip ahead to 2:30 and start watching there.

Questions featured in this episode

• How can I build reading skills in French with newspapers and online publications?
• Is it possible to print the lesson notes two pages at a time?
• Is there a way to slow down the French in the podcasts?
• Do you have any resources for younger learners of French?
• Is there anything which bridges the gap between Season 3 and Season 4?
• Can I use an app to listen to Coffee Break French?
• Is Coffee Break French Season 5 coming soon?

A new series is on its way

Mark announced that we’re getting ready to launch a new series of Coffee Break French which we’re calling En Route avec Coffee Break French. In this new series, listeners will join Mark as he travels around French-speaking parts of the world, talking to locals and visitors alike and learning about life in the local area. Each episode will feature a series of interviews and listeners can build their comprehension skills with authentic conversations with French speakers. The En Route avec Coffee Break French podcast will launch in July 2017 and the premium materials will feature extra audio content, video materials and transcripts of all the conversations.

The Masterclass returns

We’ve been moving the Coffee Break French Masterclass into our new Academy and we’ll be relaunching the Masterclass on 1st July 2017. This is a six-month course which offers regular lessons spread over six modules, helping intermediate learners build their understanding and develop key skills in aspects of French grammar. It is aimed at learners who have completed Season 2 or who are working on Season 3. The new Masterclass will be open for registration in June and the course will begin on July 1. The “class of July 2017” will enjoy audio, video and text materials and will be able to contribute to discussions and post their “homework” in a private discussion area. We’ll be running a series of webinars introducing the Masterclass over the month of June and will post more information about these shortly.

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CBI 2.09 | Sai che vado a Londra domani?

In this lesson we’ll be taking a look at four common irregular verbs which end in -ere: bere (to drink), tenere (to hold/keep), sapere (to know) and conoscere (also to know). You’ll also learn the difference between the two verbs which can be translated as “to know” and when to use them.

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. If you can’t see the player below, click here to access the lesson.

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 on the Coffee Break Academy.

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The Amazing Moment Speaking German Finally Clicked [Mission Complete!]

I never thought I’d make it. Yet here I am, one month later, at the end of my One Month Without English language mission. It’s a day that felt so far away but at the same time came around so quickly. I know the question you’re dying to ask me: Did I really make it an entire month without speaking English? Well you’re going to have to read on to find out...

Mission Complete: One Month Without English

Okay, I’m going to be brutally honest with you here: I managed the entire month except for one day. I had some British friends turn up for a party in Düsseldorf and they called me to ask if I wanted to go with them. I said yes and took the day off from speaking German, because why would I want to miss that? However I consider this a success because 30 out of 31 days I spoke no English. And, as of last week, I found myself at the Cologne Carnival speaking only German and never once having to speak English: But how much has my level of German improved? After going for an ‘assessment’ at a language school, the teacher put me at B2/C1 level. With the direct quote being, “I teach a B2.2 class right now and you’re much more fluent than they are”. This was less than six months after I started learning German with Benny Lewis’s Language Hacking German course. That for me is mission complete! If you want to see my skills in action, check out this video of me and my girlfriend playing a game in German right here: httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do6yD29ZS-U

The Amazing Moment it Finally Clicked

One Monday evening about 22 days in, my girlfriend and I were getting ready to go and meet a friend for dinner. We hadn’t seen each other in a year and I’d never spoken German with him. But I’d made him aware that I was only allowed to speak German for the duration of the meal. About an hour before we met an incredible nervousness came over me. I don’t know why but it was the worst yet. I couldn’t keep still and I felt like I wanted to be sick. I imagine it’s how people feel before they walk out and give a talk to 10,000 people. He walked over to the table and I stood up. I asked him how he was in German and did my best to just say the first words that came to my head. We spoke for a little while and I was amazed: I could understand every word that he said. For the next four hours the three of us sat and chatted and drank wine and ate and put the world to rights. We spoke about politics and restaurants and films and anything that came to mind. I never once got asked to re-explain myself. I never had to ask someone to slow down or repeat themselves. The next morning I woke up and it felt like every song I listened to was clearer, every conversation was slower and every word that little bit clearer. Malcolm Gladwell talks about The Tipping Point when small actions reach their peak and then momentum builds and you come downhill. I think that conversation finally took me beyond that tipping point.

Would I Recommend a Month Without English?

I’d recommend that all language learners commit to a period where they can’t use their mother tongue. This should be a specific time where you’re not allowed to back out and revert to English. And you’re regularly having conversations and exposing yourself to the language. But I don’t think this time needs to be one month long. I’m fortunate that my life as a freelancer allows me to be flexible, not see clients in person and completely avoid English on a day-to-day basis. I know that this isn’t an option that’s available to everyone. If you can I’d suggest taking at least 10 days to give up all use of English. I found the first five to six days to be the most frustrating. Afterwards you find more of a groove and can begin to naturally use the language even if it’s not grammatically correct. If you do want to take time without English here’s what I’d suggest you do to make sure nothing gets in the way.

Step 1: Notify All Immediate Friends, Family and Colleagues that You Won’t Be Speaking English

Let everyone who normally gets in touch with you know that you’re not going to be able to speak with them for the next few days or weeks. This stops people randomly calling you or getting annoyed that you haven’t returned their calls. When you’ve made your friends and family aware of what you’re doing, there’s little temptation to give in and just have an English conversation.

Step 2: Remove All Social Media Apps from Your Phone

This was a big one for me. Removing Facebook and Twitter was important for making sure I didn’t try and escape to English entertainment. While you can set up your Facebook account to be in your target language, you can’t control what other people are posting.

Step 3: Go to a Country Where You’ll Meet Native Speakers Every Day

I highly recommend you do this while you’re on holiday or travelling. Although you can immerse yourself at home, I wouldn’t recommend it. To do a month without English from home, you’d essentially have to lock yourself in your house and Skype people all day to avoid using English. Meaning this wouldn’t be an enjoyable or sustainable project.

Step 4: Learn to ‘Talk Around’ Words and Topics

One of the biggest compliments I got was that I’ve developed an incredible ability to describe what I mean without using the word I want. This is a valuable skill in reaching fluency! For example, try and explain the next three items and movies without using their actual names:

• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
• Coffee
• Tom Hanks

This technique is really helpful for describing words and themes in your target languages. When you can talk around a subject, you can lead people in the direction you want to go, even if you’ve forgotten (or not yet learned) a word.

Step 5: Stop Worrying About Grammar

Nobody ever died from using bad grammar. For the days or weeks you’re on a No English mission, let all of your worries about grammar go out of the window. You don’t need to be perfect, you just need to speak. If someone corrects your grammar, use it as an opportunity to learn. But you’ll have time to improve your grammar later; this is the time for talking.

Over To You…

Have you ever thought about giving up your mother tongue for a while? Or, do you fancy taking on the Month Without English challenge yourself? Is there anything else you’d like to know about my mission? Let me know in the comments!

The post The Amazing Moment Speaking German Finally Clicked [Mission Complete!] appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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News #232 - Why are YOU Learning Spanish? Top 10 Reasons from Experienced Learners Inside.

What’s your number one reason for learning Spanish?Everyone has their own. Regardless of what it is…your reason can serve as a powerful motivator to keep going, to keep on learning Spanish and master it. So, what’s yours? Extended! Click here to get 31% OFF Premium & Premium PLUS! In this Sunday News, you’ll learn…- How and why [...]

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Spanish Vocab Builder #98 - Airport

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Our Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Spanish words and phrases from the Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Spanish Vocab Builder! Click here to make your own flashcards using the vocab and phrases introduced in this lesson! Visit [...]

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Bad news in Spanish: Learn Spanish with real stories

Bad news! Learn Spanish through real stories, today you'll learn something about cars and mechanics in Spanish. Aprende español escuchando historias y utilizando subtítulos. En este vídeo te contamos una historia personal. Subtitles available: Learn Spanish: Bad news

La entrada Bad news in Spanish: Learn Spanish with real stories se publicó primero en Spanish Podcast.

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16 Must-Know Words and Phrases For Any Language

What are the basic phrases you need to know when travelling? Often, native English speakers believe that everyone speaks English. So when they travel, they don’t bother learning the language of the place they’re visiting. After all, it’s fine to get by in English, right? Well, maybe. But there’s a much better way of doing things. I’m not saying you should become fluent in the language of every place you visit (unless that’s your dream). I am saying that learning just a few words and phrases can hugely enrich your travel experience. When you travel, you will benefit from doing a little research on your destination. Learning just a few basic phrases can be invaluable. I’ve been travelling around the world since 2003 and during that time, have lived in 23 different countries. My goal at first was to spend as much time as possible learning the native language of each country, before moving on. Some languages I was quick to forget. Others I’ve maintained fluency in to this day. Along the way, there were a handful of countries I visited that I never intended to spend more than a few days in, so I didn’t try to become conversant in the native language before arrival. Yet, I’d still invest whatever time I had available in learning as much of the language as I could in advance - even if it was only enough to get by. This is because my personal travel style is to avoid using English as much as possible. Why? It’s really not that hard to get by in another language, and it opens you up to cultural experiences that you’d otherwise miss. Researching a place on the Internet can only get you so far. The locals know the best places to eat and shop, the stand-out sights to see, the most beautiful beaches and the most unforgettable cultural experiences. Fail to learn any of the local language, and you’ll miss all this. You lose out on more than you probably realise. That’s why I always learn a little bit of the local language in whatever amount of time I have available, even if it’s only hours or minutes. For instance, I made the most of a single hour, learning the basics in Polish. Of course, you won’t want to waste your time memorising words and phrases you’ll soon forget or will never use. In my years of experience in travel and language hacking, I’ve found the following words and phrases to be the most important to learn. So the next time you’re heading out to a foreign country where English isn’t the first language, spend a few minutes researching the following phrases in the language of the country you’re visiting. These are the most important phrases to learn, though for some reason they’re often sprinkled throughout phrasebooks rather than being featured on the first page. I’ve included translations for German, French, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and Italian. Let's get started!

1. “Thanks”

The number one word you should learn to say before visiting any country is “thanks”. It’s polite and people will appreciate the effort you’ve made to acknowledge them in their own language.

• German: Danke
• French: Merci
• Mandarin Chinese: Xiè xie
• Spanish: Gracias
• Italian: Grazie

2. “I’m sorry”

For the sake of good manners, it’s good to know how to say sorry. You can say it when moving through a crowd, or when a general apology is required.

• German: Es tut mir leid - “I am sorry” or Entschuldigung - “excuse me”
• French: Je suis désolé or pardon
• Mandarin Chinese: Hěn bàoqiàn or duì buqĭ
• Spanish: Lo siento or perdón
• Italian: Mi dispiace or perdono

3. “Hello”

What’s the first thing do when initiating conversation? You greet them, like so:

• German: Hallo
• French: Bonjour
• Mandarin Chinese: Nǐ hǎo
• Spanish: Hola
• Italian: Ciao

4. “Can I have…”

When you travel, chances are you’ll be eating out, spending time in bars, and buying souvenirs. This is a handy phrase to know for ordering in a restaurant, bakery, coffee shop or bar.

• German: Kann ich einen Kaffee haben...? - Can I have a coffee?”
• French: Je voudrais un croissant. - “I would like a croissant.”
• Mandarin Chinese: Wŏ yào zhè gè “I want this.”
• Spanish: ¿Me trae dos cafés, por favor? - “Please give me two coffees.”
• Italian: Posso avere… “I can have…”

5. “How much does it cost?”

It helps to be savvy while travelling, as well as being mindful of whether you’re staying within your budget

• German: Wieviel kostet das? - “How much is that?”
• French: Combien ça coûte ?
• Mandarin Chinese: Zhè shì duōshǎo qián?
• Spanish: ¿Cuánto cuesta?
• Italian: Quanto costa/costano? (single/plural)

6. “Yes”

“Yes” is one of the simplest words to learn and it helps that it tends to remain constant across many Romance languages.

• German: Ja
• French: Oui
• Mandarin Chinese: Shì (Technically there is no word for “yes” in Mandarin, but in many cases ‘it is’ works - otherwise, you’d repeat the verb of the question)
• Spanish: Sí
• Italian: Sì

7. “No”

Why would you learn how to say “yes” without learning the translation for “no”?

• German: Nein
• French: Non
• Mandarin Chinese: Bú shì (Similarly to yes, as explained above, this actually means ‘it isn’t’, as there’s no single word for ‘no’ in Mandarin. If you put bù (‘not`) before the verb in question that tends to be what you need)
• Spanish: No
• Italian: No

8. “I am…”

“I am” is a much better phrase to learn than “My name is…”. Why? You can apply it to a range of topics – not only your name but your job, nationality and many other things. It’s the perfect phrase to use with Tarzan speak.

• German: Ich bin...
• French: Je suis...
• Mandarin Chinese: Wǒ shì…
• Spanish: Soy…
• Italian: Io sono…

9. “What’s your name?”

After you’ve introduced yourself, you’ll want to know how to ask for an introduction in return.

• German: Wie heißt du?
• French: Comment vous appelez-vous ? (formal) or Comment tu t'appelles ? (informal)
• Mandarin Chinese: Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi
• Spanish: ¿Cómo se llama usted? (formal) or ¿Cómo te llamas? (informal)
• Italian: Lei come si chiama? (formal) or Tu come ti chiami? (informal)

10. “How are you?”

If you find yourself in conversation with a local, it’s a mark of common decency to ask how they are. I find that people across many different cultures who work in service roles really appreciate it when you take the time to ask how they’re doing.

• German: Wie geht es dir?
• French: Comment allez-vous ? or the informal Ça va ?
• Mandarin Chinese: Nǐ hǎo ma?
• Spanish: ¿Cómo estás?
• Italian: Come stai?

11. “Great!”

A quick, go-to response if someone asks how you’re doing.

• German: Ich bin großartig! - “I am great!”
• French: Ça va bien ! - “I am good!”
• Mandarin Chinese: Wǒ hěn hǎo!
• Spanish: Bien
• Italian: Buona!

12. “Again, please”

A beginner in any language will have trouble understanding what a native speaker is saying, as they will talk at a fast pace. Don’t panic – just ask them to repeat what they said. If you’re new to the language, you don’t have to memorise how to say “Sorry, can you repeat that” - a quick “again, please” will usually do the trick.

• German: Bitte wiederholen Sie - “Please repeat”.
• French: Répetez s'il vous plaît - “Repeat, please”.
• Mandarin Chinese: Máfán nǐ zài shuō yībiān - “Please say that again”
• Spanish: ¿Disculpa? - ¿Perdón? or ¿Cómo? - “How?”
• Italian: Vuole ripetere, per favore? - “Could you repeat that please?”

13. “More slowly, please”

This is another phrase you can use when natives speak really fast. It reduces the risk of them repeating themselves at the same pace.

• German: Langsamer, bitte
• French: Plus lentement s'il vous plaît
• Mandarin Chinese: Gèng màn, qǐng
• Spanish: Más despacio por favor
• Italian: Più lentamente per favore

14. “Sorry, I Don’t Understand”

If you’re having issues communicating with a native speaker - tell them!

• German: Entschuldigung, das verstehe ich nicht.
• French: Je suis désolé, je ne comprends pas.
• Mandarin Chinese: Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.
• Spanish: Lo siento, no entiendo.
• Italian: Mi dispiace, non capisco.

15. “Where is (the)...?”

You’re navigating a new country. Chances are, you’ll get lost now and again. Don’t be afraid to ask a local for directions. Even if you can’t follow their directions, you can get them to show you your destination on a map.

• German: Wo ist (der/die/das)...?
• French: Où est (le/la)...
• Mandarin Chinese: Zài nǎlǐ...?
• Spanish: Dónde está (el/la)...
• Italian: Dov'è (il/la)...

16. Goodbye

Another phrase that’s really good to know.

• German: Auf wiedersehen (formal) or Tschüß (informal)
• French: Au revoir
• Mandarin Chinese: Zàijiàn
• Spanish: Adiós
• Italian: Arrivederla/ci

With these words and phrases in your pocket, you’ll endear yourself to the locals, and you’ll have a more authentic experience. Speaking even a tiny bit of a foreign language makes you feel more thoughtful, widens your world view, gives you buckets of self confidence… and it’s addictive. Once you’ve had a taste of talking with someone in a language that isn’t your own, it can be really hard to stop! Are there any words or phrases that you try to learn before travelling? Is there one particular go-to phrase that you think should be on this list? Let me know in the comments.

The post 16 Must-Know Words and Phrases For Any Language appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Video News #2 - Free Spanish Gifts of the Month - May 2017

Every month, you get free lessons, study tools and learning tips so you can learn the fast, fun and easy way. Here are your Spanish learning gifts for the month of May, 2017. New updates. New, free lessons. And of course, the best deal of the month! This month, you’re getting: - Business & Work Conversation [...]

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Advanced Audio Blog #7 - Christmas Season in Mexico: 3 (Mexico)

Learn Spanish at Spanishpod101.com! ¡¿Quién quisiera romper la piñata?! What is Christmas in Mexico without the famous piñatas? In this blog, Gayne tells us what the tradition is all about, and she goes on to cover “pastorelas”. This blog is ideal for anyone who wants to learn Mexican Spanish and, especially, for those who would [...]

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CBC 1.12 | Wǒ yào hǎixiān chǎofàn

It’s time to learn how to order food in a Chinese restaurant using Mandarin. You’ll learn various words and phrases to help you get a table, ask for a menu in English and if you’re struggling with chopsticks you can ask for a knife and fork. You’ll also learn to talk about typical food – everything from egg fried rice to chicken chow mein!

Listen to the episode

The audio lesson is free, as are all the main audio lessons of Coffee Break Chinese. Use the audio player to listen to the lesson, or subscribe in iTunes to receive this lesson and all future lessons automatically. If the player below isn’t working, click here to access this lesson of Coffee Break Chinese.

Accessing the Premium Version

The premium version of Coffee Break Chinese provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your Mandarin Chinese 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 Mandarin Chinese (pdf format).

The members’ version can be accessed on the Coffee Break Academy

Access the Coffee Break Academy

 

Links

Subscribe in iTunes | RSS Feed | Purchase members' audio and transcripts | Facebook | Twitter

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Episodio 265: Obesity and Malnutrition – Learn Spanish listening

Obesity and Malnutrition: Learn Spanish listening to topical issues. Today, we talk about obesity and malnutrition. Do you know to talk about this topic in Spanish? Learn Spanish listening to our podcast. Transcript: Learn Spanish: Obesidad y malnutrición

La entrada Episodio 265: Obesity and Malnutrition – Learn Spanish listening se publicó primero en Spanish Podcast.

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CBG 2.08 | Ich habe großen Hunger, denn ich habe heute noch nichts gegessen

In this lesson of Coffee Break German you’ll learn how to give a reason – without having to worry about word order! This lesson introduces the word “denn” and you’ll be delighted to know that it does not change the word order of your sentence.

Listen to the episode

The audio lesson is free, as are all the main audio lessons of Coffee Break German. Use the audio player to listen to the lesson, or subscribe in iTunes to receive this lesson and all future lessons automatically. If the player below isn’t working, click here to access this lesson of Coffee Break German.

Accessing the Premium Version

The premium version of Coffee Break German provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your German 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 German (pdf format).

The members’ version can be accessed on the Coffee Break Academy

Access the Coffee Break Academy

 

Subscribe links

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

 

 

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Cultural Immersion: How Learning 20 Basic Phrases Transformed My Travel Experience

For ages I’ve recognised, at least in theory, that learning even just a small handful sentences in a new language can take you a long way on a holiday, and give you a unique experience of cultural immersion. I really enjoyed reading about Fluent in 3 Months founder Benny Lewis’s experience getting by with limited Turkish at a barber shop in Istanbul. But it wasn’t until a recent trip to Burma with my friend that I got to experience firsthand how powerful this can be.

The 20 Phrases I Learned to Prepare for My Trip

Before the trip, I took only two hours of Burmese lessons with Cherry, an excellent Burmese tutor on italki. She taught me the following basic phrases:

• Hello (with the polite particles)
• Elder/younger sister, elder/younger brother (polite way to address people)
• How are you? I’m fine
• Excuse me
• Sorry
• Thank you (formal and informal)
• You’re welcome
• Beautiful
• Good
• My name is Holly. This is [my friend] Ashley.
• Goodbye (formal and informal)
• Can you speak English? Yes, I can speak it/No, I can’t.
• Do you understand? Yes, I understand/No, I don’t understand.
• Give me this please [pointing to a menu item]
• How much does it cost?
• Numbers from 1 to 99.
• Vegetarian-related phrases: I’m vegetarian. I don’t eat meat or fish. Is it vegetarian? Please make it vegetarian. Could you give me this but vegetarian?

I practised pronunciation with my teacher over and over during my two lessons. Once I was sure I was saying the words correctly, I made up a transliteration system to help me remember the pronunciation - reading Burmese was definitely not part of this micro mission! - and I put all the words onto flash cards on my phone. I practised the cards on the long flight to Asia.

Arriving in Burma

When my friend Ashley and I arrived in Mandalay, the first thing we did was hop on the bus for a five-hour ride to Bagan (pronounced “b’gan). We arrived in Bagan just in time to get to bed and wake up at 5:30 a.m. to watch the famous sunrise over the old town. And what a beautiful sunrise it was! We were short on time, only having about 52 hours in Burma, so after a morning spent touring the temples of old Bagan, it was back on the bus for the five-hour trip back to Mandalay.

Culturally Immersed: Using My New Phrases

As it would turn out, that bus trip ended up being the most memorable part of my visit. The bus stopped for 20 minutes at a small outdoor rest stop in a really rural area. We had been in Burma 24 hours by this point but I had barely had a chance to use the Burmese I had learned, except for “hello”, “goodbye”, “thank you” and “how much?” at restaurants and such. But at the rest stop, when I got out to stretch my legs, I saw a lady selling some grilled meat near our bus. I wanted to take a picture but I didn’t want to be rude by doing it without asking. But I hadn’t learned the phrase “May I take a photo?” I thought back to my phrase list, and I remembered the verb "can”, and the yes/no question particle, from the phrase “Can you speak English?” So I mustered up my courage, approached the lady, and said in Burmese, “Excuse me, elder sister”, then pointed to my camera and asked "Can I?” She nodded. Success!

“Kaung dè (good)!!!"

I took a picture and said “thank you”, then gestured to her tray of meat said apologetically, "I'm vegetarian." Another lady selling some flat cakes heard me. She came over and pointed to her tray, saying "Vegetarian!" So I bought one and tried it, and said "Good!" in Burmese. [caption id="attachment_20755" align="aligncenter" width="768"] “Kaung dè (good)!!!"[/caption] She pointed at the cakes again and said another word that I didn't know, so I said "Sorry, I don't understand". She then said, “Name," followed by the word again. I recognised the word “name” from the phrase “My name is Holly” that I had already learned. "Ohhh, name!" I replied. She was telling me the name of the food! (Side note: I wish I remember what the name was. It was yummy, and googling the description of the food has been unsuccessful.)

Getting Taught New Vocabulary

I was curious about what kind of meat the first lady was selling. I hadn’t learned how to say “What is that?” but I had just been reminded that I knew the Burmese word for “name”, so I just pointed to her tray and said "Name?" She told me what kind of meat it was, but of course I didn't understand the word. An English-speaking Burmese man was passing by and told me it was rabbit. I wanted to hear the name again in Burmese. I knew how to say “in [language]” since I had learned the phase “Can you speak [in] English?” So I said, “In Burmese…?” and the lady repeated the word for rabbit (which of course I already forget! But that’s slightly easier to look up.) Another lady heard us talking and came over, so now there were three ladies standing around me. I was gaining an audience with my clumsy attempts to speak Burmese. It encouraged me to keep going. I said, "My name is Holly," then looked questioningly at the lady selling the rabbit (because I didn't know how to ask "What is your name?”). She said her name, as did the other two women.

Learning How to Tell Jokes in Burmese

I was running out of things to say because I had learned so little. But I suddenly realised I could say my age. I couldn’t say "years old", but I did know the numbers up to 99, so I pointed to myself and said "Thirty-five." They understood. The lady selling the rabbit pointed to herself and said “Fifty-five.” She really didn’t look that age, so I replied "Fifty-five! Beautiful!" and she smiled. My Burmese teacher taught me that smiling is a common substitute for words in Burma. People often smile to say hello or thank you. The lady then pointed to the woman standing closest to me, who looked about my age, and said "Sixty!" with a perfect deadpan expression, before she broke it with a laugh. There’s no way the woman next to me was sixty. The lady selling the rabbit was teasing her! And she wasn’t done yet. She then pointed to the other girl, who couldn't have been older than twenty, and said "Eighty!", again with that mock-serious expression, and we all shared a hearty laugh at that. I wished that there had been a child around so I could have pointed and said, “Ninety??” to keep the joke going! Our 20-minute pit stop was almost over, but I still had a couple minutes left. The lady selling the vegetarian cakes said "[something something] three." I couldn’t tell what she was referring to, so I replied, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” She mimed rocking a baby, and I knew she was telling me she had three kids. "Oh! I understand!" I replied. I didn’t get a chance to tell her how many kids I have (and I hadn’t learned the word for “zero” anyway :) ), because suddenly it was time to get back on the bus. I had just enough time to say "Thank you, goodbye!" and wave at my new friends before boarding the bus. We kept waving to each other through the window as the bus pulled away.

A Magical Experience

It’s hard to express what a magical experience it was to have this short conversation with such a friendly group of Burmese women. I kept thinking back to it with a smile over the next several days as Ashley and I made our way back to Thailand for the rest of our trip. I ended up using nearly every one of the few phrases I had learned, and it improved the trip more than I ever would’ve expected. After that experience, I made a promise to myself to never travel to another country again without learning at least a few sentences in the local language. I want to make the most out of my trips, and that doesn’t just mean seeing the sights. It also (or rather, especially) means interacting and connecting with the people who live there, even if only briefly. In other words, real cultural immersion. I absolutely love hearing about similar experiences of unexpected connections during people’s travels. Have you ever scraped by in a conversation with just a few words and phrases? Please tell me about it in the comments! Kyay zuu! (Thanks!) Photo credit: Ashley Meredith.

The post Cultural Immersion: How Learning 20 Basic Phrases Transformed My Travel Experience appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Must-Know Spanish Sentence Structures #23 - The Verb “To hope”

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! The Sentence Patterns series brings you a great new way to learn Spanish! With this series, you’ll build on your conversation skills by learning the most common and useful sentence patterns in Spanish. In this lesson, you will learn how to use the sentence pattern “I hope…” Visit us at SpanishPod101.com, where [...]

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Gestos en España: Learn Spanish and nonverbal communication

Gestures in Spain: Learn Spanish and practice your Spanish oral comprehension while you learn something important: non-verbal communication in Spain. Like every Sunday, a new Spanish lesson. Transcripción: Learn Spanish: Gestos en España

La entrada Gestos en España: Learn Spanish and nonverbal communication se publicó primero en Spanish Podcast.

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Spanish Vocab Builder #97 - Armed Forces Day in the United States

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Our Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Spanish words and phrases from the Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Spanish Vocab Builder! Click here to make your own flashcards using the vocab and phrases introduced in this lesson! Visit [...]

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Learning a Third Language: An In-Depth Guide

I know lots of people who speak their second language at a very good level, and yet hesitate to jump into learning a third language. Why is this? Well, some people are perfectly happy stopping at one foreign language. That was their goal, and they reached it. That’s all good. On the other hand, too many people would like to start learning a third language, but feel held back. I think there’s one main reason for this: It’s a hit to your ego. That’s right. You managed to cross all the painful hurdles and endure the mistakes involved in learning a second language. You’ve forced yourself through the discomfort of learning to speak with real people. You left that “looking stupid” phase behind a long time ago. And now you’ll have to start all over at square one. Why would anyone do that? Here’s another way of thinking about it. You know you’re capable of learning a new language. You’ve already done it once. That means you can do it again. Speaking as someone who’s spent thousands of hours “looking stupid” in at least seventeen languages, I know what it takes. You do have to make mistakes. But the more you do it, the easier it gets. Don’t let your fear hold you back!

My Experience Learning a Third Language

Spanish was the first new language I learned to speak fluently. After that, I set my sights on Italian. I worked in a youth hostel in Rome, and spoke Italian with locals while speaking lots of Spanish with guests. For the first few weeks, I was concerned about how I’d cope. I didn’t know whether using both languages at the same time would help or hinder me in learning Italian. As it turned out, continuing to use Spanish while learning Italian was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my 13 years of language learning. Italian is a Romance language with lots of similarities to Spanish. Did that mean that half the work was already done for me before I even started studying Italian? Well, yes and no. I could often “get by” in Italian by guessing at vocabulary using Spanish as a reference. For example, I would take a Spanish word such as precio (“price”) and take a guess at the correct Italian pronunciation -- in this case, prezzo. I wasn’t always correct, but I could often get my point across, and could get the gist of what the other person was saying as well. I needed to be cautious when doing this, though. Otherwise I might have ended up unwittingly chatting with a very confused Italian about how fun it would be to take a ride on some butter. “Burro” means butter in Italian, but donkey in Spanish. False cognates - words that you guess should be the same across two languages, but actually have different meanings - are one problem when learning two similar languages. Another is the risk of mixing up both languages. That’s where my Spanish practice at the hostel came to the rescue. As I’ll explain in a moment, it’s actually better to continue to use both of your languages while learning a new one. You’re less likely to mix up your languages if you force yourself early on to switch back and forth between your fluent language and your new target language. I’ve learned many more languages since Italian. My experience in Rome taught me early on what to do (and what not to do) when it comes to learning a new foreign language. Here’s what I learned.

When is the Right Time to Start Learning a Third Language?

Starting a third language before you’ve reached conversational fluency (this means at least upper-intermediate) in your first can have a negative impact on both of your foreign languages. No matter which language you choose after you’ve already learned one new language, you risk the following problems:

• Mixing up both languages
• Forgetting one language while learning the other

Speaking your first foreign language at the same time as you learn your second is a good way to keep from mixing up both languages. But this only holds if you already speak your first foreign language fluently. This holds true no matter how different your second foreign language is from your first. Even if your first new language was Spanish and your second is Khmer, mixing up the two languages can be a problem. If you don’t have a solid foundation in Spanish, then you’ll still be in “learning mode” with this language, rather than “maintenance mode”, when you start Khmer. Then you’ll find unwanted Spanish words unconsciously creeping into your Khmer conversations, and vice versa. This will seriously hinder your progress in both languages. With two similar languages, such as Spanish and Portuguese, the problem is even more pronounced. You could avoid this problem by taking a break from Spanish while you learned Khmer. But then, chances are, when you go back to Spanish in a couple months, you’ll realise you’ve forgotten most of it. Sure, you’ll be able to regain your skills more quickly the second time, but that requires an unnecessary amount of effort. You can easily avoid that extra effort if you take the time to learn the language fluently in the first place. Although I speak many languages, I’ve never successfully learned two languages from scratch by studying them at the same time. Instead, I focus on one language until I reach conversational fluency, which is around an upper-intermediate level. Only then do I start learning another language. I avoid the problem of mixing up languages by continuing to maintain my existing languages while learning the new one. This sounds counterintuitive. After all, if I speak two similar languages in the same day (or the same conversation, as has been the case sometimes), won’t I mix up my existing languages with the new one all the time? Isn’t it better to keep them as separate as possible? Surprisingly, no. I’ve found that the more I switch back and forth between my languages, including the new one I’m learning, the more I learn to partition them in my brain. Just to say it again: this only works if I’ve reached conversational fluency in a language before I start a new one. This partitioning is the key to learning to speak multiple languages without any of your languages suffering in the process.

How to Choose Your Next Language

How should you choose your next language? Simple: it’s up to you! The most important thing to consider is your interests and passion. Which languages light your fire? As the folklorist Joseph Campbell once said, “follow your bliss”. You can go for a language that’s similar to the one you already speak, or completely different. Even if your second foreign language has absolutely nothing in common with your first, you’ll still have certain advantages that you didn’t have when you learned your first foreign language. For one, the act of learning a language is itself a skill. You’ve already learned one new language, so you’ve done most of the heavy lifting in developing this skill. For another, you’re less likely to mix up your languages. If you’re already fluent in French and have decided to learn Mandarin, the odds that you’ll accidentally come out with “我是 étudiant” are pretty low. On the flip side, if the next language you’re interested in learning is in the same family as your first, don’t let this hold you back. Some people consider it “cheating” to learn two similar languages, since you can use the similarities to your advantage. Well, I can tell you, having learned four languages from the same family, that it’s definitely not cheating. Learning each one of these languages was a huge effort despite the similarities. If you have a passion for Romance languages or are crazy about the Bantu language family, don’t hesitate to learn another language from the same family. You’ll still face an exciting challenge. Why? Even with languages that are similar, the cultures behind the languages are different. If you doubt me, try heading out for supper around 7 p.m. in France versus Spain, and see the difference in how easy it is to find an open restaurant ;-) .

How Can You be More Efficient in Your Learning This Time Around?

Language learning gets easier with each new language. You can make it even easier by reflecting on how you’ve done with learning a new language so far. Look at what went well, and what you could have done better, the first time around. Then make a concrete plan that plays to your strengths while avoiding the mistakes you made last time. As with many first-time language learners - myself included! - your biggest mistake with your first foreign language was probably simply not speaking enough. Speaking from day one is the way to go. Make it a bigger priority this time around. The emphasis on speaking, combined with the other advantages you get from already knowing one foreign language, will mean you’ll learn more quickly this time around.

Bonus Tips for Learning a Third Language

Focus On Your Weak Points

What aspect of your first new language did you find most difficult? Pronunciation? Listening? The writing system? For your next language, place more emphasis on this hurdle early on. This will be frustrating. Usually, people want to avoid the most difficult part of an activity, not pay more attention to it! But doing so will help you progress more quickly. You’ll have to cross it eventually to reach fluency, so the sooner the better. What if your biggest weakness was motivation? Then...

Make Your Language “Mission” Public

I’ve gotten a lot of praise over the years for creating this website and blogging all about my language missions. But it’s actually a really easy thing to do. Anyone can create a public blog (for free) and write about their progress in learning languages. It’s a really good way of keeping yourself accountable. Does having your own blog seem like too big a step? Then scale it down. Announce your intention on Facebook, or to your immediate circle of friends and family. It’s human nature to not want to give up on a task when you know someone’s watching. That’s why accountability works so well.

Be Extra Creative With Mnemonics

Suppose Japanese was your first language mission, and now you’re learning Portuguese. The Portuguese word for “thank you” - obrigado - doesn’t have any immediately apparent connection to English. Rather than trying to come up with an obscure mnemonic based on English to help you remember obrigado, look to your knowledge of Japanese instead. The Japanese word for “thank you” sounds like “arigato”. This is surprisingly similar to the Portuguese “obrigado”. Coming up with a memorable mnemonic is suddenly a lot easier when you have two languages to draw from.

Don’t Let the Difficulty of Your First New Language Scare You Away From Starting a Second

I can’t help but laugh to myself when I hear people talk about how easy it is to learn Spanish compared to other languages. For me, it was the hardest! The first foreign language you ever learn is always the most difficult. If you’ve conquered that language, then you’ve already gotten the worst out of the way. Unfortunately, though, it’s not going to be all downhill after that. Learning subsequent languages is still going to be hard. But the hill gets smaller each time. This is because learning how to learn languages is a skill that you improve over time. The kind of person who has achieved fluency in one foreign language is the kind of person who embraces a challenge. If you reached your goal in one language and are starting to look at the prospect of polyglotism, then ignore your fears of “starting over”, “hard work” and “looking stupid”. Don’t overthink it. Just go for it! Have you successfully learned a third language after achieving fluency in one? How did you accomplish it? Let me know in the comments!

The post Learning a Third Language: An In-Depth Guide appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Innovative Mexican Culture for Absolute Beginners #7 - how to take a taxi

Learn Spanish with Spanish Pod101.com! Whether you’re moving to Mexico or just visiting, you’ll need the fundamental Spanish words and phrases we cover in this Can-Do Culture Absolute Beginner video series. Featuring vibrant animated scenarios and plenty of time to practice out loud, these videos cover everything from introducing yourself and talking about where [...]

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Survival Phrases S2 #1 - How to Say “Thank You!” in Mexican Spanish

Learn Mexican Spanish travel phrases with SpanishPod101.com! A little Spanish can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, SpanishPod101.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! In this lesson we cover a high frequency Spanish phrase that you’ll surely find useful on your trip, [...]

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CBC 1.11 | Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi lǚchá

In this lesson you’ll learn to order drinks in a Chinese café or tea house. In addition to building your vocabulary for common drinks in Mandarin, you’ll also learn the structures used to ask for things. You’ll quickly find how easy it is to reuse these structures in other situations, and before long you’ll be ready to order a cup of jasmine tea, a mineral water and lots more!

Listen to the episode

The audio lesson is free, as are all the main audio lessons of Coffee Break Chinese. Use the audio player to listen to the lesson, or subscribe in iTunes to receive this lesson and all future lessons automatically. If the player below isn’t working, click here to access this lesson of Coffee Break Chinese.

Accessing the Premium Version

The premium version of Coffee Break Chinese provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your Mandarin Chinese 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 Mandarin Chinese (pdf format).

The members’ version can be accessed on the Coffee Break Academy

Access the Coffee Break Academy

 

Links

Subscribe in iTunes | RSS Feed | Purchase members' audio and transcripts | Facebook | Twitter

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CBI 2.08 | Hai bisogno di aiuto?

In this episode you’ll learn to use avere and essere, two of the most important Italian verbs. In addition to the normal uses you’ll also learn to use the verbs in a number of idiomatic expressions. By the end of this lesson you’ll be a master of “being” and “having” in Italian!

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. If you can’t see the player below, click here to access the lesson.

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 on the Coffee Break Academy.

Subscribe links

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

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Episodio 264: Liarla parda

Liarla, liarla parda y liarla gorda - Learn Spanish idioms and slang listening to native Spanish speakers. These expressions are fundamental to understand Spanish speakers and to be able to speak like them. ¡Practica con nosotros tu español! Aprende español a través de historias y practica la pronunciación y la conjugación. Transcripción: Learn Spanish: Liarla parda

La entrada Episodio 264: Liarla parda se publicó primero en Spanish Podcast.

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Absolute Beginner European Spanish for Every Day #22 - Top 10 Compliments You Always Want to Hear

Learn European Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! In your home country, there are some phrases that are so common you use them or hear them every day. The same is true in Spain too, so why not give your European Spanish an instant boost by learning them in this video lesson? With Rosa’s help, you’ll be sounding [...]

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Special Spring Sale!

Queridos amigos,

We’ve got some cool Spanish phrases for you, and news of our spring sale.

After a dry start to spring we’ve had a wonderful rainy few weeks in Madrid, full of wild flowers. Here is one of our favourite phrases that we often hear at this time of year:

Hasta el 40 de mayo no te quites el sayo – Don’t take your raincoat off until May 40th!

This wonderful phrase, straight from the streets of Madrid, means that until May 40th, so about June 10th, don’t bet on nice weather, it can still be cold or wet… but after June 10th, watch out… ¡Va a hacer muchísimo calor!

To celebrate this beautiful time of year, until midnight on Wednesday May 24th, you can get 25% off any of the products in our store with the coupon code: spring17

Just head to our store now, select the product you’d like, and use the special spring17 code to get the discount.

More cool weather phrases!

Our Real Spanish Phrase Book is back on the home page of our store, it’s full of all the coolest
‘straight from the streets’ phrases Madrileños use every day. Here are two we love from the weather section:

Llueve a cántaros  – It’s pouring! ‘Cántaro’, means jug, or pitcher, and when it rains this hard it
feels like people are pouring them all over you!

Hace un día de miedo – What fantastic weather! Literally, ‘it makes a day of fear’, in reality this phrase is used when the sun is out, the weather is warm, and the skies are blue!

You can get 25% off our Real Spanish Phrase Book, and all the other products in our store, in our Spring Sale.

Just head to our store now, choose the product you’d like, and use the special spring17 code to get the discount.

Hasta Pronto, y gracias,

Ben y Marina

 

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Assimil Review: An Honest Look at the Assimil Language Learning System

Assimil is a dialogue based learning course popular amongst language learners. This is clearly illustrated by the 4+ star reviews on Amazon for the majority of the available courses. Assimil has a range of courses available in a variety of languages, but is geared primarily towards French speakers. Dubbed "The Magic Books” by NPR, Assimil is quickly approaching both 100 years of language teaching, and 100 languages in their catalog of courses.

What is Assimil?

Assimil, a French company, was created by Alphonse Chérel in 1929. It publishes several different series, their most popular being Sans Peine or With Ease. The Assimil Sans Peine courses are a combination of dialogue-based texts and audio where you learn by working through passive and active stages. In the passive stage you complete the lessons by reading and listening. While in the active stage you not only listen to and read the lessons, but attempt to translate the dialogues on your own. Compared to the apps and podcasts that many learners use these days, Assimil arguably offers an “old fashioned" approach. The method hasn’t changed much since its original release in the 1920's. So is it still a relevant learning tool? In the past, I have used Assimil to study languages I already had a foundation in - Chinese and Croatian. So for this review I decided to take on the challenge of studying a language in which I was a beginner: Korean. [caption id="attachment_20749" align="aligncenter" width="700"] My Assimil "Korean With Ease" course[/caption] Assimil’s Korean courses are only available in French, so I choose to work through Assimil Coréen Sans Peine to see how I would do. Before I started using Coréen Sans Peine, I’d categorise myself as a “false beginner”. I had dabbled in the language, but my Korean reading was precarious at best, my vocabulary extremely limited and my understanding of grammar non-existent. Having completed the course, here are my thoughts.

Assimil Korean with Ease: Getting Started

Each course in Assimil’s Sans Peine series includes both a book and four audio CDs (and/or an MP3 disc). The courses are available in 148 language combinations, although only 16 of these are for English speakers while 49 are for French speakers. I really like that both the audio and book are available as a complete package, especially because the audio is directly related to the text. What’s more, I like that the audio is to the point. There aren’t any fancy introductions or extra banter from the speakers that you have to endure to get to the real “meat” of the program. Assimil’s Sans Peine courses are created with beginners in mind, and it’s very easy to get started. Each book includes a thorough introduction to the language with tips on pronunciation, the writing system if there is one, and general features of the language. Following the introduction, the course dives right in. For languages with different writing systems, such as Chinese, Japanese or Korean, transliterations are included in Assimil’s courses. While I could have slowly worked my way through Korean texts, I really appreciated having the transliteration printed below the dialogues so that I could focus on speaking and listening comprehension, rather than my reading skills. Plus, the accompanying audio offers you the chance to hear how the words sound so you don’t feel like you’re guessing. [caption id="attachment_20750" align="aligncenter" width="700"] A look inside the Assimil course.[/caption] Each chapter includes a brief dialogue (although these grow longer as you progress) and notes on content. There are also exercises that give you the opportunity to use the material you’ve learned. Together with the translation that conveys the meaning of the text, a literal translation is included so that you get a feel for word order and vocabulary without needing vocabulary lists or grammar exercises. The lessons intentionally avoid going into great depth on grammar, instead offering a collection of simple dialogues with detailed footnotes on rules as they appear as well as notes on the culture tied to the language.

How I Used Assimil

I personally work through the lessons, reading the dialogues out loud before shadowing them once more along with the audio. The way that I use the course, the active stage starts when I repeat the lessons with the audio alone to see how much I’ve really mastered. I can then go back and review what I need with the text. I also like to try out what I’m learning as a part of language exchanges. This approach works well for my learning style, but I could understand why other learners might not be a fan of the series. For me, the process ensures that the material I’m learning really sticks, but others might find it tedious. The strengths of the Assimil method definitely lie in the way it offers context for what it teaches rather than word lists or grammar exercises isolated from how the language functions in day-to-day life. Most lessons can be completed in around an hour, so they are a manageable length.

Assimil with Ease Review: What Did I Learn?

Assimil Korean includes practical and relevant phrases and vocabulary for real world situations. Through the course, I learned words and phrases that were incredibly useful and applicable to daily conversations. These included:

• I almost forgot!
• What genre of books do you read most?
• What time do you get off work?
• There was nothing to eat in the fridge, so I went out to the restaurant across the way.
• What kind of food do you like?

I really like that Assimil jumps right in and skips the laborious introductions that span several chapters in other courses. My only criticism is that you are not equipped with everything you need to give a full introduction to someone you’ve just met. While I don’t need to know how to describe my entire extended family, it would be nice to get a bit more content for introducing myself, my hobbies, and my preferences. One thing that’s really great about the series is that the dialogues vary from language to language so that they’re more culturally and geographically relevant to the language that the book teaches. But this also means that depending on the learner and depending on the language, the usefulness of the material in the books really varies. Compared to other With Ease books, the Korean course did seem much more travel/business orientated, but there was enough additional content (karaoke, seasons, food, jokes) that this didn’t deter me much. Overall, the language in the texts is relatively formal. Personally, I prefer this. I would rather be overly formal than rudely informal. Especially with a language like Korean where honorifics are important.

What Level Can You Reach With Assimil?

Assimil claim that their Sans Peine series will take learners to the B2 level according to the CEFR scale and that their Perfectionnement series will get you to the C1 level. I’m not entirely sure how accurate this is because while you may work with material that ranges from the A1 to B2 or C1 level, there are gaps that would need to be filled with the help of other resources. In terms of vocabulary, it was not as thorough as I would like from a course that works through so many levels. For most learners, this is fine because relying on just one course or learning tool to teach you a language is never a good strategy, but it could be deceiving for those expecting an all-in-one language resource. I will say this: Because the Sans Peine course gets to B2 level in about 71 lessons, they quickly grow challenging. The course also covers quite a bit of grammar, but it’s done in a way that isn’t overwhelming. You’re introduced to different grammar concepts on an as-needed basis. For the same reason, the course isn’t for someone who hasn’t had any prior exposure to the language. It’s a bit difficult to pick up without any experience in your target language. But it’s fantastic for those with a basic vocabulary.

What Could be Better about Assimil?

I did have some issues with the Assimil approach. The introductions and basic pleasantries were not as in-depth as I would have expected for a course aimed at beginners. There are some phrases that fall into this category, but the course quickly shifts into situational and culture-related dialogues. While these are useful later down the line, I thought that just two short chapters on introductions weren’t quite enough. At the same time, however, this is something you can easily find in any other resource, so it’s not a huge strike against Assimil. The one thing that I would really love to see added to the series would be additional relevant phrases at the end of each chapter. These could be phrases that might fit into the example dialogue and they would serve two beneficial purposes. One, you could role play and swap out some of the phrases so you really get to maximise the dialogues in the book. And two, you get additional vocabulary and phrases suitable to the theme of each chapter without having to figure out the grammar to piece them together yourself. My biggest complaint is about the audio. Most computers no longer have a disc drive built in, so I had limited listening options. It would be far more convenient if the book included an access code to download the files online or you were given a USB drive with the audio instead. In addition, I wasn’t a huge fan of the transliterations for the language in the book, but only because it was different from what I’m used to. There really isn’t a standard for Korean, so it’s hard to penalize them for this. Plus, since I wasn’t that great at reading Korean, it was helpful to have this available to me. Finally, the selection of Assimil courses available to English speakers is relatively small in comparison to their overall catalogue. If you don’t speak French, your options with Assimil are limited. This also makes accessibility outside of Europe somewhat difficult (or more expensive). If you do speak French (or another continental European language), however, Assimil is an excellent resource to work on laddering.

Assimil Review: Did I Actually Remember What I Learned?

Because it’s a traditional coursebook, Assimil really doesn’t have a way to keep you accountable. It’s up to you as the learner to monitor your progress - there are no leaderboards, progress bars, or points awarded for working through the material. That said, the lessons are short and easily digestible, so there’s not anything to keep you from continuing through the lessons on a regular basis. The only critique I had is that you do have to find the time to sit down and concentrate on the lessons, which is different from some of the other resources available that are more portable. If you don’t have the time to really sit down and study, you can always just work with the audio to see how your listening comprehension fares. I really enjoy Assimil’s approach. It was just challenging enough to hold my attention and the time it takes to complete the lessons is just right. I also like the extra cultural tidbits and language facts they add in the endnotes. It gives me a nice break from actual language learning but still keeps me in the right mindset. I was honest with myself as I completed the various exercises, working to find the answers on my own before double-checking the result against those provided. Because the lessons were so succinct, I found I ended up with just the right balance of right and wrong answers to keep me motivated (not so many that I grew frustrated but not so few that I became bored). If you really want a way to track your progress, you can do so with the exercises at the end of each chapter. You can also check how you’re doing through the review sections, by how many lessons you’ve completed and by how much of the audio you understand without the help of the text. The book contains review sections every six chapters. I was pleased with the frequency of these - neither too much nor too little. The course structure offers you the opportunity to work through the information in a variety of ways, so even though I didn’t retain everything I learned using the course, I was able to take away the things I was most likely to use in the future.

Assimil: The Verdict

The verdict: I would definitely use Assimil again in the future, but with the caveat of doing it my own way. Assimil brought me from having an entirely shaky understanding of Korean to being able to confidently have short and direct exchanges in the language. I am definitely not at a B2 (or even B1) level, but I would say that I am somewhere in the vicinity of A2 and that I might hit B1 with another pass at the book and by more intensively working on the translations, or active phase of the book. The Assimil method runs contrary to the Speak from Day 1 approach. It suggests that the learner take a passive learning approach for the first several chapters, then step into an active approach in the later chapters. This means that you work through the beginning of the book by reading, listening, and completing the exercises. You’re then advised to go back during the active stage and work on translating the lessons. If you ignore these directions, however, and reading the dialogues from the first lesson, you can Speak from Day 1 with Assimil. The great thing about a self-guided course is that it’s, well, self-guided. You can use it however you see fit and take as much time as you need with each section. I will use Assimil again in the future - in fact, I’m already using it for Russian. While the content of every dialogue may not be useful for every learner, I like the context that it gives the language and I find this approach much more effective than that of some of the other available course books. You can find Assimil Coréen Sans Peine on Amazon. Other Assimil courses available for English speakers:

• New French With Ease
• Spanish With Ease
• German With Ease
• Italian With Ease
• Brazilian Portuguese
• Arabic With Ease
• Japanese With Ease

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Vídeo: Trucos para calmar los nervios

How to stop feeling nervous? Learn Spanish with this video and learn some tips and tricks to speak Spanish with more confidence. Stop feeling nevous. Aprender español escuchando es la mejor forma de mejorar tu español. Subtitles available: Learn Spanish: Stop feeling nervous

La entrada Vídeo: Trucos para calmar los nervios se publicó primero en Spanish Podcast.

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Spanish Vocab Builder #96 - Mother’s Day

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Our Spanish vocabulary lists are listener favorites, and now we’ve made it even better! In each lesson, you’ll hear the Spanish words and phrases from the Spanish vocabulary lists. Join us for Spanish Vocab Builder! Click here to make your own flashcards using the vocab and phrases introduced in this lesson! Visit [...]

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News #231 - For Spanish Learners: 10 Surefire Methods Keep You Motivated To Learn Spanish

How do you motivate yourself when you learn Spanish? Want to know how successful learners stay on track? Well, we asked some of our top Premium learners. Here are the Top 10 Ways to Motivate Yourself While Learning Spanish, based on their answers. Click here to get a Pretty Big 31% OFF Premium & Premium PLUS! Tune [...]

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Nerves, Tears and a Breakthrough: 2 Weeks Without Speaking English [Mission Update]

What’s it really like giving up your mother tongue? If you’ve read my last update you’ll know that I gave up speaking English for 30 days to focus on only speaking German. My goal was to reach the B2 level by the time the Cologne Carnival came around. As I write this, I’m in the midst of that challenge. The first two weeks have flown by and there are another two just waiting for me to tackle them. But I’ll be brutally honest with you… It’s been an emotional roller coaster. There have been ups and downs. Snags and successes. And it’s been an incredible learning process. Here at the halfway point, I want to share with you how the project is going so far and what I’ve learned from the process.

The More You Speak The Easier It Gets

I always found speaking German a chore. Not because I didn’t like the language but because, well...I had to think about everything I said. That feeling can be quite off-putting when you’re first starting out. It can feel as though you’re going to have to put in a lot of effort for just a handful of words and phrases. And who wants to do so much work for so little, right? Well after just a few days, the everyday words - the ones that really tie sentences together - just started to come naturally. The amount of actual thinking involved diminished almost to zero! For example, on my first day I had to think about every word in this sentence: Wir konnen spater einen kleinen Spaziergang machen, wenn du willst? “We could go for a little walk later if you want?” But after a few days of using the keywords in the sentence, I didn’t need to think about how to say words like “we can” or “you want” and instead I only needed to really pay attention to the subject of the sentence. Wir konnen spater einen kleinen Spaziergang machen, wenn du willst? “We could go for a little walk later if you want?” That means you eventually spend less energy overall thinking about sentences and what words to use. They just fall into your head! You can see that in this video that I recorded on day seven. The words that tie the sentences together didn’t take much effort anymore, but the cases and the subjects sometimes took a little time to think about: httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlwYKHgrGmM And with time (I hope) that’ll become the natural progression where I don’t need to think about anything.

How to Get People to Speak to You In Your Target Language

When you’re an English speaker it can feel like a real battle to get people to speak to you in your target language. It’s almost as though when they hear your accent they think, “Free English lesson!” and proceed to only speak to you in English. In fact many of my first interactions were: ”Can we speak in German please?” ”Of course.” ”Danke.” ”Ich habe ein...new car, would you like to see it?” Now instead of getting frustrated in these situations, throwing a tantrum and screaming to the god about how hard speaking is, you need to focus on what you have control over. You have no control over what people say to you. But you have control over what you say back to them. So what I’ve started to do to people now is just continue to speak to German regardless. And, if they’ve not returned to speaking German after five replies, then I say one of the following:

• ”I’m really sorry but I need to practise my German, I live here now and it’s important for me to learn.”
• ”I’m afraid if you can’t speak German with me I’ll have to speak to you another time. I need to make sure I’m only speaking German right now.”
• ”Deutsch, bitte.” (German, please.)

And they eventually cave in, or I walk away and continue speaking German elsewhere. It’s important here to flip your thinking on what you consider rude, too. You may feel it’s rude to ask people to switch to their language because, after all, they’re trying to help you by speaking English. But, in fact, they’re the one being rude by ignoring your attempts to speak their language. For example at the Rugby Club in Cologne I went to order a beer. And I must have ordered with a thick English accent because she instantly asked me, “Which kind of beer do you want?” in English. This was despite the fact I’d gone up to a German bar, in a German rugby club and ordered a beer in German. Who was being rude in that situation?

The Day I Cried About Speaking German

On the tenth day of the project I broke down in the kitchen and started crying. I was midway through a conversation about something trivial. But, no matter how hard I tried, my brain just couldn’t do German anymore. Every word was just like white noise. And I just started to weep. I think my brain had reached the point of burn-out. For the last 10 days I’d been translating everything in my head and it just became a little too much. So I took the evening to be alone, play my guitar and do no speaking whatsoever. What was amazing about this though, was the next morning I stopped translating words in my head. All of a sudden the words I heard that I knew in German I just, well...knew. It was almost as though I’d reached the tipping point.

Spit It Out! How I Worked Through Being Nervous...

One of the most peculiar feelings so far is the constant nervousness before a new interaction. When I’m talking with my German-speaking girlfriend at home I’m fine. I don’t even think about the fact I have to speak German. But when it comes to going outside, meeting new people and using my German, I’m overcome by nervousness. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is. It’s some kind of cocktail of embarrassment, failure and the other person wondering why this 24 year old talks like he’s a seven-year-old kid. It’s a silly feeling, really. I’ve never had a conversation with someone where they’ve not complimented me on my German, or exclaimed about how much I’ve learned in just a five month period. Heck, one guy even told me my German now is better than his English of 20 years. But still the feeling lingers in the back of my mind. The key to defeating this has been just blurting out the first sentence that comes to mind. Seriously. It doesn’t matter how wildly off topic or grammatically incorrect it is. Just say it and get the wheels of conversation turning. When you start speaking you begin to stop worrying about what you’re saying. You become involved in the topic and switch off when it comes to using proper cases or the correct preposition. Much like you would when you speak in your mother tongue. I’m hoping over the next two weeks this nervousness starts to die away. But, for now, it’s still taking a bit of getting used to. See you in a couple of weeks for the final report on my One Month Without English mission.

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Top 25 Spanish Questions You Need to Know #20 - What’s the weather like? in Spanish

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! The more Spanish people you talk to in Spain, the more you realize they are confused about the seasons being opposite where you’re from. You suppose the idea does take some getting used to! In this lesson, you will learn the question What’s the weather like? in Spanish and how to answer [...]

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Episodio 263: Language learning excuses

Language learning motivation, language learning excuses. Learn Spanish listening to native speakers talking about interesting topics. Transcript available: Learn Spanish: Language learning excuses

La entrada Episodio 263: Language learning excuses se publicó primero en Spanish Podcast.

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Sentence Stretchers: An Easy Way to Sound More Fluent in Your Target Language

Most beginner language learners I know are keen to pick up new vocabulary, so they’re ready for real conversations in their new language. And it’s true that learning a wide variety of vocabulary is essential to having conversations about a lot of different subjects. But there’s a group of words and phrases that never seem to make their way into most beginner students’ flash cards or vocab lists. I call this group of words “sentence stretchers”.

What is a Sentence Stretcher?

Sentence stretchers give you everything you need to expand short, basic phrases into far more expressive, natural-sounding sentences. With sentence stretchers, you’ll sound more like a native speaker, and have much more interesting conversations. In grammar speak, sentence stretchers may be adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions or determiners. The point is that they help you create longer, more complex sentences, and take your language skills to the next level. With sentence stretchers, you’ll sound more like a native speaker even if you still don’t know a whole lot of vocab or verb tenses. They also make it much easier to say what you want without performing complicated mental gymnastics as you build your sentences. This in turn will boost your confidence. Think about it this way. How hard would it be to have even a short conversation in English without using words like “without”, “anyway”, “maybe”, “so”, “as much as”, “until”, or “almost”? Yet few language learners put any special effort early on into learning these seemingly minor words. The longer you put off learning sentence stretchers, the more time you’ll spend having stunted, overly-simple conversations.

How Sentence Stretchers Work

Consider the following exchange you’re likely to have when you first start speaking a new language: Them: “Why do you want to study this language?” You: “I want to travel to your country someday, so it’s a good idea to learn some of the language before I go, even if I don’t learn it fluently.” Now imagine trying to answer their question without using “someday”, “so”, “some”, “before” or “even if”. It’s quite a bit harder! “I want to travel to your country. It’s a good idea to learn the language. If I don’t learn it fluently, it’s OK.” Doesn’t sound too natural, does it? The rest of the vocab in the sentence - “travel”, “country”, “good”, “idea” “learn”, “language”, “fluently” - are probably words that you’ll learn fairly early in your studies. But you may not learn those “sentence stretchers” until much later, and so you’ll miss out on a chance to improve your speaking skills early on. Don’t get me wrong. It’s crucial to speak from day 1 and talk with native speakers as much as possible no matter how many mistakes you make. But if you want to get comfortable speaking your target language as quickly as possible, sentence stretchers will help get you there.

Sentence Stretchers: The Basic List

Here’s a list of the most common sentence stretchers. For each one, I’ve included a sentence that sounds more natural when the word is included. The earlier you learn these words in your target language, the better.

• except: “I study French every day. I do not study French on Friday” could become “I study French every day except Friday.”
• only: “I study Spanish two days per week. It is not a lot” could become “I only study Spanish two days per week.”
• someday: “I want to travel to your country, but I don’t know when” could become “I want to travel to your country someday.”
• even though: “I bought it. It was expensive” could become “I bought it even though it was expensive.”
• anyway: “I can’t speak German fluently, but I will speak it” becomes “I can’t speak German fluently, but I will speak it anyway.”
• might: “I don’t know, but I think he’s hungry” becomes “He might be hungry.”
• sometimes: “Studying Spanish can be easy. But it can feel difficult too” could become “Studying Spanish is easy, but sometimes it feels difficult.”
• always: “I order the same meal when I eat here” could become “I always order the same meal when I eat here.”
• often: “I wonder a lot if I made the right choice” becomes “I often wonder if I made the right choice.”
• so/therefore: “I have more energy in the morning. That’s when I exercise” becomes “I have more energy in the morning, so that’s when I exercise.”
• already: “I started studying English three weeks ago. I can say a lot” becomes “I started studying English three weeks ago, and I can already say a lot.”
• without: “I want to study the language. But I don’t want to read or write” becomes “I want to study the language without reading or writing.”
• both: “Will you and you come to the party tonight?” becomes “Will you both come to the party tonight?”
• until: “I want to study Cantonese. I will stop when I’m fluent” becomes “I want to study Cantonese until I’m fluent.”
• since: “I’ve wanted to travel to Australia for a long time. I wanted to when I was nine” becomes “I’ve wanted to travel to Australia since I was nine.”
• still: “I’m not young, but I enjoy learning new things” becomes “I’m not young, but I still enjoy learning new things.”
• enough: “The pan is hot now. You can add the bacon” becomes “The pan is hot enough now to add the bacon.”
• instead of: “We were going to eat Italian food. But do you want to eat sushi now?” can become “Do you want to eat sushi instead of Italian food?”
• throughout: “There are many festivals here in the year” becomes “There are many festivals here throughout the year.”
• including: “All languages can be easy to learn. Tonal languages too” becomes “All languages can be easy to learn, including tonal languages.”
• in case: “Take my umbrella. It might rain” becomes “Take my umbrella in case it rains.”
• even if: “I want to travel. It’s OK if it’s for a short time” becomes “I want to travel, even if it’s for a short time.”

Your Turn!

What sentence stretchers do you use in your target language? Are there any other hacks you use to build complex sentences in your new language? Let me know in the comments!

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