A key to success in language learning is don't be afraid. Jump in and have a go! That's just what a great bunch of language enthusiasts did at the Polyglot Gathering in Berlin when I challenged them to practise their German pronunciation. The result? A new fun video, the "Howtogetfluent.com German pronunciation challenge". You can dive straight in by clicking on the … [Read more...]
Basque Intensive! 7: out and about (video)
Bilbao and Iruñea: these are two of the major Basque cities I visit the final video in my Basque Intensive! series. The film is for you if want a taste of this fascinating part of the world and its rich culture.... As regular readers will know, I've been learning the Basque language for several years now. I recently spent a whole month in the Basque Country. It's a … [Read more...]
Improving intermediate to advanced writing skills in a foreign language: Operation Write Russian Right
This post is about improving your intermediate to advanced writing skills, about how you might use language exams as a constructive learning tool and about being a committed language learner, in for the long haul, through thick and thin. Oh, and I get to launch my next language learning project. Ding, ding, back in the ring! In the middle, brandishing gloves and … [Read more...]
Zwischen den Jahren: language learning together from the old year to the new
Hello from a frosty and foggy London! If you celebrate the "Western" Christmas, I hope you had a great time. I love the decorations, the traditional, rather heavy British Christmas dinner (turkey, roast potatoes, all the "trimmings"). Now it's 29th December and I've finished the turkey but the cake and mince pies are still going strong. We're in that strange no man's … [Read more...]
Why learn Welsh? Ten reasons
Why learn Welsh in 2025? This is for you if you're thinking of learning Cymraeg - the Welsh language - yourself or just interested in finding out more about it. Even if the language you're eyeing up isn't Welsh, this post my well help you get clear on your underlying "whys". It's an important step when you're thinking of taking on a new lingo. Clarity of purpose will help … [Read more...]
Basque Intensive! 6: the inside view (video)
Now I'm back from my trip to Singapore and Indonesia, I've finally managed to complete the first of two further videos in my "Basque Intensive!" series. As regular readers will know, I'm learning the Basque language. This is an ancient but very much a living language among about 750,000 people in the Basque Country (on both the French and Spanish sides of the western end of … [Read more...]
“Minimmersion” Indonesian 7: Day 5 (video) – my last class and unforgettable Borobudur
My five-day Indonesian course came to an all-too early end today (Friday) with my final class with Anggun, the teacher who taught me on Tuesday. We were working on the numbers, prices and telling the time, all stuff you need right from the start. After the lesson I was asked to fill out an evaluation form and I took some photos with Johan and Totok (my other two teachers - … [Read more...]
“Minimmersion” Indonesian 6: Day 4 (video) language, rain and the Tugu.
Today was the last day but one of my five days' studying Indonesian on the island of Java. It was sweltering hot and sunny when I arrived for class but they don't call this the rainy season for nothing, as I discovered on my journey back to the hotel. The lesson went well, with Johan, my co-ordinator, who also taught me on Monday, back as my teacher. After an early … [Read more...]
“Minimmersion” Indonesian 5: Day 3 (video): more key vocab, the US elections and downtown Yogyakarta in the rain
It's Wednesday evening and I'm a good half-way through my five day "minimmersion" in the Indonesian language, here in Yogyakarta on the island of Java. The day began, as yesterday, with a 45 minute lesson via skype where we dealt with ways of saying "have" and some important "classroom" vocabulary (table, chair, pencil, pen and so on). Then it was over to the language … [Read more...]
“Minimmersion” Indonesian 4: Day 2 (video) begins online and ends with a splash
It's Tuesday night, the end of Day 2 of my five-day crash course in beginners' Indonesian. I got a good start this morning, even before I left my Yogyakarta hotel room: a 45 minute lesson on italki with Zacky, the teacher I met up with in a café yesterday afternoon. I had a different teacher at the school today for my daily 10:15 to 12:00 session: a young lady called … [Read more...]