If you're already a solid beginner in German and looking to become move into intermediate, one of the things you have to learn to do is understand and use longer, more complex sentences. To transform your German as you burst into intermediate, you're going to need conjunctions. But what exactly are conjunctions? This post explains all. Let's look at the most useful intermediate … [Read more...]
Learning Japanese: Month Four update
I'm now just over four months into my current language project: learning Japanese. Here's my April update. There's a video update at the bottom of the post, too. My target minimum focussed study time is half an hour of Japanese daily, seven days a week or, over nine months. A "full house" total of 30 mins x 30 April days would be fifteen hours. My actual total was … [Read more...]
German modal verbs explained
What are the German modal verbs? How do you conjugate them? How to use German modal verbs? If you want clear and complete answers to these questions, you're in the right place! Modal verbs are one of those welcome areas where German and English feel very close. When "ich kann" means "I can", "wir müssen" means "we must", what's not to like? Yes, here our common … [Read more...]
Discovering the world of Swahili (learner interview)
Have you ever thought of learning an African language or, if you're African, another one? At last year's Polyglot Gathering I met French international voluntary exchange association employee and podcaster Julia Martin and I was thrilled when she agreed to share her story about how she came to learn Swahili. It's a fascinating language, widespread in east Africa and, as we'll … [Read more...]
How to remember German noun gender: the ultimate guide
Learning the German noun gender system can be a real headache. In this post, I'm sharing some top tips on how to remember German noun gender. Taken together, the tricks will stack odds of getting the gender right significantly in your favour. The info below will save you time and give you confidence as you power ahead auf Deutsch. Los geht's! So what is all the fuss … [Read more...]
Learning Japanese: Month Three update
I'm now just over three months into my new language project: learning basic Japanese in nine months. Here's an update of how it went in March (with the update vid down at the bottom). My target minimum focussed study time is half an hour a Japanese daily, seven days a week or, over nine months. The month in figures: my Japanese study log Thirty minutes a day for … [Read more...]
Passing the upper-intermediate (B2) Welsh exam: a successful candidate’s story
Karen is a linguist and translator from the south of England. She's already shared her tips on how to become a successful translator with us here at Howtogetfluent and I'm delighted that she's agreed to be interviewed again to tell us how she passed the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC)'s Upper Intermediate (B2) Welsh exam. Below, she shares not only her tips but tells us … [Read more...]
Britain’s “other” languages: three creators speak (report)
"Indigenous: Welsh, Gaelic, Scots, Cornish and More" was an evening event recently held at the British Library here in London. Three creators who work in some of Britain's "other" languages took part. Is it realistic to redefine "Britishness" to include some of the oldest Brits of all? What does it mean to create in these languages? What are the challenges and rewards if you … [Read more...]
Motivation for intermediate (B1) German: enjoying the highs and getting through the lows
After the initial excitement of starting to learn German, you'll alreaday have found that your motivation goes up and down. That's true at all levels. But what are the specific highs and lows that you're likely to encounter as a lower intermediate (B1) German learner? In this post, let's look at the good bits (things to look forward to) and the not so good bits (and how you can … [Read more...]
Learning all six Celtic languages (with Simon Ager)
If you've ever googled just about any question about languages, the chances are you'll have hit on Omniglot.com, the "Online Encyclopedia of Writing Systems & Lanugages". Like me, though, you might not have immediately known who the self-effacing, yet immensely talented, language expert behind the site actually is. I finally met Simon Ager at the first Polyglot Gathering … [Read more...]