Watching French YouTube Channels is a fantastic way to learn French, and to immerse yourself in the French language. French YouTubers with English subtitles are especially good for beginner and intermediate French learners. Here’s how I think of it: The key to create a successful immersion environment at home is to use native content. That […]
MOREBeautiful Spanish: 15 Romantic Words for “Beautiful” in Spanish
Spanish is a beautiful language. It’s certainly spoken by some beautiful people. Yet if you want to tell your Spanish-speaking valentine how attractive they are, you may be unsure exactly how to say it it. There are many ways in Spanish to say “beautiful”, just like there are many ways to say it in English: […]
MOREFrench Accent Marks: The Ultimate Guide
The words café and résumé are originally French, and in English we often write those words without the accents. In French, however, the accent marks are not optional. French has several different accent marks, also known as “diacritics”. They serve several different purposes in the language. Sometimes they affect pronunciation, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they […]
MORE70 Terms of Endearment from Around the World (for Those You Love)
Let’s talk about terms of endearment. No, not the 1983 movie starring Jack Nicholson that you probably haven’t seen (me neither). I’m referring to the affectionate words that people use to address their friends and loved ones, like “sweetheart”, “baby”, or “honey”, “mate”, “dude”, or “buddy”. English has many terms of endearment. Other languages are […]
MORE20 Everyday German Slang Words (So You Sound Like A Native)
So, you want to learn German slang? Sehr gut! One of the best ways to build new vocabulary, and sound more like a native, is to learn the German slang words people use every day. By sprinkling words from the German umgangsprache into your daily conversations, you can bring your sentences to life and display […]
MOREHow to Learn Finnish: Why Finnish is Easier than You Think
So you want to learn Finnish? Good job! I want you to know, you don’t need to be daunted by your goal of speaking Finnish, no matter what others say. If you search for most difficult languages to learn, you will find Finnish in the top 10, or even top five. Yet it’s up to […]
MOREHow to Use Short Videos to Power-Up Your Language Learning
Videos and movies are really powerful tools to power-up your language learning. Now, the question is: Do you use these resources correctly? You see, I am a native Spanish speaker, and when I was learning to speak English, I went through a journey of trying different courses and methods, only to leave me thinking that […]
MOREWhy I’m Teaching My Kids to Speak French Badly (and Why I Think You Should, Too)
Teaching kids French… what’s the “right” way to do it? I’m teaching my kids French, and here’s a fairly typical French conversation between me and my 3 year old: My 3 year old: It’s Grandad’s birthday! Me: ‘Oui, on va lancer une fete!’ (we’re going to throw a party) My 3 year old: Lancer fete! […]
MOREThe Romance of Language Learning: A Fluent in 3 Months Wedding!
In 2014, having spent six years studying and practicing Spanish, I found myself missing something. I felt I had done all this work and I had taught myself a second language, but I wasn’t really using it. Sure, I could order a drink in a Mexican bar, but I wanted more. Here’s the story of […]
MOREHow to Remember Spanish Words: The “Word Bridge” Technique and Other Memory Hacks for Spanish Learners
Learning a language can sometimes feel boring — like an exercise in monotony. What lends to this monotony, more often than not, is the rigor and regimen that comes with it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dissing discipline here, I’m just questioning the misplaced investment of time and efforts most language learning regimens call […]
MOREVolunteer and Learn Spanish: How to Learn a Language by Volunteering Overseas
Can you volunteer and learn Spanish? I did, and here’s my story, plus the lessons I learned along the way. Most of these lessons can be applied to learning any language while volunteering overseas. How I Decided to Volunteer Overseas and Learn Spanish Shortly after graduating from university, I decided to take some time out […]
MOREHow I Got a $7,000 Raise by Learning Spanish
Within six months of starting your first real job, you get a $7,000 raise. How cool would that be? I can tell you first hand that it’s an awesome feeling and it only happened because I learned conversational Spanish in one month. In this post, I’ll share exactly how I did it (and how you […]
MOREMusic to Help You Learn Spanish – A Starter Guide (with 12 Latin Artists and Songs)
Despacito — the song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi — has been a huge hit this year and as I’m writing this it’s now the most viewed video on YouTube with 4.4 billion views. This is despite it being released less than 1 year ago! Hopefully the success of Despacito has gotten a lot […]
MOREHow Children Learn Languages – and What You Can Learn from Them
It’s often said that children learn languages more easily than adults, but is that really the case? Do children have a special advantage, or can adults learn languages just as well as children? Some academics say that childhood is the critical period for language learning. Is there any truth in this idea, or is it […]
MOREMerde Happens: Why Are French People so Rude? (And What to Do about It)
I’m French, and every single time I’m in a restaurant in the United States, I need to order a glass of water three times in a row. Why? Because the first time, the waitress doesn’t understand my accent, the second, I over-articulate, looking like a slow-motion puppet with the same effect and the third, I […]
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