If you enjoy large events that attract language lovers of all stripes, London's annual Language Show (also known as Language Show Live) is well worth a visit. I love the vibe and always come away enthused by inspiring conversations and with a new contact or three. I've made a fun, informal vlog once again. It's a way to remember the event and give you a flavour of what's on … [Read more...]
Exploring Beijing when you don’t speak Chinese: things to see and travel tips (video)
What's it like exploring Beijing when you don't speak Chinese? This is the question I answer the latest of my fun, tip-packed "Smash and Grab" travel and language videos, shot on my recent trip to China's ancient capital. The link's right at the bottom of this post. In September I was in the lucky position of having some free time on my hands after a work trip to … [Read more...]
A new language record! (video from the Polyglot Gathering)
The Polyglot Gathering in Bratislava last summer brought together one must have been one of the most multilingual audiences of all time. What better place to attempt to break the record for the greatest number of languages spoken under one roof? Four days of celebration of language and language learning were coming to an end. We all packed into the main lecture theatre to … [Read more...]
Alpha to omega: learning the Greek alphabet (video)
How hard is it to learn the Greek alphabet? I shot this short, fun video introducing all twenty-four letters at the Polyglot Conference in Thessaloniki. The truth is, you should never let a strange writing system put you off! It's true that completely different systems such as the Chinese present a challenge. It's a challenge many have overcome with … [Read more...]
Learning Icelandic: 30 day focus
How much progress can you make learning a new langauge for thirty minutes a day for a month and how should you go about it? That's what I'm set to explore in a new mini project: an Icelandic 30 day focus. Why Icelandic? The superficial answer. The immediate spur is that this year's Polyglot Conference is taking place in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavík, 27th to 29th … [Read more...]
How to pass an advanced foreign language writing exam or “writing Russian right” for the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language Third Certificate
Слава Богу! Praise be! I've finally passed my advanced foreign language writing exam in Russian. In this post, I lift the lid on how I did it and how you can too. If you're planning on taking the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language Third Certficiate (that's the TRKI 3 - Тест по русскому языку как иностранному, третий сертификационный уровень) or another of the higher TRKI … [Read more...]
The fourth Polyglot Gathering, reviewed
For me, the delightful tone of the Fourth Polyglot Gathering was set several days before it began. I arrived in Bratislava and was met by Michal, the owner of the apartment that was my temporary home for my first visit to the Slovak capital. He was carrying what I took to be a set of golf equipment or maybe fishing rods. It turned out to be a fujara. As you may well have … [Read more...]
Intermediate/advanced foreign language exam preparation: Russian TRKI third certificate writing sub-test
How do you best undertake intermediate/advanced foreign language writing exam preparation? Here's an update on what I'm doing in Operation Write Russian Right, my retake of the writing paper of the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language Third Certificate (ToRFL or TRKI - Тест по русскому языку как иностранному третий сертификационный уровень). I have three quick takeaways … [Read more...]
Bratislava Live! Five daily vlogs from the Polyglot Gathering 2017
Hello from Slovakia's lovely capital city. The fourth annual Polyglot Gathering, a meeting for language lovers of all hues, has moved here for the first time to a new venue: Bratislava's Economics University. I've covered each previous Gathering (from Berlin) extensively on the site....last year I vlogged from there for the first time. This year I'm trying my hand at daily … [Read more...]
Language learner’s update (May 2017)
Hello from Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. I landed in central Europe from London yesterday for this year's Polyglot Gathering. There's just time for an update about how my various long term language learning projects are going. There's also some news about one or two things I've got going on "below the radar". Why do you care? Well, I hope you'll be encouraged in your own … [Read more...]