If you’ve ever studied another language or linguistics, you may have come across a particularly prickly piece of grammar called the “case system.” And if you’re learning Modern Greek, buckle up because this case system is something you absolutely must learn to accurately understand and use the language. For native English speakers, cases often feel confusing. …
Back when I first started learning languages seriously—starting with German—a relative gifted me the “premium” language learning software of the day: Rosetta Stone. Given my recent enthusiasm for the language and the price tag, it was a big deal. This was before Babbel, FluentU, and Duolingo. And, to be honest, I mostly liked it. The …
How to Get the Most Out of Rosetta Stone: A Review Read More »
With more than 230 million people speaking Bengali as either a first or second language, it’s easy to see how there are several variations of the language. For those learning the modern language, the most noticeable difference between the Bengali dialects tends to be pronunciation. The most common difference is in phonology, but other differences, …
Exploring the Bengali Dialects: Beyond Diglossia Read More »
In the English-speaking world, generally, very little is known about Chinese Philosophy and its rich history. The average person probably has heard of the Tao te Ching/Dao de Jing, but maybe they associate it with Winnie the Pooh. The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said that Confucius was merely some mystic quoted on fortune cookies. …
For those who want to immerse themselves in Chinese culture fully – whether to be close to family, work abroad, read web novels and Chinese-based fantasy fiction, or for another reason – learning Mandarin Chinese can give you a richer experience. Heritage learners, too, often already have Chinese language skills, but may not feel confident …
The Essential Guide to Learning Mandarin Chinese Read More »
Let’s face it, the main reasons you’re planning to visit Greece are probably related to the excellent weather, mouth-watering cuisine, and fascination with antiquity and Greek mythology. Maybe you even want to learn Modern Greek. But there’s a whole other side of Greek history that commonly gets overlooked: The Ottoman Occupation. After achieving Independence in …
8 Tourist Sites of Ottoman Greece You Must Visit Read More »
Music, movies, and fiction are the holy trinity of “chill” language learning activities. And movies are perhaps the best mix for beginners and low-intermediate learners, especially if they can get both target and first-language subtitles to help them along. For those learning Modern Greek, it makes sense to dive head-first into Greek movies. But before …
7 Greek Movies and Series with English Subtitles Read More »
When the pandemic hit, everyone closed down. Containment was key. But while many countries have been opening their borders over the past year, Japan has notably been slow to admit foreign nationals—including students, researchers, spouses, and foreign workers. Tourists didn’t have a chance. Finally, some of that that changed last October. Japan’s reopening policies are …
Visiting Japan in 2023: Japan Visa Rules + 3 Travel Ideas Read More »
You’ve probably experienced these scenarios, but never linked them to foreign language anxiety: For a language learner, these bouts of foreign language anxiety often make it seem like mastering another language is impossible. In fact, it’s common for learners, especially younger students, to link their anxiety with an inability to learn. But that’s far from …
You have already heard that 80% of New Year’s Resolutions fail. But does that statistic translate into language learning goals or even goal setting in general? Well, when you consider that only 20% of people actually set goals, we can see the sample pool for success is already pretty small. And even though only 6% …
5 In-Depth Steps to Setting Strong Language Learning Goals Read More »
