How has your language learning gone this year? As one year makes way for another, in this post let's take a step back and look over how things went....and look ahead to share hopes and plans for 2019 (also in vlog form, down at the bottom). But first, my annual year-end review and preview wouldn't be complete without a picture of a Christmas tree. Here's my 2018 "bark n … [Read more...]
At London’s Language Show (with vlog)
Last weekend I attended London’s annual Language Show for the fifth year. The event runs for an autumn Friday, Saturday, Sunday and is a mix of trade fair, training event and chance to meet other language learning enthusiasts. It’s free (though you register for a ticket online in advance). Many of the attendees are language professionals (translators, interpreters), … [Read more...]
Insights from the Polyglot Gathering 2018
This was the second Polyglot Gathering in Bratislava and the biggest ever. If you don't know about the Polyglot Gathering, you must be new to the site. I've attended (and reviewed) all five (the first three were in Berlin). In short: it's a five-day event of talks, socialising and evening events run by enthusiastic volunteers for anybody who's into learning one language or … [Read more...]
Polyglot Gathering 2018: the daily vlogs
Ahoj from the Polyglot Gathering 2018 in Bratislava. The Gathering has recently finished and I've been daily vlogging. All five vlogs are now out, beginning with the Polyglot Gathering opening evening on Wednesday right up to the closing ceremony and beyond on Sunday, the last day. Needless to say, I've had a great time. It's the people who make it and thanks to all of … [Read more...]
Coursebooks for learning Basque: the complete guide
It's a while since I've focussed on Basque and I've been wanting to do this run-through of coursebooks for learning Basque for quite a while. If you're a regular on the site, you may recall that two summers ago I spent a month on an intensive Basque course and I've been learning the language on and off for nearly five years. I'm now at an intermediate level. There aren't many … [Read more...]
Language learning together…from 2017 to 2018
Well, here we are on the eve of the New Year. I expect you too are looking back at all that happened in your world in 2017 and looking forward with anticipation to the New Year. Let's take stock and plan ahead together! But first.....a festive "kitsch-off" Regular readers may not yet have recovered from the picture of I shared in my 2016 end-of-year review of the … [Read more...]
A day at London’s Language Show (review and vlog)
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]