As German learners, we love the hundreds of words that look similar or even identical and mean the same in both German and English. They may be words with a common Germanic root ("cognates" such as the man and der Mann), modern borrowings from one language to the other (the Rucksack, die Party…) or words taken from another language (often French, Greek or Latin like the/der … [Read more...]
How to choose an online language tutor
One-to-one sessions with an online tutor play a large role in my language learning. I’ve clocked up over seven hundred live sessions on Skype or Zoom in a range of languages. In this post you’ll discover the questions that I ask when I’ve pulled up a teacher’s profile and am looking for a good teacher fit. Italki.com is the platform on which I’ve found my … [Read more...]
Must-know German opinion phrases for agreeing and disagreeing
As a beginner in German, it’s a great feeling just to have the most basic exchanges: to say a little about yourself and your surroundings, ask some practical questions. But as you start to improve, you’ll soon want to have more meaningful conversations. You’ll want to share your interests, enthusiasms, likes and dislikes. And to find out about what matters to your conversation … [Read more...]
Best Russian YouTubers for upper-intermediate learners in 2025
Who are the best Russian YouTubers you'll most enjoy watching in 2025 as an upper-intermediate to advanced Russian learner keen to get that essential native-level listening practice? No one viewer can survey everything, but it’s great to share some of the channels that I watch the most and why I like them. I've been meaning to blog about Russian YouTube for quite a while. … [Read more...]
How to make German friends, in the country or not!
If you’re serious about improving your spoken German, you need to use it consistently. A great way to do that is to make German friends (or meet native German speakers from elsewhere). But how do you find them? In this post, you’ll find some great practical ideas of how you can meet more native German speakers and make the most of the contacts that come your way, maximising the … [Read more...]
German job interview phrases to set you up for success
You’ve got an interview for a job in German? Well done! But are you clued up on what's expected and is your German interview-ready? I've done four or five interviews in German. Sometimes I got the job, sometimes I didn't. Here are some of the German job interview phrases and tips that I wish I’d had from the start. Basic German job interview vocabulary "You can’t start … [Read more...]
Japanese update: August to March
It’s been eight months since I last reported back on my basic Japanese project. Yes, I’m still at it with Nihongo (as the Japanese call their lingo). I started Project Basic Japanese at the very beginning of 2019. This is an update on what I’ve been doing. I'll lay bare what real, longer-term language learning can look like - warts and all - when you’re an independent adult … [Read more...]
Russian A2 test: the TRKI Basic Level exam uncovered
If you want to know all about the Russian A2 test or, to give it its official name, the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL) Basic Level exam, you’re in the right place. This post lifts the lid on the format of this important “upper beginner” Russian language exam, known in Russian as Test po russkomu iaziky kak inostrannamu, bazovoi uroven’ / Тест по русскому языку … [Read more...]
German plurals: the ultimate guide
Here’s your essential guide to how to make German plurals. Plurals? Well, we’re talking “nouns”. That's to say, naming words for a living being, place, thing or idea. “Noun” in German is das Hauptwort, das Nomen or das Substantiv. If you’re just referring to one Nomen (being, thing and so on), you use the singular form (der Singular). Refer to more than one and … [Read more...]
Top Learn Russian YouTube channels
YouTube is a fantastic resource to learn Russian and here’s a list of nine of the channels you should absolutely check out. Most offer a mix of more formal lessons, monologues, conversations and vlogs. Two of the channels focus on vox pops out and about with native Russians. This post is aimed mainly at beginner and lower intermediate Russian learners. True, most of the … [Read more...]