Episodio 179: Poner los cuernos

What's the meaning of 'poner los cuernos'? Today we talk about this Spanish idiom that can be used in some situations of everyday's life. Sound like a native! Transcript available: "Hola y bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de SpanishPodcast.net Ya se han acabado las fiestas navideñas y poco a poco volvemos a la rutina. Como os contamos en el episodio sobre la Navidad en España, en nuestro país las celebraciones terminan el día 6 de enero con el día de los reyes magos ... "

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Spanish Vocab Builder #26 - Family

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 Family. Click [...]

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How to Learn Scottish Gaelic

How would you feel if you were beaten up for speaking a language? What if that language was your mother tongue? This is what used to happen to children in Scotland, if they spoke Scottish Gaelic. In 1872, the British government introduced compulsory schooling for children in Scotland. This should have been a good thing - and in many ways it was. Unfortunately, children who attended school were actively discouraged from speaking Gaelic. In fact, children caught speaking Gaelic were often belted by their teachers, and interrogated about who they’d been talking to. They could face further physical punishment if they didn’t give up the names of other Gaelic speakers. Thankfully, attitudes towards Gaelic began to change in the 20th century. But the damage was done, and Gaelic entered sharp decline. Could you be part of its revival?

Why Learn Scottish Gaelic?

Gaelic is a language rich in culture and history. It existed long before English, and nowadays many Scots are choosing to learn Gaelic as it is part of their Scottish heritage. It has been a language in decline, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. By learning Gaelic, you would be helping in sustaining the language, and become part of an important movement that’s placing Gaelic back at the centre of Scottish life. Since the Gaelic Language Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2005, Gaelic has become an official language in Scotland and now receives equal status with English. Since then, the Scottish government has invested a lot of money in encouraging the teaching of Gaelic and as a result, many new courses and websites have appeared. Official documents now must be translated into Gaelic and this means more job opportunities for Gaelic speakers than before. Gaelic is spoken by around 57,000 people in the most beautiful parts of Scotland (mainly the Western Isles). Gaelic is now being taught in schools again in various parts of Scotland and there are also some schools where all subjects are taught in Gaelic. For those interested in music, the fiddle was very popular in Gaelic communities. Gaelic music, songs and traditional ceilidh gatherings are still plentiful in Scotland and in other parts of the world that celebrate Scottish culture. Why did I choose to learn Gaelic? It really appealed to me for several reasons. The first one is that it is the second language of my home country and yet I couldn’t speak a word of it. Considering I spoke other languages, I thought I should start to dedicate time to learning Gaelic. Then my grandparents told me that my great-grandfather spoke Gaelic and that he taught the language to adults. Gaelic was spoken within the family home but it was never passed down as far as me. This made me more determined to learn the language and bring it back into the family. I started to look around for courses and I registered on a distance learning course with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig which suited my circumstances very well. I also bought a few other resources such as books, CDs and a DVD series and I started watching the Gaelic programmes on BBC Alba to learn more about the language, culture and way of life in the Scottish highlands and islands where it is spoken.

Can I Learn Scottish Gaelic Without Living in Scotland?

Yes, you can learn Scottish Gaelic, wherever you live in the world! With the availability of distance or online courses, internet resources and books and DVDs, there are now various options for learning Gaelic without having to even set foot in Scotland!

The Best Way to Get Started in Gaelic

When starting to learn Gaelic, I’ve found it is best to start by looking at a pronunciation guide with audio such as BBC Beag Air Bheag or Akerbeltz. This is because in Gaelic, the sounds are not phonetic and the combination of consonants can produce some sounds that don’t exist in English or other languages. The Learn Gaelic Dictionary also includes audio for every word. Once you’ve got to grips with the basics of pronunciation, I recommend textbooks that include a CD or audio files such as Colloquial Scottish Gaelic or Teach Yourself Gaelic. Gaelic orthography (the rules of written Gaelic) is probably the most challenging aspect of the language. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to use the audio along with your texts in the book. When I’m using a text book, I set myself mini goals based on the textbook. For example finishing a chapter and then learning the vocabulary by creating my own flashcards with Anki and then moving on to the next chapter once I’m confident with the vocabulary I’ve learned. The Teach Yourself and Colloquial books also teach you the grammar that you will need to be able to reach intermediate level. Textbooks are an excellent foundation for learning Gaelic, but alone they’re not sufficient. That’s why I recommend using a variety of resources in your language learning. This prevents boredom and keeps you motivated. The DVD series ‘Speaking Our Language’ is an entertaining way to learn Gaelic phrases and I watched one episode a week along with using my other materials.. The DVDs are filmed in Gaelic speaking parts of Scotland and contain many different speakers in each episode. The new vocabulary is displayed on the screen both during and after each episode so that you can write down the words and add them to your Anki deck. I suggest starting speaking practice as soon as possible. That way, you will gain confidence and learn from your mistakes at an early stage and your listening skills will also improve if you can practise conversation with a partner. For this I recommend italki. The italki website lists language partners and tutors who can speak to you over Skype or Google Hangout. To practise writing, I find writing a journal is an effective method which also helps me retain vocabulary. On sites such as Italki, you can use the notebook feature for this and you can also receive corrections from fluent speakers. Once you reach intermediate level, I would delving into a wide range of resources, such as those I’ve listed below. YouTube also has plenty of videos and Gaelic. And for “real world” practice, news websites such as the BBC, the Scotsman and Danamag are an invaluable resource. You could also join a distance learning course where you will have the support of a teacher throughout and your course provider will provide you with resources. These are available from beginner level. I started as a beginner on the distance learning course with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the main Gaelic college in Scotland. I found having the support of a tutor was very helpful for correcting my pronunciation.

Resources for Learning Scottish Gaelic

• BBC Beag air Bheag. An online Gaelic course aimed at beginner level with 35 units to complete. There is a useful pronunciation section with audio for beginners.
• Learn Gaelic Online Courses. This course includes 60 lessons for beginners. The lessons are interactive and include a quiz at the end. There’s also a “Watch Gaelic” section which consists of various short videos in Gaelic with a transcript available in both English and Gaelic.
• Learn Gaelic Dictionary. This is the best online dictionary available as it includes audio for each word. Translations are available for full phrases as well as individual words. An alternative dictionary is available on Am Faclair Beag.
• Akerbeltz Gaelic Pronunciation Guidance. An introduction to sounds in Gaelic, some of which do not exist in English. There are 13 links at the bottom of the homepage for each section.
• BBC Bitesize Gaelic. Aimed at school pupils in Scotland, this site is very useful for listening and reading exercises. This page also contains some grammar explanations and exercises.
• Taic Online Gaelic Lessons. Some 55 lessons from beginner level, mainly focusing on grammar. There is also an audio guide to pronunciation, as well as a vocabulary list.
• Gaelic For Parents. This resource features a variety of activities for both parents and children from ages 3 to 11 including games, songs, listening, reading and flashcards. It’s not only useful for kids!
• Speaking Our Language DVDs. A four part DVD series published by the BBC starting with beginners level Gaelic lessons.
• Island Voices. A project for Gaelic learners to watch videos or listen to audio and improve their listening skills. The videos contain dialogues aimed at various levels and have been filmed in The Hebrides. There are various topics to choose from and some videos contain transcripts of the dialogue for you to follow.
• BBC Alba. A television channel available throughout the UK where all programmes are in Gaelic with English subtitles. The variety of programmes is excellent, they include music, culture, history, children’s, news and sport. The site also provides access to listen to Gaelic Radio ‘Radio nan Gàidheal’. The BBC iPlayer feature to watch television programmes and listen to the radio is only available to people in the UK..
• BBC News in Gaelic. A BBC News website with various news articles in Gaelic, mostly relating to Scottish news.
• Italki. A place to find language partners or tutors who can speak to you over Skype or Google Hangout. There is also a ‘notebook’ section where you can write your own texts in Gaelic and a fluent speaker can correct it for you.
• Tobar and Dualchais Oral Recordings. This is a very interesting site comprising of thousands of oral recordings from Scotland since the 1930s, many of which are in Gaelic. The recordings include stories, songs, radio and verse.
• An Drochaid Stories. Various short recordings in Gaelic with access to the transcript. Suitable for intermediate or advanced learners.
• Danamag. An online Gaelic magazine containing articles on various themes aimed at intermediate or advanced level learners.
• The Scotsman Newspaper Gaelic Articles. For intermediate or advanced learners, the Scotsman publishes a few online articles in Gaelic.

Courses for Learning Scottish Gaelic

For students living outside Scotland who would like to follow the structure of a course or perhaps gain a qualification from studying Gaelic, there are several options.

• Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is the main Gaelic college in Scotland. They are based on the Isle of Skye and they offer courses by distance and also short courses over a week during the summer and Easter periods. The distance courses offer a chance to gain a qualification and you can study Gaelic right up to degree level. The tutorials are done in small groups by phone and you can choose a suitable time slot including evenings. For the one week intensive courses, they offer accommodation at the college and courses at various levels from beginners to advanced. They also other interesting ancillary courses such as Gaelic music and song.
• Gaidhlig Gach Latha. An organisation in the USA who arrange group classes on Skype from beginners to advanced levels. The classes have various start dates throughout the year. They also offer private lessons on Skype and courses by email.
• Atlantic Gaelic Academy. Offers weekly group classes taught over the internet covering five levels from beginners to advanced.
• The Gaelic College offers an online Gaelic course which includes an introductory course “Beul An Tobair I” and an intermediate option, “Beul An Tobair II.” Each series is made up of 12 lessons.

What about if you want to learn on a face-to-face course? The venues listed below offer intensive on-site courses at various points in the year. These could be combined with a longer visit to Scotland:

• Moray Language Centre. Based in the north of Scotland, Moray Language Centre runs on-site courses that can run from one to eight weeks at a time. They offer courses at various levels.
• Ravenspoint, Isle of Lewis. A one week intensive Gaelic courses for beginner and intermediate levels are held in May, July and August. The accommodation options include staying in the home of a Gaelic speaking local family or staying on-site at the hostel. As well as language tuition, other activities are planned for the students including sightseeing and a visit to a local church service in Gaelic where the unique Gaelic Psalms singing can still be heard.

The post How to Learn Scottish Gaelic appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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Episodio 178: La baraja española

Learn Spanish with us! In this episode we talk about the Spanish Playing cards and "el cinquillo", a popular card game in Spain. Transcript available: " Hola chicos y chicas, ¿cómo va todo? Por aquí empezamos a echar de menos el sol. Y es que, estos días no paramos de tener niebla y bajas temperaturas. Así que si no queremos pasar frío o bien salimos a la calle muy abrigados para dar un paseo, o por el contrario nos quedamos en casa al calor del hogar ... "

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Must-Know Spanish Social Media Phrases #17 - At the Local Market

Learn Spanish with SpanishPod101.com! Have you ever wanted to combine your love of learning language with your love of using social media? This series allows you to do just that! You’ll learn more Spanish so you can chat to your Mexican friends online about topics like shopping, going out to dinner, and being on vacation. [...]

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How to Learn a New Language Fluently

What is fluency? What does it mean to be fluent in a language? Believe it or not, this may be the most important question you ask yourself, if your goal is to speak another language. Why is this? Because the way you understand fluency could set you up for failure, and mean you never reach your language goals. Or it could mean you become fluent in multiple languages in just a few years. Let’s take a look at why that is...

What Does it Mean to be Fluent in Another Language?

I consider myself fluent in 7 different languages, but I have experimented with many others over the years. Some I learnt in order to make the most of my travels - others were for a challenge or simply, fun! To me, fluency is being able to function in social situations in my target language, as I would with my native language. That’s why I aim for around a 90-95% level of perfection. In simple terms, this means being confident in using around 2,000 words, together with a broader base of vocabulary that I’m less confident in using, but that I can understand in context. I have gone way beyond this stage in some of my languages, but I wanted to be clear on what I count as fluency. Even when I’ve reached fluency as I understand it, I know I’m going to make mistakes. I am human, after all! As long as I have reached the level where I am able to get my point across, so that whoever I am conversing with understands what I am trying to communicate, I know I am almost, if not completely fluent in that language. So if fluency is a relatively simple goal, why do so many people fail to reach even this level in a language? Partly it’s due to study methods. Many language learners seem to expect that if they spend enough time studying textbooks or watching foreign films, they’ll somehow magically become fluent in their target language. I’m sorry, but this is not how it works.

How to Make Sure You Never Reach Fluency

Fluency is a “chicken and egg” scenario. If you wait until you’re fluent before you speak a language, you’ll never be fluent. That’s why I advocate speaking from day one. I struggle to understand why so many people wait until the ‘perfect moment’ to start speaking a language. So many language learners seem to believe they can clock hours and hours of textbook study, then one day open their mouths and be able to have complex conversations about life, the universe and everything. Being an engineer, I always fancied myself as a mathematician, rather than as a writer. When I first started Fluent in 3 Months (Fi3M), I didn’t really have a clear idea of what I was doing. I’d publish long blog posts – about my travels as well as my language-learning missions. Some of my posts had grammatical errors or mistakes, as I was the only one proofreading them. These days, there are guides all over the Internet on how to write blog posts, or draw in an audience. Well, I didn’t use many photographs and I was very fond of emoticons (and I still am! :P). I wasn’t perfect (I’m still not), and I didn’t let this bother me. Perfection was never the goal for me. With multiple languages already under my belt, I wanted to share what I had learned, how I learned it, and, most of all, I wanted to tell stories. I kept publishing far from perfect blog posts, and over the years, I built up a community and a business around Fi3M. I wrote language guides, language learning courses and even became a published author! Life isn’t perfect. If you’re going to sit around, waiting for an opportune moment to start doing all the things you want to do in life, you’ll find you have very little chance of achieving, well – anything! Imagine if I’d waited for that “perfect” moment to start up a blog. If I’d thought my articles weren’t “good” enough to post online. If I’d effectively, been paralysed by a quest for perfectionism. I think my life would have turned out very differently. There are people who walk through life, waiting for the right time to do whatever it is they wish to achieve. This isn’t limited to learning a language. Maybe they want to write a book, do a woodworking course or backpack around the world. They convince themselves that they don’t have the time, means or money to do whatever it is they wish to do. And they leave it at that. This is crazy, if you ask me! Our lives on this planet are so inconceivably short and people so often prioritise the wrong things. If you’re incredibly lucky, your life will stretch to a length of 70+ years – imagine all the things you can learn in that time, if you put your mind to it. Yet, this is a topic for a whole other post. The point is that the road to fluency is one that will always be riddled with mistakes. Mistakes are the only way to become a better learner and more confident speaker.

Why It’s GOOD to Make Mistakes

Yes, you read right. Mistakes are necessary, if you want to became fluent in your target language. Here’s why:

Mistakes Work Wonders for Your Self Confidence

Many people are terrified to speak their target language. My partner Lauren was so nervous before her first Esperanto conversation that she hoped for a power outage so it would be cancelled. Feeling fear is normal. When you first start speaking a new language, you’re going to be at a very basic level. Your vocabulary knowledge will be limited. You’ll probably speak slowly. You’ll hesitate. And you’ll feel a bit silly. That’s totally okay. Yes, none of us want others to think of us as stupid. But speaking another language is a smart decision, not a stupid one. In any case, how exactly will people think you’re stupid? Many folk (at least in the English speaking world) consider those who can speak multiple languages to be vastly intelligent (though this isn’t true). I imagine in most cases, if you’re trying to learn a new language and make a mistake, people won’t mock you or call you names. In fact, I’ve found people to be largely helpful – correcting your mistakes for you with kindness and even complimenting you. The more mistakes you make, the more confident you’ll become in your abilities. In fact, it’s only by making mistakes that your fear of mistakes will begin to melt away. Embrace your mistakes, starting today. You’ll never look back.

Mistakes Help You Learn Faster

I knew of someone who was learning German and was in conversation with a native speaker. In this conversation, she accidentally used the work lecken. What she meant to say was lächeln, which translates to “smile”, but she’d accidentally said: “lick”. The native speaker burst out laughing and was quick to correct her mistake for her, causing her too much merriment in the process. Yes, people might laugh at your mistakes. But that doesn’t have to be painful. Needless to say – she won’t be forgetting the German word for “smile” anytime soon!

Mistakes Help You Connect With People

When you’re at school, mistakes can directly affect you, usually by lowering your mark on an assessment or exam. But what about in life? Messing up when you’re speaking a new language isn’t going to have all that much impact on your life. At the worst, you might feel a little bit silly or have some difficulty getting your point across to whoever you’re talking to. The key factor is - you’re communicating. This is what you should be focusing on.

How to Stop Being a Perfectionist Start Speaking From Day One

We’ve established that you can’t just sit at a desk, or on your couch, somehow magically absorbing information and expect that to get you anywhere. The best way to learn a language is by taking action. Open up your mouth and start speaking! Remember this: communication in any language is riddled with mistakes. Even your native language. English is my native tongue - yet it is not my favourite language to converse in, by any means! I sometimes stumble over pronunciations and use ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ as I find the correct way to phrase my thoughts. This is coming from someone who speaks publicly for a living! You might be thinking this is all very well and good Benny, but how exactly can I start speaking right now?

Set Yourself Mini-Missions

Mini-missions have been the key factor in my language learning. As a traveller, I often only had a few months in each city I lived in to learn the language, which helped put the pressure on. As my skills progressed, I started learning languages before I visited certain countries. I found this method helped me greatly when it came to culturally immersing myself in wherever I was in the world at that time. My advice would be to do the same. Give yourself a tangible timeframe for achieving fluency, then set mini-missions from there.

• Spend a day talking entirely in your target language.
• Cook a new recipe from scratch, using a recipe in your target language.
• Plan a trip to a place where your target language is the native language

Set yourself a mini-mission now. What will you achieve in the next three months?

Sign Up for italki

One of my favourite resources for language learning is italki, a website that connects language learners with language teachers. Once you’ve found a teacher, you hook up with them on Skype. That means you can get practice with a native speaker no matter where you are in the world. It’s worth trying out several different teachers, until you find one who is a good match for your personality and language goals.

Meet Up With Other Language Learners in Your Area

Get out of the house and mingle! If you’re not living in the country where your target language is spoken, look for a language group in your area on Meetup.

Make a Bet

If you really want to put the heat on, wager a bet with yourself. Publicly announce that you’ll donate a hundred dollars/euro/pounds to a political party or cause that you despise, if you fail to start speaking immediately. That should light a fire under your belly! Alternatively, give some cash to someone you trust, such as a family member, spouse or close friend. Tell them if you have failed to have a conversation in your target language by the end of the day, they can keep the money. There’s no end to the ways you can motivate or torture yourself.

Start Speaking Today - It’s Up to You

I hope you understand now why the pursuit of “perfect” fluency is a meaningless goal that really does more harm than good. Figure out what fluency means to you, contrive a method of achieving your goal and above all, don’t let fear overpower you. Get out there and start communicating. You’ll never look back, I can assure you of that.

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Absolute Beginner Questions Answered by Rosa #1 - How Can You Tell if a Noun is Masculine or Feminine?

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 How Can You Tell if a Noun [...]

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