Category: Fun

English words in Japanese: Music video with Japanese learners

written by Benny Lewis

Wednesday was my one month point in the three month Japanese challenge, so to really make my mark I wanted to record one last video with a prepared script before I get into recording spontaneous Skype (or in person) chats for the next two months. To really make it count, I decided to record a music video!

This video is quite an oddity because it is entirely in Japanese… and yet many of you who will have never learned any Japanese will understand quite a lot of it even without reading the lyrics that are edited into the video. And that’s because the video is made up entirely of words Japanese has borrowed from English, but said as closely as possible to the Japanese pronunciation (written in the Katakana script every time).

23 Habits I Picked Up While Living Abroad

written by Benny Lewis

From greetings and gestures to tipping and shoes indoors, here are 23 habits Benny picked up while living abroad, with context for each one.

Language Learning Quotes and Chinese Proverbs for Motivation

written by Benny Lewis

A source-checked collection of language learning quotes and Chinese proverbs, with original scripts, pinyin and practical ways to use them.

9 of the most unlikely countries to find the language you want to learn

written by Benny Lewis

In the last five months, I have definitely received the most double takes of my life whenever I said that I had been learning all my Egyptian Arabic in Brazil.

It’s just such an unlikely combination! Brazil has never had a huge or even tiny wave of Egyptian immigration. While there, I only managed to meet one single Egyptian in person in my entire 3 months. This was partially the reason I did it – to prove that even if there are no natives nearby, you can learn to speak the language entirely online.

“Skype me maybe” – Inspiring music video sung by 17 polyglots in over 30 languages

written by Benny Lewis

After a LOT of work to prepare the lyrics, round people together, send way too many emails, have contributors pick verses and languages, give them feedback for several different takes, blend it all together, get through the immense task of video and sound editing, and making sure everyone was happy with it… “Skype me maybe” is finally ready for the world! 🙂

As you can see, the storyline is that I’m a hopeless language learner, ready to give up, when 16 of the Internet’s most famous polyglots show up to give me some encouraging words… in the tune of Carla Rae Jepsen’s “Call me maybe” that was popular this year, and inover thirty languages. Yes, it’s as crazy and as good as it sounds! 🙂

Language leveling up: Moses and Benny speak a dozen languages in Columbus Ohio

written by Benny Lewis

I met up with fellow Youtube polyglot, Moses McCormick (see his Youtube channel) in Columbus, Ohio and the two of us went to a mall simply to walk up to complete strangers and practise a bunch of languages with them.

Tour of my home… in Klingon!

written by Benny Lewis

From the blog’s origin era (2009–2014) — kept as lived proof of the method. See all the missions. As promised, here is a video of me speaking Klingon 😀 Laugh and enjoy as I give you the most guttural tour of my home I probably ever will… and I do it in costume and in […]

29 Life Lessons I Learned While Travelling the World

written by Benny Lewis

Benny Lewis revisits 29 life lessons from eight years of travel, covering language, friendship, money, mistakes, culture and connection.

Cool sign language videos

written by Benny Lewis

I’m on the last week of my American Sign Language mission! This has turned out to be one of my most interesting language projects yet! So interesting in fact, that I am pretty sure I’ll come back to the states for another month (after I’ve tackled my fourth language this year) to continue my progress […]

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