You walk into an authentic Chinese restaurant.
The menu is completely in Chinese. The staff and all the patrons are Chinese.
The only problem? There’s no Wi-Fi in the restaurant, so you can’t translate the menu.
What do you …
As you’re reading this, I can assume you want to learn a language.
But why do you want to?
There are as many reasons for learning languages as there are languages themselves.
There’s travel, food, people—and money.…
Choosing a language to learn may not seem like a strategic move.
After all, for many, Spanish is the obvious choice.
But after you learn Spanish—
Wait, hold on. After?
Well, yes.
Spanish covers a lot of the world. English …
Challenges are fun.
There are a lot of people out there who enjoy doing language learning challenges.
Doing things fast is also fun.
And trying to accomplish the great mental feat of learning a language as fast as possible…
Let’s say you’re in a place where you can’t read the local language.
You can’t read any stickers, pamphlets, slogans or warning signs in that language.
Only there are signs in both English and the primary spoken language, so you …
“What language should I learn?”
That’s a tough question.
Should you learn French or Spanish? Tamazight or Swahili? Abkhaz or Sesotho?
How can you ever decide?
Enter the trusted adviser of millions, the beloved internet quiz.
In …
It’s a fast-paced world out there.
How many times have you seen someone waiting at the bus stop, constantly checking their watch, getting more and more frustrated with a delay of just two or three minutes?
It’s no surprise, then, …
We’ve heard that if you talk to a man in his language, it goes to his heart.
But what if he can’t understand a word you’re saying?
It’s easy to ignore pronunciation in language learning, especially when …
Some people say that it takes some secret talent to learn languages.
But would they say that about someone who can sing, play an instrument and keep rhythm?
Using a language is really just a skill like any other, and …
It’s hard to separate languages from money.
All around the world, people are paying top dollar for access to language education.
In most places, that means English classes—anything from English immersion preschool to business English refresher courses.
In the English-speaking …
If you plan to do any writing in the language you’re learning, you’ll want to eventually be able to type its unique letters.
Like with practicing any skill, the more you do it, the better you’ll get. …
Picture it.
A large, shining (yet tasteful) trophy.
The plaque reads “World’s Best Language Learner.”
And underneath? Your name.
A language certificate is a lot like a sports trophy.
You can have a wonderful time playing sports—or learning languages—without ever …
Hindsight is 20/20.
Looking back, we’ll always see that it was at the beginning where we went wrong.
It’s when we set out on a journey of some kind that we can benefit the most from preparing ourselves for what’s …
Subtitles are the unsung heroes of language learning.
But you’re not here to hear about plain old ordinary subtitles.
You’re here to make use of an effective, if under-used language tool: dual language subtitles for authentic video content.…
Shhh.
Quiet your mind and listen to your surroundings for a second.
What do you hear?
Are you on a crowded airplane or in a public place? Have you got any music playing? Is someone talking nearby?
Your …
On the journey to fluency, you might think of Google as a road.
You use it to get to important places—like language courses or study materials.
You might not realize that Google is a language learning destination itself.
But …
Have you ever Googled a question but, surprisingly, never found an answer?
You’re not the first one.
Yet, if you could just dig deeper, you probably could find an answer…
You just might have trouble reading it.
There’s a wealth …
Learning a language with online programs gives you the opportunity to customize your process, goals and the time frame in which you accomplish those goals.
In addition to being able to choose your own pace and learning style, studying languages …
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
This quote has been traced back centuries to Vincent van Gogh, and it’s still relevant for 21st century knowledge-seekers.
No …
Do you want to learn how to speak five languages?
As of this writing, I’m an expert in Berber, upper-advanced in Arabic, advanced in English and intermediate in French and German.
If you’re an aspiring polyglot, I’ll show you the …
Are you still watching entire seasons of “House of Cards” instead of studying?
If yes, then you probably should start booking private language lessons.
It’s the only way to have a disappointed face looking at you until …
