In this one stop shop on the German accusative case, you'll get a summary and detail on 1) What it is 2) When to use it and 3) What the special accusative case forms of certain words are. There's a clear explanation of the German case endings and my handy all-in-one table German case endings table. We'll finish with some take-away tips in summary. Let's get started! Los … [Read more...]
German nominative case (made clear)
In this post, you'll discover 1) What the German nominative case is 2) When to use the nominative case and 3) What the special nominative case forms of certain words are, including a clear explanation of the German case endings and my handy all-in-one table German case endings table. We'll finish with some take-away tips in summary. Let's get started! What is the … [Read more...]
Goethe-Institut German A1 exam explained
If you want the Goethe-Institut German A1 exam clearly explained, you’re in the right place. In this post we’ll unpick the format of this important beginner German language exam. We’ll get clear on just what the A1 test German exam itself involves. The focus is on the exam for adults (sub-titled Start Deutsch 1). We won't look at the beginners’ exam aimed at children and young … [Read more...]
“Yma o hyd” by Dafydd Iwan and learning Welsh
I write this in the week that the Welsh protest song Yma o hyd by Dafydd Iwan topped the iTunes chart in the United Kingdom off the back of his performance in the stadium before Wales beat Ukraine and qualified for the Fifa World Cup for the first time for sixty-four years. Update 30 Nov '22. Well, Qatar didn't quite work out quite as we'd hoped ... but let's keep singing! … [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 2024
Who are the best Russian YouTubers you'll most enjoy watching in 2024 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...]
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...]