I add random languages to my Duolingo because I get curious or for when I go on holiday.

Currently tempted to put Irish, Welsh, Gaelic and Ukrainian.

Korean will always be the language I’m more fluent in.

I just love learning languages

First time I’ve done it all in one day

Good to get back into some Italian, with some help from Gino

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I picked up Italian.

I know I won’t become fluent but it’s fun to tell my friend what I’ve learnt.

She says she’s proud of me which means a lot.

A random story that happened a few months ago:

I ask my friend on book recommendations on the history and culture of Italy, she said “hang on I’ll ask the parents!” When she came back she said “I’ve started an argument” whoops lol

I know randomly adding foreign words into a book isn’t for everyone but I’m really enjoying these,

I like to try and figure out what the word is before the answers at the end of each chapter.

It’s like a reading game

So far I’ve read Wizard of Oz and Sherlock Holmes: A story in scarlet

I was talking to my retired coworker (helping him pack while being served by my colleague) and him and I do our normal italian greeting to each other “ciao, come stai? Buone” he turns to my colleague and says that he’s teaching me italian and my colleague goes “she’s always learning languages”

Nice that some of my work colleague noticed lol

From Diglot to Weeve.

New name with a new design.

It’s colourful inside.

I have this thing that because nobody buys me Language books for Christmas, I order them online and open them on Christmas.

I’ve discovered Diglot, they put italian (French,Spanish,german) words into English books so you learn while you read.

It doesn’t work for some people and ive read Wizard of oz and enjoyed it.

Duolingo year in review!

Some random language tests.

It’s good to test yourself every so often.

Plus I was curious

Not bad.

Level up on my TTMIK.

(Website is called Test My Language)

aslothslangblr:

learning-to-think:

fluencylevelfrench:

onyxbird:

fluencylevelfrench:

let’s hope for the best *knocks on wood*

in Germany (at least in my region) when you want to express “cross your fingers” you can say: “klopf auf holz (knock on wood)” and then actually do it.

For example: “I hope nothing bad happens.- Klopf auf Holz”- knocks on wood

Addition: if there’s no wood around (like no table made out of wood), you can knock your knuckles against your head as well.

Do you do that in your country as well?

Definitely a thing in the USA (including your head counting as “wood”), but I’d say the usage I’m familiar with is subtly different than crossing fingers. Crossing fingers is for good luck, while knocking on wood is specifically to “un-jinx” yourself after expressing a hope for something out loud.

I think the notion that you mentioned is what I wanted to express as well. So you wouldn’t in my experience say: “I hope I get the job *knock on wood* but more like "I hope I don’t have covid” *knock on wood*

a thing in France too! except we touch wood, we don’t knock on it. “This hasn’t happened to me, touching wood (to prevent it from ever happening)”, and the head replaces wood if you don’t have wood when saying it too yeah.

Italy here and for the same meaning we actually say “Touching iron” and we touch it mostly with a specific hand gesture which consists in putting your index and your little finger up, as we say in the shape of horns (hence for the same meaning we also say “doing horns” and we do the same hand gesture), and you start to look up for something made in iron or some kind of metal to touch it and “un-jinx” yourself.

The specific hand gesture is this btw ->

I decided which language I want to learn next! :)

So the last few weeks (or even months) I thought about which language could be the most useful, most beautiful and most logical language choice for me. Which language feels “right” for me?

I wanted to decide between:

• Japanese
• Russian
• Korean
• Spanish

Today was the day. Yes ladies and gentlemen I’m talking about THE DAY I finally decided which language I want to learn next.

It’s going to be Italian.

What?

That’s not even on the list?

Yeah because I’m a mess and suck at making decisions. 

To be honest I never wanted to learn Italian. I found it to be boring (because not much difference to the languages I know), no real cultural difference and where I make vacations (every year since I was 3 years old) they speak German anyway. I’m not into pasta, I’m not into pizza, I’m not into wine (I actually hate wine). There was nothing I was interested in when it came to Italian. And no this is not a story about how something special happened and then it got me like “Italian it is!”. Actually, it didn’t happen anything. Today I just thought “it’s going to be Italian” and now I’m excited about it for seriously no reason at all. Nothing happened. I didn’t even get in touch with the language today!

I always wanted my next language to be as different as possible and now it’s going to be Italian. For no reason. Funny how life goes. So ladies and gentlemen, I’m glad to present you my next language which I never thought I would even look at it. I’m super excited and for some reason the language suddenly sounds beautiful to me! 

I’m hoping for a funny journey. And I’m going to be in Italy in two months again so let’s see how it goes. :)

There is NO hard language, just different ones. Even the hardest language is just average difficult.

As many of you know there are 5 groups of languages for English native speakers based on “how hard” a language is.

With group one being the easiest (languages like Spanish, French, Italian, etc.) to group five including the hardest (like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.).

But to which group a language belongs can change drastically based on which languages you speak or are interested in.

So let’s take a look at “how hard a language is” when you actually don’t know a single language at all.

When learning their mother tongue, it’s all the same, all around the world. Kids can express themselves in an easy way at the age of 4 to 5. At this point they can tell you stories about what happened during the day, follow commands that include multiple steps (like go brush your teeth, then change clothes, go to bed, etc.) and also strangers should be able to understand what the kid is saying. So the kid is at a level what we would consider fluent but not at a high native speaker level, because it can’t understand complex topics. A kid is starting to actually try talking when it’s around 6 months old.

So as a result we can say if you don’t know any language at all you need around 4 years to learn it in a way, to be conversational. And you have to keep in mind that for the first language kids have the URGE to learn it, because otherwise they don’t “belong” to the group and humans are social animals. They can’t just switch to their native language if they don’t want to learn anymore. If they want to talk to ANY person, they HAVE TO learn their first language. It’s socially necessary and back in time an important step of survival.

So let’s say if you don’t know any other language and have a very important reason for learning one AND are surrounded by it non stop with people trying to talk to you ALL THE TIME, you will need 4 years to be on a decent conversational level.

So if we take a look at the 5 groups of languages, even the hardest ones don’t take adults THAT long.

And adults have the opportunity to have social contact without their target language.

Even if you don’t “need” your target language, people of this language aren’t trying to talk to you all the time and you’re not surrounded by it non stop, adults are able to reach an even higher level as “conversational” in this time span.

So it’s not like the “hardest” group of these language rankings is actually hard, it’s just closer to “learning from scratch” because it’s not closely related to the language you know. And even then you’re still faster than having to learn a language totally from point zero because you already learned how a language in general works.

The result is, the hardest group is more like the normal group and everything else is just “how much faster and easier will it be based on what I already know”.

So don’t scare yourself with stuff like “oh my god, everyone says it’s such a hard language… can I even learn it?”. Yes, you can. You will even learn it faster than native speakers without having the language surrounding you 24/7. If 4 years olds can learn it, every adult can learn it. And it’s NOT(!) a hard language! It’s just harder than the other ones and ONLY(!) because you already have a great advantage when it comes to the other languages. But the level of difficulty, even for the hardest language is actually just “normal”.

And it’s annoying that people keep talking about such called “hard languages”. Theres just an average difficulty and everything else are just extra points you gained through your native language that makes specific languages EASIER for you.

Let’s look at it like that:

With every language you start at 0% (what every kid no matter which language they’ll learn as their native language does).

The closer your target language is to the languages you know, the higher your start percentage is.

For example if you’re Korean learning Japanese, the grammar is quite similar so you already start with 20%.

If you’re Spanish and learn Italian you even have many words in common, so you start with 30%.

(Btw the percentage numbers are just random numbers to show what I mean, they are not fact numbers.)

If you’re Russian you’ll start with 10% when learning German because you already know how cases work.

And so on. It works with EVERY language. If you know genders, cases, conjugation, etc. and your target language includes that, you don’t have to figure out how it works, you already know it. Sure you often have to learn new words for that but it’s not like you have to figure out the system behind that.

So the absolute WORST case could only be to start at 0% (what you probably never will because in the very basic every language is the same, for example trying to talk about a subject, etc. You already know the purpose of a language.) BUT you will NEVER(!) start with minus percent. So stop freaking yourself out. There is no hard language, just a more different system you have to get used to.

It’s not hard if everyone, literally everyone, can learn it. Especially millions of 4 years olds. Don’t give up just because you make mistakes or don’t get the hang of something right away.

Every kid needs around 4 years to speak the absolute same stuff, no matter which language (not including writing system in later years). So all languages have the absolute SAME difficulty when it comes to learning them. It just depends on what you already know, which can make it easier/faster.

So, quitting happens because of missing plans, structure, goals and rewards.
I’ve been to Italy quite a few times (around 30 times to be honest) and I’ll be there in 2 months again. I want to make the best out of these 60 days, so I can use the language as much as possible. But first, I need a plan!

I should mention I’m not a fan of exact numbers like 10 minutes this, 40 minutes that, a 15 minutes break here. Simply because I never stick to it, then I’m getting frustrated, stop for the day, forget it on the next day, want to start new next week, don’t do that and quit it completely. Not just for learning languages, I’m just like that in general. If I want to start at 6 pm but start at 6.15 pm I’m already mad at myself. 

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What are my resources?

• Babbel - it doesn’t make as much fun as Duolingo, but I’m NOT going to use Duolingo. Like I said I want to get the most out of these 60 days and I like that Duolingo is fun but… it’s not really productive. First because the sentences are often non sense (what I usually like because it’s funny), second the progress is slow (the slowest I know) and even if you’re done with a tree you don’t really get far with it compared to the time you put in and where other apps get you with the same amount of time. Babbel is not nearly as cool as Duolingo because it’s way more like “sit down and learn this shit” but in the end this method is faster. I studied 2 different languages with Babbel and the structure (especially for grammar) is the best I know when it comes to apps / websites. 
  
• Memrise - I think I don’t have to say much about it… build up vocab as fast as possible.
• Beelinguapp - It’s an app with audio books. You choose your target language and a book. While reading it you listen to the audio version of it and if something is unclear you have the translation in your native language below.
• Italienische Verben - a collection of Italian verbs and their conjugation. And if you didn’t notice by the name it’s a German app but I’m to 99,99% sure there is something like that in English (or other languages).
• Habitica - a to do list in rpg style. Actually I use this anyway, even without learning a language haha ^^ but I’m a really competitive person and you can join guilds (groups for everything you can imagine), so I joined a few language learning guilds to attend challenges. There’s also a guild chat for exchange and many more things you can do. :)
  Warning: if you don’t do things on your to do list, your character will lose health. :p
• Deezer and Pi Music Player - music players for… well I guess you know. 
• Tandem - an app for language exchange, finding an exchange partner or even a teacher. If you click on “community” you see native speakers of your target language learning your native language. Already with the topic they want to talk about. You can decide between (video-) call or messaging them. Warning: you maybe have to wait to get in, because they want to keep it balanced between different countries. GIGANTIC plus point for girls: this way it’s impossible to get hardcore spammed by men from… specific countries asking you to marry them or who are sending you photos of their tiny wiener. I’m serious this app is PERFECT for girls. Almost all people are just there for language exchange and not to find a girl of the country they want to move to.
• HelloTalk - also a nice language exchange app but I prefer Tandem.
• Google Translate - well… duh. Why do I even mention it.

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What are my study plans?

• find a language exchange partner as friend (with Tandem and HelloTalk)
  
• learn as much vocab as possible (with Babbel and mainly Memrise)
• much practice of listening skills (Memrise for the native speaker option, Babbel for the dialogues between people at real life situations, Beelinguapp for audio books, Deezer and Pi Music for listening to music in Italian)
• practice writing (Babbel, Memrise and chatting with native speakers on Tandem/HelloTalk)
• practice speaking (a little bit with Memsie and Babbel but mainly with native speakers from Tandem and HelloTalk)
• practice reading (Beelinguapp, chatting with native speakers on Tandem/HelloTalk, Babbel)
• learn basic grammar (with Babbel)
• study as much as I can do per day but at least 30 minutes every day NO MATTER how busy I am
• have a small basic conversations with my language exchange partner (who will probably speak extra slowly and clearly, because they know your language level) after one month

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What are my goals?

• have small-talks with native speakers in Italy
  
• get around without using German or English at all. The worst part about this will be that they always start speaking German or English with me (I guess I don’t look Italian at all but you can see my profile picture soooo yeah I don’t know) and I have to tell them to stop trying to have a normal conversation with me so I can make the situation awkward and hard to understand for everyone with my broken Italian. :D Embarrassing moments I’m coming for you!
• set my smartphone on Italian and actually understand the most of it
• get a diary and use it in Italian without a dictionary
• live the language as much as I can (here is a post about what I mean)
• find Italian friends
• understand a few songs I like (going to learn a little bit vocab from my favourite songs to make it easier)
• play a game like Sims and understand most of it (I wanted to use Skyrim but I guess everyday life vocab will be more easier to understand than the vocab about potions, killing dragons, magic spells, being a dragonborn, etc.)

langsandlit:

• fare appello (appellarsi) = to appeal to (someone or something)
• fare l’appello = to call the register
• fare domande (domandare) = to ask questions
• fare male (offendere, ferire) = to hurt
• fare caso (prestare attenzione) = to pay attention
• fare schifo (schifare, disgustare) = to be awful
• fare ginnastica (allenarsi) = to exercise
• fare senso (ripugnare, disgustare) = to be gross
• fare mente locale (ricordare) = to remember, to place it in one’s mind
• fare colpo (colpire, destare attenzione) = to make an impression
• fare breccia [nel cuore di qualcuno] = to find one’s way into someone’s heart
• fare un sogno/incubo (sognare, avere un incubo) = to have a dream/nightmare
• fare un bagno (bagnarsi) = to have a bath
• fare un figlio (fare l’amore/sesso, partorire) = to make love/to have sex (in order to have a baby), to have a baby 
• fare una foto/un video (fotografare, riprendere) = to take a picture/video
• fare la guerra (guerreggiare, andare in guerra) = to wage war
• fare tabula rasa (mangiare tutto, distruggere/abbattere completamente) = to wipe the slate clean
• fare i calcoli (calcolare) = do the math
• fare colazione (colazionare (colloquial/informal, also not a real word in dictionaries) = to have breakfast
• fare da mangiare (preparare il pranzo/la cena, cucinare)= to make the meal, to do the cooking
• fare un giro (girare, passeggiare) = to have a walk
• fare una passeggiata (passeggiare) = to have a walk
• fare tardi (tardare) = to be late
• fare presto (essere veloce) = to be quick
• farsi i fatti propri (pensare a sé) = to mind your own business
• fare a gara (gareggiare) = to compete
• fare numero = to swell the crowd
• fare la fila = to wait in a queue

As humans we love to see exactly how our hard work has paid off. Basically, if you put work into something you will find that you tend to want to see exactly how much closer that hard work has brought you to your goals. That isn’t as simple in language learning but it is possible if you set the right goals and know how to track your progress in them.

How To Set Goals?

DON’T SCROLL PAST THIS PART. I know that it’s easy to roll your eyes and say, “Dude, I know how to set goals…” but hear this, you may be setting goals incorrectly. (DUN DUN DUN).

People often don’t know how to set goals in language learning and that is one of their BIGGEST set backs. Because people see lots of flim-flam around about “how to learn a language in three months” or “how to learn a language super duper uber fast”, they set HUGE goals like “be fluent in X months” or “speak fluently to people in X amount of weeks”. Why? Because they have been told that those goals are realistic! Those, my good friend, are not a good language learning goals and will set you up for disappointment and failure.

The correct way to set goals is to be VERY specific. However, there are two types of goals you should have: main goals and smaller goals.

Main Goals

Obviously, the overall goal is to be fluent, but that’s too big a goal to include on your list. Instead, first write down main goals. Main goals are goals that are used to track your overall progress in a language that are based on topics or situations. When making main goals, make only goals for that month, then add new ones for the next month or continue with last months if you didn’t finish. To explain the concept more clearly, I have posted a picture of my main goals for Chinese. However, it doesn’t matter if you’re learning French, Japanese, Korean, Polish or Spanish. You can use this template for learning any language.

As you can see, I have the month at the top, then on the left I have a tracker for how many days I have been studying. As you can see, there is a gap around the week of the 9^th because that was my birthday! Then on the left, you’ll see the key. There I assigned colors to the different components of my language study I needed to complete:

Vocabulary means I study at least 10 vocabulary words within the topic during that week.

Speaking means I practice what I learned with a native speaker (usually via iTalki)

Reading means I read something within the monthly topic within that week

Writing means I write a few sentences within the topic that week

Below all this you see the topic of each week. For one topic I chose Art, so that week I focused on learning about Art (using lists on Tumblr, random materials online and random Youtube videos I found). The next week I learned about politics (specifically how to talk about American politics) and then week three I will do fashion and week four I will do idols (as in celebrities in Korea and China).

Below all that, you can see exactly what I’ve learned. You can see how my language capabilities have grown and exactly what I can now express! Isn’t that cool!!! You should track exactly what you’ve learned to express and then at the end of the month, compare that to what you were able to express last month. But the difference is, you can see exactly what you can and cannot express and maybe identify holes in your knowledge. So one month, you can repeat a topic to fill holes in your knowledge or expand deeper on the topic.

Small Goals

Small goals are little things you’d really like to learn that are outside of your main goals. You can set small goals like finishing a certain book, learning a new song or understanding an entire movie. These goals you can also interweave into your main goals to make it easier to accomplish them.

Learn Topic by Topic

This is the best way I know how to track language learning progress is to learn topic by topic. The more topics you are able to talk about, the more fluent you will become, right? Well, tracking your progress in topics is MUCH easier than tracking every single thing you learn arbitrarily! Each week, pick a topic you’d like to study and find materials related to the topic to help you get as much done as possible.

Topics Are Endless and So is Language Learning

Be patient!! Keep in mind that there are SO many topics to learn because language is VAST and there are many things in the world you can talk about. So the more topics you are able to learn, the more fluent you will become. This absolutely doesn’t happen overnight and I don’t believe it will happen in three months either. But if you just keep going and are consistent, you will find yourself able to speak more and more and more. And that’s what language learning is all about, a continual language learning process where the goal is just to keep improving, because there is always room!

Stationery in Italian

Stationery - la cancelleria

Pencil - la matita

Pen - la penna

Eraser - la gomma

Sharpener - il temperamatite

Marker - il pennarello

coloured pencil - la matita colorata

Scissors - le forbici

Glue - la colla

paper - la carta

Clip - la graffetta

Ruler - la riga / il righello

Notebook - il quaderno

hasanyoneheardofFlowlingo?

because that app is so underrated and simply amazing for real life target language content practice! let me know if you’re interested and ill make an in depth post!