It's a while since I've focussed on Basque and I've been wanting to do this run-through of coursebooks for learning Basque for quite a while. If you're a regular on the site, you may recall that two summers ago I spent a month on an intensive Basque course and I've been learning the language on and off for nearly five years. I'm now at an intermediate level. There aren't many … [Read more...]
How to pass a foreign language exam
If you're looking for advice on how to pass a foreign language exam at beginner, intermediate or advanced level, you're in the right place. This is the second in a three part series on language exams. It's packed with essential tips you won't want to miss. If you're still unsure whether it makes sense for you to do an exam at all, first check out part one: "Foreign language … [Read more...]
How to read in a foreign language: the skill unpicked
In the first post in this series on how to read in a foreign language we saw how important reading is even if your main aim is to speak a language well. You'll make better progress if you realise that reading is not one skill. Think in terms of four different types of reading, each with a specific purpose. In this post (with vid at the bottom), let's unpick the four types of … [Read more...]
Foreign language exams for adult learners: for and against
Should I do a Goethe Institute Exam? How about the DALF? Or the TRKI Russian exam? Should I take the HSK exam? Do I need the IELTS? If you've asked yourself questions like these and are wondering is it worth taking foreign language exams and getting a language certificate, this piece is for you. It's the first in a short series of posts on whether and how to do language … [Read more...]
Is German hard to learn?
Is German hard to learn? This mega-post about German is the first in an occasional, in-depth series - "Language Lowdown" - in which I'll be giving it to you "both barrels" on different languages. What's hard? What's easy? It'll be very much the rough with the smooth. But don't worry, German, like every language does have its share of smooooooth. It can be hard to get … [Read more...]