A few years back I was feeling annoyed with all the bad language learning tips that are out there. I’d also got frustrated with people asking me what the “secret” is to learning a new language, yet never seeming satisfied with my answer of “There is no secret; you need to work hard, speak often […]
MOREHow to Learn the Spanish Subjunctive: A Simpler Approach
When you first encounter the Spanish subjunctive, it can feel like its only purpose is to make Spanish harder. What’s the difference between comemos and comamos? Don’t they both mean “we eat”? Why does Spanish have two words where English has only one? It’s not just learners of Spanish who struggle here. The subjunctive – […]
MORE25 Perfect French Idioms that Sound Weird in English
Like all languages, French is rich in idioms – expressions that mean something other than their literal meaning. Spend enough time in France and you may hear people talking about having mustard up their nose, a hair in the hand, a wooden mouth, or a hand in the bag. What does this all mean? Below […]
MOREPor vs. Para in Spanish: The Ultimate Guide
“Por vs. para?” is a common question from Spanish learners. That makes sense, as one of Spanish’s more difficult aspects is the difference between the words por and para. Most (not all) of the time, both words translate to the word “for” in English. There are a few other translations, which I’ll get to later. […]
MOREReading, Writing, Speaking and Listening: The 4 Basic Language Skills, and How to Practise Them
Reading, writing, speaking and listening – the four foundational skills of language learning. You can’t build a house without a strong foundation (well, that’s if you want the house to stay upright in all weather!). Similarly, you won’t become a well-rounded speaker of a language without building upon the four foundations of language learning. It […]
MOREConversational French: 25 Ways to Start a French Conversation
When you’re learning French, what are some good ways to start a French conversation? Whether you’ve just been introduced to someone new, find yourself sitting next to a French-speaker on the bus, or end up walking beside a French tourist while visiting an attraction, I’ve got a French conversation starter for you. Before we dig […]
MOREHow to Use Visual Memory Techniques to Build a Conversational Vocabulary
Here’s something that used to frustrate me: When I travel through a country where the native language isn’t English, I miss a lot of the culture because I can’t have a conversation with the locals. All I can do is read about their customs and experience them through activities, food, and drink. Research tells us […]
MOREMinority Languages: The Bliss of Learning Languages Less Spoken
“If you live with people and you share a life with them and you speak their language, they trust you.” – Peter Rohloff, MD, Wuqu’ Kawoq (Maya Health Alliance) I have always found languages to be beautiful. Having learned to speak seven languages – some of them fluently, and others at a more basic level […]
MORELearning Two Languages at Once: Can You Learn Multiple Languages at the Same Time?
Is it possible to learn two languages at once? Yes! Learning two languages at once is certainly possible. That said, it’s not a mission I’d recommend taking on lightly. I’ve been learning languages for over 10 years. In that time, I studied over seventeen languages and became fluent in 10. And I’ve never tried to […]
MOREHow to Learn Swedish: 37 Lessons from My 6 Months Living in Sweden
When I realized I was going to have the chance to spend six months working in Sweden, I naturally got interested in the Swedish language. More so, when I started getting work emails I needed Google Translate to read. Even more so when I landed and couldn’t read the signs around me or understand anything […]
MOREFrench Idioms Crash Course: How to Sound Like a Native French Speaker
So you want to speak French like a local. Perhaps not exactly like a native speaker, but like someone who lives there. You can sound like a French speaker even though you’re a complete beginner in the language. It’s possible. I’ve done it in Portuguese. My knowledge of Portuguese is extremely limited. I only know […]
MOREHow I Learnt Spanish, Italian and Portuguese for the Price of a Beer
I sat in the sunshine in a cafe in my new adopted city of Seville, chatting to a Spanish friend about life in Andalusia. We talked about southern Spanish traditions, the prospects for young people and of course, the fiestas of the month that we would attend. And I did this all in Spanish. A […]
MOREHow to Use the Teach Yourself Language Hacking Community
How to Use the Teach Yourself Language Hacking Community Several months ago, I published four Teach Yourself Language Hacking Courses: French, Spanish, Italian and German. Many people don’t know that my Language Hacking courses Teach Yourself come with free access to the italki Language Hacking community. As you work through a Language Hacking course, you’ll […]
MOREHow to Get Over the Fear of Rejection
Rejection hurts. It’s painful. So it’s no wonder so many people are afraid of rejection. But how can you get over the fear of rejection? Let me tell you a story about one time I was rejected. It seems small, but it really hurt. While doing my fieldwork for my Master’s degree, I traveled through […]
MORE15 “So Bad They’re Amazing” Hilarious Spanish Puns
Humour is often hard to translate. This is especially true when the humour comes from wordplay; puns rarely work in more than one language. In this article, I’ll share and explain some Spanish puns that make no sense in English. Why bother? Well, the fact that Spanish puns are hard to understand is precisely what […]
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