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 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 […]
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 […]
MORE28 Beautiful Words for Love from Around the World – and Their Literal Translations into English
There are so many different ways to say “I love you” and to share the love. In fact, there are more words for “love “ than there are languages in the world. Let me explain with an example: The Japanese language has dozens of ways to say “you”. There are polite forms, very polite forms, […]
MOREGerman Greetings: 10 Ways to Say “Hello” in German
How do you say “hello” in German? There are many options, from a simple hallo to a friendly alles klar to a regional “hello” like servus or na. In this article, I’ll teach you several common and useful German greetings . By the end you’ll know everything you need to know about how to say […]
MORESing Your Baby Bilingual! How to Teach Your Baby a Second Language Through Songs and Music
There are lots of strategies for teaching your baby a foreign language and bringing up a bilingual or multilingual child. But whatever one you choose, be sure to make singing a part of it on a daily basis! The universe is very clever. An infant can be born anywhere in the world, and from day […]
MORE“Hello” in French – Plus 10 More Useful French Greetings
Bonjour! There are many ways to say “hello” in French – French greetings can be much more than a simple “hello”. In this article I’ll teach you the French for “hello” and its variations, and give you a brief tour of the most common ways to greet a French person. 1. Bonjour – “Good day” […]
MOREOld English Writing: A History of the Old English Alphabet
Can you read Old English writing? Here’s a sample: Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uard metudæs maecti end his modgidanc uerc uuldurfadur sue he uundra gihuaes eci dryctin or astelidæ Those are the first few lines of Cædmon’s Hymn, a 7th-Century poem generally considered to be the oldest surviving work of English literature. Any idea what […]
MOREChristmas Food Traditions Around the World
When it comes to the winter holidays, food traditions are an important part the celebrations in countries around the world, even if the foods are different from country to country. (Likewise, Santa is different too, depending on where you live). You might indulge in mince pies, or perhaps ham is more your style. For others, […]
MOREWhat are the Most Spoken Languages in the World?
What are the most spoken languages in the world? This question isn’t as simple as it may seem. There are a few complications that make it hard to give a precise answer: First of all, what do you mean by spoken? Do you want to rank languages by their number of native speakers, or by […]
MOREGerman for Kids: 12 Helpful Online Resources to Teach Your Children German
Kids absorb new languages like a sponge. But how easy is it to teach your child German? And what are some good German resources to help? Here’s something good to know: An early start with languages can bring with it many benefits and opportunities. Bilingual children tend to be better learners with more advanced reading […]
MORE10 Ways to Use YouTube as a Language Learning Tool
YouTube is an amazing tool for learning languages. That’s one of the reasons I have my own YouTube channel. In fact, I started posting videos on YouTube before I started this blog. Some of the videos were even in other languages! There’s only one problem with YouTube…there’s just so much there! The amount of content […]
MOREInternational Pig Latin: 7 Funny Word Games from Languages Around the World
Most native English speakers are familiar with “Pig Latin”, a silly word game played by children (and occasionally adults). It’s probably the best known example of a language game in English, sometimes called a “ludling” or “argot”. So, how does it work? How to Play Pig Latin In case you grew up under an ock-ray, […]
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