One of the biggest differences between successful language learners and those who give up before they get fluent is attitude. We all need to check our fluency mindset now and again, just to make sure we're not turning into our own worst enemies. Here are seven mindset shifts for language learning success. 1. From "learning a language" to "mastering the next stage". … [Read more...]
Minority language dialects: a challenge for learners?
If you've heard that your minority language has a variety of dialects, which one should you learn? How should you respond if you hear that there are lots of dialects and that "some native speakers can't even understand each other"? What does the "standardisation" of a language even mean? In this, the fourth post in the series on learning minority languages, let's … [Read more...]
How to choose an AirBnB apartment
Languages and travel go hand in hand and in recent years, for me, booking accommodation with AirBnB has been part of the mix. I've build up quite a bit of experience as a regular user of the site. AirBnB has enabled me to stay in some great apartments for much less than the cost of a hotel. I've felt like a local, too. In this article, I share my tips to on how to choose an … [Read more...]
Happy New Year in three languages…and more
How do you say "Happy New Year" in your target language? It'a question I've had to ask myself as I saw in New Years past in Wales, Germany and Russia. The answers remind me, first, that direct translation is not always the name of the game in language learning. As we explore a few New Year's phrases, we'll get a quick glimpse of some of the linguistic nuts and bolts holding … [Read more...]
From 2019 to 2020
As 2019 draws to a close and a 2020 is about to begin, let's step back, take stock of a year of our language learning together and a year of language blogging and vlogging here at Howtogetfluent. Let's look ahead too, to our plans and hopes for the coming year and - as a new decade begins - beyond (preview/review vlog at the bottom of this post). My language learning and … [Read more...]