Category: off topic


Girls vs guys and the dancing-monkey reason to learn a language

written by Benny Lewis

There are many wholesome reasons to learn and use languages. Mine are cultural to enhance my travel and social experiences. Some people learn to understand their heritage, to be able to better appreciate music and literature, and some are passionate simply about languages in themselves and what makes them up and how they work. Others […]


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Reading time: 7 minutes

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April Fools’ post – Benny’s Confession

written by Benny Lewis

[Before I put April Fools’ in the title of this post, quite a lot of people were falling for it! Rest assured that nothing here is true 🙂 ] I am writing this post with a heavy heart, but the lies must end. I can’t do this any longer – the guilt is tearing me […]


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Reading time: 6 minutes

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Benny’s 2010: A video summary (& singing in Spanish)

written by Benny Lewis

What a year! I’ve already summarised my favourite blog posts of the year, but I think the year is best summarised in video! So in this video I have edited together my favourite moments of the year, most fun things I’ve done and most importantly, the amazing people that I’ve met. People are after all, […]


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Reading time: 2 minutes

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Siestas for better focus, more time, instant jet-lag/party recovery, and a healthier life

written by Benny Lewis

Siestas are short naps taken in the afternoon, usually after eating, that tend to be associated with some Latin (especially Spanish-speaking) cultures. Those unfamiliar with them might associate them with laziness, or a lifestyle totally incompatible with their own. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, people who take “power naps” are way […]


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Reading time: 13 minutes

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Social media Saturday – What happens in Vegas… gets blogged and tweeted!

written by Benny Lewis

My Hungarian mission is progressing very well! I am at the stage now where I can have telephone conversations entirely in Hungarian. Not bad for just having spent a few weeks in the country so far! But in just under two weeks, this mission will be coming to an end and I’ll be moving on. […]


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Reading time: 3 minutes

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Why learning a language is like learning a musical instrument

written by Benny Lewis

Here I am, at the starting stages of speaking a language once again, and I’m reminded of how it felt taking a similar first step into playing the piano and other instruments I’ve learned. Since my feelings would likely be shared by others, I asked my friends on twitter how learning a language is like […]


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Reading time: 3 minutes

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Friday fun: Learning Na’vi for your Avatar

written by Benny Lewis

Preface Na’vi is the language spoken by the fictional aliens in the currently very popular movie Avatar. Even though it’s “just a movie”, Na’vi is an “actual” (constructed) language. It has vocabulary and grammar and was developed by linguist Paul Frommer. He’s hoping it will become the new “Klingon” of movie languages. Since the whole […]


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Reading time: 8 minutes

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